MARKETING DIARY

Session 1: Defining Marketing

Topic Chosen: Social Responsibility Marketing

Ad/Article: Magazine ad for Body Shop

Source: Cosmopolitan

The effects of marketing clearly extend beyond the company and the customer to the society as a whole and the marketers must carefully consider their role in broader terms, and the ethical, environmental, legal, and social context of their activities. Today we can see a fundamental change in the way consumers buy their products and services. People want to know your brands values and ethics which are again reflected in the way you treat the community in which you operate.

Brands have realized that it is important to strike a balance between profitability and social consciousness and sensitivity. This realization calls for a marketing concept which is termer as societal marketing or social responsibility marketing.

The ad chosen here is for THE BODY SHOP in Cosmopolitan. It shows how it is adding social responsibility as a way to differentiates itself from its competitors and actively addressing environmental issues. The ad gives a timeline of the various initiatives ranging from ‘Save the Whale’ to celebration of Earth Day. All this adds to their image and brand value and customers look at it as good corporate citizenship which helps in adding to the long term value of the brand.

Session 2: Creating Customer Value

Topic Chosen: Customer Centric Business & Customer Satisfaction

Ad/Article: Maruti True Value

Source: NDTV 24*7

Maruti’s customer centricity is very much exemplified by the five times consecutive wins at J D Power CSI Awards. Focus on customer satisfaction is what Maruti lives with. Maruti has successfully shed off the public- sector laid back attitude image and has inculcated the customer-friendly approach in its organization culture. The customer centric attitude is imbibed in its employees. Maruti dealers and employees are answerable to even a single customer complain. There are instances of cancellation of dealerships based on customer feedback.

In this ad, they try to show how Maruti has changed their showroom layout so that customer has to walk minimum in the showroom and there are norms for service times and delivery of vehicles. The Dealer Sales Executive, who is the first interaction medium with the Maruti customer when the customer walks in Maruti showroom, is trained on greeting etiquettes. Maruti has proper customer complain handling cell under the CRM department.Their Market Research department remains on its toes to study the changing consumer behaviour and market needs. Maruti enjoys seventy percent repeat buyers which further bolsters their claim of being customer friendly. Maruti is investing a lot of money and effort in building customer loyalty programmes.

Session 3: Services & Services Marketing

Topic Chosen: After Sales Services & Work Ethics Guarantee

Ad/Article: Titan Latest

Source: CNN-IBN

Titan teaches us the true meaning of work and success. It first tells us how a timely & efficient after sales service is of utmost importance & cannot be done without. Secondly how a nice human touch & how it is the responsibility of the entire staff of a company immaterial of hierarchy to make sure the services & after sales service is perfect.

Here in this TVC, Titan shows how even a managing director is responsible & answerable to the customer for every single experience of his with the product. Adding to that, how it becomes his responsibility to get the work done satisfactorily is also shown.

Session 4: Product Life Cycle

Topic Chosen: Product Life Cycle

Ad/Article: Bajaj Chetak

Source: Bajaj Chetak Case Study

The main marketing strategy used by Bajaj Chetak was mainly targeting the emerging middle class in India and adding the feeling of 'we' or the feeling of belongingness by strong sentimental slogans like "Hamara Bajaj".

The Approach of this Marketing Strategy adopted by Chetak was Non-Pragmatic

Bajaj Chetak should come out with various schemes & incentives, no warranty schemes were wailed by the company or ad-don products and service centres were less in number which should have been more to ease customer support and product maintenance centers.

Session 5: Market Structure & Competition

Ad/Article: “Take care”- Garnier

TAG LINE- “Real performance comes with proof”

Source: www . afaq.com

Concept revolves around “growth stage” of Garnier fairness cream. The growth stage is marked by a rapid climb in the sales. Early adopters like the product, and additional consumers start buying it. New competitors enter, attracted by the opportunities. They introduce new product features and expand distribution.

There are many fairness creams such as Emami fair and lovely, boroplus etc. in the market which are sheer competition to Garnier. But by adding the fairness meter with its product, it created a different mindset in peoples mind, hence making it more profitable to company.

Also its tag line “Real performance comes with proof” implies the confidence level the brand has about making a person fairer in some weeks.

Session 6: Understanding Consumers & Consumption

Topic Chosen: Defending Market Share

Ad/Article: Complan vs. Bournvita

Source: Discovery

Concept of the add is “Defending Market Share”. This adds revolves around innovation and capacity to hold the market share. While trying to expand the total market size, the dominant firm must continuously and actively defend its current business.

Brands, Bournvita and Complan are too popular in the market. Both have their existing market share, but what can the market leader do to defend its share is the ultimate question.

It can be done through continues innovation. The leader should lead the industry in developing new products (as in above ad flavours), distribution effectiveness and cost cutting (more quantity less price). All these factors keep increasing its competitive strength and value to customers by providing comprehensive solutions.

Session 7: Branding & Brand Management

Topic Chosen: Marketing Communications, Brand Equity and Sales

Ad/Article: Audi A8

Source: Audi launch- Autocar India

Marketing Communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers- directly or indirectly- about the products and brand they sell. In a sense, marketing communications represent the “voice” of the company and its brands and are means by which it can establish a dialogue and build relationships with consumers.

The above ad revolves around concept of “Marketing Communications, Brand Equity and Sales”. In this new communication environment, although advertising is often a central element of a marketing communication program, it is usually not the only one- or even the most important one in terms of building brand equity and driving sales.

TV ads were also being used for the same in order to communicate the international image and emotional benefits (sports car lovers) of the brand. The print medium is used to communicate the functional benefits of the car. This clearly mentions about speed, sporty look, safety, comfort, luxury etc.

Session 8: PROMOTION DECISION- THE IMC APPROACH

Topic Chosen: Consumer Behaviour

Ad/Article: Asian Paints- Rang Badal De

Source: Times of India

Asian paints, the largest paints company in India, realized that the potential of the rural paint market was grossly underutilized and therefore provided an excellent market opportunity for growth. In order to design an appropriate product, the company, conducted extensive market research among the rural consumer, focusing on their needs, buying preferences and behaviour.

Thus the above ad revolves around “Consumer Behaviour”. The research indicated that it was almost a custom in most of the rural areas to get their houses repainted at least once a year and this normally preceded major festivals in the region.

Session 9: Product Decisions and Concept of Product Mix and New Product Development-

Topic Chosen: New Product Development

Ad/Article: Go Green with Dell

Source: Dell Website

Everyone uses the term greenwashing now, and we have previously coined greenwrapping, for putting solar panels on fossil fuel power plants. Now we have a new one: Greenbaiting, or green bait and switch. That is what Dell is doing in their advertising right now.

Dell Canada is running ads that are covered in Green graphics and a sale that runs to Earth Day, but in the entire ad, there is not a single word or link that explains a single green claim that they make when they say "go green with Dell". With a huge increase in the chunk of environment protectionist population, Dell has rung the right note & struck the right chord to promote its new product.

SESSION 10

Promotion ATL- Communicating to masses

Promotion through movies

India is one of the largest cimema producing nations in the world and it reaches masses and effects them in a great way also with 135 digital theatres India has the largest no. of such theatres in the world it has been a mass of communication and promotion since a long time there has been a history of product launches and promotions through this medium

Tanishq, a leading jewelry brand, unveiled the exotic jewelry worn by Aishwarya in Jodhaa Akbar. The imperial dressing styles during the Mughal era h recreated by Tanishq. Around four hundred kilograms of gold, emerald, pearls, ruby, tourmaline, jade stones was churned out by two hundred craftsmen.

SESSION

PROMOTION BTL – Communication to an individual/target group

Topic Online communities

Brand converse shoes

converse a well known brand in the world of shoes has created its own niche in marketing it not only promotes itself on various websites but also has a website of its own where customers can write about their experiences with shoes and can also order for shoes and a unique feature about converse shoes is that you can order for a customize shoes of your own choice this makes it one of the most sort after brands by youth .

session

consumer behaviour –socio cultural group, individual drivers

subtopic family

families is the most important consumer buying organisation in society,and family members constitute the most influential primary reference group .and the decision of purchase is largely influenced by families because that is the first peer group which you see when you are born . it includes grand parents ,parents ,husband,wife and kids

banking on this consumer behaviour mc donalds targets the young and kids of the family it’s a well known fact that these days it’s the kids who are more informed about the market as compared to older generation and thus mc donalds targets the young kids on happy meak because they know that when kids will go to the outlet they have to be accompanied by their parents and thus they offer various goodied with the food to lure kids

Understanding Consumers and Consumption

Name of the product: emami fair and handsome

Target audience: college going boys and men from the age group between 20- 32

Advertisement- this advertisement is focused for men. With the lines as “on being a man u still use women fairness creams?” directly attack the men. This ad shows that now even men have their own fairness cream.

Analysis: emami studied the consumers and acknowledged that men have been using the fairness creams which are made for women. They realized that there is a market for fairness cream for men, therefore they launched fair and handsome for men. Emami understood that there was a need for a fairness cream for men.

Emami was the first one to launch a fairness cream for men. The advertisement directly attacked the men that they use the women fairness cream. The target audience now knew that even they had their own fairness cream, which was just for men. The men got stimulated to buy the product. Emami had realized that men wanted a product of their own.