IIPM News Broadcast

Friday, June 03, 2011

Relations between ISI, CIA have improved: Gilani

Relations between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and US spy agency CIA - that were strained after the secret mission in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden - have now improved, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday. Talking to journalists, Gilani said Pakistan has made it clear to the US that Abbottabad-like operation was not acceptable to it, The Nation reported.
AQaeda founder bin Laden was killed in a secret operation on May 02 by US Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, near the capital city of Islamabad. Pakistani security agencies were not informed about the mission.

Regarding a commission to investigate the Abbottabad incident, the Prime Minister said consultations with different political parties were underway and the commission would be constituted after completion of the process.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.......

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Friday, May 27, 2011

Government in Standby Mode Regarding Petrol Price Hike

With global crude oil prices on the downswing, the UPA government is adopting a wait-and-watch policy before taking the political plunge to raise prices of controlled petroleum products —diesel, cooking gas and kerosene.

Though the buzz was that the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) — which is authorised to decide the increases — was likely to meet on June 9, sources said there was no official confirmation from the EGoM chairman’s office to freeze that date for the meeting. The delay in holding the meeting, first scheduled for May 11, has eased the headache for the UPA as the under-recovery has significantly climbed down, except in the case of domestic LPG, from what was estimated at that time.

Based on a fortnight-ago prices, the losses in June on petrol would be a meager Re 1 a litre compared to Rs 5.50 estimated when its price was last raised on May 15. Loss on diesel would be down to Rs 12.45 a litre versus Rs 16.17 in the first week of May. Similarly, the under-recovery on kerosene would be around Rs 26 from Rs 28.28 a litre. However, under-recovery on cooking gas would climb to Rs 380 from Rs 329.73 per cylinder.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Headley says he was trained in espionage by ISI

Mumbai attacks co-accused David Coleman Headley has testified that he received espionage training against India from Pakistan’s spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

“ISI did provide me (espionage) training,” Headley told a Chicago court as he was grilled by the defence attorney Charles D Swift on the third day of the trial of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, another co-accused in the 26/11 attacks, in a Chicago court.

The statements formed part of the testimony of Headley, who has pleaded guilty.
The ISI training to Headley was provided by Major Iqbal, who was his ISI handler, in a two-storey safe house in Lahore near the airport, the Mumbai terror suspect told judges during the course of questioning by Swift.

Headley told the court that when he met Major Iqbal in 2006, he expressed dissatisfaction at the military and espionage training that he had received from the Let earlier.

Headley told the defence attorney that this training in espionage against India was given to him in Lahore on the streets and a safe house near the airport.

Despite repeated questioning, Headley said that he did not know the full name of Major Iqbal, but was sure that he was from the ISI.

He was introduced as Major Iqbal to him. Headley said he never went to the ISI headquarters and added that he was introduced to Major Iqbal by military personnel, a fact corroborated by the unsealed document.

When questioned by Swift, Headley told the court that both the ISI and Major Iqbal trained him for espionage against India. He was expected to go to India, make contacts.

The ISI and Major Iqbal were particularly motivated by the fact that he was US born and an American national, this would have concealed his real identity in India.

“They (ISI and Major Iqbal) wanted me to have a business so as to have the ability to have a long tern stay in India. In discussion with them I suggested it to take the help of Dr Rana’s (Tahawwur Rana) business to get this objective,” Headley said.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Blast near US Embassy in Peshawar

Pakistan suffered yet again when a blast that took place near US Embassy in Peshawar killed two and injured 29 people.

A suicide car bomber struck a police facility in an army cantonment in Pakistan's main northwest city early Wednesday. Pakistan news channels are calling it a terrorist attack.

Though no group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack, it added to fears that it will be a bloody summer as Pakistani Taliban and other Al Qaeda affiliated groups carry out threats to avenge the Al Qaeda chief's slaying.

The bomber's target early Wednesday morning appeared to be a building belonging to the police's criminal investigation department, but Pakistani army facilities also were nearby, said Liaquat Ali Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar.

Monday, March 21, 2011

VIKAS JAIN, FOUNDER MEMBER AND BUSINESS DIRECTOR, MICROMAX - HOW HE OVERTHREW THE DOMINANCE OF BIGGIES LIKE NOKIA, LG... AND MORE

Will your product portfolio remain similar for these markets as well?
To begin with, it would remain same, but later on we would like to localize it as and when we see the need.

Don’t you think you are entering the international markets too soon?
I don’t think it’s early. I think there’s enough market available and the company has enough resources to do more than one thing at the time. What’s more important is to be at the right place at the right time and that’s what we are doing.

How will your launch portfolio play out?
12 handsets at the time of Bangladesh launch, 10 for UAE and 7 for Sri Lanka. These are devices from our current portfolio and as we spend more time in these markets, we will look at scaling them in accordance with the needs and demands of each market.

What are your upcoming devices for the Indian market?
Hopefully, 3G services will be rolled out during Diwali and we would like to time our 3G portfolio along with that. I think with time, 3G would be a big part of the portfolio. We would see many more devices with bigger screens, and more smartphones. We don’t want to sell a technology, but a solution, which our customers can experience and have its worth. We would also be looking at Android devices around that time only.

Can we look forward to push mail devices as well?
If things go well, we’ll have push mail on more than one device by the next month.

How do you plan to benefit from your international exposure?
This gives us higher exposure into different markets, and brings in opportunities. For example, Micromax had its smartphones ready, but could not launch it in India as there were no 3G services available. But in a small country like Sri Lanka, 3G has been available for the last one year. So this territory can now help us to take our portfolio to a next level.

What about your service centre strength?

In India, we have 520 service centres and our target is to have 1000 by the end of this calendar year as we are looking to double up our sales base from one million units to two million in this financial year. In international markets also, we are trying to give a similar experience to our customers. So, while we have 22 collection points and 6 services centres in Bangladesh, the count is 54 and 3 in Sri Lanka and 13 and 1 in Nepal respectively.

Do you follow the same branding strategy in international markets as well?
Our phones are different from any other phone in the market. We have always looked at bringing utilitarian things in the market with the help of our devices and I think customers are smart enough to understand the same. So far, all our success has come from this strategy only.

What’s next on your agenda for the Indian market?
We want to have a top of mind recall of 10%. We already have that much market share, but we would want to see the same percentage saying Micromax should be their first preference while buying a cell phone.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.......

Friday, March 18, 2011

A. K. AGRAWAL, DIRECTOR – BUSINESS, MND EDIFY EDUCATION, EXPLAINS WHY AND HOW...

What are the challenges you have faced as a leader for Edify?
One of the major challenges is Government regulations on investment in education sector and land conversions. Another challenge is availability of quality human resource in the education sector for various reasons.

How would you describe your personal success story separate from the success story of Edify?
We see Edify among the leading educational institutes in South East Asia by 2015. We look forward to create a society of progressive thinking individual who will contribute to the intellectual development of the global community by initiating positive changes in the social fabric, the technology and administration of our lives and businesses and in the approaches employed to realize individual and collective aspirations.

What are the lessons a leader like you should take from the past generation of CEOs?
Optimum utilization of available resources and people management are two important lessons I have learnt from my father. Also the wisdom of knowing when to speed and when to balance is another essential aspect that the past generation CEOs have gained which we need to master.

One leadership trait which is must to have in a leader to succeed.
A leader must be passionate about his work, must learn continuously and remain open to new innovations.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Punit Kapoor, AVP & Branch Head, MRM Worldwide India - TV Advertising

Brand Speak

Punit Kapoor,
AVP & Branch Head, MRM Worldwide India

Lufthansa as a brand has always been perceived to be for the elite class. Is that the positioning that you are trying to achieve for the brand?
I think it is just a perception, which may have been true earlier... not anymore. As a traveller, I will want more options on the net and when I compare prices, I will want the best possible one. Today, our perception is changing – we are localising our campaigns.

Talking about localisation, why haven’t we seen Indians being featured in your campaigns?
That is intentional. Indians are very aspirational; and keeping this in mind visually is very important. Another reason is standardising; you will see the same girl all across the globe so the connection is simple and easy. Localisation is coming because of consumer needs but as far as the brand strategy is concerned, the image has changed. We also have faces looking European/English; but yes, a globalised face.

If radio ads make sense, then why not attempt TV advertising too, as both target the masses?
We were very convinced from the start that we will never use TV for advertising. The radio medium has emerged [faster]. Everyone in our TG is travelling and on-the-move. As they are not in offices, so the medium serves right.

Monday, March 14, 2011

TARUN RAI, CEO, WORLDWIDE MEDIA

With the introduction of more international travel magazines in India, competition in the particular segment will soon reach to new levels. What do you have to say about the change in market dynamics?
The runaway success of Lonely Planet Magazine in India is bound to encourage other international titles to enter the country. I welcome these new titles as they will create more interest in the category. And I am confident that none of them are as comprehensive and credible as Lonely Planet Magazine is.

India is a price sensitive market. Do you have any specific strategy to deal with it?
The feedback that we have got from our readers is that they find immense value in Lonely Planet Magazine. A price of Rs.100 seems appropriate. I believe compared to the other travel magazines, which are also priced at Rs.100, we offer much more information and more than 50 percent more pages.

But the magazine still is an extremely niche magazine. Would you perchance plan to broaden this focus ever in the future?
Travel is not niche and neither is our magazine. Every month our circulation numbers are increasing tremendously. The rate at which the travel market and travelers are growing, the magazine has the potential of being one of the largest English language monthlies.

The magazine market in India is expected to grow at 12% this year. What is the market share you are targeting?
While market share data is not available, we believe we are increasing our market share. In the last few years we have gone from being a two consumer magazine company to ten titles now. We are now in many categories including women, fashion, celebrity, auto, interiors, film and now travel. The pace of our launches is quickening. We are launching a top end design and architecture magazine called Home Trends. This is a magazine based out of New Zealand and has 11 international editions. We will be launching another magazine targeting young adults in October this year. This will be followed by a very big launch in January next year. All these launches and the cementing of our existing titles ensures that we garner a larger market share as we grow.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

The Exclusive ICMR-4Ps B&M Annual Insurance Survey

The Indian Council for Market Research (ICMR) on behalf of 4Ps Business & Marketing magazine undertook a perception survey amongst Indian consumers already buying Insurance to find out buying behaviour, attitudes and perception towards insurance products.

A structured questionnaire was used in the random sampling technique. The respondents chosen were primarily aged between 35-45 years. The Survey was conducted in five cities of India (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru) with a sample size of 1,200 respondents. It was made sure that the respondents coming under the purview of the survey had life or general insurance policies. In case of general insurance, the respondents were asked to specify whether they were having health, motor, home or any other type of insurance. However, under the final analysis of the survey, separate segments under general insurance have been clubbed together. Each of the respondents was asked both open ended and closed ended questions. Please note that figures have been rounded off in some cases.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Monday, March 07, 2011

Ruined by invaders, looted by foreigners

Tourism and museum authorities in India claim that cost is the biggest hurdle to promotion and maintenance acts. But they could pick up a lesson or two from museums in US and Europe, which have made their way round such issues by creating unique business models, be it through selling merchandise, membership cards, exhibitions or simply tickets et al. For instance ‘The Natural History Museum’ and Victoria & Albert on an average mints 50% of their maintenance cost through membership fees and shows (as per the museum curators). Not depending upon government grants, these museums have marketed themselves well and have therefore become self-dependent. “But issuing membership cards or organising shows are not simply enough, unless you have the right audience, and for that you need to offer something special to the members of your museum,” says the curator of the Queen’s Gallery at the Buckingham Palace Museum.

There is another learning from the West. To cajole the right audience, museums in US and Europe visit educational institutions and theatre halls to promote themselves. accepts K. K. Muhammed, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, “Finding out the right audience is not a big challenge if you can create interest amongst today’s generation for museums. I think in such an attempt, we need to do a lot to attract Indian visitors to our museums.”

State-run museums can also learn from private museums in the country like Albert Museum (nearby City Palace) in Jaipur and Raja Dinkar Kelakar Museum in Pune, where the business of experience begins from the very guards, who wear attires of ancient days and entertain the visitors with traditional amusements. The Akshardham temples have become brand icons in the way even religious history could be presented through a museum-like experience. Clearly, there is much that needs to be done by the government.

There are some who believe that the script of state-run museums isn’t that bad and that the government is trying its best. Subash Goyal, Chairman, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Aviation & Tourism, says, “The government does grant funds for maintaining the museums and a part of it is being utilised for marketing also.” As is quite evident, the allotted funds are either not being utilised well (even misutilised) or, well, not being utilised at all.

It is however clear that we have missed out on getting our heads up about our national treasures, as Goyal confesses, “At times we do miss out to sustain interest of the visitors.” When you visit the Louvre in Paris, you will find all details given on ‘Monalisa’, but those who visit Shri Jayachmarahendra Art Gallery in Mysore will see the famous works of Raja Ravi Verma displayed with no details about either the paintings or the creator. Till this happens, we will need to work towards rectifying the irony of museums which don’t flourish in a heritage and historically rich country like India. The problem – unique; the remedy – common. Spend an extra dime and highlight the USP to get rid of the irony we say!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

‘PULL’ FOR MUTUAL FUNDS

The Indian mutual fund industry is abuzz with a new advertising mantra, which is to create a pull factor as a new way of communication for funds, unlike the push factor, which existed earlier. This is post SEBI’s regulation where the commissioning is being made limited to the distributors. As a result, mutual fund companies are advertising heavily for their products to support the distributor in order to enable customers to understand their products. According to Nipun Kaushal, Head – Marketing, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, “The aim is mainly to reach out to more people and make products beneficial to them. We are currently not focusing on above-the-line activities.” In comparison to a regular fund requiring Rs.4-5 crores investment, a new fund offering usually requires 10-15% higher investment in terms of adspends on regular fund. Sarabjit Kaur Nangra, Vice President – Research, Angel Broking said, “Getting more investments depends on performance of stock markets (and not ads). If PSU-favourable funds look exciting, investors will obviously deploy more money into that fund which is heavily advertised. The other reason is that equity investments in retail is hardly anything in terms of asset allocation, although there is potential to garner money from retail investors.”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Monday, February 28, 2011

New RS. Symbol?

One may not necessarily know either Jitiesh Padamshali, Shahrukh J. Irani, D. Udaya Kumar, Nondita Correa Mehrothra or Shibin K K but if all goes well, then the new symbol of the Indian rupee will be the design work of one of the five. A new symbol for the Indian rupee (which till date is abbreviated as Re, Rs. or INR) will ensure that it joins the select elite club of major currencies like US dollar, European euro, British pound and Japanese yen all of which have a unique identification symbol. It is perhaps the growing influence of the Indian economy that has promoted the Indian government to initiate the move to have a unique symbol for the currency and is intended to convey the brand value of the currency and the nation, one which takes into account Indian ethos and culture. As a matter of fact, the initiative could not have come at a better time when whispers for a new global currency are only growing louder day by day. Nevertheless the moot question is will this make the Indian currency internationally acceptable for trading or is it a mere cosmetic improvement?

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

ACKNOWLEDGE, ACCEPT AND EMBRACE

With the Indian populace searching for alternative entertainment avenues to cricket and Bollywood, alternate sports and entertainment options are rapidly becoming growing generic platforms for marketers in India today

While the movement in marketing away from cricket and Bollywood and towards other sports started almost 10 years ago, it is only in the last four years that this paradigm shift has truly begun to gather momentum. The foremost reason of this shift is of course the increasing disposable incomes available in the hands of millions of paying customers, who have been saturated by often pointless cricket and by the disappointing entertainment that is being churned out by Bollywood. A significant percentage of this customer base is constituted of a more urbanised ‘discerning customer’, who is no longer satisfied by plain vanilla entertainment, but who today, demands the loudest possible bang for his buck. As more money comes into other sports and alternate entertainment avenues and, by so doing, empowers these alternate entertainment options to market themselves better to this class of unsatisfied customers.

The second is increase in the risk taking appetite of marketers in alternate entertainment avenues as they become a valuable generic platform. The relationship between marketers and alternate generic platforms is a unique one, for in effect, it is the monetary input of marketers that allows the creation of alternate platforms, which these marketers then themselves exploit to showcase their products. As more and more discerning customers shift away from cricket and Bollywood to these developing alternate platforms, the platforms themselves will become self sustaining, permanent, valuable and therefore of immense interest to other marketers, who will view these alternate avenues as high value propositions through which to market their products. Inevitably, the effect of these self sustaining alternatives will be to support a vibrant ecosystem based on the financial wherewithal of an increasingly vociferous class of paying customer, where all stakeholders will benefit from symbiotic relationships.

The third important change that is already taking place is recognition of the fact that neither cricket nor Bollywood offer any brand the chance of uncluttered brand recall. For instance, while the most ardent of cricket lovers will be hard pressed to name either the sponsor of the last India series played in India, or the name of the various sponsors on the shirts of an IPL team, or the brands that are endorsed by Shah Rukh Khan, all football fans of this country will unhesitatingly identify ONGC as the sponsor of the I-league.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Monday, January 17, 2011

Mahindra - Tractors

The company follows a similar approach when it comes to selling in markets like Indonesia, Hong Kong Thailand and the matching likes but the approach towards marketing its products is certainly different in developed markets like the US. However, the Indian consumer is maturing with time and with rural boom in sectors like telecom, transportation, , the rural consumer is getting more urbanised by the day. “As the consumer is evolving, we are ready with something like a Mahindra Kisan Mitra, a website developed for the farmer that not only educates him about the Mahindra products but also gives information on various crops, mandi prices et al,” points out Goyle. In fact, the company has also started an initiative wherein it is planning to turn its dealerships across the country into farming advice centres with an aim to strengthen its brand in the farming community and boost tractor sales. Tagged as the Mahindra Samriddhi Centres, the dealers have set up small farms to demonstrate the best farming techniques to the farmer. Notably, there are 80 such centres present currently and the company plans to take this number to 250 by the end of this year. Clearly, BTL activities have been an integral part of Mahindra’s strategy and as a good monsoon is expected to hit the Indian turf this year, experts are of a view that it will boost the sales of the company this fiscal. Moreover, while the company hasn’t given out is sales targets for the fiscal but factors like easier availability of finance is working in its favour.

Pawan Chabra

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

“WE WORK WITH OUR SONY SISTER COMPANIES”

Sony India has taken the Blu-ray market by storm with the introduction of Blu-ray technology at an astonishing price of Rs.9,990. Keith Ribeiro, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment talks about how Blu-ray is paramount in delivering the best picture & sound quality and is a perfect complement for HDTV, the fastest growing category in consumer electronics

Sony in India is planning big initiatives for the Blu-ray market with the introduction of Blu-ray audio-visual products at a starting price of Rs.9,990. Another big plan is to double the number of Blu-ray movie titles to 500. In an exclusive interaction with 4Ps B&M, Keith Ribeiro, MD, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment talks about how a collaboration of the home entertainment & consumer electronic industries can promote cutting-edge media and entertainment device.

Your take on the new trends in the entertainment industry!
As far as the home entertainment industry is concerned, sales of physical media continues to be a strong revenue generator for the studios. It also remains one of the most cost effective means for a family to consume entertainment. We are also seeing evidence that Blu-ray is constituting a larger percentage of shipments and Blu-ray discs will be one of the major keys to renewed growth in the category. Additionally, there are several opportunities that are present for this industry. Among them are digital downloading and streaming; alternative distribution formats; increased retail space; and portability & connectivity on any desired playback devices.

But really, can Blu-ray bring more new experience to user entertainment?
We are continuing to call out Blu-ray on all of our marketing efforts for new release titles, in print, TV and online ads, emphasising the significant improvement in picture and sound quality, as well as the unique interactivity of BD Live and additional high-definition content. SPHE continues to develop new and exciting added-value content, with an emphasis on BD Live. Among our latest is what we believe will be BD Live’s “killer app,” MovieIQ. With a MovieIQ-enabled Blu-ray Disc and an Internet-connected Blu-ray player, movie fans can immediately access continuously updated information on cast and crew and explore relevant trivia such as production facts, music and soundtrack information all tied to scenes within the movie. These kinds of organic yet compelling features are what, we believe, will drive Blu-ray into the mainstream.

How much advertising spends is targeted at Blu-ray?
Blu-ray advertising is not the domain of one single division. Sony is in a unique position of having resources in every part of the evolving home entertainment world, be it software or hardware. Since every marketing initiative is cross divisional, I will not be able to accurately estimate the overall size of Sony’s budget. What is important to remember though is that we work with our Sony sister companies to develop a unified message targeting both consumers and retailers. For example, we are working on a BD Live piece with Sony Electronics that will show both the ease of connecting your Sony Blu-ray player to the Internet and accessing exclusive BD Live content with Sony Pictures Blu-ray titles. Additionally, we’ve partnered with the Sony Rewards team to create the Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club, wherein users can register their Sony Blu-ray Discs via BD Live to earn points that they can then redeem for cool Sony products.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

4Ps Cover Story

BIG, FAT, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS...

As regards the current targets for this year both the companies are tightening up their belts on the war front. LG has ramped up its overall production capacity to 1.3 million units this year. Samsung has recently invested $10 million for its production expansion and is aggressively focusing on its AC segment with a sales volume target of around 1 million units this summer. As Ravinder Zutshi, Deputy MD, Samsung India shares with 4Ps B&M, “Overall, we are looking at a 40% jump in sales volume of our refrigerators and ACs in the April-June quarter. In ACs, we plan to double sales volumes in 2010 this year to one million units, garnering a market share of over 30%. In refrigerators, the market share target has been set at 26% by the end of 2010.” So if ACs are one of the key areas for Samsung this year, LG is busy promoting high-end products like LCDs. “We are now targeting a premium segment of consumers to give the company a premium image. Currently, we are focusing on our Home Entertainment segment, which is our next big target after the launch of the Direct Cool Range in the Home Appliances category and the all new AC range for summer 2010,” explains Shin.

Clearly, if you look at the current scenario, it’s very difficult to predict who will win the crown of glory. But more than that what is important to consider is that there are future challenges that are causes of concern for the behemoths with respect to sustaining the growth and deciding the future road map to take them to a higher level. The biggest challenge for LG, as Shin himself accepts, is succession planning. LG currenlty simply doesn’t have the next big face that could handle the huge growth pressures (“This thing is the most important and is above even numbers,” says Shin). For Samsung, the problems are more market oriented. Irrespective of the advantage till date, the fact is that the maximum sales in the Indian market takes place only through discount-promotions and that too specifically during festival seasons. Till the time Samsung is able to cleverly promote a price leadership image, without compromising its quality positioning, it’ll continue to follow LG, which – due to its supreme focus on providing value offers – leads the market indisputably.

In a 1996 article (Building Your Company’s Vision), two effervescent authors – Jim Collins and Jerry Porras – mentioned that every company needs to have its Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to be able to achieve visionary targets that would have seemed impossible previously! LG and Samsung have already been there and done that in India. Now’s the time for something more... atrociously, audaciously more!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
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IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

As the full range of Kawasaki and KTM bikes hits Bajaj’s Probiking showrooms, the format will be most critical role for Bajaj Auto’s premium segment g

The format was initially started simply with the aim of projecting a rougher and tougher road image for Bajaj bikes. Having already launched the 250cc Kawasaki Ninja (last year) coupled with the upcoming KTM street bikes, the Probiking showrooms are expected to play a key role – perhaps the most – in the future branding exercises of Bajaj Auto in the premium segment. The response to the 250cc Ninja that was launched in the Indian market last year has been overwhelming so far. The product is running on a three to four months’ waiting period. The whopper dopper recent news was Kawasaki announcing the entry of India Kawasaki Motors Pvt Ltd (IKM), which will launch more supersport, sport and cruiser models primarily in the 250cc and above class in the coming times. With an investment of around Rs. 50 million, Kawasaki will be establishing its Indian plant that will be used for the CKD production of its products in the Indian market. And as the Kawasaki models come in, the role of Probiking showrooms will increase phenomenally – provided Rajiv hangs on to the Kawasaki tie-up over the long term. It may be noted here that the relationship of Kawasaki with Bajaj and with the Indian two-wheelers market is decades old as the company entered into a technical assistance agreement with Bajaj Auto in 1984. But the upcoming confusion is inevitable – how will Bajaj manage to sell both their Probikes (KTMs for example) and Kawasaki’s premium range without eating into each other’s brand space? Probiking Head Nandi tells us that to make the brands different from each other, the company will even have separate sections in the Probiking showrooms. The company will be taking the numbers of Probiking showrooms across the country to 40 by the end of this year that as if today stands at 32. Nandi plans to save a huge part of cost by ensuring marketing is based on the interactions with individual interested consumers rather than on huge advertising spends; a tactic similar to the concept of boutique showrooms.

Truly, the competition in the superbikes segment is still in its initial stages as either there are the 1000cc+ R1 and the Hayabusa on the one end or the 150-250cc Karizma and CBZ on the other. Bajaj clearly, and intelligently, is playing on the big gap between the two segments. But Bajaj needs to hurry to grab the first movers’ advantage. Players like Yamaha have already opened their showrooms that flaunt the whole accessories range apart from the superbikes in the Indian market – the company is planning to convert all of its showrooms into what it calls the Yamaha Bike Centre. Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) is also planning to launch a 200cc product in the Indian market that will be competing against the Ninja 250cc and Karizma ZMR. Rajiv knows them all too well, and for too long. We’re sure he’s not resting easy with the lead...

Pawan Chabra

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Jaspal Singh. Bindra, Group Executive Director, Standard Chartered

So what about your organic expansion plans for India?
No doubt, we want to [grow]. Today, India is the second largest market for the bank in terms of pre-tax profit. But as you know, we are very much restricted by the existing regulatory restrictions.

RBI is now considering reviewing its position on the issue of liberalization of foreign banks in the country. Hypothetically speaking, if it allows you to expand both in terms of branches as well as through inorganic means, what would be your preference?
Naturally, expanding our branch network will come into the picture the very moment we get the freedom. But for inorganic means, it would depend a lot on opportunities, valuations and many such things.

Does this money raising have any link to your expansion plans in India?
Not exactly! This amount will go to the parent company. Even the amount is not of a considerable value. It’s less than 1% of our current market cap. But what we are really looking from this issue is that these IDRs will help us to expand our brand presence in the Indian market as well as among the Indian consumers.

We have not seen Standard Chartered much in the ad space, any specific reason for the same?
We never believed much in it though we sponsored some events like the Asia Cup. But yes, of late, we have realized the value of branding and currently working really hard on the same. In one of our latest attempts to create brand awareness across the globe, we have recently started sponsoring the Liverpool Football Club as soccer, as a game, has a great fan following across the globe. Even in India, we had sponsored the Mumbai Marathon, which was a great a success for us. Also we have come up with a campaign titled “Here for Good”. We are committed to our market through thick and thin.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website