Divinity is in the air

Talking about movies, can one never forget the runaway TRP (and advertiser money) success of Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayan’ and B. R. Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat’. The two combined could well be termed as the pioneers of the modern day ‘faith industry’. If in the music industry, Saregama, T-series and Creative Eye Ltd. are calling the ‘divine’ shots, in TV it is a rash of spiritual channels, led by players like Aastha, Sanskar, Zee Jagran and Sadhna, which are cashing in on the market. Estimated to be worth Rs.60 crore and growing, rating agencies claim that the target group share of male and female viewers of these channels are 54% and 46% respectively. The fact that a majority of these channels are free to air is simply an added factor for their growing popularity. The aam junta’s ‘search for GOD’ is what these spiritual channels are banking on and are reaping rich dividends. For instance, almost 70% slots on Aastha TV are pre-booked by advertisers at any given time.

Even demand for spiritual and mythological books is growing rapidly at about 30% every year. Rajendra Prasad Sharma, Vendor, Gita Press Book Stall, New Delhi Railway Station has been associated with the religious publishing industry for the last 12-13 years and is euphoric at the monthly sales figures from his stall. For Gita Press, the greatest marketing strategy has been their pricing and the variety of texts in lucid language (The Bhagavadgita – The Song of Divine: With Sanskrit text and English translation priced at Rs.10). But, as India continues to ape the West, does mythology have a market in India. Says P. Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Animation India, “Mythology appeals to people regardless of their age. Even grown-ups would have enjoyed mythological stories in their childhood and love to see them take shape now in the visual medium. The key is in presentation. For kids, a visual fantasy in tune with our culture would be more appealing and hence the huge potential.”

Jayakumar has his own reasons to firmly believe in this ‘mythological’ market. While Hanuman (India’s first animated feature film on God with a budget Rs.4.6 crore) raked in a whopping Rs.15 crore for Toonz Animation, its sequel – Hanuman Returns (budget Rs.25 crore) – was an even bigger hit minting in a colossal Rs.80 crore (320% return) for the company within just a few weeks of its release. And for those who are still not convinced, here a nugget. The brand value of Toonz Animation’s Hanuman alone is worth over Rs.8 billion today. Need we say more?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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A ROYAL TOUCH

A sharply defined strategy to net in the premium clientele has worked for ABN AMRO India. Manish k. Pandey

He says and he says it with conviction – “the key to our success is our hang-tough focus on the niche!” In fact, you get the drift (at least a bit) as soon as you enter V. Vasantha Kumar’s (Senior VP and Head – Marketing & Communications, AMN AMRO Bank, India) small but suave office located within ABN AMRO’s swanky premises on the 9th floor at the ultra urbane Cyber Greens in Gurgaon. From sophisticated interiors to a switched on working environment, the situate gives you a feel that it’s certainly not meant for the masses. And for the rest, Kumar is there to convince you!

“The target segment for a public sector bank or even for a private Indian bank consists mainly of masses, with the middle-class forming a bulk of its customers, while we have a niche market to cater to, which mostly consists of HNIs and major institutions. So, the branding and communications that we do is targeted at that particular audience and the channels are decided accordingly,” reasons Kumar. And why not? After all it has always been the winning strategy for the bank that started its India operations way back in 1920 from Kolkata. But that does not mean that it has completely ignored the bottom of the pyramid, which for the fact makes over 90% of India’s total population. As part of its microfinance program, the largest amongst foreign banks in India, ABN AMRO, through intermediaries called microfinance institutions (MFIs) has been continuously delivering credit to rural poor. In fact, today, it services 26 MFIs across 16 states in India with over 3,90,000 customers receiving small loans of $200 or less. “It’s our belief that business can succeed only in a society that is inclusive,” avers Meera Sanyal, Country Head, ABN AMRO India.

Moreover, the bank has always used technology as the key differentiator to gain competitive advantage over others and create a unique customer value proposition. In fact, the implementation of a robust core banking solution in 2001 enabled it to offer 24/7 integrated multi-channel banking and to be the first bank in India to realise the potential of the mobile channel. Further, the introduction Van Gogh Preferred Banking (a dedicated relationship approach to anticipate & provide for a HNI customer’s needs) in 2002, gave it an edge over its foreign peers.

Though, as a part of its efforts to get over the slowdown blues, the Royal Bank of Scotland (Remember RBS was part of the consortium that had acquired ABN AMRO in 2008, along with Fortis group of the UK and Banco Santander SA of Spain) has placed its Asian Retail & Commercial Banking business in the “Non-Core” assets category, the Edinburgh-based bank still remains strong on some of its major Asia Pacific hubs which includes India (ABN AMRO is present through 31 branches and has 10,000 employees in the country).

No matter what the future has in store for ABN AMRO’s Indian operations, but one thing is for sure. From retail banking to equity capital market to M&A advisory, this traditional diamond financer, over the years have led many of the biggest and most innovative landmark transactions in the Indian banking arena for its premium and corporate clients. Now, that’s what Kumar meant when he said – Focus!

Manish k. Pandey

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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Banking Challenge?!

State-run banks are not behind in profitability either (see ‘How PSB’s managed to beat the slowdown’ on pg 78). If you compare the Q3 earning reports of major banks, the obvious gets reiterated. PSBs have increased profitability (in net profit, PSBs showed an increase of 48.4% in net profits as against an increase of 25.4% for private banks during Q3’08), improved asset quality and lowered their bad debts (or non-performing assets – NPAs – if you please). The largest state-run entity SBI, for instance, despite the challenging market conditions, reported a net profit of Rs.37.14 billion, an increase of 52% against Rs.24.42 billion in the third quarter of the last fiscal, while the largest private lender ICICI Bank reported a net profit of Rs.12.72 billion, a modest growth of 3.41% compared to Rs.12.30 billion in the third quarter of 2008. And the better returns are despite the social service placards that hang around every PSB’s neck like the proverbial noose! As per a Motilal Oswal Report the Q3 results, “demonstrate the pricing power enjoyed by banks, especially state-owned banks, which posted higher yield on loans and strong fee income in the quarter.”

So Alan Greenspan, once the high priest of capitalism and recently converted supporter of nationalisation (of BoA and Citibank) can gleefully point toward the valuation charts of SBI, ICICI, HDFC Bank or indeed even Citibank to convince his detractors of his new stance. The Indian stock market has put a higher valuation to state-run SBI as opposed to others. While ICICI’s market cap rests at Rs.37,906 crore and HDFC has gravitated to Rs.36,756 crore, SBI sits pretty at almost double the valuation at Rs.65,885 crore. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating then SBI’s eminently edible now! Small wonder that even corporates are rethinking their options. During the last nine months, Infosys Technologies drastically reduced its deposits with private & foreign banks, parking money with state-run banks instead. When Ratan Tata wanted to finance his expensive Corus deal, SBI cleared $1billion in 5 minutes flat! Did someone say PSBs are slow on their customer response?

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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.

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LET PORTIA CHOP OFF YOUR TAX BURDEN

Spring, the much awaited flavour of the year is just around the corner and, ironically, the most feared ordeal too – filing of tax returns! In fact, with the tax-planning approaching its very last spell, individuals are now rushing around to nest eggs, all to play down on their tax liabilities. Result: Most of them (particularly, salaried ones) end up paying more taxes than they are actually required to. Though, inappropriate tax-planning (due to lack of time) is a rationale, largely, this can be attributed to lack of awareness about right saving instruments and, of course, deductions available under the Income Tax Act. So, let’s quickly run-through various options available under the Act that can help one save a lot…

Have you utilised entire 80C & 80CCC deductions?

Under these sections, a total deduction of up to Rs.1,00,000 is allowed from taxable income in respect of investments made in some specified schemes which include life insurance premiums, contributions to Employees’ Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificates, (NSC), Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP), repayment of housing loan (Principal), equity linked savings scheme (ELSS), fees paid for full-time education of any two children, infrastructure bonds issued by certain institutions, interest accrued in respect of NSC VIII issue, pension scheme of LIC or any other insurance company specified under the scheme, and fixed deposit with banks having a lock-in period of five years. In fact, there are no individual caps (except for PPF where one can invest maximum of Rs.70,000 in a year) on investment and the individual is free to invest Rs.1,00,000 in any one or more of the specified instruments.

Think beyond! It’s just not 80C…

Well it’s not just 80C. In fact, deduction of up to Rs.40,000 can be claimed under section 80D of the Act in respect of premium paid towards health insurance policy taken for spouse, dependent parents and other dependents. In fact, an individual falling in the 30% tax bracket can save tax of Rs.12,000 by paying Rs.40,000 as annual premium for a mediclaim policy.

24(1)(vi) and 80E are there too!

While under section 24(1)(vi), interest on borrowed capital for the purpose of house purchase or construction is deductible from taxable income up to Rs.1,50,000 with some conditions to be satisfied, interest on education loan (for self education) can be deducted in full under section 80E.

Hey! Didn’t you pay your house rent?

Salaried individuals can also claim rent paid by them for residential accommodation, if HRA doesn’t form part of their salary. This deduction is available under Section 80GG and is least of the following: (a) 25% of the total income or, (b) Rs.2,000 per month over the actual rent paid or, (c) excess of rent paid over 10% of total income.

So, these deductions, if utilised fully, can save an individual from a situation where he ends up the financial year just scratching his head and paying up more than he was actually obligated to.

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.

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Porsche’s unknown gears

The Panamera promises to change the perception of Porsche globally. In fact, buzz is that the high performance luxury saloon will take Porsche within striking distance of well established luxury carmakers like Mercedes-BMW-Audi-Maserati. While the 911 is for the adrenalin crazy speedster; the Panamera is positioned as the traditional four-door luxury-on-wheels with high performance to boot. Its launch is expected to expand Porsche’s consumer base and brand appeal by leaps and bounds.

But the ride may not be as smooth for the Panamera in India. Unlike other markets, luxury brand perception in the country is extremely deep rooted. For niche Indian consumers, brands like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes Benz and BMW still form the epitome of luxury saloon ownership and sales figures provide some stark realities. As per SIAM data, the super luxury car market in India is roughly close to 5,000 units (April- November 2008-09, two quarters); and more than 80% of the sales come from Mercedes and BMW alone (even in the A6 segment)! But can Panamera enable Porsche to break into established consumer mindsets? There are no easy answers to that, but given that Porsche has actually ‘been there-done that’ with the Cayenne over the last two years of its India journey; it well has the wherewithal to replicate the positioning success again.

Porsche realised early on that if it wants to expand in developing markets in Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa, the 911 would definitely not do the trick. Sports cars, which can barely seat two, still attract a niche audience and may not find many takers here. The Cayenne, a product which offers flexible seating arrangements and scintillating performance can double up as a sports car and family sedan on a need basis. In Cayenne, Porsche found a versatile product which could be marketed as a mass (still niche though) product that the market would readily accept. Porsche was right. The market was receptive of Cayenne and Porsche’s brand appeal acted as the catalyst.

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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 set to beat economic slowdown

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Don’t vote for…

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

If Barack Obama can easily be called the world’s first Internet President, the November Assembly elections gave us a glimpse of what political marketing in India could be like in times to come. In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, voters gave a thumbs down to political bickering. When both national parties, the Congress & Bhartiya Janta Party lost count of their own political agenda and just focused on counting the follies of the other, the middle class stood up and voiced its opinion for the first time. The experience may well pave the way for some interesting political marketing techniques, even as General Elections 2009 draw closer. Be prepared for more action and more aggression as Behenji enters the fray. Watch out for Mayawati!

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.
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“The opportunity for Indian retailer is twofold”

Any retailer that treats his private labels as lesser than manufacturer brands is doing injustice to both business and consumers!

Private labels are BRANDS. And any retailer that treats private labels as lesser than manufacturer brands is doing injustice to both business and consumers. Private labels are not a substitute for the real thing. They compete with ‘manufacturer brands’ in every respect, be it quality, packaging or pricing.

In a developing economy like India, there is limited presence of brands available in the market and visible gaps in options available to fulfill consumer needs. Modern retail is still in its nascent form in creating excitement for customers and giving them a whole new way to shop. However, one can easily spot the limited brand proliferation in both mass as well as niche product categories. The opportunity for a retailer in India is therefore twofold: The possibility of creating a unique brand proposition for customers for its private labels and the opportunity of marketing its brands to a captive customer base walking into its stores.

Retailers should base their strategies on maximising profits through private labels. Not only can retailers benefit from higher margins on store brands versus manufacturer brands, but can also use the presence of private labels to negotiate higher margins from manufacturer brands over a period of time. Customers who purchase store brands tend to be more loyal to the store. Herein lies a word of caution for retailers who base their private label marketing strategy on copycat tactics to take on category leaders or on one-dimensional pricing strategies. This would lead to reduced customer profitability and impact the overall basket value negatively as well. Customers are sensitive to quality, and a small variance in quality has a detrimental impact on the image of the store. There is a visionary approach that retailers should apply to their private label branding strategy: “Greater Private Brand Strength = Greater Private Brand Responsibility = Greater Private Brand Reward”.

As an industry we have traditionally looked to the national manufacturer brands to take the lead. Private brands play second fiddle, following their lead and using their systems and processes to achieve the end result. However, private brands are slowly beginning to capture share of market in almost every category and in almost every type of retailing. Sales are increasing at rates faster than the national brand counterparts. Margins are improving and customer allegiance is strengthening as consumers decide to shop at a particular retailer because the brands they offer can be found nowhere else. All three of these facts – increasing sales, improving margins and strengthening customer allegiance – are nice to experience and they help a retailer to survive and compete effectively. But these alone will no longer be enough. And there is a possible next step to take that can reward a retailer. This next step is not without risk, but potential rewards might outnumber the risks with time.

With success comes responsibility. To capitalise on success, retailers can take the lead in emerging areas of interest to the consumer. For instance: Ingredients and composition, nutritional value, effect on environment, appropriate testing, chemical processing, interests of original producers and farmers. Some of these are legitimate consumer concerns and need to be addressed by someone. Waiting for national brands to do so will take more time than the consumer may be willing to allow. Waiting may also bypass an opportunity for retailers to cement a stronger relationship with their consumers.

So, it’s retailers who now need to decide on how they want to use this exciting “new tool” private branding. Continue to follow the leader or take the leadership position? My bet would surely be on the former.

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.
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Future of digital imaging across the globe

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Digital video has been one of the most dynamic evolution story of the recent times

Alok Bharadwaj,

Senior Vice President, Canon India

When we look at how far Digital Imaging Technology has come since the first digital cameras hit the market in the mid 1990’s, we can only anticipate an equally vibrant and exciting future. Virtually everyone now has the ability to capture clear, sharp and impressive pictures that don’t have to wait for a special moment to unravel the beauty or value the captured moment. The good news is for photographers, whether amateur or professional, that one can now have the ability to take great photographs effortlessly. You can even have high quality photos printed from the comfort of your own home using a home printer or inkjet all-in-one. The technological enhancements and processing power at image capturing as well as printing is making the experience with these products extremely gratifying and enjoyable. If the present is so thrilling, can the future be less exciting? Digital technology is a big enabler for variety of user friendly functionalities. Canon has recently launched a series of digital cameras, which offer revolutionary ways for consumers to interact and enjoy their experiences with never before seen features and concepts like motion detection, face select and track, & AF point zoom in digital cameras.

The latest trend in the digital photography industry is digital printing i.e. printing high quality photos instantly and directly from the camera to the ‘Direct-Connect’ printer. This phenomenon has been made possible by the higher resolution of digital cameras and the advances in printer colour reproducibility over the past year or two. This is further giving rise to a ‘do-it-at-home’ trend where, users are finding it convenient to print photographs directly from personal printers at home, thereby reducing the dependency on external commercial photo studios.

Technology convergence is making devices deliver applications on both still and video cameras. However, both the categories have independent strong distinct drivers. Digital video has been one of the most dynamic evolution story of the recent times. Digital video started five years ago and rapidly different formats appeared on the landscape. From Mini DV to DVD to Hard Disk. Now, the latest technology breakthrough is flash memory. In DV camcorder category, Canon has introduced Double Flash Memory feature for the consumers. Flash memory storage allows to be designed in a compact and lightweight form factor that fits comfortably in the user’s hands. Flash memory also offers the advantages of fast read and write speeds for storing video recordings.

Digital Camera has become a style statement today and most Indian buyers are replacing the traditional “click and develop” cameras with the digital ones that offer much more flexibility as well as functionality. The Indian consumers are gradually shedding their inhibitions and are no more shying away from the latest in technology. Just look around and you would notice people carrying the latest models with the best looks and features… There are absolutely no compromises! The Canon IXUS range is perhaps the best example of digital camera that balances looks as well as features perfectly! Going by global trends and user patterns around the world, it is expected that the digital photo industry in India will mirror the success of the global digital photography industry and move from being expensive equipment for professional photographers, to a lifestyle product, which is increasingly becoming a part and parcel of our day-to-day life. In fact, top five digital lifestyle products, which are of high involvement with consumers are laptops, iPods (personal entertainment), LCD TVs, multimedia phones and digital cameras.

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.

Now IIPM’s World-Class Education… for everybody!!

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Netgear Wireless Router WGR614

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification

Link Protocol: Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b/g, Fast Ethernet; Scalability: No; Data Rate: upto 54mbps (auto rate capable); Security: 64bit, 128bit, WEP encryption, WPA-PSK AND WPAZ-PSK
PRICE: Rs.2,149 without taxes
WARRANTY: 2 years

In terms of speed and performance, this electronic device can be tagged as ‘supreme’. A superb speed of 802.11b/g and very easy set up for long range operations, the system is loaded with four Ethernet ports. The product has a 24-hour phone support. However, there are complaints about its performance speed as a dealer for Netgear Wireless Router complains, “The speed is below average!” Yet, he agrees that this broadband router has 4-ports which makes it configurable for private networks and also protects your system from external hackers through an integral Double firewall protection.

Marketers’ delight: Better performance compared to other routers makes it the only choice.

Tester’s note: Pros – Double firewall protection. Wide operating range. Cons – Unscalable. Below-average speed.

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.

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Mr.Kumar is right

Now IIPM’s World-Class Education… for everybody!!

B&E shows how the proposed demerger of Brandhouse makes sense

So what in heavens is an Amitabh Bachchan photograph (endorsing the international brand Reid & Taylor) doing in an S.Kumars story. Well, it is exactly this dynamic perspective that has made S.Kumars a top notch international player. Reid & Taylor is a 100% owned brand of S.Kumars, & so are Belmonte, Carmichael House et al. S.Kumars’ recall strategy has enabled it to gain tremendous market shares in premium segments domestically and abroad. Currently, S.Kumars is proposing a demerger of its retail arm – Brandhouse Retail Ltd. (BRL). However, the company focuses on a very niche segment; and such a move (slated for May 2, 2008) might expose the demerged entity to huge risks (that a joint entity might have mitigated). So, is the move sensible?

Way back in 2006, the company had claimed that they will be ritzy haute couture players. Indeed, during the past two years, they have rolled out 24 premium home lining stores (Carmichael House), 40 exclusive brand outlets of its own brands (like Reid & Taylor) and bagged exclusive rights for elite brands like Escada. Is it paying off? Company sources shared that such a focus contributed 30% to the estimated total turnover for FY’ 07-08. And sources also divulged prêt-a-porter major plans to further invest an incredible Rs.6.2 billion by 2010.

A recent KSA Technopak report shows how the Indian elite-class market now comprises 1.6 million high-income households with earning capacity of Rs.4.5 million annually and is thundering up at 14% annually. Even before the proposed demerger, BRL is gearing up for exclusive tie ups with brands like Zara. “We will bring in four more global brands by the end of this year; and like Escada, we will have exclusive retail outlets too,” adds Tarun Joshi, CEO of BRL, to B&E.

The demerger will allow the group to transparently raise funds from the primary equity market focusing on retail investment. Also, shareholders would be able to clearly evaluate the value proposition of their investment in the demerged entity over the years, especially with BRL planning to roll out 250 stores across 110 cities by the end of next fiscal. While mergers globally have eaten away, on an average, between 50-80% of shareholder value, in this demerger case, Mr. Kumar, we guess you are right… absolutely!

Angshuman Paul

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 INTERNATIONAL – NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM – Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
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