The Hindu Business Line : Compelling images

Advertising is here and now, but there is more beneath the surface, writes Arun Chaudhuri in Indian Advertising: 1780 to 1950 AD ( www.tatamcgrawhill.com). “Styles change – ne eds and aspirations don’t. The most compelling images, which move people in advertisements, are those that capture the unchanging man.”

The first newspaper to be published in India was that of James Augustus Hicky, in January 1780, the author traces. “Weekly newspapers began to appear in those cities that were under the East India Company. As with papers in London, these papers were dependent from the beginning on government patronage, generally in the form of advertisements.” Hicky’s ‘Calcutta General Advertiser’ advertised trade, legal notices and personal ads from people looking for employment. ‘Bengal Gazette’ received little support from the Company. The paper made a bold statement, about being ‘open to all parties, but influence by none.’ In June 1781, Hicky was ‘sent to prison and a large fine imposed on him on three counts of libel,’ yet he continued to print his paper, even from prison! “In March 1782, his press and types were confiscated.” Hicky, the first practitioner of copywriting in India did a commendable job, extols Chaudhuri. “Whether he was trying to sell a horse or a sloop (a sailing vessel) he realised that he had to breathe life into his words in order to persuade a prospective customer not to lose this wonderful opportunity.” Don’t miss an opportunity to read the well-chronicled work!

Locked value

Customer Value Investment
Gautam Mahajan

Business is no longer B2C or business selling to consumer, says Gautam Mahajan in Customer Value Investment ( www.sagepublications.com). Rather it is C2B, or consumers buying from busin esses, he argues. CRM (customer relationship management) programmes often miss this truth and turn process-centric, the author rues.

“Processes are designed from the point of view of the company and purely for the convenience of the company (not the customer) and are not customer-centric (they don’t focus on the C). The majority of organisations treat loyalty programmes as ‘cost’ programmes.” CVI or customer value investment is equal to higher ROI (return on investment), declares Mahajan, in a copyrighted equation! There are more such phrases to steer through in the dense little book: customer-circles, customer-in-centre, and customer conduits, for example. The ‘key’ the author projects on the cover may lock comprehension even as it tries to unlock value.

Retail ethics

How to Succeed at Retail
Keith Lincoln and Lars Thomassen

Ethics are here to stay, say Keith Lincoln and Lars Thomassen in How to Succeed at Retail( www.vivagroupindia.com). “Show you’re actually doing something good for all and try to involve the community in a straightforward way.” Examples of ethical initiatives from retailers, cited in the book, include: sourcing fish from sustainable sources, biodegradable packaging, use of bio-diesel fuel in transport fleet, reduced carbon emissions from sites, cutting carrier bags, regional counters to promote local produce. Forceful exhortation to go green.

D. Murali

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