Dev Ayan Writes

Shift Alert

2021-07-08T06:26:00.003-07:00

I have shifted my blogs to Hubpages and I write regularly there. You can read my future blogs and follow me there.

The reason for to shift was that readers can have access to not just my posts but also many other writers writing about various topics. You can follow me and let me know your feedback without having to fill a form or subscribe. be able to build a community that I can serve with my experience and knowledge.

Looking forward to having you there.

I always try to come up with relevant business articles that will help my readers in their journey. I cherish every read and every follower. So don't forget to follow me there.

Best,

Debayan Ganguly

5 Wonderful Books that will Make You Admire Marketing

2021-05-16T12:38:00.003-07:00

Have you ever read a business book? Did you find any positive takeaway from them? Did they increase your love for the subject?

Well, while most of the books have core target readers and are heavy on technical knowledge which makes an ordinary reader more distant from the subject.

Having a career as a marketing professional, I would obviously want that to be appealing to many people. You may already know what marketing people do, or have a general idea about them. I will elucidate the role of a marketer in my future blogs.

In this blog, I list down 5 books any non-marketer can read to have an appreciation for the subject. All these books are written in a plain and engaging language without being heavily bent on jargons and technical knowledge. I recommend these books to anyone looking to know about marketing or who has no idea about the subject. These books are sure to leave you with a contented heart and you can have some positive takeaways from them.

Contagious: Why things catch on by Jonah Berger

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In this book, Jonah Berger discusses why some things catch on while others cannot. He defines 6 factors or 'STEPPS' about how making your communication reach a wider audience and make them 'Contagious'.

About the author: Jonah Berger is a professor at the Wharton School of Penn State University with expertise in the word of mouth, consumer behaviour. He has published over 50 articles in internationally reputed journals and has helped companies like Apple, Facebook, Nike, Google, GE in getting their ideas to catch on with the masses.

Marketing Warfare by Al Ries and Jack Trout

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This book is closest to my heart. My initial interest in Marketing came from this book. The authors here, try to draw parallels between Marketing Strategy and Warfare Strategy. They discuss Offensive, Defensive, Flanking, and Guerilla strategy in the context of Marketing. Adding to it there are evergreen stories in Marketing like 'The Cola War', 'The Beer War', 'The Burger War' etc.

About the Authors:

Al Ries is a marketing consultant with 50+ years of experience in the field. His articles on Positioning propelled him to fame in the 70s. He has authored and co-authored 11 books.

Jack Trout is the founder of Trout and Partners, a company that has done 'Positioning Strategy' for various companies like IBM, HP, Intel. He has 40 years of experience in Marketing and is the pioneer of many fields of Marketing.

Dream with your eyes open: An Entrepreneurial Journey by Ronnie Screwvala

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This book talks about business in general. Ronnie Screwvala talks about his journey as an entrepreneur coming from a humble middle-class background taking risks one step at a time. This book motivates you to take risks while telling narrating a success story. It urges you to have a 'never say no' attitude towards everything in life.

About the Author: Ronnie Screwvala is the man behind many successful businesses in India. If you have been following the entertainment industry closely, you would know about UTV movies, RSVP films already. This man was behind all those companies. Even the current online higher education portal Upgrad was his initiative.

Introducing Game theory: A graphic guide by Dr Ivan and Tuvana Pastine. Illustration by Tom Humberstone

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This book is another basic level book on the subject. Without going into the complexities of equations to explain the theory, the authors stick to basic logical explanation with many simplistic real-life examples. Reading this book makes grasping concepts of 'Prisoners' Dilemma', 'Common Rationality Expectations' and many other topics much easier.

Though this book doesn't deal with marketing directly, the topic's relation to human behaviour makes it an important inclusion. It deals with the passing of information, communication; which are an integral part of any marketing activity. Two key areas in Marketing where a marketer could apply this theory are advertising, communicating product quality to the customer.

About the Authors:

Dr Ivan Pastine's explanation of financial crises using Game Theory is a part of PhD programmes at Harvard and the London School of Economics. He is currently a lecturer at University College Dublin.

Dr Tuvana Pastine is an economist working at Maynooth University, Ireland. With a specialisation in Game Theory, she has published a wide variety of literature on the topic.

Tom Humberstone is an illustrator from Edinburgh having a glorious career in New Statesman, The NIb, Vox, The Guardian, Vice and the like.

Pandeymonium: Piyush Pandey on Advertising

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Being brought up in the early 2000s, we have seen many wonderful advertisements from brands like FevikStick, Fevicol, Dairy Milk, Santoor etc. Many of them are memorable even to this day, remember the Fevi Stick guy's excitement after catching fishes using the glue.

The author talks about his humble beginnings and how he was exposed to creativity since his childhood. He talks about never letting go of the inner child and keep asking questions. Reading the book I realised that if any film-maker had the best influence on my childhood, it is this ad film-maker.

About the Author: Piyush Pandey is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy and Mather. He has been the most influential man in Indian advertising for eight straight years by the Economic Times. In the Media Asia Award 2002, he was voted as Asia's Creative Person of the Year.

Conclusion

So which of these books are you going to pick up first? Do let me know and if you have any other book suggestions, do let me know in the comments as well.

If you love what I do, share it with your friends, colleagues, classmates, and ask them to read these books as well.

And if you are a business looking for bloggers or content writers, or know some businesses that do so, please reach out to me via the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Book Images source: Goodreads

Cover Image source: Jim Millan

10 most relevant Indian ads from last 10 years

2021-05-01T04:50:00.005-07:00

Source: Google

The latest celebrity appearances in CRED might have left you in a state of surprise and got everyone talking about it. Even the ones who had no idea about the start-up also began discussing the element of surprise in that. As an advertisement, it did get the population to talk about their product.

In this blog, I'll take you on a walk down the memory lane of advertisements. Having picked up one advertisement each from the last 10 years, I will discuss they represented the time we were in and how some stood apart from the crowd. The inclusion here is a purely personal choice.

2020 – WhatsApp's Caregiver Ad

With a 400 million + user base, WhatsApp attempted to establish itself as a household name that it has become since its inception. In 2020, they launched the 'It's between You and Me.' campaign with touching ad stories with a social appeal.

The first of their video shows a nurse taking care of an elderly woman through video conferencing and chat. Since last year, the country was under lockdown, and many living in the cities were left lonely. Caring about them was possible only from afar. WhatsApp used the moment to educate and empathise with people facing the plight of the solitary old people. It was one of the most touching and remembered ad from last year.

2019 – Axe's Make your own rules

Well, this year had a lot of good advertisements and choosing one was really difficult. On the one hand, the cell phone giant OnePlus launched its 8 series using the growing popularity of NETFLIX. On the other hand, Ford broke the stereotypes regarding the big car with their 'Discover More in You' campaign. We had also seen beloved actors Rajkumar Rao and Sanya Malhotra come together for our even more beloved Maggi.

But there was something that made Axe's 'Make your own rules' campaign appear in the list. The brand associated with manliness and flamboyance went a step ahead and tried breaking the gender expectations from men. The ad film had an ensemble cast from various professions. It included movie star Ayushman Khurrana, Rapper Naezy, footballer Sunil Chhetri and YouTubers BeYou Nick and Shashank Arora urging men to make their own rules.

Looking at how gender stereotypes are being broken and toxic notions of masculinity questioned in every literature, coming up with such a campaign is welcome in the times we are in.

2018 – Swiggy's what's in a name?

Which company would accept the negativity associated with their brand name for the greater good? Well, Swiggy did it. Back in 2018, people used to address their delivery persons as 'Swiggy.' and not their names.

Addressing the delivery people as Swiggy seemed like an ignorable offence, like casual sexism or subtle racism. The offenders don't think what doing so would mean to the other person. But someone needs to bell the cat; someone needs to initiate the conversation.

Swiggy realised the pain of their employees and decided to raise the issue through their campaigns. It shows how shameful it will be if any person is named Swiggy. The ad asks people to call their delivery personnel by their names.

Such a simple yet remarkable concept is beautifully represented in this campaign. So would you still call the delivery persons as Swiggy after watching this?

2017 - Samsung India's service reach

This is the most beautifully made advertisement on the list. You can find detailed coverage of this advertisement in the blog AdShad India

This advertisement shows delivery personnel travelling across the terrain to a remote location for providing television repair service in an orphanage. The reveal at the climax is the most emotional moment of the story.

This advertisement talks about how much effort Samsung takes to reach out to their customers' call and how they provide more than just service through their emotional journey.

I won't go much into the details, but I would want you all to watch the ad and experience their brand message for yourself.

2016 – Dove's Let's break the rules of beauty.

While many personal care products were focused on their positioning as a 'fairness brand', with 'Fair and Lovely' being the most prominent of them all. Dove, on the other hand, decided to go the other way.

The brand launched a campaign in 2016 titled 'Let's break the rules of beauty' celebrating the 'real women'.

According to their website, 67% of women would like to see diversity in the representation of beauty. Going by the rise in the demand for women empowerment, Dove decided to position itself in line with their international message of inclusivity and acceptance.

Dove's decision to take this step was much needed back then. From the point of view of a brand, it was a commendable action. But at the company level, HUL was yet to let go of their brand 'Fair and Lovely' till much later. It is now positioned as 'Glow and Lovely,' removing the term 'Fair' from their name.

Hope in the future, the brands won't be encashed on meaningless beauty standards and take a stand towards making the world better for all.

2015 Star Sports’ Mauka Mauka

Who can forget this ad?

This advertisement is everything ads meant to be. It was funny, eye-catchy. It was at the right time (World Cup 2015). It rang a chord with the masses capturing the evergreen cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan.

This advertisement got the entire nation humming to the tune of 'Mauka Mauka'. This was the most successful advertisement from a Television Channel in years. While other brands rope in cricketers to promote their products, they promoted the famous Cricket Tournament without using any Cricketers yet making an impact. The campaign is advertising genius at its peak, making it a worthy inclusion in the list.

2014 Idea Internet's No Ullu Banawing

Back in 2014, the nation was caught up in an election frenzy. In such a time, how could brands not jump in?

In 2014, many brands like Dollar. Club, Havells fan came up with TVCs related to elections and voting; even the brands like Yippee Noodles and Dominos didn't stay behind in the race.

But of all these campaigns, Idea. Stood out with their 'No Ullu Banawing' campaign. They released a set of funny and bold advertisements calling out on the fake promises made by politicians before every election, in their very own way. They ask the politician to not think of the civilians as 'Ullu' – the Hindi colloquial for Fool.

2013 Google Reunion

I remember studying this ad as a case study. This beautifully made advertisement feels like a movie in itself with its own background score.

In 2013, the Indian subcontinent had been adapting to mobile phones, and we had an app for everything. Google wanted to be established as a one-stop solution for all your information. The film shows the characters using the search engine for all their required information like weather, local news, flight status, and even VISA application throughout the duration.

The campaign touches upon the human nature of friendship, longing, partition and a final reunion.

2012 The Hindu warns about the youth

What comes to your mind when you read 'Parliamentary Behaviour'?

And now imagine, what comes to your mind when you read the word 'Parliament'?

I'm sure two different visuals are coming in your find, both contradicting each other. This contradiction was captured by the most revered English Daily – The HINDU's campaign 'The youth is watching'.

It showed how students went bonkers and resorted to violence once their teacher asked them to behave 'Parliamentary'.

The ad was a part of their awareness campaign against the consumption of Junk News. It called out to Indians, asking them to behave appropriately as the nation's youth, the impressive mind is watching. The youth often emulate their environment, and that's precisely what Hindu didn't want to happen. Going by their reputation of being the best source of authentic news, they established themselves further by raising their voice against the nation's mal activities.

2011 – Coca Cola's rays of Sunshine

Released late in December that year, Coca Cola's campaign 'Crazy for Happiness' became viral in no time.

The jingle – 'Ummeed wali dhoop' Meaning 'rays of hope' is written for the Indian audience in line with the same international campaign. This ad promotes positivity throughout its video, presenting optimistic facts against each negative news until they reveal their brand.

The message of positivity and hope was relaunched again in 2020 during COVID, receiving applause yet again.

Conclusion

So what do you think about the advertisements mentioned in the list? Which one of them is your favourite?

Do answer in the comments sections and let me know about any other ad from the last decade that was your favourite.

Share this blog with your friends, teachers, colleagues, any advertisement enthusiasts.

5 simple ways small businesses can survive in another lockdown

2021-04-26T23:39:00.002-07:00

The state of the pandemic needs no introduction. India is facing a crisis in its worst form. With cases rising in hundreds by the minute, and as you finish reading this, the active cases' list will add another 500.
While Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra have announced lockdown in some form or the other, there is a doubt whether each state will be taking a step in locking them down.

From last year's experience, we know that while lockdown helps check the spread of coronavirus cases, small businesses face the brunt of shifted consumer purchase behaviour.

With people going online and buying everything from e-commerce stores, the retailers and small servicemen whose business dependent on serving a small local population find it difficult to survive the competition from the giants.

But there are many silver linings for them that they need to identify. They have a more significant brand trust and reputation in their niche. They know their customers by face. The customers prefer going local for some of their purchases.

We here discuss how the small businesspersons can use their merits to survive and grow when another lockdown ensues.

Start door to door delivery

With the coming lockdown, your customers will not be visiting your stores. They will prefer ordering in. So it is time for preparing for delivering your goods to them. You will obviously be your customers' first choice if you can take care of delivering their products to them. While brands e-commerce brands take a day or two to reach, you can provide the services in hours.

You can be a grocery store, a cosmetics shop, or a small restaurant. You may stay afloat in the second wave if you can deliver your products to your customers.

Source: Freepick

Now how to establish a delivery system?

You can either do it yourself or hire someone. That someone could be your family, friend, anyone. Every housing society has a car cleaner, sweeper and the like who would be jobless in the lockdown. You can use them to deliver your products at a commission. In this way, you will be helping the underprivileged people earn as well. In terrible times, we need to help each other grow.

And while you do it, don't forget to follow all the social distancing and sanitising protocols.

It will start with a friend request

Your customers will be spending more time consuming social media content and other apps on their phones. It is time to exist in their newsfeed.

As you would know most of your customers by face, if not by name, you can easily recognise them when Facebook recommends them to people nearby. Start sending them friend requests. I am sure they will accept; at least a good number of them would. You need to use social media proactively.

Source: Wordpress.com

After they have accepted your request, introduce yourself even if they know you. Talk about your products. Update about your shop's activities, your inventories. This way, they will be able to recall you whenever they would need your products.

You have phone numbers written on your shop's hoardings. It's time to use WhatsApp to take delivery orders. It's easy, convenient and they can get a prompt reply about the products' availability. The ease of ordering would prove advantageous in your case.

And if you are someone who is dependent on local retailers, please connect with them over social media, accept their request. They need your approachability.

Reach out to the elderlies

According to the census 2011, almost 15 million elderlies live alone. Another survey in 2018 by Agewell Foundation found that nearly a quarter of elderlies live alone in Delhi.

The people living alone with limited resources are often ignored in the conventional segmentation. These people cannot be considered similar to any other because of their age, physical and mental conditions, and being non-tech savvy. This neglect leaves a new target group to cater to.

In most cities, we see older people staying away from any younger relatives in different cities. These elderlies are seldom tech-savvy. If they need anything online, they would be asking their children in different cities. Having no idea about your presence, their children would opt for online delivery of other services that have a national or global presence. The service companies then provide them with their requirement in a day or two.

Source: Silver Talkies

Now you could significantly reduce this long chain of asking, ordering, and delivering if you reach out to them and know their pain points. You can then use your delivery system you created to serve them. They often require emergency medicines at the earliest; your business is best suited for them.

According to blogger Chintan Bharwada, older people require more attention, prefer a one-stop platform, and are convenience-oriented, among many other factors. You have everything they are looking for. None of the nationally present company can reach out to them the way you can. Though their shopping basket is of lesser value, their customer loyalty is too good to ignore.

Again, maintain extra precautions while serving them. You don't want to infect them with the virus.

Accommodate panic purchase

If you are a grocery shop owner, focus on the essential products; order them wisely. People are going to resort to panic purchase once the lockdown begins. But you need to keep a check on the Bull Whip Effect and minimise the costs of overstocking.

At times, you won't be able to accommodate your customers' rising demands, which will often be temporary. Remember, it is okay to turn down a customer than to let your inventory accumulate once the demand is down. The cost of understocking is less than the cost of overstocking. You can always ask your customers to check later, and they will understand. Politely tell them that you need to serve everyone and can't put your resources for one customer. Everyone understands pandemic, and they will appreciate you too.

Sources: Indian Express

If you are not someone dealing in essentials, you may face the brunt of a customer shift towards only essential products. You can still promote your products and services. Have your products in their minds, and once the lockdown is eased, sell it to them. As customers should refrain from panic purchase, you should not let your guards down to sell. Instead, try to shift to products that people are buying. If you are a boutique, sell masks. If you are a stationery shop, sell sanitisers. Be available to your customers in one way or the other.

There's always scope for growing your business. Explore all the avenues.

Use the power of word of mouth marketing

Advertisements work for the heavily funded or the ones whose revenue is on the higher side. But the most potent form of advertising is the one that cannot be bought –word of mouth.

Peer-to-peer advice and suggestions often go a long way in sales than any form of advertising.

Source: G2 Learning Hub

You can take advantage of this communication to further push your business. You can ask your customers to let their peers know about your business. Additionally, ask them if their friends need anything.

People will be talking about you if you can solve their needs well. And while you do, ensure to get an extra lead on your next customer. In this way, you can use the power of compounding to grow your business.

To conclude, be more than a business

As a businessman, don't focus on selling always. This is the perfect time to improve your customer relationships. Call your customers to ask if they are doing fine, and ask about their health, their family. DM them if you don't have their number. Become their friend and relative, not just their shopkeeper. People don't want to be sold products all the time; they need to have better experiences.

Here lies your advantage. While big players can customise their advertisements for each individual based on their internet cookies, you can develop in-person relations beyond your products. And they will remember anyone who was with them during times like these. Whom do you think they would call in times of urgent need? Of course, you, because they recall you. You are just a phone call away.

At times like these, we need more human beings and fewer businesspeople to survive. Don't forget; they're your neighbours too. Even after the pandemic, they will retain the relationship you have built over the lockdown.

So you have seen why in many ways, small businesses like yours can survive. Not only would you ensure a steady revenue, but you can also increase your customer reach and establish yourself as the market leader in your niche.

Do share this with other businesspeople in your vicinity and help them in times like these. You can also share the insights with them and help them grow.

Please let me know how you or the businesses in your locality are doing. Let's help each other be.

Social Initiatives: How they are creating a better world

2021-04-19T00:32:00.005-07:00

Introduction

Over the years, social initiatives have been emanating and flourishing globally. Corporates, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Individual entities have been rolling out their initiatives backed by government policies and support or out of sheer goodwill. While some of the programs are done to extend the organisation's helping hand to the socially backward, few people do more than their share to reach out to the underprivileged.

In this blog, we try to answer its importance and see a few global and Indian initiatives that have benefitted society and are fighting to make this world a better place.

What is Social Initiative?

Social Initiatives refer to those steps or endeavours aimed at helping, sustaining, growing, and promoting society. The programmes of establishing societal equity, improving access to opportunities for everyone, encouraging sustainable behaviours, promoting sustainability are various social initiatives.

Suppose you see an NGO in an awareness campaign, a doctor providing medical facilities for free to the poor, or a company sponsoring an orphanage. In that case, you are witnessing the working of a social initiative. Whenever you hear the word Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), you know they are talking about social enterprises.

Instead of depending on an external agent/agency, the impacted people form their own Self Help Groups (SHGs). SHGs pool resources and work for the benefit of the members.

You may have seen or heard about Community Kitchens. Well, they are social initiatives under the Self Help Groups or Social Organisations.

There are umpteen varieties of initiatives taken targeting a different group of people.

Why is Social Initiative important?

There is nothing new about People or Organisations taking up Social Initiatives. Nor is it seen only in third world countries. These initiatives had been prevalent for a long time globally. Companies have been doing their CSR activities. Social campaigns were organised by NGOs, and relief measures were rolled out by government agencies in the long past.

Why are we talking about Social Initiatives now? The world around is witnessing a rise in unemployment. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is increasing, especially in a post-pandemic world. Unless steps are taken to bridge the gaps and to provide equitable opportunities to grow, the scenario will turn from bad to worse.

Some examples of social initiatives

Countless examples are existing in and around us. I have tried to highlight a few examples of the initiative by individuals and companies below:

Toms Shoes:

There's an exciting story behind TOM Shoes' owner Blake Mycoskie and his decision towards starting the One for One Campaign.

Seeing few Argentinian kids barefooted left a lasting impression on him, and that's when he decided to help those in need. His One for One Campaign provides one pair of shoes to the poor. He has distributed around 60 Million shoes globally and began many other initiatives to provide Eyecare, safe water etc. Their website talks about giving a third of their profits for grassroots good, i.e. providing financial opportunities where service is scarce.

Their story is a perfect example of how one single incident leaves a lasting impression on anyone.

Samsung Electronics:

In their Sustainability Report 2020, Samsung Electronics mention the steps they have taken in the pandemic to ensure their employees, customers, and suppliers' safety by adhering to COVID protocols.

SE had also added a Hand Wash Application in their Galaxy Watch to remind the user to wash hands. They have partnered with CISCO to develop 'WEBEX' – a video-conferencing application to reduce the number of physical meetings. Other steps include assisting in mask production and helping take education online in Italy, Russia, Panama, Spain, Brazil, and Chile. They have provided tablets to needy children in South Korea and Spain.

Dr Neelam Mohan:

BC Roy National Award Winner Dr Neelam Mohan is a reputed Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Liver Specialist who is the Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Liver Transplantation at Medanta.

Dr Neelam runs a myriad of social initiatives. She runs regular clinics and health camps for children for free of costs. From 2017 onwards, she runs several programs on hepatitis B & C control and awareness programmes. She founded CHILD society (Children Intestinal and Liver Disease Society) which spreads public awareness, physician CME, and aids in health management of children’s GI diseases.

These are a few of the many initiatives she has started or is a part of. You can find more about her and her social initiatives, achievements and the like here.

Akshay Patra Foundation:

With the mission to eradicate classroom hunger, Akshay Patra and NGO was formed to help implement the Mid-day Meal Scheme in government and government-aided schools. Since the year 2000, they have been providing meals to school children. From a mere 1500 children, they are now feeding about 1.8 million children from their 52 kitchens running across 12 states and 2 union territories. They have partnered with Government, Corporates, and other Institutions for running their scheme. Akshay Patra Org has achieved operational efficiencies through automation to meet the rising demand for food.

To learn more or donate, you can visit their website here.

Kailash Satyarthi Foundation:

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has saved more than eighty thousand children from slavery, child labour, and trafficking. KSF is a foundation for freeing the children of any kind of oppression and providing a happy and safe world. One of their primary social initiatives is the 100 million Campaign. This calls out to 100 million youth to rescue children from the clutches of child trafficking, providing them education and safety etc.

They also run programmes named "Child-friendly Villages" and "Child-Friendly Community". These programmes provide an ecosystem for the children's safety and developing the villages to make them more child friendly.

Conclusion

Whether the world is a good place or not is a subjective question. But if you ask whether there's anything that can make the world a better place to live, well, the answer is – Yes, there are many things you can do to better this world. This blog celebrates the efforts of those whose efforts have made an impact in this world. If you know any person or any such initiative, please reach out to us with their story.

If you want to be a part of something greater than yourself, you may help or volunteer for one of the organisations. Or you can reach out to the people in your vicinity. Let’s all give our effort to make this world a better place.

Let me know about the social initiatives undertaken near you. Please share your points in the comments section and shout out to the people working selflessly and thank them for being the silver lining in these challenging times.

Sources:

http://ankuram.org/blogs-defining-social-initiatives/#:~:text=A%20social%20initiative%20can%20be,to%20sustainable%20development%20at%20large.

https://www.prezly.com/academy/relationships/corporate-social-responsibility/10-examples-of-exemplary-csr-initiatives

https://www.toms.com/us/impact.html

https://news.samsung.com/us/samsung-global-green-management-initiatives-journey-sustainable-future/

https://www.samsung.com/global/ir/reports-disclosures/sustainability-reports/

https://drneelammohan.com/

https://www.akshayapatra.org/about-us

https://satyarthi-us.org/our-work/#policy

The Justice League commotion - two CUTS and a Case Study

2021-03-23T23:55:00.001-07:00

Since the time ‘Justice League’ hit the theatres in 2017, disappointed fans demanded a ‘Snyder Cut’ to release. Hoping the original director’s story would do justice to the plot and characters, the audience asked for its release. Their pleas saw some respite when Zack Snyder announced his version of the movie titled ‘Snyder Cut’.

The movie is now released and is well-received. The entire commotion has left many learning scopes for businesses, and there are many management lessons to be learnt from the same.

What had happened? Zack Snyder, who had directed two previous films under the DC Extended Universe banner, was roped in for a third movie – ‘Justice League’. Upon completing the movie, the executives of DCEU and Warner Bros. wanted to add ‘humour and quirkiness’ in the film. It was a direct inspiration from their competitor – the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU had pioneered the superhero universe storytelling, something the DC was far behind and wanted to catch up with.

The audience is all grateful and in appreciation of the recently released Snyder Cut. Worse to Warner Bros.'s worry, they became even more critical of Joss Whedon, the director whom the DCEU hired for making changes to Snyder’s version. The YouTube and content platforms are brimming with the inevitable comparison between the two versions. While Snyder’s version has seen mixed reviews, everyone agrees that it is much better than Whedon’s version.

Without going much into the art of it, I tried to relate the incidents and draw parallels with the theories of management, and here’s what I found:

Positioning matters:

While the MCU has established their movies in the ‘fun action movies with quirky dialogues and witty characters, the DC had recognised darker and more serious superhero storytelling since its inception. The true DC loyals – the ones who grew up reading comics, prefer DC that way. When DCEU tried foraying into Marvel's positioning, not only did the the movie disappointed, the fan base lost faith in DC demanding for a Snyder Cut, hoping he would have done justice to their beloved characters. Losing their positioning to eat up the MCU’s share turned out to be a big mistake.

Building a brand is essential:

The MCU has started slow. Upon Blade’s success in 1998, Marvel gained some footing. Slowly since then, they have been building their characters from Iron Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and the like. By the time their Magnum Opus, ‘Avengers’ hit the theatres, Marvel was a well-established brand. Each character had a good brand awareness. The audience knew Iron Man to be a boastful millionaire; Captain America was sleeping for seventy years. The arguments between them in the movie was a good brand recall exercise for the viewers. The DC, helmed by Warner Bros., was never under one umbrella brand until 2013. ‘Man of Steel’ was the first film in the newly formed DC Extended Universe. They decided to create an umbrella brand when their competitor MCU had already done so and witnessed the success of their first heavily branded product. So if DC has to reap the benefits similar to that of MCU, it needs to focus on its core values and build a brand instead of competing out rightly with an incumbent with a loyal customer base.

Uniform Brand communication is needed:

One thing that’s sure to backfire is a confused brand statement. While in MCU, the TV series ‘Agents of Shield’ is well in line with the movies' plot and characters; DC falls behind here too. The fans of the series ‘Flash’ were disappointed by the character’s portrayal in the film. Though the TV series is not under the banner of DCEU, they must have been aware of the brand image and have done justice to the character. Thanks to the Snyder Cut, the audience can gain back their respect for the character.

Imitators don't last:

While imitating a competitor’s strategy bears fruits in the short term, it is one’s differentiation points that establishes them in the long term game. DCEU’s decision to have a humorous offering in their otherwise serious plot backfired. They were called out and made fun of by the audience. The viewers want to see a DC universe they can trust. The movies like ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘Aquaman’ have been appreciated by the audience for sticking to its core. While ‘Aquaman’ had some funny moments in the coming of age story, it never felt out of place as the main character, Aquaman himself, was a drunkard recluse with a foul mouth. DC’s move to include a fun component in every movie was seen as a metoo action and left DC with an impression of a wannabe.

The Star employee of your competitor may not be your star employee:

When Joss Whedon left MCU, he had two successful ‘Avengers’ to his portfolio. He was the sought after director before he left MCU due to creative differences. But why, then, did Whedon tank upon coming to DCEU? Has he lost his charm? Certainly Not. In MCU, he had the scope to develop and grow his characters. The entire plot and offerings were in line with ‘Action-Adventure with humour’. But Warner Bros. hired him to add humour to their serious product. The result- disappointed audience. The ‘Justice League’ movie in 2017 had inputs from two directors Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon. None of them worked together. While the former had completed the film, the other made edits based on the producers' input. Their asynchronous project made the movie look like an amputated car (like Volkswagen’s doors on a Benz). Joss Whedon was out of place. What he brought into the DCEU’s table from his MCU experience wasn’t suited for their appetite.

Customer is the destination, but employees are the vehicles to reach them:

Both DCEU and MCU target the same demographic audience. It was expected of them to see each other as competitors. But to achieve the audiences’ attention, one cannot turn back on someone who understands them better. Companies need to understand and give their employees space to work on their terms, especially those in the front seat. The demand for Snyder Cut is an example of why employees need to be respected. This goes for both MCU and DCEU. While the last two Avengers were successful despite Whedon leaving, it was due to the Russo brothers from MCU itself taking up the charge. Imagine Snyder was given the task of another ‘Avengers’.

Now that both DCEU and MCU have promising movies in their line up, as an audience and a fan of superhero movies, I can only wait to see what is in store for the two giant production houses. Hoping to see both the universe flourishing and having an exhaustive list of options to choose from.

Cover Image courtesy: Google

Tale of Rafique the retailer

2021-03-17T06:26:00.002-07:00

Rafique’s (name changed) shop used to be a small outlet in the underdeveloped area of Rajarhat in the outskirts of Kolkata. Then yet to be named, his shop was an extension of his small hut adjacent to a newly built housing society with few occupants. In 2017, there was a fridge for dairy products and a room little larger than a goomty for other articles. Rafique had limited his product range to certain SKUs of FMCG products. A few footfalls every day would make his daily routine.

Cut to 2021; he now has three shops in the vicinity. His first one expanded to double its size and capacity. He now has a wide range of offerings for the increased number of residents in the housing societies that emerged in the neighbourhood.

How was he able to achieve such exponential success? Upon observation, there are a few factors that catapulted him to where he is:

1. The expansion of the city: Kolkata is expanding, much like any other metro city. So it is evident that the immigrating population will soon occupy the outskirt areas. As the exodus of people increased, the number of housing societies also saw a rise. With it, the number of residents also increased.

2. Location: One of the key success factors of a retail store are its location. Rafique's store is at the juncture of slums and buildings. The area is undesirable by established supermarket chains (the nearest 'More' is 5 minutes drive from his shop, and the closest 'Spencer's' is farther). The people in the close apartments prefer to get things from him than anywhere else.

3. Telephonic service: There were a few disadvantages to his shop than established chains. But there was one big POD that he heavily encashed upon – taking orders through calls. His customers called him and told him their list. He used to keep those items and quantities saved aside to come and pick up at their own convenient time. This process also saved customers' time and effort if some of the products demanded were out of stock.

4. Shorter delivery time: Though groceries deliveries had made their presence back then, Rafique's TAT was far less and easy to refund and review.

Rafique’s store survived the test of time:

During the COVID 19 pandemic, stores like Rafique's were on demand when the world was under lockdown. He had maintained his relationship with his customers and tried every possible way to keep up the supplies. Whenever he used to get a fixed quantity of any product, he requested his customers not to over-purchase, as was the panic purchase habit seen during the lockdown. This may seem like a stupid decision turning down customers when the product is available and his business is struggling to survive. But, on deeper analysis, he saved the remaining quantities for other customers. Almost everyone has some products for a few days instead of someone having every product. He assured his customers that supplies will be here next week and that his customers need to think only for a week. This behaviour had a threefold benefit:

1. Customers – He served a more extensive customer base with minimum resources.

2. His business – He ensured the customers keep visiting him and kept a good relationship over the phone.

3. The society – He kept a check on people’s panic buying behaviour.

What Rafique has to teach us:

Unbeknownst to Rafique, his retail has many learnings about doing business, expanding business and sustaining turbulent times. I have tried to match my learnings from his experience with the theories taught at my B-school.

1. Start with small and scale-up: Rafique had a humble beginning like many other small retailers. Looking at his shop back then, one couldn’t have said he would be growing so fast and so vigorously. He kept one leg in the present and one in the future and steadily sailed towards success.

2. Guerrilla Marketing: Al Ries and Jack Trout, in their bestseller 'Marketing Warfare', talk about not having enough resources. They can't take a head-on market challenge with the big shots. They need to find their niche and try to become the market leader in their domain. They name this marketing strategy, 'Guerrilla Marketing'. Rafique, unaware of the theory, has been able to execute and achieve the same. He chose a niche that was hitherto unserved and needed a retail store. He grabbed the opportunity and kept himself afloat.

3. Segmentation: For targeting a particular segment, a businessman needs to gauge the size of the segment, its growth, and potential revenue opportunities in both the short and long term. The housing societies and apartments were coming up. So, though the size was small, it had high growth potential. And the same happened as his shops now remain crowded in most of the evening hours.

4. Customer service: By keeping in touch with customers' requirements, taking deliveries through phone calls, Rafique maintains a personal contact and cordial relationship with his customers, something which the apps and AI severely lack.

There are many such cases of small businessmen doing wonders around India for us to learn. Rafique is one of them. I plan to write more about these businesspersons and what they have in store for us. Till then, if you find any small retailer struggling to survive or doing excellent business, please buy from them. We need to encourage small retail for making an economy for everybody.

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