Evolution of Marketing-----Marketing class continues...

 I think Marketing lesson are very useful for both the consumers and as well as the sellers or producers. It will make both the parties understand each others mind i.e. Consumers can understand what products are produced, for what purpose and how it can be useful for them or  also get the bad side by seeing whether it does have a use or are they just to induce people to buy it.

Producers or the marketers who market their products should also understand the needs of the consumers and try to satisfy it accordingly. They should understand that people buy things for a purpose and not because they like the product. For eg : The sole purpose of Pespi or Coca Cola's existence is : To Quench Thirst which can also be done by water or lemon juice but how you make them change their views about what to drink. So accordingly, they have to understand this to penetrate into the minds of the consumers and which will also help them succeed.

So here I'm to tell you all that I know about marketing from both the point of view or just a common view:
To understand marketing, we have to know how it evolved, lets understand that.


Evolution of Marketing Concepts:
1. Production Concept:
          This happened in the world after the industrial revolution, wherein goods were just produced and they were just induced the customers to buy without any purpose.

2. Product Concept:
           This was when all the industries started facing a challenge called as competition wherein they had to compete against each other for survival. So thats when they at least tried to bring about the needs of the customers.
3. Selling Concept:
           It is said that this was when people started dreading the salesmen and marketers who tried to give products because they had too much competition. They were treated as fraud and cheaters because all they did was sell whether it was needed or not.
4. Marketing Concept:
          Somewhere after the selling concept, they realized that it was never gonna work unless they try to satisfy the customers(finally). So they tried to identify the needs of their customers and developed a product accordingly.
5. Customer Concept:
         This is when the first phase of customization took place wherein the customers were treated as kings and they also identified that every potential customer had a different need to be satisfied with the same product.
6. Societal Marketing Concept:
          This phase if when all that Go Green and other Eco- Friendly products were produced as they realized the ill effects of global warming and other harm to the environment. This was just a recent development as we all know.
7. Holistic Marketing Concept:
          This is like the concept of saying that the whole company has to work upon just one factor: Satisfy the customer's need. Be it the Finance or HR or Admin or any other department which had to follow this thumb rule. ' The customer is king.' 
8. Strategic Marketing Concept:
           This is the latest one, which has been added lately. At this stage, it is said the whole world has become an experience economy. For eg: When we buy a phone, we want to touch, feel and use it before it sinks into our minds that this what we need. Why this has evolved over this time is because, we have so much information available so the customers know more than what we as marketers know.

Likewise, these concepts can get an addition any day because the time keeps changing so does markets.

PS: This is my 200th post. I'm so overwhelmed by your support. Thank you friends.

Marketing Class is on...

Like I was saying that I was missing my marketing classes yesterday in my post. Today we had a subject called as Social Marketing taken by my favourite professor, Satheesh Krishnamurthy. He was explaining about the social causes which can be dealt with so as to make the person do what we ask him to do for his own good. This is trying to change his behaviour into something ethical for both himself and the society as a whole. Like the on-going campaign for Aids, Anti-Smoking and Don't Drink & Drive, etc which are not working out even though they are done for a social cause.

We all know that many things happen for these social causes like an actor sponsoring a child or a company contributing a part of its earnings towards women empowerment or education, etc. So he asked us this question. "Do you think that these campaigns work?". A typical example quoted by him. You ask the guys who smoke to stop on what they were doing, will they listen to you? They would rather say talk to the wall. Thats the kinda impression they have on smoking. You say it kills them, they are least bothered. Y are they not listening to you?

Another case wherein a group of doctors in Tamil Nadu wanted to create awareness among lorry drivers about AIDS. It is said that these lorry drivers take upon two prostitutes on an average day. So these guys are highly prone to Aids. These doctors showed all the pictures and videos about how the disease affects the person and believe me, I've seen these pictures in my UG degree. They are horrid. Never imagined it to be so painful and they die a painful death. The pain cannot be explained by words. So after seeing these pictures, these drivers still continued to do the same. This got these doctors confused on this issue. Then they realised that this thing has to be dealt in a different manner. So they took video clippings of kids from the age of 9,10 and on till 13 yrs. They were children who had lost their parents and were left stranded. The girls were molested and brought into prostitution whereas the guys were thief and thrown into jails. These doctors realised that these lorry drivers go back home only for one reason which was the children. So they just put forth one point. If you die, your children will also become like that and also gave a magnetic stand wherein they can keep the picture of family, the next time they try to make a pit stop on the road for the reason atleast they would consider not doing it or use a condom for their sake. Doing this type of things does not give any personal gain to the doctors or anybody for that matter, but the mental satisfaction of saving those families.

He has also given us an assignment which I am suppose to complete by the end of the trimester. It was to come up with good campaign structure for anti smoking and he also left us one clue: Most of the guys start smoking @ the age of 17 when they enter into the first year of college. Can this habit be changed? At that age what do you think is the major job of most of the guys ?? When I thought about it, only one thing that comes to my mind is to IMPRESS GIRLS. They exercise their freedom to show that they are macho and capable of getting that girl and make her fall in love. I know many of you may contradict my point but as far as I know this is what it is. Come on, Don't tell me you dint want to impress girls. So I thought I would formulate my campaign in such a manner that alteast it would make them think twice before touching the cigarette. Here is how i've put down my ideas:
1.I thought of having a good homely looking girl talk about how she would want her future husband to be. She would say various character and lastly highlight on the point that he should not smoke.
2. Take a girl in disco and ask her the same and make sure she also stresses on the point of non smoking.
3. On the beach, wherein a couple are sitting, we ask the girl, do u love him? and she says yes. So we ask her what made you love him. She says a lot of various reasons and say that he should have never touched a cigarette in his life.

These ideas would make the guys think that if we dont smoke, the girls are more attracted towards him. So he might actually think of quitting or at least reducing it. See I know they might sound non ethical but this is the true fact.

I would also like you guys to reflect on my view, please contradict me and critically analysis my views and ideas. It gives me the scope to improve upon myself as a marketer. Also add in your ideas for the same.

Missing Marketing class...

Satheesh Krishnamurthy...
My Marketing hero..
Mentor in marketing, branding and advertising....
I  miss his class... one class which you can find full attendance every single class. He knows what to teach and how to teach... gets the attention of everybody just like that. He smiles rarely unlike this one.. Timing and behavioural attitude of this person makes us all admire him so much. Satheesh sir, Hats off to you to make me miss your class because I never sit in class for the sake of listening unless its worth it... and to impress me it has taken only you to do it...

Anna Dhaanam

Annam means food... Dhaanam means giving... Together meaning- Giving food as charity. At home, We believe that giving food is the best charity. Today, being Akshaya Tritiya, we always give food to people who are needy.


Akshaya Tritiya is a festival which is celebrated to bring good health and prosperity for everyone. But for the past decade, it has become a money making festival for all the corporate gold houses.. I don't remember that when my grandmother was alive, it was celebrated this way. My grandmother like my mom now, used to give food to the beggars and needy.... She made sure that it was given to lots of people.. but at this time, Akshaya Tritiya was not celebrated by buying gold and staking it in your bank locker. Somewhere some astrologer must have said its good to get gold and every marketer must have caught up with this idea to attract the customer. Now you can see celebrities, commoners, fashion designer and most of all the gold merchants talking about buying gold, platinum, diamond, etc. This day has become a gold gamble day for everybody. I don't live up to such kind of marketing. I, as a rule, make sure that we follow what my grandmother did when she was still there with us and so does everybody at home.... 

Anna dhaanam are given in all the temple all over India. Its not that only people who are needy should have it. Its given to all the people who are willing to eat at that place. My mom once took me to this temple in Kumbakonam and I did have anna dhaanam there and another temple in chennai. My sister was too embrassed to eat there with all the beggars beside us but I dint care after all they are humans too..  Just one single difference. It doesn't matter.

My cousin brother has started this NGO about two years ago. They take up a village and help them educate and provide food almost daily. You can visit their website @ Good Hearts. They also have a yearly blood donation camp and other stuffs to help small scale enterprenuers to bring up their talents. These are just a gang of friends who started this organisation on behalf of their late friend Praveen whom I also happen to know because he was my school senoir. 

Cute Vodafone Ads

These are the on-going campaign for VODAFONE ADS... They are sooooooo cute... The best of all is the first one..Hats off to the guys who came up with this idea...

The Logo LG

Here is yet another fascinating Logo. Been wanting to write about a for a long time. Here this is how it goes:

LG

LG is a large South Korean conglomerate, which produces electronics, mobile phones, and petrochemical products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics. The LG brand originated from Gold Star, a popular brand name in Korea.




The company now tries to promote its new tagline "Life's Good". The LG logo shown alongside is a fairly interesting logo. As you can see the logo has the alphabets, L & G in the form of a face. The symbol consists of two elements: the LG logo in LG Grey and the stylized image of a human face in the unique LG Red color.

· The letters "L" and "G" in a circle symbolize the world, future, youth, humanity and technology. The symbol also represents LG's efforts to maintain close relationships with our customers worldwide.

Summer internship

Sometimes lyf isn't all about staying at home even for me.

Why the hell am i talking about staying at home??? The world is waiting outside to grab me!!!LOL
The thing is, I have been given an assignment. Summer intern assignment. My topic for the day...MARKET RESEARCH. Do you think it cool?? Of course its cool and lot of hard work.
Welcome to my world. The Real MBA experience. First hand. Straight from the heart or brain whichever you want.

Given work:
Observe what is happening in the so -called family salon and give a report by Friday.

What am I doing now about the project?
Nothing. Why??? I'm never into salons. I've been to parlors once in 6 months and never do all that stuff  that are likely done by every-other-girl-my-age. I've never done threading, pedicure, manicure,facial, blah blah blah... I dint even know there were so many things. What will I do there?? What will I do there sitting all day watching what the staffs are doing? My reporting manager said, " Talk to customers.Talk to the manager. Get as much as information as possible." He was very sweet. Gave me this personal email address and said that I could mail him about anything. How can I tell him that I dono anything about parlors except hair cut.

I assume, he would say,Well Raji, now is your big chance. Learn it!!! It will definitely be a different experience for me. I'm off now to visit this salon and sit for a few hours of Salvation(observation).
Knowledge is fun. Lets get into some pampering stuff. After all ,  I also get to have some free make-overs. Now that the best part about this assignment. Gotta go... Will catch up with today's experience later.

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Brand Logos and its History.

In Marketing, it is very important to choose the Brand elements such as Names, URLs, Logo, Symbol, Characteristics, Packaging. These are things which add value to your Brand Equity.

So I found that these following Brands have some of the most exciting and interesting Brand Logo.

Here are some of them:

Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is a coffeehouse chain based in the United States. Named after a character in the novel Moby Dick, it is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 7521 self-operated and 5647 licensed stores in 39 countries. The current company logo, modeled after a 15th century Norse woodcut, is a mixoparthenos, or "twin-tailed mermaid, or siren as she's known in Greek mythology. The company and the logo have an interesting history. As you can see on the above pictures!!!

ADDIDAS

The three stripes of Adidas can be seen everywhere. They are on the shoes, they are on the jerseys of your favorite football team, they are on T-shirts, and on many more things. Adolf-Adi-Dassler founded Adidas in 1949 in Herzogenaurach, Germany along with his brother Rudolf (Who later founded rival sportswear maker Puma). The three stripes logo was created by Adi Dassler himself. Since then the stripes have become a symbol of comfort, durability and toughness.

The three stripes which are shaped like mountain signify the challenges faced by the athletes. Chances are that it was inspired by the side view of a shoe with a lace. The triangular shape of the logo looks like a shoe while the white space between stripes may signify shoelace. 

The stripes have become so much of a part of Adidas’ identity that they have adapted different variations of it for their various business units. In 1971 Adidas came out with a Trefoil Logo which became its corporate identity for the next few years.

Today the company has three different versions of the logo for its three different businesses. The Modern Performance logo, The Classic Trefoil logo and the Y-3 logo.

WAL-MART

Sam Walton names his new stores WALMART. The Walmart name was presented in just about any font/style available to the printer.

                                                                                          1962-1964

Also known as the "Frontier Font Logo," this was the first official and consistently used logo.

1964 - 1981

The Discount City mark was used in print advertising, on the uniforms/smocks, in-store signing, and other things. However, it was never used as building signage or in an annual report.

1968-1981

The logo was updated again in 1981.         

                                                                                         1981 - 1992

The star was adopted as an update to the existing logo in early 1992.

                                                                                           1992-2008

The Latest Logo adapted by Wal Mart, USA 

Boss, Whats with the jingle?

Ever wondered why we keep humming some tune or the other?? 

If this starts in the morning, we will be doing it the whole day!!!

Yes, this is what we as a marketer should notice. My Advertising project is due any day now.  We were asked to take up a Brand and to make an advertising plan for the same, describing its next strategy.We chose Titan. Yup the one which sells watches globally... Did you know that Titan is the World's 6th largest sellers of watches with their own brand name..?? Cool huh?? I knew only after I started working on it. I started collecting all the old ads becoz we had to analyse the history of advertising. This brand has a huge impact on everyone who has it... Guess why?? 

Its the jingle of course.. remember the  Ta nanana.... 

Here is classic example of titan ads

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=SvRx1C0oxOQ

Now I'm sure you must have seen this ad right!! There are  lot more ads like that from Titan. They were a pioneer in bring about watches for everyone.. Be it young, old, male, female, rich, poor, classic, funky, heritage, modern... you name it they have everything... I started this project in the beginning of the month of December, last year.. I still see my self humming this jingle one in a while... These things stay in our mind forever.

You might also remember That Nirma Ad.. Washing powder nirma.. With that girl spinning.. now that's another classic example... How about Britannia Britannia Britannia Marie gold!!! LOL

If you try to recollect all these things, you will find that you are going back to your childhood days!!

Brings back a lot more than memories.. We may or may not live with our siblings or parents now but these things sure brings back the lovely memories in our lives...

Brand 'McDonalds"

Mcdonalds

 

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast-food restaurants . Although McDonald's did not invent the hamburger or fast food, its name has become nearly synonymous with both.

The McDonald's Golden Arches logo was introduced in 1962. It was created by Jim Schindler to resemble new arch shaped signs on the sides of the restaurants. He merged the two golden arches together to form the famous 'M' now recognized throughout the world. Schindler's work was a development of the stylized 'v' logo sketched by Fred Turner, which was conceived as a more stylish corporate symbol than the Speedee chef character that had previously been used. The McDonald's name was added to the logo in 1968.

FedEX

Today I had my Brand Management class in which we had class on how figures and logo make a great impact on the product and the brand itself. I donno if anyone of you have noticed this logo carefully before. He showed us this logo and asked us  what this logo depicted. All of us in my class were obviously fast asleep because it was almost 6 in the evening and we had classes from the morning. We really couldn't get what was in this logo. Finally sir gave up and said that it had an Hidden Arrow between E and X.. some people might think," OH Now I see that".. Well we had the same reaction. We got a good sound of blasting from him. of course we deserve it. After all, this is a professional course. So as I was saying, now we get to the logo:

FedEx

In 1994, Lindon Leader of Landor Associates created the new FedEx logo which has become a highly recognized corporate symbol of FedEx Corporation. This logo was to symbolise the Brand FedEx as Speed and Precision. 

Cool Huh???

There are so many such things in the world which are so simple but still yet we are not able to recognized it.. I also have a lot more to tell you about such things.

Marketing Mania!!!!!

When you learn new things, you are bond to know a new world around. Likewise, when I have stepped into the world of MARKETING, I found it very amusing.

Marketing, Marketing Management, Advertising, Consumer Behaviour, Brand.... Well its keep going on and on. Why it has fascinated me so???? I really think this is because of my Marketing Professor Mr.Satish Krishnamurthy. I really admire the way he keep the class so attentive. When I took up MBA, all I wanted to do was HR and become a HR Manager,but this subject and the guy who teaches me it has changed the whole perspective of this new domain which has always been kept for the opposite sex. I am not saying that there are no female marketing people. All I am saying is that we are less in number. There is a lot to be known to become one among the others in this corporate world of Marketing. Philip Kotler, David AAker are some of these big shot guys in Marketing whose books are to be read by us. Well these are not just those regular people they really knew what they were saying unlike some of us(he he he). Coming to the point of why Marketing. I learn through it. A lot of new and interesting things. And I would also like to share it which all of you because everything is so very awesome about Marketing to me!!!
As I concluded by saying that(LOL)

Marketing is everywhere!