IMRB Consumer Portrait 2009: Tackling slowdown head-on

IMRB International’s annual Consumer Portrait symposium, held in Delhi on February 20, focused on insights and strategies to help marketers beat the ongoing global slowdown. The event included presentations from senior research professionals and a panel discussion, in which eminent specialists from marketing, communication, economics and sociology expressed their viewpoints on tackling recession.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Feb 23, 2009 7:01 AM  | 4 min read
IMRB Consumer Portrait 2009: Tackling slowdown head-on

IMRB International’s annual Consumer Portrait symposium, held in Delhi on February 20, focused on insights and strategies to help marketers beat the ongoing global slowdown. The event included presentations from senior research professionals and a panel discussion, in which eminent specialists from marketing, communication, economics and sociology expressed their viewpoints on tackling recession.

The speakers discussed the strategies to beat the slowdown. Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT, India, pointed out that the speed at which slowdown was happening had put company heads in a dilemma of whether to focus on the existing customers or look for new ones. “One has to be aggressive as you have competitors all around. As a marketer, you have to press for greater market share,” Harris said, adding that the CEOs and CMOs had to observe the changing attitude of the customers and analyze till when the slowdown would last.

He added, “The biggest issue that we face today is that we just might lose our jobs. Marketers must understand that their clients have ambitions and they must give it their best shot to fulfill their aspirations.”

Recession is the best time to understand the consumer and offer a wide gamut of categories from which he can choose. During recession, the consumers don’t stop buying, but they do look for value for their money.

Harris also pointed out the effectiveness of communication strategy through the Internet. “Precise targeting is everything, and today you have the technology to experiment,” he said, stressing that companies should use the cyber space intelligently and manage their corporate reputation through social networking sites and blogs.

H further said that one should try making advertising a positive service rather than irritant. Marketers should understand that brand should always be at centre; it’s not about the client, but the brand and as a custodian you must listen to customer. Harris also emphasised that marketing was an art of sacrifice, and that marketers needed to be focused and precise. “It’s like when life hands you lemons, make lemonade out of it,” he quipped.

Debashish Sarkar, Senior Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max New York Life, observed, “It’s the way one looks at recession; do you see it as a slowdown or as an opportunity. We need to look at slowdown as an opportunity and make brands relevant to the consumers, while acquiring new customers from other categories of brands and make your existing customer your advocates.”

“This time should be utilised in listening to target customers and gathering consumer insight. Marketers should think about things that can affect them positively rather than negatively. It is all the more important to educate your consumers to retain them and work out strategies to win back lost customers,” he pointed out.

Deepika Warrier, VP-Marketing, PepsiCo India Foods, elucidated on the favourable position of India, which is comparatively less plagued by the economic slowdown. She pointed out that multinationals were coming big time in India because of the slowdown in Western market and that we all needed to feel very hopeful and optimistic.

Warrier also reflected at the FMCG sector, which according to her, was in very good shape. Other sectors that were showing growth, according to her, included telecom and education. Yet despite all optimism, Warrier stressed that marketers should be watchful of platonic shift in consumers spending attitude.

While the three panelists stressed on strategic and marketing approaches, sociologist Dr MH Panini expanded on critical sociological changes happening and identified the increasing impact of vernaculars in shaping the Indian society of the future. At the same time, he spoke of the slump in the social layers in India, identifying opportunities for better integration and, therefore, efficiencies through new innovations, including the way in which communication technologies are removing the slack.

Also read:

IMRB’s Consumer Portrait 2009 seeks ways to beat economic slowdown

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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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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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.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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.

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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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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."

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