Marketing – straight from the horse’s mouth!

On 6^th September, 2012, the students of IIM Raipur had a rare opportunity to interact with a veteran in the marketing domain, Mr. Kartik Raina. He is currently a Senior Advisor with YFactor, a firm which provides Management Advisory Services to FMCG Companies. Mr Raina completed his MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai and has extensive experience in sales and marketing with various MNCs such as P&G, Dabur and Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Healthcare.

Mr Raina enthralled the students with anecdotes from his days with Dabur, P&G, and Glaxo Smith Kline. He emphasized the importance of understanding consumer behavior, as it has a direct influence on the marketing strategy of the company. He recalled how, in his early days as a sales manager, he was required to observe customers buying Vicks cough drops at chemist shops. His observations made him realize that people bought Vicks drops not only to treat a sore throat but also to consume it as a lemon juice due to oral fixation. This realization led to the positioning of Vicks as a general lozenge, and not as a niche product with medicinal value alone, thereby closing the gap between the stated and secret needs of the consumers.

Mr. Raina then explained how the marketing concepts that we read about in Kotler can be implemented in real life scenario. He showed the flip side too-how some products fail despite having great expectations and stated that 70% of the marketing campaigns end in failure.

The students learnt a lot from this interaction, they clarified their doubts regarding developing brands, using controversies to sensitize masses, and various other concepts in marketing such as Self-referencing conceptual context etc., They were inspired to apply their theoretical knowledge in practical situations once they don the role of marketing managers.

Contributed By : Neha Khapre, PGP 2012-14, she can be reached at pgp12084.neha@iimraipur.ac.in

HR Confluence on Talent Management

                    

        “The Confluence was organised at IIM Raipur on 25thAugust 2012 at its campus for students to gain an industry interface as well as understand the applicability of management principles to real life. This was also a step in joining hands with the Corporates here, their HR and all HR Professionals.”,said the Confluence Convener Prof. Shubhra Hajela.

          The confluence was graced by the presence of HR veterans from prominent corporates such as SAIL, TVS, Renault Nissan, Deloitte, L&T, Essar Oil Ltd.,Balco and Carwale.com. The issues of talent management is an issue which needs much deliberation was agreed by all the panelists especially in the world of today where economic and social changes are happening at a rampant pace. The confluence took place in three phases addressing the most important aspects of talent management such as Talent Spotting, Talent Retention and Talent Development.

           The session began with the Director of IIM Raipur, Prof. Sahay addressing the gathering on functioning of an organization and the vital role played by HR in it. The keynote speaker Mr Bhagirathi Dhal, Executive Director, SAIL in his speechstressed on how people centric the business is, and also cited interesting stories from Mahabharata to explain the concept of employee engagement.His speech threw light on the fact that talent management is not an isolated entity; instead it is interwoven all along the fabric of the organization and influences its functionality to a great extent.

             Mr ShashikanthJayaraman, Head HR, TVS highlighted the trend of modern era where ‘jobs are after people’, which is in stark contrast to the past when ‘people were after jobs’, since the mantra has changed from job security to value addition. He strongly advocated that the corporate should recruit individuals based on the principles they carry and value they hold, and not merely based on skills alone.

             Speech by Mr. Arokia Sagayaraj, HR Head, Renault Nissan revolved around the talent expectations in the core automotive industry and the importance of shifting the focus from the retention of top 10% to 30-40%. The inference from his speech was that in order to have high level of employee engagement the management should be more concerned in the mannerism in which a strategy is rolled out for it has a significant impact than the strategy by itself. Mr Vikas Gupta,VP Talent, Deloitte connected the HR activities to India’s most favourite sport cricket; this led to an easy understanding of complex issues in talent management. Ms Priya Singh, Carwale spoke of the importance in developing friendly work culture for employee involvement.She emphasized that the retention and work culture begins right from the hiring process.

               Moderator for the third session, Prof, Parashar stressed that it is talented people who provide a competitive advantage to organizations. Speech by Mr. V .Ravi, L&T Hydrocarbon, focused on the need to innovate the training programs so as to help employees develop their skills.Mr Amit Joshi, Associate VP of BALCO, emphasized that each and every employee of an organization is a talent which must be nurtured and developed through competency mapping and structured induction programs.

            The three panels Talent Spotting, Talent Retention and Talent Development had student panellists who were inquisitive about the theoretical manifestations of the real-time business scenarios.The industry experts were more than happy to provide the practitioner’s perspective on the questions raised and broaden the students’ views.The confluence served the purpose of not only gaining an understanding on employee behaviour and retention, but also gave a new dimension about the role of HRs and hopes pinned on them by the organizations for their success. As a whole this kindled the spirits of aspiring HR managers of IIM Raipur to learn more on this field and carve a niche for them.

         

            The success of the confluence can be attributed to the student core committee members Arindam Mandal, Dhileeban Rajakumaran and Anshu Katiyar under the guidance of Confluence Convener Prof. Shubhra Hajela.

B-ing at new IIM

“Why me?”

Disappointed. Letdown. Exactly what some of you are feeling at this moment. Right?

Complaints of mismanagement in the hallowed lanes of management. Voices raised. Fingers pointed. Comparisons made. Frustrations vented out in forums. People cribbing about the non-transparency of the selection process. Dilution of the IIM brand. The talks of disparities in the cut-off criteria. The indignation at the perceived irrationalities of the interviews. Issues with the website displaying results.

And the list goes on.

Even those with calls are not spared of the misery. Especially those with multiple calls. They suffer from the dilemma of plenty. No one wants to settle for anything less than the best. We ask around for those with opinions. We read posts. We compare placement reports, batch size, faculty, infrastructure, college locations. In some cases, even a skewed sex ratio creeps in as a prerequisite. No prizes for guessing which side it is skewed towards.

Wind those clocks a year back. We were on the same side as yours. Knocking on the doors, we were.

Time was like an immovable object. Frustrated as we were on some occasions, we cribbed. We cried unfair. Some of us mocked the institutes out of sheer desperation.

“Why me” was the feeling.

Things didn’t change much at IIM Raipur. It’s not very easy to be on the other side of things. We realized this only after we got here.

In a b-school, there are the usual mundane things. Classes, Projects, Assignments take their toll. CVs, sometimes not very different from blank A4 sheets, needed major upgrades. Extracurricular activities were as important as academics. There were the Club activities. Competing & participating in events, competitions, quizzes at other colleges. Fests needed to be organized in yours. The “culture” so to say, is passed on to batches.

But it was very different with us. We had no “culture” when we arrived. We had to make one. We were new. We were not handed over things in a platter. Pitched against the best, we had no “b-school feel” as they say. Nothing to brag about. No one to give us directions.

We had the same expectations that people carry when they join colleges of the cadre of “IIMs”. It was initially a feeling of letdown for us. We envied the infrastructure that schools like A, B ,C had. All those stories about a snazzy b-school life that we dreamed of, were told about, read about etc., now seemed like a mirage. And all of this while we were being lectured about “post-purchase dissonance” in mark(read marketing) classes. Huh!

It was only in those moments of desperation, that one realized (or in some cases “had” to realize) that the legacy of those three letters “I I M” is not endowed. It’s earned. Inch by inch. Brick by Brick.

I mean, what is the point in cribbing? What do you get of it? It is not just about being strong, but “feeling” strong. If you think that you are shit just because you couldn’t fare marginally better in a written test/interview on an average day, then chances are nobody can help you either. You will remain to be what you think you are. As one of my seniors said on the very first day at college:

“Pain is Inevitable, but suffering is Optional!”

That statement took its time to settle. It doesn’t come easy; trust me when I say this. But it was there to stay. Now when we look back at the last 2 years, we can say that we have done quite well. We have had very decent placements in all domains. We have organized fests, entrepreneurship summits, and quizzes on a national level. We have had sports tournaments. Clubs have become more active. To put it right, we needed the “IIM Culture”. The legacy we inherit ensures that ordinary is not acceptable.

With no Alumni or Wisdom passed through Batches we started from scratch. Imagine pitching yourself for sponsorship from a Real Estate Company Owner in Raipur. That too for events organized on a nationwide scale as those of other IIMs. How you do it? This is just the tip of what goes in to making that ‘culture’. It will not be without its own birth pangs. It’s taking shape every single moment, right from the little things as “thumping tables” in class, the lingos, the parties, the gyaan sessions, the one-of-a-kind quizzes late in the pm etc.

One very important idea that developed was to understand how we stand and compete. It is easy to fall into comparisons with peer IIMs, talk about their shortcomings or even slander. We feel especially proud of the fact that all our communications (formal or informal) have talked of our own strengths and not the pitfalls of others. The kind of value system that we intend to create is what we hope will become a part of our ‘culture’.

In contemplation, one thinks that CAT was just a Math & English test peppered in some cases with Reasoning. That’s all it took. Getting in was the easiest part. As I am writing this, I know that some of you are thinking that I have lost it. “That’s pride talking. It’s easy to be saying these things while sitting in a b-school”. Right? But nobody hands you a six figure paycheck just because you wrote a damn test & got here. For that matter, it’s the same for any b-school. Face that!

All this talking about the issues we faced. We know that it doesn’t help matters much. We don’t want to come across as sympathy seekers.

We owe you a sincere apology for the inconveniences dues to lacunae in the current admissions system.

We can only promise you that there only one way we wish to go. And that’s skywards. There have been mistakes. There have been shortcomings. But we know we have got better. As difficult as it is to maintain standards as high as is expected from those three letters attached to our lives, it is also an experience that not many would have. Or rather, dare to have.

We are only starting. We are rising. And we need you on this. What say thou? Are you in? Can you bite the bullet?

Wish I could tell you how it is to be here. And all the things that matter at the end of the day. Because the only things you would take away from college are a bunch of good friends & the “feel-good” of having spent your two years well. And of course. Considering the current trends, a hefty loan to pay off!

Here's hoping that you choose well. All the very best for your lives.

Contributed By : Somyakanta Nanda, PGP 2011-13, He can be reached at pgp11036.somyakanta@iimraipur.ac.in

What team India can learn from India Inc

And on 2nd April, 2011, history was rewritten when our own Men-in-Blue won the most prestigious trophy of the cricketing world, the ICC Cricket World Cup and thus, were crowned the number 1 ODI team. The Indian cricket team was already on the top position in the ICC Test Rankings since nearly two years and the World Cup victory coupled with the 1st rank in tests must have given the team the boost and confidence it would need to stay at the top for a long time.

Basking in this glory, the team went to West Indies for a mini tour which could be termed as the preparation for the upcoming “big” English summer. West Indies, for obvious reasons, couldn’t match India in any aspect and it seemed the “Blues” would triumph upon their English opponents as well.

And then, came the English beating. The “Blues” were beaten black and blue and had to return without tasting victory. The No. 1 team was no longer at the top position. As we read this article, we are at a time when India have lost 4 consecutive test matches to a team which was struggling in aspects of form, fitness and an inexperienced bowling attack. And the mighty Indian team lost like a bunch, not a team, of players.

As aspirants, we are often stumped by the roles of managers and the paradigms of management. I have made a comparison of management with the ongoing cricket tour Down Under. Let us consider the following points:

Complacency

The hunger which the Indian team showed to take the numero uno position is nowhere to be seen now and it seems that they are satiated with the success that they have generated in the recent past. Likewise, there are chances that the managers of a company being satisfied with their company being at the first position. This could lead to a total downfall for the company. It is the manager’s onus to keep the company working harder for more success and it is the manager’s responsibility to draw hunger from its employees for this success.

Planning and Execution

Planning is the part in which you define goals and strive to achieve them. The Indian team lacked planning. They had no goals and thus, could never strive to achieve them. There was no planning done by the Indian team to take wickets like bowling outside the off stump and then one on the stumps and other such plans. Companies without proper planning would falter in a similar fashion even if it is at the top position and way ahead of its competitors. It is also crucial for the managers to execute the plans chalked out for their firms to consolidate their first position.

Too much Dependence on BIG players

Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman – the genius, the builder, the artist – the three pillars of the Indian batting line up. Our team has relied heavily on our strong guns, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman, for most of our test matches, especially the overseas tours. However, with them faltering in the last few matches has made our team significantly weak. Our important players, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni and co, need to fire to fill in the gap created in our batting due to the lack of form of our top guns.

On a comparative basis, when the senior managers wear out of ideas, it is imperative for the junior managers to bring in new ideas and lead the firm effectively. A company cannot always rely on its senior most managers to run its businesses and the younger managers need to be more responsible and generate new ideas on a continuous basis.

Elango R, chief human resource officer at MphasiS, recently stated in an article in the Economic Times, “A star – at the work place or in the cricket team – is a star as long as the team wins.”

Weak Links

This guy has reached great heights in his life although only in the literal sense. He can extract good bounce from the fast and bouncy tracks and can use the pitch to its full extent. However, he has not been successful and there is a clear dip in his form. Lack of swing has not helped him at all. Of course, we are talking about Ishant Sharma, the tallest person of the squad. Having taken only 4 wickets in as many innings, more was expected from our second most experienced bowler of the squad. Indeed, he is one of the weak links. In companies too, one can find many such employees who either lack the skill or the willingness or the innovation to work magic for the company. The management needs to look out for such people and develop their skills to full extent in order to gain maximum out of them.

Losing out on viewers

It doesn’t take much time in the highly competitive corporate world to lose out on consumers. A single mistake or a single defeat may aid your competitor in taking all the limelight and your consumer base, our team lost 8 on trot! The firm’s managers always need to be on their toes to avoid such defeats and keep progressing towards the pinnacle. And unlike cricket (where the viewers would be back in front of their TV sets for the next series), the company will certainly lose out on its consumer base.

Leading from the front

The leader of a team, firm, group, or whatever you call it, is the most important person for the success of the team. Team India’s leader, captain MS Dhoni, has scored only 102 runs in 6 innings with an average of only 20.4 runs/innings. These figures are certainly not correlative to the caliber which the batsman has shown. Moreover, his captaincy lacks its sheen and its Midas’ touch which once used to work wonders and win matches for India out of nowhere. Managers and CEOs, too, need to be proactive leaders and have to make decisions and plan and execute these decisions in the right way to work wonders for the company. A manager not only has to be effective in leading but also has to lead by example. Only then can the company attain a move up on the ladder of success. Leaders of the management constantly need to change their thinking and keep evolving to strike gold.

To complete the analogy, let us consider the case of Nokia. Nokia was a one-time leader in the 90’s. Complacency at top position and lack of innovative leadership rendered Nokia in losing the top position to Apple and Samsung.

Well, of course, these are not the only things that will bring success to an organization. The list is long and ways are many. The management world is constantly evolving. But, by keeping in mind these aspects, the chances of attaining success will grow manifold. There are many scenarios of day-to-day life with which we can relate to the working of a manager and this is one of them. I would like to end with a note that management is no rocket science but it’s the constant improvisation and continuous planning that makes you “Steve Jobs.”

The article has been contributed by Harshal Parikh, PGP 2011-13. He can be reached at pgp11016.harshal@iimraipur.ac.in. When not busy representing the batch he plays cricket and derides any anti-Sachin Fan.