On October, 22,
2012, IIM Raipur conducted its first marketing simulation store “Soap Opera”.
As the name suggests the simulation was about the Indian soap market, one of
the biggest FMCG sectors of the country.
The event was
conducted by a team of PGP first year students under the guidance of Prof.
Sanjeev Prashar, Chairperson, Career and placement, IIM Raipur. The event was
attended by the faculty and the students of IIM Raipur.
The event had counters
of major players in the Indian Soap Industry which displayed the various
products and their variants from the product line of the company. Information
about the history, target markets, positioning and campaigns during the
evolution of the product was provided by the student volunteers. The companies
who featured in the marketing simulation store included Godrej, Wipro, HUL,
ITC, Park Avenue and Reckitt Benckiser.
Students
participated in a quiz session to check their knowledge about the Indian soap
industry. The quiz had attractive prizes for correct answers.
Prof. Sanjeev
Parashar explained how the 4P’s do not work in rural India. Companies generally
fail to understand it and hence their products do not make a mark in the Indian
market.
The last phase
of the simulation consisted of a humorous skit presented by Sujeet and group to
show how despite of many marketing strategies being framed and applied by big
companies, their products do not get success.
The event was a
great success and the students gained new insight in the area of marketing of
FMCG products.
