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Journeys with the caterpillar: Travelling through the islands of Flores
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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Good times for Indian managers...

Times have never been so good for Indian managers (MBAs).. For the first time he is being recognized as an entity in our Indian society...Till about a couple of years back, only the Pan Masala and Gutka bands regarded managers as a target segment (In fact managers were their only target segment if one goes by their ads)..And most of the other brands were focused on housewives, kids and the common man (auto-rickshaw drivers, farmers, govt. employees etc.)

But now things have changed..Look at some of the current advertisements:
First, its the so very useful Amitabh Bacchan Peter Parker ad which literally spells out the well known proverb - the pen is mightier than the sword and everything else...Yes, interviewers should spend more time looking at candidate's pens...Quality of the candidate and other things of-course flow automatically...

Next in line are the ads from mobile phone manufacturers, financial service providers, sex-life enhancing pills, apparel brands, automobiles, liquor brands (read mineral water) etc. which all show managers or look-alikes as their target segment...

Given this competition for attention and wallet of managers, Pana Masala brands had to up their game...How could they silently watch other industries compete with their core target segment? And then came their ultimate answer - the Rajnigandha ads..It was a double whammy.. The first ad showed some dude with gravitas buying the "East India Company" just because they had ruled on India for many years...And the other ad showed the young chief of a possibly bankrupt company rejecting an acquisition offer and in-turn proposing to buy the potential acquirer for thrice the initial sum...It was truly what they don't teach at IIMs.

2 comments:

Charukesi said...

the east india ad cracks me up each time I see it... truly what they dont teach at the iims and what Ries and Trout never dreamed of when they first said 'positioning' :))

Charu

Anjali said...

I'm caught between hilarity and embarrasment actually ... this ad is so awkwardly made that I find myself blushing on behalf of whoever dreamt it up.

Besides, "Indians are not for sale, gentlemen" is passe - Indians ARE for sale, and command a huge price at that!