Thought of the Day

“Try to make at least one person happy every day,

and then in ten years you may have made

three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy,

or brightened a small town by your contribution

to the fund of general enjoyment.”

Branding strategy of Fair and Lovely

“With the consumers brand is also growing,

With the modernization of consumer, brand is also modernizing,

With the transformation of women, brand is also transforming with their changing needs.”

The tube of Fair and lovely has its presence in many homes whether they are rich or poor, rural or urban. It is the favorite of women of different age groups ranging from college going girls (even school girls) to older women. Fair and Lovely has dominated the market for long period of time and nowadays also it is doing pretty well despite the increased competition both from domestic and international brands. All this is because of loyal customer base it has created through great marketing efforts of the company. With a pack of Fair and Lovely, the company doesn't only sell the product but also hopes.

SUCCESS STORY OF BRAND

The success of a brand depends on various factors such as right product at right time to right consumers with right marketing efforts. There were various advantages for Fair and lovely such as, it has backing by strong company like HUL, which is always considered to be acumen of marketing. Furthermore, it was first product to be launched of this kind in India.  This Brand also focuses on a specially designed marketing drive for villages.

Business Quiz

1. Which iconic pen is advertised as ‘the signature pen’?

1. Cartear
2. Sheaffer
3. Parker
4. Hero                                                                                                  

2. To which stable does Nature Fresh atta belong to?

1. Cargill Foods
2. General Mills
3. Carlson Companies
4. Dairy Queen                                                                                       

3. What is called G – Whiz in London?

1. Indica
2. Maruti 800
3. Reva
4. Kinetic Honda                                                                     

4. The soap Jasmine is from which company?

1. Wipro
2. Mysore Sandal
3. Godrej
4. Unilever                                                                                   

5. Larry Ellison is the boss here

1. Dell
2. Sap Labs
3. Microsoft
4. Oracle   

Thought of the Day

“Even if you are a minority of one,

the truth is the truth.”

Jaypee Greens scouts for creative partner

The real-estate arm of Jaiprakash Associates plans to appoint a creative agency for its yet-to-be launched residential project in Noida. The multi-agency pitch is currently underway in Delhi.

Jaypee Greens, the real estate division of Jaiprakash Associates, is on the lookout for a creative partner for its yet-to-be launched residential project in Noida. The multi-agency pitch is currently underway in Delhi.

While the size of the business could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, it is said to be substantially high. A senior executive who confirmed the news to afaqs! on grounds of anonymity says, "We are always looking for the best creative solutions and have met select few agencies for the pitch." In October 2011, Rajesh Aggarwal and Gullu Sen-promoted From Here on Communications had won the creative as well as media duties for Jaypee Greens. The agency won the business sans any pitch, based on its understanding of the category. Earlier, Dentsu managed the account. For the record, Jaypee Greens is the real estate business division of Jaiprakash Associates, the flagship company of the Jaypee Group. The company, which has already launched three real estate projects - Jaypee Greens (Noida and Greater Noida, respectively) and Sports City, which is located near the Formula 1 racing track, plans to launch a few more projects in the future.

Business Quiz

1. The premium brands like Versace and Valentino will be soon launched under which watch makers brand name?

1. HMT
2. Titan
3. Timex
4. UCB                                                                                     

2. Kiwi shoe polish and Brylcreem is associated with which company?

1. TTK Healthcare
2. HLL
3. U B Group
4. P&G                                                                                                  

3. Voyager is a brand from which automobile company?

1. Tata
2. Ford
3. Fiat
4. Mahindra                                                                                        

4. Formula 1 are the hotels from which company?

1. ITC
2. Accor
3. Balaji Group
4. Taj Hotels                                                                                   

5. What was the earlier name of Windows Vista?

1. Chicago
2. Memphis
3. Detroit
4. Longhorn                  

Thought of the Day

 “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A FREE PAYDAY LOAN

What is a free payday loan?

A free payday loan is an interest-free loan granted to first time customers as long as they are able to repay the loan amount in full on the payday following the release of the loan. The loaned amount is charged against the borrower’s paycheck. Interest charges apply on the succeeding loans.

How much is the interest charged on the loan?

Interest rate varies, depending on the amount of loan and the agreement or considerations set by payday lenders. On the average, though, for every $100 loan amount borrowed, you will be charged anywhere in the range of $10-$30.

What is the term of payment?

The term of payment is two weeks from the time the loan amount was granted or released, or the next payday after the loan release.

What are the requirements to avail the free payday loan?

There are no requirements other than your paycheck and an accomplished prescribed application form. In order to qualify, though, you must be of legal age, at least 18 years old and above, and you must be employed with steady income.

Finance Glossary

A/R : A/R is the monies due to the company for goods sold or services rendered for which payment has not yet been received

CIP : CIP is the abbreviation for continuous improvement plan, a set of activities designed to bring gradual, but continual improvement to a process through constant review.

H₁ & H₂ : H1 is a shorthand expression for the first half of a company's fiscal year. For a fiscal year that starts in January, H1 is January through June. The US Government's fiscal year starts in October, so H1 there refers to October through March. H2 is a shorthand expression for the second half of a company's fiscal year. For a fiscal year that starts in January, H2 is July through December. The US Government's fiscal year starts in October, so H2 there refers to April through September.

Business Quiz

1. Who replaced Arun Sarin as CEO of Vodafone on 29^th July, 2008?

1. Victor Colasso
2. Sandy Michael
3. Vittorio Colao
4. Patrik Gunter                                                                      

2. Which sportsman will endorse Fly brand of phones from Meridian Mobile?

1. Robin Uthappa
2. Virendra Sehwag
3. Ishan Sharma
4. Zaheer Khan                                                            

3. Adidas has come soon with new apparel and accessories collection named after which tennis star?

1. Sania Mirza
2. Leander Paes
3. Mahesh Bhupati
4. Prakash Amritraj                                                     

4. What is the title of the study conducted by Ernst and Young on the rise of small town India including key urban towns?

1. The URBRAL Effect
2. Little India
3. The Dhoni Effect
4. Role Reversal                                                                         

5. Along with whom did Target Corporation launch a programme called ‘start something’ to guide students set life goals?

1. Tiger Woods
2. Roger Federer
3. Thiery Henry
4. Rahul Dravid           

Thought of the Day

“Carry out a random act of kindness,

with no expectation of reward,

safe in the knowledge that one day

someone might do the same for you.”

Thought of the Day

" Everything is possible the moment you believe and realize that you can. Everything remains impossible as long as you believe that you can't."

Branding Strategy of Maggi Noodles

Whose product is Maggi?  Nestle

Nestle:

-Swiss Company founded in 1866 by Henri Nestle

-Main focus: Great taste + Health, nutrition and wellness

Maggi: 

-Nestlé unleashed Maggi in India in 1982

-First Maggi (2-minute noodles) variants in India: Masala, tomato and chicken flavors

-Nestle’s iconic brand

-Flagship culinary brand in India as well as globally

Nestlé India Ltd. (NIL), the Indian subsidiary of the global FMCG major, Nestlé SA, introduced the Maggi brand in India in 1982, with its launch of Maggi 2 Minute Noodles, an instant noodles product.Maggi launched in India at a time when the instant noodles market was not a popular one. Nestle launched Maggi in India with the tagline: ‘Fast to cook and good to eat’ i.e. they focused on Convenience and Health.

Indian Consumer: The Indian consumer was on a lookout for a product that would provide quality food and was also convenient at the same time. Maggi recognised this need and thought of a ‘fast relief from hunger’ product.

In a fast growing India, where women were no more just home makers but professionals helping their spouses to run their households, cooking food was an important issue. Therefore, initially maggi 2-minute noodles targetting the women. But the sales was not picking up despite heavy Media Advertising. Indian consumers were rather conservative in their food habits, preferring to eat traditional Indian dishes rather than canned or packaged food. They realised that the Indian consumer was still orthodox and believed in traditional home made Indian food, they conducted market surverys. They found that it was the chidren who enjoyed the taste of maggi more than women. They shifted their focus on children and their mothers.

Maggi realised that children love eating fast food and by associating Maggi with ‘fast relief from hunger’ they created an impression of ‘fast food’ and targetted the children.

With the launch of Maggi noodles, Nestle India Ltd. Created an entirely new food category: instant noodles. NIL had the first-mover advantage which helped it retain leadership in the instant noodles category for a long time.

In the early 80s Maggi was positioned as a quick to cook noodles. The tagline used was “Fast to Cook. Good to Eat”. The same theme continued in the 90s as well, but the communication was a little different. In the 90s the communication changed from the kids coming home hungry and asking their mother for something, to the kids saying that they were hungry and they wanted Maggi quickly. This emphasized the brand’s popularity, and also reflected on the role children played in influencing buying decisions (subtly). In the year 2006, Nestle began rebranding itself as a Health and Wellness company. In line with this, Maggi products were promoted with the tagline “Taste bhi, Health bhi”.

Positioning: Maggi positioned itself as ‘the 2-minute noodles.’ Consumers still associate maggi with ‘Easy to cook and good to eat.’

Problems maggi faced: The biggest problem faced by maggi in India was the Indian psyche: Traditional Indian food was still a pscyhological barriers in India. The idea of instant food or fast food was not acceptable as much as it is today.

Strategies: ‘taste bhi health bhi’: reinforcing their focus on health and getting in a new angle to 2-mintue maggi: taste!!

In its branding campaign, the company promoted their brand by sponsoring many kids’ events. Also it spent huge amount on electronic and print media advertising. Consumers have an emotional bond with the product. On several occasions company does aggressive marketing by providing free samples of the product. 

Promotions:

They promoted the product by:

-Distributing free samples

-Various sizes of maggi: 50 gms, 100 gms, 200 gms, etc.

-Giving gifts on return on empty packets

-Dry sampling (distributing maggi packets) and wet sampling (distributing cooked maggi)

-Effective tagline communication

Taglines:

After realising its TG (Target Group) was young children and their mothers, maggi came up with the tagline:

a. Mummy bhook lagi hai

b. Bas 2 minute

c. Fast to cook, good to eat

Convenient product-> Mothers (fast to cook)

Fun product-> Children (good to eat)

That’s how they came up with their tag line: ‘Fast to cook, good to eat’

d. Health bhi taste bhi

Maggi Aata Noodles: In an effort to maintain its growth in Indian market, Maggi has launched many products like Maggi Vegetable Atta Noodles, Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles. It recently added Maggi Dal Atta Noodles in its product portfolio targeting health conscious people. This was recently followed with the Rice Noodles.

Brand Extensions: Over the years, NIL extended the Maggi brand to a variety of culinary products like soups, sauces and ketchups, and cooking aids among others. Later Nestle also forayed into other food segments like pickles, using the Maggi brand, but it was unsuccessful and the products were dumped. Maggi also introduced a range of pastas in the year 2009 to complement the consumers need for variety in snack foods.

Tech Mahindra inaugurates 6th SEZ facility at Noidaet

Tech Mahindra, a global systems integrator and business transformation consulting service firm inaugurated its 6th special economic zone (SEZ) facility at Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Spread over 2.5 acres of land, this facility was inaugurated by the chairman of Tech Mahindra, Anand Mahindra. This is the 10th Joint SEZ with Mahindra Satyam. The state of art delivery centre with more than 2000 work space and close to 120 training spaces is an addition to the list of infrastructure the company owns.

The new SEZ campus was set up at a cost of around Rs 100 crore and has been designed as per global standards on fire protection, physical security and utility services by implementing integrated building management system (IBMS). The centre is also well connected by road and has proximity to amenities like hospital and convenience centers.

The campus entails a fine balance of cutting edge technology and healthy eco system and is well equipped with an in-house gymnasium for the associates, round the clock cafeteria and interesting court yards and open space, encouraging high level of networking and interaction among the associates.

The Top 10 Marketing Tips (of All Time)

With more than a decade of experience in marketing, ranking from pay-per-click to direct mail, I’ve seen a lot of failures and far more successes when it comes to marketing.

Today, the art of marketing is far more complex than it once was. However, many of the same basic principles still apply. Too often, professional marketers and small business owners overlook the basic techniques that have separated successful campaigns from those that never turn a profit. Here is my all time list of effective marketing tips.

1. Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.

2. Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.

3. Split test. Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.

4. Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.

Thought of the Day

“We are each of us angels with only one wing,
to fly we need only embrace each other.”

Google buys Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion

Google has announced its acquisition of Motorola's mobile arm for 12.5 billion dollars, few days after the Internet search received approval from the Chinese government

Google co-founder Larry Page confirmed in a blog post that the deal has now closed

"Motorola is a great American tech company that has driven the mobile revolution, with a track record of over 80 years of innovation, including the creation of the first cell phone," Page wrote

"We all remember Motorola's StarTAC, which at the time seemed tiny and showed the real potential of these devices. And as a company who made a big, early bet on Android, Motorola has become an incredibly valuable partner to Google," he added

According to The Telegraph, the deal helps Page, the push the web company needs to better compete with Apple's iPhone and gain more clout for its Android software as it expands in the hardware business

Tax sops for non-profit bodies may go

The government might tighten rules and take away tax privileges provided to non-profit organizations, following the suggestions of the White Paper on Black Money tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The paper has noted that fiscal and regulatory privileges provided to non-profit and cooperative organizations have become a source for tax evaders to camouflage their earnings.

The income, subject to various conditions, is treated differently for taxation purposes as compared to privately owned profit-oriented companies. "This creates an incentive for potential evaders to camouflage their concerns as non-profitable, charitable or cooperative," the paper notes. The only tangible solution, according to the paper, is to reduce the tax concessions provided to these organizations while subjecting them to a stricter regulatory regime.

However, the paper has also pointed out a glitch in implementing such a strategy. As most non-profit enterprises are working in the area of social welfare, any regulation may be seen as government opposition to such endeavors, hampering public opinion and hindering political consensus.


"This is somewhat a complex issue that may easily evoke strong emotional responses and can be implemented only after a large consensus is reached within society," the paper notes.

Thought of the Day

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. 

Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. "

India's economic growth to quicken in 2013 - OECD

PARIS (Reuters) - India's economic growth is likely to rise to more than 7.5 percent in calendar year 2013 but continued government policy uncertainty could erode the country's longer-term growth prospects, the OECD said on Tuesday.
A cyclical upturn in investment, stronger external demand and the effects of recent monetary easing will boost growth, the report said, although it warned that high inflation would dampen the investment climate.
The prediction of higher growth in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's outlook report should cheer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government - which has faced an avalanche of criticism over how it has run Asia's third-largest economy and its scant progress making key reforms.
The upbeat OECD forecast stood in stark contrast to the pessimistic view offered on Monday by Morgan Stanley, which cut its growth forecasts for India, citing a high budget deficit and slowing private investment. It said it now expected the economy to grow by 6.8 percent, instead of 7.5 percent, in 2013.
Standard & Poor's rating agency cut its outlook for India's credit rating to negative from stable in April, reflecting worries about high deficits and political paralysis that has stalled progress on major economic reforms.
India's economic growth slowed to 6.1 percent in the three months to December, the weakest annual pace in almost three years, while the rupee slumped to record lows against the dollar on Tuesday.
"A moderate cyclical pick-up in investment is projected in the near term," the OECD said. "Later this year and into the next, growth is set to pick up to around trend rates, supported by the delayed effects of the recent monetary policy easing."

Vodafone May Buy Piramal Stake If No IPO Soon

Mumbai – Vodafone Group PLC Tuesday said it will pay India’s Piramal Healthcare Ltd. between 70 billion rupees ($1.27 billion) and 83 billion rupees ($1.51 billion) for its about 11% stake in Vodafone India Ltd if it fails to make its initial public offering with in two years’ time.

The British company will need to make the payment if it fails to list the Indian unit by Aug. 18, 2013 or Feb. 8, 2014, or if Piramal Healthcare decides not to participate in its public offering, Vodafone said. Piramal Healthcare had bought an initial 5.5% stake in Vodafone India for 28.56 billion rupees in August 2011 and another 5.5% stake for about 30.07 rupees billion in February 2012.

At the time, Piramal Healthcare Chairman Ajay Piramal told reporters the company expects a 17%-20% annual return from its investment. Vodafone sold the stake to Piramal Healthcare to likely comply with local rules that don’t allow foreign firms to own more than a 74% stake in Indian telecommunications ventures. The British firm had earlier bought out its local partner’s 33% stake in Vodafone India. Vodafone Group’s current direct shareholding in Vodafone India is 64.4%.

Telecom Industry: From Product- Selling to Service- marketing and beyond

Telecom industry has come a long way. Gone are the days when a one minute call would cost Rs. 16/-. Gone are the days when SMS was considered a addon only for the educated class. Gone are the days when GPRS was a service hardly anyone knew. And, gone are the days when service was considered merely a 7 letter 'vestigial' word in the telecom sector.

Technology has induced such a transition. Mobile phones were considered to be a luxury of only a select few in the society. Now, it is more than a necessity for the 'common man'. Now, I guess, the common man is falling short of pockets to carry his phone. Need-Gap analysis for the textile industry, maybe. But, on a serious note, the fixed line sector (landline) is going through a decline phase and has rightly adopted the milking strategy till they reach their destined exit. That’s how big a part technology has played in the mode of communication. But thats just the tip of an iceberg. Technology has improved the quality of data / voice, improvement of cell phone handsets, upgraded cell towers, picocells, femtocells, 3G, 4G, WiMAX, LTE etc.  From an end-user point of view, we are in for exciting times.

The industry, as on today, is divided to 3 sub-sectors / verticals, which are mutually exclusive, yet cannot survive without the other two. Those 3 verticals are the cell phone manufacturers, service providers and the VAS (Value Added Service) vertical. When the telecom sector was in its introduction stage, there were only 2 verticals: Cell Phone and Service provider. To interact with a person wirelessly, you needed a phone as well as a SIM card. The product was basic and services were few.  The case is entirely different now. Cell phones are more than what it was intended to be. We have cell phones doubling up as audio recorder / player, high quality video player / recorder, high quality camera, Maps, Navigators. You name it, either it'll have it or it'll come in the next release.

Thought of the Day

" Believe in yourself first, and then everything will be easy."

Bajaj RE60 vs Nano

The recent launch of Bajaj RE60, the four wheeler from Bajaj Auto, points in one direction - in India, the low cost car segment still seems lucrative.  It would have been much easier to accept that low cost cars are not for India after the much hyped Tata Nano failed to perform. However, the fact that nearly 40-45% of the Indian market falls in the below INR 4 lakh car segment is too big to ignore. So the big question is – How should one target this segment with an entry level car?

When Ratan Tata shared his vision of a small affordable family car and delivered it, the marketing point was simply the Rs. 100000 price point. While it may seem a great way to target customers by opting for a penetration pricing and trying to convert the two-wheeler consumer to four wheeler- controversy over the original plant site in Singur, coupled with general perception that a cheap car won’t be able to last on Indian markets ensured that that Nano underperformed from its expectations.  To make matters worse, rising input costs ensured that the Nano now retails at more than INR 1.5 lacs. Bajaj has been careful in avoiding the low price strategy by adopting an initial price tag of INR 2 lacs- making it a competitor to Maruti variants like Alto rather than the two-wheeler segment- clearly, a smart move !

NASDAQ’s Face book Problem

Exchange Says Glitches Affected Millions of Shares; IPO System to Be Redesigned The NASDAQ Stock Market said on Sunday it bungled Facebook Inc.'s  FB +0.61% initial public offering, acknowledging that technology problems affected trading in millions of shares. Face book priced its initial public offering at $38 a share. What would you pay for a share?

The trading glitches, coupled with underwhelming investor appetite for Facebook shares on Friday, fueled doubts about Wall Street's ability to handle hot IPO’s. "This was not our finest hour," said NASDAQ OMX Group Chief Executive Robert Greifeld. The main problem, he said, was a malfunction in the trading-system's design for processing order cancellations. Extensive testing NASDAQ had performed ahead of the deal failed to unearth the problem, he said.

NASDAQ delayed the start of trading in Facebook by 30 minutes on Friday as it raced to fix the glitch. More than 200 million shares changed hands in the first hour of trading, and more than 570 million during a day that traders say was marked by unease and confusion. The deal's underwriters worked to keep the stock from slipping below its $38 offering price. Shares closed just 23 cents higher—far short of the kind of first-day pop that signals a healthy offering.

Friday's technical problems left investors large and small with orders processed improperly, if at all. Some say they lost money and want compensation from NASDAQ. Eric Noll, NASDAQ’s executive vice president for transaction services, said the company is "rebuilding the entire book" to determine which investors should be compensated due to NASDAQ’s system errors.

NASDAQ’s plan to repay investors would require approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission, exchange executives said. NASDAQ had competed fiercely with rival NYSE Euro next NYX +0.33% for the chance to list the deal. NASDAQ’s board conferred Saturday about the problems. Officials said the company is planning to redesign its IPO systems.

Nevertheless, NASDAQ’s Mr. Greifeld said the offering, which raised some $16 billion, was "very successful." A Facebook spokesman declined to comment. The offering raised a host of questions about how Wall Street delivers on one of its most-basic functions—raising capital for young companies. It was the second technical snafu on a public offering in recent months for a major stock exchange touting sophisticated electronic-trading systems. In March, BATS Global Markets botched its IPO on its own exchange. BATS blamed a software glitch.

"These markets are so fast, and they have so much scale. You turn it over to machines at light speed, and nobody can react," said David Weild IV, a former NASDAQ vice chairman and now an adviser on market structure and stock offerings at Grant Thornton LLP. "This isn't good for trust."

NASDAQ was accepting orders before trading began. But in some instances, if an investor then tried to cancel an order or change the price or size, NASDAQ didn't confirm the requests, confusing some traders, traders said. Around 11 a.m., NASDAQ indicated there would be a five-minute delay in the deal, not abnormal for an IPO. When 11:05 came and went without the opening or further detail on when it would happen, anxiety spread. Some traders say they jumped onto the open line NASDAQ had set up for communications during the deal. But traders said they received only intermittent promises of an update to come soon.

NASDAQ officials said Sunday that they confronted a problem they hadn't anticipated in test runs. They said trading volume in Facebook wasn't more than anticipated. But because of the size of the Face book IPO and the level of investor interest, the process of matching up buy and sell orders to pinpoint the price of the first trade took slightly longer than normal—five milliseconds instead of three, according to Mr. Greifeld.

Meanwhile, NASDAQ’s systems were hit with a wave of electronic messages to cancel trades or adjust orders for Face book stock, according to people involved with the trading. Because the process of matching the first trade in Face book shares was taking slightly longer than usual, some of those cancellation messages interfered with the process and caused it to reset. That created a loop, and NASDAQ officials worked for about 20 minutes to override the process and set the stock to open at 11:30 a.m.

Thought of the Day

" The appearance of things change according to the emotions, and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves."

Alibaba buys back 20% stake held by Yahoo for $7.1 Billion (Reuters)

New York: Yahoo Inc said it is to sell up to half of its stake in Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma’s Alibaba Group back to the Chinese company for $7.1 billion, and hand most of the sale proceeds to its share holders. The deal caps years of discussions between the two companies over Alibaba reclaiming some or all of the 40% stake in the Chinese e-commerce firm that Yahoo bought for about $1 billion in 2005.

Under the agreement, Yahoo will sell half of that stake in Alibaba for at least $6.3 billion in cash and up to $800 million in new Alibaba preferred stock. Yahoo’s Alibaba stake and its 35% holding in Yahoo Japan, which it jointly owns with Softbank Corp, are considered the crown jewels of the struggling US Internet company. Some investors have said Yahoo should monetize some of those holdings and return the proceeds to shareholders.

Yahoo said in a statement it would return “substantially all” of the after-tax cash proceeds from the deal to its stockholders. Yahoo said it increased a planned share buyback by $5 billion.

Disney takes off on blimp

Disney Channel kicked off a 10-day outdoor campaign in which it has created a replica of an original Disney branded aircraft in the form of a blimp placed over two hoardings measuring 40X40 feet and 30X20 feet.

Disney, the kid's entertainment channel, has created a blimp representing an actual plane branded with Disney characters that the channel will create on July 9 as a part of its summer initiative, 'Jet Set Go'.

Two hoardings measuring 40X40 feet and 30X20 feet were placed at high traffic areas in Mumbai, such as Western Express Highway and Juhu. To create awareness about the initiative, a replica of the original branded aircraft has been created in the form of a blimp (a floating airship without the internal framework) placed over the hoarding. The creative also showcases a message that reads 'Disney Channel's plane to Disneyland'. 

The outdoor campaign executed by Bright Outdoors kicked off on May 20 and will continue for 10 days. Moreover, to promote the Jet Set Go campaign, Disney Channel, in association with Inox cinemas, will run a 'Magical World of Disney' promo, which is a block that showcases Disney classic movies and through this, the channel will announce the contest in which the winning family gets to travel to Disneyland Hong Kong, along with other families. This initiative will start from June 1 and will continue for three weeks.

Story board of APPY FIZZ

Agency: Creativeland Asia







The TVC opens with Saif Ali Khan saying goodbye to people on the set after the ending of a shoot.

He says, "Ok guys, see you at the party". As Saif is about to leave the set, the cool Appy Fizz drink stops him.

Thought of the Day

" Happiness that has a cause cannot last. You have to learn to connect to the ocean of happiness within you, something you have long forgotten."

Hand-Gesture Technologies Wave Bye to Desktop Mouse

A host of companies are looking to shake-up the ways we interact with computers. Using new motion sensing technology they aim for users to replace typing and mouse-clicking with some of the gestures and movements used in everyday life. WSJ's Jessica Vascellaro reports.A race to liberate computer users from the mouse is kicking into high gear, inspired by the potential of turning hands and other body parts into digital controllers.

The goal: to manage computers and other devices with gestures rather than pointing and clicking a mouse or touching a display directly. Backers believe that the approach can make it not only easier to carry out many existing chores but also take on trickier tasks such as creating 3-D models, verifying whether clothes fit, training athletes and browsing medical imagery during surgery without touching anything.

Such possibilities have spurred furious action at some high-tech heavyweights, including Microsoft Corp.,  MSFT -1.51%Apple Inc.,  AAPL +0.05% Google Inc.  GOOG -3.64% and companies that make televisions, computers and other hardware. Microsoft, which helped ignite the action with the 2010 introduction of its Kinect accessory for gaming consoles, on Monday is updating the software that allows developers to build applications for the PC version of the product.

Ability to service debt at 5-yr low

A lethal combination of tepid economic growth and high interest rates has sent the debt-servicing ability of Indian companies to its worst level in five years. This situation will likely worsen in the coming quarters, putting paid to hopes of a recovery in corporate capital spending as companies use cash flows to strengthen their finances rather than fund new projects.

For 241 companies from the BSE-500 index that have declared March quarter earnings so far, fiscal 2012 earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were able to cover interest payments only 4.9 times. This metric, called the interest coverage ratio, is at its lowest level since the North Atlantic financial crisis of 2008. In fiscal year 2008-09, the interest coverage ratio for the same set of firms was 5.6 times.

“This time around, things could be far worse than the financial crisis of 2008-09,” said Sandeep Singhal, co-head of institutional equities at Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd, warning that the situation could deteriorate further.

The sharp decline in the interest coverage ratio is one indicator of deteriorating corporate financials.

In two separate reports released recently, rating agency CRISIL Ltd said more Indian firms are defaulting on loans and Indian lenders are expected to restructure a further Rs. 1 trillion worth of loans this fiscal year, an increase of 54%.

The fall in the interest coverage ratio is the result of a pincer movement—company earnings have shrunk in recent months while interest payments have increased.

Thought of the Day

 “We are each of us angels with only one wing, to fly we need only embrace each other.” 

Denim brand GAS opens store

Italian denim brand GAS on Saturday launched an exclusive store in Hyderabad, as part of its plans to increase its presence in the Indian market. This is its sixth exclusive store in India, after Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ludhiana and Ahmedabad. It has a network of 17 corners and three shop-in-shops across the country.

GAS has lined up new stores in Chennai, Chandigarh and Amritsar and two more in Mumbai for this year. Actress Shruti Hassan inaugurated the Hyderabad outlet. The new store saw the launch of the GAS Spring-Summer 2012 collection, a combination of Italian taste and contemporary trends. Mr Claudio Grotto, Founder and Chairman of GAS, said the company is excited about the Indian market for premium denim, and would continue its expansion in the country.

Empowerment of Women in India

"When women are the advisor, the Lords of creation don't take the advice till they have persuaded themselves that it is just what they intended to do; then they act upon it and if it succeeds, they give the weaker vessel half the credit of it; if fails, they generously give herself the whole".- Louisa May Alcott

India today is at the cusp of a paradigm change in its growth and its position in the world. We (both men and women) must act decisively to capture this opportunity. We need to think big and scale up rapidly in each and every area, be it education, infrastructure, industry, financial services or equality of both genders. For around two centuries, social reformers and missionaries in India have endeavoured to bring women out of confines in which centuries of traditions had kept them. According to the 2001 Census, the percentage of female literacy in the country is 54% up from 9% 1951.

But we should not forget that history in a witness to the women who have in the past demonstrated unique leadership capabilities. Razia Sultana, Rani of Jhansi, Sarojini Naidu and Indira Gandhi are motivation examples of women empowerment. Earlier, most women were able to demonstrate the leadership qualities only on their home fronts, as in Indian society man has always acted as the master of the scene and the decision regarding the issue of empowering women has always been taken by him. God has gifted women with compassion, tender-heartedness, caring nature, concern for others. These are very positive signs which imply that women can be leaders. Though some women have shown their mettle yet a large number of them have to sharpen their leadership qualities in various ways. In order to help women to be in limelight, they need to be empowered. Therefore, empowerment of women is the prerequisite to transform a developing country into a developed country.

Thought of the Day

“I don’t forgive people because I’m weak, I forgive them because I am strong enough to know people make mistakes.”

V-Guard launches Cook Tops

V-Guard has entered into the kitchen appliances segment by launching its new product Induction Cook Tops. The company aims to sell over 50,000 cook tops in the current fiscal. The product will be launched initially in Kerala and will also be made available in other states within 3 months time. V Guard Induction Cook tops are marketed in 5 variant models with one year warranty. The features include feather touch control, high class crystalline ceramic display, intelligent cooking functions, timer, preset function, low/high voltage cut-off etc.

Godrej Consumer Products aiming at ten times growth in 10 years

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) has set an ambitious target of growing 10 times over the next 10 years from its current turnover of over Rs 4,850 crore through acquisitions as well as normal expansion in both domestic and international markets.

“We want to be 10 times as in size in 10 years time, which is a compound annual growth rate of about 26 per cent,” Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) Chairman Mr Adi Godrej said in a analyst call.

Elaborating the strategy, he said: “We hope to achieve about 15 per cent to 20 per cent organic growth and the balance through inorganic growth.”

GCPL’s net sales for the fiscal 2011-12 stood at Rs 4,850.94 crore, while its net profit for the fiscal stood at Rs 726.72 crore.

The homegrown FMCG major has been rapidly expanding globally and in the past few years it has been acquiring companies and brands in international markets like Indonesia, South America and Africa.

The latest was in January this year when GCPL acquired 60 per cent stake in Chilean hair colour firm Cosmetica Nacional for an undisclosed amount.

GCPL had mainly focused on hair care and household insecticide space for its acquisitions. In 2010, GCPL had bought out Latin America’s Issue Group, a market leader in hair-colour in Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay. In less than two weeks time, the firm acquired another Argentinian hair care company Argencos.

Value vs. Price: Which parameter is more important?

There is lot of talk of value for money these days. In fact you get to hear it from every retailer that you visit. How do you actually create value and is there any limit to the value that should be created ?

When we talk about value it is all about the perception in the mind of the consumer and whether the product P satisfies his needs. There is no limit to how much value ( or rather features) which an enterprise can add to its product: the limit lies in the affordability of the product as added features will no doubt add to costs as well.If we plot the graph for this, it should look something like this:

Thought of the Day

“When you are through changing,
you are through.”

Meridian makes changes in creative leadership

Anuraag Khandelwal and Satish deSa have been shifted to Meridian from Ogilvy. Both are promoted as executive creative directors.

To further strengthen its creative desk, Anuraag Khandelwal and Satish deSa have been moved to Meridian from Ogilvy. Both are promoted as executive creative directors. The duo will report to Samrat Bedi, head, Meridian Mumbai.

Earlier, Khandelwal was Senior Creative Director and deSa was Creative Director at Ogilvy.

In an official communiqué, Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and chief creative officer, Ogilvy Group South Asia, says, "Meridian has found itself two young men who are very ambitious and full of exciting ideas. I have asked them to take Meridian to a place that gives their friends at Ogilvy sleepless nights. I am sure it will be healthy competition and result in some great advertising on both sides of the family."

"The passion Khandelwal and deSa have for new age work is remarkable. Their recent IPL 'Carnival' campaign attests to that. And, that's exactly the kind of fresh creative energy that Meridian needs today," says Bedi.

DeSa, who holds an honours degree in Chemistry from St. Xavier's College Mumbai, started his career with Everest Brand Solutions in 2000. In 2005 he shifted to Ogilvy as copy supervisor and was later gradually promoted as creative supervisor, creative controller, and associate creative director.

Thought of the Day

“If work were so pleasant,
the rich would keep it for themselves.”

Viacom18 gets Vivek Bahl as network advisor - content

Bahl will also play a strategic role in planning and developing new content for the network. He will report to Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors.

Viacom18 has roped in Vivek Bahl as network advisor - content. As part of his latest mandate, Bahl's immediate focus will be to work on the regional channels that the group intends to foray into.

In addition to this, Bahl will also play a strategic role in planning and developing new content for the network. He will report to Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors.

Commenting on the appointment, Nayak said in an official communiqué, "Vivek comes with great experience in developing content for different genres and his understanding of the television and entertainment industry is quite phenomenal. We believe he will play a significant role not only in further developing and strengthening the current content on Viacom18's offerings but also in the expansion of the network's upcoming regional channels."

Watch this space for more.

Opportunistic Marketing: How Munni helped Zandu Balm get their groove back

Recently Michael Vaughan created a perfect potential opportunity for Hindustan Unilever (HUL), with the Vaseline comment. HUL was fast to react and took out an advertisement the next day stating the various beneficial effects of Vaseline. For some background, this happened during the current forgettable test series between England and India. This series is forgettable from the Indian point of view. VVS Laxman survived a caught behind decision and former forgettable England captain and now lousy commentator Michael Vaughan suggested that Laxman might have survived by applying Vaseline to his bat’s edge.

HUL not to miss an opportunity ran a campaign the very next day both on Social Media (Facebook) and the newspapers stating how Vaseline is put to all good uses and not for cheating on the cricket field. A sample of the campaign run is below.

So with his Vaseline gaff the former cricket joins the item girl and former MTV VJ Malaika Arora who danced to ‘Munni Badnam’ in the Salman Khan starrer ‘Dabangg’. Again Zandu Balm makers Emami jumped at the opportunity and through the courts forced Munni and producers of Dabangg to promote Zandu balm through commercials.

LARRY PAGE

(CEO of google)

(Born March 26, 1973)

Lawrence "Larry" Page is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Sergey Brin, is best known as the co-founder of Google. On April 4, 2011, he took on the role of chief executive officer of Google, replacing Eric Schmidt. As of 2012, his personal wealth is estimated to be $18.7 billion. He is the inventor of PageRank, which became the foundation of Google's search ranking algorithm.

Early Life and Education:

Larry Page was born in Lansing, Michigan. His father, Carl Page, earned a Ph.D. in computer science in 1965 when the field was in its infancy, and is considered a "pioneer in computer science and artificial intelligence." Both he and Page's mother were computer science professors at Michigan State University. Gloria Page, his mother, is Jewish but he was raised without religion.

Page attended the Okemos Montessori School (now called Montessori Radmoor) in Okemos, Michigan from 1975 to 1979, and graduated from East Lansing High School in 1991. He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from the University of Michigan with honors and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University. While at the University of Michigan, "Page created an inkjet printer made of Lego bricks" (actually a line plotter), served as the president of the Eta Kappa Nu in Fall 1994, and was a member of the 1993 "Maize & Blue" University of Michigan Solar Car team.

Thought of the Day

" The walls around you do not define the wealth within you."

Case Study on Hospital Marketing

Hospital patients have enough problems with their illness not to confront poor service as well. Bernard J Lachner, president of Evanston (III). Hospital, underscored the problem. Whether the physician, the house staff or the nurse, the waiter, x-ray or emergency room, the admitting clerk is rude; the maid who bumps the bed while cleaning: the parking-lot attendant who is less than helpful when the lot is full; the cafeteria that turns away visitors; the pharmacy that has limited hours for outpatients - all of this suggests that hospitals operate for their own convenience and not that of the patient, his family and friends. Hospitals today are turning to guest-room programs to train and motivate Physicians, nurses and other employees in hospitality. Radford (III). Community Hospital is among the latest of several hospitals to add a further wrinkle-a “guaranteed services” program. Radford set up a fund of $10,000 out of which they pay patients who have a justified complaint ranging from cold food to overlong waits in the emergency room. The “hook” is that any money not paid out of the fund at the end of the year is divided among the hospital’s employees. This plan has added a tremendous incentive for the staff to treat the patients well. If there are one hundred employees and no patients have to be paid by the end of the year, each employee gets a $100 bonus. In the first six months, the hospital had to pay out only $300 to patients.

Quality Control

Control can be defined as "a process by means of which we observe the actual performance and compare it with some standard".

If there is a deviation between the observed performance and the standard performance then it is necessary to take corrective action.

The term "Quality Control" has variety of meanings:

1. Quality control is the process through which we measure the actual quality performance, compare it with the standards and take corrective action if there is a deviation.

2. It is a systematic control of various factors that affect the quality of the product. It depends on: Material, Tools, Machines, type of labor, working conditions, measuring instruments, etc.

3. Quality control can be defined as the entire collection of activities which ensures that the operation will produce the optimum quality products at minimum cost.

4. It can also be defined as the tools, devices or skills through which quality activities are carried out.

5. It is the name of the department which devotes itself full time to quality functions.

6. The procedure for meeting the quality goals is termed as quality control.

7. It is a system, plan or method of approach to the solution of quality problems.

8. As per A.Y. Feigorbaum

Total Quality control is "An effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organization, so as to enable production and services at the most economical levels which allow full customer satisfaction."

Business Quiz

1. George Eastman is credited as the Founder of which company?

1. Gillette
2. Kellogs
3. Kodak
4. Nokia                                                                           

2. Who propogated the concept of Six thinking hats?

1. Peter Drucker
2. C K Prahlad
3. Edward De Bono
4. Philip Crosby                                                                

3. Tiger Airways is a subsidiary of which Airlines?

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Malaysian Airlines
3. Sri Lankan Airlines
4. Air China                                                                      

4. Jeff Bezos created which E commerce site?

1. E Bay
2. Amazon
3. Barnes
4. Bid & Buy                                                                    

5. Ritz, Orea and Chips Ahoy are brands of which MNC giant?

1. MARS
2. NESTLE
3. KRAFTFOODS
4. HERSHEYS                              

Thought of the Day

" Don't be afraid of loneliness because everything is a door; even loneliness is a door; it opens to somewhere!"

M-COMMERCE APPLICATIONS

The general m-commerce applications are:

1. Mobile ticketing

Tickets can be sent to mobile phones using a variety of technologies. Users are then able to use their tickets immediately by presenting their phones at the venue.

Tickets can be booked and cancelled on the mobile with the help of simple application downloads or by accessing WAP portals of various Travel agents or direct service providers.  Mobile ticketing for airports, ballparks, and train stations, for example, will not only streamline unexpected metropolitan traffic surges, but also help users remotely secure parking spots (even while in their vehicles) and greatly facilitate mass surveillance at transport hubs.

2. Mobile vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards

Mobile ticketing technology can also be used for the distribution of vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards. The voucher, coupon, or loyalty card is represented by a virtual token that is sent to the mobile phone. Presenting a mobile phone with one of these tokens at the point of sale allows the customer to receive the same benefits as another customer who has a loyalty card or other paper coupon/voucher. Mobile delivery enables:

• economy of scale
• quicker and easier delivery
• effective target marketing
• privacy-friendly data mining on consumer behavior
• environment-friendly and resources-saving efficacy