The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Offering a peep into the world of marketing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Offering a peep into the world of marketing

Special Correspondent

The book provides insight into the world of marketing and branding He felt the need for writing the book after studying the significant differences in marketing in China and India

Bangalore: In India, almost the entire family watches the same TV programmes and commercials. This means purchase decisions are often taken by the entire family, with children having a big say in which brand to go for.

This is one of the fascinating insights into the world of marketing and branding that columnist Ramanujam Sridhar has referred to in his book, "One Land-One Billion Minds," to be released here Wednesday. In the book brought out by Productivity and Quality Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Sridhar has targeted different types of readers.

Young graduates

"I had in mind young management graduates, even from the top IIMs who have certain experience gaps to be filled. Few have gone through Indian case studies and examples. Then there are those in advertising and marketing without a broad enough perspective on the changes that have taken place within ten years. There are also marketing professionals without formal training who need exposure,'' he says.

Mr. Sridhar felt the need for writing the book after studying the significant differences in marketing in China and India, both fast growing economies but with temperamentally different people.

Different from the West too where 18-year olds make their own choice in buying. Mothers have the choice when it comes to most Indian teenagers. "In India, very often it is not an individual's choice but that of the whole family,'' he says.

There are references to brands that grew because they were projected as ideal gifts for more than one occasion. Titan watches for example. The fact that demographically, we have more persons below the age of 24 and how many of that age or a bit older, already have high incomes and make buying choices.

"While your customer may be in the mid-twenties, most marketing managers are in the 45-55 age group and many suffer from a generational myopia... . Assuming things are the same as when they were in their twenties,'' he says.

Television with its regional channels has helped in advertising aimed at specific regions and groups, Mr. Sridhar says.

A sari shop owner or jeweller can now spend on TV commercials aired only for potential customers in a particular city. A brand that sells big only in two or three States can narrow down its advertising to just those regions.

"Some of these are brands with a Rs. 800-crore turnover that you may not find in Bangalore,'' Mr. Sridhar adds.

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