TAJ HOTELS

Four new luxury projects announced during the past year - that’s all in the name of promotion!
Luxury, opulence and extravaganza available through 77 hotels (including 7 authentic palaces) in over 52 destinations spread across 12 countries and 6 private islands – the Taj Hotels chain has indeed a lesson to share – grow like the mushrooms and choke your competitiors! With tourism sector steaming ahead at a fantastic 11% during 2006, the Taj Hotels brand has practically grown from strength to strength over time. Ajoy Misra, Sr. VP, Sales and Marketing says, “The mantra is that the organization has been built on a customer centric approach and bench-marked with hospitality brands on the highest standards of service whilst being obsessive about its people.” However, the brand during the past year has not excelled in visibility – what else sans promotions and improved advertisements? So here’s a lesson for you too Taj – advertise more and

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

DLF

Now that SEBI has given its nod, DLF’s elusive IPO may yet become a reality
Amidst a host of real estate brands that have mushroomed in the last few years, DLF stands tall by possessing a staggering 574 million sq.ft. in terms of designed projects and an astonishing 220 million sq.ft. in terms of offered development. Now, with the company getting ready to churn out a few more millionaires with its historical IPO, DLF has become a household name. With its flag firmly hoisted in the capital, KP Singh led DLF is getting ready to roll out its pan India presence, having already announced plans to invest Rs 8,000 crores in Madhya Pradesh (housing, industrial SEZs and IT parks) and has partnered with the Orissa government for the state’s first SEZ. To cash in on the sentiments of a cricket crazy country, DLF associated itself with cricket last year, but has now shifted gears to Bollywood. Says Shalini Vig Wadhwa, GM – Corporate Communications: “Our major campaign ‘Building India’ features SRK all over.” Not surprisingly, this brand has scaled up 40 places (from 94 last year!)

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

HONDA SIEL

With prices above the Koreans, but less than the American car-makers, Honda is going great guns!
The legendry Japanese car-maker, Honda, is known for high quality cars positioned in the A3, A4 and A5 segments. So much so that now the Indian consumer has come to expect luxury and flamboyance from the brand. Ironical too, because the Japanese carmaker is generally perceived as an entry-level/ mid-segment player in the West, while in India, the brand is comparatively up-market. The Japanese major finds itself in a situation where it is not comfortable in a backward integration exercise, where it will have to enter the B+ or other lower segments. However, the prospective entry of a small car like the Jazz, would be obligatory to the prevailing market trends, where the segment is witnessing high growth.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

BAJAJ

In the midst of a family feud or corporate restructuring?
Even as the demerger of the iconic Bajaj Group takes shape, the brand has found its rightful place in the 4Ps B&M list, with the able flank of its two great warriors, Bajaj Auto and Bajaj Capital. Bajaj Auto, the fifth largest Indian company in terms of market cap today, was a tad late in sensing the demand shift from scooters to motorcycles. But at a motor show organized earlier this year you couldn’t really sense the delay, seeing the Pulsar roaring with its mammoth 200cc engine. Even their iconic brand – Bajaj Chetak (which served as a symbol of middle class aspirations for over four decades) was discontinued in 2006. Though hit hard on both sides by Honda Scooters and Hero Honda, the Pulsar continues to chart its way past the sales graph. If Chetak spurned Bajaj to the top league between the 1970s-1990s, the job in this decade belongs to the Pulsar. “Bajaj as a brand presents a classic case of a dying scooter brand changing itself into a big bike brand today,” says K. V. Sridhar from Leo Burnett. Bajaj is betting next on CNG powered bikes, which will be launched soon. Definitely, the ‘Naye bharat ki nayi tasveer’. What say heir apparent, Rajiv Bajaj?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

MOST INNOVATIVE BRAND OF 2006-07

• Microsoft Xbox 360
• Kingfi sher Airlines
• Motorola
• Maggi
• Intel
Some say that ‘a company that knows not how to innovate, knows not how to survive...’ and they ain’t lying! Look at the Microsoft Xbox 360. At a price that’s mighty lower than its closest competitor’s, you get relatively the same experience. Kingfisher Airlines, which innovated itself and moved the other way while competition was getting attracted to the black boring hole of LCCs, has ever lived up to its fantastic fame through delivery of top-notch service quality. Motorola, which was biting the dust till two years back, is now high o innovation and during the past year, it drove past Nokia in terms of innovation. Maggi and Intel, with their latest ‘alternate’ offerings too have made the mark needed to be chosen as the most innovative brands for 2006.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative