OLA Restrooms (concept)

Srijan Realty advt - Poila Baisakh 1426

V-Guard long lasting wires - Poila Baisakh1426 (English 2019) greetings

Bournvita advt - exam collection - give your kids a choice of career options

Bournvita - the exam collection.
When you don't get your preferred clothings at a retail store, you feel frustrated.
Now imagine the plight of children where they are being goaded to become a doctor or an engineer although their interests are in different streams altogether. 
Give your kids a choice of career options.
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# GoodAdBadAd
# Marketingpundit

Google advt - memories of 1st day in school is rekindled

Daughter hears school bell while leaving for work. Memories of first day in school is rekindled. She walks back home to find her mother Googling.

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# GoodAdBadAd
# Marketingpundit

Hamam advt - go safe outside

Samsonite India advt - Travel to vote on Ek Din Ki Chutti

Travel to vote.

#EkDinKiChutti.
An initiative by Samsonite in India prior to the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

A beautifully communicated message by the luggage manufacturer urging citizens to take a day off from the daily grind and travel home to vote.
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# Marketingpundit
# Marketing Gyanology
# Good Ad Bad Ad

Clean & Clear advt

A nice chirpy Clean & Clear TVC

Was major stake of LINTAS ever owned by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity

You won’t believe what I read on my Twitter feed moments ago .....

LINTAS, the esteemed advertising agency had substantial part of its stake owned by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

Really?
Does anybody have any clues?

Found it in the Twitter feed of Joy Bhattacharjya: @joybhattacharj

Read the article & the subsequent comments on this link:
https://twitter.com/joybhattacharj/status/1070603374830198786

Automotive Lubricants industry in India - Part 1

Lubricants mainly find usage in automotive, industrial and marine and energy applications.

India is world’s third largest lubricants market, next only to US and China, with a total consumption of approximately 2.6 billion litres in 2016. The industry in India is made up of over 30 established players, viz Public Sector Undertaking – Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL) as well as the other players in the private sector (Total-Elf, Shell, Gulf Oil, Mobil, Valvoline, Motul, etc) on tenterhooks.

Break-up of Lubricants consumption in India:
•1.2 billion litres would be automotive lubricants,
•770 million litres would be industrial oils,
•with the remaining being process oils.

The overall India lubricants market is expected to register a CAGR of 4.64%, during 2018-2023. The major factors driving the growth of the market is undeniably the increasing vehicular production.

Overall vehicle sales grew by ~7% during 2017, compared to the previous year. In 2017, commercial vehicle sales increased by 9% overall, while heavy commercial vehicle sales grew by 2%, medium / light commercial vehicle sales (MLCV) by 14% and tractor sales moved up by 15%. Passenger car sales (including utility vehicles) also increased by 9% and two-wheeler sales moved up by ~7%.

Developments in the Automotive sector in 2017-18 FY has been a healthy year for the Indian Automotive industry in spite of a volatile regulatory environment. Total industry volumes grew by around 11.3% over April-December 2017 on a year-on-year basis. The Passenger Vehicle segment went up by around 8.1% and the Commercial Vehicle segment by around 15.2%. The total two- wheeler market grew by 11.8% and its exports at a healthy 13%.


The lubricants market growth (other than industrial and marine & energy) was 3% for 2017 post a recovery in the second half of the year. Other longer term macro-trends in the industry remained largely unchanged.
With Indian households generating higher disposable incomes, there has been a significant boost in vehicle sales for personal mobility, both for two and four-wheelers. First time users of personal mobility vehicles, along with growth in usage of two-wheelers in small towns and the emergence of gearless scooters driven by increasing number of women riders, has also led to a growth in two-wheeler sales.

Mineral oils hold the largest share among all the automotive lubricants used in the country, synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricants are expected to grow at a rapid pace during the period 2018-23.

Problems and prospects in the Automotive Lubricants sector:

Problems: Imports and supply of base oil are primarily controlled by the PSU-OMCs. This has a direct bearing on the pricing of the end product, timely supply and distribution.
With focus on marketing and zero red tapeism, Castrol India has its distinct advantage.

Prospects: The market opportunity across the Automotive Lubricants segments in India:
• Heavy duty automotive diesel engine oils 420 million litres per year,
• 125 million litres per year for passenger cars,
• 235 million litres per year for motorcycle oils and
• 280 million litres per year for transmission & axle oils, across the vehicle segments.

Demand for Automotive Lubricants is driven by the usage of vehicles in the country, while the growth in the market in recent years has been due to the rapid expansion of vehicle population.

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

(i) Opportunities
a. Personal mobility: With multiple opportunities in personal mobility, including the growth of first time users, increase in usage in smaller towns and rural areas, as well as a growing number of women riders, the Company is tapping these segments for growth.

b. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partnerships: The Company works with OEMs to build enduring partnerships, such as its recent tie-up with Maruti for their premium Nexa channel and Piaggio for two-wheelers. It also works with OEMs on product development with new technologies as well as addressing the environmental needs of lower emission and fuel efficiency.

c. Medium / light commercial vehicles (MLCV): While the MLCV segment was moderately impacted by the economic slowdown in the first half of 2017, it is poised for growth due to the last-mile connectivity offered, which enables the Company to continue to focus on this category.

d. Improving technology in trucks: With the advent of stricter emission norms resulting in newer technologies
for trucks, the CI4+ segment is the fastest growing segment in the commercial vehicle category, in which the Castrol India enjoys a strong position.

e. Distribution: The Company has a large distribution network in the retail market. Renewed focus on distribution and customer reach in different market segments will enable future growth.

(ii) Threats
a. Economic uncertainty: After relative stability of low crude prices in the first half of 2016, the Company has seen an upward trend of base oil costs from late 2016, which rose further in 2017. This is likely to continue throughout 2018, based on the current and future market environment estimates.

b. GST: With GST rollout in 2017, there was very low inventory and stocking, and hence, overall production.
The effect started diminishing gradually in the second half of 2017. Also, the Company has been one of the first among lubricant players to transition smoothly to GST and bill customers immediately, post its introduction.
While some uncertainty around GST implementation currently exists, and measures are being taken to iron out these issues, this uncertainty is likely to continue in 2018.

c. Competitive activity: Competition in the lubricants market is intense and most international players have identified India as a focus market. Competitive activity is likely to remain high in the foreseeable future. There is also a trend of some OEMs introducing lubricants under their own brand name, further impacting the competitive landscape.

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

(i) Opportunities
a. Personal mobility: With multiple opportunities in personal mobility, including the growth of first time users, increase in usage in smaller towns and rural areas, as well as a growing number of women riders, the Company is tapping these segments for growth.

b. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partnerships: The Company works with OEMs to build enduring partnerships, such as its recent tie-up with Maruti for their premium Nexa channel and Piaggio for two-wheelers. It also works with OEMs on product development with new technologies as well as addressing the environmental needs of lower emission and fuel efficiency.

c. Medium / light commercial vehicles (MLCV): While the MLCV segment was moderately impacted by the economic slowdown in the first half of 2017, it is poised for growth due to the last-mile connectivity offered, which enables the Company to continue to focus on this category.

d. Improving technology in trucks: With the advent of stricter emission norms resulting in newer technologies
for trucks, the CI4+ segment is the fastest growing segment in the commercial vehicle category, in which the Castrol India enjoys a strong position.

e. Distribution: The Company has a large distribution network in the retail market. Renewed focus on distribution and customer reach in different market segments will enable future growth.

(ii) Threats
a. Economic uncertainty: After relative stability of low crude prices in the first half of 2016, the Company has seen an upward trend of base oil costs from late 2016, which rose further in 2017. This is likely to continue throughout 2018, based on the current and future market environment estimates.

b. GST: With GST rollout in 2017, there was very low inventory and stocking, and hence, overall production.
The effect started diminishing gradually in the second half of 2017. Also, the Company has been one of the first among lubricant players to transition smoothly to GST and bill customers immediately, post its introduction.
While some uncertainty around GST implementation currently exists, and measures are being taken to iron out these issues, this uncertainty is likely to continue in 2018.

c. Competitive activity: Competition in the lubricants market is intense and most international players have identified India as a focus market. Competitive activity is likely to remain high in the foreseeable future. There is also a trend of some OEMs introducing lubricants under their own brand name, further impacting the competitive landscape.

Volumes decline in non-Maggi portfolio disconcerting

Nestle India Ltd does not disclose segmental details in quarterly results and these disclosures shared in the annual report feature disappointments particularly on volumes. While
prepared dishes and Cooking aids (primarily Maggi noodles) sales declined by 55.6% YoY in CY15 to INR13.1b (15.6% of sales in CY15) due to the Maggi issue, the largest segment, milk and nutrition (55.4% of sales in CY15) grew by only 2.1% YoY in value terms, the lowest level of growth since the turn of the
millennium. Even this growth in the segment was mainly led by realization
growth of 4.9% with volumes declining 2.7% YoY, the fourth consecutive year
of volume decline in what is Nestle India’s largest segment. The other two non-
Maggi segments, Chocolate and Confectionary as well as beverages also
reported disappointing numbers in CY15 with volumes for both segments
actually declining in double digits by 19.5% and 10.3% respectively. Volumes
for both these segments show a worsening trend in recent years.

India gives away 27,000 FIFA U-17 tickets to avoid empty World Cup stands

India has given away 27,000 tickets to the opening games of the FIFA U-17 World Cup to fill empty stands in a desperate bid to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The under-17 World Cup, which kicked off on Friday 2017-10-06, marks India's first attempt at hosting a FIFA tournament, but sales for the high-profile event have been poor, despite some seats costing less than a dollar.

Organisers scrambled to ensure that the 56,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi appeared packed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the opening games which saw India play the United States.

The organisers have given away 27,000 tickets to schools around the Delhi region. They also provided pick and drop facility. It would have been embarrassing for the organisers if the stadium looked empty.
The event, which runs until October 28, has been dogged by bad news, with Greenpeace issuing a report on Wednesday 2017-10-04 that said the poor quality of air in India's pollution-clogged cities poses a "serious health risk" to players and spectators during the tournament.

Twenty-four nations are competing in the event, which is being held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati and Kolkata.


(Image: BCCL)

Greenpeace said all the six cities "share dangerous levels of air pollution" but singled out New Delhi as the venue with the highest risk.

"Air pollution levels during the Indian tournament could be significantly worse than during the 2008 Beijing Olympics," the report warned.

India's capital will host its last game of the tournament on October 16, just before pollution levels spike around the Diwali festival, when Hindus celebrate by setting off huge amounts of fireworks.

Media reports said matches were deliberately kept out of Delhi after October 16 because of pollution fears.

India's Supreme Court has ordered authorities to take precautions ahead of the festival, and measures under consideration include pulling some cars off roads and closing polluting industries.

World Cup organisers did not comment on the Greenpeace report.

The event is among India's highest-profile global tournaments after the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010 which were meant to showcase the country's status as an emerging power but instead left memories of shoddy venues, empty stadiums and massive budget overruns.

(Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com dated 2017-10-06)

Luring customers with words and images on August 15, 1947

Advertising India: How companies pitched themselves for citizens of independent nation

A look at the art of luring customers with words and images from the archives of Hindustan Times on August 15,1947.

    

Still in the market: An advertisement for Horlicks in the August 15, 1947 edition of Hindustan Times.(HT archives)

Updated: Aug 14, 2017 11:25 IST

By Zehra Kazmi and Sujoy Das, Hindustan Times

On the day India was freed from the British rule, life changed for its citizens, but some things remained business as usual. Indians were still buying and selling, from items of daily use such as toothpaste or shaving blades to luxury items such as cars and movie tickets.

Advertisements have existed almost as long as newspapers have – even in 1947, newspaper front pages carried ads. Digging through the Hindustan Times’ archives from 1947, one glimpses cultural history of a different kind – what was being advertised and how? What were the products you were most likely to find in Indian middle-class homes? What movies were in theatres; which film stars were the faces of popular creams? What ideas and values were advertisers peddling back in the day?

What you can see is a little bit of India in brands that are familiar names. Advertising copy, however, has come a long way – from being flowery and formal, today’s ads usually employ a more conversational tone. Many advertisements mention addresses and offices in the cities of Delhi, Karachi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore and London, the big financial hubs.

Inside India’s cupboards in 1947

Some of the products ubiquitous in India’s cupboards were already crowd favourites at the time. Dettol antiseptic, Colgate toothpaste, Eno fruit salt, Glycodin cough syrup, Cipla remedies, Johnson’s baby powder, Hamdard’s Safi, Kelloggs’ cornflakes, Lipton tea were household names.

Apart from these, what were the lotions and potions that catered to the vanity of India’s middle and upper classes? You will spot some familiar names here, and familiar advertising tropes: Brylcreem was advertising its greasy charms, Gillette was selling smooth shaves; Lifebuoy was telling consumers it would make them popular and land them jobs, while Palmolive was selling its ‘exciting shampoo’ that would make hair “sparkling, silky smooth and easy to curl”. ‘Lovely women’ everywhere used Ponds, and Lux had already roped in a film star as its face.

New technologies

The other thing that jumps out is the breathless air with which new technologies and features were being advertised. Kodak is marketing its ‘lumenized lenses’, a technology it pioneered during the World War II. Eveready’s long-lasting batteries could provide ‘unfailing, bright and powerful’ light, while Phillips’ low-cost battery-operated radios promised “finest radio reception”. And Reynolds, the humble makers of our favourite blue-and-white pen, were announcing the Reynolds’ Rocket Ball Pen, which could go 15 years without a refill!

For the movers and shakers

Then there were items that spelled luxury. In the August of India’s independence, an Air India ticket from Delhi to Bombay cost Rs 140, a substantial sum. The return flight made a stopover at Ahmedabad for refuelling.

You could buy a shiny, smooth new Buick Sedan for Rs 12,700. What seems like a pittance now was a princely sum back then. A Parker pen or a Chevrolet is still a luxury in today’s India, but in the year of India’s independence, very few Indians could afford these at all.

For those who could, going out to the matinee was one of these treats. So what was playing in theatres in 1947? Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious starring American heartthrobs Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman was playing in Plaza Cinema in January, while Regal cinema was showing Henry Fonda-starrer ‘The Return of Frank James’. In Indian cinema, it seems historicals were the flavour of the season -- Ritz Cinema at Lothian Road was playing Veerangana while Jagat Cinema was playing Surendra and Suraiya’s “1857”, a retelling of the first war of Indian independence.

In some respects, nothing seems to have changed. The latest films still play at Plaza, and Cook and Kelvey continue to sell Rolex watches at Scindia House.

The winds of change

While commerce continues, these vintage advertisements are not untouched by the events of 1947. Biscuit manufacturer Parle-Gluco wishes consumers prosperity in ‘this new year of freedom’ in an advertisement.

India’s homegrown industrialists such as DCM textiles and Modi industries had gained a solid foothold in the market. The Imperial Bank of India would soon be renamed the State bank of India in 1955, post Independence.

This 1947 advertisement for the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun was striking. The IMA was looking for young officers of ‘quality, character, vigour, grit; lovers of rough outdoors and adventurous life need apply’. But you had to be a “British subject of Indian domicile or descent”. How this would change four months later, when India gained freedom from colonial rule.

This rather bold ad pitches Colgate as the perfect toothpaste to fight bad breath so you can kiss your beau. Toothpaste wasn’t a necessity back then, many Indian households still relied on the traditional meswak method to keep their teeth clean.

Newer generations may know Eno from its ‘Eno on, acidity gone’ tagline, but as this rather grandiose 1947 advertisement for the fruit salt shows, the brand has been around for a long time. "Eno knows no race, no flag, no boundaries – it extends to all peoples, so great is its fame as a healthgiver," the ad announces. Also worthy of note: The ad bears the mark of JWT, one of the world’s oldest advertising agencies, which was founded by former US marine James Walter Thompson in 1896.

We have all gargled with Listrine mouthwash, but in 1947, the company was peddling its toothpaste where a mother tells her about-to-be-wed daughter to brush with Listrine so "you can hold your pretty smile…and the admiration of your husband." The sexism here should feel antiquated, but is very much a part of advertising even in 2017.

Here’s the Czech shoe company -- which many Indians think of as homegrown because of how ubiquitous it has been – wishing its patrons on Durga Puja. Bata entered the Indian market in 1931, and was incorporated at Calcutta.

7’o clock was eventually bought out by Gillette and retails under its brand now. In 1947, Gillette’s blue blades retailed for Rs 14 for a pack of 5, while Indian brand 7 o’clock was a cheaper alternative with a pack of 10 slotted blades at Rs 12.

What’s he got that we haven’t, asks this ad? The answer, of course, is Brylcreem. Actor-singer Kishore Kumar and cricketer Farokh Engineer were some of the big names to endorse Brylcreem in its early days.

American company Pond’s foray into India started with advertising an entire beauty routine – cold cream, vanishing cream and powders.

The soap brand’s long tradition of getting film actors to market its products stretches back to 1947-- actress Ratnamala who had played the lead in 1945’s Vikramaditya was Lux’s face.

It wouldn’t become Parle-G till the 1980s but India’s ‘premier biscuit manufacturer’ already ruled the roost.

General Motors, Buick’s promoter in India, started business in the country in 1928, assembling Chevrolet cars, buses and trucks.

Parker was already a leading name in pens by then. The Parker ‘51’ with a gold cap retailed for Rs 63 – and has now acquired a collectible status.

The white-and-blue Reynolds ball pen is advertising something revolutionary in 1947: a pen where you won’t need to change the refill for 15 years!

A measure of how drastically cigarette advertising has changed over the years – in 1947, Will’s could openly advertise, "To assess the quality of a cigarette, all you need to look for is the name". Current laws prescribe that cigarette and tobacco packaging needs to carry health warnings.

India’s first airline stated that it was there "to serve the nation, to serve you". In 1947, a Bombay to Delhi flight had a stopover in Ahmedabad for refuelling. The Tata-owned Air India had a touchingly nationalist tagline, "In India, it pays to fly Air India". An October advertisement notifies an increase in the fare price.

The ‘longest established travel company’ in the world was founded in 1758 with the purpose of aiding the regiments posted to India. It was founded by Richard Cox under the command of Lord Ligonier. It started off with shipping clothing and other personal effects of soldiers and requisitioning of weapons or supplies, but later turned into a travel company. When the British packed up and left, Cox & Kings stayed behind and thrived in the subcontinent.

An advertisement for the Bollywood movie ‘1857’, based on the first war of Indian independence, starring singer-actor Surendra and Suraiya. The film had several songs, with music by Sajjad Hassan. Though Jagat Cinema had downed shutters, Chandni Chowk is still home to the Gramophone Company.

Mobile phones may have become our default torches, but Eveready is still synonymous with batteries in India. The National Carbon Company started operations in India in 1905 with batteries imported from the USA, but set up its own battery and flashlight plant over the years. In 1951, the name was changed to Union Carbide Company, which was involved in the tragic Bhopal gas disaster in 1984.

This 1947 advertisement for the Indian Military Academy is looking for young officers of ‘quality, character, vigour, grit; lovers of rough outdoors and adventurous life need apply’. But you have to be a "British subject of Indian domicile or descent", which was to change four months later when India gained independence.

On January 27, 1921, the three Presidency banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras were amalgamated to form a single entity, the Imperial Bank of India. In 1955, the IBI was transformed into the State Bank of India.

Connaught Place’s glittery Plaza Cinema is playing American blockbusters ‘Notorious’ and ‘Abie’s Irish Rose’. But the Sunday morning show is Ashok Kumar’s Hindi movie, Kismet.

Mahindra & Mahindra's ‘Live Young Live Free’ ad campaign makes a comeback

The Mahindra & Mahindra campaign has been conceptualised by FCB Interface and aims to embody the emotions of freedom and adventure as suggested by the tagline, 'Live Young Live Free'. 

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), India’s SUV manufacturer, recently launched a sequel to its popular television commercial, ‘Live Young, Live Free’ to showcase its complete portfolio of SUVs, including all the recently launched SUVs. Targeted at those who seek varied experiences, the new umbrella communication embodies the emotions of freedom and adventure, and propagates the core value proposition of Mahindra SUVs to enable lifestyle enhancing experiences.

Inspired by the original ‘Live Young Live Free’ score from the first campaign, the sequel uses a melange of tunes such as Hard-rock, Dub-step, Carnatic, Hindustani & Folk, elevating it from a song to an anthem running across the nation. As the leader in the SUV segment in India, over the years Mahindra has built a strong portfolio of vehicle brands with differentiated positioning and brand values.

The Live Young Live Free 2.0 film brings alive the unique proposition that Mahindra’s sports utility vehicles offer and the film underlines the common Mahindra DNA, a thread that binds the entire portfolio of SUVs. This film showcases different people, from different walks of life enjoying their own adventures in a Mahindra vehicle across the breath-taking landscapes of Ladakh, the serene lakes of Shillong, the dense forests of Assam and enigmatic dunes of Jaisalmer. With its stunning visuals, the film aptly showcases the go anywhere capability of Mahindra vehicles.

Watch the spot here:

Speaking about the campaign, Vivek Nayer, chief marketing officer, automotive division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “The sequel to our already popular TVC ‘Live Young Live Free’ celebrates the emotions of freedom and adventure among our SUV owners, and propagates the capability of Mahindra SUVs to enable lifestyle enhancing experiences. Mahindra vehicles with their unique DNA are best suited to offer a fun filled adventurous lifestyle to our customers, and the film reflects this in a very aspirational but relatable way. The Live Young Live Free anthem further enhances the strong emotional connect and exhorts people to join this movement. Essentially this TVC further builds on the earlier one and dwells on the fundamental nature of the human spirit which aspires for the freedom to pursue one’s passions.”

Nayer further added, “As part of our consumer insight studies we also found that with changing lifestyles, one of the key emerging trends was the growing number of road trippers in India, and the consequent increase in the sharing of experiences through social media. Our customer value proposition is at the heart of this trend. Hence while we have our TVC, print ads and content marketing strategy to amplify the Live Young Live Free communication, the newly introduced LYLF app is an enabler to plan and share the experience of road trippers.”

Robby Mathew, chief creative officer, FCB Interface said, “This film celebrates the sheer joy of breaking free. Breaking free from the limitations of the road, and by extension, the limitations that we have set for ourselves. It is also a subtle reminder that we have but one life, and there is no excuse whatsoever to not live it to the fullest. Like they say, sequels always have it hard. We evaluate them much more ruthlessly than the original. Happily for us Amit Sharma (Chrome Films) has done a phenomenal job with the film, and Mikey’s music score is truly a breakthrough – an eclectic mix of genres and voices and styles.”

Source: ETBrandEquity  |  January 21, 2017, 08:25 IST

Kolkata's street food is now available on online food delivery platforms

Move over biryani, daab chingri and Thai green curry. Now, Kolkata's street food is available on online food delivery platforms. From bhelpuri, soda shikanjiand papri chaatto rose khass, phuchka and even paan - everything can be ordered online and delivered at your doorstop.
The online menu of Sandip Soda Shikanji at Vivekananda Park now lists everything from rose milkshake and kachha aam milkshake to kala khatta and khass. Mouthwatering pictures of khatta meetha churmur , dahi pakora chaat and dahi phuchka are all available on line as are paans from Ashok Paan shop on Bondel Road.

"It's been three months since we started offering this service to keep pace with the digital world," said Rahul Kumar Chaurasia from Ashok Paan shop, adding that the app helps them deliver to places as far away as Tollygunje and Kasba.Most of his clients opt for gundi paan, which costs Rs 8 each, but there are also many takers for the special singara paan that costs Rs 50.

Delivery boy Bapi Roy says he delivers street food worth Rs 300-400 each day . "There is one client on Mayfair Road who has ordered lachha paan worth Rs 150 at least 25 times in a month!" Roy said.

Piku Pandit, who runs the popular Durga Pandit Ka Phuchka Stall, is upbeat about online delivery. "Clients who can't physically come down are happy to be served this way . On some days, I even get as many as 15 online orders,“ said Pandit, who packs extra chillies, onion and lime with every order. Sandip Das, the owner of Sandip Soda Shikanji stall, insists that it is important to ride the app bandwagon to survive. "This shop was set up by my grandfather. Elderly people might not understand apps, but I need to be savvy to survive.There are days when I get 50 orders through the app," Das said. He rues that he can't serve online customers his trademark golas because he hasn't been able to "get the packing right".

Advocate Tridib Sen drives down to Das's stall only to have the gola. The rest he orders online. "Time and distance are important. In my profession, it is difficult to find time to go and have food on the streets. Since these are now available online, why wouldn't I avail the facility? It costs approximately Rs 10 more per delivery but that doesn't pinch my pocket at all. In betwe en work, all I need to do is go online and order a masala ThumsUp or a shikanji and it's delivered within minutes," Sen said.

Piyali Saha, in-charge of an educational institute, places online phuchka orders at least thrice a month. “Of course, the fun of having phuchka on the streets is missing at home or office.Yet, it's better than not having it at all. It's all about adapting to the need of the hour,“ she said. There's one catch though.Customers can no longer cajole for a free sukhha puchka or a helping of bhujia to top the chaat. But that's a small sacrifice to make for street food delivered straight to your workstation.

(Source: The Times of India, Kolkata dt 2017-02-19)

Ramesh is OLA driver partner of 2016

Congratulations Ramesh, (from Kolkata) on becoming the OLA driver partner of 2016 and winning a BMW 3-Series. He is the only winner in India.

We at Marketingpundit and MarketingGyanology appreciate this marketing and motivation enhancement initiative by OLA in India.

A Summer Project is NOT Agent Recruitment Project

I'm shocked at the way number of B-Schools in India are forcing their Marketing Management students to appear for campus interviews - for Final Placements as well as for Summer Training.

For Summer Training, private Insurance sector companies are awarding projects which involve appointment of agents for selling insurance products. The students are being paid a commission for the number of agents they manage to recruit. They are being threatened that if they do not appoint a bare minimum number of agents, they may not get their "certificate of satisfactory completion" from the company at all. Once these students pass out the following year, companies marketing branded products may not touch them with a barge pole. What these students do in the name of Summer Project for a period of 6 to 8 weeks is not a project at all.

Final year MBA Marketing students (with a background in Engineering) have been offered final placements (during campus interviews in February) in insurance companies with the job profile remaining the same as that of Summer Training. The insurance companies issue "Letters of Offer" to practically every individual who appear for the interview. What is worse is that, thereafter, the students were not even allowed to appear for other campus interviews by the college authorities between February and June. The final year students were not even informed about their job content, i.e. on what they were expected to do on joining the company. Final year students have also realized in June that the remuneration promised to them has a very very very high component of variable pay (in the form of incentives). No wonders there's a large number of demotivated fresh and young MBAs in the marketplace. Will someone counsel these youngsters properly, please? I'm keen to hear from youngsters incidents which are very similar to these.

Digital Dabbawalas in Mumbai - from delivering dabbas to offering click-based services

It’s been more than a decade that the world woke up to the reality that Mumbai’s lunch-dabba system is an act of urban genius.

Some called it as the most ingenious food delivery system in the world. The Forbes magazine gave the dabbawalas (lunchbox deliverymen) a Six Sigma performance rating or a 99.99999 percent of precision, which means they make one error in 16 million deliveries! In the last 125 years, there has not been a single instance of a lunchbox that has not been delivered to its destination. Come rain or shine, heavy crowded local trains or Mumbai traffic, the lunch box is picked up from home and delivered. This is the precision of their service – and all this without using any technology.

In recent times, with the world and India taking digital leaps, the dabbawala’s too have found the need to embrace technology and offer click-based services.

"Most of our staff is semi-literate. We earn around Rs. 10,000 to 12,000 per month and were looking for opportunities to have an additional source of income. Our Prime Minister is working towards Digital India mission, and when we got an opportunity from Anulom Technologies for rental registrations, we too decided to offer digital services," says Ulhas Muke, President, Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association.

Dabba delivery to digital services

Around 5,000 dabbawalas travel over 60 to 70 km daily to deliver over 2 lakh lunchboxes across Mumbai, and have earned a reputation for their meticulous operations, integrity and honesty.

In October 2016, with the launch of digitaldabbawala.com, they are now expanding their delivery from just lunch boxes to last-mile delivery of digital services. This is a combined initiative with Anulom Technologies, a government approved rental-agreement registration website.

Ad: India is the third largest breeding ground for technology start-ups focusing on digital innovation and disruption. Is your organisation fully digital?

"Today, everyone wants to work with a trusted facilitator for digital services. The first of such services by us has been around online rental agreement registration. Anulom directs our dabbawala to a customer’s doorstep with a laptop and a biometric device where the rental agreement format is shown, thumb impressions are taken with the help of biometric machine and documents collected if needed," says Jaising Pingle, Treasurer, Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, and who is the first trained digital dabbawala.

Before launching this service, Anulom handpicked a 15 member team for process and laptop training. Each of these 15 individuals were chosen from different regions in Mumbai and Thane.

"We were amazed to witness that within two days this group had completely explored most of the laptop features and knew basics like turning it on, logging in and connecting to the net. Post this we held a two day boot camp in the evening for four hours to train them properly, both on the usage of laptops and biometric device working and also around the process of rental registration. We installed an app on their mobile devices. So there is no need to type a single letter. All they need to do is point and click and it is easily understandable. They are exceptionally fast learners," says Prabodh Navare, CEO, Anulom Technologies.

These people initially trained by Anulom have now become the building blocks of the digital movement and are training their fellow dabbawalas. Going ahead, digitaldabbawala.com is planning to launch services like making of Aadhaar cards, changing names on documents, marriage registrations or making other government documents.

(Source: Ashwani Mishra, ETCIO.com dated 2016-12-02)

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How the Brain Processes Different Types of Content [Infographic]

Sometimes, the movie adaptation of a book is better than the book itself. Maybe it's the acting, maybe it's the special effects or the soundtrack, or maybe the story is simply better told on the big screen than in our imaginations.

The reason? Different stories are better told in different formats depending on the message they're trying to convey.

The folks at Main Path Marketing created an infographic to break down common types of content marketing formats and how they communicate information to your audience. And some of their insights may surprise you. For example, did you know that the human brain processes videos 60,000X faster than text? That's part of what makes how-to videos so popular in online search habits.



Source:Written by Sophia Bernazzani in Hubspot