Showing posts with label Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri. Show all posts

Friday, April 09, 2010

Commission curse…


IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

This certainly comes as a breather for ticketing agents across the country. Foreign aviation players plying in the Indian market hitherto operated on a zero-commission model, over which a lot of brouhaha was created by agents. However, the latest ruling by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation states that foreign airlines will have to pay commission to the ticketing agents. The decision of the aviation regulator to do away with zero-commission model will benefit around 2,400 agents in the country as international carriers like British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, et al, will now have to pay 3% commission to ticketing agents. But will it impact the financial standing of these foreign airlines during the current turmoil? “Demand continues to improve, but profitability remains distant. Fares have stabilised, but at profitless levels,” explains Giovanni Bisignani, Director General & CEO, IATA. The new rule implemented will hurt the overall yields and further decline the revenues of international airlines. Out of the total 72 international airlines operating in India; 16 do not pay commission to travel agents. Since close to 85% bookings are done through agents, the reduced revenue per ticket would definitely add to the mounting problems of increasing cost pressures. It gets worse when one looks at the revised loss projection of $9 billion for the current fiscal made by IATA for the global aviation sector. The ruling maybe a blessing for ticketing agents, but is a curse for the airlines.

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.

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

Thursday, March 25, 2010

BBC WORLD SERVICE TRUST - MADISON MEDIA PLUS


Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

OBJECTIVE: To increase the use of condoms in India and encourage people to say the word ‘condom’ openly.

MEDIA STRATEGY: ‘Say-CONDOM-aloud’ opportunities were created where the consumer had to say the word ‘condom’ aloud and initiate a discussion about condoms. Buzz was created around the word by replacing the word Kabbadi with condom in the popular local sport. Consumer fancy for ringtones was targeted by leveraging the word ‘condom’ as a ringtone.

EFFECTIVENESS: As per NACO, condom sales through government channels grew by 85 million units during the campaign period.

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
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year

Thursday, March 04, 2010

In Bed with Hitler Stalin!


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

4Ps B&M: AIDS charities worldover are protesting that it would be HIV positive patients, not the disease itself, which will be associated with war criminals via this campaign. Do you agree?
Silz:
The bottom line is that we started a new discussion about AIDS. And that’s what we wanted to do. We did the campaign for an AIDS charity called Regenbogen e.V, which has many AIDS patients as members. They decided to run this campaign and didn’t feel stigmatised. We’ve got a lot of e-mails from AIDS patients who get the campaign right and encourage us to go on to start a new discussion about AIDS.

4Ps B&M: Are positive responses also coming?
Silz:
Absolutely! We get every day, thousands of congratulations from parents, youth and HIV positive people. They like the campaign. Here are some statements... “Finally someone who really deals with the theme.” HIV positive persons wrote, “If these ads were published years ago, we would have probably not been infected.” Teachers are calling us because the video is on every mobile phone on the schoolyard in Germany. So teachers order our posters to start first lessons in talking about AIDS. They get more attention from the kids. And this young crowd is precisely our target group.

4Ps B&M: Do you think that this should be replicated across countries for AIDS awareness?
Silz:
Of course! In almost every country you will find a bad guy who killed a lot of innocent people. I don’t know if you had one in India. To me, it sure sounds like a peaceful country...

4Ps B&M: Are you hoping to win a few big awards for this campaign?
Silz:
We work for clients. Not for the awards.

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

Monday, February 22, 2010

Dainik Bhaskar tunes into the right channel


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


When most of the players in the Indian media industry are finding it hard to stay afloat (thanks to a sharp decline in ad spending by Indian advertisers), there’s some good news flowing in for Dainik Bhaskar Group. Its radio station My FM has just achieved the break even, well before the estimated time. Moreover, while the company’s net revenue during the quarter was up by 46% (y-o-y), its operating profit was up by 99% for the quarter. So, what has made it taste such success, when other radio brands like Big FM, with largest network, have failed to break even? “A mix of its excellent listener understanding and strategic marketing which allowed us to tap into new listeners as well as a new genre of radio advertisers,” reasons Harish M. Bhatia, COO, 94.3 My FM. No doubt, as pointed out by Harish, extensive market research has really helped the radio station. The radio channel conducted three major Radio Surveys in the various markets where it has presence and based on the insights, packaged its offering to the local consumer. The surveys revealed that even in cities within the same state, people have different taste and flavour for music. Thus, a customisation of the product varying from city to city basis has helped MY FM to be a leader in 15 out of the 17 markets it operates in, despite the presence of older and national radio channels in these markets. Moreover, as a part of a deliberate business strategy MY FM operates only in tier 2 & tier 3 cities. In fact, these are the markets where Dainik Bhaskar, the newspaper, has a strong hold. Also a strategic effort to convince non-radio advertisers about the benefits of the medium and getting them on board has helped it churn smile for its stakeholders.

Pallavi Srivastava

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

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

HONEY, I MADE IT ONCE AGAIN!


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

The mission to become an internationally renowned brand began four years back for Airtel. Today, it reigns high as the number one brand in India, for the second year in a row! Undoubtedly, it has become one of the most formidable brands of India Inc.Airtel has succeeded in establishing a strong ‘connect’ with a billion Indians, as Pratik Mazumder, who has been a brand custodian of Airtel till 2008 and now runs his own brand consultancy out of Bangalore, avers, “The Airtel success story is just like a Bollywood film, with the home-grown company being able to make a mark for itself in the second largest telecom market in the world, and thus becoming the fourth-largest telecom service provider in the world. It’s a company that is loved by its customers, admired by its partners and benchmarked for its best practices by its peers. It’s a company that has transformed the lives of a billion across the country.”

Airtel was one of the first companies to be offered wireless license in the country (in the year 1995) and that event marked the beginning of a new era in Indian telecom history. When Airtel entered the scene, wireless technology was considered to be a utility meant only for a select few. But with competiton increasing and with timely government intervention, prices were slashed to rock bottom levels. Mobile telephony suddenly became a necessity. Since then, Airtel has evolved into a ‘life changing’ brand, changing with the times and even today continues to be greatly associated with the lives of the its customers. “Airtel has always banked upon the strategy of portraying real human emotions that touch one’s heart and hence people can relate well to this brand, ”shares Sagar Mahableshwarkar of Rediffusion Y&R (the agency that handles Airtel’s creative account).

Over the last year too, Airtel as a brand has kindled many emotions through its communication strategy. Even its latest ‘Special five’ campaign (that is currently on air) stands proof to the same. This campaign is about Anna and her special five friends and explains well how one can talk to his/her chosen person at subsidised rates. The thematic idea behind this commercial was to communicate how to make your special ones even more special and bring them closer, by establishing a constant communication channel. Apart from this, the company has also roped-in multiple brand ambassadors and popularise its value added services (VAS).

However, as a market leader, the company did not just rely on its markeing communications strategy win the crown of the ‘most valuable brand in the country’. It also offered many innovative offerings to the end customers. The most talked about service was the launch of its DTH venture – Airtel Digital. The launch campaign featured as many 10 celebrities and was able to draw instant attention. This particular ad went on air on October 8, 2008 and according to a study done by research firm IMRB on October 9, 2008, Airtel Digital TV had extremely established an strong awareness and ad reach numbers in just a day! The key findings indicated that the spontaneous awareness for this ad was 37% and total awareness was 58%. Google trends show Airtel Digital TV to be the 3rd hottest or most searched keyword a day after the TVC was aired, while it had over 10,800 views on YouTube! “Airtel digital TV expects to gain 20% market share amongst new additions to the category in the first year alone, and expects to increase it in the subsequent years,” opines N. Arjun, Executive Director – Bharti Telemedia Ltd.

And the strong communication mantra continues for Airtel Digital TV. Only this time, it talks about its picture clarity through a television commercial featuring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The company has plans to come out with many such communication campaigns in the future as well. Last year, Airtel also launched its IPTV, and positioned itself as being not just a telecommunications giant but a media and entertainment brand as well, making it the first Indian company to offer triple play services. Apart from this, the company also launched its communications around its 16MBPS broadband offering with the tagline ‘Impatience is the new word’ that helped connect the company with its young dynamic customers.

Strong marketing communication and value driven innovation - reasons enough for Airtel to win the coveted crown of India’s Most Valuable Company for the second time in a row...

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

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 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
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
IIPM Best B School – EVENTS
IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

It’s not an easy road ahead

Two years back when s.Oliver, the German apparel brand, had made its foray into India, unlike any other European brand it didn’t tie up with any established apparel retailer, but had entered into a joint venture with Orient Craft Ltd., a relatively new player which was not retailing any other global rival brands. Cut today, bucked up with logistic expertise of Orient Craft and the core attention received from this Indian apparel manufacturer, s.Oliver has reached break-even for both its stores within a time span of just 18 months. In fact, the company is now planning to mint Rs.300 crore from India in another three years time. But then, how exactly is it planning to achieve this astonishing target? “We would be enhancing our portfolio. Moreover, our stores would now emerge as a one-stop shop for fashion and lifestyle products,” avers Gaurav Sehgal, COO, s.Oliver Fashion India Pvt. Ltd. Further, the company even plans to invest Rs.3 million in brand building and is also mulling over the idea to open seven more stores by 2012. However, the million dollar question is, with such high prices (not surely for the masses) will s.Oliver succeed to beckon the consumer? Specially when its competitor, United Colors of Benetton with a comparatively economical pricing, is stealing the show.

“We are operating in the mass luxury segment, wherein we are offering a better quality product to consumers. We don’t outsource our products, all are imported from the head-office,” reasons Sehgal. Agreed that to cash in on the mass luxury segment prices won’t matter, but then the group plans to roll out s.Oliver stores in tier II cities also and the current pricing strategy might not help them there.

Angshuman Paul

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.
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better – Mail Today Survey
Events at IIPM
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON


Friday, January 15, 2010

It’s my land, dude

Call it an old God-made snag or man-made trouble, acquiring land has always been a nightmare for Indian businessmen. With 2.4% of the total surface area (most of which is used for agriculture), Indian businesses have always been given a pitted treatment when it comes to the use of land for setting up factories or starting new projects. And the biggest bearer of this trouble is the infrastructure sector, which with all its verticals, finds it tough to comply with the land acquisition laws of India. Leveraging Public Private Partnerships, the road sector of the country has come up with some world class roads. The Build-Operate-Transfer concept has been very attractive for the private sector with many new companies wanting to enter the segment. The biggest hurdle companies face is that of land acquisition. Says G. V. Sanjay Reddy, Vice Chairman, GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd, “When it comes to land acquisition, we face tough time from the government’s side. The policies are also not very supportive.” The same is the trouble with financiers of big projects as the criteria for investing in infrastructural projects by big investors is to find out whether the land issues have been settled or not. A lot of confusion persists in this area as India does not have a proper law when it comes to acquiring land for industrial purposes. The Land Acquisition Act of 1894 says that only government is allowed to acquire land for public purposes. The private sector has to buy 70% of the land and government help in getting holdouts will only be given in the 30% of the remaining portion. The solution perhaps lies in setting a standard law across India, apart from amending the age old Land Acquisition Act, which has been proposed for quite sometime now, but due to political pressure it doesn’t seem to be happening soon.

Niharika Patra

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.
1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Events at IIPM
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

HITTING THE RIGHT CHORD...

PAWAN MUNJAL, MD, HERO HONDA MOTORS
Even as Indian two-wheeler makers like TVS Motors and Bajaj Auto were registering falling sales month after month during the last financial year, Hero Honda was busy strengthening its base in the Indian market. The slowdown period has been the most lucrative one for the company. It even crossed the landmark of selling 25 million units (cumulative) in the last fiscal taking its market leadership to around 57% (60% currently). Moreover, Hero Honda’s bottom-line grew by 33% to Rs.12.8 billion during the financial year. But how did they manage it, when the whole industry was struggling, is definitely a big question.

Well, a right product at a right time is the trick that has clicked. In addition Hero Honda has also utilised the last fiscal to get closer to consumers. The company has built an extensive network of over 3,500 touch-points across the country, selling and servicing its two-wheelers. The company’s rural initiatives too have played a role in strengthening its presence in Tier-II & Tier-III markets, which contribute almost 40% of total sales. Explains Pawan Munjal, MD, Hero Honda, “An unprecedented share of 57% in the domestic market, when the industry has been witnessing a slowdown, is reflective of the strong fundamentals.”

Though auto experts like Murad Ali Baig say that “Hero Honda as a company is known for its continuity and stable approach,” they also accept that when it comes to the premium segment Bajaj Auto rules the roost. And that’s not baseless either. While Hero Honda sold about 185,000 units in the segment during the last fiscal, Bajaj sold 840,000 units. But then, the pace at which Hero Honda is catching up is noteworthy. What is more inspiring is its strong association with the youth and its effective campaigns in the rural markets. However, as Bajaj Auto plans to stage a big show in the executive segment, the days ahead may soon throw up more challenges for Hero Honda.

Pawan Chabra

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON



Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Jet set and down you go!!!


The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

Have you heard of a shark that swallowed a dolphin and then went for a toss? Well, Jet Airways is the ‘big’ shark we are talking about. It took over Air Sahara forging the biggest deal ever in Indian aviation sector. But soon the Rs.2,300 crore all-cash deal left Jet crippled with losses, and more losses. CAPA observes it as the carrier’s first major strategic error. Analysts believe, allowing Sahara to exit from the market would have resulted in a market correction, which would have helped Jet in more than one way. But then, one wrong decision is all that is needed to fall. And Jet seems to have made that...

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM 4Ps Quiz
2300 IIPM students get jobs
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Of two ‘G’s & two ‘R’s?


The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

The RIL-RPL merger would lead to the making of one of world’s largest refineries; but is long term growth guaranteed sans shareholders’ smiles?

There’s one ‘G’ that defines short-term prosperity – Gain, but there’s another that pronounces long-term sustainability – Growth! And what’s most critical in the whole kaleidoscope of strategy is the co-existence of the two, a company can’t survive or even trivially dare to make it to the big league! For a change, even in these painfully obstreperous times, where one only hears of bailouts and bankruptcies, Mukesh-led Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), India’s largest company with an Mcap of Rs.1.9 trillion, and Reliance Petroleum Ltd. with Rs.333 billion in Mcap are together forecasted to report net profit figures of Rs.161 billion – that’s laudable considering many negative estimates that have flown into the market of late. And if that was not enough good news, both entities have announced a merger (effective April 1, 2009) that is in total alignment with the business strategy that RIL has been implementing for the past three decades. Operationally, this move makes sense as even in the past, the company has done well to allow new entities (that were used to initiate new petrochemical projects) of the Reliance Group to merge with RIL, post the initial gestation period. This gives space to the parent to hedge itself against many risks involved with ‘new’ projects.

“This merger is a significant step in our goal to be among the largest global corporations,” optimistically declared Mukesh Ambani, CMD, RIL. This move, besides serving its financials well, would enable RIL to get counted amongst the world’s top 10 refining non-PSUs, with a total capacity of 1.24 million barrels per day. RIL which has 70% stake in RPL, would buy Chevron’s 5% holding in RPL for Rs.13.50 billion, as a part of the deal. The merger is a tax neutral one, thereby enabling both companies to retain their tax benefits. The merged-entity aims to derive various operational & financial synergies from various joint operations like crude sourcing, product placement, supply chain optimisation et al. “RIL expects the merger to provide synergies in crude procurement and product placement,” says Deepak Pareek, Analyst, Angel Broking. At the same time, he warns, “We believe that synergies are likely to be lower as the companies would be sharing facilities.” The deal involves a RIL & RPL share-swap agreement at a ratio 1:16. In order to buy back RPL, Ambani will be issuing 69.2 million new shares of RIL to RPL shareholders. The merged entity would thus have a large pool of 3.7 million shareholders; and this would lead to the rise in RIL’s equity capital to Rs.16.43 billion. But the situation doesn’t seem to pleasing for ordinary shareholders as the current move has resulted in a heartrending evaporation of Rs.68 billion of shareholder equity. Also, not much could be done to avoid the whopping erosion of Rs.67.52 billion in combined Mcap! “The merger definitely leads to RIL becoming a larger player in the global refinery market, but the small investors in the group are being made the scapegoat in the process with their money being turn to dust,” avers N. Wadhwa, MD, SKI Capital.

Yes, cash flow will get stronger post-merger (by $1.5-$1.8 billion), but does prosperity mean paying no heed to petty shareholders? Considering how deep has the principle of shareholder wealth maximisation been embedded in the group, one question gets raised at the end of the day. The merger looks good, in terms of balance sheet affairs, but is big brother trying to redefine the very foundation on which Reliance grew (i.e. Growth@shareholders)? (Ah! That’s a new G there!)

Ratan Lal Bhagat

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

If size matters, they’re small. If an agency’s recall matters, they’ve happily renamed themselves (twice!!!) in the last ten years!


The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

If HR is the most important division to manage creative people, they’ve deliberately done without it for most of their existence! Seriously, what are they thinking? Neha Saraiya takes a rollicking trip inside the innovative chaos called Ignitee (yes!)

“The total size of advertising industry presently is Rs 20,000 crore, out of which the online industry is just Rs 1000 crore,” says an effervescent Atul Hegde, CEO, Ignitee, as he shares the pain of being a relatively smaller fish in the ad-pond. First things first. Their name is pronounced ‘Ignite’ despite the extra ‘e’ trailing the blazer. Hegde spun it off on me that the extra ‘e’ was to differentiate the name (No, I haven’t bought this one yet).

Coming to the more serious affairs on the corporate front, it is true that size is the biggest constraint for ad agencies, and that too in the online arena in India, which is in stark contrast to the international scenario where the online spend is around 25% as compared to the overall marketing spend; though it is also true that the current global turmoil has forced many companies to increase their spend in the online medium because of its cost effectiveness and measurability. Ignitee, with its competencies firmly placed within the online ad space, is well positioned to exploit the current trends. Ignitee was one of the pioneers to introduce the radically innovative concept of “double click” in the online space. That was the beginning of the agency which, within a span of nine years, has ended up being a quasi-one-stop-shop for digital ad requirements of corporate India. And today, as CEO Atul reveals, “The slowdown is actually acting as a catalyst for us. Last year, while we grew at around 30-35%, this year, we expect 45% growth with annual billings of Rs 125 crores.”

Interestingly, the agency, which is owned by Euro RSCG, actually started off as a nondescript agency under the brand name of Media Turf in 2000. Strangely, the agency was renamed Connecturf after a few years of operations. And if that wasn’t enough water that had already flown under the bridge, the agency was again renamed Ignitee this year. My consternation aside, Atul has an answer to the mysterious ways of Benjamin Button, “Rebranding helps in many ways, as it really rejuvenates the brand and creates a buzz in the market. Moreover, we needed a platform to take off. But rebranding cannot be superficial like a name change or logo change. Thus, we did six-seven months of internal research and added a lot more of services before actually going for it.” (No, I haven’t bought even this one completely yet!). Atul justifies further, “Initially, we were very strong on technology; but what we were lacking was a brand. Thus the agency restructured and rebranded itself last year.” However, being one of the early starters, most of the talent in Ignitee was either homegrown or had been associated with the agency in some form or the other.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Detail of all IIPM branches
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION


Friday, May 22, 2009

Call it the ‘G’ therapy!


The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

GDrive will revolutionise the world of storage devices. Simply stated, you won’t have to carry your hard drives around! Yes, we’re talking about high-capacity here!

When Google launched Gmail on April Fools’ Day of 2004, users were wowed by the unheard of 1GB mailbox limit. In a world of e-mail services that offered anywhere from 1MB to 10MB of storage, Google’s offering stood out. But here’s more surprise for Google fans – Google’s long rumored ‘GDrive’ is finally speculated to see the light of the commercial day sometime this year. It is a service that would enable users to access their PCs from anywhere, (over the Internet, of course!)! Some tech news sites are claiming that it might be the “most anticipated of Google products so far.” Analysts also predict that it could literally “kill” the desktop computer that has so far lived on promises of hard drive capacitites. The Google drive would mark a shift away from Microsoft’s Windows OS, towards cloud computing, whereby storage and processing would be done in data centers.

With enterprises around the world already converging on delivery of Web-based services, neither the service companies nor the users will have to be bothered about hard drives crashing, since data would be saved on the Web. With Google drive (call it GDrive), a PC would be a device acting as a portal to the Web, enabling users to treat their computers as softwares (and not hardwares!). As the demand of cloud computing from enterprises increases, users might just vote heavily in favour of the GDrive. The concept from Google first came to public attention in March 2006, when Google officials dropped a mention of it during a PowerPoint presentation intended for a gathering of industry analysts. “With infinite storage, we can house all user files, including emails, web history, pictures, bookmarks, etc, and make it accessible from anywhere (any device, any platform, etc). We already have efforts in this direction in terms of GDrive, GDS, Lighthouse, but all of them face bandwidth and storage constraints today,” was how the official revelation read.

Then, about a year later, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google was quite possibly “a few months” away from releasing a hard-drive-meets-net service in November 2007. The Journal’s sources said that Google planned to offer some storage for free, while charging for additional space. They also revealed that Google wanted the service to behave “like another hard drive that is handy at all times.” But the latest rumors sound very much prosaic. According to a blog from Google watchers, Google might roll out its GDrive, combining it with its already existent Google Docs and Spreadsheets, offering a means of synchronising online files with those on the desktop.

Undoubtedly, this is part of a ‘Google-grab’ scheme to put an Android into every hand. If Google pulls this through, it might just mark its dominance over the online planet for another good half-a-decade (where it has been much criticised for relying way too heavily on ad-revenues only!); thus giving it enough time to come out with something newer... say, maybe even a hardware semiconductor Google Integrated Circuit! reality!

Arun Kumar Roy

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Detail of all IIPM branches
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Friday, May 01, 2009

THE SURVIVOR


IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

Once constantly under attack for all-too-easily giving up his first mover advantage in the Indian satellite television sweepstakes, Subhash Chandra nevertheless deserves accolades for the manner in which he has retained reasonable profitability compared to peers, against changing dynamics of traditional media businesses, stiff competitive onslaught and ever-demanding consumers. What sets him apart is his completely unique way of doing business. Will he survive the new threats to his empire, asks Pallavi Srivastava

Even as senior creative honchos at Zee vent their feelings with perhaps a twinge of wistfulness (and jealousy toward their carefree money-burning counterparts at rival Star), the utter uselessness of this ‘hot discussion topic’ was not lost on them. They knew that they could discuss and debate all they liked, but Zee head honcho Subhash Chandra Goel, with his trademark salt n’ pepper savvy hair-do and a legendary business acumen to match, would not ever dream of allowing such ‘grotesque wastage’ of money. Today, those very same creative types (now employed elsewhere of course) can’t stop praising Chandra’s low-cost training, especially in the present economic gloom. “Though it was a forced training for us, but it was good training indeed. I learnt the basic fact that you don’t need mega budgets to make a show hit,” reminisces Vivek Bahl who was a part of the Zee creative team in 2005, working on shows like Saat Phere, Dulhan, et al before he left to join Star Plus. He’s now Senior Creative Director, Star Plus and Star One. Ironically, to ride the present downturn (with steep falls in future advertising revenues indicated), even Star is now picking a leaf out of Chandra’s low-cost model and giving it an energetic heave-ho. That perhaps is the primary reason why its top show Bidaai… is made at a significantly lower cost compared to Ekta Kapoor’s high budget K-soaps that have now unceremoniously been taken off air.

In an interview with 4Ps B&M, Chandra admits proudly: “Essel group never believes in over-doing things.” He goes on to preen about how new GECs launched last year are operating on a high cost model–spending big money on programming, human resource and marketing–that translates into longer time period to survive on internal money before they break even. His assessment is not too far from the truth. Viacom 18’s Colors that has nearly displaced Zee from its number two position in the GEC space has spent Rs.150 crores only on marketing and distribution. As per estimates, just the programming budget of the channel is over Rs.500 crore for a year! While on the face of it, the model does appear high-cost, yet Colors has benefited. Within just three months of its launch, Colors replaced Zee from the number 2 spot in the Hindi general entertainment space.

But tell that to Chandra and he remains unfazed. “We will not fall for this high cost model trap. We would keep our heads down and let the storm pass,” avers the protagonist of Zee’s success saga. And a true-blue, self-styled protagonist he is! Unlike his peers, he’s never really been in the TRPs rat race; instead preferring to stick to his own business model, which has made him a billionaire over the decades; and he makes sure that his key people maintain the same zeal. Echoes Barun Das, CEO, Zee News Ltd., “There’s no point going for the rat race of hyped TAM ratings if you are unable to make profits.” Chandra’s eyes are always on the bottomline - be it the short, medium or long term outlook. According to an equity analyst, despite being at number four or five in the Hindi news category (in terms of TRPs), Zee News is one of the two channels in the category to make profits. It is Chandra’s low cost model only that has enabled his regional channels like Zee Telegu and Zee Kannada to break-even in less than two years, when the average break-even period for a channel is minimum three years.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


Friday, April 03, 2009

‘U’BIQUITOUSLY ‘T’ELEVISING ‘V’ICTORY


IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

FROM THEIR MOVIES TO THEIR NEW CHANNELS, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR RONNIE SCREWVALA’S PRODIGY UTV

In an alternate dimension, even if Pandora’s Box would have unleashed all the good for mankind, it would still be beyond the term ‘cornucopia’. The entertainment industry’s evolution into a full fledged industry has resulted in a spurt of specialised and general entertainment channels vying for viewer attention and almost nothing seems to be enough! And Ronnie Screwvala is the latest entrant into the lucrative club of broadcasters, even as he seeks to transform UTV from being just a production company to a 360 degree entertainment conglomerate. On his radar is not just traditional broadcasting, but Bollywood masala flicks too. More on his Bollywood ambitions later, but so far as his broadcasting line-up is concerned, it was natural progression for a production house. However, unlike others, UTV did not make a bee-line to launch another Hindi entertainment channel, instead focusing on a variety of channels catering to unique sets of audiences. According to Shantonu Aditya, CEO, UTV Entertainment Television, “We did not want to enter the market with a 12th GEC or any other mass market channel and hence we have launched differentiated channels.”

UTV World Movies, for one, is an international movie channel which screens movies from across the world. Even though the nascent channel faces stiff competition from conventional Hollywood channels like Star Movies, HBO, Sony PIX, et al, it has still managed to hook its selective set of patrons. What’s more, the channel has 45 advertisers on board and over 650 titles to its credit. The plan is to double the number of advertisers in the coming year. Apart from that UTV also launched its Hindi movie channel –UTV Movies–this year, which caught the attention of audiences thanks to its collection of movies. During the year, Screwvala also launched a sub-brand bindass for the youth and launched two channels with this brand name – Bindass and Bindass movies. Though trade pundits are not much impressed with these channels, the company maintains a positive outlook. English business news channel, UTVi, introduced in association with ABC, is also catching up on the popularity charts, and much sooner than expected.

And now for Screwvala’s Bollywood quotient. His movies have certainly caught attention. Ingeniously, even though there were a lot of movies released under the UTV banner, the bouquet presented a unique genre mix. All the movies had a relatively diverse budget range (ranging from Rs.2 crore to Rs.45 crore) and transcended typecasting. There were the stereotyped masala flicks like Race, epic sagas like Jodha Akbar, unconventional movies like Aamir and Wednesday, and even low budget fares like Welcome to Sajanpur. The bigger surprise was that almost all these movies fared convincingly at the box office. Riding the present movie marketing wave, a key reason for the success of Screwvala’s productions has been the accompanying slick promotional extravaganza. Great content sells, but long live marketing!

Surbhi Chawla

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

It really pays to Think Hatke!


1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

With a tagline that says ‘Think Hatke,’ Virgin Mobile had to live up to that image. Hence, it decided to be hatke from the rest of the service operators. For starters, rather than being a mass brand, it decided to concentrate just on the youth segment. All its services & offerings kept in mind the needs of the young Indians. Hence the concept of get paid for incoming and all calls @ 50 paise beyond the first three minutes is a huge hit. The marketing honchos at the Richard Branson-promoted telecom company has plans to develop innovative distribution legs for their offerings, especially targeting places frequented by youngsters, which could be as accessible as their college campus and other hangout joints.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


Saturday, March 14, 2009

The content blackout on GECs is over, at least for now. But the after effects will remain. 4Ps B&M's Pallavi Srivastava finds out more...


IIPM Admission Detail

For the past one year General Entertainment Channels (GECs) have been the talk of the television town for some reason or the other. And last week the blackout of fresh content on GECs, owing to the scuffle between the TV producers and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), has given everyone a reason to burn midnight lamps to find out the action on the teletube. Although the 10-day long standoff had been called off even as the magazine was going for print, yet after effects may remain for some time...

Sample this: GECs lost an average 35-55% GRPs during the first three days of the content blackout (aMap, for November 10-13). The advertisers, on the other hand, stood by in solidarity with broadcasters. They did not pull out their ads as per a decision taken by the Advertising Agency Association of India. “Advertisers are supportive of our stand against increasing cost of content, which in turn leads to increase in ad rates,” says Keertan Adyanthaya, EVP & GM, Star Plus. Industry insiders however feel that the strike was called off just in time or advertisers would have started pressing the panic buttons. Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media, believes that had the content blackout continued, "the advertising revenues of GECs would obviously have started falling because of stagnating viewership.” Take a look: During November 10-14, Star Plus’ GRPs have fallen by 52.9% to 107.19 points as against 227.9 during November 3-7. Similarly Zee TV has seen a fall of 49.53% (see table). Nayyar adds, “The advertisers may have pulled out some ads and negotiated rates for some.” Admits Tarun Mehra, Business Head, Zee TV, “Revenues would have been affected, but I can’t say how much.”

However, for channels at this juncture, more crucial than advertisers and their potential reactions are perhaps the viewers. After all, the soaring popularity of GECs is an out-and-out eyeball game. If viewers come back, advertisers will easily follow suit. But once migrated to other channels and genres, it becomes difficult to get audiences hooked back to programmes. As Naresh Gupta, EVP, Planning, Publicis India warns, “It is a dangerous scenario for many serials. Once the viewer gets out of the habit of watching daily dose of soaps and gets used to other programmes, it can lead to a long term change in habits.” And TV viewing is all about habits! But this does not literally means that the future of GECs is in peril. As Nayyar argues, “A week or two is too short a period to break TV watching habits," but get ready to see some huge advertising – billboards, in-TV placements etc – from broadcasters to entice every last viewer back and then some more.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Heaven is right here


IIPM - Admission Procedure

The Indian Hotels chain gives the true feel of Indian luxury in India & around the world... on land, in air, and yes, even on water!

Enter the Taj blindfolded and the distinctive fragrance is enough to assure you that you’ve started experiencing the grandeur of ‘Indian Hotels’ chain (you’re not billed for that). But to please your five senses with everything else about the Taj, your need to throw-off those blindfolds; and perhaps the first thing that greets you is an ostentatious lobby with the most elegant Indian touch, bathed in shades of red and cream. Added to the illumination (that gives you a sunset feel) and the chandeliers and water fountains all around; the Taj seems surely no less a wonder among all man-made places of abode. “I frequently visit India on business trips and always prefer to stay in Taj because Taj has got that true feel of India. It gives you that feeling that here is something, which is the best that India can give you. I also really like the dress code of the female employees – truly beautiful, truly Indian,” exclaims Emily Daine, a top-notch executive in an MNC in India. And the admiration is not limited to just overseas visitors, for even domestic visitors share a common thought. Not a coincidence it is though, for even we can testify that the Indian Hotels Company Limited has done enough to break into the list of 4Ps B&M’s 100 Most Admired Companies in India for the year gone by.

The hotel chain today gets counted amongst one of the largest hotel chains in whole of Asia with 59 supreme hotels, strewn across 40 destinations around the country, and offering services across luxury, leisure and business segments. A century after it all started, today what we can testify is that the growth ride has simply been phenomenal, as Girish Solanki, Analyst, Angel Broking, also remarks, “The Taj brand is a premium hotel brand in the country. It has been around for more than a century now and this definitely contributes to its admirability quotient.” And what about it being born under the Tata umbrella? “Well, being a Tata Group company, its corporate governance structure and norms are phenomenal. This has been a major factor contributing to its success, especially in the recent days...” adds Girish. Terrific ambience, exquisite services & food alright; but what about its financials? Does it promote the same degree of honour for the entity?

Well, the answer to that is simple – a thumping ‘yes’! The profits of the Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. during FY 2006-07 has risen annually by a walloping 76% to touch Rs.322.39 crore, as Anil Goel, CFO, Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. exclaims, “The good results are despite occupancies in cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad falling and significant investments, which we made in re-energising and re-positioning the Taj brand in the international market.” Sure enough, even in the face of falling demand in big cities (a favourite hunting ground for all premium hotels) and increased investments, if a hotel chain can report a three-quarter annual rise in net profits, it is a successful ride.


The Indian Hotels chain today has a capacity of over 10,000 rooms in the country – the highest in the country. The group has also launched several tourist destinations in the country in partnership with the Indian government during the past year. It was indeed a clever move on its part, selecting potential tourist destinations and building resorts and hotels there, while the government took charge of developing basic infrastructure – roads and railways. And what about the go global mantra? Well, over the past two years (and more so in the current calendar year), it has also taken the inorganic route to take the ‘Indian Hotels’ brand to the international markets and presently has 17 hotels abroad; the most recent of course being acquisitions of The Campton Place (San Francisco) in April 2007 & Landmark Hotel (Boston) in January 2007. Explaining its expansion strategy, Goel elucidates, “In India we will grow our business at all price points — high-end luxury, five-star hotels, four-star gateway hotels and the Ginger brand of budget hotels. However for the international market, our strategy is to focus on the high-end luxury market.”

With its newly opened Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Mauritius, winning accolades – bagging SpaAsia’s Connoisseur Collection of the World’s Finest Spas for 2007 award, top company award at the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) American Express Award 2006 & the SENSES Wellness Award 2006 – Indian Hotels is on a song. And that is not all. With the launch of Taj Air (an air charter company), Indian Hotels promises a highly customised experience even on air! Land & air covered; what about water? Well, it has an answer there too! With Taj Yachts (2-3 bedroom luxury yachts), it has ensured that all three elements conjure up the magic to make Indian Hotels a name to reckon with & a brand to admire!

Edit bureau: Pallavi Srivastava

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


Friday, July 04, 2008

DHFL - Changing rules. Changing lives.


When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

BRAND : DHFL
BASELINE : Changing rules. Changing lives.

4Ps TAKE : This DHFL - Changing rules. Changing lives.one probably deserves the award for being the worsthome loan ad ever. The concept revolves around a coconut (you better believe that!) – which is supposed to symbolise how difficult it is to get home loan sanctioned from a bank. Very tough, you see! Next, we see DHFL flashing numbers: helpline numbers that would help you get a loan super fast. Now, instead of talking about how easy it is to get a home loan sanctioned – and despite DHFL’s tall claims, we all know that in this age of quick service and advanced mechanisms, is it actually REALLY easy to get a loan (and isn’t that what ICICI says: by the time your cup of tea is over, your paperwork is done?) – wouldn’t it have been so much better to project a different brand proposition? No storyboard, no appealing visual and a very sad communication: this one gets a whopper of thumbs down.