Marksman Summer Edition 2017

SUMMER EDITION
Dear Readers,
After a break of three months, we are back with another exciting and exuberating edition
of The Marksman. We have curated for you a broad spectrum of interesting articles that
would enhance your understanding of marketing.
In this edition, we have taken “Competitive Marketing” as the topic for our cover
story. It is a marketing phenomenon where the product showcases its strength and
weaknesses in comparison to its direct competitors. The special story “Disruptive
Marketing", states how the marketers are disrupting the conventional methods of
marketing to create new markets. In addition to this, we have a section where our
seniors have shared their experiences about their internship and their final
placements. This would give you all a fair idea how the real job actually looks like and
what expectations does the recruiter holds from you. This will pump you up for how to
prepare for your internships and final placements.
We got an overwhelming response for Call for Articles. We would like to congratulate
Suvinava Basak, IIM Indore and Vikash Kumar Verma , IIM Bodhgaya, whose
articles have been featured in this issue. For the remaining entries, we would like to thank
you all for your incredible response and encourage you all to keep writing to us with the
great enthusiasm.
We‟d also like to hear back from our esteemed readers on how you find this issue. Your
feedback is valuable for us! It helps us improve our magazine.
Enjoy Reading!
Stay with us on www.interfacesimsr.com/index.php/marksman
Follow our Facebook page for more updates.

Tweets 01
It‟s All About Ad-itude 03
Marketing Faux Pas 05
Cover Story 07
Special Story 12
Pioneer 16
Hall-Mark Campaign 18
Brand Markive 20
Marketing RealTime 22
InternSpeak 25
Bookworm 26
Kickstart 27
Featured Article 28
Square Head 34
Buzz 35
INDEX

MARKSMAN SUMMER EDITION
1
TWEETS
People all around the world have
joined this buzz wagon.
They are tweeting for most
deserving candidates ranging from
famous music artist to new pop
bands.
The nominations are open for
several categories like best film,
best actor, best comic etc. and
these show will be held in
California this year.
“The Fox
Entertainm
ent has
come up
with an
innovative
way for
creating a
buzz
around this
annual
event.”
#teen choice awards
It was slated to be held on 23rd
of August but to capture more
publicity, hype and mass
involvement of youngsters from
all around the globe; the Fox
Entertainment has come up with
an innovative way for creating a
buzz around this annual event.
They are carrying out
nomination for the award using
Twitter
-SUHITA PANT

2
#one love Manchester
After the gruesome tragedy of suicide bombing that happened
in Manchester, England during a concert organized by American
singer Ariana Grande, a total of twenty-three adults and
children were killed, including the attacker, and 119 were injured
critically. The singer has been on her toes in extending selfless
aids and service to the affected fans and is using Twitter to
spread cheer, hope and a way to reach her affected fans in this
difficult time. Her production company has joined up with #one
love Manchester movement where people are outpouring their
support and posting images denoting confidence and aid
provided by the singer.
“23 adults
and
children
were killed,
including
the
attacker,
and 119
were
injured
critically
”
#WWDC17
What Apple does the tech-world follow! This year was no different. Starting from 5th to
9th of June, the world‟s most awaited technology meet was conducted by Apple in their
headquarter. There were sessions, guest lectures, consultations and hands-on meet
which was live tweeted by the company. New launches like iOS 11, MacOS Sierra and
much more were live tweeted and their unveiling followed by tech enthusiasts. Apple
made a statement by pushing the news launches and announcements about things in
pipeline directly onTwitter.
TWEETS

3
IT‟S ALL ABOUT AD-ITUDE
come up with yet another
thoughtful advertisement.
Everyone showcased in the ad
wears a white t-shirt to symbolize
the unity among different races. As
stated by Craig Brommers, CMO,
Gap, said, “Gap is a quintessentially
American brand and we strive to
embody all of America in
everything we do.
„Bridging the Gap‟ is about showing
the many faces of what it means to
be an American and bringing all of
those sides together.” This comes
up as yet another social message
among the mass to bridge various
gaps based on colour, race, and
gender.
“Everyone
showcased
in the ad
wears a
white
t-shirt to
symbolize
the unity
among
different
races”
TELEVISION AD
What can go wrong, when big
celebrities like our own Priyanka
Chopra along with rapper Wiz
Khalifa, actor Christie Brinkley ,
model Casil Mcarthur , model
Adwoa Aboah, actor Jonathan
Groff and a lot others come
down in a video with one of the
most peppy song „Sunny‟ by
Boney M?
The song itself is so catchy that
it sticks to your head for a really
long time. With the personalities
of diverse backgrounds and
races; the ad transcends the very
thought of differentiating people.
Going ahead with the concept of
bridging the gap, the brand has
Enjoy the ad at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDPEztJMFn4
-SHRUTI
SHARMA

4
brought in as a pet but are most
often than not are being left in
animal shelters or abandoned.
One shouldn‟t be treating them as
use and throw material but rather
adopt such animals. An awareness
campaign to support the same has
been brought forward by the
agency. It‟s indeed a creative
advertising which showcases that
every living thing belongs to the
world and everyone deserves love
and affection.
“One
shouldn‟t
be treating
them as
use and
throw
material
but rather
adopt such
animals.”
PRINT AD
Adoption is a process of adopting
animals who are been abandoned
by their previous owners. The
brand World for All supports
animal adoption. With McCann
World Group, they have brought
another quirky yet thoughtful
message for animal adoption.
These ads show how the world is
a place for everyone. Adoption of
animals is a trending social cause
these days. Animals are usually
being
AD-ITUDE

5
FAUX PAS
“What will
happen
when the
brands
themselves
nurture
some taboo
instead of
erasing
them from
the roots!”
What will happen when the
brands themselves nurture
some taboo instead of erasing
them from the roots!
It's hard to imagine anything
more blatant than this.
Seoul Secret, a Thai beauty
company claims that white skin
is the key to success. They have
released an ad which stars a
smiling light skinned actress
asserting, “Just being white you
will win.”
“Without this pill, the
whiteness that I have attained
will just disappear”, alerts the
model.
“I am confident in this beautiful
white skin”, she adds.
-ANCHAL PANDEY
Thai people have complained that
the ad spreads a damaging racist
idea.
After strong criticism, the
company has decided to pull the
video from its online platforms
and issued a statement.
“We would like to apologize for
the error and claim full
responsibility for this incident.
Our company did not have any
intention to perpetuate
discriminatory or racist
messages," it said.
"What we wanted to convey was
that self-improvement in terms of
personality, appearance, and skills
is important".

6
“If the
world can't
look
beyond the
color of the
skin in the
twenty-first
century
then it‟s a
matter of
concern for
everyone.“
THE UGLYTRUTH
In most of the Asian countries, the skin whitening products are
popular.
This is not the first time that the Thai ad has drawn the accusations
of racism.
Dunkin Donuts had started a campaign in Bangkok showing a woman
with her face inked black with the slogan “ Break every rule of
deliciousness”.The company later apologized for the incident.
Unilever too joined the league by offering University scholarships to
students with fairer skin.
If the world can't look beyond the color of the skin in the twenty-
first century then it‟s a matter of concern for everyone.
Moreover, the companies should do some homework before
launching a campaign because no one likes controversies. Right?
FAUX PAS

7
COVER STORY
The ad was not only cost-effective but also strategically placed
because it showcased that Audi is the leader by displaying the best
features of four of its competitors. It was smart, efficient and crisp.
One of the most crucial moves in advertising known as Competitive
Advertising was displayed at its best in this advertisement.
Competitive advertising is an effort by a company to create a contrast
between its product and the same or similar offerings by its
competitors. What makes this type of advertising different is that one
can identify the comparison and contrast showcased by the company
to differentiate itself from its competitors.
“This time
the ad
focuses not
on the keys,
but on the
four key
rings kept
together to
form the
famous
four ceiling
rings, the
logo of
Audi.
”
COMPETITIVE ADVERTISING
If one asks you “What do you want in a car? “, what would be the
most likely answer? From the first few options, it could be anything
from color, speed, style, luxury or even the brand name. But if the one
asking you the question is none other than the premium car
manufacturer Audi, there has to be a specific answer or in fact, four
specific answers. At least that was what answered by Audi after asking
the same question in its famous advertisement, “What do you want in
a car?” In the ad, Audi answers the question by keeping four keys of its
competitors, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, BMW and Mercedes by asking
whether if it‟s the Design, Safety, Sport or Comfort you are looking
for. Or whether you want all of it in “one car only?” This time the ad
focuses not on the keys, but on the four key rings kept together to
form the famous four ceiling rings, the logo of Audi.
“What do
you want
in a car? ”
- JISHNU R

8
COVER STORY
There had been numerous such instances especially in the automobile industry which is
used to such “healthy advertisements wars”. The major “war” goes on between the
premium auto manufacturers Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar. One famous ad war was
between Mercedes and Jaguar where the former conveyed its indisputable stability
feature naming it as “Magic Body Control”. Jaguar soon launched a clever reply, mimicking
the ad and stating that it would rather prefer “Cat-like Reflexes” rather than “Magic Body
Control”. This “Chicken” ad is one interesting to look out for. Even BMW has been
smart enough to tackle its competitors through its Ad showing its stability control and
the logo of Audi, saying that even this closest competitor-Audi can‟t do this.
“But the
moment
you say
that your
products
are better,
it
indirectly
means that
the other
products
are inferior
to you!”
One may wonder if this is a legally valid advertising strategy and if yes,
why doesn't many companies take it up. This is where the strategy
becomes tricky.
The law allows you to say that your products are better, but not to
state that the other products are inferior. But the moment you say that
your products are better, it indirectly means that the other products
are inferior to you. It is nothing but stating whether the glass is half full
or half empty. Whatever the statement is, the content remains the
same. In a way, companies tend to use this strategy to show how
others are inferior in a diplomatic way. The advertisement by Audi was
not the first and definitely not the last. The best part about it was that
the ad never tries to convey that any of its competitors were actually
inferior. In a way, Audi accepted that each of the features mentioned-
Design, Safety, Sportiness, and Comfort are the major USP‟s of its
competitors Alfa Romeo, Volvo, BMW and Mercedes respectively. But
saying that, the finishing move was well placed for the benefit of Audi.
COVER STORY

9
“Jaguar
soon
launched a
clever reply,
mimicking
the ad and
stating that
it would
rather
prefer “Cat-
like
Reflexes”
rather than
“Magic
Body
Control”. .”
One should not be mistaken that only the automobile industry use
this type of strategies. Introduced in the year 1886 & 1903
respectively, two famous brands have been rivals trying to dominate
the carbonated soft drink market; Coca- Cola and Pepsi. They have
been using various modes of media wars from posters, billboards
and yes, competitive advertising. One of the earlier ads showcased
the interaction between the representatives of Coca-Cola and Pepsi
where the rivalry between them was indisputable. In one of the ads
released by Pepsi, it can be seen that each representative offers the
other one its own drink. The idea was to show that the competitor
(Coca-Cola) eventually “liked” the other drink after tasting it. Since
soft drink bottles cannot “fight”, the ad later shows how both of
them ends in a fist to fist duel to get the bottle of their now favorite
drink, Pepsi. Soon Coca-Cola released a similar ad where it was
shown as vice versa. There were various other methods used by
each of them to establish their superiority over the other. While
Pepsi always tried to showcase its brand as a “cool” one, Coca-Cola
focused on being classic.
COVER STORY

10
And also during legal proceedings between two companies, one may try to use the
situation to market itself better than the other. Take the example of Apple and
Samsung. Did you know that the Samsung Galaxy was initially marketed in Australia as
“The tablet Apple tried to stop”? Following the legal proceedings and a bunch of
competitive advertising strategies, Samsung‟s Galaxy series tried to position itself to be
an underdog alternative to Apple. This shows that Competitive Advertising has to be
clear, smart and crisp.
“But the
smartest
ad till date
is the one
by Burger
King in
which the
primary
mascot of
McDonald‟
s fast food
restaurant
chain,
Ronald
McDonald
visits
Burger
King
disguised
in a trench
coat. !”
Both of them are one among the highly successful brands in the world
and their rivalry still continues despite being over a century old. But
the smartest ad till date is the one by Burger King in which the
primary mascot of McDonald‟s fast food restaurant chain, Ronald
McDonald visits Burger King disguised in a trench coat. “Even Ronald
prefers Burger King” was quoted. A real competitive “competitive
advertising” indeed. If you happen to research for most of the ads
mentioned above, there is a chance that it can be termed as “banned”.
It is because Competitive Advertising is not legal in every country.
There are high legal implications as well as factors to consider before
releasing such an ad. For example, in no way should the audience
mistake the ad to be sponsored by the competitor, i.e. the brand
cannot use the competitor‟s logo and the brand name just to tarnish
their image.
COVER STORY

11
COVER STORY
Desperate times obviously call for desperate measures, but those cannot be desperate
enough to endanger one‟s own reputation or financial stability. If the advertisements are
not placed right, even their own loyal consumers may turn against them. But competitive
Advertising is not only about showing how you are better than the other, at times it also
matters to respect your position and accept the competition. Just like Avis, the car rental
company who released an ad embracing its 2nd place status against the market leader
Hertz in No.1. The Ad said “When you are only No.2, you try harder” Within a year “We
Try Harder” ad got them earning over $1.2 million. All they had to do was to say “We Try
Harder” by being No.2.
Competitive Advertising is about trying harder. One doesn‟t have to be against the
competitor to show their superiority. The Avis ad shows that even one can earn from
accepting its “defeat”. It is like a double edged sword. It could be used to show the
superiority of one brand over the other. It could be dangerous to the holder and the
opponent as well. But that is also the beauty of it. Because it is not actually the sword but
the wielder with skill who actually matters. Those who can effectively place it with
precision would be the one to gain the most of it.
“One
doesn‟t
have to be
against the
competito
r to show
their
superiority.
The Avis
ad shows
that even
one can
earn from
accepting
its „Defeat.‟
”
COVER STORY

12
SPECIAL STORY
The intellects at Cambridge
define Disruption as, “to
prevent something, especially a
system, process, or event, from
continuing as usual or as
expected”. This is exactly what
the concept of Disruptive
Marketing brings to the table,
breaking the monotony of
conventional methods, and
rejecting the way things are
supposed to be. It infuses you
to trust your intuition and
think about where you want
your brand to go and how to
get there.
The notion stands upon two
concepts, Creative Disruption
and Disruptive Innovation.
Creative disruption refers to
breaking existing patterns of
behaviour and doing things
differently than before in the
-Devarshi Sil
DISRUPTIVE MARKETING
creative process, while disruptive
innovation is about creating a new
market and a new value network
eventually disrupting the existing
markets and value networks.
Though this idea may have been
recognized, termed and defined
recently, numerous brands and
their mentors have had the
foresight to disrupt the usual way
of making and marketing things
since long back, and the most
famous examples, though clichéd,
to do that were Apple and Tesla.
Ask anyone around in the
technological boom of the late
1990‟s if they would‟ve bought an
Apple computer back then. After
they finish laughing, they‟ll explain
to you that Apple products were
regarded as bland and overpriced
garbage. Not only were they
considered overpriced but most
“If you
would have
asked
anyone in
the 1990‟s
about apple
laptops,
they would
have
described it
as bland
and
overpriced
garbage”

what they came up with were
remodelled clones of products
that were superior in terms of
processing power, features,
price and available software.
But then how is Apple doing
today? It brings forward
products that are sleek,
sophisticated and forward-
looking. People wait for hours,
even days, in line to score the
latest iPhones. What brought
about such a shift? The design
of an MP3 player in an age
when most people were
endorsing Discmans as the
ultimate in portable music, and
the innovation just kept
growing from there. That‟s the
impact disruptive marketing has
on not just a brand, but an
entire industry and the way we
perceive it. People still think
marketing is a lot about talking,
conveying and amplifying your
communication till the customer
takes notice. But what happens
post that? It might not always be
enough for you to just catch their
attention, given the
competitiveness in today‟s
markets. Your ideas must inspire
within the customers a feeling of
awed respect and delight. You
need to startle and stagger them,
sweep them off their feet to be
precise, and make them wonder if
what you‟re offering is something
that can ever be true. Given the
kind of era we‟re presently in, with
technology and its marvels
fascinating us every day, it‟s easy to
think “disruption” is always
centred on technology. However, if
you think about it, technology is
simply the tool used to deliver the
experience. The prime reason of
disruption can be attributed to
SPECIAL STORY
13
“to prevent
something,
especially a
system,
process, or
event,from
continuing
as usual or
as
expected”

people wanting solutions and
disruptive marketers listening in
order to help provide them.
Many marketers think all they
have to do is use Hubspot,
Google Analytics and similar
tools and they‟ll be up to date
and do fine. But people don‟t
live on the web. Tools are
mainly useful as measurement
devices and help us get a handle
on what may be happening
online, but they are poor
indicators of human behaviour
in the real world. This is why
fruitful marketing takes place
with tangible ideas and items
that can be shared amongst
groups of people in the physical
realm. Although we certainly
spend more than half of our
lives on the Internet as a
society these days, but being
social animals we crave shared
experiences with people, in
person. Such face-to-face
experiences consequently end up
being shared within circles of
influence that include many people
who were not actually there, but
because of their connection to the
participants, feel like they share
the experience personally.
So what exactly makes a disruptive
campaign, disruptive? There are
many brands today that dare to
break the status quo. Most
customers love disruptive
marketing because it changes the
face of how we perceive
advertising. If done well enough, it
even becomes a part of our
vocabulary. Try this. When was the
last time you called a cab? Or,
when was the last time you called
an Uber or an Ola? Disruptive
marketing often tells a story in a
way that consumers can
understand.
SPECIAL STORY
14
“Although
we spend
more than
half of our
lives on the
Internet as
a society
these days,
but being
social
animals we
crave
shared
experience
s with
people
”

“marketing
efforts are
rewarding
when they
are the
least
conspicuou
s in
attempting
to sway
people”
In one example from Spain that
went viral around the world, an
ad against child abuse showed an
image of a child with the caption
“Sometimes child abuse is only
visible to the child suffering from
it.”While most adults got the
message, but its true impact was
understood only by children.
Using technology, when viewed
from a certain height, the ad‟s
message changed entirely. From
a child‟s height, the message
showed a boy with bruises and
cuts indicative of abuse, and the
ad read “If someone hurts you,
call us and we‟ll help you.” The
ad was meant to speak to
victims of abuse, even and
especially when they‟re out with
their abuser. Here‟s another
example, from the Singapore
Red Cross. How many times
have you thought about donating
blood? Probably many times. You
know it can save lives and yet
very few people take the time to
do it, particularly healthy and
young people. The Singapore Red
Cross tried changing that with a
poster ad that capitalized on
young people‟s love of selfies and
celebrities by doing an ad called
“Blood Ties”. The poster showed
three famous celebrities, a
comedian, blogger and singer
quoting, “I‟ve got
Comedy/Blogging/Music in my
blood, what‟s in yours?” Music,
blogging, and comedy, all things
that attract the younger
generation and this kind of ad
speaks to them exactly in a way
that resonates.
To conclude, marketing efforts are
rewarding when they are the least
conspicuous in attempting to sway
people, and is instead based on
genuine listening, honest
responses, transparency, and
ultimately, human interactions. So
“disruptive marketing” at its core,
is a return to the personal with
technological support and an
online twist.
SPECIAL STORY
15

PIONEER
“Goswami‟s
behaviour
with his
guest was
sometimes
questioned.
He was said
to become
judgmental
on many
topics
rather than
act as a
moderator
between
the parties.
“
From the beginning of his career as a journalist in The Telegraph in
Kolkata , Arnab Goswami has come a long way to cofounding a news
channel Republic TV quite recently. He established himself as the
face of „The Newshour‟, a debate show telecasted on Times Now on
prime time. Goswami‟s distinct style of anchoring made him famous
not only in English media but throughout the nation. He established
himself as a brand during the debate show and one interview show
onTimes Now and later used this repo for RepublicTV.
After working for The Telegraph, he joined NDTV in 1995. He
anchored daily newscasts and reported for News Tonight a
programme telecasted on DD Metro. He was in the core team of
NDTV in 1998 when it became a 24 broadcasting news channel. He
later became senior editor for the same and quit NDTV in 2006. It
was his tenure in tenure in Times Now after NDTV when he rose to
fame. There he worked as an editor in chief and an anchor. His show,
Newshour featured many notable personalities such as Parvez
Musharraf, Gordon Brown, Late Benazir Bhutto and Hamid Karzai.
He also had many Indian personalities featured in „Frankly speaking
with Arnab‟ like Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Goswami is
known for his witty questions which often perplex the guests. Few
-SHIVAM DIXIT
ARNAB GOSWAMI
16

“Despite
controversi
es,
Goswami
enjoys
humongous
popularity
in the field
of
journalism.
”
of the debate episodes had high voltage drama and created
controversies. Goswami‟s behaviour with his guest was sometimes
questioned. He was said to become judgmental on many topics
rather than act as a moderator between the parties.
Goswami's heated discussions during The Newshour invited
criticism from newsweekly Outlook running a cover story titled 'The
Man Who Killed TV News'. Goswami defended his brand of
journalism by stating, "The journalism I follow is journalism of
opinion and is not PR driven. If my opinion helps bringing about a
change, I will opine and not shy behind the wall of neutrality."
On 6th May 2017, Goswami launched his channel Republic TV where
he acted as the managing director. Due to his popularity, the channel
topped on BARC chart for viewership amongst English News
Channel. There again he had controversies with defamation charges
by Shashi Tharoor. Despite controversies, Goswami enjoys
humongous popularity in the field of journalism. He has always been
bold in his views and never bowed down to anyone‟s comment. He
has created a unique style of journalism and he openly vouches for it.
The name „Arnab Goswami‟ itself is a brand and he himself is a
pioneer indeed.
PIONEER
17

Hall-MARK CAMPAIGN
“But what
made this
premise
credible
and
genuine
was the
way in
which the
campaign
was crafted
and
delivered”
NIKE-TWO HOUR SUB MARATHON
Nike, this week, tried to re-write history books on what is humanly
possible and in that effort tried to break the sub-two-hour marathon
barrier.
Nike in its bid to solidify its brand image as the leading sports brand
globally organized this huge marketing campaign which aimed at
blurring the limits of the human body. To make this campaign
successful, Nike invested millions and also recruited the best
marathon runners in Europe.
The premise was simple, but what made this premise credible and
genuine was the way in which the campaign was crafted and delivered
by Nike Sports Research Lab and its partners. The campaign consisted
of high-production-quality video content trailer that was aired across
all media channels and a well co-ordinated and executed social media
campaign called #breaking2. This was then used on their website and
various social channels alongside information about their new long
distance running shoes and thus helping them in more than one ways-
selling more sports products and driving up the market share
simultaneously.
-ABHISHEK
BHARDWAJ
18

19
“Create
genuinely
engaging
campaigns
that have a
clear and
concise
premise
and truly
enrich and
strengthen
the
brand‟s
image.”
Even though they missed the record, it created a huge hype across
sports channels receiving significant praise for their efforts. Even their
rivals Adidas praised their efforts on Twitter. Stating that Eluid
Kipchoge had put in a fantastic performance.
The biggest and best campaigns often take a high degree of risk to
implement, and this was no different. But to be an apex sports brand
in the current market, you need to have aspirations to break records,
rip up rule-books and constantly evolve the limits of human
performance. The premise was one of unbridled ambition and the
desire to create what has not been achieved before. For ambitious
brands in 2017, this is the new expectation; create genuinely engaging
campaigns that have a clear and concise premise and truly enrich and
strengthen the brand‟s image.
Hall-MARK CAMPAIGN

20
BRAND MARKIVE
business. In an unorganized sector, which is devoid of terms like “market
leader” and “brand loyalty”, Pulse carved a new name for itself. In a
country where candies were mostly offered instead of loose change,
Pulse created a demand that way exceeded its supply at times. There are
multiple reasons for the same. Firstly, its home-grown taste. Venturing in
the kaccha aam (raw mango) flavour was understandable considering it
already occupied fifty percent of the hard-boiled candy segment.
-The New Candy Crush of India
There are brand success stories and then there is the story of Pulse,
rightly advertised as the “Pulse of India” and “Pran jaaye par Pulse naa
jaaye”. Achieving 300 crore sales mark in a short span of two years is
no small feat. That too when you are surpassing blue chip multi-
national enterprises like Oreo (launched in 2011) and Coke Zero
(launched in 2014).
This tangy raw mango flavoured hard-boiled candy has rightly
captured the pulse of the nation. The makers of Rajnigandha Pan
Masala, Pass Pass mouth freshener and Catch spices - DS Group never
knew they would be hitting such a huge jackpot in the confectionary
-SAURABH SHARMA
“This tangy
raw mango
flavoured
hard-boiled
candy has
rightly
captured
the pulse of
the nation”

21
no formal launch event for this
candy. It completely relied on its
easy availability and word of
mouth publicity to reach 100
crore sales mark in the first eight
months of its launch!
The key role was played by social
media sites including Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram in
promoting the positive user
opinions and pushing the brand
nationwide.
Overall Pulse candy is a unique
example of product marketing
done right. With the right kind of
product for the desired target
group, a company is bound to
succeed even without strong
advertising and promotions
relying solely on a positive word
of mouth.
But giving it a tangy twist was an
innovation which really
resonated with its customers.
The whole blend took no less
than two years of research.
Thirdly, its attractive packaging
with black and green was an
instant hit among the masses.
Lastly, the price tag of Re 1 per
candy in a time where every
other candy was available at 50
paise gave it a sense of
exclusivity.
All these factors combined
transformed an impulsive buying
Indian audience to “Pulse-
Driven”. Another peculiar thing
considering the success of this
brand was its unique marketing
strategy or rather the lack of it.
Very few know that there was
BRAND MARKIVE
“Forget
Candy-
Crush, India
has got a
whole new
crush over
this candy!”

22
MARKETING RealTIME
Time flies too quickly, and with it comes
lot of experiences. Now when I look
back those days in college, a feeling of
satisfaction comes when I think of what
all I have gained as days went by, how I
learnt with the responsibilities that were
entrusted upon me and how I could
handle all the pressure during our
placement season. Those times were
difficult ones, but with it I learnt being
patient, more determined towards my
goal.
It‟s being 1.5 months working with
Phoenix Market City, Chennai and I have
been working here in the leasing
department, which takes care of all
rental of leasable area. Rent is
responsible for around 60% revenue of
the malls and I have worked in three
departments, leasing, legal and
marketing.
A whole new learning that I have
discovered in these days and yes now I
can connect to all the learning we got in
our classes. I now know how important
Kotler is and how I can now relate to
what Issac Sir used to teach us. To
summarise marketing is a very
important aspect in a mall. Be it
responsibility like positioning, Brand
Building, new store opening, festive
decors, customer relations, in house
communications etc. These are all done
using various techniques like direct
marketing, indirect marketing, and social
media events.
ARAVIND L
MANAGEMENT
TRAINEE – LEASING
PHOENIX
MARKETCITY

23
When it came to placements I was probably the most puzzled soul on the campus, I had
dabbled in HR which worked out really well during my internship, but then again the
heart said let‟s go with marketing and so I did, going ahead with placements process the
mantra was simple, 3 Boxes are to be checked:
The organization should be attractive (in terms of JD, compensation).
Can I see myself doing this in future?
Do they think I am a right fit for them?
With GEP I could easily check the first two boxes, but were they sold on me? Well
„simple enough! Let‟s find out‟ I thought and applied, if I am shortlisted and selected then
may be I am cut out for consulting. Little did I know that GEP was looking for more than
just a cultural fit, they wanted us to prove our value for being a part of the team. The
interviews were intensive and exhaustive and yeah it did involve me doing the costing of
the episode „Battle of the bastards‟ from GOT at some point, and after a day of an
emotional rollercoaster ride I was hired! This brings us to now, once I joined GEP, from
the very first day we were thrown in the mix, introduced to the various facets of our
roles and responsibilities and most importantly how it comes together in the grand
scheme of things.What I have realized over the past couple of months is that GEP isn‟t
just a niche consulting firm offering suggestions for cost saving, the organization is
SHIKHAR DUBEY
CONSULTANT –
GLOBAL DELIVERY
GEP WORLDWIDE
MARKETING RealTIME

24
transforming, getting bigger by the day, is venturing into unexplored territories and the
most attractive aspect is you are a part of it all. GEP has clients which are fortune 500
organizations themselves and one of our primary job as a consultant is to look into their
expenditure with respect to their non-core activities and suggest ways they could save up
and boy does it make your brain go haywire. Each client, each category and every penny
you suggest could be saved requires massive brainstorming, exhaustive analysis and above
all exceptional communication. If you are looking for a process-oriented job, GEP
probably isn‟t the place for you. The best part about working in GEP are small things, like
the way your opinion is valued, how we are encouraged to speak up, have an opinion, the
environment that fosters teamwork and a team that supports you and helps you learn.
So to sum it up I would just say its the little things that are vital, because they make the
big things happen.
A little piece of advice for all of you going ahead for the unnerving placement season,
keep calm yet always be eager to learn, unlearn and relearn and when it‟s your day the
right organization will definitely find you!
MARKETING RealTIME

25
InternSpeak
You barely start getting settled in the MBA life and 'bam', summer placements begin. GEP
Consulting was one of the first companies to visit on campus and I was lucky enough to
get selected through a nerve wrecking selection process.The year passed by like a flash
and I began working as a summer intern in GEP. After a week long induction program,
we actually got assigned to various accounts and started working. Procurement
consulting is a very niche and an equally interesting field to work in. From category
market research, risk analysis, spend analysis, opportunity analysis, creating RFP packages,
supplier tie ups to negotiation calls, we did it all at GEP. It was a scary but amazing roller
coaster ride for all of us with a new learning at every turn and bend. After interning at
GEP, I can confidently say that it's one of the best internship programmes offered at
SIMSR and if you work well, you may land up with a PPO.
ROHIT BAJORIA
@
Internship is where we learn to handle challenges, work independently and apply the
classroom concepts. Piramal enterprise offered me a very independent environment and
a huge responsibility to design their future marketing and sales related strategies.
Everyday was a new challenge and learning. Most of the companies including Piramal
don't offer the interns with frequent inputs and guidance, they expect us to work
independently be proactive and get results , their aim is to test your real character under
pressure and understand if the intern is suitable for the organisation in the long run, its
very important to understand all the verticals and functions(operations, finance etc) of
the organisation as you need to have a holistic view of the organisation as at the end the
interns are expected to give some feasible recommendations that can be worked upon,
its very important to be updated with classroom concepts and analytical tools as they
come handy during in the internship, the final presentation at Piramal was in front of all
vertical heads which was followed by a long and drilling Q&A, this stint of 2 months have
given a taste of work culture and challenges that the industry expects from the
graduates and its very important to be at the top of your game at all times as the
competition is immense
AMAN
SHRIVASTAVA
@

26
BOOKWORM
The book does not depend on
fictitious examples and tactics and
thus is very practical and effective.
The book is more of an
instructional guide that will walk
you through the steps that can
help you to close the deals in a
faster and more efficient way. The
book helps to stir thinking and to
try a different approach apart
from the regular traditional
practices. As customers are not
always interested in offers that are
offered to them the book gives an
insight into how to convert
invaluable customers.
“The
Conversion
Code by
Chris
Smith
explains
the use of
the
internet to
convert
leads with
the use of
practical
examples.”
The Conversion Code is a one of
a kind sales book in this era of
technology and a much-needed
one. The book wonderfully
explores every aspect of sales
from how to attract online leads
with the use of blogs, social media
and landing pages to how to
convert leads. This book comes
across as a manual for all the
actions one takes as part of
converting leads. The tactics of
closing a deal, increasing traffic on
websites and bringing changes in
leads and sales have been cited.
-URVASHREE BORAHTHE CONVERSION
CODE

KICKSTART
“Crowdfundi
ng
!...NGO!...Re
cycle! ,
doesn‟t it
seem quite
odd to
connect the
three,Well
there‟s a
company
that is doing
just that.
.”
-ROHIT
RADHAKRISHNAN
RECYCLE IMPACT
Recycle Impact was the
brainchild of Mr.Neeraj , who
was formulated with a mission
to increase India‟s low recycling
rate. It is also bridging the gap
that is essentially between the
portion of the population that is
using too much and thereby
producing recyclable waste, and
the portion of the population
that is in need of some more.
Most of us may have noticed a
few NGO workers from
organizations such as C.R.Y,
“Save the Girl Child”, at the
walk over bridges in prominent
stations, trying tirelessly to gain
some funds for their respective
firms. While some succeed, many
flounder, and who is to blame?
Nobody. You can‟t really expect a
person to part away with his
hard earned money just based
on what a representative is
saying . Any amount of pictures
and receipts doesn‟t really
guarantee you the fact that the
money is put to good use and the
full amount is actually reaching the
beneficiary without any
commission cuts.
It‟s in this context that Recycle
Impact connects the two and
seems significant. While at the core
it believes that people still have it
in them to help the society, it
understands that it must do so in
the least painful way- that is
turning “Trash To Cash”. So the basis
of this is crowd funding wherein
each member doesn‟t really have
to contribute in large amounts. He
also has the freedom to choose
the NGO he wants to support and
can track its progress.
27

28
FEATURED ARTICLE
“Contact
Marketing
is the
combinatio
n of
marketing
and
selling.”
-VIKASH KUMARVERMA
IIM Bodhgaya
THE AGE OF CONTACT MARKETING:
Contact Marketing is the
combination of marketing and
selling. It incorporates specific
activities and campaigns
designed to get connected with
specific high-value prospects.
These prospects include CEOs,
C-level executives and another
top decision maker of the
company.
We all, at some point in time or
the other, do some strange
things to get connected with
someone. Activities, like the
single shoe that shows up with
the promise of the other to
complete the pair when the
proposed meeting takes place.
Sending half the gift with the
promise of another half when
the meeting takes place might
help you to get the meeting fix
but it might not full fill your real
objective. Your idea or proposal
might never see the daylight
once the gift is complete.
The contact campaign must impart
a feeling of , “I love the way this
person thinks. I need to meet this
person.” And it must quickly
deliver the promise of value
focused on the target executive‟s
specific needs.
The contact campaign is
completely different from the
other form of marketing. In this
campaign, our direct target group
happens to be very small but the
indirect target group remains our
original target.
It was during my summer
internship that I came across this
form of marketing technique. We
were asked to place one of our
new SKU into the canteen of top
companies. To get access to the
canteen, we required permission
from the Facility Manager of the
company.
My CEO asked me to accompany
her to the weekly meeting of a
club of entrepreneur which she
was a member of and asked me to
try to generate leads for the
project. It was during one of those
meetings where I came across one
of the CIO of atop company. I
approached him and had a brief
introduction. I explained him the
benefit of my product. Being
impressed, he gave me the
contact of his other C-level
friends.Within a week I had a
“One must
quickly
deliver the
promise of
value
focused on
the target
executive‟s
specific
needs”

29
FEATURED ARTICLE
“There are
few basic
rules which
can work
wonders
for us in
Contact
Marketing”
data of around 37 CIOs at my
disposal. I started connecting with
them and finally, we got responses
from 14 of them. We gifted them
goodies which also had the SKU
which we wanted to place in their
canteen. In the next step we
asked for their feedback and also
asked them the contact for their
facility manager.
After getting access to the facility
manager we repeated the same
exercise with them and we
successfully placed our product in
4 of the 14 companies contacted.
BASIC RULES FOR
CONTACT MARKETING
•Go Prepared: You must know
in & out of the topic that you
have to discuss in the meeting.
•Always go out very smartly
dressed because the first
impression is very important
•Always have the necessary
tools with you, like, pen, a handy
notebook to note the important
CIO
•Got the CIOs contact from the source
•Send them the goodies along with request to give access to their facility manager
Facility
Manager
•Once we got access to the facility manager, we gifted them our samples along with
other goodies
•Requested appointment to get the things moving
•Convinced them for allocating shelf space for our product into their canteen
Canteen
•Assured Facility Manager and other stake holders about the product quality
•Successfully placed our SKU into the canteens contacted
points, your business card,
brochures and other marketing
literature of your company (hard
or soft copy)
•Positive attitude and positive
energy with smile on the face
can bring wonders for you.
HOW TO START THE
CONVERSATION?
In the case of C-Level
executives my approach was:
“Hello Sir, my name is ------ and I
am from XYZ Ltd. We are in this
industry since 1887 and we are
coming up with our on the go
pouch, would

FEATURED ARTICLE
“Contact
Marketing
leads to the
creation of
business
opportunit
y but also
creates a
chain of
contacts
for the
individual.”
would you like to know more
about it?”
They would usually say, “Oh
1887, tell me more about it.”
It was from here I used to start
pitching my product and try to
generate their interest into it.
In the case of top food bloggers
my approach was:
“Hello Sir, my name is ------- and
I am from XYZ Ltd. We are in
this industry since 1887 and we
are coming up with our new on
the go pouch and we are
looking forward to getting
associated with you so that you
can write about our product on
your blog.”
THE FOLLOW UP
•This is the most important part
of the content marketing. You
must consistently follow up
your prospects so that you can
gain most from them. Be careful
on the frequency of the follow
up as too much of it can irritate
them
•Be punctual in follow-up.
Punctuality gives a very
professional look to your
proposal
•When making a call, make sure
you have a pen and notebook
with you so that you can note
down the important points of
your communication
•E-mail is another very common
means to follow up. The email
should be crisp, professional
and should contain every
necessary information required
for that particular follow-up
•Answer the questions they have
but the main objective is to share
your story with them.
•If he says, “No”, then thank him
for his time, suggest you keep in
touch, as circumstance can
change, but ask him in the
meantime if he knows someone
who can be interested in the
proposal, in this way you will get
another lead
Contact marketing can do
wonders for the company if
implemented properly. It not only
leads to the creation of business
opportunity but also creates a
chain of contacts for the
individual.
30

FEATURED ARTICLE
“We,
Indian,have
always
chased
after the
celebrity
persons
promoting
and
endorsing
the brand –
not the
product! .”
-SUVINAVA BASAK
IIM Indore
Surviving Shiny Object Syndrome in
Influencer Marketing:
Have you ever thought what it would be like if you launch a new product or a brand, and
you could successfully persuade someone like Shah Rukh Khan or, MS Dhoni or
Narendra Modi to promote your brand? Sounds crazy? Well, that‟s exactly what
“Influencer Marketing” is, and those persons are the influencers who endorse your
brand and convey your brand‟s message to common people – in short, influences the
consumers.
Every business wants to maximise its brand awareness and social
visibility. Over 92% of potential customers trust recommendations
from people over brands – undoubtedly Influencer Marketing is one
of the most used buzzwords of marketing.
We, Indian, have always chased after the celebrity persons promoting
and endorsing the brand – not the product! That‟s inside our head;
exactly this is where most influencing marketers take leverage of –
using the psychology. Reaching out to millions of consumers might be
hectic and sometimes impossible too – but using a few influencers
who can promote those products for them is much easier.
31

FEATURED ARTICLE
“There are
few basic
rules which
can work
wonders
for us in
Contact
Marketing”
As social media platforms are emerging as the most influential place, it has been an
integral component of Influencer Marketing.
SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
But, as it‟s said, no good thing is
perfect. “With great power, comes
great responsibility” – and with
great responsibility, comes great
expectations and chances of not
meeting those. As we started this
article with “if you launch a new
product or brand…” is it easy to
come up with single idea amidst
this crowd of ideas or the latest
fad? Small business owners often
get confused with this and end up
going off in multiple directions and
never completing anything.
We often get attracted towards
anything having a glassy, polished,
shiny appearance. The Same
situation happens with ideas -
something as simple as a
reflection in your surrounding
vision may easily distract your
focus. Well, it got a name too,
„Shiny Object Syndrome‟ or SOS –
the name itself suggests how
urgent it is to deal with.
Not only the SME owners, even
for the well-established brand, it
has been difficult to avoid falling
into the pit of “Shiny Object
Syndrome” – around 84%
marketers aim to launch a new
influencer marketing campaign
every year and most of them fall
in SOS pitfall – and that’s the
reason hardly few campaigns
strikes us and we remember those
32

AUTHENTICITY
Last-moment-rush or just going by the appearance is
not a god idea when you‟re going for a long term
partnership with an influencer. It‟s always important
doing a background check of the possible influencers.
If you come across questionable content not aligned
with your brand, move on.
Market Domination Media founder Jonathan Long
said, “When you do identify the right potential
influencer, spend some time looking at the person‟s
previous posts and check out newer posts carefully to
see what kind of engagement they experience.”
SCALE
Keeping a balance of quality and quantity is necessary
– and that is the part most of the brand fails.
Measuring an influencer‟s reach, focusing on influencer
relevancy and how their audience engages with their
content will help you unlocking the true value of a
potential influencer.
An appropriate influencer with 50,000 fan base may
turn out to be more helpful in running a successful
marketing campaign rather than a YouTube channel
with millions of followers.
SPEED
Speed, however good it might sound – isn‟t always
best for you. Creating content at lightning speed is a
common problem for brand and marketers.
Unpassionate influencers may simply post fast and
easy content to get it over with – resulting in
inappropriate brand messaging, and you might miss an
opportunity to reach your target audience.
Maintaining control of influencer content is important
– keeping a slow and steady approach is absolutely
necessary for that.
INTHE END
Influencer marketing, when done right, can be
incredibly powerful. But, as no good things come free
of cost – the associated potential pitfalls are also
equally important to take care of to amplify the effect
of the campaign.
FEATURED ARTICLE
for a long period. Keep aside
SMEs, even giants like YouTube and
Disney fall victim of this „disease‟.
THE PITFALL
An Influencer Marketing campaign
is as good as the relationship
between the brand and influencer
– such campaign makes the
influencer an integral part of the
brand – so, as long as the
partnership is sustained between
them, it‟s good for both. As a
matter of fact, most of us still
relate Sachin with MRF,
irrespective of the fact he no
more associated with it.
No need to say, getting aligned
with the right influencer is as
equally important as it is to
sustain the relationship for a
longer tenure. So, it is of utmost
importance to invest your time
choosing the right influencer.
Indeed a difficult job – but there
are few key metrics which MUST
be looked at –
• Domain Authority
• UniqueVisitors
• Engagement per Post
• Audience Demographics
• Quality of Content
Though these don‟t form an
exclusive list but are absolutely
important.
HOWTO PREVENT
Now we can dig deeper into
„Shiny Object Syndrome‟ and
classify the major 3 reasons for it
being such evil.
33

34
SQUARE HEAD
-MANSI
PAREKH

35
BUZZ
-DEEP
SHAH
ACROSS
1. This collection range ofTitan
watches has #KhudSeNayaRishta
campaign associated with it.
2. SonyLIV has launched this
regional language web-series as a
strategic move to augment the
traction that the platform is
currently receiving from regional
audiences.
3. The logo of this Indian news
channel which had a combination
of blue and white colours has now
changed to red and yellow.
DOWN
4.The media agency won global media
mandate for Merc Consumer
Healthcare.
5.This brand's funnyTwitter campaign
recently sought to discourage people
from drunk driving.
6.This English media house signed a
licensing deal with Amazon India for
broadcast on Amazon PrimeVideo.
7.Maruti Suzuki positions this model
as a car 'Made for India' with its latest
brand campaign.
8.This property portal turned
billboards into blankets for the
homeless in association with a Delhi-
based NGO, Uday Foundation.
ANSWERS
1.RAGA2.YOLO3.ABPNEWS4.STARCOM5.OLA6.BBC
7.ALTO8.MAGICBRICKS

CALL FOR ARTICLES JULY 2017
Articles can be sent on any one of the following topics*:
*Please ensure that there is no plagiarism and all references are
clearly mentioned.
The best adjudged article will be given a Winner‟s Certificate.
Deadline for the submission of article : 20th July, 2017
1.Travel Brands leveraging Millennial Markets
2. Boosting brand identity with Instagram
3. Change Management : The new Marketing
Capability
1. One article can have only one author.
2. Your article should be approximately 800-850 words
and MUST be replete with relevant pictures that can
be used to enhance the article.
3. FontType: Gill Sans MT
4. Font Size: 14.
5. Send your article in .doc/.docx format to
marksman.simsr@somaiya.edu
6. Subtitle line:Your name_Institute Name_CourseYear
7. Kindly name your file as : Your name_Topic

www.interfacesimsr.com
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