We won’t be surprised if your answer is a big “NO!”, for you only know this company as HTC !

Surbhi Chawla debates on the strategic & branding issues of HTC...

After a long lull of six months, the smartphone category has once again become the talk of town, with a slew of high profile launches. First, it was Samsung Star and Star 3G. They were followed by the Nokia N97, and now, HTC plans to get back at competitors’ heels with its first Android-based handset in India – HTC Magic. So what prompted such enthusiastic acts on the part of the smartphone manufacturers? Well, despite the fact that consumer spending on mobile handsets dried up during the first quarter of 2009 (it fell by 19% as compared to the same period in 2008, according to Gartner), the smartphone category recorded a swashbuckling growth of 25% during the same period, all thanks to the terrific market performance of the Apple iPhone, BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Storm and of course, the HTC’s Android phone – G1. That was global, how about local? The story is no different for the smartphone market in India too, where sales in this category is currently growing between 20-25% (a trend expected to continue till 2010). And of all the ‘smart’ brands, perhaps the least discussed of late has been HTC. But does that mean that all is silent and still behind the HTC wall. 4Ps B&M decided to pay a visit to HTC’s Indian headquarters, to uncover strategies that it has drawn-out, to run through competition in India.

We begin with the HTC Magic. Surely, there are some ripples that this so-considered ‘magic’ device from HTC’s stable is causing, but of course, minus the loud marketing efforts made by Apple during the launch of its iPhone in India, about a year back. Of course, the unavailability of the handset model currently makes it a tad difficult to make predictions about its future, but some issues are as apparent as they can get, and the trouble starts right where its strength lies -the Android mobile OS on which HTC works. The USP of an Android is that it is open-source which enables one to install a host of applications on their handsets as per one’s needs. The problem is that Android’s application store is not functional in India yet, therefore customers who buy the Magic would have to play around with the existing applications that come pre-loaded with this handset or develop something for themselves. Simply stated, a hurdle that stands between HTC and the success of its latest Android-based handset.

So aren’t officials at the company worried over the same? Not really, as Jack Tong, Vice-President, HTC APAC states, “I think the response that Android mobiles have received worldwide was at times even beyond expectations and we expect something similar in the Indian market.” Of course, a spokesperson in the company acknowledged the fact that, “availability of an application store would have sweetened the offering.” However, he goes ahead and optimistically opines that there would be plenty of early adopters willing to get their hands on HTC Magic, despite the roadblock.

Moving on, apart from the HTC Magic, the company is currently offering 11 handset devices (10 GSM and 1 CDMA) that fall in the price range of Rs.10,000 to Rs.42,000 and is now looking to move beyond just touchscreens. “HTC has already become synonymous with touch phones and large screens in the Indian market and from now on our focus would be to go beyond the same,” explains Ajay Sharma, Country Manager, HTC India. As far as the company’s belief runs, it is only through provision of some differentiating and interesting factor (like a feature which enables the user to switch off the phone’s ringer by just turning the phone upside down) that consumers in the country can actually be attracted; ‘differentiation’ is the word here!
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
2300 IIPM students get jobs
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM, GURGAON

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Why does India matter to HTC?

Jack Tong, VP, HTC APAC

4Ps B&M: How is the smartphone market in India shaping up and how are you placed in the same?
JT: Well, right now, India is the ideal market to be introducing smartphones in, as the market is growing quite rapidly and there is a strong demand for the phones that enable people to do more than just talking. HTC is a strong player in terms of data capable devices and we believe that the market would keep growing given the fact that 3G would be launched shortly in the country. As a matter of fact, we are quite bullish about the entire APAC region and India is a very important market for us in this region.

4Ps B&M: What are the other devices that would be offered by HTC in the immediate future? Any plans to get the second Android phone in soon?
JT: Well, we are looking at launching many devices that we have in the international market, in India too. You would see some of them shortly. But how many of them would be launched would depend on the market performance and the response our existing devices get. As for the other Android devices, that too would depend upon the response for HTC Magic and the market behaviour.

4Ps B&M: What sets apart HTC devices from all others in the market?
JT: Well, we may not have as many devices as some of our competitors, but we do have a robust portfolio in the segment we operate in and our strength lies in not the number of devices that we offer but the ease of use and innovations that we are able to offer to the end consumers. We don’t believe in packing features, but add things that would be relevant to the customers and make his mobile experience faster or simpler or both.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
2300 IIPM students get jobs
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Banking on the trust factor...

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Be it debit cards or credit cards, up to the mark pre-sale and post-sale service has kept ICICI Bank ahead of its peers, say Manish K. Pandey and Gyanendra Kashyap

He goes into a huddle first thing in the morning - with his immediate boss that is! His Sales Manager discusses the previous day’s business and allocates him a fresh target for the day. And that’s not all! After every huddle he needs to check his appointment schedule for the day and is out in the field hunting for business by 10am. On lucky days (??), if he has no appointments, he sits at his desk and starts making cold calls to fix meetings with customers. An effort, which again makes him step out of his air-conditioned office and move through the busy streets of Delhi under the scorching sun to meet clients and possible clients across the National Capital Region (NCR).

“An appealing brand name, constructive work environment, an uninterrupted career growth, fixed remuneration and timely reward & recognition are among the few things that keep me going,” reasons this vibrant young Assistant Sales Manager from ICICI Bank’s credit card division placed in Delhi. But then work is really not that easy as it appears. Success in the banking and financial domain is mainly determined by how well the complex products are understood by the customers. And that is the most difficult part of the job.

“Sometimes it’s very hard to convince a customer and get some business out of him,” he tells 4Ps B&M. He recalls one of his most difficult experiences with a customer where he had to convince a customer who did not believe in the concept of a credit card. Moreover, the customer had had a very bad experience with his prior credit card from some other company. His card was stolen and used by someone else but the payment was charged to his account. “So, I explained to him the benefits and features of different cards offered by ICICI Bank and also made him aware of the insurance feature the card had in case it was stolen or lost. However, still he was not interested in paying the annual fee, which the card charged. But, after an hour long conversation I finally convinced him to take the card,” he avers enthusiastically.

In fact, the scenario with one of his colleagues was not very different either. He is another young and dynamic sales manager who handles the clients for ICICI Bank’s another popular service offering, ICICI Bank debit card. Well, ask about his experiences, he says, the basic question that we receive from almost all our clients is that “Why has this deduction been made in my account?” And he believes, this is one question that needs to be handled with utmost patience. He says , “the standard formula is to politely explain to the customer that the debit card facility is not for free and there is a small almost miniscule service charge, which is levied on his account.” “Certainly, people’s trust on the bank helps us a lot to handle the customers,” he further explains.

However, things do not go that easy always. He cites that troubles brew up when there is a serious situation like loss of a debit card and the customer wants a new card issued. “The customers want the process of getting a new debit card to be as quick as withdrawing money from the ATM.” Nevertheless, the employees are well trained to handle such situations and the customers almost always walk out with a smile on their faces. In fact both the executives assert that it is more convenient to deal with a customer within the office premise than in the field because the customer feels more secure in the office as he is sure that the person who’s serving him is an employee of the company. “Generally whenever an employee goes to a customer’s place, the first question a customer asks him is whether he is a permanent employee or just an agent,” states one of the executives. Simply put, the sales manager has to build a bridge of faith between the client and him, before he could actually offer him the services. Ask him what makes ICICI a great service company and he says, “Regular contact with the customer after sales and giving him the services when and where required.” But then, he feels, the icing on the cake is when satisfied customers spread the word of mouth which eventually (and thankfully!) helps him meet his own specified targets. So next time you refer a new customer, don’t forget to ask for your cut ;-)

Manish K. Pandey and Gyanendra Kashyap

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2300 IIPM students get jobs
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM, GURGAON

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

NARESH GUPTA, MD, ADOBE INDIA

IIPM Best B-school

1. Feviquick’s ‘Chutki mein chipkaye’ campaign
2. Center Shock’s ‘Hila ke rakh de’ campaign
3. indya.com campaign, where India changed its name to ‘indya.com’
4. Happydent’s ‘White Palace’ campaign
5. Pulse Polio’s ‘Do boond zindagi ke’ campaign

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri’s Profile
Four Phase of IIPM Global Plans
30 professors of international repute to IIPM
IIPM Global B-school
IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook
IIPM Respected Business School

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Brand: Kargil Donations

IIPM 4Ps Quiz

Agency: Lintas India
A salute to Kargil martyrs, with a message to support injured & war widows. Still want to measure effectiveness?

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2300 IIPM students get jobs
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)