Tata Docomo fascinating "Kids"... Is this a new Target Segment...??

The other day while flipping through the "Financial Express" newspaper,my eyes felt on an aricle saying "Tata Docomo launches "comix-on-the-go" service".Isnt it a great concept?

Well, i feel its a good VAS (Value Added service) to attract the Kids to use this service. Majority of the Kids population in India doesnt use Personal Mobile phone.They are very fascinated to use the VAS in their Parents phones. Now, this behaviour has been studied by Tata Docomo and it came up with this new service.

This comic application provides a number of animated comics like Mickey Mouse, Akbar Birbal, Suppandi, Manga, Devi, etc, accompanied with theme songs and sound effects. Initially this comic application can be available only in handsets like Nokia N97 as it runs on symbion S60 user interface software. Meanwhile Tata Docomo is working to provide this comic application in other handsets as well.For bringing in this content, Tata Docomo has partnered with Japan-based Zero-Sum Wireless Solutions. This service is available at Rs 20 per comic book and will remain valid for a year.

Now this has become a new trend in the cellular phone Market. Its competitor Airtel has also introuced this service. These operators are now targeting the Kids as their new Segment.Will this trend be implemented by the other competitiors? is a major question in the minds of the people.Lets see this in the coming future.

Tata Docomo is now famous for introducing such new trends in the market. It entered into the Market with a bash by introducing the Per-second billing and it has its followers. Now, the comix-on-the-go service, Airtel has become a follower of this service too. What will the Next-Big-Thing of Tata Docomo...??

Big Brands and its Extension Failures....!!

Hey readers, Branding is always been one of the subject of my major interests.I like to dive in the world of the brands and understand their behavior and the strategies applied to differentiate it from the others.The study of Branding is definitely a hobby like thing for me. Guys, here in this post i have come up with a synopsis of understanding of the Big brands and its extension failures.Before that lets understand the basics of Brand Failures.

Defining Brand Failures

A Brand is a failure when its presence in the market leads to: -

• The withdrawal of the product/brand from the market for any reason;

• The inability of a product/brand to realize the required market share to sustain its presence in the market;

• The inability of a product/brand to achieve the anticipated life cycle as defined by the organization due to any reason; or,

• The ultimate failure of a product to achieve profitability.

Failures are not necessarily the result of sub-standard engineering, design or marketing. Based on this critical definition, there are hundreds of bad movies that have reached â cult status and financial success while many a good movies have been box office bombs. Other premier products fail because of competitive actions. Sony Beta format was a clearly superior product to VHS, but their decision to not enable the format to be standardized negatively impacted distribution and availability, which resulted in a product failure.

So, why does brand fail...?? There are number of reasons for this. Here are some of them:

1.Wrong Positioning.

2.Lack of Differentiation Strategies.

3.Ineffective Promotion, including the packaging message.

4.Not understanding the Target Market Segment

5.Incorrectly Priced-too high and too low.

6.Poor timing of Distribution.

7.Misleading the Market research that did not actually reflect the consumer's behavior of the Targeted Segment.

And lot more......!!


There are numerous examples of Brand Extension Failures. They are:

1. Coke's launch of Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke failure miserable

2. Pepsi's Cafechino looks like a disaster in India as very people have actually gone for it

3. Virgin: The company was able to stretch its considerable brand equities from the entertainment to the travel industry. Virgin Airlines is a success. But does anyone remember Virgin cola? Virgin vodka? Virgin jeans?

4. Ready-to-eat pizza from Amul, India

5. Dulux paints with a unique selling proposition of 7-day fragrance

6. GPI, impressed by the rising working women population and their increasing smoking habits, launched "Ms" cigarettes amidst much fanfare, exclusively for this segment. You know where Ms is today -- nowhere in the market! The company lost out heavily in ad and promotion expenses, not to count the lost (wo)man-hours. GPI did not bother to research the smoking habits of Indian women. Our women actually prefer popular men's brands!

7. Ponds Toothpaste had been a dismal failure.

Learnings: The key to successful brand extensions: the determination that the proposed extensions are consistent with core brand values. Brand extension ideas should not emanate from management's point of view, but from the consumer's.

All about a commonly misunderstood term..."Marketing"

Well readers, Do u know what marketing is all about..?? It always happens that the term " Marketing" is always misunderstood as pushing your product into the market,to generate some revenue from it. But is this Marketing all about..??

I say no,before you get into deep about Marketing you should get the basic impression what marketing is.This post will give you a basic idea on what marketing.Think about marketing as "inbound" and "outbound" marketing.

Inbound Marketing:

It includes the Market Research to find out:

1. What specific groups of potential customers/clients (markets) might have which specific needs (nonprofits often already have a very clear community need in mind when starting out with a new program -- however, the emerging practice of nonprofit business development, or earned income development, often starts by researching a broad group of clients to identify new opportunities for programs)

2. How those needs might be met for each group (or target market), which suggests how a product might be designed to meet the need (nonprofits might think in terms of outcomes, or changes, to accomplish among the groups of clients in order to meet the needs)

3. How each of the target markets might choose to access the product, etc. (its "packaging")

4. How much the customers/clients might be willing pay and how (pricing analysis)

5. Who the competitors are (competitor analysis)

6. How to design and describe the product such that customers/clients will buy from the organization, rather than from its competitors (its unique value proposition)

7. How the product should be identified -- its personality -- to be most identifiable (its naming and branding)

Outbound Marketing includes:

1. Advertising and promotions (focused on the product)
2. Sales
3. Public and media relations (focused on the entire organization)
4. Customer service
5. Customer satisfaction

Too often, people jump right to the outbound marketing. As a result, they often end up trying to push products onto people who really don't want the products at all. Effective inbound marketing often results in much more effective -- and less difficult -- outbound marketing and sales.

Source: Referred to the books of good authors in my Campus Library.

Lays..."Be a little Dillogical"

Lay’s, a drool-worthy bag of irresistible tasting Potato Chips in subtle & sophisticated, exuberant flavors, still, continues to be the dominant favorite (Lovemark brand) in India,is now in the mode of repositioning its brand.

Its new tagline is "Be a little Dillogical". This new mantra of the brand is mainly focused on the "logic of the heart".Earlier the positioning tagline of the brand was "No one can eat just one".

Pepsico has come up with many taglines for lays like" Har Program Ka Main Food". and also the "Youngistan" Campaign. I think the new tagline for the change of the positioning will help Pepsico to attract more consumers to open the packets of the lays. The positioning is mainly in Hinglish which imbibes the indian touch and i feel its a good way of repositioning its Brand.

Smart Marketing Techniques

Well, readers i am back after a long time with an update of my Blog. Sorry to keep you waiting guys.This post is a gist of a workshop attended by me on Web Marketing by Mr.Ramesh Narshiman, an alumnus of IIM-k.So i think this might help you in enhancing your marketing skills.

A Marketer should be smart enough to understand the trend of the consumers,the changing needs and buying behavioral patterns of the consumers.So, not wasting much of the time, let me give you some of the Smart Marketing techniques.

The first thing a Marketer must think about becoming popular.Popularity doesn't come by itself.Its necessary that a company should have a blog in its website and keep it active. This helps in interaction with its customers and also know the needs or problems of the prospect.And this also creates a database of prospects for the marketer.The marketer should also contribute in blogs and articles in his domain.This helps to grab attention of the readers.

The next technique of becoming popular is a marketer should participate in all the events relating to his business like trade fairs,or any online events etc. This brings the brand to the notice of people.The other technique of popularity is to enroll and compete in competitions and write about it in his blog.

Now, secondly how to get the Brand Noticed..??
- Make sure to add your logo everywhere(emails, T-shirts,laptops etc..)
- Speak up in local events, communities.
- Carry your brand through your employees.
- Try to be an expert in your domain.
- Ads trough Hoardings, signboards, pamphlets, newspapers, Magazines etc.

The final technique is to retain your customers by giving discounts to your existing customers that leads to customer referrals, and also don't forget to involve your customers in discussions.

I hope this post would have given you some marketing techniques rather than thinking about traditional marketing techniques.

Tips On Enhancing Your Customer Service Levels

Customer service - it is something your customers expect and something you strive to deliver. But do you actually understand what customer service means?

Customer service is generally described as the ability to meet customer needs. But do you think that would suffice in today's competitive marketplace? Absolutely not! Instead of simply meeting the needs of your customers, you have to think of ways to exceed customer expectations on a regular basis.

You must try to achieve reputation as a company that really cares about its customers. After all, consumers consider good service standards as important as the quality, availability and affordability of your products. So the modern definition of customer service will be the ability to attract new customers, retain existing ones and keep them all connected with your business. Keeping your customers happy naturally translates into more cash flow for your business.

Now here are some tips on improving the customer service levels in your business:

* Answer emails from your customers promptly.
* Never put your customers on hold for too long when they call up your business.
* Collect the email addresses of your customers and keep mailing them newsletters containing the latest products and developments of your business.
* Be open to suggestions or feedback from customers.
* Handle product returns or customer complaints immediately. A bit of good humor will also be nice to placate unsatisfied customers.
* Always treat your customers with respect and consideration.
* If there has been a mistake on your part, be ready to apologize and - if necessary compensate for it.
* It is less expensive to retain your existing customers than to attract new ones. Studies show that satisfied customers not only purchase more but also purchase more often and bring in new customers as well. As your database of loyal customers grows larger, you will have to spend less on marketing, advertising and promotional activities.

Implementing a good system of customer service is actually more affordable than you think. If you are still anxious about the expense, remember that it is going to be a very profitable investment in the long run.

Developing Your Decision Making Skills

When it comes to running a business on your own, each decision you make can have great impact on your profit levels. If this is your first independent business venture and you have never been actively been involved in the decision-making process of an organization, then all this may seem new to you.

If you have never made any crucial decisions previously, then you must pay extra attention to sharpening your decision making skills and evaluating your thought process that leads to a decision. This is because making business decisions is usually different from decision making in your personal life. You must never allow business decisions to go with the flow like you may do in case of personal decisions.

Simply take a look at the corporate world and you will find examples of lots of companies that have slipped into serious issues due to poor decision making skills. Wrong decisions can prove disastrous especially when the company is considering whether or not to invest in new machinery, products or markets. In most cases, the decision itself or the idea behind it is not to blame. The complete thought process may be flawed due to various factors like:

* Ignorance
* Lack of proper investment appraisal
* Over optimism
* Biased assessment
* Inadequate information
* Insufficient time for planning and deliberation

Failures due to bad decisions can happen even with companies that have experts in all necessary departments. If your business is not able to afford such experts to aid you in making decisions, you can still have an edge over your competitors by using reason and logic to arrive at key decisions regarding:

* Investments in equipment
* Investing in software
* What product lines to market or withdraw
* Outsourcing a part of your workload
* Whether to reinvest or withdraw your profits
* What marketing strategies to use

These are of course just the key areas. You must be able to identify the other areas of your business that demand good decision making skills and then focus on these areas whenever an important decision is due.

Are You Over-Delivering To Your Customers?

If not - you should be. Unless your offers are accompanied with bonuses you could be losing sales! With all the hectic competition online, it has become necessary to add extra benefits to your product or service to differentiate yourself from others. There are three important reasons for this:

You will improve your sales You will develop your customers' trust You will get repeat orders

Imagine - if you were to go shopping and come across two similarly priced offers where one only had the product, and the other included a bonus with the product - which one would you choose? You would obviously prefer the product plus extra bonus. It is the same with your website visitors. That is why it is important to over-deliver to your customer's expectations.

You can use your extra bonuses to enhance your product value, so that they appear even more appealing to your prospective customers. This is a good way to improve your conversion rate, particularly if your business is offering affiliate products which are being promoted by several affiliates.
The Advantages Of Offering A Bonus With Your Product

In addition to the above, there are other advantages that can you can enjoy when you offer bonuses and these are:

Suppose your product is slightly over-priced, your bonuses can enhance its value, since the additional offer would justify the price. When you offer a bonus, customers get the feeling that it is value for money and help you grow the relationship. The next time they buy, it will be from you, as they would begin to trust you. Your business will be perceived as one that is customer-focused when you offer 'extras'. Your customers will be easier to convince to buy when you offer them more than they expect for their money's worth.
What Kind Of Bonuses Can You Offer?

So, to achieve the above, how can you find those all-important and effective bonuses? If you have digital products with resale or private label rights, think of distributing them for free, and also allow the recipient to use it. Information is something that people are always looking for, and therefore, consider creating short reports or e-books your customers will perceive as added value. Yet another effective way is to club products from your joint venture partners and have a variety on offer.

Remember, offering a bonus does not mean just putting together a few freebies. The bonus must be of value to the customer, otherwise it is of no use. Customers are intelligent and will know immediately if you are trying to fool them and will simply drift away from your business forever. Therefore, never try to offer something just for the sake of doing so. Choose carefully, and make sure your customers will be happy to receive these bonuses.

That said, 'value addition' always works, because it shows you care about what you offer your customers. It ensures that they will feel like coming back for more.

Add a valuable bonus today, and see the difference!

Do Villagers require training in Banking...??

You all will be thinking that what's this guy speaking of. This is my personal experience which i want to share with you all. My campus is nearly 20km away from Bangalore,,infact its in a rural area. As in todays world there's none who doesn't know about banks. But do you think the people in these rural areas know what Banks do..?? I guess NO...

Currently, India has 88 Scheduled commercial banks(SCBs)-27 public sector banks (that is with a Government of India holding a stake), 31 Private banks (these do not have government stake; they may be publicly listed and traded on stock exchanges) and 38 foreign banks. They have a combined network of over 53,000 branches and 17,000 ATMs.

Yes, this is what exactly want to share. There are around 17,000 ATMs all over the country, now the question is do the villagers know how to withdraw money from his account via his ATM card,, the answer is NO. For todays survival in the market place, the Banks require core competency to fight against its other competitors. So, there are more and more Value-Added services introduced by the banks and the customer of the bank is encouraged to make use of the all the services.That's good and also saves the valuable time of its customer.

But banks, ever realise the service given by them is used by everyone. Here's is an instance. It was around 9.30 in the night and there was no one on the village road. I was in need of cash, went to the ATM near the campus. Done with the transaction, while moving from that place, I found a villager with very strange looks and behavior. I was afraid. Many thoughts of ATM robbery and Money snatching were churning in my mind. The man came towards me and i was like Oh...!! my god "whats he gonna do now". He approached me, and spoke something in Kannada( regional language of Karnataka). I stood there puzzled for a while till he complete his sentence. Actually he just wanted to ask me help to with draw Cash from his account.

You people will not believe he gave me his ATM card alone with his PIN code and that guy was standing outside. There were every chances of misusing his account. I wondered if it was not me and any other terrific person, what happens to him. He thanked me and left.

In my view point banks must conduct special training programs in villages by showing them videos and also the consequences of revealing their PIN to any strangers. But, why would the banks do..?? Banks feel that there are extra costs which do not yield any returns to it. At least they must think about their so called LOYAL Rural Customers.