An idea makes an entrepreneur, not money: CavinKare's CK Ranganathan
Though the importance of money can't be sidelined, it's the idea that gets one to create a product in the market that no one has yet created, says the Chairman & MD of CavinKare

When CavinKare introduced its Velvet brand of shampoo in sachet form in 1976, the innovation took FMCG marketing by storm. Later in 1999, the company launched its Chik brand of shampoo in 50 paise sachets, which gave a further boost to the brand’s market share. Along with the sachet innovation, what aided Velvet’s marketing strategy was a strong communication message that reached out to the audiences.
Reaffirming this, CK Ranganathan, Chairman and MD, CavinKare said, “Advertisement is the key to one’s success. Innovation alone will never get a brand to reach out to its consumers.” In contrast, Ranganathan said that his father, who created the first ever shampoo sachet, believed that work that is excellent is recognised by its quality and not through advertisements.
Ranganathan pointed out a few important learnings from his journey...
Idea above all else
He said that it is the attitude that defines altitude. The choices that one makes in life will define their work and will get them recognition in the market place. He strongly believes in what Bernard Shaw had said, “Some men see things as they are and say why; I dream of things that never were and say why not.”
To become an entrepreneur, one needs to have an idea and not just the money. According to Ranganathan, people always think that one cannot get into business if they do not have enough capital to invest. Though the importance of money can’t be sidelined, it’s the idea that gets one to create a product in the market that no one has yet created. If one starts thinking differently and doesn’t get into ‘me too’ products, success is sure to knock at their doors.
Differentiate or die
Getting into the shampoo business, he understood that there has to be something different to convince the customers and the retailers to take his product for selling. That was the time when he introduced the exchange offer scheme – return five empty Chik shampoo sachets to get one Chik shampoo sachet free. This resulted in doubling of sales for the shampoo brand.
Finding ways to do things differently has proven to be advantageous for Ranganathan. Being a strong believer in the importance of advertisements, he continued to reach out to consumers through messages printed in A4 sheets of paper when the company was just starting out and didn’t have enough money to advertise. “If you do not differentiate, you die,” he stressed, adding, “The customers always look for something new. Be innovative and differentiate. Differentiation brought us to where we are today.”
Don’t ignore the six stakeholders
Ranganathan also strongly believes in the saying, ‘Change your thoughts and change your world’, According to him, in order to build an enterprise, it is important to understand the six stakeholders in the business and their priorities. These six stakeholders are – customers, employees, suppliers, banks, financial institutions, and lastly, the owner.
Be financially literate
Pointing out the most common mistake that any small scale company does when there is shortage of money, Ranganathan said that it either pays less salary to the employees or pays late salary. He cites this as the primary reason why companies lose out on a lot of skilled employees, which adversely impacts the company’s growth. Stating that financial literacy is relatively poor in the society, he said that Robert Kiyosaki’s book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ has a lot of learnings to offer to companies and consumers alike.
“You can’t send a duck to an eagle’s school. If your company’s mission is to climb a tree, which would you rather do – hire a squirrel or train a horse? I hired a horse and that was my mistake. Sometime entrepreneurs do make mistakes. If one is thorough with the principles of the business, then it is very easy to do business. Many a times we make mistakes and don’t gallop to our full potential,” he added.
According to Ranganathan, among other things that an entrepreneur should keep in mind is employing the right people at the right time and finding new people and training them to succeed. He added, “Fine is a tax for doing wrong, tax is a fine for doing fine. Paying taxes at the right time helps in the process of growth.”
Ranganathan shared his views at a special talk organised as part of the Gyan Series by the Ad Club Madras that took place in Chennai. The Gyan Series was sponsored by The Hindu.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp