Markathon October 2017

Hello readers!

Vice President – Retail, USHA International Limited. In addition to that, the brand story As we all know, a lot has happened over talks about Amazon and its evolution in the the past month from decapitalization to E-commerce sector. the iPhone X being sold out in minutes. The weather in Shillong has reached 11-12 de- We would like to congratulate Bhavya Rasgrees, and we expect it to get lower in the togi and Ananya Singh for their wonderful coming days. Khlurthma, the annual man- insights on Marketing automation, and Conagement fest of IIM Shillong witnessed a temporary strategies and trends in marketmind-boggling participation in Touchstone, ing respectively under perspective. Our digian event organised by Markathon from vari- tal marketing section ‘Digigyaan’ talks about ous B-schools across India including DoMS the corporate usage of social media in 2017.

IIT Madras, IMT Ghaziabad, and Welingkar Also, the five must-reads and updates are Institute of Management. We hope all the back for readers to enjoy. This month’s logoteams had a great experience being a part istic talks about the evolution of the Pepsi of our event and enjoyed their visit at the logo. campus in clouds.

We would like to thank all the entries of perThis month’s issue revolves around market- spective and eye2eye. We would also like to ing during festivals. Diwali saw a lot of new thank our readers as they are the ones who marketing strategies from Amazon’s sales to push us to do better in every edition. So, Kansai Nerolac painting the conveyor belt of kindly sit back, grab a drink and enjoy the an Indigo flight at Mumbai airport and giv- read. ing gifts to all the passengers even before the arrival of their luggage.

Happy Reading!

Team Markathon This month’s volume encloses a cover story

by Mr. Saurabh Kumar Sinha on ‘Marketing during festivals by Consumer durable industry’ and vartalaap with Mr. Kapil Kohli, Senior

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Andar Ki Baat Perspective

01 05 Cover Story

Marketing Automation:

The role of Augmented Reality in Marketing Bhavya Rastogi | IIM Shillong

Exploring the contemprary strategies and trends in marketing

Ananya Singh | SJMSOM, IIT B

Marketing during festivals by

09 Consumer Durable Industry Saurabh Kumar Sinha | IIM Shillong Alumunus

Eye 2 Eye

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In the digital age should the luxury brands sell their products online?:

Vartalaap

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Mr Kapil Kohili Senior Vice President Retail Business USHA International Ltd.

Shubham Kapoor Interviewed By:

LBSIM Delhi MARKATHON

IIM Udaipur

Samarth Parikh | IIM Shillong IIM Shillong

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Andar Ki Baat SpeciaLs

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Logoistic: Pepsi

Samarth Parikh | IIM Shillong

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AD-dicted

Catch & Miss advertisements of the month Anurag Pandey & Nitin Nathani | IIM Shillong

Digi - Gyaan Corporate Usage of 23 Social Media Nitin Nathani | IIM Shillong Marketing Gyan

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Brand Story Amazon: Abra-Cadabara

Apoorv Gupta | IIM Shillong MARKATHON

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Top 5 Reads

To get the brain tickling Aishwarya Tiwari | IIM Shillong

Updates

Fresh from the Marketing World

Mansi Khandelwal | IIM Shillong IIM Shillong

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Marketing Automation: The Role of Augmented Reality in Marketing

By Bhavya Rastogi IIM Shillong

Technology adoption has been the goal of most disciplines, and marketing is no different. As we create products whose utilities traverse boundaries, it also becomes imperative to market them across these boundaries.

I

ntroduction

A boy of seven in Mumbai stood awestruck at the image of the man standing on stage delivering the speech. Miles away, in a town in Himachal Pradesh, a man of forty was equally intrigued and listened in rapt attention. An electoral campaign in the largest electorate in the world and its success was unprecedented, to say the least. The sheer power of the confluence of marketing and technology has been observed time and again. Technology adoption has been the goal of

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most disciplines, and marketing is no different.

As we create products whose utilities traverse boundaries, it also becomes imperative to market them across these boundaries.

Artificial Intelligence: What’s it about?

Artificial intelligence as a concept tries to emulate intelligent behavior through computational processes. Marketers have often sought to leverage artificial intelligence in several ways.

Through machine learning, computers learn by developing algorithms and techniques. As an iterative process, this helps in behavioral targeting by computers, by learning about what kind of advertisements can be targeted through the behavior of our current and potential customers.

Another breakthrough has been in using artificial intelligence in sales. Conversica is a company that uses artificial intelligence (human-like voices, in this case) to reach out to an organization’s leads created, and converses with them, to enable the human sales force to focus on just selling. Artificial intelligence is also being used to be au fait with the different aspects of social media and its impact. Facebook uses pattern recognition algorithms that enable us to tag our friends in photos and predict hashtags along with several other such functionalities.

The deep learning part of AI is the reason us-

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ers get suggestions that are relevant to them out of the ocean of information and people on Facebook. Google‘s DeepMind also uses deep learning algorithms to enrich the search and give better results. LinkedIn, in collaboration with Bright.com, uses machine learning algorithms, to find matches between employers and job seekers, through historical hiring patterns, location, qualification, preferences, etc. Pinterest also acquired Kosei, a data software company for enhancement of its personalized recommendation models to boost pins. Pinterest also bought out Visual Graph, to gain more traction through image recognition and search.

Reality becoming virtual: Virtual and augmented reality Virtual reality is a simulated ecosystem created using software, such that the user accepts it to be a real environment. It is different from 3-D experiences in the sense that virtual reality (VR) immerses the user entirely in the experience such that the user is cut off from the entire world and gets engrossed in a world of his own. The possibilities and opportunities that are opened up by this innovation are limitless for a marketer.

There are some prominent devices that have leveraged this amazing concept of virtual reality.

Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard are such two devices. It has been developed by Samsung in collaboration with Oculus VR. Samsung

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perspective Gear VR is a wearable device (can be worn like spectacles), which lets users mount their smartphones onto the device, and play games, watch videos, take tours of cities and soon. Marketers are also going the VR way in order to promote other products in the pipeline for launch. Samsung used the technology of virtual reality to create the “wow effect” with a view to promoting its new product range of Galaxy S7 phones. It was an attempt to bring back its audience that turned away after its past versions’ lackluster launches.

Furthermore, since Samsung was the sponsor of the Winter Youth Olympics, it developed a virtual reality ski jump to push the Gear V2. It gave its audience an opportunity to experience a ski jump, in this way. For a marketer, the challenge will be to intelligently include content targeted at users, who will be so isolated from the world that

cent years, as it can change a scope of customer experience, from how individuals find new products to how they choose which ones to buy. AR innovation enhances the physical environment around you by superimposing virtual elements over it, either through the camera view on your cell phone or through displays such as HoloLens or Google Glass.

we know.

•Firstly, advanced AR technology enables setting up real-time activity between real time surroundings, brands, products and customers. It integrates the digital world of smart devices with the real time environment in such a manner that the boundaries between them vanish thereby increasing the proximity between the product and the buyer.

Augmented reality (AR) is a digital technology that places text, photos and videos running on the user’s smart device onto physical objects. Driving cars with GPS projected onto the windshield, watching movies on walls, learning new skills, working on projects, there are a plethora of possibilities.

Envision being able to see how furniture would look in your room before really purchasing it or being able to see which glasses suit your face or which lipstick looks good on you without actually trying it on. Each of these situations is already conceivable. These are real AR examples from Ikea, Ray-Ban, and Cover Girl of how brands are presently utilizing augmented reality (AR). AR has been gathering marketers’ enthusiasm in re-

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The way in which AR has been utilized as a part of marketing campaigns can be viewed as a kind of experiential marketing in light of the fact that it centers not only around a product/service but also on the whole experience generated for the buyers .The uniqueness that augmented reality carries to marketing is connected to three factors.

•Secondly, AR’s capability for recreation empowers marketers to digitally advance and promote their products in a much more proficient manner than before. Consumers’ risk of ambiguity, associated with online shopping of products they haven’t tried or seen before, reduces due to simulations and virtual try-on.

•Thirdly, advanced visual representations in AR create an enriching customer experience,

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perspective offering influential tools to engage customers in a profoundly unique experience. Due to its originality and novelty, augmented reality in marketing often stimulates “wow” effects amongst the customers.

Marketers are never far behind and have experimented with AR in various innovative ways.

Toyota, in 2011, combined three components, a computer-generated pop star, a branded mobile QR code and an augmented reality experience.

Once a user took a picture of the branded QR code, he/she was encouraged to download the Toyota mobile app, after which the users could view the pop-star singing, standing next to the Toyota Corolla, all in augmented reality! There was a whopping 600% increase in the number of mobile app downloads and a 30% soar in the number of Corolla leads in the period. Closer home, KFC India used augmented reality to educate its target audience of its affordable prices.

By downloading its app, the user could hold any denomination of currency on its AR-enabled camera, and a tray would appear with the items that can be bought in that amount. There were 35000 downloads of the app, and an enormous buzz was created.

it can create real value instead of thinking of how to cover as many places as possible with virtual content.

Another interesting technological device employed in marketing is the drone. Amazon using drones to deliver products has been lauded and criticized by the people, but hav-

The actual objective for commercial AR is using the technology with the goal that it boosts the

ing delivery systems that can assure on-time deliveries despite roadblocks and strikes, is definitely a dream to chase. Several tourism companies and wildlife enthusiasts are using drones to display footage of their tour experience in order to generate inquisitiveness and interest amongst potential customers. Though drones are in fact very useful, there are several reservations about the privacy and safety of people which stand in the way of their true

customer experience — makes it tranquil, more entertaining, and more convenient. The idea of Google Glass fizzled on the grounds because we don’t want to stroll around always seeing everything augmented. So, the key to understanding AR is characterizing the specific activities where

potential. Be it artificial intelligence, virtual reality, holograms, drones or augmented reality, the future of marketing will go hand in hand with technology. It is up to us marketers to address every challenge with a wacky idea and a persistent investment in technology.

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Exploring the contemporary strategies and trends in marketing By Ananya Singh SJMSOM, IIT B

Marketing is the umbilical connection between customer needs and creative solutions. Various marketing trends and styles give a deep perspective into contemporary marketing and sales.

The meaning of the term ‘subliminal’ is “below the threshold of consciousness”. The aim of the style of marketing is to appeal to the subconscious mind.

ed the words “Eat Popcorn” and “Drink Coca-Cola” into a movie in a single frame. The viewers eventually left a craving for the same, even though the works lasted only for a second. Sales went up by almost 35% overall that day! This can be subtly used while designing powering logos which convey strong meaning.

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean bridge the gap between family-friendly and adult action movie.

They introduced subliminal messaging — and the

When we glance at someone eating ice-cream, we feel the need for the same. This human nature is captured in this style of marketing. In 1957, James Vicary insert-

visual overlap between the skull-and-crossbones and Mickey’s ears, which represents its famous hidden mickey campaigns.

Subliminal Marketing

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perspective The propagation of ideas has become easy through various medium and a mushroom growth of creative agencies. A good advertisement piece, with hidden meaning, can be used to create a buzz. The changing market should be leveraged for seamless and cost-effective marketing.

common people, loyal customers and nascent blogger celebrities. Expensive celebrity influencers are passé. Now, by using the correct channels, cost optimisation is reached. New marketing models must be designed to exploit the opportunity presented by the change in market scenario.

Influencer Marketing

Location Based Marketing

Influencer marketing involves connecting to the users through influencers to communicate the brand’s message. Influencers can be celebrities, experts in

Continuous innovation in interaction and communication is the pillar for growth in marketing. Advances in digital marketing are the need of the hour. The companies should start by claiming their businesses online. This will not only help in search engine optimisation but will also ensure that they have entire control of the brand image. The companies should then use location based information to carve a niche for themselves in the market. Location Based marketing can be used successfully in the following: 1) Identification and attraction:The company can send a customised message to the clients in an area.

The location factor can make up to 1/3rd of the client DNA. 2) Recording and Reward: By using GPS and smartphones apps, the sales team can record the sales data immediately after the transactions. This would help the company enrich the DNA data of the area.

their fields or even common people who are loyal customers. This has long been used in advertising.

But with the advent of social media, this trend has undergone metamorphosis.

The influencer marketing trends through social media have evolved from the days of blogs to Twitter, Facebook and now Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat etc. Several account users are paid heavily to endorse the products. Currently, Instagram has around 700 million monthly active users. Here users follow accounts and pages according to their choice and by their will. This increases the impact of influencer marketing as the consumers are already open to the person and the blog in context. Whether the influencer’s audience is small or large, they can reach consumers via their social networks that the company’s brand may not be able to. This can be used by several new and old products. It is important to notice that this has increased the impact of the

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This helps in determining the behaviour pattern of the clients. The companies can have a reward system based on the analysis of the data.

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october 2017 dark web, that still lies untapped. This would virtually revamp marketing. The accurate information and predictions made from tapping the web footprint will allow the companies to target the audience well.

3) Location Specific Schemes: The cost composition for the company providing services and the need composition of clients differ from location to location. It may be easier to provide certain services in a region and schemes should be planned by taking the geographic implications, demographic implications and behavioural patterns into account. The cost composition for the company providing services and the need composition of clients differ from location to location. It may be easier to provide certain services in a region and schemes should be planned by taking the geographic implications, demographic implications and behavioural patterns into account.

4) Growing :The mobile-based application can be used to store information and connect to sponsors. Even Facebook groups, online survey etc. can be done to receive location centric information and build location centric contacts. This growth of network, data and interaction will be a growth pillar for the brand image. It also helps in engaging and creating a warm relationship with bit only customers but even businesses

Domingo Sanchez, a board member of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, in an interview with Use of Big Data Analytics McKinsey, shared that the Orlando Airport was fitted with small Bluetooth pods which interacted Marketers have long relied on loyalty/rewards pro- with the thousands of devices owned by the travelgrams to attract and retain customers. This also lers. Through this initiative, the authority could get served a hidden purpose: to collect customer data insights about “where the customers are dwelling, and to try understanding their buying behaviour. where they are going, where they are hanging out, COSCO store initiated the first of its kind loyalty card. where they are headed to, and how long it takes This allowed the chain to collect consumer data and them to get to certain destinations�. These insights design special offers and promotions, tailored to the into user data can be invaluable to an airport, the needs of each and each customer. This was their se- core business of which is to facilitate travel for airline cret key to success. The correct processing of the im- customers. mense data that they managed to collect.

Big data is a large amount of data values that reveal Consumer review management patterns and trends in human behaviour and interactions. Big data can also be called a data set that helps The rippling effect of a review cannot be overstated. us understand and analyse customer choice, behav- A survey by ReportLinker shows that 98% of people iour and needs by providing us with detailed and accurate information on them. Myntra has its very own AI that can analyse the data, find out the trends and design fashion. It is accurately able to predict the success rate of the design create, the target audience and gives an overview about how to market it. Big Data allows us to get closer to the customers. The importance of big data cannot be overemphasised. The companies that have already shifted to using big data are leaps ahead. There lies a quantum of data in the

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believe that online reviews are reliable and a survey

by Invesp shows that 88% of them trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

and commerce infrastructure.E-commerce vs Digital commerce: E-commerce is when the company knows its customers’ wants and needs as they transit an affiliate site, Digital commerce is when the company knows its customer as soon as they are online. This might look like a modern age wizardry for the unhinged eye, but the mechanism lies in processing the unstructured data that the customer leaves behind in the open on the internet.

This allows the customer to identify their potential costumers easily. Emphasis on popular endorsements for product will diminish, leading to genuine reviews gaining weightage. The purchase of the product will transition from an occurrence to a process with emphasis added on the journey to the purchase.

Markets themselves will also evolve to accommodate the purchase process rather than viewing the purchase as disconnected as it is now. Purchases will appear as a cognizant decision towards the betterment of oneself, far away from today’s standard of sub-conscious decisions. As the decisions move to gain the conscious part of the decision makers’ brain

Teams should be handling online review and publicity management. A pattern can be easily observed throughout the consumerism and the feeling of social belonging. The common belief is that the motive power of customers to search online reviews are asymmetric information, lack of information available and perceptual economic. With the advancements in the telecom industry and the social media boom, searching online reviews before buying is an important step for the customer. Quick witty replies to customer reviews, polite acceptance of feedback and making the extra effort to maintain a healthy go a long way in creating company goodwill and trust in the product. The reviews can be central to revamping the services/ products. Thanks to the Amazon’s reply to the famous ‘query’ related to slip of Warren Buffet’s wealth to 2nd position, the company could generate a buzz around itself. When buying speakers or headphones online, we are faced with myriad choices. There is a lack of physical demonstration of products with the increase in E-commerce. Reviews play a paramount role in such an environment.

Digital Commerce

activity, the emphasis of user feedback and genuine reviews will gain attention. And the popular endorsement mechanism implemented as a norm for today’s marketing will start paling in contrast.

Digital commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services using the Internet, mobile networks

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Marketing during Cover Story festivals by Consumer Durable Industry F

estival season in India and its impact on consumer Buying Behaviour: MARKETING BUDGET Well how does one first define the festival season in India amidst so much diversity and parallel cultures co-existing?

But we all eagerly wait for the 2nd half of the calendar year waving goodbye to the monsoon rains.

Arrival of festive season is not defined by a date but best realized with the change to a festive mood – optimistic and celebrative in nature. It starts with the occasion of Rakhi in August that transcends age groups. It brings the brother-sister relationship closer with them opening up about their love towards its other. Next arrives the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated with such fervor in West India. The emotions run high as people decorate their home and hit the streets during the celebrations – as they say the only time w h e n Mumbai stands still. Moving South, comes the Onam, which is by far the biggest festival in Kerala.

The focus then shifts to East India with the arrival of Durga Puja – showcase of high spirits and colors across 10 auspicious days. As a week goes the biggest of all – Diwali – envelopes the entire family into a happy elevated mood – bringing everyone together to celebrate and share. As we settle down after Diwali, within months thee Christmas and New

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Year preparations start.

With purchases in this industry being of relatively bigger ticket size than FMCG, consumers Now during this entire season, what subcon- do look forward to purchase new appliances for sciously transforms is the consumer’s outlook their home during this period. From LG, Samtowards purchases which every marketer has sung, Whirlpool to Philips, USHA, Havells and been waiting for. In the celebrative atmosphere Bajaj, all players – big or small – gear up targetraving up, the consumer’s reconsideration of ing atleast 30% business growth over last year whether or not to purfestive period. The planchase reduces drastically. ning for the same in terms Products earlier reviewed, of product manufacturing & compared and conversions importing, marketing campostponed are now purpaigns, pricing, logistics, chased. Salary bonus and sales manpower recruitment pay hikes during festive & training and many others times play an important are initiated right from start role here. Impulse buying of financial year. goes up with newer choices and better deals available.

In addition to industry players, retail chains like ReliBut most importantly what changes, is the con- ance, Croma, Vijay sales and other regional playsumer’s mindset. Majority of the Indians con- ers also eye festival as the period of increased sumer who felt ok to compromise during the footfall and higher conversions. Focus on newer rest of the year, feels much more convinced and ways of product displays and demonstrations justified from inside to purchase what he/she goes up, decorations are done in advance and wants towards a better lifestyle and standard sales team debriefed regularly. Over and above of living. The festivals are the time when one the company discounts, they offer their own cusfeels towards giving back to oneself and to the tomized deals for driving purchases. family – especially the relatively big ticket size purchases - for all the hard work one does every Different marketing campaigns to leverage fesday. Also, India still being an agrarian economy, tive season the festivals fall in the post-harvest period when farmers have money in Towards driving their hands. The only business growth and time when spending strengthening brand takes priority over savequity, consumer duing over a brief period. rables player come out with different marketImportance of festiing campaigns every vals for Consumer year during festivals. durables players A Broadly they can be change in vision: bucketed as below: One of the biggest beneficiaries of this changed mindset is the consumer durables industry. Companies across large and small appliances eye the 3 month period of August to October to contribute anywhere between 35-45% of the annual revenue.

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a) New launch: Festive platform are best used to launch new categories or new product or new line of product due to below reasons: 1) Consumers are expecting fresh line of products – something new that they are not exposed

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to earlier 2) Introduction of new technology and innovation are welcomed with consumer ready to pay relatively higher price – opportunity for new category creation in India and upward laddering on existing product portfolio 3) They are willing to take more risks thereby allowing smaller players to grow their share and large players to strengthen their presence in weak product categories 4) They are looking to upgrade their current products during festive season which every company wants to leverage as the ticket size goes up with premium purchases 5) Retail stores and multi brand outlets look for exclusive availability of new products

tomers to complete the purchase cycle even if he/she doesn’t want to spend a large amount of money at once.

Case study - Sony came out with consumer offers this season cross-promoting its set of products in India. On purchase of Sony products such as select Sony BRAVIA TVs, Home theatres and Digital Imaging products, customers were entitled to attractive promotions. The special festive offer included Sony products itself which ranged from PlayStation4 1TB, external hard drive 1TB, headphones, USB portable chargers, pen drives and memory cards.

Customers also availed special finance scheme through Bajaj Finserv or Capital First with down b) Tactical consumer offers and payment op- payment of just Re.1 at no extra processing tions: With fees. Variconsumers ous EMI looking for options customized were also deals and comavailable panies driving on select conversions credit card for business through growth, difpine labs ferent types of terminal. consumer offers are visible c) Strengthevery year during festival. None of the brands ening emotional bonds with Indian consumers: want to lose customers after being part of their Brands duly understand the benefit of staying consideration set as it has a long lasting impact close to hearts of Indian consumers. Achieving on brand loyalty even after festivals. and sustaining this has increasing become more and more difficult with growing media clutter Another aspect for the need of offers is that and rising individualism in changing India. Fesmany customers buy appliances also for gift- tivals are the platforms when consumer allows ing and therefore search for the best bargains. their hearts to rule over their mind. They take Getting hands on the product in retail formats concerted efforts to join and share with family, and then buying online is an increasing buying friends and relatives. Naturally brands see this pattern, to avoid which many retail formats also as the right opportunity to establish or strengthlure conversions through additional cashbacks, en their bond every year with them. New brands combo offers and exchange deals. entering into Indian durables market also get an opportunity to build perception that they unIn last couple of years, the payment options derstand India and its nuances and are caring have really proliferated during festivals in India. enough towards India.

EMIs, cashbacks, redemption of loyalty points and gift cards are prominent once amongst many Case study - LG recent Diwali campaign on others. Some of these are backed by brands and “Naye India ki Diwali”, celebrates the progressome are customized by retail formats them- sive India and reinforces itself as the best home selves. All these do succeed in pursuing the cus- appliances companion in this journey of trans-

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formation. It succeeds in building the connect with the younger generation who have their own ambitions and their own tweaked way of celebrating festivals. The 20 years logo reminds of the LG lineage but the communication excels in strengthening the perception that LG is the preferred choice of changing India too.

40% of all microwaves to happen online during festivals. Amazon has plans to deliver to more than 100 cities by end of festival season which

Different marketing campaigns to leverage festive season If it weren’t because of the festivals, today’s biggest online events like Amazon’s “Great India sale” and Flipkart’s “Big billion day sale” would not have become such shopping carnivals.

Growing influence of E-Commerce is no more a debate. Online players have succeeded in alMARKETING laying Indian consumers concerns related to onBUDGET line shopping related through certified original products, secure payments, return policies, wide range of selection and most important timely de-

was only 37 at the start for large appliances.

Case study - Amazon for the first time introduced exchange offer on Large appliances thereby providing much needed convenience to consumers looking to upgrade. It customized its backend and frontend processes to match offline competition who still had the age offering exchange schemes. But not any more with Amazon giving dual benefits of exchange deals on old appliances and mega discount deals on new appliances under its Great India sale shopping carnival in 2017.

livery.

Lot many consumers still have product demonstrations at retail stores but do check online prices before purchase. These festival shopping carnivals not only drive sales for online players, more importantly they bring first time users to their portals who if service well come back for repeated purchases even after festivals. With rising internet penetration and easy EMI options, online shopping penetration has increased like never before.

Large appliances are the next growth drivers for both Amazon and Flipkart and they are betting big on this category Flipkart estimated that as much as 25% of sales of all LED TVs, 10% of all washing machines, refrigerators and ACs, and

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Conclusion and way forward With new India emerging with higher disposable incomes, younger mindset and busy lifestyles, festivals are the reason that connects India to its roots. Brands that have been part of this journey over decades have to keep pace with this transformation and maintain the right balance. Expectation from consumer durables brands in terms of new products and technology for better life standards will keep on growing but more critical is to stay closer to the heart of Indians who are now everyday re-evaluating their choices. And none offers any better platform than festivals to consistently win Indian consumer’s heart.

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VARTALAAP An Interview with Mr. Kapil Kohli Kapil Kohli is a dynamic and seasoned retail management professional with over 20 years of experience in planning, developing and directing new business strategies that consistently generate record revenues. For a significant part of his career, he was associated with consumer durables giant Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. He joined Samsung as a Regional Sales Manager for North India and grew professionally over the years to become the Head of Modern Retail – Home Appliances Division. Apart from Samsung, he has also worked with some other well-known brands including Sony, Reliance Industries, Hitachi, Akai and Onida.

USHA International Ltd.

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Sr. Vice President, Retail Business

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Private label is the need of the industry to make the Big Brands continuously focus on innovation and product development to distinguish them at shop floor.

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vartalaap

Markathon: With the current exponential rise in e-commerce, how is retail sector responding especially during festive season. Do you foresee an equilibrium getting established anytime soon?

proach, whereby more experiential activities are running across India at Modern Retail Stores helping us to grow more than the Consumer Durable Industry Growth.

It was the same scenario 14 years back when Large Format Retail (LFR) entered into India, and Small Format Retail (SFR)/Regional Retail were not happy & ready to accept the change but over the passage of time things got settled. That time also it started with discounting and experience but settled now.

Markathon: We are witnessing an increasing number of private labels and local, regional brands competing at the shelf for consumer attention. How do you foresee this trend to continue in future regarding market share?

This will remain there as long as there is pressure on the LFR to sustain the Retail Sector is slowly getting adjusted profitable growth. Private label is the with E-commerce. I would say compa- need of the industry to make the Big nies are playing a very good role by hav- Brands continuously focus on innovaing Different Model Different Channel tion and product development to distin(DMDC) approach thus reducing conflict. guish them at shop floor.

Now Brick & Motor are more towards experience and ERegarding marcommerce on ease share, it varCustomers are shifting their shopping pat- ket of shopping & ies from industern from unorganised retail to organised try to industry. convenience. retail due to various factors leading to - Like in fashion I foresee the equiit goes as high Shop & Fun. librium getting esas 25%. It varies tablished between from channel to both; it might take 2-3 years more for channel like 8% in modern retail. That India to have balanced both the formats. also varies if it is a supermarket/hypermarket where it is 25%-30%.Today PriMarkathon: Competing against the es- vate label Market is 12% of Organized tablished giants likes Samsung and LG Retail. It is quite possible for Private Lain modern retail format, how is your bels to reach at 20% of Total Organized strategy differentiated in spearheading Retail by 2026. Countries like Europe USHA growth in modern retail format? have Private label share of 45%.

We followed the Sellout Oriented ap- Markathon: Having led multiple organ-

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vartalaap isation growths during the festive season for decades, what changes you acknowledge in the consumer buying behaviour? What are the factors propelling these changes?

Consumer buying behaviour has changed as you witness now impulsive buying among the customers. Consumers want fresher and higher quality goods. Customers are shifting their shopping pattern from unorganised retail to organised retail due to various factors such as economic improvement and increased disposable income, payment option (credit card), consumer deals, experiences leading to - Shop & Fun.

october 2017 with screen sizes above 40 inches, frostfree refrigerators, frontloading washing machines and convection microwave ovens overtook the entry-level products, thanks to financing through consumer loans.

Markathon: What advice would you like to give to young marketers to succeed in today’s ever dynamic environment?

Is there a right career path to follow towards reaching such prestigious positions as yours in one’s career?

Young marketers are smarter nowadays.

They react very fast to the changing market dynamics, thanks to the technology.

Data Analytics plays a very vital role in Markathon: How has the consumer du- today’s world. More involvement of marrables sector been affected by GST im- ket intelligence and consumer research plementation? Is the impact visible in helps the marketers to understand the the festive business growth? consumer better and serve them better.

Buying has taken place during pre- To rise in today’s competitive world, one GST implementation in June, and this has to be very clear in strategy, and rehas taken a lot of shift in demand of view it every year and also check whethlater months to er the operating Jun’17. Price has More involvement of market intelli- plans are working increased by apwell or not. Secgence and consumer research helps the prox. 2%-3%. ondly, innovation marketers to understand the consumer whether in the Though there was product, process better and serve them better. a marginal uptick or experience is in sales, especialkey to success in ly in the second half of September, from this retail world. an overall perspective, the consumer sentiment was below expectations. Markathon: Please enlighten us with few There was a reduction in advertisement of your successful ways of keeping the spends during the quarter on account of team motivated in the increasingly chaluncertainty. 10%-12% sell-out growth is lenging landscape of durables in India? a witness in consumer durable during festive.

Ways which helped me to succeed: Online-focused brands reported a spike through the sales run by Flipkart and Amazon during the period, leading to buoyant growth in both online and offline sales. In large cities, the demand for high-value products such as TVs

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1) Use existing strengths to meet any new expectations: As I moved into a management position, I started orchestrating the work instead of doing it. The trick was to pay attention to the expectations of my new role and to figure out how to put my

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vartalaap

october 2017

set. When expectations and goals are met, we celebrate results and identify 2) Transparency: It’s a dynamic world, concerns. and if you are not transparent and quick in sharing, you will lose to competition. 4) Accept feedback, but find your unique way to lead: EvI never hide any information from my It’s a dynamic world, and if you are not eryone’s going to have their own team.

Transpartransparent and quick in sharing, you opinions and ency can also help advice on how staff better underwill lose to competition. you should lead. stand their role as While it’s good to part of a bigger picture and thus, feel more connected to listen to what your mentors have to say, you should try to develop your unique the company and team. leadership style.

3) Set clear expectations and goals: As a leader, I always ensure that my em- 5) Recognize your employees when they ployees & I am on the same page. While do a good job: To truly build a great culdocumenting performances and provid- ture and dynamic among your team, it is ing feedback, I hold them accountable important to give your employees credit adhering to the goals which have been when it’s due. strengths to work in different ways.

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eye2eye

october 2017

In the digital age should the luxury brands sell their products online?

SHIVANI AGARWAL IMI DELHI

ANANYA SINGH SJMSOM

The era of Digital Marketing requires an online presence of every brand.

Luxury consumers tend to be more tech-savvy. Interacting with brands digitally has now become a necessity for them. Brands that reach a shopper at the right time with the right experience will always position it better in their minds as compared to the competitors.

E-commerce and luxury brands have one pillar in common, that’s is of trust.

While upscale brands have sold accessories and perfumes online and through less upscale department stores for that matter, not many stores can provide the same value when they shift to E-commerce.

The most valuable aspect of luxury brands is an experience they provide. From the utopia of walking into a well-designed store to the designer suggestions, to all the conversations. Leading luxury brands in the fashion world are built on exclusivity and have carved a niche for themselves in physical shopping delights. E-commerce experience lacks the ingenuity in service, customer experience and ideas.

The journey from brick and mortar to online presence compromises personalisation. But, luxury brands often keep this in mind, attend to every small detail and find solutions. For instance, Burberry launched ‘design your own scarf’ option on its website. Shoppers were able to customise the colour, size and a monogram at ease, just like in Burberry flagship stores.

The supply chain of a luxury brand and E-commerce is vastly different. One is aimed at catering to a few hubs, This domain is a boon for the sellers. Data mining helps reaching out to the classist, while the other is global in them create more impact and deliver better results. A reach and requires a robust supply chain system. Shiftseamless customer service will instil a superior image of ing to E-commerce would be unfeasible and difficult for the brand in their minds. Especially in a developing coun- the luxury brands. There would also be the questioning try like India luxury brand showrooms are not present in of choosing the areas and locations in which the brands every corner. would be able to cater. The last mile delivery is uncouth, dicey and dotted with communication issues. It is also the To cater to the needs of people residing in these cities an only face to face interaction that the customer has in an online presence is the need of hour. Michael Kors is ubiq- E-commerce experience. The burden on the delivery staff uitous when we talk about this. Tata Cliq will have a lux- would be unprecedented as they would be responsible ury version on their website especially for Tier 2 and Tier for a major portion of brand representation and consum3 customers. Although, the conversion rate is low still the er satisfaction. Hence, tracking the quality of the service average cart value from this segment can be huge. would be difficult.

These brands also create a distinguished customer experience online. Ways like storytelling that tells the custom- Shifting to E-commerce may be a practical disaster. The ers why they are worthy of attention, lights the candles of brands will not be able to cater to their target and would value and expertise for the brand. Thus, by venturing into waste large resources in establishing themselves online, a e-commerce luxury brands should spread their wings playing field they are beginners in. Hence, for now, they wider. should focus on innovation in retails stores.

Topic for the next issue: “Is it a good idea to target your competition through advertisement?” Your opinion (view/counterview) is invited. Word limit is 250-300. Last date of sending entries is 28th November, 2017.

Include your picture (JPEG format) with the entry. Winners will receive a prize money of Rs. 500 each!

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eye2eye

july 2015

By Samarth Parikh IIM Shillong Pepsi has passed on a picture of fresh and young vitality through its logo and trademarks, throughout the years. Having experienced a few changes every one of these years, the present Pepsi logo is a mix of the devoted shades of the 40s, the straightforwardness of the 70s and the content like bends of the brand’s look. We’ll be following here the advancement of the organization’s logo. Along these lines, grab a can of Pepsi and enjoy the read!

turned out with new items which were not cola based.

Pepsi concocted a boxed logo with slight typeface changes in 1973, and the outline was moderate. Also, later in 1991, an italic capital typeface was fused in the plan.

Honouring its cenCaleb Bradham, the originator of Pepsi, jotted the tennial commemoramost punctual adaptation of logo for the brand’s tion in 1998, Pepsi dicharacter after the origination of Pepsi in 1893. As vulged another logo “Brad’s Drink,” as it was initially known, wound up that commended its plainly well-known and the organization developed worldwide achievein an estimate, he got it updated in a modified man- ment. The 2005 version had a three-dimensionner. The Pepsi logo was consequently intended with- al globe on an ice blue background. out precedent for 1905 by Bradham’s neighbor, a craftsman.

As of now, the Pepsi logo contains a white band inside the Pepsi circle, symbolizing a string of The trademark “Refreshing grin. The characters are lowercase while the and Healthful” was presented typeface is adjusted and less formal. The state as Pepsi-Cola’s motto in 1933 of the Pepsi logo is three dimensional with a when the organization was globe painted in two distinct hues. A twirl in the causing a significant misforcentre goes about tune as the aftereffect of sugar as the separator to emergency. The brand’s past the two plates of the logo returned utilize when globe. The brand uticosts were diminished for drawing in more clients. lizes two differentiIn the meantime, till the 1940s, the logo experienced ating shades of the minor changes. range, blue and red for the two circles.

In 1950, the blue and red reThe brand name is placed the first red shade of composed in white on a darker foundation to the logo. The expansion of a make the most extreme visual effect. The emcool colour shading helped phasized roman typeface influences the textual make the logo more present style to look basic yet exquisite. day and a la mode.

The Pepsi logo configuration keeps on keeping 1962 saw a gigantic change up its eliteness and style even in the wake of exwhen the brand was rechris- periencing a progression of changes, with the tened “Pepsi,” by and large getting rid of “Cola.” In extraordinary blend of text style, shape, and the meantime, the imprints circling the brand name hues conjuring the reviving nature of the rewere put into the outline. This occurred as Pepsi freshment.

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AD-dicted AD-dicted

PRODUCT: Flipkart

december october 2013 2017

By Nitin Nathani IIM Shillong PRODUCT: Airtel

POSITIONING: #ShubhBhiLaabhBhi CREATIVE AGENCY: Lowe Lintas

POSITIONING: Amazing Airtel Post Paid Promises

CATCH

CREATIVE AGENCY: Taproot Dentsu

R

YouTube Link: https://goo.gl/HWbSUH

YouTube Link: https://goo.gl/E3UrAk

CONCEPT: The advertisement starts with Dubeyji (the customer who had ordered wedding cards) asking Guptaji (owner of the card printing factory) to postpone the wedding date between 14th and 17th October. When Guptaji asked for the reason, Dubeyji told that they would expect better wedding gifts due to the Big Diwali Sale at that time. Dubeyji even invites Guptaji to the wedding, which receives a shocking expression from him as he too is expected to bring a better wedding gift. It ends with a brief description of the sale with their tagline “#ShubhBhiLaabhBhi”.

CONCEPT: The ad starts in an interview form where a young girl is asked which is her favorite phone.

To this the girl replies she likes iPhone because its camera is amazing. Then she is asked why she has not purchased it yet.

To this both agree that it’s because of hefty cost of the iPhone. Then the interviewer asks her if her mobile network has helped her in purchasing, to which she replies in disbelief that why would her network help her buy a phone. Then it is told that Airtel will help people in purchasing iPhone through its offering Airtel Postpaid Promise.

MISS

VERDICT: Miss

VERDICT: Catch Markathon believes that Flipkart has succeeded in making a connection with the target segment. It has maintained roping in kids in their adult avatars to include the fun element in their advertisements and promote their Big Diwali Sale as they had promoted the Big Billion Days campaign in September. The ad tries to target millennials who want to buy gifts for Diwali and other events such as weddings and are looking for a discount. The major reason why it created an impact is that it not only focused on Diwali as its competitors but also the upcoming wedding season. It also reflected the wedding tradition and the tagline of the campaign “ShubhBhiLaabhBhi” when Guptaji asked for the “Shubh din” to replace the existing wedding date. The advertisement had laughter and sarcasm in it. Markathon believes that the ad has been in-line with their ad campaigns and has covered most of the aspects to connect with the target segment. It has been able to target multiple occasions in the right way and thus this ad is a catch.

MARKATHON

By Anurag Pandey IIM Shillong

Markathon believes that there is a disconnect between the target segment and the overall environment of the ad.

The ad clearly tries to target people who cannot afford an iPhone right now but want to buy it. The segment represents people who are working in white collar jobs that do not have high salaries or students. Both these segments are price sensitive and there is likelihood that they might have shifted to Jio. Thus, this product is well thought out and it would help Airtel use the aspirations of this segment for iPhone to get them back on Airtel network.

However, the girl is unable to represent this segment. The girl is shown working on design or work which requires specific skills. Similarly, the office ambiance doesn’t fit the overall environment that might represent the target segment. She is shown using expensive laptop, headphones and living in a well to do household. Markathon believes that the ad would have been able to better connect with the target segment if the overall environment would have been more appropriate and thus this ad is a miss.

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brand story

october 2017

Brand Story APOORV GUPTA | IIM Shillong

ABRA-CADABRA

T

he year was 1994 and the place was New York City.

A Vice President at D. E. Shaw & Co., twenty-nine at that time and already balding, sat in his office recalling how he spent 7 years at Wall Street working tirelessly for one firm or the another. Through his keen intellect and boundless determination, he was able to quickly climb up the corporate ladder but this wasn’t his dream. Like many others in his position, he too wanted his own venture. Soon he made up his mind and quit his job to move to Seattle to work on a business plan. He had been reading quite a lot about the future of the internet and how web commerce is projected to grow at 2,300%. He started out by creating a list of 20 products he felt could successfully be marketed and sold online. He then narrowed the list down to five products that sounded most promising: CDs, videos, books, computer hardware and software. The list was finally reduced to a single item which was books because of their low cost and universal demand. But of course, it was just the beginning…

The man we now know was Jeff Bezos incorporated the company as ‘Cadabra’ in his garage in July 1994 but the name was soon changed to ‘Amazon.com’ because Amazon is an “exotic and different” place and the river Amazon, the biggest river in the world, portrayed his desire to make his store the largest in the world. Interestingly, Jeff also considered the name

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‘Relentless’ for his store but the idea was soon scrapped when his friends told him the name sounds sinister.

The initial start-up capital for the company came primarily from Jeff’s parents who invested a large fraction of their life savings in the internet company without even knowing what internet was.

They didn’t make a bet on the company but on their son despite Jeff telling them that there was a 70% chance that they would lose their entire investment.

Within 2 months, Amazon’s sales were up to $20,000 per week but the company continued to plough their revenue back into growth. In fact, Amazon as a company has consistently focused on long-term growth without paying heed to short-

term profits. Amazon also raised $8mn from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Series A funding in 1995. By 1999,

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their investments in the company created returns of over 55,000%! Amazon was reincorporated in Delaware in 1996 and went public in May 1997 through an IPO on NASDAQ at $18 per share.

Amazon was one of the few firms to emerge stronger after the dot. com bubble in the early 2000s and the market capitalization of Amazon has grown exponentially since 2009.

An amount of $1,000 during the IPO would fetch you somewhere around $500,000 today!

Soon, major competitors started taking notice of Amazon’s business and the first blow came when Barnes & Noble sued Amazon in May 1997 for the claim “the world’s largest bookstore” while they are in fact not a bookstore at all but a book broker. Amazon was also sued by Walmart in October 1998 for stealing trade secrets by hiring former Walmart executives.

Both these lawsuits were settled out of court and cause Amazon to internally restructure the organization and implement restrictions. Despite few setbacks, Amazon continued their business as usual and Jeff Bezos was named Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ for revolutionizing online shopping. Amazon began offering toys and electronics and then divided its product offerings into individual stores on its site to make it easier for customers to shop for specific items.

The company soon recovered and continued its expansion and diversification into new areas such as apparel, CDs, software development, jewellery, grocery. This was achieved through several acquisitions like Mobipocket, Createspace, BookSurge, ShopBop, Audible.com etc. In

2007, Amazon launched its very own kindle and still continues to promote it.

In the past 10 years, Amazon has made great strides causing even Walmart, the firm at the top of the Fortune 500 list, to get anxious. The inauguration of Amazon Go Store for its employees in December 2016 where sensors are deployed to automatically charge a shopper’s Amazon account as they walk out of the store to eliminate checkout lines hasn’t helped either.

The store would soon be open to the general public. In June 2017, Amazon announced the acquisition of Whole Foods, a high-end supermarket chain with a network of over 400 stores, for $13.4bn to strengthen its physical holdings and challenge Walmart in the brick and mortar business. There is no doubt that Walmart would face a bumpy ride ahead.

Like other internet-based firms, Amazon too plunged after Amazon has been here for the past 23 years and by tickthe dot.com burst and had to focus on cutting costs by lay- ing all the right boxes by focusing on customers and ining off 1,300 employees and closing a distribution facility. novation, it intends to be at the top for much longer.

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digi-gyaan

Corporate usage of Social Media

By Nitin Nathani IIM Shillong Social networks are one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to the HBR report, 79% of companies have or will have social media initiatives in place. Earlier, it was majorly used for proactive practices, but their use

Many corporations have used social media in Human Resources during the hiring process as well. It is well-known that around 15% of the employee hiring is done through social media.

for reactive practices has been increasing for obtaining feedback through customer reviews on social media for product development and competitor analysis.

Recently, JSW has launched ‘Will of Steel’ campaign which finds inspiration from Geeta Phogat, a CWG Gold Medalist in wrestling after overcoming many societal hurdles. Choosing

There are customized platforms for corporates as well, but they are not much popular. One of the reasons is that such platforms aren’t user engaging and steps can be taken to increase it by adding features which are currently shown in Google hangouts or Snapchat. Moreover, it is a pre-requisite that all the members of the corporate use the platform including the CEO, which somewhere lacks in implementation.Another reason is the need for integration of such networks as it becomes a cumbersome task for the employee to log in to different platforms to fetch data. Other reasons are the lack of cyber security and multi-screen access. Some of the platforms are Jive, Lithium, Telligent, Jive, SharePoint and Chatter.

The use of social media for marketing is exponentially increasing, and corporates are using the concepts of remarketing and machine learning in artificial intelligence to give the customers a personalized experience. Corporates such as Facebook, Flipkart and Myntra have used it efficiently.

Its widespread use in finance by corporations is resulting in the development and implementation of formal written policies. The use of social media in corporations has grown so rapidly that they are now required to maintain formal written social media policies. For example, the FFIEC uses formal social media guidance for its banks and credit unions.

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the right fit is essential for any corporation as it helps in making the right connect with people.

The reason why she has been the perfect fit is that it will reinforce the company’s inclination

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digi-gyaan

towards encouraging sports in India through its Excellence Program, it demonstrates the concept of ‘Women Empowerment’ and thirdly and is aligned with the brand product, steel.

was only for rich people and that he did not want to expand into poor countries like India. Social media environments have created the need for distinct and often strict reputation-management practices.

But,corporations can also be in a risk also when it comes to their employees’ use of social media. Thus, social media can become a boon for For example, Snapchat faced a public relations the companies and give them an early mover advantage. crisis, after allegations its founder said the app

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A Selling Secret: Have Better Conversations

1)

To have better conversations, increase your skill through sales training, product training and industry knowledge and have conversations with qualified decision makers in new ways. Compelling events are not created. They are uncovered through questions, research, and investigating the data.

Link:- https://goo.gl/iuxGTJ

2)

Localized Digital Marketing

Local businesses are some of the slowest to adapt to digital technologies and digital marketing strategies. That’s because small local business owners have to wear many hats, and with so many responsibilities, staying on top of the most up-to-date marketing trends isn’t always a top priority.

Link:- https://goo.gl/RRttHm

3)

How to make people love a concept like demonetisation

The good news is that most of us grapple with marketing challenges of a much smaller order than demonetisation. Still one might stumble. So how does one avoid stumbling and come out a winner?

Link :- https://goo.gl/xpE7dv

4)

The Geekification of B2B CMOs in 2018

The belief that data is the WME (Weapon of Marketing Effectiveness) is so pervasive that words like “purpose,” “brand” or “story” only occasionally enter forward-looking conversations Link :- https://goo.gl/Nd1gKY

5)

‘Word of Mouth’ to ‘Word of Eye’

While word of mouth continues to play an important role, word of eye is today’s key differentiating factor. The phrase beautifully captures an imperative for brand managers: to focus more on their brand’s visual presentation or risk being overlooked.

Link :- https://goo.gl/sn3fGy

By Mansi Khandelwal | IIM Shillong Capgemini Dons New Brand Identity Capgemini unveiled its new brand identity which builds on its 50-year technology heritage. The new brand identity uses three fundamental differentiators to reflect Capgemini’s unique character and strengths as a business partner, addressing the whole breadth of clients’ business challenges, to enable their ambition in the digital world. These three core pillars are: dynamism, precision and people. The new identity demonstrates how agile and in motion the company is, helping its clients to address their business challenges, with precision and trust. Work is also now underway on the overall architecture of the Group’s brands.

Airtel Launches Online Store, Offers Premium Smartphones With Affordable Down Payments Bharti Airtel launched its Online Store (www.airtel.in/ onlinestore) that will offer a range of premium smartphones with affordable down payments, instant credit verification and financing, and bundled monthly plans. The Online Store went live with Apple’s iPhone7 and iPhone7 Plus variants and the company plans to add devices from all leading brands to the store’s offerings in the near future.

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McDonald’s prepares to ‘flip the marketing switch’ to drive up mobile ordering McDonald’s is getting ready to “flip the marketing switch” on digital services such as mobile ordering and delivery as it looks to drive up usage and ensure the features become a meaningful part of its business. It says 30 million people have downloaded its mobile app, with nine million monthly active users. And mobile order and pay will be in 20,000 restaurants by the end of the year, and all its restaurants in the US.

Suzuki Intrduer 150 may be launched in India soon Suzuki Motorcycles might launch a small-capacity cruiser in India in November, reports suggest.

This new offering could be named Intruder 150, after the company’s existing line of cruisers. In addition to this, images of the rumoured cruiser have emerged, strengthening speculations. The low-capacity cruiser segment in India is presently dominated by Bajaj Avenger which has no opposition to challenge it. It will be against this market favourite that the Intruder 150 will be pitted against.

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digi-tally

october 2017

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Articles are invited

“Best Article”: Bhavya Rastogi | IIM Shillong She receives a cash prize of Rs.1000 & a letter of appreciation We are inviting articles from all the B-schools of India. The articles can be absolutely anything related to the world of marketing but it should be an original work that is not published elsewhere. The articles can be specific to the regular sections of Markathon which includes: •Perspective: Articles related to development of latest trends in marketing arena.

•Productolysis: Analysis of a product from the point of view of marketing.

•Strategic Analysis: A complete analysis of marketing strategy of any company or an event.

Apart from above, out of the box views related to marketing are also welcome. The best entry will receive a letter of appreciation and a cash prize of Rs 1000/-. The format of the file should be MS Word doc/docx.

The last date of receiving all entries is 28th November, 2017. Please send your entries marked as <ARTICLE NAME>_<SENDERS’ NAME(S)>_<INSTITUTE> to markathon.iims@gmail.com.

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