Marketing and More

There are no signs if Coronavirus taking a back seat in India. In fact, new cases and deaths are at an all-time high. From being nowhere in the tally, India steadily climbed in the top 10 nations worst hit by COVID pandemic. As I write this India ranks 5th in the world . Global COVID Tally as on June 7 (Source: Bloomberg Quint) And the worst part is that the daily growth rate is at an all-time time high which further means that India will soon surpass more nations very soon. All this amidst claims from other nations that the country is not conducting enough tests. Daily COVID Cases in India That sounds like a worrisome story, isn't it? Let's see another side of India. On one hand, where the COVID impact is at an all-time high, the fear of the virus is at an all-time low . From the time lockdown has eased in the country, people are flocking in markets, making purchases (largely essentials) and are sounding more relaxed than before .  Numbers suggest a rapid recovery in FMCG. By

Recently a probe has been initiated against Google India by the CCI. The complaint was filed in Feb 20 and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was dealing with the antitrust probe. So what is the complaint about?   The complaint alleges that Google more prominently showcases its Google Pay app inside its Android app store in India, giving it an unfair advantage over apps of competitors which hurts consumers.   Though it might NOT be legally OK, this makes me wonder that when a company has worked hard to attain a leadership position wouldn’t it want to encash it by cross-selling and up-selling.   Doesn’t a Consumer Durable company use its database to sell say a Soundbar with a TV? Assuming that it’s a market leader, would that be a breach? Don't banks in the country try to sell you insurance or investment products? Infact there are banks with a robust Pan India network which don't even entertain opening a new account till you buy an insurance or investment product. And yes

Last week I had to contact a doctor for quick advice. I called him up and asked if his timings have been affected due to COVID-19 and when can I visit him. I was taken aback when he passed on Zoom Call credentials for remote interaction. He said we meet if it’s needed which in this case doesn’t seem necessary.   A couple of days later, I called up a few relatives to check their whereabouts in this pandemic to learn that both the kids in the house are busy in the classes. The schools have been using Microsoft Team for teaching kids remotely.   Recently, I spoke to one of the consumer electronics showroom owners on how things are moving and are there any signs of recovery in the business. He was happy to state that he has been able to close deals demonstrating products over Zoom video calls. Highest sold in the store are refrigerators which his sales staff demonstrates running through the entire range available. The customers want to see the space for ice cubes, the various racks availab

These are challenging times for offline businesses. With countries in lockdown leading to restricted retail operations, offline store owners are staring at an uncertain future. They now need to invent newer ways to reach digitally to their customers and expand their catchment area. Local Search Marketing has always been considered the most valuable tool of offline businesses and its importance jumps multi-fold post-COVID.   Out of the multiple tools available to list and rank your offline business – Google My Business is one tool which should be optimized by all offline stores as hygiene.   Who should use Google M y Business Google My Business is specifically for businesses that serve customers at a physical location. This rules out businesses solely on e-Commerce and they cannot claim a Google My Business listing. Benefits of Google My Business Optimization of Google My Business account helps control what appears in Google search and for your business and throws results to the cus

A few days ago I was watching this years' Filmfare Awards . One thing which I noticed while the show was airing was the fact that there were no Kapoors, none of the trio Khans, no Dhawan. Not referring to performance, not even in the audience. So who was there then? Ayushmann Khurana, Kartik Aryan, Rajkumar Rao, Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Kriti Sanon and a few more names who almost had no legacy in the industry. There were a couple of headliner names  - Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh screaming out of your screen in all promos and in the 'Watch Next' preview at every ad break. To be candid, I was not missing the Khans. The Man Who Unlocked The Door to Bollywood Let's zoom out to see a bigger picture, gone are the days where 'only' legacy played a major part in making of the next star. Numerous Star Kids who gave a shot at the movies lost the plot even before the interval. So I started wondering, where did this change begin? One

With the Covid Crisis hitting highs, one term which is on the tip of everyone, especially marketers, is 'Contactless Delivery'. Every e-commerce company is claiming their services to be safe as they practice, apparently, the newly invented Contactless Delivery. But what exactly do these firms mean by the term? Let's try and figure out. What exactly is Contactless Delivery? Food delivery and e-commerce portals have been exploiting the term quite to the maximum. So, I decided to look into the Contactless Delivery promise made by Swiggy, Zomato, Dominos, Amazon etc- Amongst a lot of points made by brands on sanitization and hygiene the below two were the bold promise under the contactless delivery initiative: Deliver and Step Back : The delivery guy will leave your parcel at your doorstep and step back. In a few cases, he might just leave the parcel at the designated place and inform you sp that you can pick it up. Say, your building reception gate or your office recep