Million dollars of investments in R&D in the name of innovation.

Let’s begin with some real brand valuation figures here: The Millward Brown Optimor 2009 Most Valuable Global Brands rankings honours the Japanese Toyota as the number one global auto brand, with a brand value of $29.91 billion. The others that follow in the list are: BMW ($23.95 billion), Porsche ($17.47 billion), Mercedes ($15.50 billion), Honda ($14.57 billion), Nissan ($10.20 billion), Ford ($5.92 billion), Volkswagen ($5.84 billion) and Lexus ($4.55 billion). The Interbrand/BusinessWeek’s Annual Ranking of the Best Global Brands for 2009 shows that the top valued auto brands in the world are: Toyota ($31.33 billion), Mercedes-Benz ($23.86 billion), BMW ($21.67 billion), Honda ($17.80 billion), Ford ($7 billion), Volkswagen ($6.48 billion), Audi ($5.01 billion), Porsche ($4.23 billion), Ferrari ($3.52 billion) & Lexus ($3.15 billion). Two lists, one surprise – none of the names mentioned in the two much-revered lists given above (read as: the most valued auto brands in the world) feature amongst the top sellers of four-wheelers in the country. As per SIAM’s report, the top five sellers of four-wheelers in the country are – Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (with a market share of 47%), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (16%), Tata Motors Ltd. (15%), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (7%) and General Motors India (4%), clearly indicating that for starters, global brand equity amidst a plethora of brands in the Indian four-wheeler market means nothing more than just a number! Of course, if we talk about the luxury car-market in India, everyone knows that the products in this segment sell due to their prestige and brand values, as even Debashish Mitra, Head - Marketing & Sales, Mercedes-Benz India shares with us, “In luxury cars, the consumer has made his mind towards a particular brand before going in for the final purchase. Thus the brand in such a case makes a lot of sense.” But as far as the mass car market is concerned (the most critical segment, as far as the Indian market is concerned), the secret here is to realise that in order to have a best-selling brand in the Indian auto market, all you need to do is focus on marketing your vehicle well, which most necessarily needs to be a cost leader (and therefore competitively priced) with an engine that doesn’t catch fire!

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 enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)

It all started here!

25 years back, Nestle introduced its Maggi brand in India at a time when nobody used to eat noodles. Nestle had no idea that it was about to rewrite history, as Nestle went on to lay the foundations of the convenience food industry in India. Nestle managed to market Maggi brilliantly by promoting it as a convenience food brand. Maggi had a very clear-cut positioning as an instant noodles product and this was highlighted through the punch line ‘2 Minute Noodles.’ Critically, those were not just kids who were the daily consumers of Maggi, but even working couples with less time on their hands to cook food for themselves. With the launch of Maggi noodles, Nestle created an entirely new food category in the Indian packaged food market. Because of its first-mover advantage, supported by an aggressive marketing strategy, Nestle has successfully managed to retain its leadership in the instant noodles category over the years; a leadership that continues till today across segments (Nestle grew in India by 17% this year. Rs.4,000 crore plus is the expected turnover this FY). Nestle has followed this concept globally for diverse products. For example, Nestle is the largest canned pumpkin seller in the US, with around 90% market share.

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 enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)

GOTTA ADAPT TO BE ADEPT

Kunal Lalani on why free-thinking, independent & flexible agencies are needed to quickly address the fast changing needs of brands today

Once upon a time there lived a king. He believed his kingdom was ‘his people’; who loved him, followed him, and were truly loyal to him. In fact, he knew that it was only because of his people and their faith in him that made him what he was. He had a highly learned team of people, who were supposed to know everything and who, with their worldly knowledge, were believed to speak only the gospel truth. They, as claimed, knew everything about people and how to keep them happy. And as long as the people were happy the king had his kingdom. The highly revered league was supposed to regularly update the king about his popularity and advise him on his future plans to maintain it. Everything was convenient and the advisory team with their old knowledge of the people behaviour continued to advise the king. All was well till the time that times changed. And with change came the crying need to find new and more lucrative territories to include in the kingdom (expand) and the need to fight other kings who were getting stronger (nimbler competition). The key need was to understand the change and act quickly.

The erudite advisors, although loyal and holding big resources in their hands, were neither fast nor flexible. They thought that the people in the new territories and the new world are still the same as the people in their old territory were. Alas! That was not true. The king finally understood the problem and hired a local man with the local knowledge of the people behaviour. The new man was quick to offer solutions. He was independent, fast, flexible, and knew how to adjust. He came with the power of knowing the finer nuances of the territory behaviour and helped the king win countless battles and expand his kingdom. The king was happy and decided to switch from the erstwhile big and slow advisors to the fast, efficient, highly flexible local man for his advisory role.

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.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

So what’s your value added service?!

Although VAS adds to the revenue stream of telecom operators, it has not yet achieved mass adoption for most product offerings. And 3G too may not be able to make the situation any better, says Saket Agarwal, CEO, Spice Digital.

4Ps B&M: While the telecom sector has been virtually untouched by the ‘R’ word, how has it played out for a VAS company like Spice Digital?
SA: Although operators have continued to add subscribers but these subscribers are different from the ones acquired earlier in terms of their disposable incomes and usage pattern due to which revenues have been under tremendous pressure. As a VAS company, we help the operators to grow their overall revenue pie, but we are still a cost constraint to them. Additionally, there are many other external factors that have impacted our business. For instance, TRAI’s policy, which makes taking consent from subscribers before activating any service imperative.

4Ps B&M: Given the current situation where average revenue per user (ARPU) are falling, how is Spice Digital helping operators improve its ARPU?
SA: As a VAS company, we offer various kinds of services to our subscribers. However, we’ve realised that there is a skew in the consumer profile and consumers that are under served by mass media are far more willing to brace entertainment-based VAS. For instance, there are places in the country where we still do not have FM and people in these areas are more likely to subscribe to Mobile radio to listen to the latest Bollywood songs. So, we see a huge pent up demand in these set of users and the consumption levels for them are too on the higher side.

4Ps B&M: Are your products catering to the mass market?
SA: See, if we talk about mass adoption, then for any service to be termed as a blockbuster product, it should be subscribed by more than 5% of the total subscriber base. However, there are only two products that fit that bill – our flagship product mobile radio and the popular VAS Caller Ring Back Tone (CRBT). The other services are niche services which can be classified broadly as devotional services, mandi rate services or eduacational services where we offer services from the lowest common denominator. So, Angrezi Seekho is another flagship niche product that we have launched. To cater to a vast audience, most of our services are offered on the voice platform as it’s assumed that all those who have phone know how to make a call and are therefore well versed with the voice and can speak. So we have content that goes in multi language to suit the needs of a greater set of audience.

4Ps B&M: How will 3G change the rules of the game for Spice Digital?
SA: According to me, 3G will be another niche. Let’s look at it this way. There has been quite a while since GPRS was first introduced, but till date only 30% of the handsets in the market are GPRS-enabled leave alone customer having subscribed to it or not. It’s noteworthy that a typical GPRS handset starts at a price point of Rs.4,000 and this price barrier will be double for 3G. Although BSNL & MTNL have been offering 3G services for a while but there haven’t been much takers for the same. The point here is not about getting into technology but about affordability and I believe that 3G will initially receive a lukewarm response.

Surbhi Chawla

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.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

AS UNIQUE AS IT GETS!

Nandan Nilekani, Head, Unique Identification Authority of India

After doing his bit at the corporate level, Nandan Nilekani is now doing his bit as Minister of Cabinet rank. His mandate? To brand every Indian with a own unique identity. The task ahead is Herculean, but such is the level of confidence that India places in Nilekani that most believe, if anyone can do it, it is this man from Infosys! “Nandan is a wizard and has command over hardware and software. He is the only one who can deliver the goods,” believes political commentator, Zafar Agha.

As head of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), created with an initial outlay of $20 million, Nilekani must issue a unique identity number to 1.2 billion Indians. The move is aimed at strengthening the delivery of public services like banking, health, food distribution, et al. So what’s the key USP that makes this brand a best seller on the racks? Trust and reliability! Will Nilekani prove successful at making the first stage of 100 million identity cards over the next three years a possibility? Well, we’ve got three more years to answer that question; but for now, we vouch for the fact that this brand will continue selling... his unique blend of corporate excellence and social commitment give Nilekani all the ingredients to fill in the ‘performance’ gap for India’s political and bureaucratic ineptitude. Politicians better watch out!

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.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)

Creativity? What’s that?!

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

After reeling under slowdown for most part of the last one year, the Indian auto sector has a reason to rejoice as the recently passed festival season has been the best in terms of banking volumes since the slowdown struck. And to further encash on the frenzy, auto majors have announced a slew of launches in order to ensure adrenaline rush. So be it Chevrolet Cruze, refreshed Honda Civic or Indigo Manza, all are trying to create the desired waves in the industry. The up-coming period is crucial for the auto sector and great emphasis is being laid on advertising to enhance brand visibility. However, a quick look at the TVCs of auto companies gives a sense of deja vu as creatives of most of them are similar. Invariably, viewers get to see similar ads describing the features of the product and when it comes to brand building, creativity comes much later in the picture. Explains Ayyappan Raj, Business Director, McCann Erickson, “You can’t be much different in your approach while making an ad for auto as it also needs to explain the features of the product offering.” Take the case of Maruti’s Swift ad or Hero Honda’s Karizma ZMR ad – both undoubtedly create the desired excitement but are not clutter breaking by any means. But as Raj adds further, “The bottomline is that the ad should be able to get the initial desired volumes.” This makes it all the more imperative for the ad-frat to choose the conservative way.

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.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

Of hush hush moments...

Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

Nandini Dias, COO, Lodestar Universal

4Ps: Which was the defining moment of your Nano success?
SS: The big high came when Ratan Tata publicly applauded our work at the time of Nano’s live launch. We delivered this campaign in adversity. The client did not want to spend the usual Rs.50-60 crore required in a normal car launch so we were on a tight budget. Even the time to implement was less as everything was hush hush until the last moment.

4Ps: How would you define Lodestar’s USP for clients?
ND: I like to believe that we are known for our strategy and innovation, as you see in the Nano campaign. A recent survey conducted among the top 200 clients in India has ranked us at the top in nine parameters.

4Ps: But you’ve lost some key clients over the last few years?
SS: Every business has its churn. The trick is to minimise that churn. We have contained ours at just 5-6% of total revenues. Agencies lose businesses because of three reasons – international alignments, consolidation or else because they’ve picked up some accounts in desperation and are being unable to service them properly. We’ve lost businesses over the last few years because of the first two reasons. We lost Mudra Garments as the Birla Group consolidated with Group M and Intel went because of a global re-alignment.

ND: Some clients also change agencies because of remuneration considerations. I however feel that such clients lose out on the learning and knowledge that your incumbent agency may have picked up over the partnership years. Clients lose out on that learning.

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.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

IIPM Related Links
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year

Will Jet escape the turbulence?

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

naresh goyal-owned jet Airways seems to be hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons for quite some time now. From pocketing consistent losses quarter after quarter to conceding its market leadership to Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines, Goyal is certainly having a tough time. Further, Jet Airways has rubbed its employees the wrong way once again by issuing pink slips to its pilots after the sacking fiasco that it was into last October. This proved to be the last straw on the camel’s back, as it led to three days of strike, which grounded the coveted services of the airline and disrupted many travelling plans. Moreover, even after almost a year the cost saving alliance with Kingfisher Airlines, the airline is yet to show any positive result. All this put together is surely hurting the current standing of this private aviator and of course the overall customer perception of the airline. Even the low cost players like IndiGo and SpiceJet are taking fast strides and becoming a threat to Jet’s current market share. So what should be the plan of action for Goyal to save grace in these trying times? Surely, it is high time for Goyal to avoid any further hiccups. “The key is to ensure that capacity remains in line with demand and high emphasis is given on providing consistent and quality services,” advices Hatim Broachwala, Aviation analyst, Khandwala Securities. Thus it is now or never for Jet Airways to hold on to its market standings.

Ratan Lal Bhagat

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.

“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”

IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you

Stringer goes ‘Slim’mer

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

Last few months, the markets had been rife with rumours that Sony would reduce the price of its PlayStation 3 from $399 to $299 and will launch a new trimmer model called PlayStation 3 Slim, which will hit the market on September 1, 2009. Finally, at the opening ceremony of the Gamescom Expo held in Cologne, Germany, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai took the wraps off the new console and announced that ‘Slim’ has the same features and functions as the old PS3, but it’s 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and comes with a 120GB hard drive. Losses from TV and video game businesses have already been a headache for its Chairman and CEO, Howard Stringer for the last four years. The PS3 is not doing as well as Sony had hoped while landing into this business. Since the day Sony and Nintendo released their consoles in November 2006, PS3 cumulative sales (23.8 million) have been less than half of the sales of Nintendo Wii (52.6 million). So the launch of PS3 Slim is not a no-brainer. The PS3 slim’s lower price tag and upgrades are an attempt to reclaim the ground lost to Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. But analysts do not foresee a bright future of PS3 Slim, as it will cost to the company to market the product. Rob Enderle, President and technology analyst, Enderle Group says, “It is an improvement but it would cost them the market, so it has a very high risk”. He further says, “Games systems are all about games and the PS3 has lagged the Wii and the Xbox, PS3 Slim does not fix that”. In the coming months, Microsoft and Nintendo might lower their console prices making the PS3 Slim the most expensive for recession-hit shoppers. Secondly, while the ordinary high-definition Blue-ray DVD players cost little, who would prefer Sony? However, “Only if it is marketed right, it could provide a fourth quarter pop,” says Rob. So, it will be better if Sony jumps into the business of selling in-house games effectively (Sony profits mainly from selling games it develops in-house), otherwise it will sting Stringer again.

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.

“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You

IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you