Half the Experience
| So when Dilip Doshi launched Mont Blanc in India, it was fitting that the brand tie-up with the Taj Group because the P of place was complementary to the brand's position. And since Mont Blanc was my project at the Taj back then, I paid attention to the other three Ps as well. The price was clearly the listed price with duty paid, without further markups""since most well-travelled Indians were familiar with prevailing international prices. Promotion, the fourth P, was really more about the Taj's endorsement through the showroom's very presence in the hotel. |
| I left the Taj a while ago, and Mont Blanc's in-store luxury experience, since, has been enhanced by larger stores, better display and better trained staff, the last of which I can personally vouch for. |
| The other day, I went into the store at the Taj, Delhi, looking for a handbag that I discovered was out of stock. By the end of the day, I received a call offering me the same bag in tan which they had sourced from one of their outstation stores; but my preference was black. That was that, I thought. However, three weeks later I got another call: they had imported a black one especially for me and would I like to drop by for a look? This is what is meant by a "wraparound" brand experience""as in the title of this book. |
| Mont Blanc, to my mind, has managed to ensure that the customer experience is good at all touch points with the brand. While this concept, also broadly called "360 degree marketing" is quite old, it's not a fad that will disappear like CRM. |
| So the question arises as to why we don't see all companies doing this. My understanding, from the companies that I consult with, is that its implementation needs to be systemic and driven top-down. It takes time, patience and a committed driver. It also takes courage to invest in this. The systems to track data, the personal response teams and the customizing products all amount to significant spends. Lastly, the metrics to measure the results of this need to be in place to encourage top leadership and the process-owners within to keep up the effort. |
| While Sengupta does cover the first and third of the above aspects in this book, which is essentially a collection of case studies on Indian companies that have implemented wraparound or experiential marketing, he neglects the cost implications of this process. All the same, as a marketing professional, it's good to know there are proven Indian examples such as the Shoppers' Stop case study; having implemented systems at retail entities such as Nanz, Khazana and Arcus, one knows how difficult it is. |
| Yet, the footfall, conversion and bill value figures quoted by the author in the Shoppers' Stop study could have done with some relevant comparisons with industry data, which the author says the company did not have, but could have perhaps been sourced from industry organisations such as Retailers Association of India. It just puts the data in context. |
| Another grouse I have is that the case studies, from Orange to Manhattan card, are all based in Mumbai. A sense of balance is also lacking in the coverage of industry sectors, since FMCGs are left out, as the author acknowledges. Marico's Kaya skin clinics, L'Oreal's saloons and HLL's Ayush Therapy centres are just a few of the multiple touchpoint cases that could have been included to give the book a better rounded touch. |
| Those lacunae notwithstanding, this book reads more like a monologue with the same play on words over and over again and a single idea dominating the entire length of it, supported more by the author's own convictions or hopes than by any corroborative industry data or theory of marketing. |
| To be fair, the author says as much when he admits that the book is less theory and more personal experience. This is convenient, but if as a student one is spending money on the book (and the author says that it is primarily meant for students), then one would expect some theory or critical analysis to make it worth the investment. |
| WRAPAROUND DELIVERING A GREAT BRAND EXPERIENCE |
| Jayanta Sengupta Rupa & Co Pages: 118; Price: Rs 295 |