July 2009 The Marketing Cell, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

MarCell
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
July 2009 MARCELL

MARCELL
The Marketing Cell
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

In This Edition
EDITORIAL NOTE
Why Marketing Rocks?? 3

(What makes marketing so interesting!) It gives us great pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time,
“Marvel”, the first ever Marketing Magazine in the history of IIM Calcutta.
Sharing Experiences 5 After sustained efforts from the entire Magazine team, here we are with
the first issue.
(A chat with Pradeep Pokharial, PPO
For all those still pondering over your career choices, and I know there are
holder HUL) a lot of you, and not facchas alone, just remember what we all wanted to
be as children. There could be a range of answers there but it wouldn’t be
The Zoozoo wave 6 as wide a spectrum as it is today. Our choices were simple; probably be-
cause we were immature or maybe because we did not have to factor in a
(Read more on the new-
new-age Vodafone million stakes; the most common being a cricketer, a painter or a pilot. We
ad campaign) chose so because what we aspired for was a form of creative expression,
be it the classy cricketing strokes for some, the stroke of the brush for
Tête-
Tête-à-Tête with ER Secy 8 some and maybe the thrill of gliding like an eagle for others. If there is one
career choice which I believe gets us close to that dream of ours, reviving
the chest of creativity deep down from the well that is our soul, it is Mar-
(Paul Savio’s views on brand IIM C)
keting.
Who is the Big Brand?? 10 Year after year, the cream of our country has been entering the hallowed
portals of IIMC, dreams in mind related to finance, marketing, operations
(An article on Bollywood Celebrity and many more fields. But the moment they enter the campus there is an
Brands) invisible yet clear message out in the open that they have entered a Fin-
campus. While branding an institute does help, we at Marcell believe it our
Sports Marketing 14 endeavor to assist those genuinely interested in Marketing as a career
choice and to help them stick to the reason why they joined a B-school in
(What is cooking in the field of sports
the first place. This magazine is the first step in this direction. The articles
include live chats with some of our batch mates who have interned with
marketing) marketing firms like Hindustan Unilever, detailed analysis of our very own
Bollywood Superstar brands and a snapshot of the hot advertising cam-
Marketing Quiz 15 paign using Zoozoos by Vodafone. Also included are a sneak peek into the
hot-shot brands on campus and a marketing quiz.

I would like to thank the entire magazine team, headed by Mayank Jain. A
….and other interesting stuff!
special thanks to Mayank Poddar for contributing all along and Yatish and
Swayam for giving this magazine a smart, glossy look befitting of a first
marketing issue!

Chief Editor-Varun Narayanan

MARCELL Magazine TEAM

Magazine Head & Editor – Mayank Jain
Design Team – Yatish Misra and Swayam Khiliani
Marcell President – Mayank Semwal
2
July 2009
Why Marketing Rocks??
This article begins at the status mes-
sage of an ex-IIMC Placement Repre-
sentative on G-Talk: “Job Satisfac-
tion, Money, Staying within the Law
– chose maximum of 2”.
While the one-liner fulfills its prom-
ise of humor, it got me thinking more
in detail on the career I’d love to
have, a career in Marketing. I rumi-
nated upon the instinctive feeling of
joy, the lighting up of eyes and the
intellectual rolling up of sleeves that
my prospective job evokes in me, and
this article is an attempt to try and
reach out to another prospective
batch of management students who
might share this kindred spirit.
My primary love for Marketing is be-
cause of its directness in action, its
tangibility when it comes to delivery.
Simply put, in Marketing, you work
with physical products; you have
real competitors with whom you are
fighting for every basis point of
share, every inch of in store visibility
and every last dregs of consumer
mindshare. You are studying people
like yourself, and people unlike
yourself, and finding what bothers
3
MARCELL
MARVEL
them, what excites them and then This article has a
trying to find the platform to en- simple point. It
rich their life, while at the same seeks to establish
time making money for your com- the fact that
pany and yourself. marketing is an
awesome career
option for someone
In Marketing you affect lives di-
to have, even vis a
rectly, and you contribute to the
vis seemingly more
economy. If it sounds like hog- lucrative careers
wash, picturize this: you go to a one can avail from
store with your father, see some- the campus. If you
one picking up a couple of shav- identify with some
ing razors off the deck, comment- simple truisms
ing on its nice new design…. and presented in this
bask in the glory of being the guy article, marketing is
who had worked on its packag- the career you
might want to have.
ing, now finding its way to the
homes and lives of millions all
over the continent. That’s how
Marketing makes you feel some-
times, and those moments are
worth waiting a long time for. The G. Sriram
above incident by the way, is a (PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
true account narrated by Ab-
hiram Srivastava, ex-President of
MarCell. You can look him up in
the Student Directory to confirm
what I quote.
Marketing as a career is able to
provide me the intellectual chal-
lenge and vocational joy because,
it seems to me, that Marketing
comes naturally to people. Writ-
ing codes, structuring derivatives
or offering magic solutions, as a
rule, might not come naturally to
people, but maybe Marketing
does. Marketing is about prob-
lems and their solutions, we all
suffer from oily skin, stained
clothes, bad food and body odor.
Marketing is about products, we
all need cellphones, soaps, ciga-
July
July2009
2009Issue I
avail laundry, cooking, stitch-
ing and repair services. Market-
ing is about sales about rela-
tionships (alumnus, friends),
about day to day life of common
people in general, and hence,
Marketing is about you, and
about me.
Apart from the pure vicarious
enjoyment it entails, working on
something so tangible and rooted
to real-life problems and solu-
tions has another advantage:
growth and learning as a person
and professional. Marketing is a
job of immense learning, both on
the technical aspects of it, and
the human side of things
(considered by many people the
only ‘managing’ this world
needs). Most CEOs in the country
come out of marketing compa-
nies, and globally, it is estimated
that P&G and Unilever are in the
Top 4 amongst companies devel-
oping leadership in their cadre.
Ever faced this??
4
Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
If it is top management of a com-
pany you are aiming for, again,
Marketing is the place to be. In
India, the right people can rise to
be the crème de la crème of a top
Marketing firm in anywhere be-
tween 15 and 20 years, a real
short time when you step back to
consider the size and value of
these companies. Marketing is
also the place for greatest work
life balance and flexibility: the
human body works on the same
principle of decreasing returns as
any economic model, and the
Management Calcutta
greater the time you have to
put into something the lesser
the effort you put into it, and
the lesser the satisfaction and
pure joy you derive out of it.
(Take a guy playing in JBS v/
s a guy touring the world with
Oasis). You rarely are ex-
pected to work more than 60
hour weeks in Marketing
(though people consumed by
it ‘work’ on every single ad
they see and shop they visit!).
To those who couldn’t under-
stand why some people are so
in love with Marketing, I hope I
have given them some fresh
perspective. To those who had
misconceptions on its nature,
we hope we have been a correc-
tive mechanism. But most im-
portantly, to those who feel like-
wise, we hope we have struck a
chord! Onwards and beyond!
July
July2009
2009Issue I
Sharing Experiences
Varun: Pradeep many students
at IIMC worry about the projects
they will be assigned and the
help forthcoming from the firm’s
employees. What were the high-
lights of your program and did it
address these issues?
Pradeep: The summer internship
program at HUL is an 8 week
long program with a wide variety
of “live” projects to choose from
which are pertinent to the busi-
ness while exposing you to the
ways of working in Unilever. At
no point is an intern any lesser
than an employee. Every Project
brief is signed off by the Leader-
ship Team at HUL and involves
frequent interaction with multi-
ple stakeholders - be it the end
customer or supporting agencies.
You get to be a part of Brand
teams, capability teams and
about 40% of interns get interna-
tional opportunities. About help
from the employees, it just can
not get more comprehensive. We
have a 3 point guidance model; a
tutor, mentor and a buddy all
with different roles and all im-
mensely helpful.
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Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
Varun: How did your program
build up over the 8 weeks, was
there any structure designed for
the same?
Pradeep: Yes there was a well
planned out structure. The pro-
gram started with an ice break-
ing session of 2 days which en-
abled us to interact not only with
fellow interns but also with the
managers and leaders at HUL. It
gave a snapshot view of what one
could expect in the coming 8
weeks. There was also charted a
feedback and appraisal mecha-
nism. This comprised of a mid
stint review and a final review.
Finally “The Summer Summit”
gives you an insight into areas
your project may not have
dwelled upon. Even after 8
weeks, the bond with HUL does
not end, and Footprints- a men-
torship program guides you
through your second year at B-
School.
Varun: Which subjects if any at
IIMC came useful for your project?
Any particular tool or model which
was greatly used?
Pradeep: We had covered only
Marketing Management and Mar-
ket Research before our intern-
ship. These were useful to an ex-
tent at HUL. However, the “Sales
& Distribution Management”
course in second year is a must
as a value-add and a vantage
point for those vying for Market-
ing Firms in their finals.
Varun: What are the various
functions covered in the summer
program at HUL?
Management Calcutta
MARVEL
We spoke to
Pradeep Pokhariyal,
PPO holder of one
of the most coveted
Marketing firms on
campus, Hindustan
Unilever. He de-
scribed his experi-
ence at HUL, the
summer program
and the benefits it
provided the stu-
dents, projects at
HUL along with
some general
‘gyaan’ for the Mar-
keting aspirants of
IIMC.
Varun Narayanan
(PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
Pradeep: As a trainee, one goes
through training which covers
various functions like sales,
brand management, opera-
tions, rural and overseas stints.
Varun: In the present scenario
do you feel that a job in Market-
ing/General Management is
more secure?
Pradeep: Inclined though I am
to agree with you considering
my liking for Marketing, an un-
biased opinion would be that
you are secure as long as you
perform. And that is regardless
of the field. I would say one
should choose a career rather
than a job. Unfortunately, one
does not get to choose in pre-
sent market scenario and this
is easier said than done.
July
July2009
2009Issue I
The Zoozoo Wave
Now when you talk of Zoozoos, their
viewers can very easily be divided
into two distinct sets. One, those
who rejoice every time they see these
eggshell-head like beings flounce
animatedly, and whose happiness
multiplies manifolds when they see a
new Zoozoo ad pop up on their TV
screen. Two, a minority who simply
loathe even the mention of these hy-
per-bubbly creatures, and wait im-
patiently for the black and white
Zoozoo ad-films to give way to some-
thing more interesting. But mind
you, there is no third category. Sim-
ply put, the Vodafone Zoozoo ad
campaign has managed to do what it
set out to, garner eyeballs and that
too majorly in a positive way. One
google search on the net for
“Zoozoo”, and you know exactly the
kind of impact I am talking of.
What exactly made Zoozoo such a
success? Possibly the fact that they
connect well with humans. The Zoo-
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Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
Management Calcutta
MARVEL
zoos are something of a mix be- Big-headed, white
tween human and animated form, colored creatures
who showcase the basic emotions with disproportion-
of happiness, sadness or pain, ately thin bodies
quite effectively. A more obvious producing screech-
ing noises and
reason could be that they portray
jumping energeti-
facets of Vodafone in a cute humor-
cally on your TV
ous way.
screen. If you
watched the IPL this
Just check out the following facts season you possibly
about Zoozoos: couldn’t have
 The Zoozoo ads were created to missed them, the
target Vodafone’s mobile Value Zoozoos.
Added Services (VAS) like
phone backup, chotta credit,
live games and cricket alerts.
Mayank Jain
(PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
 It might be surprising, but it’s
true, the ads are NOT ani-
mated. The Zoozoos are human
beings, mostly women and chil-
dren who were made to wear
white colored body suits. A
thick fabric was chosen for the
costumes so as to ensure no
wrinkles showing up. Simple
sets/backdrops were created
and spray painted with neutral
greys so that attention isn’t di-
verted from the main charac-
ters.
 The ads were created by Ogilvy
& Mather, an international ad-
vertising, marketing, and public
relations agency for Vodafone,
one of the major broadcast
July 2009 MARCELL
sponsors of the Indian Premier League.
 Nirvana Films (Bangalore based) shot the
ad. Overall 30 commercials were shot span-
ning 10 days, and the shoot costing Rs. 30
million. The ad films were shot at 20 frames
per second to make the Zoozoo’s movements
hurried and comical. The entire project, in-
cluding the pre-production, took a little
more than one month. It was entirely shot
at Cape Town, South Africa.

Some information to gauge the popularity of the Zoozoo wave:

 You never had a website dedicated to you? Don’t feel jealous, the Zoozoos already have one. The mi-
crosite, <http://www.vodafone.in/ipl09/zoozoo.aspx> is where one can take part in quizzes and con-
tests, including the ‘What kind of Zoozoo are you?’ quiz. Each of the Zoozoos has a unique set of
characteristics and traits allotted to it. Downloads of wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones are of-
fered. Viewing Zoozoo ads sourced from YouTube is also possible from the site.
 Recently, the Zoozoo ads have been amongst the most watched on YouTube as well. One particular
Zoozoo ad for the IPL contest has had close to 150,000 views on You Tube.
 The Zoozoo fanclub on Facebook has over 300,000 registered fans. You can download wallpapers,
Zoozoo MMS clips, send Zoozoo cards, watch the making of the Zoozoo ads and play quizzes through
the fanclub.
 It is possible to follow Zoozoos on twitter as well, around 400 followers currently. You get links to Zoo-
zoo ads and goodies offered from Vodafone.
Hope you had a nice time reading the article. Zye zye! Oops, sorry bye bye!

Desi Joka Brands I

Ankit “Jewel in the crown” Arora
Brand ‘IR’
People can become brands by applying the simple facets of brand-management to them selves. Look around campus and there is no dearth
of "Brands" walking around, running to classes, or hanging out outside Mohan Da's. Brands are built by associations and when it
comes to academics, the first name that pops into mind for many is Ankit Arora's. IR 1 truly stands for academic excellence in this
campus, and over the course of the last year, it has been seen that Ankit’s innate abilities translate into his brand.

Amritanshu Kumar
Brand ‘VolleyStar’
Come Samhaar and the XL meet and the one name that has become synonymous with the slap of volleyball is that of Amritanshu
Kumar. The dude is known for his killer smashes and Brand Amritanshu conjures up the image of a hard slapped ball coming fast at
you, nearly impossible to lift!
- Both contributed by the ever enthusiastic, “Chirpy” Chandrima Das

Brand ‘DevNagi’

They say IIMCians are a brainy lot albeit with some glitches in communication, but then the Class of 2009 had some-
one who could put both Wordsworth and Premchand to shame. His impeccable Hindi was exemplified in his perfect
invocation of invectives and the English missives that he penned to the students council were engaging in their own right.
He is known to have spoken the egalitarian language of Devnagi that he has created which led to his cult being formed.
The IP Messenger would be incomplete without his presence, and of course his timely messages, warnings and notifica-
tions. No wonder that IIMCians trooped in the hordes to worship his posterior on his birthday.
There are few who represent the spirit of IIM Calcutta like Nagi Reddy. His enthusiasm and sense of humour will
always be remembered. Cheers to the Lord!
- Contributed by “Blast from the past” Sunil Natraj

7
July
July2009
2009Issue I
Tête-à-Tête with ER Secretary
Neeraj: What steps have you taken
as ER secretary to maintain/improve
brand IIM Calcutta?
Paul N Savio (PNS): Perception
among general public, aspirants,
alums, recruiters etc. is based pri-
marily on image built by the media.
We have maintained healthy rela-
tions with them over the years, and
this year, myself and Rohan (the
other ER Secretary) have extended
the list. We have established con-
tacts with various regional agents,
such as HT Delhi, DNA (Bangalore,
Pune), ET (Ahmedabad, Delhi), ToI in
various cities, etc. Apart from that
we've encouraged a lot of televised
coverage. CNBC has done various
stories from here. Others have been
NDTV, CNN IBN, Aaj-Tak (2 reports
each till now), News X, ETV among
others. We've even established ties
with Big FM Delhi. Apart from this
we ran the highly successful mentor-
ship programme. Apart from the
value-add to the aspirants, the pro-
gramme was instrumental in build-
ing a highly positive image about
Brand IIMC. We're confident that
even if they don't join us, they'll still
treat the name with a degree of re-
spect.
Neeraj: Do you see a competition or
brand sharing in IIM A and IIM B?
PNS: We believe that A, B and C
have their own niche. Besides, IIMA
has a PR Agency doing what we do.
They are also based out of a town
which has little apart from Mr. Modi
and IIMA. We on the other hand are
based in a culturally rich metropoli-
tan city, which is the Leftist Capital
of India. In spite of all the con-
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Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
Management Calcutta
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straints we have, we still made While even
front page news across India with recession couldn’t
our placement story, before IIMA dilute the brand IIM
did. Though we compete, we do Calcutta any bit, it
would be worth-
have a better relation with the me-
while to get the
dia fraternity.
firsthand account of
IIMB is again decent, but we the nitty-gritty of
strongly believe we are better. handling brand IIM
Calcutta from the
Neeraj: The rationale for Mentor-
desk of one of its
ship program and its impact on managers. Follow-
brand IIMC? ing is the transcript
PNS: Mentorship program was of a chat with one of
our very own ER
aimed at dealing with two issues;
secretaries, Paul N
value-add for aspirants and brand
Savio on brand
building. We succeeded on both
IIMC.
fronts. The enthusiastic response
of the community in joining us and
the ER Cell in this initiative helped
us. Aspirants benefited, and we
gained from their feedback. We
hope to sustain these results in Neeraj Kumar
future where students understand (PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
and have a higher regard for the
culture of IIMC that differentiates
us from the other IIMs.
Neeraj: What are the differentia-
tions you highlight about IIM Cal-
cutta to media and prospective stu-
dents and how?
PNS: Our biggest differentiating
factor as far as media attention is
concerned is that we are a fin
(finance) campus. The fact that we
have consistently been best in
placements creates a differentia-
tion. We have also developed a
reputation in the media circle of
being friendly to outsiders and me-
dia.
As for aspirants, we give them the
best in what they look for, i.e.
placements. Besides we are a com-
July 2009
paratively friendlier place in terms of study load.
That gives students a time to live their life as best
quoted by some a senior "You don't survive IIMC.
You enjoy it".
Neeraj: What are you doing to improve the rank-
ings?
MARCELL
Neeraj: IIMC as a fin campus. Do you see it as
stereotyping or competitive advantage?
PNS: It's a brand that is doing more good than
bad. Firms other than banks go everywhere. The
banking firms need to be lured. And this is where
branding helps.

PNS: We have constituted a Rankings Committee. Neeraj: What makes us get branded as a fin cam-
Members of the ER Cell will be involved, along pus for outside world when fin placements are al-
with the President and a few others as recom- most similar across top 3 IIMs
mended by him. The Dean has been briefed, and
PNS: Again, 'almost'. They may have DB, but we
he has shown high enthusiasm. We are going for
had MS, CS and historically a whole host of these
accreditation, and as for now, we have started
banks. In addition to that our finance faculty is
building our master database which will be used
excellent and vouched for. To keep up with image
for all rankings surveys to come.
the initiatives like Finance Lab, the latest addition
Neeraj: How important are placements as a brand- to our kitty keep reinforcing our brand.
ing tool especially when it is almost similar as IIMA
Neeraj: What are your views about the connota-
and B?
tions of IIMC as IIM ‘C’hill and its impact on brand?
PNS: IIMs run on placements. There won't be a
PNS: It’s a brilliant phrase, reflecting exactly what
brand if we don't get the jobs. It is the quintessen-
our culture is. IIMA students Joke about their col-
tial point in brand building. And we are fortunate
lege being IIM ‘A’cads. So this unofficial brand
to be the best in this aspect. We may be almost
does position the college perfectly. It only makes
similar to A and B, but that's the key word:
the college more friendly, and the con more spicy!
'almost'. They are 'almost' as good as us!
Neeraj: Thanks Paul.

Desi Joka Brands II

Tejveer Singh aka Brand ‘Slowness’

If you think he reads this message after everyone does, his slowness, you are right,
He enters the class after everyone does, his slowness, without ever putting up a fight,
If you think he has missed most lectures, his slowness, you are bang on my friend,
Time moved on, but slowness unperturbed, was in his comfort zone right up to the end.

There is a day, there is a night, but his slowness knows not this,
There is enthusiasm, there is seriousness, but his slowness is unaware in bliss,
There is friend, there is enemy, but his slowness knows not this,
The world moves at a fast pace, but slowness is never perturbed, he is in a world of his.

It was the day of October, his slowness got ready for a party,
A female stepper hugged him, his slowness was all excited over Dorothy,
It was then that slowness realized, the importance of being fast,
A little late for him however when the STEP was already a thing of the past.
The clock ticked, winter whispered, summer murmured, but slowness never changed,
The green leaves and the cyclonic ‘Aila’ passed through, but his slowness remained,
The wingies psyched, asked him to change, but his slowness never cared.
"What is life but to enjoy every moment", his slowness dared!

- Contributed by Brand ‘Simplicity’ Skandha Darshan alias Scan Tan alias SkanDad!

9
July
July2009
2009Issue I
Who is the Big Brand?
The Casting
“Every industry has a Super Brand
– an invincible name whose impact
transcends beyond the category it
operates in”, a Professor had de-
clared in class like Nostradamus
predicting the end of the world.
And being the avid student that I
am, I took it upon me to identify
the Super Brand of Bollywood, to
find that mantra which can work
way beyond 70 mm screens. After
much of screening and virtually no
casting couch, I decided on four
gems to choose from. From TV
channels to road side hoardings to
afternoon siestas, from a village in
eastern UP to upscale Manhattan,
these four names have somehow
come to symbolize Bollywood in the
recent past. Thus, I set on my mis-
sion to prove my professor right
and to find the infallible Bollywood
Super brand. To begin with, I pre-
sent before you the cherished con-
tenders of this multi-starrer.
Amitabh ‘Big B’ Bachchan
The genesis of brand Amitabh be-
gan with the picture that the main-
stream marginalized youth of India
of the 70s had of themselves. India
was in the middle of a political as
well as social turmoil then and
10
Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
Amitabh, the ‘Angry Young Man’
as he came to be known due to
films like Deewar, Sholay & Zan-
jeer, vented out the feelings of
the tortured common man. Each
and every of his loud dialogues
represented the feelings of the
common man which was clamor-
ing for words before. While this
image still remains and holds
relevance, the most recent
marked arrival of brand Big B
happened with KBC. His block-
busters took a clear backseat as
he brought people to ‘hot seat’
and sent out a clear sense of op-
timism and disarming charm to
millions. The young revolutionary
had aged into a loving and awe-
inspiring patriarch. As people
started loving his grey French cut
beard, he suddenly started using
red-colored hair oil and eating
spicy digestive pills. The list of
assignments has never stopped
growing since then.
Amitabh himself denies a “phase”
in his life but its for all to see
that there was this transition
from the old 50 someone guy
playing Romeo in films like Lal
Baadshah to a suave patriarch
who still thought young.
Management Calcutta
MARVEL
The Trailer
From a marketer’s point of
view, what exactly is Bolly-
wood? Beyond Aishwarya’s
futile attempts to crossover
to the ‘Holly’ lands, I mean.
To say the least, Bollywood,
along with its top-notch
brands is an untapped gold-
mine which will gradually be
a major force in the dynamics
of the movie business world-
wide. Once recognized for
either colorful song and
dances or for Ray or Mehta,
things are changing in a big
way for Brand Bollywood in
the recent times. When our
superstar heartthrobs aren't
posing with their waxen dou-
bles at Madame Tussaud's,
they are being declared
Knights of various orders in
European capitals that have
suddenly started dishing out
their shooting locations and
public honors in an indis-
criminate manner. And with
Rehman getting an Oscar, it’s
no more just an arena for the
actors anymore. Now and
again, we hear news about a
Venetian saloon offering SRK
haircut or a couple in Osaka
naming their child Rajni. Bol-
lywood is heading for some-
thing really grand as most of
the world joins the desi bil-
lions in this celluloid crazy
bazaar.
Aayush Srivastava
(PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
July 2009
Shahrukh ‘Rahul’ Khan
One Friday morning in early
1990s, ‘Rahul’ was born. He was
resolute yet nonchalant, maver-
ick yet charming, not 100% per-
fect but at ease with his imper-
fection and most importantly in-
creasingly recognized as the mir-
ror of the youth. Just like Vijay,
Rahul represented the main-
stream young blood of a totally
different new generation. With a
brand managing team of vibrant
people like Karan and Farah,
Rahul gave way to numerous
changes –– in brand manage-
ment cliché ‘the brand kept on
evolving’. In the evolved avatar,
brand Shahrukh has acquired
some other qualities which are
exceptionally specific –– interna-
tionally competitive, comfort with
global citizenship etc. In many
diverse ways, brand Shahrukh
truly reflects the deeper motiva-
Approx no. of Avg Annual
Celebrity Price Tags ongoing en- Growth (in sales 3lar
(in crores) dorsements (Feb of 3 similar
SRK
2.5-5
BIG B 2-3
Aamir 4-5.5
Ash 3 3
11
MARCELL
tions of today’s ‘Youngistaan’ be
it the six pack craze he started
or the brands he represents.
Aamir ‘perfect’ Khan
The Great Indian Fan has always
been divided over which Khan he
worships. But there is one more
obvious war of sorts happening
between SRK and Aamir, only
this time it’s in the ad world! Aishwarya ‘Hollywood’ Rai..
From cookies to cars, from cola ooops Bachchan
to cell-phones, these two Khans
After being the hot property for
have always been pitted against
years, the Ash fixation continues
each other. But somehow Aamir
still today. A lot many things
as a brand is different. And who
have changed though. Apart
else to testify this than Prahlad
from getting married in Bolly-
Kakkar who thinks Aamir is
wood’s first family, the green
more exclusive than SRK. He
eyed beauty is now an interna-
says, “It is quite obvious that if a
tional face and the highest paid
particular brand takes on Shah-
actress the tinsel town has ever
rukh, the rival would want to
take on Aamir. But one must
remember that Aamir is ex-
tremely choosy about picking the
brands he wants to endorse. For
him, it is almost like selecting a
wife. Aamir takes on just about
four or five endorsements per
year, endorsing exclusivity for
the brands and hence he charges
double the amount that any
other star charges, including
Amitabh Bachchan.” And maybe
this is the reason why brands seen. There are limited brands
like Toyota and Titan fit perfectly who seek the fairer sex but with
with Aamir’s persona. more than 50 world class brands
in her kitty, she has surpassed
all her peers. A lot of this has
most popu-
endorse- come due to her PR skills and
ments the efficient management team
09) brands)
she has. Her international cam-
12% Hyundai,
17 Emami, Pepsi paign is a well thought out drill
13 8% Dabur, Cad- which started with ‘Mission Visi-
bury, R&T bility’, from international festival
5 9.3% Coca Cola, Ti- and talk shows to international
tan, Toyota magazine covers like Cosmopoli-
tan. News like Julia Roberts
11.2% Lux, L’oreal,
Longines thinking of her as the most
July 2009 MARCELL
beautiful woman in the world and Will Smith
Brand Brand Average
wanting to work with her has reasons. It's be- Celebrity Brand Re-
Following Association Brand Ap-
cause she is the only Indian actress they must call %
% % peal
have heard of. But apart from the marketing cam-
paign around her, it’s also her spark and aura. SRK 72 38 52 54
Though she recently lost her Nakshatra diamond
BIG B 68 24 37 43
contract to Katrina and L’Oreal to newbie Sonam
Kapur, brand Aish is still going to shine for a long
Aamir 51 45 42 46
time.

The Movie
Now that we have the four finalists, the tougher
job is at hand, the mission to justify my profes-
sor’s prophecy and to find the elusive Super
Brand of Bollywood. Just like a Hitchcock mys-
tery, right now I have no idea as to who that is
going to be: the next door guy Rahul or Mr. Per-
fect or any of the Bachchans. So here follows a
detailed insight into the power of these brands
and the psyche of the Indian consumer when it
comes to these names.
Ash 36 6 51 31
tions which finally gave way to three parameters
to judge the same.
1. Brand Recall
The questions in this category mainly checked if
the celebrity brand was balanced enough, i.e. pow-
erful enough to let the endorsement stick to our
minds and humble enough to let the product take
the central place rather than the star.

Celeb Power: To begin with I decided to check the 2. Brand Following

current status of these celebrities in the eyes of
the market. The aim was to see their current de-
mand in the corporate world and the financial im-
pact they might have had on the growth in prod-
uct sales. To eliminate the
externalities to as far as
possible, brands from
similar industry were cho-
sen.
The results showed that
while all of them had tre-
mendous positive impact
on the endorsements,
Amitabh and Shahrukh
were the more preferred
brands, partly because of Aamir’s astronomical
price tag and picky nature. Maybe it all just boils
down to what Taran Adarsh says when asked the
question of who’s Bollywood’s biggest brand, “It's
all about how good you are on Fridays.”
Brand Appeal
To analyze the impact of these brands on Indian
consumer, I conducted a survey of 137 people
from different strata of society. The motive was to
judge the appeal of the celebrity as a brand in
public minds. The survey comprised of 12 ques-
12
Recently, I came across a research conducted by
Synovate, a global market research firm, which re-
vealed that 47% people would be more likely to buy
a brand that was endorsed by their favourite celeb-
rity. They termed this phenomenon ‘brand follow-
ing’ and I will do the same.
3. Brand Association
This one mainly revolved on how a certain product
reflected the perceived characteristics of the celeb-
rity endorsing it. It also delved into the public con-
ception on whether the celebrity actually used the
brand or not.
The results of the survey were surprisingly biased,
to say the least. People knew more about the
cheesy Sona Chaandi Chyawanprash ad by Shah-
rukh rather than Aamir’s Samsung or Big B’s
Nerolac. Sharukh and Santro combo far exceeded
the brand recall test in comparison to Aamir-
Innova or Amitabh-Versa. Same was the case with
Dish TV and Tata Sky or Sunfeast and Parle . The
vox populi was loud and clear: people liked
‘repetitive but amazing’ Shahrukh more than sup-
posedly fresher Aamir and waning Bachchans.
Future prospects: Does celebrity endorsement
really sustain for a long time? Or is it is just an-
other lazy brand recall tool in today’s world of over
July 2009
communication? Theoretically, the qualities associ-
ated with the endorser are associated with the
brand and the brand therefore remains at the top
of the consumer's mind. However one needs to re-
alize that the impact of an endorser cannot be sus-
tainable in all product categories and in all the
stages of brand life cycles. The same is true for all
the celebrities in question. While the Bachchans
will definitely decline in the Brand-meter as they
both age. Soon they will get busy with the new ar-
rival in Prateeksha and their celeb appeal would be
ancient history. So, the war will boil down to the
two Khans. The world is going to remain divided on
this one, though here again SRK brand seems
more sustainable as is also evident from the public
reaction to Ghajini. Aamir might retain his forte as
a brand ‘alternative’ but his choosy nature and un-
attainable status would never let him overpower
the product brand like Sharukh does. As far as it
seems for now, Shahrukh will continue to be the
numero uno choice for companies as well as con-
sumers. It’s something which can be summed by
the following quotes by the industry biggies as well
as general junta.
“As a brand, he (SRK) goes beyond the boundaries
of region, religion or time. He is not the NRI Raj any-
more. He can become Kabir Khan in a moment and
Soori in another.” – Shobha De, Columnist
"There cannot be any competition with me. I'm the
biggest brand in the country. I am always there to
endorse for everyone, but the saddest part is that
no one is there to endorse for me as there is no
brand bigger than me," -Shahrukh Khan, Actor
“I drive Santro, drink Pepsi, use Lux, Videocon,
Nokia and Airtel. Don’t you see the connection?”
– Souvik Chatterjee, IT Consultant
“Toyota? Aamir? Since when?”
– Deepika Raj, Student, IIMC
“Shah Rukh as a brand idea impacts the society
much beyond his films.” – Partha Sinha,
IIMC Alumnus and CSO, Publicist
13
MARCELL
“Who is the world's biggest movie brand? Brad?
Will? Nah. His name is Shahrukh Khan.”
–Newsweek
“He rules the brand world because of his charisma
and clean image.” – Prahlad Kakkar, Ad-
man
The Climax
I had never thought the match would be so one-
sided. It was very clearly evident from above that
Brand SRK has reached a status beyond bounda-
ries and that too when our survey had only 12%
female respondents. The impact of this brand
came alive in the true sense when KBC 2 got rein-
terpreted in 2006. From the grand, shudh-hindi
speaking Amitabh the show became comfortable,
Hinglish speaking and an active encouragement
for the participants to go for the biggie. It’s an era
of optimism and everyone today dreams to go be-
yond their supposed capabilities and this dreamer
from Delhi somehow embodies that spirit. Ask
anyone, they can’t pinpoint any reason why they
like SRK. Some will say his dimpled smile, some
like his unpretentious hairstyle, others will say
his personality. This actually makes me believe
that what the folks are interested in is the idea
and myth of SRK rather than his six packs. In a
world where Lehmanns and Satyams take just a
little push to bite dust, no one knows how long
this Super Brand of Bollywood would rule for; but
for the time being he’s definitely the Badshah of
Brands.
July
July2009
2009Issue I MARCELL
Marcell, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

SPORTS MARKETING
Thai boxing, Bacardi
Sports marketing companies like IMG use teams,
Beach Volleyball etc. at
leagues, colleges, and individuals to differentiate
National and International
their products in a very competitive business envi-
level. Sports event market-
ronment. Every level of sports from street smart
leagues to the pros has been affected by the sports
ing is basically approach- MARVEL
ing the correct corporate/
marketing deluge.
organization and garnering
sponsorships from them to Sports Marketing
The first act of sports marketing can be dated back today is undergoing
execute a sports event. A
to the 1870s when cards of baseball players were continuous evolu-
sports agent completes the
inserted with packs of cigarettes by tobacco compa- tion as the battle
sports marketing jigsaw. If
nies. This probably was the first promotion of sport between society and
you have seen the Million
for another industry’s benediction. In 1936, Adi the free market
Dollar Baby, you know rages to define the
Dassler, founder of Adidas, offered Jesse Owens free
what this is all about. The legal and ethnic
shoes for the Berlin Olympics, thus setting one of
agent is responsible mainly boundaries of con-
the first examples of an amateur athlete used for PR
for marketing the sports- temporary business.
or advertising means. Paltry attention was given to
person, creating contracts Even as the world
the gold medalist’s shoes in those days when ama- economy reels under
and negotiating, handling
teur really meant amateur. Through decades, the the monstrous im-
the media relations etc.
exposure of athletes has swelled emphatically thus pact of the economic
The agent also looks into
also increasing the amount of sports marketing op- downturn, sports
the latest trends and de-
portunities. In 2008 alone, Tiger Woods, a modern expenditure contin-
cides the best lucrative
golf legend, boasted earnings of US $109.6 million ues to escalate. The
options for the athlete/ recent cash splash
off the golf course mainly from sponsorship deals
sportsperson. of more than €150
with Nike, Gatorade, Accenture, American Express
and Gillette. million by Real Ma-
Whether it is Sourav Gan- drid F.C. in player
guly or Sachin selling any- transfers goes on to
The world sports industry has grown to a colossal
thing from colas to mobile substantiate the
$441 billion which is greater than the 25th largest fact.
services or Sania Mirza
GDP in the world, the surge solely attributed to one
sweating it out in a Taaza
vertical of management – sports marketing. It is the
Tea commercial, it’s
process of planning and facilitating exchange of
thanks to their celebrity
sports related property e.g. sports events. It also re- Abhishek Singh
management agent who
fers to marketing of non-sports property using (PGDM, IIM Calcutta)
got them the brand en-
sports as a facilitating medium e.g. brand endorse-
dorsement deals and the
ments by sport celebrities. In a nutshell, a sports
extra ‘pocket money’. Meanwhile, it also makes good
marketer handles the business angle of sports and
business for the agent who does get his share of
unearths various opportunities to promote sports
commission depending on the kind of deal.
and sports-related ac-
tivities.
The Indian sports marketing industry is still in an
embryonic stage thus offering great potential waiting
A sports-event manager
to be tapped. Budding entrepreneurs and manage-
handles events which
ment post graduates will find inspiration in the form
are an excellent me-
of IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. In just a couple of
dium of patronizing
years, he has propelled the Indian Premier League to
sports especially in the
the position of the 6th most valuable sports property
form of large – scale
with a valuation of US $1.6 billion leaving behind
contests. For instance,
perennial front runners like Ferrari and Manchester
Procam International is
United F.C.
an out and out sports
events organizing com-
With the regular management verticals down in the
pany that garners spon-
doldrums due to the recession, a sports marketing
sorships from relevant
career can proffer a fresh way out of the chaos. So
corporates and con-
are you game?
ducts events like Indo-

14
July
July2009
2009Issue I Marcell, Indian Institute ofMARCELL
Management Calcutta

Test Your Marketing Gyaan

1. Which product was the first and the only one so far
to be launched in Indian Parliament?
2. The mascot of this fruit brand was designed by the
creator of the strip Hagar the Horrible. Which
brand?
3. A perfume brand from an Indian company, Gandh
Sugandh, is a hit in the seemingly impregnable
land of perfumes-France. What is its brand name?
4. In 2009, this company was awarded PETA’s Glitter-
box award for replacing an earlier mascot with
“more humane alternatives”. Which company?
5. What company gave us the ill-fated Premier Cigarette?
6. Who coined the term 'marketing-mix' in the mid-1940s?
7. In advertising terminology, what is 'zipping'?
8. What term has been coined by Bill Gates to refer to hyper-competition and the use
of Net to make market places highly efficient?
9. Everyone lives by selling something'. Who said this more than a century ago?

10. Which popular North American beer was often referred to as "The Silver Bullet" ??

Answers
paign was misleading as all alcohol will tend "to slow down your reactions and reflexes".
with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (the ATF). The ATF suggested that the ad cam-
in the early nineties after a eight year run. The company dropped it after a two year legal battle
10) Coors Light. Another popular slogan they had was "Won't Slow You Down". This ad was dropped
ism" the term coined by Bill Gates in his 1995 book "The Road Ahead" 9) Robert Louis Stevenson
ers through commercials when playing a pre-recorded or rented videotape 8) "Friction Free Capital-
the marketing manager as a "mixer of ingredients" 7) Television advertisers fast-forwarding view-
Borden began using the term in his teaching in the late 1940's after James Culliton had described
1) Common salt 2) Chiquita 3) Urvashi 4) Vodafone ZooZoo campaign 5) R.J. Reynolds 6) Neil H.

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