LIFE AT IMI-B

Are we prejudiced about middle India consumers? I ncreasingly, we are finding consumers saying ‘Oh no, not again’ when they see another top established star in advertising or public service commercials. So, while established stars are always at the top of the Forbes and other celebrity indices, they are more a reflection of the box office earnings and fame ranks. But those ranks may be hiding something very potent for marketers – of how tired consumers are, of seeing their favourite stars too often. And more importantly, we need to answer the question ‘how relevant are they for our target audience?’. For example, a few years ago, to mark the launch of its new XE model, car maker Jaguar enlisted singer Emeli Sandé, actor Idris Elba and designer Stella McCartney to ramp up interest from a new audience. Or Seinnheiser used Miley Cyrus to endorse its range. Steve Dalton, director of marketing at Sennheiser said, “Over the years we have decided that it’s not right for us ...

Despite housing close to 70% of the country’s population, rural markets in India have been by and large neglected by businesses in favour of urban geographies. Even mainstream business enterprises, despite their abundant resources, have made limited inroads into this vast market. Factors such as a lack of services, infrastructure, and essential facilities such as banking institutions have been touted as the main reason behind this lack of traction in rural geographies. Rapid advancements in technology and increased inclusiveness, however, have dramatically increased the scope for business expansion in rural geographies. With digitisation in India accelerating at an unprecedented pace, rural markets are benefitting from the increased interconnectivity. The brand narrative for rural markets is shifting from empowerment to genuinely paying attention. With rural geographies offering businesses across industry verticals a plethora of opportunities, brands are vying for greater...

IMPACT OF FESTIVAL ON CONSUMER SPENDING HABITS BY-  Prof. Manit Mishra Associate Professor, Marketing International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar T he festive season has arrived and the brands have decided to leverage it with “surgical strikes” on consumer wallets. To quote Jim Collins: “Greatness is not a function of circumstances. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.” The brands, retail as well as product, had made their choice in the run-up to festivities. The harbinger was the most unlikeliest and unpredictable ally a retailer can wish for: India Meteorological Department (IMD). With IMD predicting an “above normal” monsoon for 2016 in the month of April, and the actual monsoon not displaying a significant variance from it, the track was laid for the consumption carnival to begin. The government too pitched in and said – enough is enough, it is time to bless the babus with Lakshmi before the festive ...