Case Studies- Consumer Behavior

Shock Demand at Turkish Shoemaker Baydan Ayakkabicilik San. & Tic.* In December 2008, a Turkish shoemaker, Baydan Ayakkabicilik San. & Tic (BAS&T), was hit with shock demand for one of its shoe models, which the shoemaker claimed was the same as the one thrown at US president George W. Bush by an Iraqi reporter. Orders for the shoe model were pouring in not only from countries in the Middle East, but also from countries such as the UK and the US. While there was no way of ascertaining whether the shoes used in the attack were indeed made by BAS&T, with shoemakers from countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and China making conflicting claims, the Turkish shoe maker was gearing up to promote the shoe model more aggressively. On December 14, 2008, an Iraqi television reporter Muntader al-Zaidi (Zaidi) threw a pair of shoes at outgoing US President George W Bush (Bush) on his farewell visit to Iraq, protesting the deaths of thousands of Iraqis who died after the US-led invasion... Questions

for

Discussion:

1. What, according to you, can explain the sudden demand for shoes at Baydan Ayakkabicilik San. & Tic.? 2. Cans such demand be sustained? What should the company do to sustain the demand? Give reasons for your answer?

Complan Vs Horlicks: Comparative Advertising and the Question of Ethics This case is about the advertising war between two popular health drink brands Horlicks and Complan in India. The war for supremacy between these two brands started as early as in 1960s and had continued ever since. Over the years, the brands were involved in aggressive comparative advertising in print and television over attributes such as ingredients, protein content, growth, and flavors. However, in late 2008, the makers of Horlicks, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK), and the makers of Complan, Heinz India (Heinz), came out with advertisements that directly compared the brands using the competitor brand's trademarks. Industry observers felt that in their bid to outdo each other, the two companies had ended up denigrating the competitor brand Usually issues related to disparaging ads by rival companies were resolved by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). But with constant mudslinging at each other, the two companies decided to solve the issue in courts. In September 2008, Heinz moved the Bombay High Court objecting to the Horlicks ad , while in December 2008, GSK approached the Delhi High Court against the Complan ad.

Experts felt that the latest tiff between GSK and Heinz had brought to the fore the issues and challenges involved in comparative advertising and the legal/ethical issues involved in such kind of advertising.

Issues: » Analyze the advertising strategies adopted by Complan and Horlicks over the years. » Understand the issues and challenges faced by companies while using comparative advertising. » Examine the efficacy of comparative advertising in enhancing brand image and sales. » Study the implications of the advertising war between Complan and Horlicks. » Discuss and debate the legal/ethical issues involved in the case.

'Atithi Devo Bhavah': Indian Tourism Ministry's Social Awareness Program to Boost Tourism This case study discusses the innovative Atithi Devo Bhavah (ADB) program initiated by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) in India. This program was launched in 2005 with the objective of developing tourism in India as part of MoT's 'Incredible India!' campaign. Though the 'Incredible India!' campaign was successful in increasing the number of tourists, the experience of tourists in India left much to be desired due to the inconvenience caused by various touts, guides, and tour operators.

The ADB program was targeted at various stakeholders such as taxi drivers, tourist guides, small tourist operators, and the general public. It aimed to change their attitude and behavior toward foreign tourists by stressing on the aspect that a guest has been held in high esteem in India since ancient times. This case study discusses the key components of the ADB program and the steps taken by the MoT to roll out the ADB program. The case study also covers the mass media social awareness campaigns that were initiated by the MoT as part of the ADB program.

Issues: This case will help the learner to » Understand the issues and constraints faced by a public sector organization/governmental organization in planning and implementing an innovative program » Understand the issues in Tourism (destination) development and marketing and how the Indian Tourism ministry addressed these issues » Understand the issues in social marketing and how the Indian Tourism ministry formulated and implemented an innovative social awareness program » Understand the challenges faced by a public sector organization/governmental organization in sustaining an innovative program This case is intended for use in Master in Public Sector Management (MPSM) level programs as part of the Public Sector Innovation course. This case can also be effectively used as part of the Services Marketing, Tourism Marketing and Social Marketing, Marketing Communication courses. The case can also be effectively used in Faculty Development Programs and 'Train the Trainer' programs.

Shopping Malls : A New Shopping Experience*

Abstract The caselet deals with the development of organized retailing in India in the form of shopping malls. It looks into the reasons for the growth of shopping malls in India. With the changing shopping needs and aspirations, consumers are finding it easier to shop at malls where a wide choice of merchandise is available under one roof. The caselet also delves into the growth of specialty malls and the challenges faced by shopping malls in India. Issues: » » »

Growth of organized retailing in India How changing customer aspirations result in the evolution of retail formats Challenges faced by organized retailing outlets

Key words: Shopping Malls, Shopping Experience, Crossroads Mumbai, Spencer Plaza, Organized Retailing, Retail Outlets, Gold Souk, Mall management, Tenant Mix and Specialty Malls. Questions for Discussion: 1. Although shopping malls started making their presence felt, consumers still had to go to the traditional stand-alone stores, when they were purchasing specialized products like electronics, home needs, and jewelry. What are the ways in which shopping malls in India can attract more number of customers? 2. Poor mall management and poor tenant mix have resulted in poor mall traffic and low conversion rate. This has led to the closure of individual shops, at several malls. What can the mall management do, to attract serious buyers?

What's in a Name? Lessons from Three Rebranding Exercises in India

The first caselet is about the rebranding of India's leading fast moving consumer goods company Hinsustan Lever Ltd. (HLL) to Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) in an effort to benefit from the global brand positioning of its parent Unilever Plc. without compromising on its local heritage. The second caselet is about the rebranding of one of India's top private sector banks, UTI Bank, to Axis Bank. Rather than paying royalty for the use of the brand name 'UTI' that was also used by some unrelated entities, the company decided to go for a brand name that was culture neutral and had a global appeal. The third caselet is about the rebranding of the popular Indian telecom brand 'Hutch' to 'Vodafone' after the world's leading telecom company by revenue Vodafone Plc. (Vodafone) acquired a controlling stake in one of the top telecom companies in India Hutchison Essar Ltd. While HUL's marketing communication campaign was comparatively low-key with the company just showing the name and logo of HLL morphing into the new name and logo after each product ad, Axis Bank and Vodafone launched two of the most memorable and high-decibel campaigns to communicate their respective name changes. Axis Bank's campaign sought to reassure the bank's customers that nothing had really changed in the bank except its name, while Vodafone campaigns tried to leverage on some of the most popular earlier ads of Hutch to introduce the relatively unknown Vodafone brand (in India).

Issues: » Understand the issues and challenges in rebranding a well established brand, especially in the banking sector in India. » Understand the rationale behind the marketing communication campaign and how the campaign was executed by the ad agency. » Understand the issues that could lead to the decision of a company to rebrand. » Understand how a rebranding exercise for a company in a particular industry differ from that in another industry

Abstract Tupperware's famed 'Party Plan' strategy helped the company to connect with potential customers and generate sales from products which were priced at a premium as compared to similar products in the market. The company entered

into tie-ups with FMCG players like P&G to increase visibility in the market. The caselet also mentions how Tupperware developed a fun atmosphere in the company. Issues: Effectiveness of peer group promotions over traditional mode of promotions like advertising »

How alliances help in improving visibility among the brands involved in the alliance »

The need to look for alternative sales generating options other than direct selling to generate revenues »

Key words: Tupperware India, Direct selling company, Three-tier network structure, Dealer, Distributor, Marketing strategy, Party Plan, Network structure, Procter and Gamble (P&G) and Brand awareness. Questions for Discussion: 1. How did Tupperware use parties to increase sales of its products? 2. "Tupperware's marketing strategy was described by its three Ps - Product, Party Plan, and People." What was unique about Tupperware's marketing?

Haldiram's : The No1 Choice of Consumers* Haldiram's: The No: 1 Choice of Consumers, explains how Haldiram's, which markets snack products in India, became the primary choice among Indian consumers. Haldiram's came out with different products which suited the tastes of various ethnic and geographical groups. The caselet deals with how the company used the 4Ps effectively to influence consumer decision making. Issues: » Ways in which a company can influence consumer decision making » Importance of the pricing strategy in the ready-to-eat snack market in India

» The need to offer products which suit the tastes of a heterogeneous group Key words: Haldiram's, Packaging, Point of purchase (POP), Shelf life, Namkeens, Product promotion, Niche market, Pricing strategy, Gift packs and Indiatimes.com. Questions for Discussion: 1. What were the ways in which Haldiram's influenced the decision making of the consumers? 2. What were the marketing strategies followed by Haldiram's to ensure that its products became the No 1 choice among the consumers?