The Hindu Business Line : When an MNC went to auto mechanics

Why did ‘ACC ki Duniya’ initiative of the company to sell its branded product through exclusive outlets fail in the mid-1980s? Because the product was then undifferentiated and any brand of cement was acceptable to thebuyers, reasons Pingali Venugopal in Sales and Distribution Management: An Indian Perspective ( www.sagepublications.com).

The buyers of cement were interested in getting the cement as close to the construction site as possible and were not willing to travel to the exclusive outlets, but the situation post-2000 is different, the author explains.

Another example, in a chapter on sales strategies, is about Castrol. “When Castrol entered India, all lube sales were through petrol pumps, which were under the monopoly of the oil majors IOC, BPCL and HPCL. The oil majors did not allow Castrol to use the petrol pumps to sell Castrol lubricants,” Venugopal narrates. “Castrol then used the mechanics as their trade partners to promote the use of lubricants, as the mechanics were considered credible sources of information regarding spares and lubricants.”

Wealth of instructive anecdotes.

Media mix vs model fix

Marketing Successfully: A Professional Perspective A. Nag

How was the textile advertising scene in the 1970s? Almost all the textile manufacturers, with a few exceptions such as Raymond, were trying to create an image by heavily depending on the models they were using, writes A. Nag in Market ing Successfully: A Professional Perspective ( www.macmillanindia.com).

The accent was more on the looks of the models and less on the products, he rues. Reliance’s Vimal broke new ground, the author feels. It built brand loyalty through a series of high budget promotional campaigns using a harmonised media mix, he adds. “Vimal changed consumers’ concept of textiles and induced them to think and talk of ‘crimped yarn,’ ‘DuPont technology,’ and ‘creative and unique dress combination.’”

Useful read.

Create clients for life

Savvy Networking: 118 Fast & Effective Tips for Business Success Andrea R. Nierenberg

Invite your ‘champion clients’ to serve on your board of directors. Spend thirty minutes each day talking with two existing clients. Connect your clients through common interests. Invite clients/customers to test a new product or servicebefore you offer it to the public …

These are among the many suggestions that Andrea R. Nierenberg offers in Savvy Networking: 118 Fast & Effective Tips for Business Success ( www.macmillanindia.com).

To create clients for life, provide value every day, the author urges. Freebies and discounts are a great way to keep clients and make new ones, she says.

Nierenberg advises marketers to pay attention to articles and TV shows about trends and changes in national and international demographics. “This information can be very helpful in finding new business opportunities for you, increasing profits and ideas for providing additional value and service for people who do business with you.”

A helpful caution in the book is that marekting plans are only as good as the tracking system you put in place. “Get in the habit of asking your clients, ‘How did you hear about us?’ Then keep that information in your database along with their name, address, and any special request or preferences they may have.”

Recommended for a quick study for the valuable insights it offers.

D. Murali

BookPeek.blogspot.com