eso May 3% 2045 - Volume 7 - Issue 4 TLOO. THE _ SMARI CE Inspiring India ¥i i | hi @” Awaz LA “T try to resist the temptation to copy a successful template. Each of my books is different in tone and content” — Rama Bijapurkar BY POORNIMA KAVLEKAR ama Bijapurkar needs no introduction, Any marketing professional, with ‘a keen interest on consumer behavior will definitely knovr about hher work and books. The author of the well-known books on consumer India, Bijapurkar has chronicled her experiences in her three books. Her first book, “We are like that only” ‘was published in 2007, in which she helps readers understand the logic of consumer India, why they will not change in a hurry and what it takes to build a winning business in such a market. er second book, “Customer in the boardroom”, published in 2012, is 34 TheSort 0 | Ai2n5 ‘about crafting customer-based business strategies. She highlights the need for ‘companies to make customer centzicity a central factor when formulating theie business strategy development process. Her more recent work, “A never before world” which is about tracking, the evolution of consumer India, “analyses the consumer economy's ‘demand and supply environment, income demographics, social and cultural changes and so on, She has also highlighted the opportunities, the unserved needs, the incorsect assumptions, the future and the strategy required to ride this mens be ‘wave of opportunity. In this imerview: Bijapurkar talks 10 us about se grities of being an author and shone = few insights on customer Centricity and ‘customer dissatisfaction.Who or what inspired you to write? ama manegement consultant, My business is about making others faut their maney where my mouths. Writing fs one wey of doing that How do you deal with a writer's block? Stop writing, Think ebout t. It means ‘you are bored, crnot convinced about what you are saying, or have a logic ‘law, Understandit (lett ineubato, ask thers, obsess a bit) and the answer wlll come to unblock What takes longer? Research) intraspecting or writing? Deciding what your argument is~ ceystelizing whet you want to say tokes the fongest. If that is done, ‘iting flows eesily. om Afun a book? scdote while you wrate the My daughter asked me “are you having fun writing the baak?*, I said no. fr hhoresland stressted with it, She said “then imagine hav much fun your readers willhave reading i", [threw ‘my manuscript away andl sterted again = ets pee ‘What would you de differently in your next book? Pick up eneray and promote it better Thy 2 diferent layout a: format. Oo How do you arrive at the ttle of of several leading Indian quick takes atthe beginning ofeach your book? Is there a specific companies and consulted wich chapter ‘approach you follow? many of them. What did you realize about yourself, Thave a working tle and then, afterit 1, Sometimes, as an author, a aa Isall done, I sit ack and try to igure ‘you're not able to share the 2 ow vee is me earn ad oe full picture of what happened; ‘That you think you have tha whole iterate th friends and publishes Eur you'd sit Eke sharesa Se ere eae and we choose based on what's good bit of what happened with bal when you cae there are gaping holes. oc sdlevane caver graphics. readers. How do you deal with Sol have been winging t more than | such situations while writing a ‘thought | did, You've been on the boards book? 40COVER STORY Youhmve he dearshoutbihie ——-Taytorsisthetempttinocpy computers was highly customer cceeantecogefecor™ sient, ee te ear 2000, De Dogusngionsiiywpemt —— Wesalosicktoavranng ormia Sr He digital world evolved identity is necessary and takes some ‘but I don’t write for the sales graphs, I ey lost the plot. According to ‘work. You have to explore the ethics write to seek to influence. But writing you, what should a leader do to of the situation too. a book after the Intemnet content in ensure this doesn’t happen? into malpshs bern ver Sage sea tant Nowsost loners of Acai mao being cust se ee ee eee re cone abot aking sen fo opciones eta ruthlessly honest way) that you i Wh stil have customer perceived value ‘your observation of others? ee mi advantage over ors. Your benefit experiences ee eee minus cost) bundle has to be better understood their consumers very than others’. Value arrogance or value You don’t strike a balance. You well? What did they do right? myopia is why companies lose the {0 both; whatever is appropriate in plo ‘whichever situation, Sometimes you 1's been different brands at different are the actor and sometimes the drama a ee an How should leaders react to ea of endestnding and doing ofr customer dissatisfaction? After What are some metrics you track shaping ‘business direction is yet ia pe one ese i ee buvig pater eae your on the founders to all consumers ‘How do you track them? a inventory and supply chain decisions was noted as a good gesture. Is Is yet another kind of underscanding LG and Samsung have done a brilliant job of product development for the transparency and humbleness gaining more importance in the 1 track impact — who Is reading it, has it got onto best seller list, has it een favorably reviewed, what are the main ogartronsumer Fabrindiathas done WOFld of marketing? messages people are taking away from stip of ines dealgn endl brand it, how far and wide am I getting fan alc eree a Leaders should acknowledge and rail rom, how isie doing inthe soc wpe spot that connects across diverse ‘ix dissatisfaction. Mere apologies ‘media space and so on. Iso track (Getic types aafls Guly amas without fixing doesn’t help. But opinion leader engagement withthe fined brand tsthos enedouel sud fixing well and not apologizing can ‘book very carefully. Tdon’'t wack sales fynerianal value to customers, Twould 0°. Doing both calms the emotions auall say Titan/Tanisi, bas done it too. Big and helps the rational equations that : Bazaar does ito and far beer, What omanes and brands have with Aword of advice to other these ands do nightis understand chat UsTOmes. AS customer power grows, professionals who'd like to write the heart of success is sacrifice and id eauxoanersiean rabbish companies a book? long-term views. Flipkart i crawford in groups that grow and influence market on the Internet; you name it we thers, amogance is big risk for Don't procrastinate. Don't agonise. have it, but what does the brand stand Trasieeeeagio tke Just start writing for? Brands that are customers centric are obsessed about who buys, not just, What next for Rama, the How have you evolved as an what is selling. author? author, through your various cl fe How does a company stay Let's see. Ifmy work throws up books? Any changes you've Hasaonmer tere oner thie interesting things I wll write about observed in yourself as a writer? them. If not, twill just read! long-term? For example, Dell About the author: ‘Atouge leader in marke stctgy and indi’ consumer economy, Rama Bjopurkor ha on independent marketing consulting practice and works across Sectors and organizations. Apart rom her eonsuking practice, he has Served as an independent director onthe bord of mary ble chip compris ike ‘ais Bank, Bharat Petroleum, CRISIL,Godre Consumer Product, Ifoss and so on. She also serves onthe Governing Couns af he Banking Coes and ‘Standords Boord of Ind, the Insurance Information Bood nd is member of Exe Eminent Persons Advisory Group ofthe Conpeton Commision of Indo ‘A regular visting faculy of her ana mater, TIM 2, Bijpurkar s also a member ofits board of governors. 36 Tosa | Avanis