Niche kicks off with quiz event Prarambh

What do good ol’ cattle ranchers of the wild-west and marketing have in common?

This along with many other interesting trivia were answered when Niche – the marketing club of IIM-A organized Prarambh, the first marketing quiz of the season on 24^th July 2013. Prarambh has traditionally been the first sector quiz to be conducted in the campus after the start of session and acts as an ice-breaker for all PGP-1s. It is organized exclusively for PGP-1 student and strives to create a lure towards the world of marketing.

Even monsoon could not dampen the enthusiasm as the event saw an overwhelming participation of 100+ students who battled it out in the arena of marketing fundaes, jargons, ads, taglines and much more. The intellectual storm that ensued thereafter was a sight to behold. Round 1 consisted of 20 questions which covered all aspects of marketing. 6 teams were shortlisted after the first round for the finals. Three audience teams also were given a chance to answer the quiz questions of the finals. The finals consisted of 4 legs – Logos, Taglines, Ads and Misc. After the end of two rounds one of the audience teams got a chance to enter the finals as wild card replacing the lowest scoring finals team.

After the final leg, teams comprising Abhinav Gupta, VS Vaidyanathan and Pradeep Krishnakumar emerged as champions; Rohit Sharma, Vivek Baskaran and Chendur Kumaran as 1^st runner up and  Minakhi Prasad Misra, Anand R and Dhruva Mukherjee as 2^nd runner up. The teams were awarded with prizes worth Rs 18,000.

Prior to the main quiz Niche had released teasers to spur the general interest amongst the PGP-1s. The winners of the teaser phase were Shivendra Yadav and Saurabh Singh.

The main quiz comprised of many interesting marketing trivia covering the origins of Manchester United logo to the IPL bugle call; from Onida tagline to the nostalgic Gold-Spot ad. Questions covering the different era of marketing in the last 200 years made the quiz extremely interesting.

Quizmaster MVR Murthy, member of the club and an enthusiastic quizzer himself, found the level of brand awareness and marketing knowledge quite commendable. He said that the questions in both the prelims and finals were very thoroughly researched and the way teams worked out the answers shows a great potential in the batch to develop impeccable marketing skills.

Niche will continue conducting various events and related to marketing all-round the year. The current market looks favourable for marketing firms as more and more people tend to be inclined towards marketing roles. Aswin, co-ordinator of the club, sees this as a positive development and ensures that the club will support any and all activities to promote marketing as a career option.

For the answer to question posed at the beginning of the article please visit the official Niche Facebook page here.

Pirates Ahoy! Treasure ahead!!

Niche, the marketing club at IIM Ahmedabad broke new frontiers this year with its decision to explore the online space for conducting events. It made a small but significant start with its Online Treasure Hunt which was launched with the aim to inculcate and sustain the passion for marketing amongst the first year students ahead of the summer placement procedure. The event, which was conducted on the 8^th of October, was designed to test the participants on their knowledge of marketing in general and brands in particular. The students, perhaps, saw the online challenge as an opportunity to emulate Jack Sparrow and participated in it in huge numbers setting a record of sorts in the process.

In terms of format, the virtual treasure hunt was akin to a real one with each correct answer leading to the next question. Because of the online nature of the event, even the students who are currently overseas for the international student exchange programme could satiate their appetite for marketing challenges by taking part in huge numbers. The participants who successfully managed to unlock the treasure were rewarded with a name for themselves in the hall of fame. Early bird prizes were awarded to the first few who completed the quiz:  Anant Kabra, Mohan Gandhi Ponnaganti, Aparna Gangadharan,  Mayank Kukreja, Rishabh Jaiswal and Agam Khurana.  For all those who missed out, there is still a chance to find the treasure at http://stdwww.iimahd.ernet.in/niche/main/main.html.

At Niche, it is our constant endeavour to uphold the legacy of IIM Ahmedabad as the “Mecca of Marketing”. In the coming days, the club hopes to build on this latest initiative by unleashing a barrage of events in much the same vein.

Rachit Kumar

Member, Niche 2010-2011

Marketing 3.0 – A preview by Mr. Suman Srivastava, CEO, Euro RSCG India

After Mr. Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman of Vedanta group, Mr. Alok Sharma, Police Chief of this year’s Kummbh Mela and Strategy Guru Mr. Govind Vijayarajan, it was time for another guest lecture at WIMWI. This time the PGP-1 students had the opportunity to attend a talk by Mr. Suman Srivastava, the CEO of Euro RSCG India. This lecture was held as a part of the Marketing course taught to the first year students.

Mr. Suman explained how the means of marketing change as media changes. There is a need for marketers to adapt their strategies to the swift spread of internet as a source of media. If the past was about using mass media to get reach and frequency, the future is a lot more complex than that. Marketers no longer control what the customers see. The consumer no longer looks at just the product, but due to easy availability of information in this internet age, he/she can see what the company is doing for the benefit of the community. Hence, instead of a linear relationship between a brand and the consumer, he proposed an interconnected linkage between the brand, employees, consumer and community. He gave examples of brands promoting higher causes like ‘Jaago re’ campaign by Tata Tea, Real beauty by Dove and ‘Jagmag desh mera’ by Voltas. He called this as Marketing 3.0: Leveraging social networking media. He concluded by stating customer, community, collaboration and convenience as the 4 C’s to replace the 4 P’s (price, product, promotion, and place).

An enlightening session indeed, with all the marketing buffs eager to learn the implications of Marketing 3.0

Aviral Jain,

Media Cell

Insight ’09 to be a two-day event

Insight 2009 will be held on 10th and 11th of October

It’s that time of the year again when all roads in Ahmedabad lead to the lush green campus of the Indian Institute of Management in Vastrapur for the Insight fair or as it is popularly known, the Amdavadi IIM mela. This year, Insight, the annual market research festival of IIM Ahmedabad, will be held over a span of two days – October 10 and 11. Insight has an illustrious history stretching back 22 years. So much so, that over the years it has become a tradition and a part of Ahmedabad’s citizens’ psyche to come attend the fair and have a blast.

The first day of the fair will be dedicated to events and workshops which would be attended by students from various colleges across the country. The second day would be the much-anticipated Insight fair, which would get the local Amdavadi crowd to come down to the IIM campus and participate in fun filled activities and games. Every year, this fair turns IIM Ahmedabad’s placid green lawns into a buzzing ground full of activity. In fact, each year, the frenzy becomes so infectious that even the calm and studious atmosphere of IIM Ahmedabad transforms into one of vibrant energy.

Hidden Market Research

This year Insight would involve participation from more than 25 colleges from all over India. The students participating in this two-day event have a plethora of activities to test and hone their marketing skills.  Inter-college competitions on the first day like ‘Innovations in Marketing’, Ad making contests, brand quiz, case contests etc. would see students competing with each other based on the three pillars of marketing – branding, distribution and sales. The ‘Innovations in Marketing’ event will test participants’ ability to come up with unique and creative ideas in marketing and advertisement. The participants are supposed to use new creative and emerging channels for promotion of a particular product and come up with a complete strategy to launch a brand new product. On the cards is also a case study contest, where the participants are expected to give concrete recommendations on decision problems in a marketing case. For all the marketing enthusiasts, there will also be a guest lecture on branding. In addition to this, the marketing research that students conduct in co-ordination with the project sponsors will help them apply their learning from marketing in a practical scenario thus taking their understanding to new levels. Also, they would gain a lot in terms of corporate understanding through their interactions with the companies.The way the market research functions is that the IIMA students initially pitch to companies regarding various project proposals for market research. The companies select the projects which would help them analyze the consumer markets in the best possible manner. The selected team would then put up a stall on the day of the fair for people to participate. Based on the responses, the team will collate the information and submit a research result report to the company. It’s a win-win situation for both – the students get a live experience of working on marketing research projects and the companies get valuable insight into consumer behaviour. It also provides the companies with branding and visibility across a vast stratum which includes IIMA and other B-School students as well as the local Amdavadi crowd.

Socially Meaningful Projects

But it’s not just companies and profits that these budding managers from IIMA are targeting. This time the team from Insight will also be taking up some socially relevant projects like microfinance for the housing sector. The highly ambitious rapid transport system, the Ahmedabad BRTS plan would also come under study, where the students would be gauging reactions of locals to the services provided by BRTS and integration of BRTS with AMTS.

Fun @ Insight

Insight’s carnival like atmosphere with its plethora of games, prizes, informal events like magic shows etc. has always been a huge crowd puller for the people of Ahmedabad. This year too, multiple events are planned to enhance the entertainment value of the fair. Apart from the games and prizes at every stall, special events planned this year are a Street play, Treasure hunt, Antakshari competition, Rock Climbing and several informal games.

Adds Gourav Bhattacharya, event secretary of Insight 2009, “With the new 2 day format this year, Insight is going to be much bigger than ever before. We are expecting footfalls of 6000-8000 over the 2 day period. We have confirmed participation from major B-schools across India. It’s an event worth attending since it has something to offer for everyone, right from kids and their parents to students and companies. The energy within the campus is already palpable and the students are waiting with enthusiasm for the carnival atmosphere to begin.”

Meanwhile, for the students involved in the market research work, it’s time to burn the midnight oil once again.

—

Gurveen (fibbbi) and Glen (maali)

Media Cell

(Inputs: Team Insight)

green campus of the Indian Institute of Management in Vastrapur for the Insight

fair or as it is popularly known, the Amdavadi IIM mela. This year, Insight,

the annual market research festival of IIM Ahmedabad, will be held over a span

of two days – October 11 and 12. Insight has an illustrious history stretching

back 22 years. So much so, that over the years it has become a tradition and a

part of Ahmedabad’s citizens’ psyche to come attend the fair and have a

blast.

The first day of the fair will be dedicated to events and workshops which would

be attended by students from various colleges across the country. The second

day would be the much-anticipated Insight fair, which would get the local

Amdavadi crowd to come down to the IIM campus and participate in fun filled

activities and games. Every year, this fair turns IIM Ahmedabad’s placid green

lawns into a buzzing ground full of activity. In fact, each year, the frenzy

becomes so infectious that even the calm and studious atmosphere of IIM

Ahmedabad transforms into one of vibrant energy.

This year Insight would involve participation from more than 25 colleges from

all over India. The students participating in this two-day event have a

plethora of activities to test and hone their marketing skills.  Inter-college

competitions on the first day like ‘Innovations in Marketing’, Ad making

contests, brand quiz, case contests etc. would see students competing with each

other based on the three pillars of marketing – branding, distribution and

sales. The ‘Innovations in Marketing’ event will test participants’ ability to

come up with unique and creative ideas in marketing and advertisement. The

participants are supposed to use new creative and emerging channels for

promotion of a particular product and come up with a complete strategy to

launch a brand new product. On the cards is also a case study contest, where

the participants are expected to give concrete recommendations on decision

problems in a marketing case. For all the marketing enthusiasts, there will

also be a guest lecture on branding. In addition to this, the marketing

research that students conduct in co-ordination with the project sponsors will

help them apply their learning from marketing in a practical scenario thus

taking their understanding to new levels. Also, they would gain a lot in terms

of corporate understanding through their interactions with the companies.

The way the market research functions is that the IIMA students initially pitch

to companies regarding various project proposals for market research. The

companies select the projects which would help them analyze the consumer

markets in the best possible manner. The selected team would then put up a

stall on the day of the fair for people to participate. Based on the responses,

the team will collate the information and submit a research result report to

the company. It’s a win-win situation for both – the students get a live

experience of working on marketing research projects and the companies get

valuable insight into consumer behaviour. It also provides the companies with

branding and visibility across a vast stratum which includes IIMA and other

B-School students as well as the local Amdavadi crowd.

But it’s not just companies and profits that these budding managers from IIMA

are targeting. This time the team from Insight will also be taking up some

socially relevant projects like microfinance for the housing sector. The highly

ambitious rapid transport system, the Ahmedabad BRTS plan would also come under

study, where the students would be gauging reactions of locals to the services

provided by BRTS and integration of BRTS with AMTS.

Insight’s carnival like atmosphere with its plethora of games, prizes, informal

events like magic shows etc. has always been a huge crowd puller for the people

of Ahmedabad. This year too, multiple events are planned to enhance the

entertainment value of the fair. Apart from the games and prizes at every

stall, special events planned this year are a Street play, Treasure hunt,

Antakshari competition, Rock Climbing and several informal games.

Adds Gourav Bhattacharya, event secretary of Insight 2009, “With the new 2 day

format this year, Insight is going to be much bigger than ever before. We are

expecting footfalls of 6000-8000 over the 2 day period. We have confirmed

participation from major B-schools across India. It’s an event worth attending

since it has something to offer for everyone, right from kids and their parents

to students and companies. The energy within the campus is already palpable and

the students are waiting with enthusiasm for the carnival atmosphere to begin.”

Meanwhile, for the students involved in the market research work, it’s time to

burn the midnight oil once again.

Niche, The Marketing Club @ IIMA presents Newsletter July 2009

Niche the marketing club at IIMA has come up with their first bi-monthly newsletters for the academic year 2009-2010. The aim of the newsletter is to act as a medium for exchange of ideas and thoughts related to the field of mNiche the marketing club at IIMA has come up with their first bi-monthly newsletters for the academic year 2009-2010. The aim of the newsletter is to act as a medium for exchange of ideas and thoughts related to the field of marketing. The current newsletter pens down, learnings from the summer experiences in sales and marketing roles. The newsletter covers varied topics ranging from Sales roles in fixed income securities to Valuation of television advertising.

Niche_newsletter_July2009

A Juicy Affair

In what could be dubbed as a prime example of teacher-student interactions going beyond the classroom at IIMA, the students were invited to a juice party by Prof. Prathap Oburai, one of the best marketing research profs in the institute.

The subject was Business Research Methods and the class was involved in an intense discussion on how a juice bar should design its concept in order to develop a loyal customer base. The prof shared a lighter moment by admitting that it would be a lot more fun to extend this discussion in the evening over some juice and snacks. In a rare instance at IIMA, the whole class agreed in chorus.

The result: The class reunited in the evening and continued the discussion amidst the juice party at Prof. Oburai’s residence. Here’s photographic evidence…

Juice Party!!

4 students living in Dorm 10, share memories with Prof. Oburai, who lived in Dorm 10 in his student days.