The Hindu Business Line : Saturday, January 31, 2009

MARKETING

STRATEGY: Cell phone makers propose free handsets to 50 m poor families
RINGING IT LOUD. Mobile handset makers have sought Rs 5,000 crore from the Universal Services Obligation fund to give free cellular phone and a connection to families under the below poverty ...

RETAILING: Subhiksha looks for cash infusion to get going again
Liquidity crunch, rapid expansion on small equity base crux of problem. Chennai, Jan. 30 In a candid admission of the huge problems it is facing, discount retailer Subhiksha in a detailed statement made public to the media said that its ...

MARKETING RESEARCH: 'Hotel room demand may see 8-10% growth by 2011'
The current economic slowdown notwithstanding, demand for hotel rooms in India in the organised sector is expected to post a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10 per cent a year by 2011. This includes 5- star deluxe, 5-star, 4-star ...

STRATEGY: ‘Focus markets’ scheme to boost leather exports
Chennai, Jan. 30 Treat the US and Europe as ‘focus markets’ scheme for the leather industry to give Indian exporters a chance to conserve their markets, say ...

STRATEGY: Cinemax bucks downturn; 50 more screens on radar
After launching multiplexes in Kalyan (near Mumbai) and Hyderabad last week, multiplex operator Cinemax plans to add another 50 screens across the country with an investment of over Rs ...

STRATEGY: Future Group exploring idea of renting clothes
Mumbai, Jan. 30 You can now justify your indulgence without busting your budget. India’s largest retailer and owner of Big Bazaar supermarket chain, Future group, is planning to start renting clothes for occasion wear and sell ...

From Brand Line

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: The Club that Mahindra built
Never mind the slowdown, the holidays company believes customer experience will be the key driver.. Ulrich Wolffram, who took over as head, resort operations, at Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd, had quite a task on hand when he joined ...

BRANDS: Too good a crisis to waste!
What are the learnings for the country from the Satyam crisis? Can the Indian economy handle such crises in the future?. A few weeks ago I was doing an appraisal of my career thus far, with an academic with a difference. He was not only a ...

PROMOTIONS & OFFERS: Thriving on discount?
Marketers must play the slowdown smart and not simply offer huge discounts that might harm the brand image.. What does a marketer do in tough times? Do I cut advertising? Do I cut cost? Do I ...

RETAILING: Less in more
A huge assortment doesn’t necessarily mean more consumer satisfaction. In fact, excessive choice results in confusion.. The need for innovation and differentiation in today’s competitive world results in the consumer being provided ...

STRATEGY: With your permission, please!
No marketing without asking first, says Club Mahindra.. Ever been accosted by an earnest young man at a mall requesting you to fill a form and seeking your ‘permission’ to talk about a Club Mahindra membership? Or, seen huge ...

INTERVIEW: ‘We would like more opportunity in India’
French jewellery maker Cartier is all set to woo Indian customers with its first-ever standalone boutique in the country.. After wooing maharajas of yore and the high net worth individuals of today, Cartier has launched it first boutique in ...

BOOKS: Start research at the customer end
Direct connect with the customer who will ultimately use the product or service is essential, emphasises Gopichand Katragadda in SMASH Innovation ( www.wileyindia.com). “It ...

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Pain balm
Amrutanjan Healthcare has re-launched its pain balm products in three different variants — Pain Balm (yellow), Strong Pain Balm (white) and Maha Strong Pain Balm (white). The company has gone in for a complete product repackaging to ...

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Touch of colour
Revlon has announced the addition of Blush & Bronzer under its “Beyond Natural” umbrella. The palette contains both blush and bronze shades and the powder is lightweight. The shades that are available include pink, peach, ...

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Write stuff
Luxor has launched Pilot Frixion. It has a rubberised grip and has a plastic tipped top to erase the written content without leaving bits of eraser on the page. Available in eight colours such as blue, black, green, purple, pink, red, ...

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Dress in steel
Vista has launched a new collection of stainless steel drapery rods. The range includes drapery rods, finials and accessories in stainless steel and combination of wood and glass. The rods are priced between Rs 350 to Rs 580 per running ...

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES: For him
Gili has launched a new range of bands and solitaire rings for men. The collection is a set of rings in both yellow and white gold in 18 karat gold. The prices of the rings range between Rs 25,000 and Rs ...

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Markets (Jan 30)

Nifty (at close)	2,874.55(+50.60)
US Dollar (Buy/Sell)	48.87/88
Brent crude (a bbl) Rs	2,178
Gold (a gram) Rs	1,271
Silver (a kg) Rs	20,330

Brand Quest

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Looking back
Jan. 18-Jan. 24
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