Things you Need to Know about Marketing

Warning!!! You’re Losing Money by Not Using Fundamentals of Marketing & Economics.

Now, since you have my attention, let me bring to you the topic which most of the business or service owners tends to forget or miss during their marketing journey and hence leads to a loss of revenue that they could have earned had they followed the fundamentals of Marketing and basics of Economics that they inadvertently or deliberately ignore. 

The article here tries to capture some basic fundamentals of marketing and economics, which will be useful to students, bloggers, professionals, freelancers, mentors, People Practicing Sales or Marketing, entrepreneurs and marketers. If you are among the people highlighted above, this is the right stopover for you. Please give me your precious 5 minutes to read the article below. 

 

"Business has only two functions, innovation and Marketing": - Milan Kundera

 

The above quote is apt and this is wherein the real challenge exists. Today business is more focused on Innovation and have side-lined marketing or have relied on herd mentality (that is, everyone is adopting the same schema) of marketing. Marketing has evolved and those who have aligned itself with this evolution are reaping the benefits.

Marketing is all about building a brand and capturing a position in the minds of consumers/Customers.

Still confused?? No issue, let me begin with the basics of Marketing first. 

According to etymologists, the term 'marketing' first appeared in dictionaries in the sixteenth century where it referred to the process of buying and selling at a market (Source: Wikipedia).

As per Imperial College London, Marketing begins its way before the production of goods or services. Marketing before production is useful as it gets the product and brand into the minds of the public. After production, marketing helps to keep people interested. 

Marketing is more than advertising or selling.

The Fundamental of Marketing. 

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer, so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.” — Peter Drucker.

 

As I started the article, I reiterate many people tend to lose money with lack of clarity on the marketing approach. They may have a creative product, but people need to understand that marketing is not just based on creativity, but marketing is a scientific approach towards fulfilling the customers need. 

 

This scientific approach towards marketing focuses on the 5P’s (Product, Place, Price, Promotion & People) and tends to align to the What, Where, Why, When, How and Who of the intended strategy. One who understands this scientific approach understands the customer's need and tends to implement the right strategy. 

 

I will cover this in detail later in a separate article, watch out for space in my blog. 

Marketing is all about sending the right message to the right person and at the right time. It is not only about advertisement or selling. It is also about keeping the existing customers happy by communicating them effectively. The most important component of Marketing hence is building Trust with your customer. 

Remember a few years back, there was a story behind hawkers promoting their tea by saying "kharab se kharab chai" on a train that went viral. That was a unique communication strategy built by enabling the hawker to differentiate its product from the other vendors and still position himself with a sense of connecting. 

Deepak Kanakraju, better identified with his brand Digital Deepak, have explained it beautifully about the aspect of trust that matters most in any marketing engagement. You can learn more about this in his blog or this video of him. 

"As long as there is a Product to sell, there will be a market to sell."

 

Why Learn Marketing 

 

Many of you must be still wondering, the knowledge above is acknowledged but why Marketing?? Now let me put this into three bullet points on why marketing

 

1. Marketing has a long shelf life. Once a proper marketing strategy is implemented it can last for a long time and ensure the brand recall among the customer.

I Hate AAP as ...........

This Article is a personal View and is not affiliated to any particular Political Wing. An Advance apology for Spelling and grammatical errors which may be in plenty during the discourse of the Article.


For a Personal reason, on 1st December I was in Delhi. Luckily I was seeing the youth from various part of Nation campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party(AAP). On my way to Rajiv chowk Metro was lucky to meet few people who campaigned for them. On further inquiry they revealed they have traveled from places like Dehradun, Chandigarh for the change. Deep within I was happy, wishing and praying for the victory of AAP, for atleast some seats.

Now On 8th When the result came out I was really happy, that none got the mandate. I was in a belief that we would see a new born, collaborate with another adult Party and give a new system of governance a chance.

But. Alas!! non happened.

Atleast on front of AAP being adamant was not expected.

Yes few may argue that AAP stood by it,s stance of non cooperating with any of the corrupt government. But what was the parameter to level a party or people which was not functioning since last 15 years as corrupt?.

Now, even before the counting I was praying for AAP not getting a majority even being a AAP supporter.

My logic is simple, and I know many would argue " Would you allow a person drive your CAR without any driving experience, even if he is an Automobile Engineer ". Similarity I won,t want the rookie politician take the affairs of governance in hands without gaining some experience.  Working with collaboration was the best learning experience AAP MLAs would have got .

This is not the only reason I have started hating up which just a  week back I was proud of.

Now lets move out of Delhi.


Announcement by AAP that they would contest LOK Shabhah Election in 2014 , got me a headache. After seeing through the Delhi Hung mandate , I analysed on the situation(readers Please don,t ask me statistics, Some analysis could be Qualitative and Personal).

Imagine the current anti-governace situation in the States are translated at national Level, for Sure AAP would be able to generate some Seats , but this is what again I don,t Want. ??? The Reason Same Repeat   of a Hung Mandate on many probabilities. Even if they win a majority of votes I have my apprehension and will not like them to govern a nation without any experience.

The the Question may be asked from me, What exactly I want??

For me the Answer is very simple.

They should gain some experience of governance by atleast collaborating in governance in Delhi(if still Possible), Learn the functioning .

Don,t Jump the Gun to Lok Sahbha immediately, Spread the Wings in Different States, Gain the Mandate of people and then with Experience and Mandate Come to National Politics. ( Any way the beautiful Federal Structure of Indian Democracy would Give AAP opportunity to function as a change-maker wherever it gets its root into.)

AAP I still respect you and Would in Long Run would like your Way of Swaraj. Your Way of Functioning .
But as Kejriwal himself Said in a TV interview post the Delhi Madate " Rome was not built in a Day", please take it step wise and let governance prevail

On for Delhi.. Delhities pleae don,t get a hung assembly again and it,s upto you people if you want to risk of letting your CAR driven by an inexperienced..

Note:- I am not affiliated to any party. I am as much a victim of Corruption as many of you are. I too want a clean political system whoever it is provided by, but yes AAP would be my long run Choice.

An Ordeal With Indian Police

Here when the whole world was watching “Satyamev Jayate”, I was going through the same inscription written down for 11th(actually i don't remember the real count) time in last 9 Days on the walls of India’s one so called public office "The Police Station (Will be using P.S for the same)".

 It was just 9 days back when there was a theft in my house and I rushed to Police station to Lodge an FIR. For me the FIR was an important piece of document which needed to be submitted to my office (As among the theft items, my office laptop was one liability).

At first the officers seemed very helpful, we had a visit by one of their representatives to get the scene visit on the very same day, but next it was a horrific experience for the last 9 days. Instead of an official FIR they just received one of my application (they did stamped it but with just an insignia, god know who put the insignia), but didn't issue any FIR. They asked me to visit next day.

Next it was the IIC (Inspector in charge) whom I met and requested for the FIR, but he asked me to meet another person (Let he be person X), Mr. X as it is in the Bollywood movies, didn’t seemed friendly nor indeed he was. And he started grilling me (I was thinking did I took marijuana or was I out of sense, did I steal my laptop myself, but no came to reality and kept the request on). Mr. X was kind enough and let his rant out. He says, there are jus 4 people took look after all incidence and it is tough for them to work on each issue ( Now that indeed is a problem, but how was I to solve it, request to department to recruit more people, too much of unemployed men there.). Finally Mr. X took the request, and had to submit another application (No receiving this time, but yes I kept one copy with me), but still no FIR was issued,  Mr  X took my number and assured me to give a call next day to get the FIR.

 Like all same old story goes, I waited and waited for the call till I was off with my office work for the day. Post my office work I visited the P.S and visited the office, and found only new faces. I was asked to visit late evening to meet the IIC or Mr. X.

Again I make another effort after an hour in the evening but no one was present, so finally gives a call to my journalist friend who interacts with the IIC and ask me to rush to PS. (uffff, I thought now it is all over, alas nothing of that sort). The PS seems more cheesed off, and denies providing the FIR. Just when I was out of the PS and giving a call to my Journalist friend, I get a call from one of the subordinates of the IIC, to meet him. I rush to the PS with a relief. This time he calls me in a separate room and here the whole story is unfolded by him.

In his words.

“I can’t register all cases in FIR, I have a target and if all crimes are registered and kept unsolved, I will face axe of the system. I too got a target of crime to solve ratio, and face problem for my job. Give me 4-5 days of time, we will track your mobile (yes mobile was also an item stolen, and my IMEI number was provided), and after that I will issue an FIR (he will definitely as it will be a successful case if mobile is tracked).

                He literally requested for some time, I like a moron and idiot got concerned for him and his job and thought nothing going to happen giving him 4-5 days and gave him the time gap. But some where deep within my soul I was unhappy for this time Gap given. Meanwhile Yes, I have informed my Office and they asked me for the FIR (as laptops were insured), so did my brother needed the same (yes the stolen item also included his laptop).

Again after almost 5 days, I visit the PS (8 days of the incident). And there I don’t find anyone all new faces yet again. The people say the IIC will come in evening. So visit the same under the thunderous sky in late evening. Here another in charge, I guess SI, ask me to meet another person (let name him Mr Y), after calling him (yes Mr Y’s number is shared by this SI). I return home and after sometime call back the number of Mr Y.  Surprise of Surprise, I hear the IVRS “The number you have called don’t have incoming facility”. I try it umpteenth of time and every time gets the same response by the IVRS. So finally I decide to visit the PS again at about 9 pm. Here I do find Mr. Y, and ask him for the FIR after narrating the story. Mr. Y assures he will provide me the same, but only next day at 11 am. He gives the excuse as the PS has no power (yes the thunder storm resulted in power disruption in many places in Bhubaneswar, this provides another proof that our PS don’t have power back up even), and I buy his excuse and leaves for another day.

And next day that is today, I make a visit on the scheduled time, and look for Mr. Y. After some search in the PS I do find him. I think myself a relaxed person, and ask him for the FIR. The response brings me back to square one. He says he is not authorized to issue any FIR only an IIC can. Shell shocked I make a visit to the IIC.

After a minute wait, I do get a chance to meet the IIC and received shock of my life, the way he talked.

The Conversation:

Me: sir namaskar, came for the FIR.

He: Yes, you are giving a hajri( reporting) daily, yesterday you were here, again today, I have asked you to come after 5-7 days.

Me: Sir I am here after 5 days. I need the FIR for my company.

He: no go back, I won’t give you any FIR, I asked you to come after 5-7 days.

Me: it is 9th day today of the incident.

He: 9 days or 90 days, I am not going to give any FIR, do whatever you want to do, get out.

Me: Ok

Now I am back, and thinking

1)            What did I do wrong?

2)            Don’t I have a fundamental right to register an FIR

3)            I guess the crime increases after this, as the criminals are well aware that petty crimes are not registered even.

4)            Who is the fault the PS or the System.

5)            The way I was treated, is all common citizen treated the same way? How many of the crimes get unnoticed or even unregistered.

6)            Is this is the reason why people are scared to visit the PS. Does not this increase the gap between the civil society and the police (who in its numerous add keep asking the people to help them in fighting crime).

7)            Have the public machinery turned it’ eyes blind. Have the individuals working for public given up their pledge to garnish promotions and accolades (low crime registered, that too only solvable ones will be shown as a positive development for the IIC).

This fact I am writing is not just to highlight my plight( yes it does to some extent), nor I want to build any sympathy ,but to build a connect with what may be happening to millions of Citizens who must be day and night running after the PS to just get one fundamental right of their FIR registered.

I just wish platforms like SMJ (Satyamev Jayate), which public built a trust on, also highlights the apathy of millions of people getting denied of justice.

I wish some individual crime journalist turns it guns up and bring the whole machinery of Policing into question. They question the unnoticed or the unregistered cases, however small or trivial it may sound. Incidents are incident.

Many may advice, do this, do that. They will have their versions of suggestions. Many definitely are commendable. I may implement one and get the FIR. But who is going to help the other millions?

Note: I don’t have any grudge to any individual, so have deliberately removed the names of Individual (few I don't actually know even). My question is more to the system.

Land of Love

I anchored my heart

     in the shallow sea of love,

but the stratum of your faith

     couldn't hold it on

and one thing's good

     that the vessel of life sails on

leaving all the stormy memories behind

     in the need of new land of love

Give A Momment

Give a Moment

To Listen to my beats

Give a Moment

To learn my feelings

Give a Moment

To get to my Dreams

Give a Moment

To Find Wat's Within

INDIA I VISITED

visited 22 states (62.8%)
Create your own visited map of India or Like this? try: Archean

WORDS WERE FEW BUT COULDN'T SAY

Never I knew what to say
Words were few but couldn't lay.

In the rain I was drying the hay,
needed my love a hefty pay.

Chill of December or heat of May,
Now I know in my heart only one you who stay

Words are few but couldn't say

The Above Poem Translated by Neomi:- My Hungarian Poet Friend

szavai ezek voltak: 

kevés de nem tudta megmondani

soha nem tudtam mit kellene mondani

kevés szó volt de egy sem hazudott

az esőben szárítottam a szénát

szükségem van a szerelmemre egy fizetésre

decemberi hideg vagy májusi hőség

most tudom hogy a szívem mélyén csak egy valaki maradhat

a szavai kevés volt de nem tudta megmondani