Paisa bolta hain ?

Even at the time of high inflation, where everything is expensive, Telecom operators are fighting over the value of 1 paisa. Marketers of different companies are trying their best to innovate the power of paisa in various ways.

If there is one sector that is definitely over-crowded in India it is the Telecom space. From Tata to Aircel, from Vodafone to Reliance all are locking horns against each other for a share of the Indian Subscriber. And in doing so they are taking the competition to a whole new level.

A level of competition that can be fatal to them and the entire industry.

It all started with Tata Docomo.
The domino effect made IDEA, RCom, Vodafone, MTNL and Airtel offer per second billing.
Now if that wasn’t enough MTS which is a new player cut the 1 paisa per second to half a paisa per second! Imagine what if i use just 1 second a month? How do i get half a paisa? Is there a half a paisa coin?

Latest generosity is shown by Loop Mobile. It has gone a step ahead and launched 1 paisa per 6 seconds i.e. just 10 paisa a minute charges!

I’m still wondering who would talk about better services, better coverage, free gprs etc rather than just talking about call rates. It seems like telecom services are just a commodity and no matter how much branding they do they would still fight on price.

Well where is this headed? Free calling?

I understand it is difficult to completely resist pricing pressures in a price-sensitive and crowded market such as India. However, marketers should focus on careful market segmentation and value-based differentiation.

Mistri diagnosis

As I have mentioned in one of my post (survival of the fittest) Companies like Vodafone and Airtel which increased their media spending during recession times will reap the benefits during upturn. They have capitalised that time to build brand equity.

In the coming year I recon there will be a paradigm shift with the introduction of mobile number portability ( MNP enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.)

Calling rates will become cheaper and will be same across all the networks. With the introduction of MNP subscribers will easily be able to switch their loyalty without changing their mobile number.

It will become very difficult for small players to retain their subscribers as they will not be able to give same services as big players and will not be able to cope with low profitability caused due to price war.

The small companies will perish or will be acquired by big telecom companies. What went wrong for these small companies is the fact that everybody knows their strength i.e. using predatory pricing to attract subscribers and unfortunately it will go against them.

If you know your strength it never becomes a weakness. If the market knows your strength then it becomes a weakness.

Author: Sanjay Mahar

Are you innovative???

Recently during an interview I was asked the same question. My answer was "yes" and I somehow tried to substantiate...

As soon as the interview got over I was wondering what I could have said more to convince the interviewer that I am INNOVATIVE

After thinking a lot for two days I realised that there is no such thing as "being innovative."

Innovation is a result - not a process.

An innovation is an idea put into action that creates change. You can try to create ground-breaking ideas intended for this purpose, but until launched and in use, you won't know if it is an innovation.

On the list of objectives of most marketers is a statement about being innovative or driving innovation.
Telling marketers to "innovate" is the problem. It frames the wrong issue. The mission of the team should not be to "innovate," it should be to:

"Create remarkable ideas that have the potential to induce improvement and change."

Author: Sanjay

Confessions of an alcoholic

What does it take for a brand to achieve cult status?
Has any Indian brand reached the levels of customer empathy as, say, Harley-Davidson, Starbucks and Apple?

Can any Indian brand do that? Can India create its own cult brand in the foreseeable future?

Till now… NO

Why has India not been able to produce cult brands the way Europe or the US has? Don’t we have several brands that have a small but loyal following?

The reason why India has not been able to create its own cult brand is because we are a very diverse nation and we tend to disagree more than we agree. Indians are very individualistic and prefer our own approach to everything. Cult following typically happens when a country has a large proportion of people following a common lifestyle or group behavior.

Another major reason what I think is that Indians are encouraged since childhood to "fit in" rather than "stand out", and cult brands draw their consumers with propositions that go against the mainstream.

Any Indian brand, from a match box to a plane, can become iconic and achieve cult status. However, marketers need to build brands that help give people an identity. People like to be different. At the same time, they would like to be part of a group that acts different.

There is one brand which I think has the potential to reach cult status.

This is my homage to a brand called Old Monk.

To tell you something more about OM, especially important to non-drinkers. OM is famous brand in dark rum. It’s an internationally appreciated brand produced in India. OM is available everywhere in India- from roadside dhaba to any five star Hotel. Generally in any bar menu OM is the most inexpensive drink. OM is an inexpensive drink. But beware! Never call it a cheap drink!!

I think OM is one brand which knows no cast, creed and is for all strata of the society. It is probably India’s favorite rum, or rather alcoholic brand. From its uniquely shaped bottle, to its taste, Old Monk’s popularity cuts across all segments and it remains one of the largest-selling brand in the country.

It’s affordable, it goes down well with almost everything, it is there on all party menus, and, of course, it tastes great. It has probably been around for as long as, well, an Old Monk!

“Old monk is the scotch of Rum”

In my view there are two kinds of drinkers- those who drink OM rum and those who don't. OM drinkers are generally hardcore devotees of the drink and they are typically very addicted.
Old monk drinkers are not brand loyalists. They are brand fanatics.
The emotional attachment with the brand is enormous

Mistri diagnosis

Conventional marketers need to watch out—even as companies are spending zillions introducing new brands and defending established ones, the fact is, customers are becoming less loyal. The only brands that are in with a chance are those that customers don’t just buy, but live by.

Normal brands try to build a “relationship” with customers. Great brands try to build a ‘romance’

At last very important note to all the readers..."Consumption of Alcohol is injurious to Health"

Cheers

Author: Sanjay
Common man pic by: Ching

Happy birthday Jacko

Today is Michael Jackson's Birth day

Happy birthday Jacko
A tribute to Michael Jackson

I love him. The whole world fell in love with Michael Jackson, In the early seventies, Michael along with his brothers, the Jackson 5, were the hottest success.

Michael Jackson took celebrity marketing to a new level
I don't usually write about pop culture, or about tragedies in the news. But the Michael Jackson brand has just exploded. The PR, the news, the fans, the talk shows, He is everywhere.

His fans are crazy about him. They still think he is not dead. I don’t know about that, but as a brand …brand Michael is getting bigger and bigger.

But…
Michael Jackson is dead. As far as I am concerned, the Michael Jackson I loved died a long time ago. What went on 25th June was just nothing.

What was Michael's problem, you might wonder. He had talent, he had money, he had fame, he had fans. he had 'everything, most of us can only dream about.

Deep down inside, Michael hated himself.

That's why he underwent a million surgeries.
That's why he was taking painkillers, on which it is believed he died.

What he never realised was …

"Learning to love yourself... is the greatest love of all"

P.S.- he was the greatest entertainer that ever lived and he was incomparable with any other artist. He was a phenomenon in his own right. He was a true humanitarian who contributed world

Author : Sanjay

Perception is not reality

Was on a very long break because I was busy preparing for my term end exams.

It’s been really long So I thought I must write

Even if it is, about what I have been doing all these days and about what I think of a show on star plus “sach ka saamna” Indian version of 'Moment of Truth'

I liked the show not because of the content and not because it’s about telling the truth and wining a crore rupees.
I liked the show because of sheer marketing brilliance, perfect positioning and disguised communication.

As a viewer it sounds so simple answer 21 questions truthfully and win 1 crore rupees.
But the fact is star plus is not running a charity show. There is a big trick behind it.

Few of the questions asked in the show are as follows
1. If the bank never discovers you have stolen a crore of rupees, would you steal the money?
2. "If your husband never came to know about it.. Would you consider sleeping with another man."

Here is the trick if you pay little attention ,both these questions are hypothetical and its about fantasy and every one has fantasy.

The contestant can say Yes, that means she would consider sleeping with another man if her husband never finds out". Husband need not get offended because another man is not necessarily Mr Sharma next door but perhaps Shahrukh Khan Or Brad Pitt.
Cosmopolitan magazine says fantasies are healthy

But Mr husband does not read such magazines. He is a hot blooded Indian male and will definitely feel insulted.
Knowing the consequences of saying "yes" Smita says "no".( refer to video 52nd sec)
When the polygraph beeps 'false' she looks surprised and says,"Yeh nahin ho sakta!"
Husband looks suitably crushed, embarrassed.

Smita leaves the show with zero rupees and will spend rest of her life explaining that polygraph tests are not always true. They are not admissible in court as evidence.

The truth is she was tricked. She thought she had 'nothing to hide' but discovered we are constantly hiding things. Even from ourselves.


The makers of this show have every intention of fooling you she had no choice, but Smita did and I wish she had quit when she could... She was too brave for her own good.

but you know what, friends and relatives will laugh behind Smita's . Because the 'morals' of society are supposed to be guarded by the women.
A simple ques to all the viewers who think smitha was wrong. Wernt you all thinking at that time
"How would I answer that question?"

Aur ek chhota sach yeh bhi hai I can't blame my examination for writing less on this blog. The truth is my exams lasted just 4 days.
I've just been lazy, and I think I'm getting hooked on to the idiot box. Movies ,cricket ( specially ashes) and all types of reality shows .They provide 'Instant gratification.

I need to remind myself that I am first and foremost a blogger.
So I am back … Happy reading.

Author: Sanjay

Sponsors of tomorrow are fake

Intel the computer chip maker, has launched an integrated branding campaign using the theme, “Sponsors of Tomorrow”.


From this TVC the company wants to reposition itself, as the company is transforming from microprocessor company to platforms and solutions company

While watching t20 world cup you must have come across the TVC of Intel which features Ajay Bhatt, the co-inventor of USB, who is a rock star at Intel because of his achievements. In a humorous way, the TVC shows women glancing over him when he walks in to get coffee and men are eagerly waiting to get his autograph. The TVC ends with the line: ‘Our rock stars aren’t like your rock stars’.

Brilliant commercial I liked it Except for one thing the Ajay Bhatt in the commercial is not the actual Ajay Bhatt who invented USB that’s an commercial actor ,and if you compare the engineer rock star to the real Ajay Bhatt the actor looks — hmm, a stereotype of an Indian Engineer.”

If Intel says that our rock stars aren’t like your rock stars’, then why do they have to use an actor for the TVC, in a way they are contradicting themselves,

Mistri Diagnosis

They should have used Ajay Bhatt to act for the commercial that would have made more sense and their communication would have been in-sync with the commercial as this would have raised the credibility of the communication. Until the viewers know that the person named as Ajay Bhatt in the commercial is not the original person, they regard the ad to be effective but once they come to know that he is an actor and not the original Ajay Bhatt, their perception about the brand changes and an question arises as to why didn’t Intel use the real Ajay Bhatt in the commercial.

Author: Sanjay

Mummy mummy bhook lagi!!!

A couple of years ago my class teacher entered our classroom with a stranger who had a big cardboard carton. We were asked one by one to pick a shiny yellow colour packet bearing-Maggi Noodles.

In 1982, when Nestle (then known as Food Specialities Ltd.) considered launching Maggi instant noodles. The company had several options of choosing from several alternative positioning. The product could have been launched as an alternative for ‘Chinese dishes’ at home or as a ‘mini meal’.

Consumer research showed the company would fetch profits if it were positioned as a tasty, instant snack, made at home and initially aimed at children. There were no direct competitors to Maggi then. For starters this was the brand that pioneered the entire category of packaged food in India. Not easy in a country where freshly cooked food was the norm. The sampling exercise did great wonders for the brand as the four letter word-FREE is very powerful.

Maggi was launched in Delhi in 1983....Even before I was born.....Maggi became a quintessential Indian food.

Maggi has been a part of numerous memorable experiences of my life. From being a midnight snack in the hostel while mugging for exams, to eating vegetable cheese chilli Maggi in the college canteen for dinner. Maggi easy to cook was the first cooking experience for numerous youngsters. It is also the fifth most trusted brand in Indian Food category and the most valued FMCG brand.

Nestlé’s Maggi has stuck to the jingle that marked its entry in the country 25 years ago with instant noodles. The jingle has indeed helped in creating a formidable brand. Maggi’s market share is well above 90 per cent. Maggi is the biggest brand in the Nestlé portfolio in the country. So, why kill the jingle.

This year being the 25th anniversary of maggi, the brand has decided not to litter the sky with hoardings on the occasion. The ads will play Nostalgia. Thus, customers will be invited to share their “Maggi moments” with the company. If the company likes the way you prepare Maggi, you could find your photo on Maggi packs. A new website called www.meandmerimaggi.com.

Maggi among other FMCG products has one of the best and unchanged Positioning. This brand shows how simple strategic positioning ideas almost always come in small words. Maggi found a vacant, strong position and ‘sat on it’ as the ‘Fast to cook’, Good to eat’ any time sanck.

Guest author: Megha