Marketing Ganga

Author: Shabbir Chunawalla

  • Information Packets

    The information is sent from one computer to another computer in the form of packets which are small pieces of information. These packets carry their destination address. These are sent from the source computer to the destination computer via the internet (network). Between the source and the destination path, there are computers called routers which figure out the best route for the destination address considering the traffic load currently. Once these packets reach the destination, they are reassembled into a complete message by the receiving computer.

    There are two methods of switching. Circuit switching is a continuous path between two devices that need to communicate. Once the communication is over, they release the communication path for other devices. Circuit switchers allow the devices to share the lines of communication, e.g. two computer connected to a single printer.

    Most modern computer networks use packet switching. Internet is also an example of packet switching. Internet is described as a packet-switched network.Here the data files are divided into pieces called packets which travel between the computers. Packet switching is economical.

  • Diwali Anks in Marathi

    Formerly, there were authors writing exclusively for Diwali anks. Some of them got fame only on account of their writings in Diwali anks. Some Diwali anks were so reputed that writing for them was considered prestigious. These days it is difficult to get authors to write for these anks. The editors fail to get them. Riturang, a diwali ank, commissions new authors. These days topics apart from literature are discussed. There is lack of romanticism in writing. The write ups have become more realistic. In the 1960s, short stories were written and read mainly. These days there are a few authors who can handle short stories. Though the number of issues published has touched 700, the quantitative growth is not qualitative as well.

    Awaz was devoted to humour. Rasrang, Chitranand and Chanderi were devoted to film industry. But mostly there was a large number of anks devoted to literature. In the last 20 years, there is a trend of having theme-based issues, e.g. health, spiritualism,eroticism, homour, thrillers, travel, cooking, nature etc. Each has its own following.

    Most of the issues now come as a package. In the package, you get additional gifts, e.g.a new book, a diary, a calendar. It is a sales promotional scheme.

    The major customers of Diwali anks are the libraries. The largest circulation is commanded by astrological issues. The windows of Awaz are still liked but there are many clones.

    If the Diwali ank is not backed up by advertising support, it becomes uneconomical to produce it. Organisations with good infrastructure find it easier to get advertisements. Some use their PR skills to get ad revenues, but the editorial matter in their ank is just so so. Some find it difficult to collect the bill

     

  • Design Components

    Design can be put in three components broadly — Industrial design, Visual communication and Fashion design.

    Industrial design Here we study product design or transportation design.

    Visual communication It consists of fine art, applied art, animation and interactive media.

    Fashion design It is a combination of the principles of industrial design and visual communication.Here we study costume design, accessories design and fashion communication.

     

  • Basic Selling Styles

    These four basic selling styles: trade selling, technical selling, missionary selling and new-business selling.

    Trade Selling tries to establish long-term relationship with the customers. This is a routine job. In wholesale trade, this style is used extensively.Food products and textile companies also adopt this style. The markets for such products are well-established. Personal selling here just complements advertising, which is the main method for promotion. A trade salesman asssists the customer in his selling exercise. He counts the stock, sees that the stocks get replenished, suggests re-orders for replacements, helps in sales displays.

    Technical Selling aims at improving the sales volume of established products by offering sound technical advice and other assistance . He is an advisor in industrial marketing. He acquaints the buyer with the product and its applications.  He also adviises the clients about installations and  productjon processes. His major ability is to solve his customer’s problems. These sales persons can specialised either by markets or products.

    Missionary Selling  assists the customers in their selling efforts. The idea is to increase the sales volume. If orders flow in, they are just incidental. A medical representative is a typical missionary. He just assists the retail chemists by passing information about the new products and asking them to have them in stock.His direct customers are drug wholesalers. He also calls on doctors to persuade them to prescribe the products. This is also indirect selling. Missionary sales people also work low-profile.

    New-business Selling tries to identify new customers and secure orders from them.He converts the prospects into customers. Selling for him is a creative job. He should have good selling skills. It is not, however, seen in practice that a company has a set of salesman doing just new business solicitation. The regular sales persons are expected to do new business selling too. Most sales persons may not have special skills to do so, and may therefore concentrate more on established  accounts.

  • Some Controversial Beauty Queens — Miss Universe / Miss World / Miss India

    Let us point out some controversial beauty queens who won the coveted Crown but lost it afterwards.

    1974 Miss Universe Amparo Munoz of Spain sought fame as a porn star. After this, the organisers of pageants began scrutiny of the contestants.

    1974 Helen Morgan of Wales won the Miss World title. She was decrowned because it was detected that she was an unwed mother.

    2002 Miss Universe Oxana Fedorova of Russia was fired by the managers of Miss Universe contest four months after her reign.She was a police lieutenant and was writing her dessertation on detective techniques at the Academy of Internal Affairs.She refused to perform a number of duties as Miss Universe. It was suspected she was married, and may be carrying.She continued her police career and obtained Ph.D in civil law.

    1984 Vanessa Williams was stripped of her Miss America title after a lesbian porn video featuring her was found. She also appeared in Penthouse.

    1998 Donald Trump of Miss Universe pageant permitted Miss Puerto Rico to participate despite posing semi-naked for underwear ads.

    2004 Lakshmi Pandit gave up Miss India World title after it was revealed she might have been married before the contest.

     

  • Vaccine Adjuvants

    Newer vaccines include synthetic recombinant or highly purified subunit antigens that are weakly immunogenic. Therefore, these formulations require adjuvants for better immunologic efficiency. Immuno-modulators obtained from different sources such as synthetic, bacterial and viral have been used for enhancement of immune response to vaccines. Plant-based products are being considered as one option for immune adjuvants.

    A new patent has been granted in the US for a vaccine adjuvant extracted from Aswagandha (Withania somnifera). It is used in Ayurveda as immunity enhancer. Researchers arealso examining the immuno-modulator activity of medicinal plants such as Shatavari and Guduchi.

    The new adjuvant can be applied in ailments like meningitis, diphtheria and tetanus among others.

  • Clinical Research

    Clinical research is a broad term that includes biomedical research including clinical trials. The research helps in the development of diagnostic methods and modern drugs for the treatment of diseases.

    In its scope, there are clinical trials, packaging and labelling for single blind and double blind studies, conduct of trials, quality Control (QC ) and Quality Assurance ( QA ), bio-statistical analysis, data management, report writing and periodic safety update ( PSUR ) and pharmacovigilance — reporting of adverse events for new chemical entity ( NCE ) and generic products.

    To develop new drugs, there are clinical trials. For generics there are bio-equivalence studies where generic product is compared with innovator and for new chemical entities, there are bio-availability ( BA ) studies to determine the pharmacokinetic profile during Phase I, and for generics there are studies of availability by assessing the co concentration of drugs in blood and other body fluids such as urine, CSF, vitreous humour, salive etc.

    Clinical research started in India since 1980 when Ciba-Geigy evaluated nitroxazepin. GSK, Ciba Geigy, Hoechst, were the pioneers of Phase I clinical trials. Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Biocon were involved in late phase clinical trials. CDSCO published in 2005 good clinical practices ( GCP ) that includes World Medical Association declaration of Helsinki as appendix I and Schedule Y giving requirements for clinical trials for import and manufacture of new drugs appendix II. This paved the way for clinical trials. ICMR issued guidelines on biomedical research but CDSCO guidelines are more popular.They are mandatory for clinical trials of drugs, vaccines, surgical procedures, medical devices, diagnostic agents, herbal remedies and medicinal plants.

    A clinical pharmacologist is engaged in clinical trial conduct and is either a doctor with pharmacology qualification or a paramedic with pharmacology qualification. A doctor happens to be a principal investigator and a paramedic plays a supportive role.

  • Sports Marketing — Managing Best Boxers

    Professional boxing throughout the world is on decline. The megastars have retired. And there are reasons why big fights are not happening.

    There are two promotions that manage the best boxers in the world — Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions. Each has its own stable of fighters who are contracted. This prevents their fighters to compete against the other promotions. In other words, the possible fights are reduced significantly. It curtails the chances for the fighters and robs the fans of the exciting fights.

    Broadcasters’ Contract

    Boxing revenues has two streams — gate receipts at the fights which forms a large chunk, and pay-per-view sales of the fight. Broadcasters contract the fighters for a number of fights on an exclusive basis. If the fight has boxers contrected by two rival broadcasters, there is little chance of that happening.

    Multiple Sanctioning Bodies

    In the world boxing today, there are multiple sanctioning bodies — WBO, WBC, IBF etc who crown different champions, essentially diluting the sanctity of a championship belt.

    Competing Sport

    There is stiff competition from Mixed Martial Arts, which has weaned away a lot of boxing fans.

  • Consumption Values and Brand Choice

    Every society cherishes certain values, and people learn to conform to these values. Values do influence the buying behaviour. Values are a lasting belief that a particular type of behaviour is worth striving for, e.g. being brave or honest or state of existence such as security and happiness. Brand development becomes easier once the values which drives a consumer to brand selection are identified.

    Jagdish Sheth and others have put forward a model of how the values affect brand choice (1991). According to this model, the consumer’s brand chioce is affected by five consumption values.We shall examine these values here in brief.

    Functional value It is perceived utility from the functional capability of a brand. We are aware of the racing capability of Ferrari sports car.

    Social value Perceived utility through the brand’s association with a social group. Green label liquor is for achievers. In advertising, an engineer is portrayed who lays the railway track through a mountainous terrain by chiselling tunnel.

    Emotional value It is perceived utility from brand’s ability to invoke particular feelings. A gift of diamond ring is an expression of love.

    Epistemic value It is perceived utility from a new brand mainly to experience novelty and satisfy curiosity. Apple Watch falls into this category.

    Conditional value It is perceived utility from a brand in a specific situation. Eating a pop-corn at home is to satisfy hunger (functional utility) but having pop-corn at a multiplex theatre is regarded as a treat. It has high conditional value in this situation.

    The consumptional values are to be seen in a context.  A boy on a date visits a restaurant and orders meals mainly to maximise social, emotional and conditional values. However, as a married adult later in life he consumes meals to meet functional values. A brand manger must understand the contextual reference to give the brand an apt set of values.

    As there are many competing brands in the market, it becomes difficult for a consumer to assess these brands in terms of the values they reflect. An easier alternative is to personify the brands. Once the personification is attempted, it becomes easier to compare competing brands in terms of the values they portray. A consumer has to imagine what type of a person the brand would be if it were to come to life. Two credit card brands may have similar features, but still the consumer may perceive differences in their personalities. A particular brand could be a typical middle-class brand, and easy to get along with. Another brand could be an elite and sophisticated brand.

    Brand personality grows out of so many factors. The product itself affects brand personality. A detergent with a lot of soda ash could be considered mediocre while one with a less of soda ash as superior.  A soft drink with more fizz could be considered mach. Charminar with strong tobacco is a more masculine brand. Brand personality also emerges from advertising and celebrity endorsement. Brand personality is also affected by the type of events sponsored by the brand owners.Brand managers must manage consumer’s interactions with the brand in such a way that the brand develops a holistic personality.

  • Brand Positioning

    As we know positioning means occupying a slot in the mind of the consumer as against the other brands. Liril occupies a ‘ freshness ‘ slot and Surf, the ‘ stain removal ‘ slot. As there is brand proliferation, it has become increasingly more difficult to slot the brands. A brand has to choose a position that distinguishes it from other brands, e.g. Lux is a beauty s0ap, Dettol is  an antiseptic and Pears gives blemish free skin. When product variants are introduced to cater to the different segments of the market, it is to be seen that the original position is not diluted. Thus Lifebuoy Gold directed at young girls still occupies anti-germ slot. The origional Lifebuoy is meant for rural folk but its position as anti-germ soap is kept intact. When a brand is expected to address itself to new segments, it is necessary to issue sub-brands, e.g. Videocon is a mass market TV and its premium versions have been sub-branded as Bazooka.