MARKSMAN T

he

Future of ‘’Akash’’

Repositioning of Blackberry

Destination Branding

and much more!!

INSIDE K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research VOL. II ǀ ISSUE VI ǀ NOV ‘11

EDITOR’S DESK

THE MARKSMAN 02

Dear Readers,

Welcome to a brand new edition of your favourite marketing magazine!

Getting back from holidays is never easy but team MARKSMAN committed

to its promise of delivering on quality and excellence has sprung back into

action!

This edition is our small gesture to pay homage to one of the greatest

visionaries and marketer of our times, Steve Jobs. Our cover story shall run

you through Marketing Apple-the differentiating effective ways Apple used to

its success (other than its charismatic CEO‟s brain).

Last month was historic for India in the sports arena. Some burning rubber

on tracks, chequered waving flags and zooming cars drove the crowd into a

crazy frenzy. With glitz, glamour and all the action, the Buddh circuit kept its

date with destiny! So did marketers leaving no stone unturned to cash in on

an event of this scale. Our special story shall take you through the promising

segment of sports marketing and its footprints on the Indian horizon.

Our featured articles for the month explore the avenues of destination

marketing, the new kid on the horizon - “AKASH” tablet and the

repositioning of Blackberry - from corporate to youth. Our heartiest

congratulations to Mr. Sarthak Agarwal (SIBM, Pune) for being adjudged

the best article of the month!

Unwind with our regulars- SquAreHead, Bookworm, Tweets and its all about

AD-itude!. Get inquisitive with Buzz and do not forget to write in with articles

(check the last page for topics), your thoughts or suggestions.

For now, get Reading!

Cheers!

Team- MARKSMAN

INTERFACE – The Marketing Club of SIMSR

NOVEMBER 2011 03

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY

THE MARKSMAN 04

APPLE : The Marketing Perspective

“i”..A letter personified and immortalized by Steve Jobs. The

genius left us recently and much has been said about him in

the past month, but very few people realize his marketing

genius. The utter simple yet effective way in which each and

every product was sold, cannot and will not ever be matched.

If someone would have come up to you 10 years back, and said, “let‟s make a phone,

without any keys, with a software of its own, bespoke to it, and two to three times

the memory capacity of the industry standard, that too inbuilt, priced above the

competition, and with a name, well it‟s a phone, so call it “iPhone”, you would have

laughed on his face and debunked his idea! But somehow, Apple managed to do this

and pretty well at that.

So how and why has Apple been able to do this? Doing everything opposite to the

market like pricing at a premium when there is a price war, keeping its own software

when all the companies are moving towards a common software like Android. Let‟s

dig a little deeper into the working of the electronic giant and look at a few reasons

for this success.

No Market Research!

Apple always came up with products that most of us

didn‟t need but wanted! They did not believe in

marketing surveys and finding out what the customer

demanded even in a totally consumer driven market.

This is because of Steve Jobs‟ philosophy which said, “A

lot of times consumers don‟t know what they want

until you show it to them”. So instead what they did

was to make a product that no one knew could be

made and then the consumers would lap it up.

People buy what others have!

Apple believes in creating neighbor‟s envy. It believes that instead of targeting the

entire consumer base by your advertisements and products just cover the

consumers who are already sold onto your product either because of brand loyalty

COVER STORY

05

or because of the technology on offer and others will come to you by word of mouth. A

lot of evangelism marketing takes place in case of Apple and people buy the products

because others have it or suggest it to them.

Own everything!

Apple has its own OS, own software and its own

hardware too. This means they don‟t have to rely

on others for anything. Apart from hardware

manufacturing, (To get a contract for which,

companies will give an arm!) they own the entire

process. So this results in a better match

between the hardware and the software and one

part doesn‟t have to be fine-tuned or sacrificed

for the other which leads to the ultimate user

experience. Also it reduces the price incurred by

Apple as they do not have to pay a huge licensing

fee for using 3rd party software as they have their

own range of software like iOS for phones and

OSX for PCs and Laptops.

Sticking to its core competence!

Apple knows what people look for in their

products, which is the cutting edge in technology

and features that no other brand has on offer. So

they keep true to this promise by not diluting this

value and bringing new innovations one after the

other. Whenever a new product is launched it‟s the

byword in the latest technology .The product can

be bettered. But if you take the example of the

iPhone, which currently is in its 5th generation,

every updated version of it since its launch in

2007 has amazed us and wowed us every single

time.

NOVEMBER 2011

COVER STORY

THE MARKSMAN 06

Premium pricing

Apple has always priced its products above the nearest competition. You would think

that in the highly competitive computer and mobile phone market which has giants like

Dell with its vast supply chain and scale economies and Samsung with its huge R & D

centers and manufacturing capabilities would crush Apple but this has never happened.

The innovation that Apple brings to the table is unmatched. To sustain it and keep

charging a higher price, Apple keeps striving to bring out newer technologies.

Now Apple no longer has the marketing acumen and vision of Steve Jobs with it and it

will be a game of wait and watch to see if Apple can sustain its position in the market.

Will it be able to still churn out devices with ground breaking technologies? Will it still

bring out products which everyone lusts for? Will the technological innovations still be

there? Steve Jobs said, “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn‟t matter to me …

Going to bed at night saying we‟ve done something wonderful… that‟s what matters to

me.” And this attitude of his, has changed all our lives, and let‟s hopes Apple lives up to

the expectations.

SPECIAL STORY

07

SPORTS MARKETING

Sports enthusiasts are a loyal and an outspoken bunch. Have you ever sat in the

company of crazed friends watching a cricket (or football or any other) game? You might

want to have ear plugs and protective clothing unless you are just as excited about the

competition as they are. Fans meet just to discuss what they have read and heard about

an upcoming or just finished game. Sports is a whole culture within itself and the people

involved have no problem telling you exactly what they think about your or their

favourite players and plays. They are religious followers of the world‟s most globalized

culture.

Sports marketing encompass three sectors:

1) Marketing of sports events

The marketing of sports events and teams is the marketing strategy which is designed

or developed a “live” activity, which has a specific theme. Mostly this kind of strategy is

used as a way to promote, display or exhibit different things, such as a sports team, a

sport association among others.

The IPL is an example of this concept because it is a massive sport event organized by a

sport association, the BCCI, which looks to promote the event itself, the sport itself and

as well the different IPL teams. The way this event is promoted is by TV, radio

commercials and print media. Also contracts can be signed with other companies in

order to transmit the event. For example many of the important games of IPL were

transmitted in multiplexes, sports bars and theatres.

NOVEMBER 2011

3) Grassroots sports marketing

Grassroots sport marketing is part of the field of marketing known as social marketing.

This refers to marketing something that is of benefit to the public, and is normally done

by government or charities rather than private sector organisations. It is normally done

with a much smaller budget than marketing of sports teams and event or marketing of

products through sports as it does not bring any direct financial benefit.

SPECIAL STORY

THE MARKSMAN 08

2) Marketing of products using sports

'Marketing through sport' is a concept that that has been used since the 1980s but that

also has increased in importance in the last two decades due to the growth and

expansion that the different types of sports have enjoyed since then. “Marketing through

sports "concerns the use of sporting events, sporting teams and individual athletes to

promote various products.

Coca Cola has been a corporate partner to FIFA (sporting event) since 1978 and has

now extended this partnership till 2022. It has been a profitable brand association for

the company and continues to be with the remarkable global following for the FIFA

World Cup and other events organized by FIFA. But, brand building is just not

advertising, in such partnerships it‟s a massive involvement in all the campaigns that FIFA

plans like encouraging young talent which are an equal responsibility of an associated

brand. Coca cola concerted the world cup trophy tour and run a “Open happiness”

campaign parallel to the FIFA world cup 2010.

SPECIAL STORY

09

Sports Marketing in the Indian context:

Sports investments in India are matching the

global numbers thanks to Indian F1 Grand

prix, IPL, cricket & football rights, IPL, Force

India, WTA Tennis, PHL and many others.

While Indian marketers are venturing out to

buy global properties such as F-1 teams and

European Football teams for instant brand

recall among global consumers, global sports

are looking at India for television eyeballs

and on-ground presence.

Just a month back, sports and marketing met

on a common platform called Formula1 for

the Indian Grand Prix. We witnessed some

exciting Indian brand associations for the

Indian Grand Prix: Amul- Sauber, Airtel-F1

Hero motors sponsored Narain Karthieyan for HRT seat at the Indian Grand Prix. For

all that, it is now an accepted fact that most international sports events are being

supported by audiences that go way beyond the capacity of any stadium. The combined

F1 viewership of 527 million last season, including around 30 million from India, is the

macro audience for which the F1 drama is unfolded every time.

NOVEMBER 2011

SPECIAL STORY

THE MARKSMAN 10

For close to two decades, Formula 1 has been telecast in our country and its viewership

has risen past the 30 million mark. The interest in the sport is so enormous that every

year close to 10,000 Indians turn up at the Singapore Grand Prix. The event itself may be

niche – with the top five teams signing the most sponsorship deals – but the audience

now transcends the metros, sparking huge interest in the hinterland as well.

Corporate associates and sponsors of F1 teams like Vodafone, Lenovo, Tag Heuer, Johnny

Walker, Hilton Hotels and Hugo Boss are all impressed with the development and

growth of the middleclass in India and see it as a great commercial opportunity. Other

multinational brands like Renault are also looking at wider brand recognition with the

growing Indian middle class.

Look at how soccer teams from Europe have started investing their attention here –

Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are good

examples. Consider how NBA has already set its foot on Indian soil by tying up with

Mahindra; or, for that matter, look at how golf ‟s European PGA Tour has already

expanded its base with a second-level Challenge Tour event in India. It was inevitable

that Formula 1 President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone brought the sport to India sooner

than later.

Even if cricket takes up much of the viewership (and therefore dominates the

sponsorship market), India‟s TV audience has shown that it has great appetite for a

variety of international sports.

FEATURED ARTICLE

11

Destination Branding

- Dipesh Jain , NMIMS , Mumbai

„Incredible India‟, „God‟s own country‟, „Heart of Incredible India‟, „I NY‟…. and the list

goes on and on. If you still haven‟t figured it out, we are talking about destinations that

have become very strong brands over a period of time. This process involves a lot of

effort and smart thinking. Before going into that, let us look at the importance of

destination branding and its relevance today.

Why destination branding- Today, in the age of globalization, we are closer to each

other more than ever before. The tourism industry has undergone dramatic

transformation. Today a consumer is ready to loosen his purse strings and splurge on

holiday destinations. Not only that, with medical tourism, business tourism etc. gaining

importance, it has become imperative for a destination to differentiate itself and

communicate its offerings to the consumers in order to become the destination of

choice.

NOVEMBER 2011

THE MARKSMAN 12

FEATURED ARTICLE

Globalisation and the new opportunities in tourism make place branding a very important exercise to remain competitive

How do you brand a place- Like all branding exercises, one of the most important

elements in destination branding is to provide a superior product. The product in this

case being the place itself. It is very essential to have good facilities (Roads, transport

and communication, hospitality etc.) for tourists visiting the destination.

Apart from this, there are various elements involved in destination branding. The key

ones being:

Analyse the key offerings- An audit of the place should be done and the key assets of

the destination analysed. These are the core strengths of the place and will form the

base of our branding activity. E.g. Goa is very famous for its beaches, the core strength

of India as a destination is its cultural and regional diversity, Tirumala is famous for Sri

Venkateshwara Temple.

Every destination has some core brand assets.

13

FEATURED ARTICLE

Segmentation analysis- Every location will cater to a specific target segment, it is

very essential to locate the appropriate target segment and understand that segment

very well. Any mistake at this step could possibly spell doom for the brand. E.g. Goa

would attract teenagers and young adults i.e. age group of 15-30, Haridwar being a

religious destination would cater mainly to elderly people .

Consumer Perception Analysis- In depth analysis of consumer perceptions of the

location should be done through surveys and interviews. It can lead to some shocking

results and can even change the way we would want to portray the brand.

Integrated Marketing

Communication- At this stage, we are

clear with our objectives and the

positioning of the brand. An IMC

campaign needs to be prepared and

implemented successfully. It is important

to be creative and different while

executing the campaign. Brand assets

should be portrayed in a beautiful

manner which would make people want

to go to the location.

Monitor the campaign- It is equally important to monitor the response to the

campaign. Post implementation research should be conducted to gather information

about the reaction, whether the campaign has been successful in achieving its purpose

or has it failed. The campaign might take time to be successful and this has to be borne

in mind while evaluating results.

Successful Destination Brands- Some very successful place- branding campaigns include New York City ‘, ‘I NY’ campaign, Malaysia, ‘Malaysia truly Asia’ campaign, Sri Lanka, ’A Land like no other’ campaign etc. Some great Indian destination branding examples are ‘Incredible India’ Campaign, ‘God’s Own Country’ Campaign.

NOVEMBER 2011

FEATURED ARTICLE

THE MARKSMAN 14

Re-positioning of Blackberry: from corporate to youth -Pankaj Bathla, Welingkar, Mumbai

Background:

The mobile enterprise market has long proven lucrative for leading mobile handset

vendors. This market is dominated by Research In Motion (RIM), which provides

enterprise applications, such as push e-mail and IM, through its BlackBerry handsets. To

date, RIM has been able to sustain its leadership in the mobile enterprise market, but its

sustainability is now being questioned with the popularity of Apple‟s iPhone.

Market Scenario:

The global smartphones market will be worth US$ 258.9 billion by 2015, whilst the

mobile phone market will be worth US$ 341.4 billion – you don‟t need a calculator to

see that smartphones will be accounting for around 75 percent of the total.

After targeting the niche, high-end subscriber base, Research in Motion‟s (RIM)

BlackBerry is now trying to make further inroads into the Indian market. It is now

targeting the youth.

Changed Scenario/ Repositioning:

Blackberry smartphones targets high end users- who want the ultimate smartphones –

in terms of both appearance and performance. The target customers are those who

aspire and epitomize success and confidence. Blackberry with its different handsets is

attempting a change in positioning and moving more towards the Lifestyle segment

space.“Love what you do” and “Be Bold” are some of the positioning statements targeting

the youth.

Recent surveys show the depth of the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) fad amongst teens.

Youths are the champions of BlackBerry Messenger or BBM (in the language of the

youth). The free service is now a deciding purchase factor for many young people.

BlackBerry is targeting the youth who is known for heavy data usage.

Anuradha Aggarwal, Vice-President-Marketing of Vodafone Essar, says the BlackBerry

brand is repositioning itself, as its primary audience is no longer corporate. "One would

be surprised with the enthusiasm of young customers who saves money (Rs. 15,000)

just to buy a Blackberry phone", Aggarwal says. “ The recent focus of RIM to tap the

retail customer has helped it to penetrate the market. For instance, RIM, which earlier

had presence in only nine cities in India, has increased it to 80 cities.”

Other Strategies BlackBerry can employ:

Buzz Marketing: Blackberry can create a lot of „buzz‟ amongst the youth by

employing the youngster as Buzz agents in colleges and youth clubs. The buzz agents

would promote the brand through online campaigns and can be an opinion leader.

Event Marketing: BB can launch the contest with a youth cultural event, inviting

schools and college students across India. BB can sponsor engineering college fests such

as Mood Indigo (IIT Mumbai‟s Annual Festival), which focus on technology, to reach

niche tech-savvy target audience. Also, cultural college fests like Malhar (St. Xavier‟s

Annula Cultural Festival), to reach out to a wider target audience. BB can sponsor and

conduct the industry specific workshops for young professionals.

The future of smartphones is not only email but also data intensive applications such as

high quality streaming video and audio. Its time for the parent company RIM to connect

the dots and take the mobile-social web to yet another level.

15

FEATURED ARTICLE

NOVEMBER 2011

FEATURED ARTICLE

THE MARKSMAN 16

The Future of “Aakash”

- Sarthak Agarwal, SIBM Pune

Introducing Aakash

Aakash has been designed and manufactured by DataWind, a British firm in alliance with

IIT Rajasthan, with the support of NME-ICT that comes under the aegis of the Ministry

of Human Resources and Development.

Aakash is a 7” screen tablet, supports Wi-Fi, carries 2 USB ports and runs on Android

2.2 platform. It caters to the existing market of tablets by offering a product developed

for penetrating Indian households, mainly students. Seeing the PLC, it is still in the

introduction stage and DataWind is incorporating the suggestions given by the

customers in the upcoming models.

So, what “Desired Change” is it

bringing?

Aakash has been targeted at the Indian

students at a price of Rs. 1750. It has been

positioned as a tool to bridge the digital

divide, which can be effectively used to

deliver distance learning to the students.

DataWind is offering the tablet with a

replacement warranty thus eroding any

doubts on the quality. The tablet comes

preloaded with 70,000 e-Books, 2100 e-

Journals. This opens a new market

opportunity to develop quality video lectures, e-textbooks and educational

software for Indian students .

VentureBeat commented on its slow navigation speed. Of course, looking at Aakash

with iPad tainted eyes will be an injustice. However, the speed will seem sufficient to a

person who has never in his life seen a smart phone or a computer. Bingo! It makes

sense to sell it to more, than confining it to brand-crazy few. A point worth knowing is

that DataWind isn‟t into the mass marketing of the tablets.

17

FEATURED ARTICLE

It‟s following a segment-marketing approach, by offering Aakash (Rs. 1750) to the

students and Ubislate (Rs. 3000) to the public. Ubislate will have an inbuilt cellular

modem and SIM to access internet, which is absent in Aakash.

How much “Acceptability” has it

gathered?

On the social networking platform, two

facebook pages are running parallely -

one is “Aakash Ubislate DataWind” with

5752 likes and the other is “Aakash

tablet” with 4895 likes. The later page

claims to be proud of having 3000 fans

in the first week of the page launch.

DataWind looks at Aakash as a great

export opportunity for India. It‟s trying

to establish multiple manufacturing

facilities to meet the exploding demand

both in India and overseas markets.

But there are a few hassles in its success path. Primarily, a battery backup for just 3

hours is too less as compared to the competitors (average 8 hours). Adding on this,

children are unlikely to have the patience to charge the battery every couple of hours.

In a land of power cuts, they may not be able to either. Secondly, the present students‟

model works only on the Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. So, when distributing it to

the rural or township students, presence of Wi-Fi becomes imperative - with which

India isn‟t ready now. Other problems are : its plastic body (which makes it heated fast),

lack of camera, low disk space & resistive LCD screen.

So what’s the “Road Ahead”?

In the rural and sub-urban India, it offers the best value for money. Hence, it seems to

have created enthusiasm in this niche segment. However, I believe that the students

deserve better. In urban India, Aakash faces stiff competition from the tablets of the likes

of HP & Beetel which offer the desired features in the price range of Rs. 5000 - 9000.

NOVEMBER 2011

SquAreheaD

THE MARKSMAN 18

We have been here, done that, seen that ! Every B school graduate has gone through

this phase. The night before exams, we have experienced ourselves in this situation.

Where the Finance and the HR janta is mugging up formulae and concepts, Marketing

students sleep through the night, sometimes using the book as the pillow, and pour out

Kotlerism on the paper during the day !

The second edition of our anime character set, SquAreheaD, from our talented

Marksman Team. Shows you different perspective of the day today activities we see

around Hope you like it.

REWIND

19 NOVEMBER 2011

Event: Guest Lecture - Capgemini

Speaker: Ms. Sangeeta Sundaram, Head

Marketing and Communications, Capgemini India

Date: 21st October, 2011

Venue: Seminar Hall, SIMSR

She also studied Strategic Marketing in Stanford

University Graduate School of Business in 2008. She

worked as Assistant Manager, Marketing at

SplashSupport (A CSS Group Company) and as

Research Consultant at The Gallup Organization,

Singapore and joined CapGemini in 2004. She

worked in the PR and branding communications of

CapGemini previously and has now become the

Head of Marketing and Communications.

About the Speaker: Ms. Sundaram did her B.Com.

from Gulbarga University followed by her MBA from

Goa Institute of Management in Marketing in 1998.

Topic of Discussion: Discussion on "Use Real or

Celebrities in your Advertising Campaign? -an IT

Industry perspective.” Ms. Sundaram took us through

different strategies companies use in order to

promote their brand. Why companies use brand

ambassadors in the first place and why some

companies deliberately refrain from it.

Takeaways: A fresh new perspective on branding and

the thought process that goes on in the minds of

Marketers in going for a particular branding strategy.

Ms Sundaram made it a very informative and

interactive session and it was a great learning

experience for us SIMSRites!

ITS ALL ABOUT AD-itude !

THE MARKSMAN 20

Advertiser: Maharashtra Tourism

Development Corporation

Creative Agency: Xebec

The latest advertisement of Maharashtra

Tourism Development Corporation is

simple and inviting. This time its not about

scenic beauty or heritage sites. These fresh

new images are of drawings made in the

sand. One such image is of a dolphin and

another of an unfinished game of tic-tac-toe,

drawn lazily at the sea shore with an idle

wave passing by. The posters create a strong

association with the western coastal line

with the help of these images, drawing

attention to the variety of flora and fauna

that can be explored in this 720 km canvas

that is just waiting to be explored.

What stands out about this ad is the fact

that it does not impose on you just the

bland facts of the travel destination you are

about to go to. It conveys to you that it will

be a fun and care free get away. It goes back

to the basics, helping you attain what‟s most

important while on a vacation - creating

happy memories.

Brand: TOI, Chennai edition Creative Agency: Taproot India TOI‟s new campaign is titled “Wake up to

the Times Of India”. It starts at the

inauguration of a multi storied building. As

a gentleman cuts the red ribbon, we see a

lungi-clad man fast asleep. A cricket team

proudly poses with their trophy and there

he is again asleep with his head on the

coach‟s shoulder. The roads are blocked

and sirens are blazing as a politician

addresses the anxious crowd in the

streets. But he sleeps undisturbed on the

roof of a car. He sleeps through all the

things that happen around him. Suddenly

the screen reads in block letters “STUCK

WITH NEWS THAT PUTS YOU TO

SLEEP?” A copy of Times of India slides

forward and the mans eyes finally open!

The TVC blends in a Tamil lullaby with

different scenes in a satirical way to

project that Chennai has been reading

boring newspapers which have put them

to sleep and it's time they switched to

TOI's for their daily dose of news. A clear

cut message and humorous to watch.

About the Author

INDRAJIT 'JAY' SINHA is the Washburn Research Fellow and Associate Professor

of Marketing at the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University,

Philadelphia.

THOMAS FOSCHT is Associate Professor of Marketing in the Department of

Marketing and Retailing at the University of Graz, Austria. He has authored several

management articles, monographs, and books on customer loyalty and marketing

strategy.

About the Author

INDRAJIT 'JAY' SINHA is the Washburn Research Fellow and Associate Professor

of Marketing at the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University,

Philadelphia.

THOMAS FOSCHT is Associate Professor of Marketing in the Department of

Marketing and Retailing at the University of Graz, Austria. He has authored several

management articles, monographs, and books on customer loyalty and marketing

strategy.

BOOKWORM

21

REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY MARKETING The Death of Traditional Marketing and the Rise of the New “Pull” Game -By Indrajit Sinha and Thomas Foscht In his book, Sinha points out that it is the time to shelve the 4P‟s of

marketing mix and instead come up with new strategy i.e. 3B‟s

(Brand, Buyer Network and Buying Chain).

Replace the central focus from customer towards brand, differentiate brand from quality

to design and use real people than glamour in advertisements. It explains how gradually

principles of conventional marketing are giving way to Reverse Psychology Marketing. It

also points out how the middle market is hollowing out creating a “Walmart and

Ferrari” type of situation.

What will make you buy?

This book is simple, concise, interesting and easy read. It points out how to cope with

the changing dynamics to develop close connection with the customer.

Authors have used many examples to support their claims and have supplemented

various ideas to show how to connect with the „Change‟.

Why you might not buy?

The title states the death of „Traditional Marketing‟ and the rise of the new „Pull Game‟,

however the upcoming marketing strategies cannot completely replace the conventional

marketing principles, it can complement it.

NOVEMBER 2011

TWEETS

THE MARKSMAN 22

Indians slam Apple for launching iPhone 4S

at much higher price than its US retail cost

Within hours of the price of iPhone 4S being announced on

the websites of Bharti Airtel and Aircel on Friday, the social

networking media was abuzz with comments deriding the

smartphone maker Apple. At its launch price ofRs 44,500,

the iPhone 4S will indeed be costlier in India than anywhere else in the world,

though it will be available about 10% cheaper on several online shopping sites

such as ebay.

Google enters Microsoft office's turf with

mixed results

Google Apps performs many of the same functions

as Office, but through a Web browser instead of

local software, it is cheaper to own and operate than

Microsoft's desktop software and all the storage is on

the cloud so no hard disks are required. Slowly but

steadily Google is making a stronghold in the Microsoft‟s

stomping ground.

Maruti to clear backlog of over 1,00,000 bookings of

new Swift by April 2012

had become worse for Maruti after workers at its

Manesar plant went on a series of strikes in the

period of June to October 2011, causing huge

production losses to the firm. While the revenue

loss due to these strikes stood over Rs 1,500

crores, the total production loss was of 50,000

cars. It says that the backlog can only be

completed by April 2012

Maruti Suzuki launched its Swift model in the country on August 17th 2011,

and its booking figures have crossed 1,20,000 mark since then. The situation

TWEETS

23 NOVEMBER 2011

FMCG retail will hit $100 billion by 2025: Nielsen

Nielsen estimates that the country's rural

FMCG retail landscape will grow from $12

billion in 2011 to $100 billion by 2025, as it

unveiled its consumer 360 report.

The research firm has identified four key

trends that will drive consumption:

consumers switching from commodity to

brands, from indulgence to regular

consumption, and acceptability.

Tesco aims to build on Tata tie-up for India retail

retail, an executive director of the UK retailer said on

Monday. India currently allows 51 percent foreign

investment in single-brand retailers and 100 percent for

wholesale operations. Global players such as Wal-Mart

Stores Inc and Carrefour have long sought greater access

to the country's small but fast-growing organised retail

sector.

Retail giant Tesco Plc plans to build on its existing tie-up with Tata Group to

expand in the country if foreign operators are allowed to invest in multi-brand

Future Group to exit Generali JV, sell stake to IITL

The Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group,

which runs the country's largest retail

company, is set to exit from the life insurance

venture that it operates in partnership with

Italy's Generali.

Future is in advance discussions with the

Mumbai-based Industrial Investment Trust

(IITL) to sell a controlling stake in a phased

manner.

BUZZ

THE MARKSMAN 24

PUZZLE HINTS Across

2. The picture is the logo of the parent

company of which famous ship?

3. Flame – is a deodorant from the house of which famous Food Retailer?

4. What was founded as a cricket club in 1899 by British expatriates who came from Nottingham, gradually converting to what it is now and the club has retained the English spelling of its city‟s name.

5. Connect Royal Oak, One Tree Hill, Phoenix, Deer Park, Bon Echo, Gran Paradiso and Shiretoko.These are the various versions of what? The character was the earlier mascot of the company.

7. This company was named after the Founder's pet bulldog.

Down

1. This is the parent company of world‟s

2nd largest forging company.

6. This company is a parody of Wikipedia

and the logo depicted is called

Puzzle Potato.

8. Which bank launched the "Bank on

Bike" campaign recently? The picture

depicts the earlier logo of the bank.

9. Simon,a product by IBM, was the first in

which category?

Answers : 1.Kalyani 2.Titanic 3.Burger king 4.AC Milan 5.Mozilla 6.Uncyclopedia

7.Zygna 8.State Bank 9.Smartphone

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CALL FOR ARTICLES December 201 1

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