Markathon April 2011

Dear Readers,

It is that time of the year again, when the B-schools students find themselves undergoing the Summer Internship, exploring the world of marketing on a first hand basis for probably the first time. The experience is surely going to be one filled with learning and understanding how the ground reality is different from what we’ve read in our books- Kotler and the likes.

The one question that was on all Media Buying companies, WC or IPL, seems to have been answered for now. The IPL viewership figures have not been very encouraging compared to the WC which was a runaway hit. Maybe the latter part of the IPL might see some better numbers.

One campaign that has caught my eye during the IPL has been that of Cadbury’s rejuvenated “Kuch Meetha ho Jaaye” one. It is a very smart move by Cadbury which is trying to position Dairy Milk as a post mean dessert snack which might reap rich dividends. This moves away from the normal positioning as a chocolate for special occasions and festivals.

Markathon has always strived to bring you the best analysis and content related to the domain of marketing. In continuation with this singular objective, Markathon is proud to announce that we are starting a brand new feature from this edition. We have Mr. Martin Lindstrom, Bestselling author and premier Brand Consultant, giving us his wonderful insights about Brands and buying behaviour of consumers. In this month’s edition, we feature his thought provoking article, Smash Your Brand, which talks about how a brand’s logos should be designed to maintain its identity even when smashed into pieces. We are bringing this feature as syndication in association with The Martin Lindstrom Company Ltd. Markathon thanks them for giving us access to the wonderful article base.

Our cover story for this month is on Brand India. Much has been talked about how India is emerging as a brand after liberalisation. In our story we explore what Brand India means and how it is evolving. We dig deep to identify the meaning of a Country brand and the origin of the term Brand India. We also look at how the Government is working for Brand India as well as what it has done for the ‘Aam Aadmi’ of the country. I am sure you will find the story a fascinating and informative read.

In this month’s Vartalaap we have a very special guest, Mr. Vivek Mehra who is the MD and CEO of Sage Publications India Ltd. He gives us a wonderful interview running us through the world of publishing and also SAGE publications’ Legends of Marketing Series.

Happy Reading!

Jitesh

Jitesh Pradeep Patel

Markathon March 2011

Dear Readers,

As I sit down to write my first editorial, there is one thing at the back of my mind and everyone else too. India vs Pakistan at Mohali. The World Cup has grabbed viewers’ eyeballs and the headlines of all the newspapers across the country. If the last WC in 2007 was an advertiser’s nightmare, this one has been a dream especially since all the subcontinent teams are still in the fray.

The viewership has been off the charts and just the group matches had a higher cumulative viewership than the IPL Season 3. All the questions about where to put in advertising money, World Cup or IPL , have been put to rest with such astounding viewership numbers. This coupled with the Official Internet viewership is a clear indicator that the World Cup has a better appeal than the IPL.

There have been loads of marketing campaigns built around the world cup. From the downright disastrous to some smartly crafted ones. The Vodafone Super ZooZoo has been a runaway hit. There has been one campaign though which I found to be very well made and has somehow not made much of an impact, the Sprite University of Freshology campaign has slowly positioned Sprite as the smart, sassy, young people’s drink from its earlier image of being a thirst quencher (Sprite bujhaaye pyaas campaign).

The tagline which they have adopted now is ‘First drink, then think, Sprite – University of Freshology. The campaign should help establish Sprite as a refreshing drink and cement its position as the No:2 drink for Coca-Cola Company in India. We need to see more such intelligent campaigns in the Indian media.

With the summer round the corner, the market for the Non Alcoholic Beverages is witnessing a lot of skirmish. In this month’s Cover Story we look at three such beverages and how the landscape is evolving with newer players coming in and lots of newer drinks in the pipeline for launch.

In this month’s Vartalaap section, we have Mrs. Priya Raghubir, Professor of Marketing at Stern Business School New York University. She gives us great insights into Consumer Psychology, aspects of pricing and her experiences from being a student at IIM Ahmedabad to a Professor at a premier Business school.

I would like to place my gratitude on record for the outgoing team who have done an outstanding job with the magazine. I along with all the members of the incoming team would endeavour our best to live upto the high standards already set for Markathon. This magazine is a collaborative effort involving all the excellent team members. I thank each and everyone one of them for the part they play in bringing the issue out.

Happy Reading! J

Jitesh Pradeep Patel