The runaway growth in motorbike sales over the last few years in India has a niche player hungering for a larger share of the pie. By Pawan Chabra

They never cared two hoots about competition, did not encourage scantily clad babes in their ads and barely batted an eyelid before blithely including a comparison with a tractor in their feature list. Obviously, Eicher Motors’ Royal Enfield has had much more going for it than the sheer deep thump of its rakishly upswept silencer. The downside has been that even as Bullet’s cruiser imagery sells 45,000 bikes every year, Hero Honda makes hay in the commuter segment with unit sales crossing 35,00,000 annually. Sure, one should not compare – after all, bike enthusiasts worship the ground that the stylish Bullet walks on, while Hero Honda is merely a convenience for your daily office-goer. Siddhartha Lal, MD, Eicher Motors agrees, “We have no comparison with mass manufacturers. Royal Enfield riders use their bikes for purposes beyond commuting.”

But quiz Lal a little further and you realise that some changes in existing strategies at Enfield are in order. The niche bike brand, which has sold a meagre five lakh units in its 56-year-old history in India, is now targeting a bullish figure of one lakh annual unit sales by 2013. Explaining short-term targets, Lal says, “We are planning to touch 50,000 unit sales in 2009 (targeting a 15% rise year-on-year), followed by a target of 60,000 for 2010.” Already plans are in place for a Rs.65 crore investment over the next three years at its Chennai plant to double production capacity. Question is, can this planned doubling of sales turnover by 2013 be possible without tapping at least a little into the mass markets, presently dominated by Hero Honda, Bajaj and TVS? But the dilemma then is, will the Bullet come down a few notches from its cruiser positioning or is there more method to this strategy?

Company insiders are at pains to point out that their new ambitions can be achieved without any dilution in brand equity. “We have been able to sell whatever we manufacture and almost all our models have a waiting list,” explains R. L. Ravichandran, CEO, Royal Enfield. Clearly, Bullet’s established aspirational quotient amidst the Indian consumer is fuelling the ambitions of this bike company. Not putting all its eggs in the domestic market only, Enfield is also working on increasing its already expanding global reach. Its ventures in various developed markets are already a success. “We are exporting 5% of our total sales now. But we will take that to 15% over the next three to five years,” vows Lal.

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.
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Daring to think beyond...

If daring is the way at the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), then IIPM has proved that once again by being ranked as one of the best business school in the country. As per a recently concluded survey conducted by Zee Business in a quest to find India’s best B-Schools for 2009, IIPM has been ranked fifth in the overall ranking (two places higher than its 7th position last year and well ahead of three IIMs) out of 30 B-schools. The icing on the cake is that it has topped the rankings in the global exposure category for the second year in the running. IIPM has been credited with placing students in major multinationals abroad, providing enviable global interface for its students through its Global Opportunity and Threat Analysis program, sessions with globally renowned visiting faculties, et al. It has been ranked 8th for placements as it has successfully achieved 2,550 national and 55 international placements for the batch of 2009. “Over the past few years, The Indian Institute of Planning and Management has structurally oriented itself towards fortifying the mandate to internalise internationalism through its strategic academic tie ups (with institutions like University of Cambridge, University of California at Berkeley, University of Texas at Austin, University of Virginia), student exchange programs and global placements. All such initiatives are driven with only one underlying objective and that is to make education at The Indian Institute of Planning and Management – a truly world class experience,” states Professor Prasoon S. Majumdar, All India Dean Academics, IIPM. Zee Business has conducted this survey (featuring the top 30 management institutes in the country) by interviewing faculty members from various management institutes, corporates, recruiters, students, and young professionals on parameters covering course content, global exposure, placement, industry interface, faculty and infrastructure.

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.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

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Finding its way through turbulence

At a time when domestic airlines are reeling under huge losses and the growth of a foreign aviator in India is debatable, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific is further spreading out its wings to grab a bigger piece of the Indian skies. Ratan Lal Bhagat catches up with the man in the cockpit to find out how…

It’s no more a secret that the global economic turmoil has really been harsh on the aviation industry. The financial chaos has not only forced aviators across the globe to take on to various cost cutting, capacity cut and route rationalisation measures to stem their bleeding bottomlines, but has also compelled them to resort to various marketing tactics to stay relevant in this cat-eat-cat world. However, there is a purple cow in the herd who has dared to go against the tide even in these times of crisis. Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based airline (which offers scheduled passenger and cargo services to 114 destinations in 36 countries), is not only going all out in its expansion plan in India, but is also leaving no stone unturned to earn itself a set of loyal customers in the subcontinent. But then, will it be able to make it through the turbulent zone in which Indian aviation seems to be stuck at the moment? 4Ps B&M gets candid with Rakesh Raicar, Marketing & Sales Manager (India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan), Cathay Pacific to find out the answer to not one such question, but many more...

4Ps B&M: Considering the ongoing sectoral turmoil, how does Cathay Pacific plans to make its presence felt in the Indian skies?
RR: The year 2008 has been a landmark year for Cathay Pacific in India as we were able to obtain more traffic rights. With these rights we can now operate on a much larger scale and thus encash the potential that the Indian market offers. For instance, while the number of flights operating from Delhi has been raised from 4 to 14, for Mumbai the number has been increased to 10 flights. Further, we have also started our services from Chennai and are even catering to Bangalore customers through our sister airline Dragonair. Moreover, it’s important for us to inform our travellers of the new network benefits that we are offering. During these difficult times we have aligned our schedules and routes and have also lowered our fares to destinations like Bangkok. We have been continuously advertising our new routes, lower fares and schedules through campaign like ‘Launching Bangkok’ via print media, outdoors and lot of online advertisements.

4Ps B&M: Cathay Pacific too has joined the low-fare bandwagon. But, don’t you think with every other player resorting to low fares, brand differentiation has lost its meaning. So, how does the brand Cathay Pacific plans to differentiate itself from the herd?
RR: The low fares are only for our flights to Bangkok. Nevertheless, we offer a price bandwidth to our travellers who can benefit by booking earlier and paying less. Our brand is in the premium airline category and the service that we provide to our travellers is what actually differentiates us from the competition. Moreover, we offer direct flights to Hong Kong that saves a traveller from lot of hassles.

4Ps B&M: How different are the marketing and brand building strategies of Cathay Pacific when one compares India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan with the rest of the world?
RR: We opt for mostly similar marketing strategies for all our markets because we follow a standard service catering pattern, network, frequency, on time service, et al. We aim to maintain a similar level of brand value for all destinations that we fly to. We focus in highlighting our services and benefits to get repeat and new business. Moreover, we have expanded our reach in a big way in the Indian market by increasing the number of flights from each of our destinations and this we have brought to the notice of our customers in the country by advertising this increase in the number of flights in a big way.

4Ps B&M: Cathay Pacific has recently started to specifically cater to the Indian film industry, a niche segment. What is the strategy behind the move? Is the airline looking to tap any other specific segment in the near future?
RR: The film industry, especially the Indian film industry has been doing phenomenally well for quiet some time now and most of the film producers go out to shoot their films at foreign locations like Australia, New Zealand, et al. As we are well connected to most of these desirable foreign film shooting destinations, they prefer flying with us because apart from providing the world class service to these celebrities and their technicians, we have also devised special rates for the large number of equipments and baggage that they carry with them, which is far below to what is charged to a normal passenger. Apart from the film industry we are also working with various tourist boards on such schemes. We are also looking forward to tap the travellers flying out of Mumbai for marine business apart from the usual frequent business flyers.

4Ps B&M: How important is it for Cathay Pacific to serve what has been promised? What are the initiatives that it is taking to fulfill the same?
RR: Cathay Pacific has built a brand over the years based on the high quality services that it offers to its customers. In fact, we, at times, even go out of our way to serve people who travel with us. We always ensure that our travellers have a hassle free journey and the entire crew is working together to serve the customers in the world class way which proves to be the differentiating factor between us and our competitors. We also encourage our staff members to give their best by recognising their services through accolades like the Betsy Award.

4Ps B&M: Apart from the financial constraint, what are the marketing challenges that Cathay Pacific might face in the Indian Sub-continent?
RR: The comparatively higher cost of the various medium of advertisement i.e. print, television commercial (TVC), et al, is one of the biggest challenge in the Indian market. One cannot think of having a TVC with such high costs. Thus, for us the challenge is to work within our budget and reach our target audience at the same time. We, at present, are using our public relations to gain the maximum mileage and promote ourselves in this sub-continent.

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.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
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REPaCKAGING GANDHI

Austerity
Ever since Mahatma Gandhi transformed the art of living frugally into high fashion and the last word in being politically correct, austerity has exercised an iron grip over public discourse. Khadi, a Gandhi topi and faux poverty have become the standard tools for political brands and personalities to make a marketing statement. It’s a different matter that the whole thing had descended into a farce and an epitome of double standards before the latest brouhaha over austerity hit the media headlines. So you had the Prime Minister of India counseling captains of India Inc. to practice austerity in these tough times. Even before India Inc. could praise or protest, we were given delicious details about how two cabinet ministers of this ‘austere’ government were living it up in five star hotels. One minister even created a storm about flying ‘cattle’ class. The Indian politician knows that profligacy and austerity are like yin and yang.

And he has mastered the art of being brazenly profligate even while conveying an impression that he swears by Gandhian austerity. Of course, Indian culture and civilisation have always held austerity and simple living in high esteem. So politicians practice austerity; even when they know that the voters know it is all a farce. In these austere times, it has been revealed that the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues in Pudduchery (Pondicherry) spent Rs.3.8 million in six months on ‘tea and snacks’. Take that!

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.

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Think Different Think ‘DEAD’

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

Some marketers refer to using historical icons as a goodwill gesture (‘paying a tribute’) and if it serves the added purpose of raking in moolah and raising the brand stature, so be it. But the answer to that question could well range from being financially viable (in some cases) to harnessing the product values with the long lasting untarnished image of the endorser. On one thing though, marketers are unanimous viz. the immortal image of these historical ambassadors provides the requisite ‘X factor’ for their brands.

So it’s not only Brand Gandhi who has been used as a brand ambassador by marketers. Che Guevara, Charlie Chaplin or for that matter even Adolf Hitler, Stalin and Saddam Hussain (recently used in a German AIDS awareness campaign) are also right up there. But, Gandhi has by far been the clear favourite, when it comes to reaching the Indian masses. Remember the ‘Think Different’ campaign launched by Apple in 1997 – with Gandhi in his simple white loincloth and shawl? The image linked an ambassador of immense physical and mental strength to the brand – and helped them break the clutter. Even Italy’s largest telecom company, Telecom Italia used Gandhi in its 2005 campaign and went on to grab the ‘Mezzo Minuto D’oro’ (considered equivalent to the Oscars in the Italian ad-industry) award.

Take the case of Luxor, which has consistently used historical figures to illustrate the usage of its highlighters. Their ads showcase usages of Luxor Highlighter by sketching images of Che Guevara, Adolf Hitler and Charlie Chaplin on their ads. Not only have the ads highlighted the historical heros but also the brand, transferring their heroic qualities to the brand. In the process, Luxor also managed to break and rise above the clutter in their segment. Similarly, Rasayana (the anti-stress tea) showed Adolf Hitler smelling a rose with a caption saying, ‘Make peace with the world. Anti-stress tea from Rasayana.’ The slogan simply made the world identify better with the nascent brand. Hitler’s face on the campaign made way for instant recognition among the target audience and made a simple product look smart and maybe, the brand promise even fuelled initial trial purchase.

Thanks to Cherry Shoe Polish, the image of Charlie Chaplin is still afresh in people’s mind. As a matter of fact, the two have become inseparable from each other. It goes without any saying that Charlie Chaplin is loved by everyone alike. His black-and-white persona and humor are evergreen and what better way to describe a black and white shoe polish than an iconic comedian from the black and white era? Charlie rightfully portrayed the idea of ‘enjoy polishing’. Says Alyque Padamsee (who helped create the first series of Cheery ads), “The focus then was on the “perfect gentleman” and the ‘perfect shine’ on his shoes.”

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

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