EDITOR'S NOTE

Are we, the youth, all that we are made up to be? With companies fawning
over us, bending over backwards to catch our attention, I often think
whether we are even worth all the fuss? But with all the biggies joining in
the fray, they might really be on to something.
In the age of swiping left or right to state your fancy, for us it probably
has come to just a matter of one swipe to dismiss of an entity from our
minds completely. This is bound to give companies sleepless nights. So
how do they stay relevant to us? And all this in the age in which if you
arent trending, you are non-existent.
But then we do love to reminisce. Till the longest time I thought that
throwing ones back out was only after seriously injuring oneself but then
I was enlightened into what #throwback really meant. Nostalgia is in,
dare I say? We still love our tiny little stack of tazos, and love the smell of
Johnsons & Johnsons baby powder and have absolutely no qualms
snacking on Parle G, gorging on Fererro Rochers till ones hearts content,
box after box. Wait, too many cats out of the bag there. Erm, moving on! It
is a wonderful feeling to reach out to a brand that for many years now has
remained just the same.
So how much is too much? Is it a good idea to steadfastly stick to ones
roots, come rain, come sunshine? Or would you want to be a brand who is
constantly on the move, trying to stay relevant? How in the world will we
figure this out? Through this edition of Buzz of course! *smug emoticon*
We had thoughts, ideas, opinions pouring in from throughout the country,
and my team and I had a wonderful time going through them all. I thank
you all for your contribution and we hope you had a good time writing
your piece!
Thats about it from me! Until next time, keep it real folks!
Apurva

A lot of people have

contributed to churn out
this issue of BUZZ.

NjM Senior Team

Apurva Kenekar
Devayani Phadke
Edlebert Fernandes
Isha Sareen
Kriti Talwar
Rahul Shah
Rishabh Prasad
Vivek Cheedalla

BUZZ Editorial &

Creatives Team
Abhinav Unnikrishnan
Akash Goenka
Anuradha Tulsyan
Arushi Kalra
Ashima Sharma
Brijesh R Krishnan
Eshan Kapoor
Harshad Deo
Homayun Khosravi
M S Sandeep
Manasvi Rao
Nandini Suryanarayanan
Rishabh Mehta
Rishika Bothra
Sanket Sharma
Sarthak Arora
Saurabh Nagar
Shakshi Malik
Suviraj Singh
Tanu Mathur
Vidisha Garg

Prologue

Ageless Brands: Fact or Myth

Ask the Bee

Old Spice: The Old Wine

in a New Bottle

13

The Marketing Genius of the IPL

17

Top 10 - Luxury Hotels

23

Top 10 - Startups creating a Buzz

28

Cause Marketing

32

Expert Speak

37

Prologue

The Prologue
Abhinav Unnikrishnan,
Did something, sometime

"He alone, who owns the

youth, gains the future."

Adolf Hitler for all his faults as a

person, was a genius strategist. Or
as a certain Mr. Ollivander would
have put it, He did great things.
Terrible! Yes. But great. His views
on the youth, on the need to have
that segment of the population
march alongside you have been
embraced by politicos and
corporates alike.
India provides a fertile ground for
breeding such ideas because of a
population thats over a billion
strong and is predominantly young.
There is a marked shift in the way
brands are communicating and
interacting with their audience.

Above and beyond that, there is a

marked shift in the way brands are
coming about, establishing
themselves and going about their
business. This changing trend, as
Harvard Demographer David Bloom
puts it, is known as the
Demographic Dividend. This
change, this invigorating freshness
in the marketplace today, is evident
in the number of start-ups that are
coming up every other day. Caution
is being thrown to the wind, the
safety net is slowly becoming
obsolete, as the times they are achanging. Behind this fascinating
facade is an intricate study of how
we are changing. Each era is
identified by what set it apart. The
70s was for the artists and the
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

70s was for the artists and the

thinkers, the 80s was about
aggression, the 90s, according to
Facebook was about Cartoon
Network. Were lucky to live in the
era of Cool. So, whats cool? Cool is
brashness, cool is brazen, cool is
being comfortable in your own skin.

And the brands, they were listening.

One way communication, where our
role as a consumer was to listen to
each brand on what it had to say for
itself and pick a winner, gave way to
two way communication. It wasnt a
monologue anymore. They engaged
us in a conversation. They talk to us
on Facebook, dont be surprised if
Happily Unmarried. This online
Amazon trolls you on Twitter, and
store sells apparel and accessories. definitely, definitely dont mess with
Happily Unmarried proudly flaunts a Zomato, theyve got great
lack of vision set in stone, and a lack comebacks.
of a business plan. Something like
this wouldve been unthinkable a
"Its not just about these
few years ago. What changed?
brands turning over a new
Communication did.

TrulyMadly.com or Levis might

somewhat be considered as torch
bearers for brands to lead people on
a new path. They talk about an
unabashed sensuality for women,
they talk about freedom, they talk
about liberty, they talk about
embracing a side of you which has
been kept under covers due to the
fear of social stigma. When these
winds of change blow, not just a
person but entire countries might
need to hold onto their hats. There
are few brands who can call
themselves younger at heart than
Google. So, it was only befitting that
Google ushered in the Arab Spring,
which changed how the people in

Prologue

"We gained multiple

platforms to express
ourselves, the social media
boom led us on a journey of
introspection for the sake of
putting it out there. We
started speaking about
everything under the sun."

leaf though, not just about

them joining the revolution,
its about these brands
inspiring change, or standing
the test of time."

Prologue

the Middle East looked at

themselves. It was out with the old
and in with the new for them.

brands. They too become the

harbingers of change considering
that they have to explore new
markets and avenues constantly to
avoid being run in to the ground.

And when we talk about the youth

of brands bringing down the
fountain of youth to a country, how
can we forget our beloved start-ups.
We now seem to firmly believe that
its easier to create job than to look
for one. This has changed the
corporate structure in the country to
such an extent that it made the
Prime Minister of the country, Shri
Narendra Modi, take notice of this
new cultural trend, which he then
beautifully addressed as Start-up
India, Stand-up India, a Narnian
They have to boldly go where no
trumpet for the youth, and the
brands have gone before, and then
changing fabric of the country.
in such journeys, they inadvertently
end up bringing all sorts of change
to a region and its people. They
remain young, and take everybody
along on a Benjamin Button like
journey.
Getting back to where we began
from, in a similar cycle to all these
brands, Happily Unmarried is one of
the thousands of new brands that
resonates with the ideas spoken
about here. It seeks to become a
reflection of the youth, and hence it
admits to its flaws.
When we talk about youthful
brands, one must not discount the
old ones, because in spite of being
around for such a long time, theyre
still around, theyre ageless and
immortal. Coca Cola comes to mind
when there is a mention of such

"We as a generation might be

confused, we might not know
where were going, but were
intent on making this journey
beautiful."

As they look to target the youth,

they seek to become one of us too,
they seek for our approval, they seek
for our acceptance, just like yet
another kid who wants to sit next to
you in the cafeteria.

Prologue

All brands are looking for the next

billion customers. Theyre all looking
to create their own set of loyal
customers. The old guard is giving
way to a new one.

This is whats beautiful today. The

brand is turning into a person, its a
bunch of Pinocchios out there, who
simply refuse to believe theyre
made out of wood, who believe with
a fiery passion that they are a person,
living, breathing, trying to make a
mark, just like us.

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at abhinav.unnikrishnan15@nmims.edu.in

gyaan

Ageless Brands: Fact or Myth

Sanchit Sasidharan, born and brought up in Delhi is
an Engineer by profession, currently pursuing MBA
(Marketing) from NMIMS, Mumbai.His passions
include travelling and listening to music(esp EDM).
Udbhav Bhaniramka, born and brought up in Kolkata,
a commerce graduate from St. Xaviers College,
Kolkata, currently pursuing MBA(Marketing) from
NMIMS, Mumbai.His passions include playing cricket,
reading about Indian politics and travelling. reading

Ageless Brands are much like big

rivers, which have been flowing
freely all-round the year for
centuries as their market remains
unchanged and power unchallenged
by any check dam. Much like a river,
brands do ebb and flow, but their
reach and popularity remains

unquestioned throughout decades.

In the Indian market, there have been
only a handful of such brands who
have held their fort since the advent
of the 20th century and continue to
enjoy a major share of

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

the pie in the new millennium. They

have seen at least one World War,
the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall,
the pop culture of the 60s, the first
man on the moon, bad hair of the
80s and not to forget the recent
financial crisis.

How can it be that the chocolaty

magic of Cadbury is left out when it
comes to ageless brands. Cadbury
believes in ruthless marketing

"Some of the brands that

have always been around,
pretty much still look the
same, taste the same and
feel the same."

gyaan

The first brand that is synonymous

with being successful across
generations and has stood the test
of time is Coca-Cola, which has
been spreading its wings right since
1886. Started as an over the counter
remedy for headaches, Coca-Cola
has transformed itself into an entity
of joy. Since its beginning, the
brand has stood by its 3 timeless
principles- acceptability,
affordability and availability. Till
date, Coke has had 168 different
taglines, but its brand positioning
remains fairly the same. Entering
the Indian market first in 1956, its
approach is centered around the
goal that Coca-Cola must try to
quench the thirst of every person in
the world- all 6 billion of them. Its
iconic red ribbon logo uses a
timeless font!

consistency. It has always stuck to

its signature purple packaging and
maintains its one and a half glasses
of milk per chocolate bar. Similarly,
KFC always has Colonel Sanders and
the special herbs recipe stamped on
its marketing campaigns throughout
the years.

After initially targeting female

smokers with their 'Mild as May'
slogan, Marlboro changed stance in
the 50s to a more niche segment of
male smokers. But since then, very
little has changed with Marlboro.
That's over sixty years with the same
cowboy 'Marlboro Man', product
branding and packaging. Sixty years
of success without much radical
change is quite staggering.
A brand which has survived rough
seas for two centuries is Brooks
Brothers, the oldest clothing brand

In the Indian marketplace, Hindustan

wearing a Brooks Brothers suit when Unilever has been able to maintain
Lux as one such long distance
he was assassinated. Till date, the
brand has outlived 39 US Presidents. runner.
Its branding has come a long way
from early days of Leela Chitnis,
The success mantra behind such
Madhubala, Nargis, Zeenat Aman,
brands is that they have been able
to simultaneously target and retain Hema Malini to Sridevi to Shahrukh
Khan and now Katrina Kaif; and it
all generations of consumers, be it
still remains the leader in the beauty
Baby Boomers or Millenials.
soap segment.

gyaan

of USA. In fact, Honest Abe was

"These brands focus on

generic ever-lasting needs of
the consumers and have the
capability of adapting and
withstanding the tumults in
environment and competition
with the art of maintaining
the perfect fit between
customers need and the
brands character."
Another company that has been able
to adapt to the modern marketplace
and has thrived, becoming bigger, is
Twinings. The English tea company
has the oldest continually used logo
in the world, which they have been
using since 1787. Twinings has been
able to cement itself as an integral
component of the English tea
drinking culture, which adds to its
agelessness.

Another brand that has survived

through thick and thin is
GlaxoSmithKlines Horlicks.
Originally marketed as the Great
Family Nourisher in India in the
1940s, Horlicks has been able to
become an umbrella brand for a
wide variety of products ranging
from the flagship malt drink to
instant noodles, confectionery and
breakfast cereal.
Horlicks has also been able to
address new consumer needs and
bring new consumers into its fold by
launching variants at different points
of time.
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

The challenge for marketers is that

the ageless brands should not be
considered as old.

"Hanging on to their core

promise, everlasting brands
who are in for the long haul
have evolved to ensure that
they are still relevant to
todays consumer. "
A brand is basically an experience
which one sells. The brands which
are able to connect with the
consumer move forwards and the
others fall behind.

made us smile, satisfied cravings,

brought people together and have
been dependable. They've been
around before we were born and
will most likely be around for many
years to come. Undoubtedly, they've
truly been brands that have stood
the test of time.

"Therefore, brands being

ageless and ever-lasting is
not a myth but a proven fact."

gyaan

"People always misinterpret

market dominance with
brand longevity. However, a
market leader can also die a
quick death."
There are a plethora of elements
that help add or reduce meaningful
and economic longevity to the
brand. Sometimes, of course, mercy
killing becomes paramount to chuck
the old and give way for new
generation brands. However, the
parent brands will continue to
provide succour to the business
over a long period.
These long-lasting brands have
If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
us at sanchit.sasidharan15@nmims.edu.in or
udbhav.bhaniramka15@nmims.edu.im

ask the bee

Ask The Bee

Brijesh R Krishnan is an impulsive tackler,
occasional astronomer. Succumbs to writer's
block every once in a while

Shakshi Malik loves reading, singing,

theorizing and will travel the world someday.
She believes in curiosity, conversation and
cake.

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

Dear Bee,
It was while reading the news that I came across the MarutiNexa
Platform. Why is Maruti trying to shed the image that has worked so
well for them in the past? Is the Nexa initiative a ploy to gain its share in
the passenger vehicle segment?
Kshitij

Dear Kshitij,

ask the bee

Imagine walking into a car showroom, only to be greeted

by a svelte relationship manager brandishing an ipad, on
which he allows you to customize your cars interiors
through a configurator application. Don't get any ideas
though; you're not at Bentley or an Audi, but at the
friendly neighborhood Maruti Nexa showroom. The
automobile major's premium dealership is an attempt to
help shrug off its shadow as a budget car maker. Today's
typical couch surfer is not only aware about competing
brand offerings, but is willing to switch to a new entrant
at a moments notice! Talk about a short attention span!
Feeling the need to keep up with competition (and
because of the uneasiness caused by competition
breathing down its neck! ) Maruti may has bought in a
much needed freshness and premium feel to customer
experiences. Flanking strategy? Usually, established firms
seldom invite such risks in their core market. But the bee
is all for risks, innovation and pampering of course! And
the Nexa brand, it may just pay off. Watch out for a lot of
buzzing under the Nexa umbrella.

10

Dear Bee,
In-film branding is booming recently but it seems so blatant, its almost
off-putting. Do you think its a good idea?
An aspiring marketer

ask the bee

Dear aspiring marketer,

Was it Shahrukh Khans spiel about Nokia Lumia in Chennai
Express that displeased you so? While in-film placement might
seem blatant, the icing is just too sweet to ignore. Cinema is
huge in this country. Nearly 80-85 per cent of all movie goers
are 15-35 years old and this is the group most advertisers are
talking to these days. It's a high impact medium and the shelf
life is infinite. Because this is not a media campaign thats going
to go on air and then bugger off. There are multiple touch points
like promos, songs, digital, in-flight, in hotels, DVD release. Also,
with in-film placement, you cant skip the ad by switching
channels. And when you look at how a brand could creep into
popular culture, it could be there forever! Mere photo ko seene
se yaar, chipka le saiyyan Fevicol se. Every time someone sings
that song, the branding team at Fevicol has a round of shots.
Given the exorbitant endorsement fees charged by leading
actors today, brand tie-ups with films starring them seem like a
cheaper way of getting access to their star appeal. And in some
ways, the sheer in-your-face quality of it can be funny. So
buckle up, because media placements in film are here to stay, at
least for the time being.

11

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

Dear Bee,
Whats your take on Salman Khans recent negative publicity and his role as
a brand ambassador? Do you think brands should drop him?
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

The actual hit-and-run happened a long time ago and

Mr. Khans movies have continued to do well. Also, a lot
of brands associated with him are going for the macho
and daredevil appeal. These might just benefit from this kind of
publicity. So its risky either way. In my opinion, the smartest
thing to do would be to keep him around but lie low. Let the dust
settle, find out which way the wind blows and then figure out
your next strategy.

ask the bee

A celebrity brand ambassador brings credibility to a brand. So

while brands may want ditch their ambassadors when the
unmentionables hit the fan, things arent so simple when it
comes to Salman Khan. India is a country where Bollywood and
cricket is a religion, darling, and our actors and cricketers are
considered gods. Look at the reaction of the crowd when Sallu
Bhai got his bail. Dancing and fireworks! If a brand drops him
now, it may get negative backlash for not standing by him in
times of trouble. The public doesnt always turn against
celebrities for going to prison; they might even feel sorry for
them.

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
us at brijesh.rkrishnan15@nmims,edu,in or shakshi.malik15@nmims.edu.
in

12

Premiere

Old Spice: The Old Wine in a New Bottle

Abhinav Sehgal, is a marketing enthusiast who
interned with Hindware in Product Management
domain. Always in the quest to make a difference,
he has been a member of Placements Committee at
IIMK and converted key accounts with his pitches.
Being a consistent student, he was shortlisted for
Aditya Birla Group Scholarship at IIMK.

"The key is, no matter what

story you tell, make your buyer
the hero."
-- Chris Brogan

Getting too attached to ones brand

is nothing but a suicidal tendency
which most marketers consciously
fear but fail to avoid. Such a situation
creates a chain reaction of
complacency, sluggishness and sheer
disillusion on the part of brand
managers leading them into oblivion
where they reach a point when their
vision gets hazy and their inability to
spot the changing trends in the market

13

leads them to slumber, only to be

woken up by alarmingly dismal sales
levels.
Thats one reason why brands try hard
to keep themselves abreast of
changing dynamics be it societal value
shift, technology upgradation ,
regulatory changes, competitors
moves etc. The key is to keep
reinventing the brand be it through
exploring
different
segments,
experimenting with the packaging and
last but not the least, altering the
product communication.
The most powerful and iconic brands
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

At the same time, India witnessed

competing products from players
like Emami, Gillette, HUL which also
started gaining traction in this space,
eventually hurting the Old Spices
overall sales.

The Turning Point

1990s were a game-changer in more
than one way. While India woke up
to the LPG reforms by the new
regime of Narsimha Rao, an
acquisition of Old Spice by P&G in
another part of the world created
jitters among the competitors, as it
The Ad-vent
was a clear indication that the
category was heading towards
A 77 years old brand that came to
becoming a Kurukshetra
the shelves in 1938 with
battleground to witness the
commercials based on the nautical
bloodiest of the battles. Old Spices
theme expounding the brands
poor brand association of being a
rugged and masculine attributes,
yesteryear generation brand
started losing market share on
caught P&Gs attention in the early
account of its Thats my
stages and in no time it decided to
grandfathers brand image which
overhaul the brands image by
made the product look elderly and
changing the scent and replacing the
less appealing to GenY especially
ship logo with a yacht targeting the
18-34 age group consumers. The
younger demographics.The next two
1970s was the era when the brand
decades witnessed frequent
carried the slogan, The Mark of a
tampering in packaging along with
man and consequently in 1980s it the introduction of new product
modified its positioning to that of a lines like High Endurance and Red
family oriented man.
Zone, to revamp the brands image
However, that was the time when
and make it more youth centric.
other players started eating into its Although these efforts did result in
market share. In the international
some spike in sales here and there
markets, brands like Avon, Brut,
but failed to uplift the brands
Tabac, Anais-Anais , Charlie, Hi
overall image and hence didnt make
Karate started dominating the mens drastic impact on P&Gs bottom line.
grooming segment in 70s and 80s.
like Cinthol, Lifebuoy, Lux etc have
deeply ingrained this strategy in
their DNA. One such case in point is
the P&Gs Mens personal care
brand OLD Spice.

Premiere

14

drastic impact on P&Gs bottom line.

buzz on these social media platforms

by inviting questions to be answered
personally by Mustafa. The campaign
upped its ante by going the extra
mile and creating around 186
customized video responses to the
questions that included those of the
celebrities like Paris Hilton, Alyssa
Milano etc. With 1.2 billion media
impressions the Old Spice man was
basking in the glory of astoundingly
successful campaign.

Premiere

The Zeitgiest of the moment

15

Wieden+Kennedy, the agency

entrusted with resurrecting the
brand, delivered the Zeitgeist of the
moment in July 2010, when they
launched a series of commercials
featuring American actor Isaiah
Mustafa. The commercials changed
the tag line from The Mark of the
Man to Smell like a Man, Man The
sleepy Old Spice yacht started
sailing the high seas of Manhood
overnight and witnessed a huge
turnaround in sales. The key insight
captured here was that 75% of the
body wash sales purchase was done
by women and hence the one liner
So ladies, does your man smell like
an Old Spice man, targeted women
generating
the call for action on their part.
Wieden+Kennedy were successful in
connecting the rugged masculinity of
Old Spice man with humor which
immediately struck a chord with the
younger audience. The campaign
also capitalized on the modern
marketing channels like Twitter and
Facebook by subsequently creating a

"Wieden+Kennedy, the agency

entrusted with resurrecting
the brand, delivered the
Zeitgeist of the moment in
July 2010, when they
launched a series of
commercials featuring
American actor Isaiah
Mustafa."

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

Soon enough The Manatstic

captured the major part of the
conversations on Twitter and
Facebook with personalized
responses filled with wit and humor.
The idea that Milind could be
portrayed as a Go-to person for the
young generation who look up to a
Been there, done that personality,
immediately got acceptance and the
campaign received an overwhelming
response leading to the brands
revival.

The Manatstic captured the

major part of conversations
on Twitter and Facebook with
personalised responses filled
with wit and humor."

Premiere

Similar was the case three years later

Similarly in India when P&G released
The Mantastic campaign featuring
Milind Soman in the similar Avatar as
Mustafa and found the video going
viral on all social media channels.

The rapid disruptive changes in

technology, society, consumer
demographics and their buying
patterns, over the last three decades
have sent across a message which is
loud and clear, the reinvention game
is not for everyone. One must keep
experimenting to eventually come up
with a powerful story aligned with
the spirit of the times to maintain the
brand relevance for the target group.

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at abhinavs18@iimk.ac.in

16

GYAAN

The marketing genius of the IPL

Sanket Sharma is a first year student at NMIMS,
Mumbai. He is a part of the Marketing Cell-NjM.
He is a reliable middle order batsman and a die
hard Liverpool fan.
Nandini Suryanarayan is a Theatre Enthusiast
and part engineer turned MBA. Wants to change
the world and be everything at once.
Ashima Sharma is happy, unsure but inquisitive,
and believes that there's no such thing as too
much sleep (or too many dreams).

17

India is a cricket crazy nation.

April.

Cricket is the reason you woke up

early on Sunday mornings , the
reason for several thousand broken
windows, the reason for missing
school or work for a million and now
the reason for a new tyohaar in

The IPL, started in 2008 ,

revolutionized Cricket in India. You
might hate the game , but when a
super over comes on you cannot
possibly look away.
Cricket was a religion in India but IPL
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

The IPL is often dismissed by critics

as a "money making scheme" of the
BCCI but one has to say that there
has been a method to this madness.
The BCCI has been very shrewd
when it comes to how they have
gone about marketing this event.
There is a lot of scope for learning if
we actually uncover the rationale
behind the manoeuvres of the BCCI.

"You might hate the game ,

but when a super over comes
on you cannot possibly look
away. Cricket was a religion
in India but IPL made it a
cult."

"The BCCI has been very

shrewd when it comes to how
they have gone about
marketing this event."

GYAAN

When we say the IPL is 'young and

beautuful' , the young here is the
fresh concept of T20 league
matches in our country, the young
players sharing the big stage, the
peppy presenters and the young
audience who couldnt ask for a
better way to spend three hours of
the day. The glitz and glamour of
the celebrity team owners, stylish
team jerseys and even the
traditional cricketing stalwarts
dressed in the trendiest of attires
make it beautiful.The players dont
mind showing off their designer
shades and latest hairdos. The
conservative Indian spectator is now
loud and carefree.

To begin with, IPL was spot on in

identifying the needs of the
consumers. The lure of the longer
formats of the game was gradually
on the decline as people were happy
relying on technology to keep
themselves updated given the time
constraints of a busy life. To cash in
on this need by introducing a
shorter T20 format was nothing
short of a masterstroke.

Cricket had always been looked

upon as a sport with primarily a
male audience in India. The BCCI
knew that if it had to reignite the
passion for the game, it could not
forget the women this time.
Therefore they smartly roped in
entertainment with cricket. There
was loud music, DJ's & glamorous
female anchors trying their hands at
punditry. The fact that Bollywood
was actively involved with the event
also proved a catalyst.

18

different income groups to come

and be a part of the event.
Behavioral: The IPL has been very
successful in projecting a sporting
event as a carnival where the entire
family can come together and get
value for money entertainment.
Coming up with jingles such as " Ye
Hai India KaTyohaar" bears
testimony to the same.

GYAAN

The segmentation

19

"The IPL was the first sporting

event of its kind in India to
promote merchandise sales
of sports franchises."

Geographic: The IPL began with

Metros but gradually shifted to
catering to the demand for cricket
of the small towns and cities . The
IPL focussed on bringing in new
followers to the fold from cities like
Dharamshala, Cuttack, Kochi &
Ranchi. Matches have been held in
these towns to spur a fan base.

No event can be successful merely

by identifying the needs of the
audience and effectively
segmenting the customers. A great
deal of homework has to be done to
promote the event effectively so
that it retains its fervour for a longer
period of time. The IPL was the first
sporting event of its kind in India to
promote merchandise sales of
Demographic: As already spoken
before, the IPL was the first event of sports franchises . There were caps,
jerseys, flags & a plethora of other
its kind to recognise women as a
vital component of the viewer base. things which made sure that a loyal
fan base would exist for the
It also appealed to the working
franchise & hence for IPL.
population of the country because
of the shorter durations and the
convenient timings of the games.
For the younger audience, it was
remarkable to get a chance to see
their sporting heroes and movie
icons at the same place. Another
facet of this segmentation could be
found in differential prices of the
tickets which enabled people from
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

The theme songs in regional

languages for the respective teams
also went a long way in creating the
hype which an event of a magnitude
like the IPL needed prior to its
launch. Famous music channels such
as MTV and Channel V were seen
broadcasting some really peppy
numbers like 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re'
(KKR) or ' Game for more' (RCB). To
see celebs and players shake a leg or
two was a refreshing delight for a
nation crazy for Bollywood & Cricket.

The BCCI has been very smart in

partnering with the media to ensure
that cricket was not restricted to
people coming to the stadium. Hence
it has associated with Starsports.com
& Hotstar platforms to ensure greater
portability so that a person sitting in
the office could also take out some
time to catch the live action.

"The IPL also went a long way

in ensuring that it roped in
familiar faces from famous
youth channels so that it
could establish a common
ground with youngsters who
weren't necessarily looking
for strict cricket punditry."

GYAAN

To make the prospect of coming to

the stadium an attactive one, IPL
came out with the Vodafone Superfan concept where one lucky fan
would get to meet the captains of
both the teams during the
presentation ceremony.

saw the influx of Sameer Kochhar ,

Gaurav Kapoor & Archana Vijaya to
name a few. New additions like the
fantasy league offer more on the
platter with each passing year.

The blessing in disguise

Another very important factor that
has worked in favour of the IPL has
been the innumerable controversies
which have kept the buzz regarding
the event alive even during the off
The IPL also went a long way in
season. Be it match-fixing or the slapensuring that it roped in familiar
gate incident involving Bhajji &
faces from famous youth channels so Sreesanth , much like a well made
that it could establish a common
Bollywood movie,the IPL with all its
ground with youngsters who weren't off-field antics has kept the audience
necessarily looking for strict cricket
engaged and helped in maintaining
punditry in the pre-match build up or the curiosity regarding it throughout
the post match analysis. Thereby we the year.

20

IPL is the best way to celebrate a

game that Indians are so passionate
about.
It also celebrates our diverse
cultures and manages to capture
each part of it beautifully.
Excitement oozes out of every
single Indian and it makes a
difference to most of our lives. It can
either make or break our day.
It is young. It is beautiful. It is quite
the lethal combination.

GYAAN

"IPL is the best way to

celebrate a game that Indians
are so passionate about. It
also celebrates our diverse
cultures and manages to
capture each part of it
beautifully."
All in all, its a complete package of
entertainment, entertainment and
more entertainment.
It is also a great stage for domestic
players to showcase their talent.
Let's face it , Ranji Trophy doesn't
have a profound audience. IPL is the
only platform in which a domestic
player is given a chance to play with
an international player. It is still
undoubtedly the easiest way to
break the ice with colleagues from
other countries.
If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch at sanket.
sharma15@nmims.edu.in, ashima.sharma15@nmims.edu.in or nandini.
suryanarayanan15@nmims.edu.in

21

22

Top 10 - Luxury Hotels

Manasvi Rao is a commerce graduate from
Mumbai. She has been writing since her
school days and can also be termed as a
certified bookworm.

TOP 10

Luxury hotels have been an

opened, the hotel boasted a series of

endemic part of our social fabric for firsts: American fans, German
elevators, Turkish baths and English
several decades now. Several new
butlers. The building was also the
hotels have been born out of
first in Mumbai to be lit by
mankinds need to be pampered
electricity.
over the years. However there are
Its beautiful rooms, overlooking the
those select hotels, which have
Gateway of India, have every
survived social and technological
revolution, war, and mans tendency modern device for connectivity and
entertainment.
towards sheer boredom.
The Taj went through a major
overhaul in the late 1990s in
1. The Taj Mahal Palace,
preparation of its 100th birthday. It
Mumbai
has reinvented itself and kept pace
with a fast changing society without
losing its regal elegance.

2. Beverly Hills Hotel, Los

Angeles

From the moment it opened its

doors, the Taj has been the
playground for some of the richest
and most elite.
What helped it survive the drastic
transformation of this city is its
commitment to innovation. When it

23

Officially certified as LAs first

historic landmark, the Beverly Hills
has always enjoyed a romantic
relationship with Hollywood. It has
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

housed several of its denizens

including Charlie Chaplin, Marliyn
Monroe and Elizabeth Talyor.
In 1992, the hotel was shut down
for two and a half years for a
complete makeover. The Cabana
Caf, a backdrop in classic feature
films, was open throughout the year
for the first time in 2013, thanks to
ultra-modern heating technology.
The Pink Palace, situated in the
heart of one of the most affluent pin
codes of the US, is truly a timeless
glamour. Beverly guests also enjoy
the luxury of satisfying their
midnight cupcake cravings at the
worlds first 24-Hour Cupcake ATM!

The Ritz is reportedly the most

expensive hotel in France. It has
always offered an old-fashioned
appeal of an English or French
gentleman's house while
maintaining innovative standards of
service and convenience.
However, the Ritz has realized that
it cannot rely on its legacy to
remain glorious. In 2012, the Ritz
took up a major modernization
project to upgrade/replace
everything from air-conditioning to

4. Peninsula, Hong Kong

Known as the Grand Dame of the
East, Peninsula is Hong Kongs
oldest hotel.
Guests are transported around the
city in custom, green Rolls Royce
cars, and should they fancy a quick
overseas trip, the can even use the
hotels private jet. The hotel is
dotted with several historic antiques
and artifacts for the guests perusal.
This 84-year-old hotel has invested
$58 million dollars to remain
relevant in the 21st century. All this,
without compromising on its
classical allure.

TOP 10

3. The Ritz, Paris

bath and shower

fittings. Set to open a few months
from now, the new hotel will boast
of gym facilities, garden terraces
with retractable roofs, and floor
heating for year round comfort.

5. Waldorf Astoria, New York

Credited for giving the world the
Red Velvet cake, 24-hour room
service, the Waldorf Salad etc.,
Waldorf Astoria has always been on

24

history, but has also contributed to

its culture. The infamous Singapore
sling was conceptualized by the
hotels bar tender and immediately
enjoyed widespread popularity. The
brightly colored concoction, with
minimal levels of alcohol, afforded
women to enjoy a drink in an era
where it was socially unacceptable
for them to do so.

7.Claridges, London

TOP 10

innovation.
The moment a guest checks in, he
receives an email welcoming him to
the hotel. Using data collected from
on premise mobile usage, the hotel
tailors services for the guest
elevating the level of engagement.
A favorite of politicians and
business leaders for well over 80
years now, the Waldorf Astoria
continues to be enchanting and
original.

6. Raffles Hotel, Singapore

This 126-year-old colonial mansion
transports its guests to a bygone
era, while offering them every
modern amenity plausible.

It not only epitomizes the island

25

Opened in 1898, Claridges patrons

included most of European Royalty.
It was often called an extension of
the Buckingham Palace. But while
their history is unshakeable, they too
have recognised the challenge of
evolving to stay relevant.
Claridge has hence had a keen eye
on societal trends. A database of
customers is maintained, which is
complete with photos of guestrooms
before servicing so that should that
guest return, their bedsheets can be
turned down at exactly the angle
they prefer.
Claridge holds that tradition is just
an innovation that they decided to
keep. Its splendor lies in its
decorative past, and its youth lies in
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

facilities to offer the guests

convenience many times over the
Overlooking Europes largest
years. So while the room decor
garden, The Shelbourne Hotel was
transports you to the era of Louis the
founded in 1824. Shelbourne has
XVI, the amenities speak of a very
always endeavored to provide its
recently refined comfort.
guests with the freshest
While it has retained some of its
advancements right off the block,
English character, for instance it
often at great cost. The hotel was
prescribes a strict dress policy for its
the first building to get gas in the
guests a mealtimes, it has also
country, and it shut down for almost opened its doors to the culturally
a year to facilitate the
dissimilar guest. The Ritz now offers
transformation.
translation services to smoothen
their guests stay in London.
The Ritz has survived the test of
time, a world war, and debilitating
competition, to emerge as a truly
awe-inspiring structure.

8. Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin

TOP 10
The Shelbourne is the only hotel to
offer a genealogy service for its
hotel guests, who would like to trace
their Irish ancestors.
As Irish as Irish beer, this landmark
continues to resonate a pride in Irish
10. The Plaza, New York
society and culture. It is often
referred to as a contemporary take
Opened in 1907, this 20 story
on conventional beauty.
French-chateau styled building has
been designated as a landmark since
9. The Ritz, London
1969.
The Plaza was also the first hotel to
Established 8 years after Ritz, Paris, become pet friendly. The story goes
the Ritz, London had to compete
that a year after the hotel opened,
with established hotels in London
an exotic guest arrived with her
such as The Savoy.
dogs, cats, her owl, bear cub and
The Ritz, London has upgraded its

26

an exotic guest arrived with her

dogs, cats, her owl, bear cub and
even two alligators. She was tired of
being turned away from other
landmark hotels. But The Plaza took
her in, and she ended up renting 14
rooms for 5 years.

It is a splendid amalgamation of
traditional opulence and initiatives
for progress. With 24-carat gold
plated faucets, and sophisticated
security and networking technology,
The Plaza balances both ends of the
spectrum.

TOP 10

"All the above-mentioned

hotels have
been immortalized in popular
media and literature."
It is due to their ability to evolve and
stay abreast with the changing tide
that we call our society, that we refer
to these masterpieces as forever
young and ethereally beautiful.

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at manasvi.rao15@nmims.edu.in

27

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

Top 10 - Start-ups creating a BUZZ

Young Companies Attracting

the Youth

Start-ups are the flavour of the

season with even the Prime Minister
of India granting his seal of approval
to this booming sector that
transcends industries in order to
identify needs of a consumer and
build a business around it.

1. Aakar Innovations

TOP 10

Anuradha Tulsyan is a first year student at SBM,

NMIMS, Mumbai. She is a collector of stories
and a believer of possibilities, who loves
food, cinema and new experiences.
An innovation that combines neverbefore technology, environmental
sustainability and social
enterprising- sounds like a plan to us!
The creation of the fullycompostable sanitary napkins for
female hygiene, and making them
affordable for all income segments of
the society has led a tinge of pride to
this venture that empowers women
through community employment,
and does so while making their lives
easier.

Founder (s): Jaydeep Mandal,

Sombodhi Ghosh
Industry: Social Enterprise, Female
Hygiene, Livelihood

28

2. CultureAlley
Founder (s): Nishant Patni

TOP 10

Industry: Education

Ever wondered how exciting it would

be if learning a new language could
be as easy as browsing the internet,
following trends on Twitter or
surfing Facebook? CultureAlley is an
educational mobile application that
does exactly that, by integrating
popular cultural elements into the
course of language learning. They
have seen tremendous success with
their English language courses, but
the next time you are in Spain, or
even China, and craving vegetarian
food like the founder did, you know
which app will come to your rescue
with its language help.

3. Gecko Tag
Founder (s): Bahubali Shete,
Kirankumar Rajarao, Rajeevkumar,
Varadarajan S
Industry: Internet of Things

stuff again, and with an alarm

sounding off each time you leave
your keys behind or the app tracking
down your car in a busy parking lot,
we are inclined to believe them.

4. Gigstart.com
Founder (s): Atit Jain, Madhulika
Pandey
Industry: Online Marketplace
Ever wondered where you could
book a celebrity singer for your
cousins wedding? Or perhaps a
stand-up comedian for that college
event? Ever wanted to pursue
photography as more than just a
hobby?
Gigstart.com makes all this possible
by directly connecting artists of
various kinds to clients for public as
well as private events. A transparent
medium to browse, book and
formalise payment with artists,
Gigstart.com is a go-to website to put
those party planning skills to work.

Connecting your Smartphone and its

inbuilt Bluetooth via an application
to your keys, your luggage, even
your dogs leash, this innovative
product is a thing to look out for.
They claim youll never lose your

29

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

5. Grofers.com

educational background in our

Information Technology rich nation.

Founder (s): Saurabh Kumar,

Albinder Dhindsa
Industry: Online Delivery Service

7. Limeroad.com

6. HackerEarth.com
Founder (s): Sachin Gupta, Vivek
Prakash
Industry: Online Competition and
Job Recruitment
In a country where a majority of
students first become engineers and
then decide what to do in life,
HackerEarth.com makes life simpler
for the coders at heart. It offers
online coding and software
development challenges that let one
display their computer programming
talents, and also get recruited by
companies irrespective of their

Industry: E-Commerce
This one is for the fashion
enthusiasts out there. Ever wanted to
mix and match outfits to create the
perfect look, but in the comfort of
your couch?

TOP 10

Connect with local merchants and

get your goods delivered within 90
minutes or at a convenient time,
whether it is groceries, personal care
or electronic accessories that you
need to strike off your list. Whats
more is that there is no need to walk
up to the different stores in the
scorching sun or torrential rains, for
Grofers connects them all though
one website. Time to do some
essential shopping that is finally
convenient and no longer boring.

Founder (s): Suchi Mukherjee,

Prashant Malik, Ankush Mehra

Limeroad.com offers one the perfect

opportunity to get their fashion fix
by creating and sharing looks by
combining clothing, footwear,
handbags and accessories on sale on
the website. Whats more, lazy
shoppers can simply add an already
existing look to their shopping carts
and be on their way, click happy.

8. News in Shorts
Founder (s): Azhar Iqubal, Deepit
Purkayastha, Anunay Arunav
Industry: Mobile Communication
Keeping oneself updated with the

30

TOP 10

Keeping oneself updated with the

events occurring around the world is
an integral part of aspiring to be a
business administrator.

hours at a stretch- now gets a new

avatar with on-the-go preparation.
Toppr.com lets students brush up on
core concepts and take quizzes and
also get feedback on ones progress.
With a mobile app gaining huge
popularity, we guess students have
more reasons to spend time with
technology now.

Here steps in News in Shorts, the

mobile phone application that
started as a facebook page but now
delivers 60 word, crisp news
summaries to busy mobile phone
users who prefer quick content on
the go. A curated summary
accompanied by a link to the entire
content is just what the doctor
ordered!

10. Zoomcar

9. Toppr.com

Founder (s): Zishaan Hayath,

Hemanth Goteti

Founder (s): David Back, Greg Moran

Industry: Personal transportation

Now book cars on rent that you can

drive by yourself, and pay either by
the hour or by the day. Technology
aided booking and billing platform
allows the fleet of cars, expanded
from an initial number of 7 to now
more than 500, to be offered for
self-driven hiring. That short road
trip from your new city is now a
possibility with Zoomcars.

Industry: Education
We all remember that time when we
prepared for our board exams or
some even for IIT-JEE. The tedious
curriculum, sitting at a desk for
If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at anuradha.tulsyan15@nmims.edu.in

31

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

The Next Big Thing

Martin Luther King Jr. once

said Lifes most persistent
and urgent question is; what
are you doing for others?

gyaan

Shivam Paliwal, a second year student of IIM

Shillong. He is an ardent fan of
Sachin Tendulkar and also loves to travel and
explore places. He also plays the guitar and
loves to dance on pop numbers.
Cause Marketing
Cause marketing, according to Cone
Communications, the company which
coined this term, is

It looks like the global brands along

with the young Indian consumers
have finally come to realize this of
late.

a business strategy that helps

organisations support a social
cause to gain significant
bottom line and social impacts
Gone are the days when P&G aspired
while making an emotional
to increase its sales just through
and relevant communication
product advertisement or when
to stakeholders
Airtel endeavoured to enlarge its
subscriber base through mass
campaigns. The next big thing is
here. Ladies and gentleman, brace
yourselves, cause marketing is here.

This genre of marketing is generally a

tie-up between corporates and not
for profit organisations (NPO) for

32

gyaan

mutual benefits. The Book a Smile

campaign by Akansha foundation in
partnership with Bookmyshow
serves as a fine example. It passes
the donated amount to improve the
lives of deprived children.

Traditionally, Indian corporates

donated money to charity
organisations. This resulted in tax
benefits for them. This outlook,
though philanthropic in nature,
lacked a long term commitment.

"But the Indian Companies Act

2013 mandate on CSR
activities has changed the
scenario altogether. A certain
sum on societal causes would
be invested by organisations
from now on."

literacy level is making this young

and lively segment more and more
aware about the outside world. As a
result, the initiative is being seen
through a hawkish view by
consumers. The young, educated
consumers outrage over Airtel Zero
shows that they will not easily
accept anything.
The youth guns of today have started
looking beyond a companys product
advertisements.

"The efforts of companies

which go an extra mile to help
protect the environment and
the society are slowly but
surely being acknowledged."
The Edelman Good purpose study
conducted across 16 nations
concluded that 71 percent of Indian
consumers were willing to spend
extra on brands which were working
towards social causes. Being a young
nation, it is safe to assume that the
majority of those 71 percent would
fall in the youth category.

Greater than this compulsion is the

pull due to the changing priorities of
The ardent fans of various brands
the young customers which has
resulted in a spree of cause related want to see how their favourite
brands relate to them in terms of
marketing campaigns.
values and ideals. Sustainability is
one prime aspect which has
Youth: the primary driver
attracted the youth. Government
initiatives like Swachh Bharat
A 2014 UN report confirmed that
Abhiyan have seen massive
India has the worlds largest
participation of the youth living in
population of youth with 356
tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The
million people falling in the age
group of 10-24 years. The ascending contemporary National Globescan
Greendex Survey ascertained the

33

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

consumption across 17 nations and

gave Indian consumers the highest
Greendex score, meaning that they
are highly conscious towards
sustainability.

gyaan

A lot of innovative ways have been

tried by different companies to
connect with the youth on related
social causes. Transaction based
approach was opted by ITC in their
Lets put India first campaign. It
Social media has played a colossal
donates Re. 1 for every 4 Classmate
role in bringing the youth closer to
book sold. However, such initiatives
the brands. With around 243 million run the risk of hurting the consumer
Internet users in 2014, and a
sentiments if he/ she realizes that
significant chunk of these falling in
the company is leveraging upon an
the youth segment, consumers are in initiative to increase its sales.
constant touch with the brands.
Another approach, which is very
different from transaction based, is
the in-kind donation approach. It
"A social cause marketing
campaign breaks through the urges the customers to donate
valuable objects such as clothes,
cacophony of continuous
cereals etc. Pantaloons Joy
advertisements."
Exchange initiative, which urged to
the youth to donate old clothes to
Campaigns
the needy is a prime example of this
approach.
The confluence of all these factors
have resulted in more and more
companies joining the bandwagon
of companies which are supporting a
social cause. Take P&G for example,
its flagship CSR program Project
Shiksha has made waves in the
country. Started in 2005, it has
touched the lives of 280,000
underprivileged children by
providing them access to their right
to education.
Ingenious ways such as Delhi Half
Marathon by Airtel and Teach India
by Times of India have successfully
carried out the job of fostering
awareness among the youth
regarding the widespread social
issues. These campaigns asked the
citizens to voluntarily take park in
these initiatives.

34

A win-win situation

"What also promotes cause

related marketing campaigns
These social campaigns offer a winis the gigantic base of 356
win situation for both the consumers
million youth."
and the brands.

gyaan

"The consumers feel gratified

as they have contributed
something for the
amelioration of the society.
On the other hand, the brand
benefits through increased
exposure and enhanced
customer relationships."

So even if the campaign is able to

catch the eyeballs of only a small
chunk of this segment, the initiative
would be a success. The exposed
youth also takes aspirations from
such campaigns. Tata Teas
awakened the young citizens
through its highly successful Jaago
Re campaign.

Social media has provided a cost

effective medium for companies to
run such campaigns.

Save the Tiger Facebook page has

garnered more than 3 million likes
resulting in high customer
interaction. Aircel and NDTV, the 2
companies behind the campaign,
have surely benefitted from the
success.

In nutshell, cause related marketing

is here to stay. The awakened youth
is the prime driver for such
initiatives. Its the collective efforts
of government, corporates and
citizens which will make this country
a better place. However, for all those
brands which arent interested in
CSR activities, beware, the youth is
watching!

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at shivam.p14@iimshillong.in

35

BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

36

Expert Talk

Interview with Ms. Siddhi Rawool

Relentless, go-getter and
hardworking;
Ms. Siddhi Rawool, is an
alumnus of NMIMS, Mumbai.
She started her career with
Mahindra and Mahindra
as a summer intern and as her
journey continues till date,
she is currently a Business
Development Manager in
MachinePlus, an emerging
technology startup in the field of
M2M and IoT.
Interviewed By:

Homayun Khosravi is a first year student at SBM,

NMIMS. A big time foodie, she loves to try
different cuisines and in her free time watches
sitcoms, goes shopping and learns foreign
languages.

1. You are an alumnus of

NMIMS, what was your
journey like in the 2 years?
Were you a part of any
committees? What were your
experiences?

Two years of an MBA degree

can become two of the most defining
years of ones life. I was fortunate to
be a part of NjM (Not Just Marketing)

37

in both my first and second years at

NM. It was an immense learning
experience for me and I cherish
every single moment of it.

2. You were very

enthusiastic about
participating in competitions
and had even won several of
them. What was your
motivation behind this? Did
winning matter a lot?
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

I wanted to make the most

out of learning avenues available to
us during our MBA and participating
in case study competitions was one
such opportunity.

Keep asking yourself why are

you doing an MBA. Forget those
fabricated answers you came up
with during your entrance
interviews. Understand why you
want to choose marketing as a
concentration over others.
Understand what profiles are on
offer from the companies which visit
Winning did matter a lot, but it
your campus. Research sectors
makes for happier memories and
properly before blindly following
increased discretionary expenditure the herd. Invest time in making a
(from the cash prizes).
good CV. Proof-read it. Get it proof
read by your seniors.
3. If you were to mention
one regret you had during
your MBA what would that
be?

Workaholism. I was a
glorified workaholic and in
retrospect, I often only remember
the things I missed out on than the
reasons for missing out on those
things.

Expert talk

Case Study competitions are a great

way to understand and make an
attempt at solving real business
challenges faced by companies,
understand the market and see the
merit in your recommendations. In
the process, I ended up honing my
presentation skills and making some
of my closest friends in college.
More importantly, I have the
confidence to conduct primary
research without any apprehensions
in any sector thrown at me.

4. You have done a

specialization in marketing,
any tips for the students now
gearing up for their summer
placements? Any material they
should refer to? Any strategies
which worked/ did not work for
you?

5. You are in the field of

M2M and IoT, which is
quite a young field to work
in; can you shed some light
on this field?

The IoT is a giant network of

connected things (which also
includes people).
As per market research firm Gartner,
the total revenue generated from

38

Expert Talk

the IoT( Internet of things) industry customer satisfaction etc.

would be $300 billion and the
number of connected devices would 6. Can you tell us more
be 27 billion by 2020 globally. It has about your role as a
been assumed that India would have Business Development
a share of 5-6 per cent of global IoT
Manager in MachinePulse,
industry.
which is an emerging
Today our exposure towards this
technology startup in the
industry is only through smart
field of M2M and loT?
devices communicating with each
other such as our smartphones/
tablets/ computers. There is an
emerging trend towards activity
My primary responsibilities
tracking through wearables such as include :fitness bands.
Driving revenues through key
The new rule for the future is going account management on a pan-India
to be, anything that can be
level for a SaaS offering; Mining
connected, will be connected. The Existing Strategic Accounts and
IoT industry will open virtually
developing entry strategies for new
endless possibilities which are
strategic accounts.
beyond our imagination today.
Identifying and creating strategic
Manufacturing, healthcare,
partnerships to further drive
insurance, retail, utility and power
revenues and execute joint sales
generation will be some of the key
and GTM programs.
sectors where applications of IoT
Understanding potential client pain
will play a major role in conjunction
areas and creating customer
with data analytics, cyber security,
awareness for need of analytics as a
data governance etc.
necessary tool.
Some challenges in the adoption of
IoT in India will be data security,
lack of standardisation, data
ownership issues etc.The biggest
hindrance from the end user
companies will be the justification
of IoT investments. They need to
have a strong business case on how
IoT will help their company maybe
in cost reduction, increasing
productivity, improving sales,
finding new customers, improving

39

Incubating new machinepulse

verticals by developing value
proposition and conducting PoC
projects.
Strong focus on building
relationships, early engagement,
evangelising and influencing
strategic decisions.
Ideating with product team to
enhance existing products and
laying out road maps for future
products.
BUZZ MARKAZINE | 2015

7. What do you think is

the future of IoT?

The numbers will speak for

themselves. Gartner Research has
estimated that by 2020 the total
revenue generated from IoT will be
close to $300 billion. India will
contribute towards 5-6% of the
global IoT industry.

It is great to see many

Indians increasing their risk taking
appetite and plunging in to solve
real problems and following their
heart.

We hear about the startups which

succeeded immensely and went on
to become unicorns and draw
However, a number of IoT impact
inspiration from their stories. But we
areas and sectors have already been rarely hear about those who failed
identified and many will apply to
and couldnt make a mark even if
India, with a few key impact areas
they believed in what they did. I
being smart cities and utility
think we need to learn from bothservices, logistics, fleet telematics,
those who could and those who
industrial automation, supply chain/ couldnt. These lessons will help us
inventory management and
take more informed decisions in
wearables.
volatile times like these.

Expert talk

Today for most of us, the adoption

of IoT is only through smart devices
such as mobiles/ tablets or
wearables.

8. What are your opinions

about the growing start-up
culture in India? Do these
start-ups have a bright
future in a market that
changes almost every day?

There are challenges which we will

face in this journey and the Indian
IoT industry must also consider
costs when building solutions for
the Indian market.

If you have liked this and have something to say, please get in touch with
me at homayun.khosravi15@nmims.edu.in

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