August 29, 2010

More Marketing concepts - Part I

Silent sales person: The sales person is the most important link in the sales process. He is the interface between the company and the customers. In many cases the product’s unit value is very less and individual salesman can’t be present at the POP (Point-of-Purchase). The role of the sales person is thus taken over by the product packaging. As the packaging can’t talk (in most of the cases) it is referred to as the silent salesman. In retail shops being picked up and examined by the customer is the final frontier. In that split second packaging has to seduce the customer and shout ‘PICK ME UP”. If the customer takes the product in his hand half the battle is won. That is why packaging is an art. The display has to be bright and shining. It should have interesting copy and enticing visuals. All in all packaging can play a very vital role on making the product reach the shopping basket of the customer.

One innovative promotional display that comes to mind was seen at Kids Kemp in Bangalore. A Shopper preoccupied with thoughts is strolling down the aisle. He notices the Pepsi display. He is not overtly interested. But when he is within five feet of the display a can (not a bottle) jumps out of the display (micro-processor controlled). Taken by surprise the shopper catches the Pepsi can. He looks around - there is no one he can approach. He can’t push the can back into the machine. Not knowing what to do he is left with two options - to keep the can in his shopping basket or consume it. At the payment counter much to his delight he is told that the Pepsi can is a new flavor of Pepsi and that it is complimentary. Talk about enticing and effective promotional displays!

Iceberg principle: Observation that in many (if not most) cases only a very small amount or the tip of information is available or visible about a situation or phenomenon, whereas the 'real' information or bulk of data is either unavailable or hidden. The principle gets its name from the fact that only about 1/10th of an iceberg's mass is seen outside while about 9/10th of it is unseen, deep down in water. Used in the control function of management the take away is - what is visible is important and warrants your attention. But what is not visible is more important and is very dangerous to ignore the invisible part of the situation, or problem.

Looking at the trees and missing the forests: This term is used when a person is overly concerned with details of a particular issue or problem, not understanding the whole situation. When expressing that a person is focusing too much on specific problems and is missing the point that is very important.

Pounding a square peg in a round hole: meaning that one is trying to do something that does not "fit" or is inappropriate to a situation. It is making a person who liked being outdoors to work an office is  like "pounding a square peg in a round hole". In many cases we try to adjust people and situations to the jobs rather than making jobs and situations suitable for people. In this case the use of "pound "rather than "put" suggests a more vigorous attempt to do something that, at best is not a very good solution to a situation, and more likely is doomed to failure or will never work.

Efficiency and effectiveness: One of the things that is always asked. What is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness? Efficiency is the art of doing things right and effectiveness is the art of doing right things. Let me clarify. When a student comes to the class in time, listens attentively, takes the notes, does not make noise and leaves after the teacher leaves we call him as being efficient. That is he has done the things right. But if the student does all these things and asks questions, intellectually challenges himself and the teacher, internalizes the concepts and asks himself the question” how is this going to be helpful in real life?”, we call that particular student as being effective that is he is doing the right things.

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