Every year, marketing and communication giant JWT surveys the markets around the world to spot the following year&rsquo;s trends.

Navigating the new normal

Business Standard

When it comes to deals and discounts, we Indians find it difficult to say &lsquo;no&rsquo; to a good offer. So when we were introduced to group-buying websites a few months back, we were taken in by the concept. But the recent closing down of a well-known website begs our attention.

'Group buying might die in 2012'

Mobile Apps revolution. Internet usage on mobile phones is growing at a scorching pace, giving rise to predictions that mobile internet usage will soon overtake desktop computers. It is estimated that the apps market in 2012 will be worth $17.5 bn.

'2012 will see e-commerce shift to the mobile phone'

Planet Fashion, with its latest range of international brands, is targeting the entire family.

Not just for men, anymore

The Indian man of the future isn&rsquo;t one. He&rsquo;s many. Meet the Multividual Man. He&rsquo;s the ways he is because of social forces around him. And because he can be. But first, those social forces.

The Multividual Man

With Ra.One, Bollywood attempted what Hollywood movies like Harry Potter and Shrek have done as a proven marketing ploy. Agreed, Ra.One did not get the crowds swooning but it remains a shining example of a Bollywood movie trying to build a successful movie franchise.

How to execute cross-promotion: Ra.One

Indian consumers not only buy everyday products under deals; they are actively seeking bargains for many aspirational products.

Dealing with discounts

The lessons of 2011 are going to shape marketing strategy in 2012 in more ways than one.

Silver lining in the dark clouds

The top 10 business bestsellers

    The founder of this brand while reading Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, was struck by the nutritional value of wheat bran and started selling it as a health food. Name the founder and his brand.

The Strategist Quiz (#233)

&nbsp;

    What is the connection between the South Sea Bubble of the 1700s to the Laws of Gravity?&nbsp;
    Speculation in the South Sea Company&rsquo;s stock led to a great economic bubble known as the South Sea Bubble in 1720 and Sir Isaac Newton who was then the master of the Royal mint despite having access to insider information lost his entire fortune of GBP 20,000.&nbsp;
    &nbsp;
    Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, JRD Tata, Sigmund Freud, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dalai Lama and

Answers to last week's quiz (#232)

Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), a network of over 600 business schools in India, is planning to open regional chapters to give greater wingspan to its activities.

Association of mgmt schools to open regional chapters

Ajay Vishnu, a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay, felt his entrepreneurial dreams were being shattered when he saw his venture not gaining scale. After spending two years of his time on the venture, Vishnu was back in the job market. However, his apprehensions of getting a job were removed when his alma mater, IIT Bombay, came up with the deferred placement programme, especially for entrepreneurs like Vishnu.

Entrepreneurs get help from alma mater

Petrol cars like Jazz and diesel variants of Ritz, Swift Dzire and Manza see strong demand.

No slowdown for some cars

Product promotion strategies now include games to attract consumers.

Games brands play

11 Bills related to education sector are pending in Parliament. The Foreign Universities Bill is expected to improve quality of education.

Will higher education see a sea change?

Students' corner

V K Sharma realised the lacunae in LIC Housing&rsquo;s branding exercise soon after he took over as its Chief Executive Officer. &ldquo;We were glad sponsors of a Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) event. But our logo was the least prominent.&rdquo; The new logo, which was launched in the first week of December, has the punch line &ndash; Ring out the old, ring in the new.

Getting its house in order

The most recent offering by Pizza Hut is an extended menu of 15 localised pizzas derived from regional tastes like Sev puri, Chettinadu paneer, Chicken achari, Nimbu mirchi, to name a few. The new offerings, marketed heavily through a 360 degree campaign celebrates the Kansas based chain&rsquo;s 15 year anniversary in India. It also reflects the brand&rsquo;s aggression in a market where several new brands have entered the fray.

Pizza Hut wants a larger pie

The biennial advertising congress, Ad Asia, kicked off at the Taj Palace in New Delhi on Monday. India is playing host to close to 1,200 delegates from 25 countries in the capital for four days of learning and fun.

Time to go ad mad as four-day fair kicks off

In 2008, the Publicis Groupe chose to bring its media and digital agencies under one brand, VivaKi. But, little did it anticipate the downturn later in the year. However, VivaKi emerged from the crisis with more brands under its wings and is now making inroads into India. Rishad Tobaccowala, the chief strategy and innovation officer, discussed with Sayantani Kar designs for India.

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