Nirma detergent powder launched in the mid- Seventies at one-third the price of its competitor HLL’s Surf. It proved to be hugely successful. To counter Nirma, HLL brought in its own low-priced detergent powder called Wheel, which also emerged successful. Launching such low priced variants might mean diluting a premium brand’s [...]]]>

Marketing 4P’s

Price:

Nirma detergent powder launched in the mid- Seventies at one-third the price of its competitor HLL’s Surf. It proved to be hugely successful. To counter Nirma, HLL brought in its own low-priced detergent powder called Wheel, which also emerged successful. Launching such low priced variants might mean diluting a premium brand’s quality and more importantly equity. MNCs are therefore wary of doing this.

Nirma products are usually priced at a lower rate while HLL uses mid range or high prices

Place, product & promotion:

The reach of Nirma and HLL is listed in the table. HLL promotes its products heavily leading to increased customer awareness and it also has a wider product range, which differentiates it from Nirma.

Strategy

Hindustan Unilever Ltd

Flagship Brand – Surf

Positioning – Premium

Other brands – Rin, Wheel, Sunlight, OK, 555, Ala, Comfort

1. Surf Excel has been positioned as detergent which has excellent stain removing capability. However surveys revealed that consumers worried that colored clothes might wear off faster due to regular use of such high powered detergents. HLL has therefore changed its advertising theme line from ‘ Surf Excel Hai Na’ to ‘ Daag Hataye, Rang Nahin’.
2. HLL has adopted a flanking strategy with its brands catering to every customer segment. Rin and its variants cater to economy segment and premium segments. Wheel was launched to fight Nirma in the popular end of the market.
3. Project Shakti
4. Reinventing the distribution channel
5. Health and beauty services like Lakme beauty Saloon & Ayush Therapy Centers.

Nirma Ltd

Flagship Brand – Nirma

Positioning – Popular

Other brands – Nima, Super Nirma

1. Nirma follows the ‘Value for Money’ strategy for all its products and both its brands cater to the popular segment of the market. Super Nirma, its brand in the high end of the economy segment is not a focus area for growth.
2. Nirma follows the backward integration strategy to become the lowest cost detergent manufacturer in the world
3. The company has set up a parallel distribution and sales channel for Nirma. This consists of 2000 distributors and an independent sales force. A two-tier network (as against the traditional three tier), the Nima distribution channel is ‘flat’ enabling swift market response
4. Initiative to expand business in Bangladesh & Pakistan
5. Nirma will employ effective marketing strategies & continue to reduce cost to counter increasing price competition

Procter & Gamble

Flagship Brand – Ariel Compact

Positioning – Premium

Other brands – Ariel Super Soaker, Tide

• Ariel is positioned in the premium category and is among the most expensive hand available in the Indian market. The company has launched mid priced brands like Ariel Super Soaker to cater to the lower income group consumer, which forms a significant potion of the Indian market.
• Tide prices have been slashed by 30% to Rs85 per kg. The company hopes that a semi premium price positioning will enable it to grow its market share, which has been stagnating since the last 2-3 years. The price reduction has been possible due to the company being able to save significantly on distribution costs through supply chain initiatives and a successful distribution-restructuring project called the Golden Eye

Surf Excel & Ariel

Surf excel

1.Surf was launched in 1959.

2.In 1996, Surf redefined this completely when it launched Surf Excel.

3.A pioneer in the Indian detergent powder market.

4.Surf Excel is available in 3 variants:

Surf Excel Blue

Surf Excel Quick Wash

Surf Excel Automatic

Promotions

Various Schemes & Contests-

1.Bucket Scheme

2.10/10 Contest

Benefits to Distributors & Retailers

1.Distributors-3%

2.Retailers -10%

Ariel

1.Ariel was introduced in India in 1991.

2.Ariel gives you impeccable cleaning in stain removal.

3.Ariel contains unique ingredients that cannot be found in other detergents.

4.Ariel is available in 3 variants:

• Ariel Fresh Clean & Spring Clean
• Ariel Front-O-Mat
• Ariel Ultra-Magic

Promotions

1.Tie-Up With Companies

2. Shiksha Programme

Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/39043935/Changing-Indian-Rural-Consumer-Behaviour-Soaps-and-Detergents-1

Brands are made up of four layers – the core product or service, the basic brand, the augmented brand and the potential brand.

The core Product / Service

At the most basic level, customers buy products to meet certain functional needs. However, most products and services cannot survive [...]]]>

Brands are made up of four layers – the core product or service, the basic brand, the augmented brand and the potential brand.

The core Product / Service

At the most basic level, customers buy products to meet certain functional needs. However, most products and services cannot survive on functionality alone as this is usually matched in time. The most common barrier to competition is building a brand.

The Basic Brand

The basic brand consists of the “name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors”. Essentially, this should support the offering’s performance and differentiate the brand from those of competitors.

The Augmented Brand

Successful companies seek a competitive edge through the enlargement of the core product or service, with supplementary products and services (e.g. information, quick delivery) that enhance the customer’s total purchasing and use experience. These products and services add value and make the offering much more difficult for competitors to emulate.

The Potential Brand

A brand achieves its potential when added values are so great that customers will not willingly accept substitutes, even when the alternatives are substantially cheaper or more readily available (e.g. Coca-Cola, Kodak, Levi’s).

Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31426968/Mkting-Strategies-in-Brand-Building-on-the-Internet

At the descriptive level, certainly, you would expect different cultures to develop different sorts of ethics and obviously they have; that doesn’t mean that you can’t think of overarching ethical principles you would want people to follow in all kinds of places.

-      Deception and Fraud

Exaggerating product price, performance claims or even product [...]]]>

At the descriptive level, certainly, you would expect different cultures to develop different sorts of ethics and obviously they have; that doesn’t mean that you can’t think of overarching ethical principles you would want people to follow in all kinds of places.

-      Deception and Fraud

Exaggerating product price, performance claims or even product size are some of the fraudulent practices followed in real life situations. E.g. You were told by a restaurant owner that with X coupons the next time you visit, you will be given 20% discount but that doesn’t happen

-      Unfairness: Some direct marketers take the advantage of impulsive or less sophisticated buyers or prey on the vulnerable. E.g. A shopping Mall selling a T-shirt for Rs. 250 stating that its relatively cheaper in organized market but you find the same in a local shop for Rs. 200

-      Irritation: How does one feel when one keeps getting unwanted sms and emails about different products and services offered? Too many cook spoils the broth. The marketers sometimes don’t bother to consider customer’s request to stop the nuisance they are creating for them

-      Invasion of privacy: Privacy is no longer a private word. E.g. X gets calls to apply for a credit card based on his income, he wonders who discloses his details. Sometimes a consumer feels that the seller is taking undue advantage of his personal details

-          Projective Techniques: One Approach is ‘bubble exercise’ in which empty bubbles like [...]]]> -          Visualization: In a one on one interview, the administrator uses advanced interview techniques to explore the images and participant reveals hidden meanings. This is because people visualize what they want, see it and feel it

-          Projective Techniques: One Approach is ‘bubble exercise’ in which empty bubbles like cartoons appear indicating what people believe while buying a product/service. Another technique is compare brands to people, countries, magazines and even vegetables

-          Brand Personification: If a brand was alive, what would it look like, what would it do. E.g. Tupperware recently personified as Bodyguard with its release stating protect your food with the best

-          Laddering : Keep asking why ‘why’. E.g. Do you use Nokia Phone? Why? Its reliable. Why do you think its reliable? It connects me to my family and friends successfully. That’s why Nokia says ‘Connecting People’

-          Word Association : ‘What comes to your mind first when you think of  Tata Sky’? Probably the word ‘Zingalala’. It provides rough indication of relative strength and uniqueness of the product

-  Knowledgeable and available staff : Gone are the days when a consumer was made to wait for hours meet his/her requirement. Availability of skilled staff keeping customers in mind is a key to maintain relations with [...]]]> Are Customer Satisfied? There are few Ways the Customer feels that they are satisfied as follow -

-  Knowledgeable and available staff : Gone are the days when a consumer was made to wait for hours meet his/her requirement. Availability of skilled staff keeping customers in mind is a key to maintain relations with the customer. E.g. Dell ensures 24/7 customer service as it believed ‘There is only 1 rule, Put customer first, if forgotten refer rule no.1

-  Good Value: A consumer pays his/her money to get value in return. It’s the basic responsibility of the producer to provide value to the consumer. E.g Maruti Swift, More Style More Premium

-          Friendly People: Imagine as salesman selling you a product with a smile and another in a very monotonous way. The answer is clear. Professional Approach with friendly behavior works wonders

-  Fast Closure: Neither the consumer nor the producer are interested to carry a transaction too long. Life is fast and so are the consumers. E.g ATM’s in Banks, Western Union Money Transfer

- Convenience: Consumers want things at their finger tips and that too easily. E.g. Videocon d2h claiming that the cable connection will be established in few hours from the call you make.

So now don’t you want to make you customer satisfied completely? Please give your feedback about the techniques you use to Satisfy your customer.

Facebook is a privately owned website and social network founded in 2004 by Harvard university students Mark Zuckerberg with his fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It was operation in the limited area of Harvard in 2004 and become fully accessible in 2006. The main purpose for [...]]]>

Facebook is a privately owned website and social network founded in 2004 by Harvard university students Mark Zuckerberg with his fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It was operation in the limited area of Harvard in 2004 and become fully accessible in 2006. The main purpose for launching the website was bringing a connection between Harvard students, to know each other more and in better way but now the same purpose is being followed worldwide.

Product

• Facebook has launched number of products including friends, messages, games, groups, photos, links, videos, a marketing space, advertisements, products pages, uncountable applications and a lot more.
• Users can communicate so well with their far off friends by sending them virtual gifts according to the occasion for a minimum price of one dollar. This type of applications are visible on almost every user profile on the occasion like Christmas, Eid, Independence day celebrations, birthdays etc (Michelle, 2008).
• Facebook offers social plug-in, graph API, Social Channels, Authentications and the open graph protocols to the web developers.
• Proxy and private settings are provided to the users to settle up their profile availability along with the customization of the material being loaded up on their profiles.
• Users are now provided access to Facebook through their mobiles; this has rendered more clicks to Facebook by increasing the daily user percentage because of any time access.
• Facebook has provided an opportunity to Facebook users to register their complaints for the website access, while improving the services miles forward.

Price

• People that are lured into Facebook enjoys all services free of cost, while one controversial statement says that this is a virtual cost by means of using personal information of users but this actually is not the case, as one can put as much secrecy and privacy one can.
• Facebook earns most of the revenues by the commercial groups, online events that are organized by the company, advertisements that come on the side of logged on page.
• Facebook being a private company doesn’t opens up its revenue earning units but always welcomes Brand advertising, performances advertising. Virtual goods and Microsoft advertising and has earned up to 1.1 billion dollars from this, according to a rough estimate (Dempsey, 2006).

Place

• Almost 600 million users are registered with Facebook, being accessed mostly by U.S community.

• The network is most popular nowadays as it can be accessed anywhere, in schools, colleges, universities and homes throughout the world.
• Facebook has its availability along the globe and Egypt revolution is commendably associated with the promotions provided by Facebook.

Promotion

• Facebook had become partner with Microsoft, Pandora and Yelp according to a planned strategy, and has earned a lot of promotion by taking this step, by increasing user number along with ads promotion on Facebook by different companies (Rosmarin, 2006).
• The website is providing small businesses big blow opportunities to establish and this promotes face usage as well, by their product customers being Facebook users ultimately.

Extended Mix:

People:
Facebook employs about —- people

Process:
Systems used for the FB servers, the thousands of applications, games available to the public

Physical Evidence:
Nothing per se, but if we are to measure, we can measure the FB site and chat connectivity

• Strong execution track record on the back of the huge success of Mundra Port • The diversified nature of the Adani Group (especially its presence in ports and coal trading) augurs well for Adani Power • Stellar operational efficiency (FY10 average PLF was 85%+ compared with India’s national average of 78%) • Minimal exposure to merchant power [...]]]> Adani Power Ltd
Strengths

• Strong execution track record on the back of the huge success of Mundra Port
• The diversified nature of the Adani Group (especially its presence in ports and coal trading) augurs well for Adani Power
• Stellar operational efficiency (FY10 average PLF was 85%+ compared with India’s national average of 78%)
• Minimal exposure to merchant power (23% compared with JSW’s 56%)

Weakness

• All of Adani’s power plants use Chinese equipment
• Conflict of interest given that other promoter owned companies are also in power generation
• Limited bargaining power vis a vis delays in coal supplies from Adani Enterprises as it is Adani Power’s holding company

Opportunities

• private sector (this is equivalent to 10x Adani’s installed capacity) and Adani Power will be a relatively strong contender for these UMPPs
• Given group’s presence in coal mining and India’s rising coal imports, domestic coal mining offers a huge opportunity for Adani Enterprises This in turn will reduce
• Adani Power’s coal cost as currently Adani Enterprises is the biggest supplier of coal to Adani Power

Threats

• The 5x increase in private sector generation capacity by FY13 could result in merchant power rates getting compressed.
• The rising Maoist insurgency (with its greatest influence in states having the largest coal resources) could result in delays and higher costs.
• The improving trend in T&D losses due to rising investment in T&D could result in the fading of India’s power deficit at a quicker pace than expected.

• The integrated player in India across the entire value chain –generation, transmission and distribution • The only successful player in the private distribution franchisee business • The only power utility company with positive FCFF in FY10 • Zero reliance on Chinese equipment • Stellar operational efficiency (FY10 average PLF was 90%+ and T&D losses were sub-10% compared to [...]]]> Strengths:

• The integrated player in India across the entire value chain –generation, transmission and distribution
• The only successful player in the private distribution franchisee business
• The only power utility company with positive FCFF in FY10
• Zero reliance on Chinese equipment
• Stellar operational efficiency (FY10 average PLF was 90%+ and T&D losses were sub-10% compared to the national average of 78% and 25%+ respectively)
• One of the strongest balance sheets in the sector with FY10net debt: equity of 0.6x compared with ~1.5x for peers
• Strong Board of Directors with a high profile of independent directors such as Keki Mistry and Kiran Karnik

Weakness:

• Lack of disclosure in the annual report on key items. For example, there is no break up of revenues between generation, transmission and distribution
• The Kanpur franchisee has still not started functioning as the local state electricity board is creating issues in the light of
• Torrent having won the distribution contract Fuel tie up and financial closure for the near-term pipeline(1.5GW or ~96% of current installed capacity) is yet to take place

Opportunities:

• There is a huge opportunity for private sector power utilities in India (particularly for those utilities that have Torrent’s battle hardened execution capabilities)
• Private distribution franchisees is a big (and relatively untapped) opportunity in India given the poor financial position of the state electricity boards
• Given Torrent’s presence in the T&D segment, the growing scope for private sector participation in this space offers a huge opportunity particularly as the Government’s focus switches from power generation to power T&D

Threats:

• The 5x increase in private sector generation capacity by FY13 could result in merchant power rates getting compressed.
• Difficult to replicate the success of Bhiwandi in other private distribution franchisees as opposition from the local SEBs (who do not want to see private sector distributors in their area) is very strong
• Given that the KG Basin gas does not seem to be ramping up and infrastructure bottlenecks in the transportation of imported LNG (and the resultant crunch in the supply of gas) can be a negative for Torrent as 75% of its incremental capacity is gas based, which does not have fuel tie-up.
• Any delays in the construction of the Dahej SEZ will also delay the upcoming 1.2GW project in Dahej (will account for 37% of Torrent’s total capacity)