It’s customer payback time, folks!

IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook

Unless Sprint-Nextel addresses the currently plummeting consumer confidence, downhill is where this merger is headed

‘And they live happily ever after’ is what all stakeholders of the companies want to hear post an M&A. Unfortunately, life post a merger often becomes more uphill than life before it.

The latest one to realise this is Sprint Nextel, which is facing a whopping $1.2 billion class-action lawsuit. One of the shareholders, Cora E. Bennett claims that Sprint’s decision to acquire Nextel Communications Inc. (for $35 billion) in 2005 was a disaster and Sprint Nextel has hidden information on the acquisition from shareholders and wrongly charged customers early termination fees. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

From the customer’s point of view, there were problems in Sprint Nextel’s network along with some issues with regard to quality of customer service. According to Jeff Kagan, “Sprint Nextel has been a successful number three company but over time, it lost focus. Customers who did need customer service often had trouble as they had to make several calls and talk with several people over time to get things done.”

All this combined has assisted this service provider to lose as many as 4.6 million subscribers in 2008 (a decrease of 8.4% yoy). Moreover, it has been losing customers from the valued post paid stream. In the last quarter of 2008, Sprint Nextel lost 1.3 million customers, out of which 1.1 million were post paid. Sprint Nextel’s loss has spelled gain for Verizon and AT&T, who have both added numbers in 2008. Additionally, revenue streams of Sprint Nextel for 2008 also witnessed an alarming decline of 11.2% yoy to reach $35.64 billion.

However, the company has assured that these factors have now been taken care of and they would soon see a turnaround. Data from Geezeo Main Street Spending Index (MSSI) for February states that the average monthly spending on Sprint increased by 1% while AT&T and T-Mobile witnessed a decline of 1%. But Wachovia’s Jennifer Fritzsche has lowered the ratings of the company from ‘Outperform’ to ‘Market Perform’, and has also warned shareholders that Sprint Nextel would continue to see more than forecasted churn (as much as 2.3% of subscriber base) from customers in the iDEN segment (walkie-talkie service). Even Bill Densmore of Fitch believes that, “Sprint Nextel will continue to experience challenges with stabilising the iDEN operating results going forward; given its niche appeal, weak business economy, and subscriber migration.”

The company’s competitive positioning remains weak due to customer perceptions. Moreover, it does not have deep pockets like AT&T to advertise which it needs to do especially at this stage. Sprint appears to have billing and customer service processes that are completely broken. Another problem is that Sprint Nextel focuses on advertising low prices and exceptional service – and is unable to consistently provide either. So the company requires to change its bad behavior and work on reversing the negative impressions. One silver lining is the forthcoming launch of Palm’s Pre-smart phone that would be available exclusively to customers of Sprint Nextel. But unless Sprint’s customers are satisfied, the company should really be worried with respect to the success of such initiatives. For that matter, so should Palm in this case!

Surbhi Chawla

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

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Sony DVD-DCR-DVD610E

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Spcification

40x Optical/2000x Digital Zoom; 800K Pixel CCD; 2.7 inch Wide LCD (123K/16:9) with Touch Panel; Hybrid recording DVD & Memory Stick.
PRICE: Rs.19,700
WARRANTY: 2 Years

Sony’s Handycam DCR-DVD610E has a Super Steady Shot image stabilisation, as well as a ‘Super Night-Shot Plus’ technology for excellent quality in low light. With a hybrid recording technology, you can capture it all directly to a DVD or removable Memory Stick Duo. Its Super SteadyShot feature controls a higher range of shake and vibration frequencies to ensure your home videos are with a high level of smoothness. “Besides the other tech specifications, it also has to look on the recording quality which takes a back seat when compared with Canon HF10” says Rakesh Gupta, a tech analyst.

Marketers’ delight: With 40x optical zooming, it is the perfect camcorder for customers who care about budget too.

Tester’s note: Pros– The camcorder is one of the best picture quality DVD Camcorder which features a 40x optical zoom. It also features a Super Steady Shot image stabilisation with high quality video shooting and still photos up to 410K. Sony DVD610E can record upto 100 minutes high quality recording plus playback compatibility with battery which has an excellent longevity.

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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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• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
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B&O Beosound 6

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification

60 radio presets with naming, FM (with RDS) and AM, 6 discs changer, frequency range from 20 – 20,000 Hz, ±1 dB, Typical 101 dB signal-to-noise ratio
PRICE: Rs.40,000 without taxes
WARRANTY: 2 years

Backed with an impressive sound quality and easy operation, this one is based on a Samsung platform with specific acoustic refinements. It weighs just 65gms and has a polished stainless steel/soft-touch lacquered plastic finish. It has a huge 4GB memory and a display of 1.81 Inch TFT LCD (128 x 160 pixels). It supports the MP3, WMA, OGG audio formats and runs either on Windows XP SP2 or on MAC iTunes OS. It has a USB 1.1 interface (USB 2.0 for high speed support) and the built-in, rechargeable, approx. 44 hrs playing time. Practically, it can store up to 1,000 songs, has a signal-to-noise feature, making every detail in the music audible. The design of the device is quite simple, yet elegant where the front and rear sides have a boundary of stainless steel frame. According to Prashant Todi, Marketing, Information & PR, B&O India, “The sound quality is among the best in the market, exceeding the celebrated sound of competing musical digital players.”

Marketers’ delight: With 44 hours of playback battery, it’s the pick for all power conscious consumers.

Tester’s note: Pros – Huge batter backup, impressive looks and lightweight. Plays songs in both the Windows XP and iMac versions. Con – Lacks video display.

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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• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Marauders from Japan have ended Detroit’s dominance over America. And it all started somewhere in the Middle East in 1973

Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!

The stark reality of living in a $100/ barrel world actually has two facets to it. Even though motorists across the globe may find themselves in a reality check situation, their consumerist flamboyance doesn’t seem to be anywhere near declining. Roads are clogged with more cars then ever before, even when most of the primary markets had actually shrunk. According to some reports, the US, possibly the world’s largest automotive market, has reduced 12-13% in terms of net sales. Even though massive demands in the developing world might have offset this dilemma, the curse of black gold always looms on the horizon.

Oil crises have persisted throughout the time line of oil’s discovery and eventual inflation has hit consumer price indexes. The poor performance of American automotive industry and its dependence on more fuel efficient cars, however, was hardly perennial. In fact, America was the land of powerful muscle cars until 1973, when the realities of oil price volatility gained prominence following the Israel-Arab war (oil reached a peak of $43/barrel in that year in real terms). America’s obsession with the gasoline-driven fuel guzzling petrol V8s has been actually a bigger conundrum then previously considered. The sheer arrogance of the American consumer towards diesel as a more efficient fuel guaranteed that American car making ways were thoroughly designed around these large inefficient engines.

Post the 1973 crisis, the demise of American muscle cars lead to the SUV era. Here again, the Detroit three (GM, Ford, Chrysler), lead from the front and began to have a model range excessively skewed in favor of the SUV. Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Honda, on the other hand, were smarter and concentrated on envisioning a brighter future while American manufacturers were busy meeting present market consumption trends. Japanese concentrated more on fuel efficiency rather than the sort after high power engines. The decision was well thought out and the Japanese did manage to outwit the mighty Detroit trio at their own game. As the market condions changed and the demand for fuel efficient cars increased, the Japanese succeeded with their fuel efficient taglines they had been associated with throughout their history. The light, efficient no nonsense cars finally spelt the doom word for the fuel guzzling American cars, who in turn gave out major market shares to their smarter Japanese counterparts. Interestingly, the top three selling cars in America are of Japanese origin!

skewed in favor of the SUV. Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Honda, on the other hand, were smarter and concentrated on envisioning a brighter future while American manufacturers were busy meeting present market consumption trends. Japanese concentrated more on fuel efficiency rather than the sort after high power engines. The decision was well thought out and the Japanese did manage to outwit the mighty Detroit trio at their own game. As the market condions changed and the demand for fuel efficient cars increased, the Japanese succeeded with their fuel efficient taglines they had been associated with throughout their history. The light, efficient no nonsense cars finally spelt the doom word for the fuel guzzling American cars, who in turn gave out major market shares to their smarter Japanese counterparts. Interestingly, the top three selling cars in America are of Japanese origin!

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
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• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
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THOMAS FRIEDMAN - As flat as he can get

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THOMAS FRIEDMAN
As flat as he can get

It was with intellectuals like Thomas Friedman that it all started. His widely acclaimed book The World is Flat, made people realise the fact that the global village had truly dawned upon us, and the key was to accept it, rather than to attempt to wish it away or escape its grasp. More than anything else, he made the world realise that countries like India & China, with their unique low cost model, were growing in prominence. His observations of the Indian BPO industry have been a very important part of his flat world hypothesis.

As a columnist for the New York Times, Friedman has been a key observer of India. For instance, on Tata’s plans for the Nano, he critically commented, “Cheap conventional four-wheel cars, which would encourage millions of Indians to give up their two-wheel motor scooters and three-wheel motorised rickshaws, could overwhelm India’s already strained road system, increase its dependence on imported oil and gridlock the country’s megacities.” Needless to add, he has deemed it a huge danger to India and has expressed hope that India follows its path to development much more sensibly than the West.

So while Friedman plays a major role in shaping perceptions of the world on India, his critical views can inspire necessary debate. After all, a fast growing Indian economy could do well with a rain check every now and then!

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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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• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

STEPHEN SOLARZ - backing india up

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

STEPHEN SOLARZ
backing india up

The sway of the US Israel Political Action Committee in the US state of affairs is not hidden from anyone. The lobby has single-handedly decided the US course of action in Middle East in the last 5 decades, dominated the political scene. And if some gets praise for this, it has to be the US Congressman Stephen Solarz. Well, he is the man who has also been instrumental in Indo-Israeli rapprochement post USSR disintegration and has helped her in coming to the good books of the US.

T. P. Sreenivasan, one of India’s most distinguished diplomats says: “He is India’s best friend in the US Congress and has helped set up not only the India Caucus in the Congress but was also instrumental in setting up a South Asia Bureau in the State Department.”

Solarz is presently an official lobbyist for India. Although Solarz has joined a lobbying firm to legitimise his role, but he has worked more or less alone to support India’s case on the Hill and elsewhere. His initiatives will definitely open new avenues for the Indo-US cooperation in years to come.

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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 - Admission Procedure
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• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
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Housing

IIPM - Admission Procedure

The one dream which every man has after earning bread, is to have a home of his own. It’s no hidden truth that millions of Indian still live on the road and have no home of their own. Along with thousands of skyscrapers is also a vast area of slums where millions live in animal-like condition. Since 2005-2006, Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has been promising improved housing, water supply and sanitation for the urban poor. But however the living condition of poor has worsened further because of mounting pressure of new entrants, as the housing shortage in urban areas has increase manifold over the years. Studies show that the aggregate housing shortage has increased by 134% during the last six years i.e. from 10.56 million units in 2001 to 24.71 million units, and the urban households have increased by 11.5 million. Only one-fifth of the target housing construction for weaker section of society was complete. In order to fulfill the housing requirement it was essential to complete at least 75% of the target. In order to give shelter to millions of people, 75 dedicated Special Housing Zones (SHZs) should be planned and developed across the length and breadth of the country. These Special Housing Zones should also have all the basic amenities and proper access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Moreover, this will enable mass housing and will lower the cost of construction. Moreover, 750000 houses for mass housing should be built in order to bridge the demand-supply gap for housing needs.

As per NSSO, only around 25% of all rural households had undergone some form of construction in the last five years. It is essential that at least 75% of all rural houses should be covered. The finance to these households should be increased to at least 75% from current rate of 60%.

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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, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
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Iraq means war. Iraq means election.

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Iraqi policies form the basis for US presidential campaign. But in what form?

Iraq remains a significant concern for the population, but that is a matter of little moment in a modern democracy. Not long ago, it was taken for granted that the Iraq war would be the central issue in the presidential campaign, as it was in the midterm election of 2006. But it has virtually disappeared, eliciting some puzzlement.

But there should be none now. The US army in Iraq carries out extensive studies of popular attitudes. Its December 2007 report of a study of focus groups was uncharacteristically upbeat. The survey found that a sense of “optimistic possibility permeated all focus groups... and far more commonalities than differences are found among these seemingly diverse groups of Iraqis.” The Wall Street Journal came close to the point: “Issues Recede in ‘08 Contest As Voters Focus on Character.” To put it more accurately, issues recede as candidates, party managers and their public relations agencies focus on character. Progressive democratic theory holds that the population – “ignorant and meddlesome outsiders” – should be “spectators,” not “participants” in action, as Walter Lippmann wrote.

The participants in action are surely aware that on a host of major issues, both political parties are well to the right of the general population, and that public opinion is quite consistent over time, a matter reviewed in the useful study, “The Foreign Policy Disconnect,” by Benjamin Page and Marshall Bouton. It is important, then, for the attention of the people to be diverted elsewhere.

The real work of the world is the domain of an enlightened leadership. The common understanding is revealed more in practice than in words, though some do articulate it: President Woodrow Wilson, for example, held that an elite of gentlemen with “elevated ideals” must be empowered to preserve “stability and righteousness,” essentially the perspective of the Founding Fathers. In more recent years the gentlemen are transmuted into the “technocratic elite” and “action intellectuals” of Camelot, “Straussian” neocons of Bush II or other configurations.

For the vanguard who uphold the elevated ideals and are charged with managing the society and the world, the reasons for Iraq’s drift off the radar screen should not be obscure. They were cogently explained by the distinguished historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, articulating the position of the doves 40 years ago when the U.S. invasion of South Vietnam was in its fourth year and Washington was preparing to add another 100,000 troops to the 175,000 already tearing South Vietnam to shreds. By then the invasion launched by President Kennedy was facing difficulties and imposing difficult costs on the United States, so Schlesinger and other Kennedy liberals were reluctantly beginning to shift from hawks to doves.

Elite reasoning, and the accompanying attitudes, carry over with little change to commentary on the U.S. invasion of Iraq today. And although criticism of the Iraq war is far greater and far-reaching than in the case of Vietnam at any comparable stage, nevertheless the principles that Schlesinger articulated remain in force in media and commentary. It is of some interest that Schlesinger himself took a very different position on the Iraq invasion, virtually alone in his circles. When the bombs began to fall on Baghdad, he wrote that Bush’s policies are “alarmingly similar to the policy that imperial Japan employed at Pearl Harbor, on a date which, as an earlier American president said it would, lives in infamy. Franklin D. Roosevelt was right, but today it is we Americans who live in infamy.”

That Iraq is “a land of ruin and wreck” is not in question. Several million people are internally displaced. Thanks to the generosity of Jordan and Syria, the millions of refugees fleeing the wreckage of Iraq, including most of the professional classes, have not been simply wiped out. But that welcome is fading soon!

Noam Chomsky

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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 : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...
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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Civilising anew

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

A benchmarked in education

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”- as Plutarch had said. And the good news is that this piece of wisdom seems to have percolated down to the Indian Government…what else could explain the momentous pact that India signed with the ASEAN countries at the Fifth India-ASEAN Summit at Cebu, which was primarily aimed at strengthening the Student exchanges between India and the other ASEAN countries. Education has ceased to be a mundane classroom lecture and has risen from being mere bookish knowledge to an IQ based orientation. Indian premier Institutions like the IIMs, IITs, IIPMs, MDI and many more had already sowed the seeds of student exchange a long time back and this pact between India and ASEAN countries has further fortified such interactions and broadening of horizon. The fact that India was a host to about a hundred students from the ASEAN countries goes to prove beyond doubt that India is not just focusing on its horizontal growth through economic activities that has burgeoned by 30%, but also on its vertical growth by incorporating better education means. Way to go...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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It’s not American!

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Javier promotes a different brand of politics to deal with crises

This Spanish physicist turned strategist is a die-hard European. Having held the Secretary-General’s post at NATO from 1995-99, Javier Solana has been in the thick of security planning of the amalgamated continent. Now, as the High Representative (HR) for the Common Foreign & Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union, he has an onerous task at hand of managing the inherent & emerging contradictions in a highly globalised world. From Tehran to Trinidad, Javier had been engaged is promoting the unique blend of EU’s way of dealing with conflicts & crisis in the 50th year of the European Union.

His astute diplomatic skills and his vast experience in handling vexed issues came to the fore during the year. “For the Europeans, the signature of the Lisbon Treaty in December is very important. It will give us better instruments to face new challenges. On the international stage, we will continue to work closely with our partners and the international community to contribute to peace in the world. Stabilising the situation in the Balkans and the peace process in the Middle East will be top priorities,” Javier Solana told exclusively to B&E.Let 2008 see us secure.

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).

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

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Fed up with losses

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

Is low cost model unsustainable in India?
No, LCC model is still the best suited option in India. LCCs still have lower fares but the fares can not be kept at the levels of 2006 or 2007 when ATF was half the cost of what it is today.

Is there an urgent need to change the aviation business model in order to generate more funds so that one would be no more dependent on just ATF prices?
Dependence on Jet fuel will continue to remain high for all airlines. LCCs in general and SpiceJet in particular do get revenues from ancilliary sources such as insurance, hotel bookings, web advertising etc.

Are there chances of cutting down more flights if the oil prices do not come down?
Reduction of fleet/ flights is a universal phenomenon when demand reduces due to high costs. United Airlines has recently ground one fifth of fleet. To recognise slowing of demand and taking measures to counter it is foresightedness which is what Spicejet has done.

Despite problems Airlines like Rynair and many other Low Cost Carriers in the world have managed to survive the competition. Can’t Indian players learn from them?
This clearly shows superiority of LCC model over the others. However, some revenue streams like car rentals, sale of alcohol, sale of lotteries etc. are either negligible or absent in India.

Aviation experts recommend more consolidation in the sector. Your comments?
Rationalisation of capacity commensurate with the demand is need of the day. Whether it will come from consolidation of self discipline is the question.

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).

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IIPM Campus
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IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
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The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
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domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
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It’s time to pump in more efforts

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

It’s time to pump in more efforts
UP needs to come up with new & better policies to boost investment
V. Ramachandran, Director, Sales & Marketing, LG Electronics India

"Ramachandran on why LG started off from Uttar Pradesh..."

We started out about ten years ago from Noida in Uttar Pradesh and at that point of time there weren’t any specific reasons to start operations from Noida. Only the fact that we wanted to be near Delhi and Greater Noida continues to be quite proximate from the airport.

Also at that time there was an easy availability of land in this region along with an access to quality manpower. These were some of the key reasons that prompted LG to kick off operations from Noida. And as the area was developing at that time, we were promised sales tax exemptions for the goods sold within UP for the coming ten years. But this holiday was cut short with the implementation of VAT.

There was a massive investment in the area by LG in the initial phases. However, what has been pouring, in the last couple of years, is just regular investment which is like routine wear and tear that needs to be made.

Apart from that there have been no incentives given by the government to boost Noida as the manufacturing hub for any kind of industry including LG. The major disadvantage of this place for LG is the fact that it is away from any sea port and as in the consumer durable industry most of the parts are imported; that is a big thumbs down and also shoots up the logistic costs.

However, LG hopes & expect that the state government would pump in more efforts to boost the growth of industries within the state & come up with newer & better policies in this regards specially in regards to a benefit in the income tax.

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).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
IIPM ranked No. 1 B-school in India- Zee Business Survey ...
IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Agnello Dias, National Creative Director, JWT

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

He is a balanced guy and has a calm mind. Especially in times of crisis, Ashwin’s an exceptional guy to have in the team, as he evaluates all the options in a very thought-out manner, before coming to any decision. I think his level of maturity is very high. He completely understands the wholistic advertising process and the complete marketing mix, as compared to any other creative person of his age. I think out of the complete body of work, his MRF campaign was truly wonderful.

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).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

The Specialist

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

He’s a valuable advisor to ambitious Indian businesses with global dreams. Meet Vishesh Chandiok, National Managing Partner, Grant Thornton India or should we call him the prized merchant of the great Indian dream...

Those traditional mahogany interiors, the plush couch, complete with leather upholstery and, of course, fine tobacco smoke circles wafting from the pipe, held carelessly between his lips. Simple and sober, yet exuding dollops of classic old world charm. That’s Vishesh Chandiok for you, National Managing Partner, Grant Thornton (GT), India.

Gordon Gekko, a character from the 1987 film Wall Street (that even won Michael Douglas an Oscar) said that “Money never sleeps” and Vishesh Chandiok, who specialises in helping his clients multiply their money and investments, agrees wholeheartedly: “You make money in this business by charging time, so work life balance is to some extent a fallacy.”

In the business of money, somebody wins and somebody loses, but for Vishesh and his firm Grant Thornton, the success of their clients is their success, as their firm has aligned its growth with the success of its 1200-odd active client base. As the fifth largest accountancy firm globally and one of the oldest in India, Grant Thornton claims to cover anything and everything under the entire advisory value chain. “It depends by service really, from an idea to compliance and possibly exit; or business plan to implementing that plan; or designing an India-entry strategy, if it’s a global company; we even do HR issues, like compensation structure and organisation design; or cross border transactions, including inward and outward M&As and helping a PE/VC firm identify an investee,” boasts the man at the helm of Grant Thornton’s Indian affairs.

So what differentiates GT from the once big eight, to now the big four global accounting and consulting firms (PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG). “We have no ambitions of wanting to be a part of that group. Our focus is quite different from the focus of those firms, which is to be the auditors of the top 1000 companies. Our focus is to concentrate on the mid-market segment,” explains Chandiok. Besides, GT’s focus clearly remains on privately-held businesses or promoter driven companies, where the promoters require solutions; it could be listed, it could be unlisted, very large firms, generally where promoters are actively involved in the management and where the requirement stems beyond merely the compliance requirement of audit. This is in stark contrast to other accounting firms that are present through the length and breadth of the industry. “Whatever market we specialise in, we remain the leading firm. So, if in India our key focus areas are technology, real estate and healthcare, we are the clear leader in real estate,” Chandiok points out.

As Indian businesses continue to realise their ambition to become global companies by scaling their operations, advisors too are raking in big money. The total deal value including M&A and Private Equity has reached $70.14 billion ($51.11 billion for M&As and $19.03 billion for PE) in 2007, as against $28.16 billion in the previous year. Consider PE investments only in India. From just 60 deals worth $1.1 billion in 2004, the number has reached a whopping 405 deals worth $19.03 billion in 2007. “Outbound acquisitions is one area where we have worked a lot. We were involved with some of the most high profile ones,” says Chandiok. These include the i-flex’s acquisition of Mantas, Subex acquisition of Azure systems, formula one acquisition by Vijay Mallya, just to name a few. But the jewel in GT’s crown is being ‘the most active nominated advisor (merchant banker)’ for companies looking to list at the Alternate Investment Market (AIM) platform on London Stock Exchange (LSE).

“AIM of the LSE is the best market to provide growth capital for early to mid stage companies,” feels Chandiok. Rather than assessing a company on the basis of its past performance, AIM values it on future potential. Moreover, the advantages of AIM are that it offers flexibility and has no minimum requirement; secondary issues are very clear and thus fund raising is much easier. “No doubt designed primarily for emerging or smaller companies, AIM is considerably the best, with balanced regulation and not loosely held, what many critics feel. Besides, it’s not cheap,” defends the ‘specialist’ when it comes to AIM listing’. There have been other successful growth markets KOSDAQ (Korea), SASDAQ (Singapore), TXSV (Toronto), GEM (Germany), but no one is close AIM. In 2007, as many as nine India centric companies were listed on AIM, raising a total of $846 million, as per a fact sheet by the London Stock Exchange. Some of these companies include UTV Motion Pictures, Dev Property Development, Evolvence India, Promethean India and Indian Film Company.

But what is that crucial element that GT looks for before associating with companies? “First and the foremost belief in management team; expertise in the sector, what they have done before in the same business or previous business and generally me and my collegeue who come from Grant Thornton UK, all of them have been very impressed with quality of management overall. Second thing that we look for is future potential, so immediate profits don’t matter,” he avers, adding that lastly, there must be a reason good enough, as to why they want to raise international equity. “Of course, we can also educate them about the positives of overseas listing,” he says.

“As a nominated advisor or a nomad (as it is known), GT sits on top of the head of a company and ensures proper functioning, in accordance with the rules and the regulation with various authorities,” says Chandiok with finality, adding that at the end of the day, if you want returns on investment, you need to be really on your toes all the time. Did someone say, making moolah was a cakewalk?

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).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

A well-kept secret unrevealed!

IIPM, GURGAON

Korea’s leading ad-agency is all set to take the Indian advertising industry by storm

“Cheil is the best kept secret of Indian advertising arena… but not for long!” points out a confident Prathap Suthan (with a smirk on his face), National Creative Director, Cheil Worldwide, South West Asia. Cheil Communications, grown under the shade of being an in-house agency of Samsung, has the potential to outshine many big names in the Indian adland. So what is it that has kept Cheil inside the shell for so long?

Cheil was conceived to help Samsung to flaunt its advertising campaigns, so in the beginning the agency just focused on Samsung. But of late there has been a lot of restructuring and new hiring going on in the agency. Pat (as he is fondly called) has been brought on board with an aim to expand the agency and equip it for future challenges. “Cheil is no longer just a Samsung based agency… Many clients are willing to come along with us, however I can’t reveal any names right now,” reveals Prathap. Even though Samsung still remains its hottest account, Cheil has some more exciting accounts & campaigns lined up for 2008.

Pat proclaims that Cheil is preparing itself for its new role very seriously. “Within six months, Cheil will be equipped to take on any agency in this country in terms of a pitch. We are ready to strike back with a vengeance,” he says. Ask him about the billings of the agency and the reply comes with a mysterious smile, “The figures will make all heads turn around in surprise. It is larger than many of the bigger agencies of this country.” This confidence is obviously backed by the agency’s outstanding global performance. It is South Korea’s largest advertising agency & grabbed 16th position in the global ranking by Advertising Age in 2006. Their consolidated billing for 2006 was $1,936 million. Cheil has kicked off numerous high-profile campaigns for Samsung Electronics, including the ‘Imagine’ branding campaign spanning across 80 countries. Some of its successful global campaigns include the Olympic Marketing campaign, Samsung brand campaign in Russia, Samsung ‘SangSaeng’ campaign et al. Some of its recognised campaigns in India include: ‘Har ghar mein khushi…Har ghar mein Samsung’, ‘Meri duniya mere phone ki nazar se’ etc.

Pat has no qualms in admitting that despite being an in-house agency, Cheil is at par with any of the ‘out-house’ agencies of India. Elaborating on this, Pat says, “It’s just a mental block. As an ad-man, you’ve to be convinced about your agency. My role is to ensure that this place becomes a very bright talented place.” He adds further, “I don’t want people to think that they are working for an in-house agency because then they would make them feel inferior. Rather I would say I’m not only superior to my counterparts but even superior to my clients; I lead my clients.” Undoubtedly, Pat resounds the confidence of an agency leading one of world’s largest consumer electronics maker – Samsung. And this confidence is reinforced when he says, “Cheil’s secret will soon be revealed and it will leave the veterans of advertising in amusement.” Sure Pat we will wait!

Edit bureau: Savreen Gadhoke

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).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Catch the stars when young!

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Now tweens offer prodigious potential for marketers in India

How many of us reading this article have grown up viewing the Boost commercials starring cricketers like Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar & Virendra Sehwag crooning the famous lines, ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’? Well, the answer is ‘most of us have!’ Even today there would only be a handful who would dare to resist the cup of steaming drink that promises to refresh, nourish & energise you after a hard day at work!

In an eon, where brands continuously keep tinkering with their tagline and brand ambassadors, Boost ever since its debut in 1974 in the Indian markets as a protégé of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has focused its brand communiqué consistently on the game of cricket, which has been the cornerstone of Boost’s brand promotions. In 1986 Kapil Dev was roped in as the brand ambassador for Boost and as a cricketer, Kapil was considered an icon by many. The baton was then passed to the baby-faced teenager, Sachin Tendulkar in 1989. The Little Master has since then remained steadfast in his support for Boost. He also roped in his opening partner Virendra Sehwag as brand ambassador in 2001, with millions going gaga over the on-screen chemistry between the opening duo. And in a nation where the game of cricket is a religion, GSK aptly identified cricket as the vehicle to boost the sale of Boost. Soumitra Karnik from J. Walter Thompson (the agency which has created many memorable commercials for Boost) proffers, “Being associated with the game of cricket has nothing to do with other sports such as tennis or hockey being inferior or anything of that sort. It is just that cricket as a sport is more followed than others in our country.”

Not wanting to stagnate in the market, from time to time, Boost has ‘boosted’ its presence in the market through product innovation & packaging. The ‘shrink-sleeved’ packaging was pioneered by Boost in the year 1999, for which Boost won the prestigious World Star award. When it comes to innovation, Boost is a front runner in the Health Food Drink (HFD) category. In November 2002, Boost came out with ‘Power Boosters’ – a concept which not only revolutionised the HFD category but also infused fresh life in Boost; the brand then captured the position of number one brown HFD.

Interestingly, Boost has never changed its tagline, ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’ (the most recalled ‘sign-off’ in its product segment) and has always restricted itself to a handful of stars. Karnik reasons, “Boost has always associated with top performers and it is difficult to have a copy of someone like Sachin Tendulkar and we have used individuals rather than the entire team in our campaigns.” Be it the promotional campaign for ICC World Cup 2003 or the unfurling of Choco Blast in 2006, Boost surely has a trick or two up its sleeves to capture the minds & souls of millions.

Having concertedly stuck to a single tagline and a well-conceived association with cricket and of course a great tasty product... it doesn’t take a lot to hit upon the secret to Boost’s energy.

The first & foremost reason is India’s demographics, which indicate that tweens form a major chunk of India’s population. According to Cartoon Network Generation Next report, 84% parents allow kids to accompany them while shopping. And just glance at their annual revenues – Rs.364 crore per year (pocket money + gift money)! Out of this, Rs.291 crore is spent, an impressive income-expenditure ratio. Naresh Gupta, National Head, Planning, Grey Worldwide, states, “Tween is the ‘make a category’ audience. They are the largest & most open group. They adopt new brands, new appeals willingly & live for the brand.”

Moreover, their growing interaction with technology & access to information makes them aware of brands much faster & response times are much lower. As Malini points out, “In changing India, parents realise that they may not have been exposed to things as much as their kids have and hence encourage and even rely on them to be an influencer in major household decision making.” Adds Titus Upputuru, Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, “Owing to their acquaintance with technology, they end up playing teacher/guru to their parents. Roles are changing....” The tween is also much more sensitised and responsive to brand ‘stimuli’ and media promotions. No wonder, these little stars are grabbing the eyeballs of marketers today.

Edit bureau: Pallavi Srivastava

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.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

If winter comes, so will spring...

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

How brands try and retain salience when they are hit by sluggish off season sales...

One fine day, Summer was relaxing. As she was about to take a sip from her chilled cola drink, there was incessant knocking on the door. Summer stretched lazily, yawned and shuffled to the door, but the moment the door was opened, she froze… well, it was Winter in all his white glory, eager to show his fury. This is no mythological story; it happens every year in India. With Winter’s bugle roaring loud, it’s not only Summer that loses her shine, but there are several others who confront a similar predicament.

Quite unmistakably, the ones who suffer the most during the winter months in any given year are the giants from the beverages space, more specifically Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Their state during the chilly season (which lasts for as many as 6 months – at least up north) is one of a complete blackout and the explanation comes easy in the sagging sales of their respective star products – Coke and Pepsi, in addition to other soft drinks (7UP, Slice, Dew, Mirinda, Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, et al) adorning their Indian portfolio.

In fact, every winter serves as a new challenge for these globally most recalled brands, when consumers virtually go into hibernation so far as taking a swig from cold drink bottles is concerned. Industry sources reveal that the winter season accounts for a microscopic 5-10% of the total sales of any given year for these beverage giants.

So, what’s the big problem, you ask? After all, given the number of years that they’ve been in business, the cola majors must have gotten used to it now. And if there’s a lean season, they more than make up for that during summers, right? Well, you’re partly right. Winter sales are not the main problem. The real issue is of ‘brand recall’ during the lean months and its potential impact.

Consider this, when people were blind folded and were made to drink Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola seperately, they were unable to differentiate between the two. Thus, as per customers, products of the two cola majors remain almost the same, and yet under normal circumstances, they are extremely loyal to their respective favourite drink brand (which could be either of the two). Clearly, since product attribute differentiation is virtually absent between the two drinks, it’s undoubtedly the brand that matters the most. And the fiery red & white of Coke and Pepsi’s bubbly blue are key factors that make the brand.

So the winter challenge before marketers at both Coca-Cola & PepsiCo is to maintain respective brand values at the same level that prevail during summers (when cola giants go over the top promoting their star brands via conventional and new approaches). So how do the two cola giants plan to get into the act in the winter of 2007? Corporate branding, that’s how! Seen Coca Cola’s ‘Little Drops of Joy’ campaign lately... well, the engaging communication serves to remind consumers (in the lean season) that Coca-Cola is around. Acclaimed advertising guru Prasoon Joshi explains the thought behind the campaign: “Coca-Cola in India just doesn’t quench thirst; it recharges one’s soul, for a moment, one drop at a time which is what we’ve tried to capture in the Manifesto.”

Venkatesh Kini, VP-Marketing, Coca-Cola India told 4ps-B&M, “We don’t have any particular branding strategy for any season, but of course we do select particular time periods for launching any product. So if we find some products are suitable for winter we will launch that and we will also promote them.”

In stark contrast, PepsiCo India is in a much better position , even in the lean season because of the synergies they can churn out with their snacks (Frito Lays) and juices (Tropicana) portfolio. PepsiCo even plans to cash in on the ongoing festive season with its gift packs, comprising an assortment of its carbonated drinks and snacks. While Coca-Cola has recently launched Minute Maid to add to its juices portfolio, they have virtually no presence in the snacks segment.

“We are going to launch lots of new products and some of them will be in this year itself. For all of them we will have different promotional campaigns. We will not necessarily go with a celebrity brand ambassador. because beverages or healthy products work more on word of mouth,” explains Kini.

What’s more, this winter sales saga is even relevant for the white goods and consumer durables sector.

Usually, the demand for compressor based products (air conditioners, et al) observes a significant decline and here too the guru mantra remains the same, to promote your brand as a whole via umbrella branding, varied product lines and channels (For the seasonal saga of white goods major Electrolux, read the box interview alongside).

However, the festival season (with its spate of discounts, offers and lucrative schemes), which lasts nearly till the end of the year, more than makes up for consumer durable majors like LG, Samsung, Whirlpool and Eletrolux. After all, these companies do derive almost 30-40% of their annual sales during the consumer rush in the season.

Nevertheless, winter may bring a little shadow in seasonal product categories, but once the ice age melts away, summer begins smiling again. Just a few months more to refuel their arsenal and come March-April, the marketing war breaks out once again... in full earnest!

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, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)