Marketing Compendium

MARKETING COMPENDIUM
WHAT IS MARKETING?
Formal definition of Marketing as per American Marketing Association: “Marketing is

the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering,
and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at
large.”
Marketing is the process by which a firm profitably translates customer needs into revenue.
“Marketing is the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy
the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and
desires. It defines, measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit
potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs
and promotes the appropriate products and services.” – Dr. Philip Kotler.
SALES VS MARKETING
Arena Sales Marketing

Product - Emphasis on product - Emphasis on customer needs
- Push strategy implemented to - Wide array of products offered as
increase revenue per customer requirements
- Pull strategy implemented to
attract customers
Price - Convince people to buy at - Aim is to capture value
stated price - To price products based on
customer demand analysis
Audience - Primarily involves interaction - Wide audience requiring both

with the buyer internal and external relationship
management
Time Horizon - Short-term oriented - Long- run oriented

- Focused on generating revenue - Focused on both present customer
& profits thereby improving needs and on future market
financials prospects
Strategy - Focuses on making products - Focuses on pulling the customer

available to customers towards the product and in
through right channels in the maintaining long term engagement
right quantities to meet
demand
Dependency - Depends on marketing - Depends on sales to close leads
to generate leads
Concept - Factory  Products Sales & - Target MarketCustomer Needs

PromotionProfits Coordinated Marketing
Customer Satisfaction
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NEEDS, WANTS, DEMANDS, AND DESIRES
Needs
• Needs are basic human requirements

• They are states of felt deprivation for basic human requirements
• These may include:
i. Physical Needs: Food, clothing, shelter, clean air
ii. Social Needs: Belonging and affection
iii. Individual Needs: Knowledge and self-expression
• Generally, the products which fall under the needs category of products do not require apish.
Example: I need some food. I feel hungry.

Given below are the different types of needs:
The new OnePlus 7 has positioned its brand to meet the following 5 needs of consumers as felt by
them:
 Stated Need: “I need a premium smartphone”

 Real Need: “I need a smartphone with latest features at an affordable rate”
 Unstated Need: “I need a smartphone with high safety and durability and good customer service
support from seller”
 Delight Need: “A smartphone with inbuilt application subscriptions, and free extended warranty”
 Secret Need: “Admiration and awe from related people and a status symbol as a smart buyer”
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Wants
• Wants are need satisfiers; they are described in terms of objects that will satisfy needs
• Wants are shaped by culture, society and individual personality. Ex: A hungry person in
Australia may want a hamburger, chips and a cola while someone from Singapore may
want noodles and someone from the South Pacific region may want mango, coconuts and
beans
• Thus, wants are not mandatory part of life.
Example: I want to have a pizza.
Demands and Desires:
• Demands are wants backed by consumer purchasing power i.e. wants for specific products
backed by an ability to pay for them
• Companies must measure not only how many people want their product but how many are
willing and able to buy it
• Customers view products as bundles of benefits and choose products that give them the best
bundle for their money
Desire is the basic difference between wants and demands. A customer may desire
something but he may not be able to fulfil it.
Example: My Demand is to buy an Ajanta shoe, but my desire is to buy a Reebok.
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CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations SELECT, BUY,
USE and DISPOSE OFF goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants.
A consumer’s buying behaviour is influenced by cultural, social and personal factors with
Cultural Factors Social Factors Personal Factors

Factors Personal factors
• Culture • Reference Groups • Age and Stage in Life Cycle

• Fundamental Determinants of • These are groups that people • Age
wants and behaviour compare themselves with and • Number and composition of
•E.g. As a cultural norm, indians are influenced by. house members in houses
take sweets as gifts while visiting • These Groups affect people by: • E.g., Parents spend an
family or friends, which is very • Exposing them to new inordinate amount of money
different from that of Americans.
This presents opportunities to
behaviour on new born children
companies like Cadbury. • Influencing brand and • Occupation and Economic
• SubCulture product choices Circumstances
•E.g., Boys usually dont wear skirts
• Specific Identification and • Occupational groups show
because it does not conform to
Socialization social norms above average interest in
• Nationalities certain products/ services.
• Cliques Circumstances include debts,
• Religion • "People I know and Trust". income, savings, assets,
• Racial groups These groups are often borrowing power etc.
•E.g., People in South India Prefer responsible for convincing you • E.g., People who earn more
drinking filter coffee over instant to buy a product
premix coffee. This poses
also pay a lot more via credit
•E.g., You are likely to ask a tech cards
challenge to brands like Nescafe
savvy friend before buying a new
and Bru smartphone • Personality and Self Concept
• Social Class • Family • Personalities respond to
• Homogenous and enduring • Immediate family members external stimuli in an expected
divisions in a society with manner including buying
affect buying behaviour
common values and interests
•E.g., Husband and wife will buy
•E.g., Divisions of society into the same insurance • E.g., Netflix attracts people
upper, upper middle, lower with variety of their choice
middle and lower class
cultural factors exerting the broadest and deepest influence.
SEGMENTATION, TARGETING & POSITIONING (STP)
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SEGMENTATION
Segmentation is a practice that seeks out pieces of the total market that contain customers with
identifiable characteristics, as defined by income, age, personal interests, ethnic background,
special needs, and so forth. The point of segmentation is to break a mass market into submarkets
of customers who have common needs.
Why do we need segmentation?
Not all individuals have similar needs. Individuals have different needs based on various factors
which define them or their lifestyle like needs of men, women and kids differ from each other
completely, or the needs of married individuals would differ from bachelors or needs of people
from different countries will be different, when they are to be satisfied using various products and
services. Identifying these segments makes it possible to do two things:
(1) create goods and services that are better tailored to the needs of specific customers and
(2) focus marketing resources more efficiently.
Segmentation is done along the following factors:
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DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION
Based on demographic variables, the firm can decide which group they need to cater to.
The Demographics in consideration are: gender, age, family, income, educational background,
religion, socio economic status, race, etc.
AGE
Horlicks for growing children Horlicks Lite for adults Junior Horlicks for toddlers
and pre schoolers
Horlicks has segmented the market to cater to all the age groups separately. It has 3
major segments, i.e. Toddlers, growing children and adults.
GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION
Categorizing customers according to the geographic units and customizing group requirements
accordingly. This type of marketing strategy can be explained with some examples:
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PSYCHOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION
The art of marketing is such that the marketer needs to highlight that part of the commodity that
appeals most to a customer and tell him the features of the product and how it will benefit him,
as a part of the advertising process.
For example
Patanjali
Patanjali correctly identified the change in behavioral
trends and shifting towards a healthier lifestyle. It appeals
the most to consumers through its “Ayurvedic, Herbal,
Non-chemical” feature. It advertises to show how the
herbal ingredients would benefit the consumer.
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew with its tagline of “Dar ke aage jeet hai” has
positioned itself as a synonym of people who are adventurous.
It appeals to the young enthusiasts who are willing to take on
challenges in life
BEHAVIOURAL SEGMENTATION
For example
DOVE Shampoo
Dove Shampoo comes in a large variety. Hair fall, Anti-dandruff, Soft & silky,
Damage repair, etc. are all examples of different hair problems that are
addressed by DOVE by segmenting the consumers basis their USAGE
patterns.
Classification of cities as a basis of segmentation:
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TARGETING
Target Marketing involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating your
marketing efforts on one or a few key segments consisting of the customers whose needs and
desires are first identified and then attempted to be met by your product or service offerings. It can
be the key to attract new business, increasing your sales or profitability.
For example
Paper Boat
To get into a saturated market of juices, paper boat had to

come up with a different strategy. Majorly targeting the group
of people who are overwhelmed with beverages, by bringing
back nostalgic memories via traditional names and nostalgic
quotes. With a high percentage of natural fruit content in its
products, paper boat caters to this group of people.
ZARA
Zara’s target market is young, price-conscious, and highly
sensitive to the latest fashion trends. They have an advantage over
traditional retailers because they do not define their target by
segmenting ages and lifestyles giving them a much broader
market. They segment their product line by women’s (60%),
men’s (25%) and the fast growing children’s (15%) department.
POSITIONING
Positioning is defined as the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy
distinctive place in the target market’s mind.
Positioning is all about ‘perception’. As perception differs from person to person, so do the
results of the positioning map e.g. what one perceives as quality, value for money in terms of
worth, etc. will be different to any other person’s perception. However, there will be similarities
in certain cases.
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For example
GSK’s ENO, an antacid, has always positioned itself as an instant reliever

from acidity. Positioning statement: Take ENO for fast relief from
acidity. It gets to work in 6 seconds.
“To acidity-stricken people, ENO is a powdered antacid that gives instant

relief in 6 seconds”
Elements of positioning:
1. Target Audience: For whom the product is intended.
2. Points of Parity (POP): Attributes similar to other products in the category. Points of
parity are important because customers expect basic offerings from a category. For example,
when purchasing a toothpaste, a customer will expect that it should have freshness as well as it
tastes well.
3. Points of Difference (POD): Attributes that differentiate the product from others in the
same category. The more the number of PODs, the better is the positioning. PODs should
satisfy the following criteria
 It should be desired by the customer
 It should be sustainable for the producer
 It should be differentiated from its competitors
Apple introduced the fingerprint scanner to unlock device in the iPhone models. This was a
POD until Samsung and all other manufacturers used the same technology to make it into a
POP, thus nullifying Apple’s unique POD
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MARKETING MIX
Its purpose is to make a marketing strategy for a new market or an existing market.
For a product marketing mix has 4 Ps
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Place - Distribution Channels
Channels of Distribution:
1. Intensive Distribution: Intensive distribution mainly means distribution on a large scale and
displaying the product in as many ways and places as possible so that the customer sells in high
volume due to large scale distribution. The chosen level of distribution generally depends on
different factors such as the production capacity, the size of the target market, pricing and
promotion policies as well as the seasonal requirement of the product by the end user.
Intensive distribution is most commonly used when the product is a very common product in
the market and there are many different alternatives available, for example, cigrarettes, alcohol,
soft drinks, soaps etc.
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2. Exclusive Distribution: As the name suggests, Exclusive Distribution is a type of distribution

where a company ties up exclusively with a distributor. This type of distribution includes an
agreement between the distributor and the manufacturer that the manufacturer will not sell the
product to anyone else and will sell it only to the exclusive distributor. For example, companies
like Rolex, BMW, Mercedes etc follow this type of distribution channel. Main advantages of
exclusive distribution include focus, availability, control, financial advantages for the company
etc.
3. Selective Distribution: Selective distribution is a distribution approach where selective and

few outlets are chosen through which the product is made available to the customers. Unlike
intensive distribution , not all available outlets are targeted and neither is it like exclusive
distribution where there is only one outlets. A few outlets with calculated potential are
identified and then they are given the rights to stock and sell the offerings of a company. For
example, this distribution strategy is used for low-end range and mid-level range cars or for
clothing brands such as Louis Philippe or Van Huesen.
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GENERAL TRADE VS MODERN TRADE
General Trade
General trade is associated with a spread-out distribution network of small retailers, dealers,
stockists, wholesalers, and distributors. It maintains inter-personal relations between the
customers and the retailers. Erratic demand leads to quick and ad-hoc orders which put a
strain on the schedule planning and last mile delivery for the distributors.
Modern Trade
Modern trade includes the larger players such as supermarket chains, mini -markets (Indonesia),
hypermarkets, etc. The customer-seller interaction is not as personal or regular as that in general
trade. It involves a more planned and organized approach to distribution and logistics
management.
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Some of the key differences are:
Metric General trade Modern Trade

Demand
Erratic or Seasonal Consistent (Interim promotions)
Customer
interaction Personal (retailer hands out the products to Customer can pick and choose the items
the customer) and then proceed to check-out.
Order
placement
Based on current stocks Strategically planned to meet
promotional demands
Product
range
Limited Extravagant
On-time
deliveries
Comparatively lower focus Comparatively higher focus
Order
fulfilmen Must be specific to pre-decided
t time Can be accommodated at different time- slots (missing which might
times raise a penalty on the distributor)
Economies
of scale
Goods traded on MRP Retailers can absorb cost and give
promotional discounts to drive purchases
Credit
cycle
Short Long (customized)
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Price
Consumer-Perceived Value (CPV)
CPV is the difference between the perceived customer evaluation of all the benefits and
costs of the offering and the perceived alternatives.
Customer-Perceived Value = Total Customer Benefit – Total Customer Cost
Total Customer Benefit is the perceived monetary value of the bundle of economic,
functional and psychological benefits customers expect from a given market offering
because of the product, service, people and image.
Total customer cost is the complete packet or fees a customer expects to pay in the
researching, buying, obtaining and maintaining of a given product or service including
monetary, time, energy, and psychological costs.
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For example
While buying a car, the expected reactions from family and friends also
become a part of benefits or gain. The customer evaluates whether the car
would be able to provide whatever he/she is looking for. Whether the car
would provide the comfort and the usability. Also, for many customers the
perceived value would also include the mileage a car, the opportunity and the
monetary cost as well.
Can you think of the factors that you considered while deciding to buy your last smart phone?
Product – Benefits
Products provide benefits, and it is for these benefits that they are bought by customers. These
benefits may be classified into three types:
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Go-to-Market Strategy
A go-to-market strategy (GTM strategy) is an action plan that specifies how a company will reach
customers and achieve competitive advantage. The purpose of a GTM strategy is to provide a
blueprint for delivering a product or service to the end customer, considering such factors as
pricing and distribution. A GTM strategy is somewhat like a business plan, although the latter is
broader in scope and considers such factors as funding.
EXTENDED P’s
In case of a service 3 more Ps are added to the marketing Mix, together they make 7 Ps for an
extended marketing mix of a service.
1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion
5. People
6. Physical Evidence
7. Process
People
All companies are reliant on the people who run them from front line Sales
staff to the Managing Director. Having the right people is essential because
they are as much a part of your business offering as the products/services you
are offering.
Processes
The delivery of your service is usually done with the customer present so
how the service is delivered is once again part of what the consumer is
paying for.
Physical Evidence
Almost all services include some physical elements even if the bulk of what
the consumer is paying for is intangible. For example, a hair salon (using all
L’Oréal Professional products) would provide their client with a completed
hairdo and an insurance company would give their customers some form of
printed material. Even if the material is not physically printed (in the case of
PDFs) they are still receiving a “physical product” by this definition.
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4P Analysis of KitKat
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4 A’s
Poor management as a consequence of of not knowing what drives consumers is behind the
majority of marketing failures. Consumer knowledge is a much more reliable route to success.
This customer-centric marketing management framework emphasizes on the most important
consumer values – Acceptability, Affordability, Accessibility, and awareness – which is dubbed
as the four As.
This is based on the four distinctive roles that consumers play in the marketplace – seeker, buyer,
payer, and user.
The 4 As can also easily be related to the traditional 4 Ps.
Here, 4 As have been explained keeping a rural consumer in mind.
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Acceptability Affordability
Came up with a new product, Colgate Quantity that Colgate offered consumer
Ayurvedic Toothpowder targeting rural rich was much higher than the competitor at
and consuming class. the same price. Price was also set low for
market penetration.
Came up with a sachet of tooth powder for Current Price: 50 gm – Rs. 20
rural population who buy in smaller lots.
Availability Awareness
Tying up with initiatives like E- Choupal Colgate created awareness by melas, door
and Disha to strengthen distribution to door selling, haats, sampark campaign,
network. vans, free dental checkups, free samples.
To focus more on customer’s wants and needs we can use 4 Cs
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Product Mix – Length & Breadth
Product Mix
The complete set of all products that a company offers to the market is called as the product mix
of the company. For example, this is the product mix for Procter & Gamble.
Product Line
A product line is a group of products within the product mix that are closely related, either
because they function in a similar manner, are sold to the same customer groups, are marketed
through the same types of outlets or fall within given price ranges.
For example, Milkybar, KitKat,

Munch, BarOne, Alpino, Nestle
Classic all belong to the chocolate
product line for Nestle.
Product Mix Breadth

The breadth (or width) of the product mix consists of all the product lines that the company
has to offer to its customers. If we take P&G, for example, the breadth of the major product lines
would consist of hair products, oral care, soaps and detergents, baby care, and personal care.
This means that the product mix breadth is five.
Product Line Depth

The number of products in a product line refers to its product line depth. The depth of product
blend refers to how many variants are offered of each product in the line.
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s
For example, Dove has 9 different
types of shampoos for different hair
needs (Rejuvenated Volume,
Rejuvenated Repair, Split-End
Rescue, Nourishing Oil Care, Intense
Repair, Hair Fall Rescue, Daily
Shine, Dandruff Care, Dryness Care),
it contains a
depth of 9. 
Length of the Product Mix

It refers to the whole number of items in the mix. For example, if a company has 5 product lines
and 10 products each under those product lines, the length of the mix will be 50 [5 x 10].
Product Mix Consistency

It pertains to how closely related product lines are to one another - in terms of use, production
and distribution. A company's product mix may be consistent in distribution but vastly different
in use. For example, Amul has various product lines which are all dairy related. So that product
mix consistency is high. But Samsung as a company has many product lines which are
completely independent of each other. Like Air conditioners, televisions, smart phones, home
appliances, so on and so forth. Thus, the product mix consistency is low in Samsung.
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PUSH V/S PULL MARKET
A push strategy uses the manufacturer’s sales force, trade promotion money, or other means to
induce intermediaries to carry, promote, and sell product to the end users. This strategy is
appropriate when there is low brand loyalty, brand choice is made in the store, the product is
an impulse item and the benefits are well understood.
MR to Doctors product Giving Samples of D2C - E-Commerce

explanation medicines to Doctors
In a pull strategy the manufacturer uses advertising, promotion and other forms of communication
to persuade consumers to demand the product from intermediaries, thus inducing the
intermediaries to order it. This strategy is appropriate when there is high brand loyalty, high
involvement and the consumers choose the brand before they go to the store.
Advertisements Consumer PR & Publicity Events &

Promotion L'Oreal Citizen Day Experiences
L'Oreal Powder
Room
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Parameters explaining Push and Pull Marketing
PULL PUSH
Advertisements: Radio, TV, Print Ad, Sales promotion: Trade promotions - Buy 1
Online Get 1 free
PR & Publicity: Non-paid, online blogs, Personal Selling : Face to face sales
press releases, etc.
Events and Experiences: Mall activations Direct to Consumer: Tele marketing
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PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

PLC describes the various stages that a product goes through from the time it was initially thought
of until it is finally removed from the market.
Stage 1: Product Development (Phase 1: Introduction)

This is the stage where the product is conceived and developed. This stage is characterized by
high R&D costs and losses in the form of manufacturing costs.
Example: Apple Car an autonomous EV is an example of product development phase
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Stage 2: Introduction Stage (Phase 1: Introduction)

This is the stage where products are introduced to the market. Companies either create a new
product market or they enter with breakthrough or they come up with competitive products to the
existing products. This stage is characterized by high marketing costs since the company invests a
lot in creating awareness for the product. Sales growth is slow in this stage due to which the
company experiences huge losses during this period. Due to the inability to continuously sustain
losses, the failure at this stage is the highest.
MG launched its new car MG Hector on 27th June, 2019 in

India. It is currently in its introductory phase.
Stage 3: Growth
This stage is marked by a sharp increase in sales and the product becomes profitable in this stage.
Company spends on marketing to strengthen market share and capture market share. This stage
also experiences competition from new entrants who now see value in entering the segment. This
stage also experiences the highest profits.
With the rise in proliferation of data, online video

streaming services are catching on.
Stage 4: Maturity
This stage sees stagnation in profits and the sales after growing for a certain period start going
down. Companies often spend a lot on innovation and promotions to sustain this stage as long as
possible. This is also a stage that is characterized by strong competition since the segment is now
an established one. A product might be in this stage for months or for decades.
LED TVs are currently in the maturity stage, coming up

with new features and innovation to sustain their sales
Stage 5: Decline
This is the stage when players start moving out of the segment because it has been replaced by
better and more lucrative alternatives. Companies reduce their marketing spends and do not invest
in innovations and the product sells by itself. The sales in this stage continuously decrease until
the product goes obsolete.
Desktop computers are in the decline stage with a

decreasing market and little to no innovation
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Product Life Cycle Extension

PLC extension is a way for firms to compete for sales and market share. This can take place in a
number of ways:
 Increase use of the product among current users
 Obtain more varied use among current users
 Identify new users
 Bring in product line extension
Android has been continuously bringing out

new versions of its software version to extend
its product life cycle
BRAND EXTENSION
Brand extension is a method used by companies to launch a new product by using an existing
brand name. Brands Extensions fall into general categories:
Benefits:
• Allows company to leverage its existing customer base and brand loyalty to increase profits
and promote new products with reduced promotional costs because the new lines or brands benefit
from being part of an established name
• Achieves success much quicker than it would have as an original brand
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Disadvantages of brand extension:
• Brand dilution: It occurs when consumers start thinking less of the brand. If a firm launches
extensions consumers find inappropriate, they may question the brand integrity or become
confused or even frustrated.
E.g. Tata Nano being launched as a “cheap” vehicle hit the positioning of Tata Motors hard.
• Brand confusion: Line extensions may cause the brand name to be less strongly identified with
one product.
E.g. By getting into powdered milk, soups and beverages, Cadbury ran the risk of losing its more
specific meaning as a chocolate and candy brand
• Cannibalization: Consumers may switch to extensions from parent-brand offerings, hence
cannibalizing the brand sales.
Samsung launched its J series smartphones to target customers from low to

mid earning people in India despite having customer segment of Samsung
Note series smartphones which are high priced phones. This helped
Samsung to tap into the market segment of economic smartphones.
ATTACKS
Attacks are aggressive marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and respond to
competitors' marketing strategies. Sometimes, meek campaigns and responses don't generate any
buzz and companies need to get aggressive and create unique campaigns that stay in the minds of
consumers to remain competitive.
Frontal Attack
Attacker matches its opponent’s product, advertisement, price and distribution. There are different
types of frontal attacks:
 Pure frontal attack: It involves matching the competitors in all aspects of marketing
 Limited frontal attack: It involves attacking in specific customer segments
 Price based frontal attack: Price attributes are matched by the competitors
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Flank Attack
This type of attack targets weak spots or gaps. They can be geographic gaps (where competition
product or distribution is weak) or product gaps (when competition product is not meeting some
specific needs).
An example would be H&M opening stores across metro cities, tier 1, tier 2 cities in 18 months
compared to Zara’s 16 metro and tier 1 cities since 2010. This led it to more than double its sales
in 2017.
An example for product gap would be Dabur entering the beverage market through its Real fruit
juice and entering a space that hadn’t been occupied by Coca Cola yet.
Defence against Flank attack

A dominant company may defend against potential flank attacks by creating its own flanker
brand—a brand to occupy the flank position on a core product.
For example, to entice a new market segment, the makers of Tide laundry detergent launched its
Cheer brand as a lower-cost alternative to Tide. While sales of Tide fell a little, the combined
sales of Tide and Cheer were greater than Tide’s sales before the launch. Sitting on Tide’s low-
price flank, any flanking attack made by a future competitor will threaten Cheer before it can
threaten Tide, the core product.
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Guerrilla Attacks
These consist of small, intermittent attacks, conventional and unconventional attacks to embarrass
competition which includes selective price cuts, intense promotional blitzes and even legal
actions.
Samsung wooed the “Appel” community
When Samsung handed out a few
hundred Galaxy S9s to the entire
population of the Dutch hamlet
Appel, it had a clever bit of
marketing on its hands. The stunt is
charming and shows that many of
Appel's community may now be
part of Samsung's community as
well.
When Wendy’s roasted McDonald’s When Chick-fil-A roasted Burger King
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BCG Matrix
The BCG matrix (or Growth-Share Matrix), is a planning tool used to evaluate the strategic
position of a business brand portfolio and its potential. It classifies business brand portfolio into
four categories on the basis of industry attractiveness (growth rate of that industry) and
competitive position (relative market share).
The BCG analysis helps the company in deciding which entities in the business portfolio are
actually profitable and which are not. This helps businesses identify what it should concentrate
on and what gives it a competitive advantage over others.
Relative market share: Represented by the horizontal axis. Higher market share results in higher
cash returns. The mid-point is generally set at 1.0.
Market growth rate: Represented by the vertical axis. Higher market growth rate might lead to
higher returns in future, but this requires investment to stimulate further growth. So, this would
lead to higher cash usage.
The four categories are:
1. Dogs (Low market share, Low growth prospects)
• Dogs have low market share and a low growth rate and thus neither generate nor consume
a large amount of cash.
• They are cash traps because of the money tied up in a business that has little potential.
• Such businesses are candidates for divestiture.
Strategies for Dogs:
• The company can either divest the product altogether.
• Product can be revamped through rebranding / innovation / adding features etc.
2. Question marks (Low market share, High growth prospects)

• Question marks are growing rapidly and thus consume large amounts of cash, but because
they have low market shares they do not generate much cash. The result is a large net
cash consumption.
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• They have the potential to gain market share and become a star, and eventually a cash cow
when the market growth slows.
• If the question mark does not succeed in becoming the market leader, then after perhaps
years of cash consumption it will degenerate into a dog when the market growth
declines.
Strategies for Question marks:
• Question marks must be analyzed carefully in order to determine whether they are worth
the investment required to grow market share.
• Companies are advised to invest in question marks if the product has potential for growth,
or to sell if it does not.
3. Stars (High market share, High growth prospects)
• The business units or products that have the best market share and generate the most cash
are considered stars.
• Monopolies and first-to-market products are frequently termed stars.
• However, because of their high growth rate, stars also consume large amounts of cash.
This generally results in the same amount of money coming in that is going out.
• Stars can eventually become cash cows if they sustain their success until a time when the
market growth rate declines.
• Companies are advised to invest in stars.
Strategies for Stars:
All types of marketing, sales promotion and advertising strategies are used for Stars because of
the high competition and rising market share to increase and retain market share.
4. Cash Cows (High market share, Low growth prospects)
• Cash cows are the leaders in the marketplace and generate more cash than they consume.
• They provide the cash required to turn question marks into market leaders, to cover the
administrative costs of the company, to fund research and development, to service the
corporate debt, and to pay dividends to shareholders.
• Companies are advised to invest in cash cows to maintain the current level of productivity,
or to "milk" the gains passively.
Strategies for Cash Cows:
• Strategy generally includes retention of the market share.

• Thus customer satisfaction programs, loyalty programs and other such promotional
methods form the core of the marketing plan for a cash cow product.
Disadvantages of BCG Matrix:

• The model uses only two dimensions (i.e. growth and share) to assess competitive
position, others are ignored.
• More emphasis on cost leadership rather than differentiation as a source of competitive
advantage.
• A high market share does not necessarily lead to profitability at all times.
• Assumes that each business unit is independent of the others. In some cases, a business
unit that is a "dog" may be helping other business units gain a competitive advantage.
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BCG Matrix for ITC
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Ansoff Matrix
The Ansoff Matrix also known as the Ansoff product and market growth matrix is a marketing
planning tool which usually aids a business in determining its product and market growth. This is
usually determined by focusing on whether the products are new or existing and whether the
market is new or existing.
The matrix shows four strategies you can use to grow and analyze the risks with each.
The Ansoff matrix provides four different growth strategies:

Market Penetration
• This involves increasing market share within existing market segments. This can be
achieved by selling more products/services to established customers or by finding new
customers within existing markets.
• The risk involved in its marketing strategies is usually the least since the products are
already familiar to the consumers and so is the established market.
Example: ITC has a strong presence in the cigarette industry and attempts to penetrate the market
further.
Product Development
• Product Development involves developing new products for existing markets. It involves
thinking about how new products can meet customer needs more closely and outperform
the products of competitors.
• It can also involve the modification of an existing product so that it can appeal more to the
already existing market.
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• It is slightly riskier, because you're introducing a new product into your existing market.
Example: ITC introduced ready-to-eat gourmet cuisine ‘Kitchens of India’ which specialises in
bringing to life age-old Indian dishes from across the country, especially from the gourmet
cuisines of Dum Pukht, Bukhara and Dakshin. ITC developed this new product for an existing
RTE market.
Market Development
• This strategy entails finding new markets for existing products. Market research
and further segmentation of markets helps to identify new groups of customers.
• This strategy assumes that the existing markets have been fully exploited thus the need to
venture into new markets.
• There are various approaches to this strategy, which include: New geographical markets,
new distribution channels, new product packaging, and different pricing policies.
Example: ITC's Agri Business Division, has conceived e-Choupal, an initiative by ITC to link
directly with rural farmers via the Internet for procurement of agricultural and aquaculture
products. This will help develop the market in the rural sector.
Diversification
• This involves moving new products into new markets at the same time.
• It is the riskiest strategy among the others as it involves two unknowns, new products
being created and the business does not know the development problems that may occur in
the process. Additionally, you're introducing a new, unproven product into an entirely new
market that you may not fully understand.
• There are two types of diversification
- Related diversification: This means that the business remains in the same industry
in which it is familiar with.
- Unrelated diversification: In this, there are usually no previous industry relations or
market experiences. One can diversify from a food industry to a mechanical
industry for instance.
Example: Coca Cola is using a number of strategies including introduction of new products
in existing markets and introducing products in new segments to increase its market share.
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Ansoff matrix for Coca Cola
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Porter’s Five Forces
Porter’s five forces is a tool used to analyze any Industry’s attractiveness and likely
profitability. It helps one answer the following questions:
• Whether or not a business can be profitable, based on the level of competition within a
certain industry.
• How does your competition’s action, changes your current bottom line and future
planning?
Bargaining Power of Suppliers

• An assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices.
• This is driven by the:
-Number of suppliers of each essential input
-Uniqueness of their product or service
-Relative size and strength of the supplier
-Cost of switching from one supplier to another
Threat of New Entrants
• This examines how easy or difficult it is for competitors to join the marketplace in the
industry being examined.
• If it takes little money and effort to enter your market and compete effectively, or if you
have little protection for your key technologies, then rivals can quickly enter your market
and weaken your position.
• If you have strong barriers to entry, then you can preserve a favorable position and take
fair advantage of it.
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Bargaining Power of Buyers

• An assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down.
• This is driven by:
- Number of buyers in the market
- Importance of each individual buyer to the organization
- Cost to the buyer of switching from one supplier to another
• Substitutes are unavailable, buyer purchases product in low volume.
• Buyer is not much informed regarding the product.
Threat of Substitutes
• When close substitute product exists in a market, it increases the likelihood of customers
switching to alternatives in response to price increases.
• In order to discover these alternatives, one should look beyond similar products, which are
branded differently by competitors. Instead, every product that serves a similar need for
customers should be taken into account.
• This reduces both the power of suppliers and market attractiveness.
Rivalry among existing competitors
• The main driver is the number and capability of competitors in the market.
• Many competitors, offering undifferentiated products and services, will reduce the market
attractiveness.
Five Forces Analysis: Industry-wise

High Low
Bargaining Power of Airlines Industry Two-wheeler Automobile Industry
Suppliers
Threat of New Entrants Beer Industry Telecom Industry
Bargaining Power of Buyers Packaged Fruit beverages Industry Industrial adhesives Industry
Threat of Substitutes Aerated Beverages Industry Men’s Shaving Industry
Rivalry among existing Chocolate Industry Railways Industry in India
competitors
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Above The Line Marketing (ATL)
 Refers to promotional activities done at mass level

 Broad reach and largely untargeted
 Used for building brand awareness and goodwill
 Difficult to measure
Media such as television, cinema, radio, newspapers, and billboards are used to
create an impact about the company and its product.
Billboard Ads
Air Asia’s billboards were put up across various metros in India to attract
travelers with the low priced flights to Phuket.
Zomato billboards were put up across various parts of India to attract customers and
create awareness about their new feature of online ordering and delivery services
Zomato billboards were put up across various parts of India to attract customers and
create awareness about their new feature of online ordering and delivery services
McDonald’s has conceived an astute way of using its branding to lead commuters into its
outlets, by sharing bits of its famous golden arches upon select outdoor ad buys. The campaign
is a playful example of how the arches are recognizable, even when the consumer only sees
a portion of the logo.
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Facebook Campaign by Worldwide Breast Cancer
Worldwide Breast Cancer, a global charity focused on early detection of breast cancer, had their
work cut out for them, touching on a very sensitive topic for many women: checking for signs of
cancer. They wanted to find a way to build awareness of the importance of checking while
alleviating some of the anxiety or fear around it.
Below The Line Marketing (BTL)
 Targets specific groups of people with focus

 More on personal level(one-to-one)
 Also used for markets where reach of mass media like print or television is limited
 Best for conversions and direct response
BTL activities include distribution of pamphlets, handbills, stickers, promotions,
brochures placed at point of sale, on the roads through banners and placards. It could also
involve product demos and samplings at busy places like malls and market places or
residential complexes.
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Dettol Harpic Banega Swachh India program
Nearly 12 crore people are visited the Kumbh this year, one of the world’s largest gathering
of people. A report by the Harvard School of Public Health stated a 5% increase in
diarrhea-related diseases during the Kumbh Mela 2013.
To bring about behaviour change towards ensuring cleanliness, consumer health and
hygiene company Reckitt Benckiser had unveiled its awareness campaigns focusing on
‘hand hygiene’ and ‘sanitation’ at the Kumbh Mela.
Dettol Harpic Banega Swachh India aimed to raise much-needed awareness among the
attendees about proper hygienic practices and incentivise them to observe environmental
and river-friendly practices.
The ‘Haath Dhona Har Baar’ campaign by Dettol aimed to educate people about hand
washing. Harpic’s ‘Toilet Vidhi’ wanted to sensitise people and bring about a change in
their attitudes towards good toilet etiquettes.
Through The Line Marketing (TTL)
 The advent of social media has blurred the ‘line’ segregating the
marketing techniques
 Companies now use an integrated approach involving both ATL and BTL and
it is called Through The Line (TTL)approach 
 Allows brands to engage with a customer at multiple points
 Delivers both a wide reach and a focus on conversions
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Launch of IGTV
The app is designed for users to upload and watch long-form vertical video (up
to 1hr in length). Featuring content from various Instagram 'creators' the app has
been released both as a standalone and embedded Instagram app. Like YouTube,
the app will likely generate revenue for the brand through advertising.
Shoppable Stories on Instagram
This will offer consumers the opportunity to purchase products straight from the
Stories of their favourite brands, also offering brands and advertisers the
opportunity to conjure up compelling narratives in their Stories to encourage
conversions.
The terms ATL and BTL were first used in 1954 after Proctor and Gamble began paying advertising
firms separately (and at a different rate) from other suppliers who dealt with more direct promotional
efforts. In effect, marketing that was more broad in nature was separated from marketing that was more
direct in nature.
 Marketing is NOT JUST advertising - it includes ALL the elements of the marketing mix (4
or 7Ps).
 Promotion is NOT JUST advertising - it includes ALL the elements, such as PR and
direct selling.
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BRAND POSITIONING: Monitoring Competition
Brand positioning describes how a brand is different from its competitors and where, or how, it
sits in customers’ minds.
 It requires an organizational commitment.
 It is not something that is constantly changed.
 At the same time, it is important to regularly monitor the desirability, deliverability and
differentiability of the brand’s POPs and PODs in the marketplace to understand how the
positioning might have to evolve or rarely replaced.
 When analyzing potential threats posed to the brand positioning by competitors three high
level variables are useful:
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BRAND EQUITY
Brand Equity is the value premium that a company realizes from a product with a recognizable
name as compared to its generic equivalent. Companies can create brand equity for their products
by making them memorable, easily recognizable and superior in quality and reliability. Mass
marketing campaigns can also help to create brand equity.
Availability
Association Preference
BRAND
EQUITY
Image &
Loyalty
Personality
Familiarity Awareness
The additional money that consumers are willing to spend to buy iPhone X rather than a
Moto G5 s plus is an example of brand equity.
Starbucks’ customers choose its brand of coffee over others both because of its quality
and the kind of personalized experience it offers. A customer really likes it when their
name is called out once the order arrives. Starbucks is able to build an emotional connect
with the consumers. Also, it remains the largest roaster and retailer of Arabica coffee beans
and specialty coffees. Therefore, due to the brand equity, consumers are ready to pay a
premium for the coffee
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MANAGING BRAND EQUITY
1. Brand Revitalization
Focus to capture lost sources of brand equity and identify and establish its new sources. This may
include brand modification or brand positioning. In short it is to make a brand comeback.
The music label, owned by Saregama India ruled India’s music

intellectual property scene for nearly five decades post-independence.
Even today, the music company has a library of 1.2 lakh songs (in 18
languages). But Nipper, who fetched cash for its master for decades,
vanished from India’s music scene two decades back.
After two decades, Saregama released a new product Carvaan, a portable
retro-style, music-player, which comes pre-loaded with 5,000 classic
Hindi songs from ’50s to ’80s. Analysts say Carvaan has been driving the
top-line and bottom-line for the company.
In the early 2000s, Starbucks was expanding like crazy. While the chain had
built up a loyal following of coffee, Starbucks' quality of service couldn't
keep up with its rapid expansion. Also, by investing in non-coffee-related
products, Starbucks was diluting its brand. By 2008, driven in part by the
financial collapse, Starbucks was in dire straits.
So, it launched the multi-million dollar "Coffee value and values" campaign
- the largest marketing campaign in Starbucks' history. The campaign made
Starbucks coffee the star of the show once again. Ad copy included lines like
" If your coffee isn’t perfect, we’ll make it over. If it’s still not perfect, you
must not be in a Starbucks.”
In the late '90s, LEGO expanded their brand via new, innovative product
designs. The company lost $300 million on the year and projected a loss of
$400 million for the following year. Turns out all those crazy new designs
LEGO created had never actually resonated with their target audience: kids.
So when Jorgen Vig Knudstorp took over as CEO in 2004, he took a new
approach to LEGO product design: Ask the kids what they want. And as
LEGO discovered, kids didn't want to play with pre-built, LEGO-branded
action figures. They wanted to build. So, LEGO got rid of all those new,
super-fancy pieces they had introduced in the late '90s, and made sure they
were creating LEGO lines that kids actually wanted.
This award-winning campaign signaled LEGO's incredible comeback. In

2015, which LEGO declared its best year ever, made LEGO the second
biggest toy company in the world.
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2. Brand Reinforcement
Focus on maintaining the brand equity by keeping the brand alive among both the existing and
new customers.
A brand needs to be carefully managed so its value does not depreciate. Brand leaders of 70 years
ago that remain leaders today — companies such as Amul, Nirma washing powder, Parle-G, Coca
Cola — only do so by constantly striving to improve their products, services, and marketing.
Marketers can reinforce brand equity by consistently conveying the brand’s meaning in terms of:
(1) What products it represents, what core benefits it supplies, and what needs it satisfies
(2) How the brand makes products superior, and which strong, favorable, and unique brand
associations should exist in consumers’ minds.
The Dancing girl of Nirma was created 44 years ago but she is still seen
in Nirma advertisements every day. A little girl in a frilly white dress
twirls her way into a pack of detergent to the tune of a catchy jingle. This
petite mascot that appeared in every commercial back then was none
other than Nirma Group founder Karsanbhai Patel's daughter
The Amul girl was created in 1966. Half a century later, she is still seen
in witty advertisements every day. The ads funnily address pressing issues
yet are able to evoke nostalgia for one of India's most loved mascots.
Parle-G, the 80-year-old biscuit brand with striped yellow packaging

featuring the iconic Parle girl, has tweaked its advertising strategy to talk
to millennials and highlight the immense nostalgia associated with it.
The brand is still talking to people through its “You’re my Parle-G
campaign”.
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BRAND POSITIONING: Monitoring Competition
Brand positioning describes how a brand is different from its competitors and where, or how, it
sits in customers’ minds.
 It requires an organizational commitment.
 It is not something that is constantly changed.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
The theory was proposed by Michael Porter in 1985. Competitive advantage occurs when an
organization acquires or develops an attribute or a combination of attributes that allow it to
outperform its competitors. It is the ability to perform at a higher level than others in the same
market or industry. There are four strategies that can be followed to achieve a competitive
advantage.
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DIGITAL MARKETING
Digital marketing is an umbrella term for the marketing of products or services using digital
technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any
other digital medium that may or may not require the internet. It consists of search engine
optimization, search engine marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, e-commerce
marketing, social media optimization, email direct marketing, etc.
E-mail
Viral Viral
Digital
Content
Online
Let us look at some of them-
1) Email Marketing: It includes delivering personalized or targeted messages at the correct time.
For example, brands like Amazon, Flipkart, etc. deliver emails that are tailored to meet the
user’s requirement.
2) SEO (search engine optimization): It is used to increase the website’s visibility across the
search engines. For example, the search results on Google with a prefix “Ad” are the example
of this. Companies pay predefined amount per click on this ad to Google.
3) PPC (pay per click): It is better known as Paid Search. In this process paid adverts are typically
placed to the right or above of the ‘organic’ search results. The cost will depend on the
competitiveness of the keyword you’re bidding on.
4) Online Advertising: This involves the process of advertising on others website. For example,
you can buy a banner space on popular website, paying the website owner for the same.
5) Text Messaging: SMS Marketing is sending promotional campaigns or transactional messages
for marketing purposes using text messages (SMS). These messages are mostly meant to
communicate time-sensitive offers, updates, and alerts to people who have consented to receive
these messages from your business. For example, Kraft Foods created an SMS promotion to
highlight a new instant coffee they produced. The campaign offered customers who signed up
for their mobile messages a free sample.
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EXPERENTIAL MARKETING
Experiential marketing, sometimes used interchangeably with “live marketing” or “event

marketing,” is a marketing strategy that engages consumers using branded experiences. These
experiences could include an event, a part of an event, or a pop-up activation not tied to any event.
Rather than looking at consumers as a passive entity in marketing, this branch believes that
consumers should be involved in the production and co-creation marketing programs, developing
relationship with brand.
For example- OnePlus India
OnePlus makes effective use of unconventional

methods of marketing such as experiential
marketing in the form of photo walks, pop up
stores, etc. Since the product is sold in India
exclusively on Amazon, these events help create
buzz amongst existing customers and attract new
ones for a touch and feel experience and to
inculcate a sense of the brand’s community. These
stores were set up in major cities in posh malls and
engaged the customers inside as well as in the
queues outside in various activities that fetched
them rewards and prices, and in a select few cases,
their very own handsets.
As a celebration of the 16th Anniversary of

‘Gilmore Girls’ and to promote the upcoming part
of the series, Netflix turned more than 200 cafes
across US and Canada into ‘Luke’s Diner’. Each
coffee shop was made to replicate the café from the
series, so as to create a live experience for the fans,
who in turn created a buzz on social media,
especially twitter. Netflix regularly engages in such
marketing, engaging customers based on their
interest in different TV shows. Given that the pop
culture is at an all-time high, it works well for
them, especially as competition in the online video
streaming service industry is steadily rising.
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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING (SMM)
Social media marketing is a form of Internet marketing that utilizes social networking websites as
a marketing tool. The goal of SMM is to produce content that users will share with their social
network to help a company increase brand exposure and broaden customer reaches. This form of
marketing is driven by word- of-mouth, meaning it results in earned media rather than paid media.
For example- Volvo Super Bowl Contest #VolvoContest
Volvo let the word out that you could win a brand
new Volvo for someone you love by simply
tweeting the name of the person you would like to
give the car to and hash tag #VolvoContest during
any car commercial. The idea was to shift the
viewer’s focus from the car commercial on the TV
to tweeting about Volvo instead.
KFC India successfully boosted its online

presence with campaigns such as ‘Radio KFC
RJ Hunt’, ‘Design your own bucket’, and the
‘Currycature’ campaign to target the youth
audience using mobile apps. All three of these
saw a great number of participants and thus
high overall engagement. The overall positive
engagement of their Facebook page grew from
6.2% to 93.8%.
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GUERRILLA MARKETING
Guerrilla Marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing

tactics that yield maximum results. The original term was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his
1984 book ‘Guerrilla Advertising’.
In other words, guerrilla marketing is the act of executing an unusual or unexpected marketing
activity in a common, everyday place in order to generate a buzz for products or services. The main
point of guerrilla marketing is to get your business's name in front of as many people as possible in
an unexpected way. Guerrilla marketing is usually a low or no-cost form of marketing that can reap
substantial profits if implemented correctly.
Thus, it is a marketing tactic in which a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions
in order to promote a product or service. Guerrilla marketing is different than traditional marketing
in that it often relies on personal interaction, has a smaller budget, and focuses on smaller groups of
promoters that are responsible for getting the word out in a particular location rather than through
widespread media campaigns.
For instance, (clockwise from top left), Adidas opened up stores that were shaped liked their shoe
boxes to attract customers; Axe creatively used the exit signs to demonstrate its position as a
deodorant that helps men attract women; Marvel Studios placed giant hammers on the streets to
advertise for Avengers; Duracell placed torches at places to create an image of it emitting light.
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Some other examples:
Left: ASPCA.org; Right: Snickers
IMAGE AND EMOTIONAL MARKETING
Companies are increasingly turning to image and emotional marketing to win customer mind share
and heart share. Although this has gone on from the beginning of time, today it is accelerating. In
today’s economy, companies rapidly copy any competitor’s advantage until it no longer remains.
Volvo’s benefit of making the safest car means less when customers start seeing most cars as safe.
More companies are now trying to develop images that move the heart instead of the head. Those
addressed to the head tend to state the same benefits. So, companies are trying to sell an attitude
like Nike’s “Just do it.” Celebrities are shown wearing “milk moustaches.” These campaigns work
more on affect than cognition.
Below are few more examples to demonstrate:
From top left, clockwise: Zomato (Conscience), Mentos: Dimaag Ki Batti (Humour), Tata Tea:
Jaago Re (Self Awakening), Royal Enfield: Himalayan (Travel Emotion), Ponds: Googly
WooglyWoosh (Happiness) Happydent White (Humour), Indian Army: Live a Life Less Ordinary
(Pride and Motivation), Maggi: Miss You Maggi (Nostalgia), Coca Cola: Ummedon Wali
Dhoop/Reasons to Believe (Trust), Fortune Oil: Maa Ki Haath Ka Khana (Family Emotion), Maruti
Suzuki: India Comes Home (Homecoming Emotion), Fevicol (Humour)
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FADS, TRENDS AND MEGATRENDS
FADS
A Fad is an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-
lived; a craze.
 Fads can be a powerful influence over consumer purchases and can even move entire
industries in a new direction, at least for a time
 Riding the wave of a fad can get a company big revenue relatively quickly. It can also
leave the marketers stranded when the fad inevitably ends
 Fads can disappear just as quickly as they begun, and having an escape route is one way to
eliminate the dangers of being left with piles of unused inventory 
One of the major Fads that arose during the recent times is the
Pokemon Go. Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game developed
and published by Niantic. The game has crossed 1 billion downloads
worldwide as of February 2019 and has 147 million monthly active users as
of May 2018. As of December 2018, the game has grossed over $3 billion in
worldwide revenue.
Other Examples-YOLO, Keep Calm and
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TRENDS
Trend is a direction of sequence of events with more momentum, predictability and durability as
compared to a fad
 Trends don’t skyrocket and then crash in popularity. Trends are in it for the long-haul so
they tend to rise in popularity more slowly
 Trends have identifiable and explainable rises that are driven by audience needs and
demonstrated in cultural shifts
 It has a sense of permanence and place. Trends point to the future as much as they do the
present
Memes are one of the major Trends in the current online space.
Millennials spend over 200 minutes being online every day.
Memes are so prolific that there's a good chance millennials and
Gen Zers are laughing at or sharing memes while online.
MEGATRENDS
Megatrend is a global, sustained and macro-economic forces of development that impact business,
economy, society, cultures and personal lives, defining our future world and its increasing pace of
change.
 It is slow to form, and once in place, influences us for some time- between 7 and 10 years
or longer
Examples- Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Social Media Marketing, Artificial Intelligence
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HOW TO MAKE A MARKETING PLAN
Target Goal cation

ion Plan
Marketing Plan: It is a document that summarizes what the marketer has learned about the
marketplace and indicates how the firm plans to reach its marketing objectives. A marketing plan
focuses on winning and keeping customers; it's strategic and includes numbers, facts and objectives.
A good marketing plan spells out all the tools and tactics you’ll use to achieve your sales goals. It’s
your plan of action—what you’ll sell, who'll want to buy.
Steps to create an efficient Marketing Plan:
Situation Analysis: Gather data on current sales, market share, cost to company. Analyze your
product’s features and decide how they distinguish your product from its competitors. Make your
situation analysis a succinct overview of your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats.
Determine Target Market: List anything and everything about the ideal customer. This includes
basic demographic information, such as gender, age, sex, family composition, earnings and
geographic location—as well as lifestyle. Gather relevant customer traits such as are they
conservative or innovative? Leaders or followers? Timid or aggressive? Traditional or modern?
Introverted or extroverted? How often do they purchase what I offer? In what quantity?
Set Goals: Set measurable goals depending on current situation and ambitions. Goals can range
from lofty and grandiose (such as doubling sales or increasing market share) to smaller, more bite-
sized ambitions (like getting 1000 new Instagram followers on your brand’s account or starting a
blog for your business).
Distribution Plan: Think through different ways in which you might be able to reach customers
and document them in this section of your marketing plan. The distribution plan should provide
details on the buying method preferences. For example, will customers purchase directly from you
on your website? Will they buy from distributors or other retailers?
Develop Marketing Communication Strategies: Define the marketing methods and decide upon
the advertisement method, using Internet marketing, direct marketing, or public relations?
Depending on the target audience, you will need to pick the best marketing methods to explain,
teach, and promote how your product or service stands out above other competitors.
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Set a Budget: Stay focused on marketing related activities. Chalk out a plan and decide the budget
allocation on marketing and promotion throughout the next year, and the cost of the item. Most
importantly, also decide the source of these funds.
Models of consumer responses
 Micro models of marketing communication concentrate on consumer’s specific responses to

communication.
 All these models assume the buyer passes through cognitive, affective and behavioral stages.
 Moving from step to step in these models, one loses some percent of prospects. Analyzing this
structure helps one understand the root cause of an underperforming communication
(advertising/marketing) campaign.
AIDA MODEL
AIDA is an acronym used in marketing and advertising that describes a common list of events
that may occur when a consumer engages with an advertisement.
Attention
Typical promotion includes commercials, print ads, billboards, contests, etc.

Advertisements are designed to occupy the mind space of the potential customer. Every major
medium is used to deliver these messages, including television, radio, cinema, magazines,
newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an
advertising agency on behalf of a company or other organization. These advertisements expose
people to the product’s existence.
Example: Celebrity endorsement by Dabur

By associating with names like Amitabh Bachchan, M. S. Dhoni etc Dabur intrigues its customers
and gets their attention. Dabur invested Rs.150 crore just on the advertising of Real “Fruit Juice”
and “Real Active”.
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Interest
By demonstrating the advantages and benefits, potential customer interest rises. To boost sales it
may include an advertising campaign, increased PR activity, a free- sample campaign, offering free
gifts or trading stamps, arranging demonstrations or exhibitions, setting up competitions with
attractive prizes, temporary price reductions, door-to-door calling, telemarketing, and personal
letters on other methods. This stage involves short-term incentives to encourage buyers to purchase
a product.
Example: A temporary reduction in the price is given to consumer during some festival session
by Dabur foods. Sometimes there are price pack deals where the packaging offers a consumer a
certain percentage more of the product for the same price (for example, 25 % extra). Dabur also
gives a gift with purchase to increase interest (for example a glass, spoon etc).
Desire
After the potential customers find your product interesting, at some point, there’s a shift in their
mind. It’s about that moment of the shift, from intellectual curiosity to making the decision “I want
that for myself.”
Dabur tries to convince customers that they want and desire the product and that it will satisfy
their needs. If there is a need to stay healthy and fit, the person will desire a Dabur product to
satisfy this need. It has developed a temptation among consumer that they really need these
products, to pursue healthy and carefree life.
Action
Once you’ve stirred up enough desire to get your prospect thinking about taking action, it’s time
to close the deal. This focuses primarily on using a powerful call to action. Calls to action are
simple statements that let readers know what you want them to do next. For example, buy a product,
sign up for a newsletter, watch a video, or share your tweets.
There is a need to make the customer to take action and buy their product. This will reflect in sales.
Because of action, 2.5 crore Hajmola tablets are consumed daily in India, Dabur Amla is the largest
hair oil brand in India with 35 million consumers, one in every three fairness bleach consumers
uses Fem and Dabur Chyawanprash is the largest-selling nutraceutical in the country.
Purchase Funnel
The purchase / purchasing funnel is a model which describes the theoretical customer journey
from the moment of first contact with your brand to the ultimate goal of a purchase.
This model is important when marketing your business as it provides a method of understanding
and tracking the behavior of an average customer throughout the sales process.
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This can help with the following:
• Planning marketing campaigns

• Highlighting areas in order to improve your conversion rate (from potential to actual
customers)
• Evolving the sales process
• Designing customer relationship management (CRM) System
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Digital Marketing Funnel
The traditional marketing funnel revolved around awareness, interest, and desire. Customers had
to be aware that a kind of product existed and had to be interested in obtaining the product. They
also needed desire to actually make the purchase.
There are two major differences between the traditional marketing funnel and the digital
marketing funnel.
The first is that customers experience the funnel in a different way. Before the internet, customers
tended to experience the marketing funnel in the same order. Now, customers can experience stages
of the funnel out of order, or even skip phases entirely. People demand a more customized
experience, and the marketing funnel has adapted to that demand.
The second major difference is an increased focus on the brand/customer relationship. Customers
have become more aware of marketing and being “sold to,” so brands have to work harder to ensure
that their interactions with customers are positive, authentic, and valuable.
The digital marketing funnel goes beyond the purchase state
Engagement
This stage of the digital marketing funnel is concerned with ensuring that customers’ interactions
with your brand are positive and that they’re open to future interactions.
Many brands use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to engage with potential customers.
Education
It is specifically, helping potential customers realize that they have a problem that you can solve
for them.
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Example, potential user might not even know that automation, drones, and robotics could
increase efficiency on a job site; the education stage is about identifying that pain point.
Research
At this point, marketing still isn’t focused on selling a product, but rather on helping
customers identify how they can benefit from solving the problem.
Evaluation
Customers may be looking at multiple competing solutions to their problem, so your focus
should be on showing customers why your product is their best solution.
Justification
The justification stage is about finding ways to overcome objections, obstacles, or inertia.
Perhaps the customer isn’t the one with the ability to make buying decisions. Maybe the
customer is simply fine with the status quo, and solving the problem isn’t a high priority. Provide
customers with reasons why it is a priority or with information they can use to convince those
with buying power.
Purchase
The purchase stage is all about the sale. Make sure customers are comfortable with the
purchase, that you’ve answered all their questions, and that they’re confident in the value your
product will provide for them.
Adoption
Adoption, the first post-purchase stage of the digital marketing funnel, necessitates making
good on your promises, so that the customer has a good experience with your product.
Retention
Satisfied customers become repeat customers. To retain customers, give them help when they
need it and provide them with educational materials on how to get the most out of your
product.
Expansion
This might mean selling customers additional products or services, upgrading their service, or
getting them interested in a completely different product that solves a different problem. The
key to reaching this stage is helping the customer see your brand as dependable and an authority
on the products you sell and the problems you solve.
Advocacy
Extremely satisfied customers can help you expand your customer base further. They
become brand advocates and do part of the work of selling your product to their peers,
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colleagues and friends.
DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION CURVE
Innovation diffusion process (Everett Rodgers): spread of new ideas from source of invention or
creation to its ultimate users or adopters. The curve is the graphical representation illustrating this
concept.
Adoption of a new idea, behaviour or product does not happen simultaneously in a social system,
but rather it is a process whereby some people are more suited to adopt innovation than others.
Research has shown that people who adopt innovation early have different characteristics to those
who adopt innovation later on- they have different motives for adopting or resisting. When selling
an innovation to various target markets, it is important to understand the characteristics of each of
them.
Conceptual definition Character traits
INNOVATORS (2.5%) First to try the innovation; in return for Risk taking, venturesome,
low prices, happy to conduct testing tech enthusiasts
and report on early weaknesses
Message: “Be the first to try...
EARLY ADOPTERS Opinion leaders; carefully search for Embrace change opportunities
(13.5%) new technologies that can give them maturely; leaders
dramatic competitive advantage; less
price sensitive; willing to adopt if given
personalized solution and good service
support
EARLY MAJORITY Adopt new technology when benefits Pragmatists

(34%) have been proven and a lot of adoption
has already taken place.
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Form the mainstream market; adopt
before the average person
Message: “10,000 people have tried it.

Have you?”
LATE MAJORITY (34%) Technology shy, price sensitive; late in Skeptical, conservatives,
adopting the innovation risk averse
LAGGARDS (16%) Resist innovation until status quo Tradition-bound

is no longer defensible; hardest
to convince
CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE

Customer Lifetime Value is the projected revenue a customer will realize during his/her lifetime
after deducting the costs.
With a CLV calculation, you’re learning, in essence, what your average customer is “worth” to your
company. It is useful metric used by marketing managers especially at a time of acquiring a
customer. Ideally, lifetime value should be greater than the cost of acquiring a customer. Some also
call it a break-even point.
Conceptually, this is what it means:
The basic formula for calculating CLTV is the following:
(Average Order Value) x (Number of Repeat Sales) x (Average Retention Time)
For example, let's say you run a Health Club where customers pay Rs 1000 per month and the
average time that a person remains a customer in your club is 3 years. Then the lifetime value of
each customer is (according to the formula above):
Rs 1,000 per month x 12 months x 3 years = Rs 36,000. This means each customer is worth a
lifetime value of Rs 36,000.
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Once we calculate CLTV we know how much the company can spend on paid advertising such as
Facebook ads, YouTube ads, Google Adwords etc. in order to acquire a new customer.
CLV helps you make important business decisions about sales, marketing, product development,
and customer support. For example:
 Marketing: How much should I spend to acquire a customer?

 Product: How can I offer products and services tailored for my best customers?
 Customer Support: How much should I spend to service and retain a customer?
 Sales: What types of customers should sales reps spend the most time on trying to acquire?
Surrogate Marketing
Surrogate marketing, uses the marketing campaign of a brand or product, to convey a message
which is related to another brand or product. This is done due to various reasons. Primary reason
is to circumvent the ban on advertising for a particular type of product(s).
Example: This is an advert in India for Club glasses manufactured by Carlsberg. A company which is proud
about its beer quality and states that it is gives the best beer in the world is not able to advertise its beer.
And therefore, it has to advertise its club glasses which can symbolize for its beer.
Surrogate marketing may also be used in cases where the use of a product is linked to a service. In
such cases, the service is advertised widely, and the service provider uses only the product in
question.
How marketing campaigns of companies changed after ban in India:
Trends before Ban in advertising – Direct Advertising
• “Wills” a cigarette brand of ITC, used to sponsor the Indian Cricket Team/Matches
• Tennis Tournaments were sponsored by “Gold Flake”, another cigarette brand
• “Manikchand”, manufacturers of ghutka, sponsored the Filmfare Awards for number of
years
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Advertising post imposition of Ban

However, after the imposition of a ban on advertising for liquor/tobacco and related products,
brands are increasingly using surrogates for advertising. Here are a few examples.
BRAND SURROGATE
Seagram’s Music
McDowell’s Water and Soda
Bagpiper Water, Soda, and Music
Bacardi Music
Kingfisher Water and Calendars
Brand Personality
Specific mix of human traits that we can attribute to a particular brand

The theory is that consumers are more likely to choose brands with which they can associate their
own personalities. Brands are generally positioned in the following 5 traits:
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Some marketers carefully orchestrate brand experiences to express brand personalities. For
example, Axe, the popular deodorant, caters to consumers who want others to view them as
attractive and appealing.
These traits may vary depending on the socio-economic factors in different geographies with
different people.
For example, Japan lacks ‘Ruggedness’ and has Peacefulness instead. China lacks ‘Ruggedness’
and ‘Sincerity’ and instead has ‘Joyfulness’, ‘Traditionalism’ and ‘Trendiness’.
Marketing Research
Market research consists of systematically gathering data about consumers and then analysing it to
better understand their needs. Market research results are then used to identify and define marketing
opportunities and problems; generate, evaluate, refine marketing actions; monitor marketing
performance and improve understanding of marketing as a process. The Market Research process
includes:
1. Define the problem and research objectives: Understand the root question that needs to be
addressed by market research. For example “Business problems” might be “How should we price
this new widget?” or “Which features should we prioritize?” or “How are customers responding to
our offering?
2. Determine research design: 4 types of research approaches depending on the objectives
• Observational research is used to gather data by observing customers as they shop or
consume products. For Example, Large retail chains use new age technologies to
understand consumer behavior
• Focus group research is a gathering of 6 to 10 people carefully selected to discuss various
topics at length where the questions are based on the marketing research agenda. For
Example: Gathering of women by a cosmetic company to understand how they view the
product and what they expect, etc.
• Survey research is used to assess thoughts, opinions, and feelings of larger set of customers
by standardized questionnaires through online or offline surveys, face to face interviews,
telephonic interviews etc. For Example, Researchers approach people in a mall and ask
them to fill out surveys
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• Behavioral research is to trace and analyze consumer purchase behavior from customer
database and in-store scanning data to make reliable conclusions For Example, Amazon
analyses consumer preferences based on usage patterns and then shows customized
recommendations.
3. Decide research instrument: The market research instrument to collect the data can be
following
• Qualitative market research data collection ranges from focus group, case study,
participation observation, innovation game and individual depth interview
• Quantitative marketing research involves the construction of questionnaires and scales
which aids in the conduction of surveys and experiments.
4. Sample design: Sampling unit: Whom should we survey? Sample size: How many people
should we survey? Sampling procedure: How should we choose the respondents?
5. Analyze the data: Extract findings by tabulating the data and developing summary measures by
analyzing and extrapolating the same in a structured manner.
6. Visualize & communicate results: Make decisions using the formulated data and arrive at a plausible
outcome, keeping in mind all the input parameters and expected outputs.
Business Models
B2B Model (Business 2 Business)

It is a type of commerce transaction that exists between businesses, such as those involving a
manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer. Business to business refers to business
that is conducted between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumers. For
instance, the tires, batteries, electronics, hoses and door locks may be manufactured elsewhere and
sold directly to the automobile manufacturer.
B2C Model (Business 2 Customer)

Business or transactions conducted directly between a company and consumers who are the end-
users of its products or services. While most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred
to as B2C companies, the term became immensely popular during the dotcom boom of the late 1990s,
when it was used mainly to refer to online retailers, as well as other companies that sold products
and services to consumers through the Internet.
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C2C Model (Customer 2 Customer)

A type of business model that facilitates interaction between customers. Customer to customer
businesses provides individuals with a place to converse, exchange and interact with other people.
Many C2C businesses have online operations. Online auctions and classifieds such as Ebay and
Craig's List are examples of very successful customer to customer business models. These sites don't
look to directly sell goods to their members, instead the customers are exchanging with other
customers.
Marketplace Model vs Inventory Model

Marketplace model of e-commerce refers to providing an information technology platform by an
e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network to act as a facilitator between buyer and
seller.
Marketplaces are platforms that enable a large, fragmented base of buyers and sellers to discover
price and transact with one another in an environment that is efficient, transparent and trusted.
The main feature of the market place model is that the e-commerce firm like Flipkart, Snapdeal,
Amazon etc. will be providing a platform for customers to interact with a selected number of
sellers. When an individual is purchasing a product from Flipkart, he will be actually buying it
from a registered seller in Flipkart. The product is not directly sold by Flipkart. Here, Flipkart is
just a website platform where a consumer meets a seller. Inventory, stock management, logistics
etc. are not supposed to be actively done by the ecommerce firm.
Inventory model of ecommerce means an ecommerce activity where inventory of goods and
services is owned by e-commerce entity and is sold to the consumers directly. The main feature
of inventory model is that the customer buys the product from the ecommerce firm. He manages
an inventory (stock of products), interfaces with customers, runs logistics and involves in every
aspects of the business. Alibaba of China is following the inventory model.
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AD ANALYSIS
1. Coca-Cola: Share a Coke campaign (Ad agency: McCann Worldgroup India)
Summary: The campaign shows stories where friends/ families / brothers etc. share a coke bottle
with it mentioning that specific relationship name in regional fonts and English. The sharing of
this bottle gives emphasis on the feeling of that relationship.
Purpose: To take the ‘spreading happiness’ theme forward making it more personalized through
the powers of relationships, illustrating how the brand can play an essential part in the expression
of love. The usage of regional fonts like Devnagari, etc in spelling out words like Bhai, Didi, Ma,
and Papa amplifies the effect.
Target Groups: All age groups and genres
Tag Line: Har rishta bola, mere naam ki Coca Cola
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL1RdstHuHk
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2. Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks | ITC (Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather India)
Summary: Under the Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks campaign, which is a part of Savlon Swasth
India Mission, soap brand Savlon introduced special chalk sticks infused with soap to young
children in rural India. These can be used like regular chalk sticks, however the chalk dust lathers
up when it comes in contact with water.
Purpose: The programme is designed to encourage behavioral change towards washing hands
among children through various engaging and entertaining educational initiatives in schools. ITC
chose to use Savlon, the brand that has adopted hygiene as one of its core values to push through
the message.
Target Group: Awareness among everyone
Trivia: The ad won the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix, one of the toughest and most
prestigious awards at the Cannes Lions.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVWUlWEfJ1k
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3. VodaFone: The pug Returns (2018) (Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather India)
Summary: Stronger Together features a full army of pugs (30 to be precise) running behind a
young boy through different locations, signifying the strong 4G network of Vodafone.
Purpose: The ads of Vodafone have previously depicted that the Vodafone network is
everywhere. This campaign uses the brand’s most loved assets i.e. the pug to retain the brand’s
simplicity and build on it conveying the new network proposition, "we are getting stronger”,
highlighting the continued commitment of Vodafone to providing a world class network.
Target Group: Current and prospective Vodafone users
Tag Line: Stronger Together
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EIwhPoAdV0
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4. UBER Eats: 90’s Nostalgia (In House Creative Team)
Summary: Three iconic ads-Dhara's 'Jalebi boy', the Cadbury Dairy Milk girl with her strange
dance on the cricket field, Nirma Super's 'Deepikaji' with her 'paar ki nazar' for 'sasta' options are
being used by UBER to create 90’s nostalgia campaign where they signify that the app is new but
with a 90’s factor i.e. the prices.
Purpose: Recognizing that value for money is one of the key things customers care about while
ordering-in food, Uber communicates that prices are low on their app, as low as the 90’s in order
to get consumers to try the new Uber app.
Target Audience: Youth
Tag Line: Purane prices, Naya app
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS9_XczpCGs
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5. Asian Paints: Homes not Showrooms (Ad Agency: Ogilvy &Mather)
Summary: The ad showcases a storyline where a son tells his father repeatedly to not mark the
walls and furniture as he doesn’t want it to be spoiled. One day the son comes across old childhood
photos and he reminisces the fun times with his father.
Purpose: The commercial shows the real meaning of a ‘home’ as opposed to a dream ‘house’
through these little instances. The ad instills meaning and emotion into décor, creating homes that
are cherished. It strengthens the positioning of Asian Paints’ ‘Har Ghar Kucch Kehta Hai’.
Target Group: Families
Tag Line: Homes Not Showrooms
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPDY6q_H0c0
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6. Fevicol Ezee Spray (Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather)
Summary: The film opens in a studio where a Deodorant ad is being shot and a girl is drooling over a
boy as he uses the deodrant. As the director calls for the break, a woodworker appears to put a laminate on
table. He uses Ezeespray to paste the laminate on wooden table with much ease which attracts the girl. The
film concludes with a voiceover – Fevicol Ezeespray – ‘wohi majboot jod spray mein bhi’.
Purpose: It is the first TVC ad for Ezee Spray though the product has been present in the market
for five year. It conveys the innovative format of this spray through humour and exaggeration, a
Fevicol signature.
Tag Line: Wohi majboot jod spray mein bhi.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3AC0a7uzg
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7. Flipkart #ChooseYourAge: (Ad agency: Lowe Lintas)
Summary: The campaign film begins with a famous quote "How old would you be if you didn't
know how old you are?", and then unveils nine inspiring stories of people who have defied age-
related stereotypes and pursued what brings them real joy.
Flipkart conducted engagement activities on almost every social media platform including
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram to spread the core message behind the campaign as
well as partnering with content creators like The Better India and Terribly Tiny Tales.
Purpose: The campaign challenges the notion of age and what one can do at a certain age. It
conveys that age is not the years one has lived but the experiences one has had. The campaign
adds to Flipkart’s positioning of being a partner of progressive India.
Target Group: Every age group people
Tag Line: Choose Your Age
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WFGHCqC_1c
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8. Amazon: Chonkpur Cheetahs (Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather)
Summary: Amazon India creates a fictional team ‘Chonkpur Cheetahs’ which is a part of the
company’s IPL campaign and it traces the journey of this aspiring team which wants to play the
T20 tournament. Under the campaign multiple films are released, touching upon various
characters and aspects of Chonkpur Cheetahs team.
Taking this further, Amazon released another ad for IPL 2018. The campaign “Ajnabi Shahar
Mein Apni Dukaan”, shows the everyday struggles of an unknown city through this endearing
team, where Amazon helps resolve dilemmas getting in the way of things truly important.
Purpose: The objective is to communicate how Amazon is helping aspirational Indians in

fulfilling their dreams through its extensive product portfolio (over 10 crore products), convenient
delivery and value for money price.
Target Group: Every Age Group
Tag Line: Ajnabi Shahar Mein Apni Dukaan (2018)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akH-5adtYoA
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QUESTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR INTERVIEWS:
These are some of the questions that were asked during previous years’ marketing interviews at
MDI.
The questions have been classified into three types: Concept-related questions, Industry/Trend
related questions and Application questions.
General Pointers for Marketing Interviews
● Read up about the company and analyses their marketing strategies and campaigns
● See how you can fit marketing concepts to the company and its brands/products
● Prepare convincing answers for questions like ‘Why Sales?’ and ‘Why Marketing?’
● Read up on the latest trends and marketing techniques involved in the company’s industry
Concept-based questions
● These are general marketing concepts found in Kotler and available through other online
sources. Companies test your basic marketing knowledge through these questions.
● What is the difference between Sales and Marketing? (Godrej Consumers Products Ltd)
● Explain STP through examples. (Snapdeal)
● Positioning vs. Proposition. (BCCL)
● 4 Ps of Marketing? (Sony Pictures)
● What is porter's five forces model? (Tata Motors)
● What is Product Lifecycle? (Philips)
● What is Go to Market Strategy? (Snapdeal)
● What are the key characteristics of B2B marketing? (Asian Paints)
● B2B Vs B2C? (Danaher, Lenovo)
● What are ATL, BTL and TTL?(Lenovo)
● What is the distribution channel and role of technology in distribution?(BCCL)
● FMCG vs. FMCD? (Pidilite)
● What is Modern Trade? Challenges in Modern Trade? (Loreal)
● What is Brand management? (DCM Sriram)
● Favorite Marketing Campaign. (BCCL)
Industry specific and latest Trends related questions

● These questions are specific to the company’s industry and the latest trends involved in the
sector. These questions can be answered by reading up on the how the industry works,
following the latest trends and understanding how new developments impact the companies
in the industry
● Tell about latest ads, captions, marketing strategy, difference in marketing strategies of
companies from same industry. (ITC)
● How will you increase the monthly sale of cards from 8000 to 20000? (Standard Chartered)
● SWOT Analysis of Fevicol (Pidilite)
● Sales pitch of any healthcare device. (Philips Healthcare)
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● How would you market Stella Artois in market without any budget. (AbInBev)
● Difference between sales and marketing in pharma and FMCG (Novartis)

● What’s wrong with the logo of Minute Maid? (Coca Cola)
● What should Snapdeal do to increase its market share? (Snapdeal)
● What is the business model of Snapdeal? (Snapdeal)
● Questions on digital marketing like bidding strategy, customer lifetime value, customer
acquisition cost. (Snapdeal)
● Sketch an entire marketing plan for a residential unit that GPL is launching.(GPL)
● Google AdWords and Marketing at Google(Google)
● Where will a certain product (Garnier Men Face Wash) be placed in the Modern Trade
store? (Loreal)
● How do you add value to a product if you are simply reselling it? (Agro Tech Food Ltd)
● Compare brand positioning of Nivea and HUL, Nike and Adidas. (Nivea)
● What is digital marketing? Devise a digital marketing strategy for one of Loreal's products.
(Loreal)
● Rural marketing strategies for Telecom companies? (Vodafone)
● Recent social media marketing campaigns by companies? (Raymond)
● Conventional Marketing vs. Digital Marketing? (Axis Bank, Emami)
● What is the product portfolio of banks? (Axis Bank)
● Which are the 2 best and the 2 worst FMCG companies according to you? Give reasoning.
(Reckitt Benckiser)
Application of Concepts/Situation based questions

● These questions require the application of marketing concepts learnt to real life scenarios,
mostly for the company that is interviewing you. Hence, try applying a few concepts to the
company’s marketing strategies and its products before going into the interview. Think
about the industry and the situations that could arise as a result of the developments in the
industry. Make sure relevant examples are provided for these questions.
● Design a marketing campaign for a specific brand (Asian Paints)
● Sell the Bisleri pet bottle to us (Asian Paints)
● SWOT analysis of home state(Aviva)
● STP of any brand (Aviva, ITC)
● How would you market Horlicks in Tier-3 cities? (GSK)
● Give recommendation to improve any product of ITC. (ITC)
● What should be the Digital Marketing strategy for Benetton? (Benetton)
● How is selling Castrol different from, say, selling Coke? (Castrol)
● How will you sell a Maruti to someone who is a lifetime Honda buyer? (Castrol)
● What will you do to strengthen the positioning of Castrol? (Castrol)
● Suggest marketing strategy for Cinepolis? (Cinepolis)
● STP of Fogg deodorant? (Dabur)
● Design a new product for Dabur and position it (Dabur)
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● Design a laptop selling web page that would give the best customer experience? (eBay)
● How would you select a dealer for Michelin? (Michelin)
● Online marketing strategies for ShopClues? (ShopClues.com)

● Design the market launch strategy for a new product to be sold by Snapdeal? (Snapdeal)
● SWOT analysis for Snapdeal? (Snapdeal)
● Apply Maslow's hierarchy of needs for automobile industry? (Tata Motors)
● What is the Positioning of Tata Nano? (Tata Motors)
● Which category of products of our company according to you is not doing well? Why?
(Flipkart)
● Suppose we make you the manager for XYZ category (answered above). What will you do
to boost the sales?
● Suppose you have to deal with the vendors for XYZ category. What are the things you will
negotiate with him?
● Estimate budget of marketing campaign of a company (Group M)
● Sensitivity of Indian customers depending on the region they live in. (Tetrapack)
● Suppose a company comes to Group M with a luxury sports cycle. Now you are given the
responsibility to lead this project and you are required to select your own team of 3 people.
Which 3 persons/what kind of 3 people would you hire? Why? (Group M)
● Form a story out of 10 words (like 4g, john, executive, sales, Vodafone) (Vodafone)
● If you were to market yourself as a student of MDI, how would you do it? Your tagline?
(Akzo Nobel)
● Which of the 4Ps are the most important?
● Automobile market scenario (Mahindra)
● Red and Blue Ocean strategy (PVM)
● Give examples of brand expansion and extension. Better option in a given condition? (DCM
Sriram)
● How will you conduct a survey? Give examples of surveys by different companies. (DCM
Sriram)
● How is a village different from Delhi in terms of marketing channels for telecom? (Idea)
● If you have to bring innovation into a loss-incurring hair oil, how would you go about it?
● How do you apply Porter’s 5 forces model on the same? (ATFL)
● What is a brand? Name two brands without which you cannot live? (ATFL)
● Branding strategy for Navratan Oil in urban area? (Emami)
● How will you distribute Aashirvaad Atta Sugar Free in Ahmedabad? (ITC)
● Questions on Nivea advertising theme. (Nivea)
These questions were some of the frequently asked ones in the last two years and you can see
that some of them are often repeated. Having unique examples to these questions is strongly
advised, so that one can differentiate their answers from the standard examples others might
choose.
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MARKETING COMPENDIUM

Formal definition of Marketing as per American Marketing Association: “Marketing is

Arena Sales Marketing

Audience - Primarily involves interaction - Wide audience requiring both

Time Horizon - Short-term oriented - Long- run oriented

Strategy - Focuses on making products - Focuses on pulling the customer

Concept - Factory  Products Sales & - Target MarketCustomer Needs

• Needs are basic human requirements

Example: I need some food. I feel hungry.

 Stated Need: “I need a premium smartphone”

• Thus, wants are not mandatory part of life.

Example: I want to have a pizza.

Demands and Desires:

Example: My Demand is to buy an Ajanta shoe, but my desire is to buy a Reebok.

Cultural Factors Social Factors Personal Factors

• Culture • Reference Groups • Age and Stage in Life Cycle

cultural factors exerting the broadest and deepest influence.

SEGMENTATION, TARGETING & POSITIONING (STP)

Classification of cities as a basis of segmentation:

To get into a saturated market of juices, paper boat had to

GSK’s ENO, an antacid, has always positioned itself as an instant reliever

“To acidity-stricken people, ENO is a powdered antacid that gives instant

 It should be desired by the customer

 It should be sustainable for the producer

 It should be differentiated from its competitors

Place - Distribution Channels

2. Exclusive Distribution: As the name suggests, Exclusive Distribution is a type of distribution

3. Selective Distribution: Selective distribution is a distribution approach where selective and

Some of the key differences are:

Metric General trade Modern Trade

Consumer-Perceived Value (CPV)

Customer-Perceived Value = Total Customer Benefit – Total Customer Cost

Here, 4 As have been explained keeping a rural consumer in mind.

To focus more on customer’s wants and needs we can use 4 Cs

For example, Milkybar, KitKat,

Product Mix Breadth

Product Line Depth

Length of the Product Mix

Product Mix Consistency

MR to Doctors product Giving Samples of D2C - E-Commerce

Advertisements Consumer PR & Publicity Events &

Parameters explaining Push and Pull Marketing

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Stage 1: Product Development (Phase 1: Introduction)

Example: Apple Car an autonomous EV is an example of product development phase

Stage 2: Introduction Stage (Phase 1: Introduction)

MG launched its new car MG Hector on 27th June, 2019 in

With the rise in proliferation of data, online video

LED TVs are currently in the maturity stage, coming up

Desktop computers are in the decline stage with a

Product Life Cycle Extension

Android has been continuously bringing out

Samsung launched its J series smartphones to target customers from low to

Defence against Flank attack

When Wendy’s roasted McDonald’s When Chick-fil-A roasted Burger King

2. Question marks (Low market share, High growth prospects)

• Strategy generally includes retention of the market share.

Disadvantages of BCG Matrix:

BCG Matrix for ITC