the way we think things matters much more"
- t2c
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
connecting world!!
Earlier, Asian companies were considered back-end workhorses, producing low-cost and low quality products. “But the good part is, this perception is changing,” said Ravi Kant, COO, international business, Titan Industries, at the Indian Society of Advertisers (IAA) seminar on ‘Building Global Brands out of India’.
The speed of change is faster than before, with brands such as LG and Samsung replacing the leaders of yesteryears.Kant said that India too, is realising the benefits of brand building and going global, which is a positive development. He specifically threw light on Titan’s journey from a brand present only in India in 1991, to one that has adapted itself in 31 markets around the world since.Titan primarily used two models for expanding globally: the ‘Honour and Glory’ model for premium markets such as Canada and Europe, and the ‘Building Block’ model in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
“In developed markets, one either used a Swiss watch, or, if settling for second best, then a Japanese brand,” Kant said. “An Indian brand such as Titan was unheard of in those markets.”So Titan entered these markets with a premium positioning straightaway. “And this is something most brands wouldn’t dare to use as an entry strategy,” Kant remarks. A campaign was developed with the tagline, ‘Titan: The new world watch’. The campaign featured one model in each ad (who is of mixed race), with the copy reading, ‘No one country could have made faces so beautiful’. “With such a positioning, Titan had the Swiss worried!” quips Kant. But the campaign didn’t create a humungous stir in these markets due to factors such as emergence of fashion brands (CK, Fossil) and a resultant styling obsolescence. However, investments were made in famous designers, new manufacturing plants, and an increase in ad spends, which is finally showing some positive results in developed markets.
The ‘Building Block’ model on the other hand, targeted developing countries. Here, the concentration was on a strong in-store presence, innovative outdoor visibility, roadshows and usage of relatively less expansive media such as buses. Products were designed specially for various markets. “Here, two brand building mantras worked in our favour: differentiation and focus,” Kant said. For instance, in the Middle East, people were largely used to wearing Gold watches. So, Titan differentiated with a Steel collection, with the positioning, ‘Be Bold, Be Adventurous, Be Steel’. The collection, due to its different take on watches, became an instant hit. Differentiation was also used in terms of media. For example, a bus in Singapore was painted in an innovative manner with Titan’s logo on it. Similarly, in another region, a giant clock was placed at a traffic light. In terms of focus, the ‘3C Focus’ model was applied. “The three Cs are ‘Country, Customer and Competition’,” Kant explained. “We identified which countries we want to target, who our TG is, and studied the competition keenly in these markets.” Kant concluded his talk saying that passion and vision are broadly speaking the two key elements to take a brand to global markets. “The way to build Brand India overseas, is to build our brand overseas,” Kant stated.
© 2006 agencyfaqs!
The speed of change is faster than before, with brands such as LG and Samsung replacing the leaders of yesteryears.Kant said that India too, is realising the benefits of brand building and going global, which is a positive development. He specifically threw light on Titan’s journey from a brand present only in India in 1991, to one that has adapted itself in 31 markets around the world since.Titan primarily used two models for expanding globally: the ‘Honour and Glory’ model for premium markets such as Canada and Europe, and the ‘Building Block’ model in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
“In developed markets, one either used a Swiss watch, or, if settling for second best, then a Japanese brand,” Kant said. “An Indian brand such as Titan was unheard of in those markets.”So Titan entered these markets with a premium positioning straightaway. “And this is something most brands wouldn’t dare to use as an entry strategy,” Kant remarks. A campaign was developed with the tagline, ‘Titan: The new world watch’. The campaign featured one model in each ad (who is of mixed race), with the copy reading, ‘No one country could have made faces so beautiful’. “With such a positioning, Titan had the Swiss worried!” quips Kant. But the campaign didn’t create a humungous stir in these markets due to factors such as emergence of fashion brands (CK, Fossil) and a resultant styling obsolescence. However, investments were made in famous designers, new manufacturing plants, and an increase in ad spends, which is finally showing some positive results in developed markets.
The ‘Building Block’ model on the other hand, targeted developing countries. Here, the concentration was on a strong in-store presence, innovative outdoor visibility, roadshows and usage of relatively less expansive media such as buses. Products were designed specially for various markets. “Here, two brand building mantras worked in our favour: differentiation and focus,” Kant said. For instance, in the Middle East, people were largely used to wearing Gold watches. So, Titan differentiated with a Steel collection, with the positioning, ‘Be Bold, Be Adventurous, Be Steel’. The collection, due to its different take on watches, became an instant hit. Differentiation was also used in terms of media. For example, a bus in Singapore was painted in an innovative manner with Titan’s logo on it. Similarly, in another region, a giant clock was placed at a traffic light. In terms of focus, the ‘3C Focus’ model was applied. “The three Cs are ‘Country, Customer and Competition’,” Kant explained. “We identified which countries we want to target, who our TG is, and studied the competition keenly in these markets.” Kant concluded his talk saying that passion and vision are broadly speaking the two key elements to take a brand to global markets. “The way to build Brand India overseas, is to build our brand overseas,” Kant stated.
© 2006 agencyfaqs!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
enjoy!!
The husband had just finished reading a new book entitled
"You Can Be the Man of Your House".
He stormed into the kitchen and walked directly up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said sternly, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is law! You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert. After dinner you are going to go upstairs with me, and we will have the kind of sex that I want. After that, you are going to draw me my bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then you will massage my feet and hands. Then after that's done, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
His wife replied, "The f...ing funeral director would be my guess."
"You Can Be the Man of Your House".
He stormed into the kitchen and walked directly up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said sternly, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is law! You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert. After dinner you are going to go upstairs with me, and we will have the kind of sex that I want. After that, you are going to draw me my bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then you will massage my feet and hands. Then after that's done, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
His wife replied, "The f...ing funeral director would be my guess."
Monday, April 17, 2006
economics of my office chaiwala!!
It was fine Friday 8:30 am, I came early to start with freshness and thought will start my weekend from 5 pm…as i was going through the work for the day and i found its a relax day not much work, I find a hot cup of strong tea kept on my table at 9:30 am…wal-haa what a start. The chaiwala asked how was the tea; as usual I said “badiya hai” and started working.
It was 11:30, as usual he came again and asked for tea, I said “in the afternoon” and my colleague ordered a few cups…it was 2:30 in the afternoon and I find myself with a cup of tea and some drinking coffee, others having horlicks, some are having plain milk…it was like we were only busy drinking our favorite milk, it was quite a scene everyone with their respective cups sipping and working…sipping and working :). At 3:30 this guy drops in again asking everyone, few orders and few says later, he asked me and i realized this guy pops in every 3hree hours to offer us our dose of milk, I asked him to give me at 4:30…it was 5:30 and our guy drops in and offers every one including me.
I thought lets talk to him and understand his secret of smile every time he flashes while giving us our dosage. I asked him candidly, is this the only place to do business or does he also have other locations. With that flashy outburst, he said “kya sab mazak kar rahe hai mere saath”; at that moment i heard telephone ring, and my dear friend chaiwala takes the phone and excuses himself to recieve the call, he comes back with his nokia 6600. I got interested, asked him how much do you $$? Without hesitation said enough to sustain myself and my family, I asked how much is enough to sustain you, with a smile he said 25000/-, I said you surely make more than what you are telling me, he said no sahab approx this much only.
I asked him u don’t use only milk do you…with that flashy smile and with some hesitation he said I have to add water, I asked him you use powder milk, and very honestly he said Yes. And you charge 4 rupees… and I got a flashy smile. I asked him how many offices are in your dosage list? 4 offices including yours he said. I asked him add flavors like badam milk, elaichi tea, masala tea ect... I am sure people will like it…again I got a flashy smile this time with confidence he said I already have plans for it.
There was nothing much to tell him, but a piece of advice, beta your tea tastes good but if you start using cow’s milk it will taste gr8. He said “ok” cow’s milk for you next time.
He atleast made sure I be happy.
…Next day I read this news Mr. Biyani is working on an experimental retail concept of selling chai and samosa named as “chamosa”. $$
It was 11:30, as usual he came again and asked for tea, I said “in the afternoon” and my colleague ordered a few cups…it was 2:30 in the afternoon and I find myself with a cup of tea and some drinking coffee, others having horlicks, some are having plain milk…it was like we were only busy drinking our favorite milk, it was quite a scene everyone with their respective cups sipping and working…sipping and working :). At 3:30 this guy drops in again asking everyone, few orders and few says later, he asked me and i realized this guy pops in every 3hree hours to offer us our dose of milk, I asked him to give me at 4:30…it was 5:30 and our guy drops in and offers every one including me.
I thought lets talk to him and understand his secret of smile every time he flashes while giving us our dosage. I asked him candidly, is this the only place to do business or does he also have other locations. With that flashy outburst, he said “kya sab mazak kar rahe hai mere saath”; at that moment i heard telephone ring, and my dear friend chaiwala takes the phone and excuses himself to recieve the call, he comes back with his nokia 6600. I got interested, asked him how much do you $$? Without hesitation said enough to sustain myself and my family, I asked how much is enough to sustain you, with a smile he said 25000/-, I said you surely make more than what you are telling me, he said no sahab approx this much only.
I asked him u don’t use only milk do you…with that flashy smile and with some hesitation he said I have to add water, I asked him you use powder milk, and very honestly he said Yes. And you charge 4 rupees… and I got a flashy smile. I asked him how many offices are in your dosage list? 4 offices including yours he said. I asked him add flavors like badam milk, elaichi tea, masala tea ect... I am sure people will like it…again I got a flashy smile this time with confidence he said I already have plans for it.
There was nothing much to tell him, but a piece of advice, beta your tea tastes good but if you start using cow’s milk it will taste gr8. He said “ok” cow’s milk for you next time.
He atleast made sure I be happy.
…Next day I read this news Mr. Biyani is working on an experimental retail concept of selling chai and samosa named as “chamosa”. $$
Saturday, April 08, 2006
connecting in style !!
It was considered a marketing coup of sorts when Madame Chirac, accompanying her husband French president Jacques Chirac, on his India tour, agreed to inaugurate Dior's first store in India, at The Oberoi in New Delhi, in February.
For luxury brands trying to make their presence felt in a new market such as India, marketing spells a curious mix of socialite parties, fashion shows or simply choosing an 'appropriate' socially-active brand ambassador. While Chanel has just one brand ambassador globally in Nicole Kidman, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior from the euro 14 billion LVMH stable have Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the scion of the Kapurthala royal family, as an advisor, the Indian face of LVMH brand, and Kalyani Chawla as the brand ambassador for Dior in India. While Singh and Chawla 'walk the talk' of Louis Vuitton and Dior respectively, brand ambassadors Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen for Tag Heuer and Aishwarya Rai for Longines just grace brand events.
For Singh and Chawla, being a brand ambassador means not just wearing the label, but also deciding the brand's media calendar in India, travelling to Paris to buy products for Indian stores and most importantly networking with customers.In a category where marketing is restricted to advertising in glossies, word-of-mouth and holding parties to pamper the existing customer base is an essential.
While Chanel, Bvlgari, Dior and Louis Vuitton inform their customers about the launch of new lines, Hugo Boss invites the loyalists to an exclusive preview where guests can sip champagne while browsing through a new collection.Another important aspect in a luxury brand is pricing because of the well-heeled globe-trotting customers that they attract.
For a customer to feel comfortable at home at a retail outlet in India, the product must be priced keeping a city of reference (Dubai, New York and London for Indians) and the city of origin of the brand (Paris for LVMH and Chanel, Rome for Bvlgari) in mind.At present, only a million Indians are buying luxury brands whereas 8-9 million is the audience that can be tapped because of their purchasing power. “A proper luxury retail environment makes marketing easier,” says Saloni Nangia, associate director at Technopak.
Currently, all luxury brands are housed in five star hotels which restrict the signature of a brand so easily experienced in the high streets of a Rodeo Drive or Bond Street. Of course all the shop windows, world over for each luxury brand looks the same - Bvlgari has a Valentine window on display which was created in Rome while Chanel has an architect that creates the same window in Tokyo, Paris, New York and India.
While all brands insist that there is a simultaneous introduction of products worldwide, there is a little bit of customisation that happens - Chanel plays up its range of delicate handbags for the Indian woman in a sari while Bvlgari does the same with its gold and diamond line instead of its coloured gemstones.
ECONOMIC TIMES, Copyright © 2006, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Limited. All Rights Reserved
For luxury brands trying to make their presence felt in a new market such as India, marketing spells a curious mix of socialite parties, fashion shows or simply choosing an 'appropriate' socially-active brand ambassador. While Chanel has just one brand ambassador globally in Nicole Kidman, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior from the euro 14 billion LVMH stable have Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the scion of the Kapurthala royal family, as an advisor, the Indian face of LVMH brand, and Kalyani Chawla as the brand ambassador for Dior in India. While Singh and Chawla 'walk the talk' of Louis Vuitton and Dior respectively, brand ambassadors Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen for Tag Heuer and Aishwarya Rai for Longines just grace brand events.
For Singh and Chawla, being a brand ambassador means not just wearing the label, but also deciding the brand's media calendar in India, travelling to Paris to buy products for Indian stores and most importantly networking with customers.In a category where marketing is restricted to advertising in glossies, word-of-mouth and holding parties to pamper the existing customer base is an essential.
While Chanel, Bvlgari, Dior and Louis Vuitton inform their customers about the launch of new lines, Hugo Boss invites the loyalists to an exclusive preview where guests can sip champagne while browsing through a new collection.Another important aspect in a luxury brand is pricing because of the well-heeled globe-trotting customers that they attract.
For a customer to feel comfortable at home at a retail outlet in India, the product must be priced keeping a city of reference (Dubai, New York and London for Indians) and the city of origin of the brand (Paris for LVMH and Chanel, Rome for Bvlgari) in mind.At present, only a million Indians are buying luxury brands whereas 8-9 million is the audience that can be tapped because of their purchasing power. “A proper luxury retail environment makes marketing easier,” says Saloni Nangia, associate director at Technopak.
Currently, all luxury brands are housed in five star hotels which restrict the signature of a brand so easily experienced in the high streets of a Rodeo Drive or Bond Street. Of course all the shop windows, world over for each luxury brand looks the same - Bvlgari has a Valentine window on display which was created in Rome while Chanel has an architect that creates the same window in Tokyo, Paris, New York and India.
While all brands insist that there is a simultaneous introduction of products worldwide, there is a little bit of customisation that happens - Chanel plays up its range of delicate handbags for the Indian woman in a sari while Bvlgari does the same with its gold and diamond line instead of its coloured gemstones.
ECONOMIC TIMES, Copyright © 2006, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Limited. All Rights Reserved
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