The document is a magazine that discusses various marketing topics. The cover story summarizes how Apple successfully marketed its products using unconventional strategies like not doing market research, relying on word-of-mouth promotion, owning the entire hardware and software ecosystem, sticking to technological innovation, and premium pricing. A special story discusses the growing field of sports marketing, including marketing of sports events and teams, and marketing of products using sports sponsorships and partnerships.

1. The
MARKSMAN
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research VOL. II ǀ ISSUE VI ǀ NOV ‘11
INSIDE
Destination
Branding
Repositioning of
Blackberry
Future of ‘’Akash’’
and much more!!

2. EDITOR’S DESK
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
THE MARKSMAN 02

3. CONTENTS
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NOVEMBER 2011 03

4. COVER STORY
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
THE MARKSMAN 04

5. COVER STORY
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 05

6. COVER STORY
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.
THE MARKSMAN 06

7. SPECIAL STORY
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 07

8. SPECIAL STORY
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.
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.
THE MARKSMAN 08

9. SPECIAL STORY
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 09

10. SPECIAL STORY
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.
THE MARKSMAN 10

11. FEATURED ARTICLE
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 11

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.
THE MARKSMAN 12

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 13

14. FEATURED ARTICLE
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.
THE MARKSMAN 14

15. FEATURED ARTICLE
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.
NOVEMBER 2011 15

16. FEATURED ARTICLE
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.
THE MARKSMAN 16

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 17

18. SquAreheaD
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.
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 MARKSMAN 18

19. REWIND
Event: Guest Lecture - Capgemini
Speaker: Ms. Sangeeta Sundaram, Head
Marketing and Communications, Capgemini India
Date: 21st October, 2011
Venue: Seminar Hall, SIMSR
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.
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.
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!
NOVEMBER 2011 19

20. ITS ALL ABOUT AD-itude !
Brand: TOI, Chennai edition
Advertiser: Maharashtra Tourism
Creative Agency: Taproot India
Development Corporation
Creative Agency: Xebec
TOI‟s new campaign is titled “Wake up to
the Times Of India”. It starts at the
The latest advertisement of Maharashtra
inauguration of a multi storied building. As
Tourism Development Corporation is
a gentleman cuts the red ribbon, we see a
simple and inviting. This time its not about
lungi-clad man fast asleep. A cricket team
scenic beauty or heritage sites. These fresh
proudly poses with their trophy and there
new images are of drawings made in the
he is again asleep with his head on the
sand. One such image is of a dolphin and
coach‟s shoulder. The roads are blocked
another of an unfinished game of tic-tac-toe,
and sirens are blazing as a politician
drawn lazily at the sea shore with an idle
addresses the anxious crowd in the
wave passing by. The posters create a strong
streets. But he sleeps undisturbed on the
association with the western coastal line
roof of a car. He sleeps through all the
with the help of these images, drawing
things that happen around him. Suddenly
attention to the variety of flora and fauna
the screen reads in block letters “STUCK
that can be explored in this 720 km canvas
WITH NEWS THAT PUTS YOU TO
that is just waiting to be explored.
SLEEP?” A copy of Times of India slides
What stands out about this ad is the fact
forward and the mans eyes finally open!
that it does not impose on you just the
The TVC blends in a Tamil lullaby with
bland facts of the travel destination you are
different scenes in a satirical way to
about to go to. It conveys to you that it will
project that Chennai has been reading
be a fun and care free get away. It goes back
boring newspapers which have put them
to the basics, helping you attain what‟s most
to sleep and it's time they switched to
important while on a vacation - creating
TOI's for their daily dose of news. A clear
happy memories.
cut message and humorous to watch.
THE MARKSMAN 20

21. BOOKWORM
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.
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.
NOVEMBER 2011 21

22. TWEETS
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
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
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
THE MARKSMAN 22

23. TWEETS
Tesco aims to build on Tata tie-up for India retail
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
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.
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.
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.
NOVEMBER 2011 23

24. BUZZ
PUZZLE HINTS
Across Down
2. The picture is the logo of the parent 1. This is the parent company of world‟s
company of which famous ship? 2nd largest forging company.
3. Flame – is a deodorant from the house of
which famous Food Retailer? 6. This company is a parody of Wikipedia
4. What was founded as a cricket club in 1899 and the logo depicted is called
by British expatriates who came from Puzzle Potato.
Nottingham, gradually converting to what
it is now and the club has retained the 8. Which bank launched the "Bank on
English spelling of its city‟s name. Bike" campaign recently? The picture
5. Connect Royal Oak, One Tree Hill, Phoenix, depicts the earlier logo of the bank.
Deer Park, Bon Echo, Gran Paradiso and 9. Simon,a product by IBM, was the first in
Shiretoko.These are the various versions
of what? The character was the earlier which category?
mascot of the company.
7. This company was named after the
Founder's pet bulldog.
7.Zygna 8.State Bank 9.Smartphone
Answers : 1.Kalyani 2.Titanic 3.Burger king 4.AC Milan 5.Mozilla 6.Uncyclopedia
THE MARKSMAN 24

25. CALL FOR ARTICLES
December 201 1
Articles can be sent on any one of the following
topics*:
• United Colors of Benetton peace ad campaign-
effective or disrespectful?
• Regional Brands that survived and made it big.
• Surrogate Marketing
*Please ensure that there is no plagiarism and all
references are clearly mentioned
1. One article can have only one author.
2. Your article should be from 500-600 words
and MUST be replete with relevant pictures
that can be used to enhance your article.
3. Send in your articles in .doc/.docx format
with font size 11 (Arial) to:
interface.newsletter@gmail.com
4. Subject Line:Your Name_Institute
Name_Course Year.
5. Kindly name your file as:Your Name_Topic
The best adjudged article will be given a
winner's certificate.
Deadline for submission of the articles:
11:59 PM , 16th December 2011.
NOVEMBER 2011 25

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THE MARKSMAN 26