Is his current silence an omen?

Obama’s mysterious Asian policies seem more conspiratorial than what meets the eye. Is his current silence an omen? Sutanu Guru from India, Shahid Hussain from Pakistan, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Simon Shen from China, Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and more investigate expected future US policies towards Asia in this issue of B&E

For the next three decades or more, Obama will have to accept that Asia will clearly be the engine of economic growth of the entire world, the way Europe was in the 19th century and United States in the 20th century. Brow beating and bullying this Asia will simply not work. Preaching will not work. Double standards will definitely not work. What will work is the engagement and dialogue that Obama promises.

But many former American presidents have promised a new relationship with Asia; almost none has delivered. In recent times, John F. Kennedy promised a new era, but ended up delivering Vietnam and the post-Vietnam horrors in Cambodia where a mad man called Pol Pot butchered about one third of his countrymen. Jimmy Carter promised peace, but uncorked the genie of jihad in Afghanistan that eventually led to 9/11. Once upon a time, America was deeply popular in West Asia, particularly after it vehemently opposed the 1956 invasion of Egypt by Britain and France. Now it is so widely hated on the Arab street that it is difficult to imagine how Obama can recover lost ground.

But the worst record of America has been in spreading genuine democracy. Perhaps the only successful example of the United States nurturing a democracy is in post Second World War Japan. Perhaps that’s why a majority of Japanese have a measure of goodwill for America despite the unspeakable horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the rest of Asia, the United States of America has repeatedly propped up dictatorships in the name of fighting Communism, as it has done in even Africa and Latin America. In Indonesia, it propped up the corrupt and brutal General Suharto. In Philippines, it propped up Ferdinand Marcos. In South Korea, it supported a series of dictators. In Pakistan, it forged a strategic alliance with the military that continues till date. In Iran, it supported and propped up the Shah of Iran till the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Let the party begin...

With a rugged landscape, historical windmills, Cycladic architecture, powder-soft beaches and crystal clear waters – Mykonos is a picture of pure bliss tucked amidst the islands of Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. Renowned for its intense nightlife and beach bars, Mykonos is paradise for bar-hoppers and party lovers. The town also offers a treasure trove of natural beauty, rich history, cosmopolitan character and plenty of local colour... no wonder then that the streets are brimming with people all year round.

Get that holiday tan as you spend a lazy afternoon at the quaint beaches of Mykonos; or experience the adrenalin rush while you indulge in water sports or enjoy an evening with friends at one of the stylish beach pubs. Chora, the largest and the most popular town in Mykonos, is a delight for visitors. Little white houses with flowers, blue windows and doors, ancient churches, pigeon keepers, chimneys, hand-painted streets et al, make it a picture-postcard capital. The windmills, a trademark of the island, stand on a hill and can be seen from any point in the Chora village.

In Mykonos, do visit the Church of Paraportiani, a cluster of five churches built in a compact complex. One of the most photographed buildings, this majestic Byzantine church overlooks the sea. Enjoy a walk down the narrow labyrinth-like streets, taking in every detail of the impeccable architecture or visit the Enoplon Dynameon, one of the busiest streets of Mykonos that has the Archaeological museum. The little village, Ano Mera, is worth a visit too. Small, pretty and quiet, visit the monastery and the little church museum which was built in the 15th century. Hop on to a ferry for a day trip to the sacred island of Delos, considered to be the holiest island in ancient Greece.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

A walk in the wild...

Although Vatavaran, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival was not exactly that, it was nothing short of one either!!

Amidst the crowd of film festivals, fashion weeks and star-studded events, the quiet yet stimulating CMS Vatavaran, Environment & Wildlife Festival held in the capital was a one-of-a-kind event which did win quite an applause too. It often happens that amidst the popularity of the aggressively marketed commercial cinema and documentaries and much-hyped apparel showcasing, subjects like wildlife and environment, which need attention, get ignored. So this five-day long festival was organised with a purpose to provide a platform to those who have dedicated their lives to the survival of endangered species as well as those battling to give planet earth a longer life.

Being a wildlife enthusiast, when browsing through the schedule of events, I had picked my days of visit according to the screening of interesting wildlife films. And so there I was on the second day of the event, excited to watch some environment and wildlife documentaries. To my surprise, the event was not only meant to showcase films, but was also a large-scale attempt to create awareness regarding the two subjects. Immediately after registration, I made my way to the film-screening halls, which had back-to-back screenings of movies by filmmakers from around the world, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that a lot of Indian filmmakers figured in the list. While some movies lacked the ‘gripping factor’, others enthralled many an audience. A Norwegian filmmaker’s Saved by a Lioness, which told the story of the survival of a wildebeest and the perils that they face during The Great Migration, and also presented the beauty of wild Africa. There were other eye-opening films on environment, especially about the contamination of the Ganges and about the climatic effects of global warming, which were not only interesting but also managed to drive home a certain message. “Our only concern is to sensitise people about the reality of climatic changes and about the existence of endangered species.

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Let us work together for peace...

Though cultural and religious ties between India and Sri Lanka are very old, it was only until recently that both started developing good relations. An exclusive conversation with Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, senior Embassy official in India testified that Sri Lanka is more worried about India’s vulnerable relations with China and Pakistan than others. Some excerpts:

“5 things Sri Lanka appreciates about India...”

HARMONY IN RELATIONS: 30-40 years back, relations were limited to political contacts, religio-cultural tourism. Relations were also hindered by the ramifications of the ethnic conflict. But now there is harmony in the relationship with the political leadership of both countries staying in close contact. The relationship has also become multifaceted with increased trade, aviation links, tourism and people to people contact.

TRADE RELATIONS: It is very progressive. India and Sri Lanka were the first to initiate a Free Trade Agreement in the region. Trade volumes also went up from just $600 million to $3 billion. Many Indian MNCs have set up businesses in Sri Lanka in oil and lubricants, telecom, healthcare etc. Aviation has seen a sea change.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP: The relationship has also reached a level where top level political leadership does not need to go through cumbersome bureaucratic procedures. India’s political leadership directly contacts top level Sri Lankan political leadership bypassing bureaucratic channels today.

JOINT INITIATIVES AGAINST TERRORISM: Both the countries initiated many joint anti-terror initiatives. India provides training to around 1,500 members of the Sri Lankan armed forces annually, the largest foreign contingent. India has also provided a few naval vessels to the Sri Lankan navy.

“And the 5 things we dislike...”

SECURITY ISSUES: Though infiltration is not a big problem today as the LTTE is destroyed, it is possible that remnants of the LTTE may try to regroup using Tamil Nadu, with support of pro-LTTE elements there. Sri Lanka wants India to maintain a continuous vigil of its maritime borders.

INVOLVEMENT OF CHINA: The issue of China’s involvement in Sri Lanka is a sensitive issue in India. Media or academic think-tanks are slightly to blame as they often over-hype issues. For example, many analyse China’s investment in developing Hambantota Port as a step to use Sri Lanka against India. However, Sri Lanka’s position is that it will never allow a third party to use its territory against India. Its engagement with China is purely commercial in nature.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

They were ‘Constellations’ apart

With NASA under control, Obama has to now seize the opportunity

The Columbia disaster in 2003 (which also killed India-born astronaut Kalpana Chawla) was indeed the eye opener they needed, if at all they needed one. Post this incident, the then President George W. Bush suggested the use of Apollo like capsules and rockets (the program known as Constellation) instead of orbiter fleet for further space programs. Furthermore, his vision was to resend a man to the Moon by 2020 and then a man on Mars.

During his election campaign, even Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to this vision and further stressed on cumulative support for aeronautics and earth sciences. After assuming office, he enunciated, “We need to restore that sense of excitement and interest that existed around the space program,” (referring to the Cold War days). But a coordinated and definitive vision is still not outlined.

Obama has his own reasons. NASA requires $18 billion annually. The Constellation as advocated by Bush has to deal with technical hazards and an oversized budget. The program cannot be made operational right now; the expected delay is around three years. Also, Obama has to fight his way to be able to implement his own policies regarding NASA.

Before he took oath, Obama’s transition team went into loggerheads with the then NASA administrator Mike Griffin. Griffin did not cooperate with Lori Garver (head of the Space transition team). To protect the Constellation program, Griffin went to the extent of calling NASA vendors and asked them to openly support Constellation to the Obama team.

In July, Obama was successful in ousting Griffin and in placing Charles Frank Bolden, a retired Marine Corps Major General, to the position of new administrator of NASA. It is now imperative for the duo to bring out an objective vision plan and work on execution.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

A SWIFT STRATEGY!

the indian Automotive sector as a whole faced tremendous slowdown in demand but market leader Maruti Suzuki posted mind-boggling numbers. B&E Pawan chabra finds out what the company did differently in the last fiscal to achieve this feat
 
“In times of a slowdown, people do not prefer to take any risk. They prefer purchasing brands on which they have full trust, and in the automotive market, Maruti Suzuki comes on top on these grounds.” This is what Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director, Maruti Suzuki India had to say when asked how the company was able to post stupendous growth in the last fiscal and that too at a time when other auto companies were bleeding.

There is no denying that the Indian automotive industry has seen a slowdown in demand in the last fiscal, but the big daddy Maruti Suzuki, which sells every other car being sold in the country took everyone else by surprise by posting a mind-boggling revenue figure of Rs.20.85 billion for FY09, registering an increase of 16% in the bargain. Despite a 30% dip, Suzuki also posted a cool Rs.12.2 billion net profit, way better than its counterparts.

Maruti Suzuki was quick to identify the effects of slowdown in urban India. “We saw the slowdown hitting urban demand much before others did. So we immediately decided to expand our presence in the rural areas,” avers Nakanishi. The company’s expansion into the rural and the semi-urban areas helped the company to steer successfully from the slowdown blues. “The company bagged a 9% contribution from sales in the rural areas for FY09, which used to be around 3.5-4% till last year,” says Nakanishi. In fact, the decision also made a lot of strategic sense when estimates show that only 19 out of 1,000 people in rural areas own a personal mode of transportation, which leaves very little space for wondering why experts do not label rural areas with very high potential. Maruti Suzuki surely cashed in on this opportunity, but what does the company plan to do going forward with its rural dream?

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

India’s 100 MOST profitable companies

Outliers! 

Outliers! When Malcolm Gladwell released his book last November, he did not expect it to debut at the number one position on the New York Times bestseller lists. It did, and did better – Outliers made the “10,000 hour rule” common parlance in business circles, at least in the West. Gladwell compared case studies of various successful and not-so-successful lads and hypothesized that the most critical success factor to surpass in any area was simply practising a particular task for around 10,000 hours. That’s three to four years, in normal circumstances. You could buy that argument when it comes to analyzing individual performance, but businesses? We suspect that’s another ball game altogether.

But Gladwell’s premise surely throws up a correlation in business that forwards the supposition that the more a corporation perseveres in a particular area/function/location/market, the more the probability of the entity’s success. Or the older an organization is, the better its performance.

We ran the test on B&E Power 100’s top ten companies. Leave two companies (Bharti Airtel, rank 5, set up in 1995; Reliance Communication, rank 9, set up in 2004), all other companies are a quarter of a century to two centuries old – from the youngest Infosys (rank 7, 28 years old) to SAIL (#6, 55 years) to Tata Steel (#8, 102 years old) to State Bank of India (#3, 203 years old), Gladwell’s rule, albeit moderated to suit us, seems to be rocking business proficiency too well.

You can shout – we did too – what about the Googles, the fresh-off-the-blocks who can beat the world at the blink of an eye? Exceptions, dear, exceptions do exist even in well tested homogenous statistical groups, and technically, those exceptions are called outliers...

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Business tycoon to the paan waala

from the ceo to the office boy, from the business tycoon to the paan waala, from urban to rural; mobile handsets have travelled a great distance in india, and so has nokia. but thanks to the latest twists in the tale, nokia may need to adapt quite a bit very soon

Little wonder that Nokia phones are available across almost 2 lakh outlets in India, and span from telecom outlets to watch stores, even local kirana outlets. This Finnish mobile giant realised that focusing only on urban Indian consumers would not help it realise the vision that it had set for itself. Hence it made a conscious effort to reach out to the rural consumer through micro financing options. Nokia vans visit tier 3 & 4 cities and villages to demystify the use of mobile technology and also gain business. As a result of these endeavours, Nokia today has a retail point within every 5 km, or for every 20 sq. km. And with over 400 million subscribers already in the market, Nokia commands a formidable 64% share.

However, it would not be wrong to say that Nokia’s best times are now behind it in India. Mobile phone penetration is reaching its zenith, and growth rates are expected to head downwards in a few years. Also, players like Samsung, ZTE and other branded and unbranded players have developed strong entry level portfolios and have already started to snatch some share from it. It is visible when you see that Nokia used to have a market share of over 75% till a few years back. Another concern could be the smartphone segment. With 3G making inroads in the country, a sudden surge is anticipated in smart phones. Globally too, Nokia is not very strong in this category with players like Apple iPhone, research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Palm ruling the roost, but the company believes that its latest offering N 97, could spring a surprise. Unfortunately, global markets haven’t agreed so far. It is the first device that comes in with Nokia’s application software Ovi (meaning door in Finnish) pre-loaded, so its progress will be interesting to watch. That brings us to the next big challenge. As mobile phone growth slows down, Nokia will have to now rely on the power of its software more and more in order to drive revenue growth in the future. So Ovi could play a major role. But here too, it will have to compete with Apple’s App Store (which has a much wider portfolio of offerings), as applications could increasingly become a major factor of consideration for people buying cell phones. ‘Connecting people’ sure isn’t like it used to be!

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

“ We invested before time”

B&E: What factors have worked for you in India?

VT: We have been in the Indian market for 14 years now, and believe that our foresight and belief in the country and commitment to the telecom market, along with work with the government have helped grow the telecom industry. Nokia devices today straddle a comprehensive range of products at every price point for all segments. India is not only its second largest market globally, but is also one of the only three countries, where Nokia has an end-to-end presence, including a manufacturing unit, R&D centres and over 10,000 employees.

B&E: What strategy did you adopt in the initial days to help you penetrate the Indian market?

VT: Nokia had a holistic approach towards developing the market and growing its consumer base. Our strategy has hence been focused on investing before time, understanding different consumer needs, building a strong product portfolio that caters to all segments of the market and making our products and services relevant to the Indian market. We were the first to invest in setting up a robust distribution network, to understand the potential of having an effective after sales network. Today, our reach and scale is amongst the best in consumer durable industry, let alone handset industry. Nokia has 1,90,000 outlets and a retail point for every 20 sq. km and 800+ centers across 400+ cities.

B&E: What, according to you, are the biggest strengths for Nokia India ?

VT: One of our greatest strengths has been our power to localise our products and services. In India we have used our understanding of the Indian consumer to create handsets, applications and services that answer the needs of the consumer and deliver value.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

“We will use the pug and zoozoos selectively”

Anuradha Aggarwal clarifies Vodafone’s stand on many issues, from Zoozoos to IPL to the new ad... Here’s the 4Ps B&M marketing interview

Among the many reasons behind the popularity of Vodafone in India and its ability to continuously retain its position among the top three telecom players in the market, its consistent focus on advertising it right stands tall. With the launch of eight ad films spanning three different campaigns in less than three months, Vodafone is asserting itself in the advertising world with renewed vigour. It has developed several innovative and interesting themes for its ads, and has never really hesitated to reinvent the wheel. In its latest campaign this year, it is making a departure from its popular Zoozoo campaign and experimenting with a new method of storytelling. The strategic brain behind the change is Anuradha Aggarwal, Senior Vice President, Brand & Consumer Insights, Vodafone. She tells us about the reviews and the feedback that the company has received and its marketing plans for 2012.

What is your marketing budget for the network ad campaign launched in February this year and what percentage of it has been kept aside for running the TVCs? What media mix are you following for the campaign? Also, how are you planning to take the campaign forward from here on?
We are using the entire spectrum for this campaign, which is spread across print, TV, online and outdoor. The campaign, as you are aware, has been created by Ogilvy & Mather. It includes three TVCs that are communicating ‘Instant Connections’, ‘Voice Clarity’ and ‘Uninterrupted Conversations’ on our network. We would not like to discuss our budgets allocations within our mix. Suffice it to say that we always optimise our budgets as against the value we desire from our investment.

What are your marketing plans for year 2012 and where does this campaign fit in it?
The adorable pug Cheeka is back in a series of television commercials promoting ‘Instant Connections’, ‘Voice Clarity’ and ‘Uninterrupted Conversations’ on our network. The new communication campaign is to reinforce the belief that Vodafone offers a superior network. Additionally, we also came up with the “Blackberry Boys Campaign” to coincide with the Asia Cup. At present, we are focussing on the IPL.

How important is the IPL in your scheme of things?
In a cricket crazy nation, IPL is definitely a platform that guarantees targeted eyeballs. At Vodafone, we plan all our campaigns in a manner that they reach out to maximum people as well as resonate in the consumer’s mind. Our aggressive advertising during the ongoing IPL explains how critical it is for us.

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

They came, we saw and everybody reviewed!

An Ad is a product of painstaking craftsmanship. Various elements, ranging from positioning of the product, clarity of the idea behind the product to visibility of the brand, its persona and the power of communication have to be intelligently weaved together. But while some Ads manage to rewrite preset creative benchmarks, some go the wrong way, fall by the side & fail to excite viewers. In this section, we review three Ads that came out tops, for the right and the wrong reasons this fortnight.

The axe defect [...YAWN...]

Advertiser: HUL
Baseline: Find VJ Jose
Agency: NA

4Ps B&M Take: When you are bringing in a series of ads that are supposed to create and build excitement around a product launch, the key idea is to keep the audience involved and eager to know what’s going to happen next. While the term “The Axe Effect” is worth its place in the league of iconic taglines, the current series of ads by Axe about MTV VJ Jose’s kidnapping seems to have run the mile and come off quite worse on our parameters. Yes, the series did start reasonably well, when it was reported in a newslike fashion that MTV VJ Jose had been kidnapped. With MTV too dedicating a page on its website titled ‘Save Jose’, most of the audience could have been forgiven for believing that the so-called kidnapping was actually real (it actually did look considerably real). Consider how the responses would have changed, when the next ad in the series claimed that VJ Jose had been kidnapped by a gang of women whose demands were not yet known. Subsequently, it was revealed that the attackers were demanding that Axe should launch its shower gel in India. At this point, the ad-series becomes quite predictably a been-there-seen-that bore. The ‘kidnappers’ release videos of Jose getting ‘tortured’ with food, paintball guns, a knife, et al (all videos end with the kidnappers bathing him with Axe Shower Gel); the Axe top brass is shown saying that launching the gel is dangerous for Indian men as it is known to evoke reactions in women that are bordering on the vicious and violent; Roadies’ host Rannvijay is shown convincing the top management to launch the gel. Yada, yada, yada... Axe obviously would get brand recall wherever its name is used; but levity, creativity, cinematography, are all quite dismal. One can’t wait for the series to get over. Literally.
 

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

The internet age

A. K. Ghosh of JK Paper expresses optimism on the demand for digital printing and anytime anywhere printing in the internet age

While branding might be the next wave in the industry, how important do you feel is R&D? What is JK Paper’s expenditure on R&D activities?
Product development and branding initiatives depend on how we invest in technology and R&D. JK Copier’s status as the largest selling office paper is not just by chance but because of our R&D efforts over the years. Digital printing devices will require very high quality papers and therefore a technology compliant brand will be in high demand. JK Paper has joined the select league of the 10 world paper majors who have introduced Hewlett Packard’s path-breaking ColorLok technology. In fact, JK Paper is the first & only paper company in India to introduce ColorLok technology. It not only dramatically improves print results but also plays a very important role in saving the environment. Using ColorLok papers increases the operating life of printers by around 40-60%, hence reducing needless e-waste.

While the world moves towards the digital age, where do you see the paper industry headed?
Given our level of development and per capita use of paper, moving towards the digital age will actually help the growth of the industry at least in the near term. Having said this, I will like to caution that while this may be the aggregate picture, there are bound to be significant variations between the different segments.

For example, demand for paper from digital printing is on a sharp rise and this would mean a sharp rise in demand for high quality office papers. We are also likely to see demand for ‘green’ papers to rise or environmental friendly paper that will help increasing life of printing devices, enabling lower cost per print page and better ROI for customers. The introduction of smart phones and tablets will actually enhance the need to print anytime and from anywhere through wireless devices. The launch of SkyRoom by HP in North America & Europe has already triggered the need for more printing. The industry will also, as I observed earlier, go for modern technology that saves on resources like water and energy and this in turn would mean a better quality paper as well.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

RAINWATER: HARVESTING

The biggest issue of this century will be preservation of water
 

BBC predicts water wars to happen in the near future while in West Africa, Ganges-Brahmaputra belt, and in Peru there already seems to be a huge risk of violent conflict. David Zhang, a geographer at Hong Kong University, had analysed 8,000 wars over 500 years and concluded that water shortage had played a far greater role as a catalyst in these wars than previously supposed. It’s a wonder today that nations have not yet declared diplomatic wars.

On the positive side, as UN Water comments, “The world’s six billion people are appropriating 54 percent of all the accessible freshwater contained in rivers, lakes and underground aquifers.” That means that there is still a huge scope for optimal sourcing of freshwater. But as in the case of food, there has to be a globally coordinated effort to fight water scarcity. Though UN Water is a body focused on the issue (they have good policy papers), yet the organisation has still not even identified strategic issues and priorities. What’re they waiting for? Ice Age 4?

Read more..... 

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

 

Stung by tourism

Joining the list of species affected by man, stingrays bear the brunt of underwater tourism

During my vacation in Maldives some years ago, I would eagerly wait for the evening to feed, touch and watch the stingrays swimming in the shallow sandy waters. Although I had heard of the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, Steve Irwin’s death caused by a stingray sting, I still waded through the water without the slightest of fear! As it turns out, there aren’t just a handful of enthusiasts like me, but several yearning to get close to these usually docile fishes. The ‘Stingray City’ at Cayman Islands has been in much controversy lately, due to a research conducted by Simon Fraser University, Canada, which indicates that human interaction with the stingrays is turning out to be injurious to these aquatic animals.

The Grand Cayman Sandbank is known for its population of stingrays, which also happens to be the reason of it being swarmed with up to 2500 visitors at one time. Apart from enjoying a look at these aquatic animals, tourists also shell out a handsome amount to feed and swim with the stingrays, which in turn is affecting their immune system and making them vulnerable to diseases. There’s no doubt that these creatures evoke people’s curiosity and therefore, also enable places like Cayman Islands mint some money through tourism. But researches reveal that crowded conditions give birth to parasites, which cause health problems in stingrays and reduce their longevity and reproduction rate. Unhealthy stingrays are also rather unsightly and can affect tourism. “It comes as no surprise that stingrays are being affected due to contact with humans, and that’s because people don’t just watch them. The stingrays are captured in a confinement and fed with squids etc., which are not their usual meal,” says Upasna Khanna, an ecologist. She adds, “In the past, dolphins and penguins, which came in close contact with people for long durations have also been affected.”

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

The Dalit gambit

Meira Kumar’s elevation as Speaker is the Congress’s first major offensive to retake the Dalit vote.

When Meira Kumar left the Congress in a huff nine years ago for a very short freelance stint and returned after promises made by Sonia Gandhi, she could scarcely believe that the Congress president would keep her words in such grand style.

Her elevation as Speaker of the Lok Sabha recently could be rightly considered Sonia’s first deft move to get back the estranged Dalit vote bank and would be seen to be particularly helpful in the case of Bihar where Meira’s father Jagjivan Ram once constituted the Dalit bulwark of the Congress party.

Meira’s estrangement with the Congress began in 2000, reportedly at the instigation of Sitaram Kesri. Kesri seems to have sensed Meira’s dark mood. According to party insiders, she was considered as close to Kesri, a fact not unknown to Sonia. The fact was that Jagjivan Ram’s high profile daughter was sidelined in party affairs because Congress had all but forgotten Ram’s contribution to strengthening its great rainbow coalition. Things reached such a pass that the Congress party was unwilling to accommodate her demand of declaring 10 Krishna Menon marg as a Smarak or memorial in memory of her legendary ‘Babuji’. It took then a BJP Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to do the honours. But Sonia Gandhi was keen to make amends. Veteran Bhajan Lal – once a foot solider of her father – was deputed to woo her back. Meira was positively reassured when she talked directly to Sonia herself. Her return then was a question of detail.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)