SHL
1. WAS THE CEO RIGHT IN FIRING THE SALES FORCE T&D CELL INCHARGE? WHY?
(5 marks) • Why did they fail?
o What is the selling environment? o What is the selling methodology?
o What was the selling experience they had? o Which markets had they worked in?
o Did they have any prior experience of working in these markets?
• What are the pre-requisites for a salesman to be successful in rural markets? 2. WHY DID THE SAME STRATEGY NOT WORK IN RURAL AREAS? (10 marks) • SHL had made some assumptions
o No test marketing in semi-urban markets
o Demand pattern, consumer profile and behaviour was assumed to be similar o No specialized training for selling techniques, required attitude for rural
markets
• Profile the rural consumer (Key decision maker) for durables
o Occupation o Income o Age
• Identify the hurdles the company would face
3. PROPOSE A MARKETING STRATEGY FOR RURAL MARKETS (5 marks)
IDENTIFY THE TARGET SEGMENT CLEARLY
IF YOU THINK NECESSARY YOU CAN MENTION GEOGRAPHIC ZONES
WHERE MARKETING ACTIVITY SHOULD BE FOCUSED (e.g. south more open to technology products, mindsets not so rigid)
Before stating your proposed strategy identify factors that will influence
consumer purchase behaviour :
• Infrastructure – e.g. voltage fluctuations, piped water
• Cultural practices prevailing – e.g. common washing areas, decision making by male head
• Preferences for larger size products, colours • Influencers : mahajan, panchhead, youth • Product
o Categorically mention that the urban offering can not be extended o Product variants
o Features
o Operating instructions
o Positioning, Branding (pneumonic, name)
• Price
o Value o Cost-benefit
• Promotion
o Product information
o Create product experience – demos, free washes o Awareness & interest ?
o Conviction, purchase? : POC o Which unconventional media?
o Databasing : postmasters, mandal chiefs o Service support
• Distribution
o Retail push : POS o Haats, melas?
TOURISM - SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
a. India's geographical location. A culmination of deserts, forests, mountains, and beaches.
b. Diversity of culture i.e. a blend of various civilizations and their traditions. c. A wealth of archeological sites and historical monuments.
WEAKNESSES
a. Lack of adequate infrastructure.
b. A xenophobic attitude among certain sections of people.
c. No proper marketing of India's tourism abroad. Foreigners still think of India as a land of snake charmers.
OPPORTUNITIES
a. More proactive role from the government of India in terms of framing policies. b. Allowing entry of more multinational companies into the country giving us a global perspective.
c. Growth of domestic tourism. THREATS
a. Economic conditions and political turmoil in other countries affects tourism. b. Aggressive strategies adopted by other countries like Australia, Singapore in promoting tourism.
The important task is to get tourism accepted as an instrument of development and national integration. For this it is necessary to create awareness of India's charms as a tourist paradise and simultaneously addressing the important issue of toning up
infrastructure and then getting down to marketing the product in a pragmatic and result oriented manner. All segments of the tourism trade should get together and hammer out a strategy taking into account the ground realities and demands of the future.
TRENDS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN INDIA
New trends, are being developed by the government to expand the activities under the tourism industry like:
ECOTOURISM:
Eco tourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas and sustains the well being of local people. It is further an amalgamation of interests arising out of environmental, economic and social concerns. Tourism has become one of the largest global activities and a way of paying for nature conservation and increasing the value of land. The flow of dollars can flow back into conservation and make it pay for itself.
The WTO in its projections for the year 2000 estimates that around 1000 million people will be involved in global tourism. The number is likely to increase. India's share in the traffic will be around 2 to 2.5 million tourists or even more.Ways in which eco-tourism and nature-based tourism are being promoted include:
· Eco-tourism projects in Kerala-Coconut Grove and Spice Village Resorts. · The Bangaram Island Resorts
· Bekal Resorts, Kerala
· Jungle Lodges and Resorts, Karnataka
· The sustainable development project of Andaman. HERITAGE TOURISM:
This is a new kind of tourism that has come up in recent times. The concept of Heritage tourism came up to aid & facilitate the curious guests attempt to get to know India's great traditions. It was realized that the historic homes could be maintained only with their appropriate reuse. The large Palaces of Maharajas set the trend by becoming five star hotels. The main charm is the individual attention & personalized services. The homes are modernized to meet the needs of today's International traveler, with adjoining bathrooms, running hot & cold water, modern plumbing, even perhaps a swimming pool. This kind of tourism was developed mostly for the international tourist who wanted to get the feel of traditional India.
ADVENTURE TOURISM AND HOLIDAY TOURISM:
India's vast geographical diversity provides a vast potential for adventure tourism. All tastes are catered to and there is something for everyone. From the gentlest to the fast placed, for the beginners to the experts. Besides this the prices here are lower as compared to international standards.
Travel agents and tour operators very often specialize in certain fields, offering package deals for groups as well as individuals. Mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing, ballooning and hang gliding, camel treks and desert safaris, white water rafting and river exploration are some of the exciting possibilities. Apart from this there are sports like skiing, scuba diving and underwater coral viewing, angling, wild life and bird watching, golf, tennis, badminton, polo, swimming and motor rallies amongst other sports.
For the tourist in search of sun, sea and surf, there are beach resorts on the western and eastern coasts.
MOUNTAINEERING:
Scaling the Himalayan Peaks - the greatest adventure of all. The mighty mountains stretching across the northern borders of India have hundreds of peaks, many yet unscaled and inviting the intrepid mountaineer. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim offer bases for mountaineering expeditions.There are agents who can make all the arrangements for groups or individuals including food, transport, porters, camping equipment, etc. The best season for mountaineering is from May to October and six months notice is required to book a peak.
TREKKING:
The spectacular Himalayas are the abode of snow and evoke unmatched feelings of reverence and excitement and offer wonderful bevy of trekking routes. Peninsular India offers natural beauty of another kind for trekking. The Western Ghats, the Aravalli Hills, the Satpura range and the Nilgiri mountains have a rich heritage of flora and fauna, each with a special lure of its own. Treks can be taken along the remote areas or the route pilgrims have trekked year after year to remote shrines in the mountains. The season for trekking is April to June and September to November with regional variations. No system of permits exists in India but trekkers should not enter any restricted areas. ROCK CLIMBING:
Especially popular in the foothills of the Himalayas wherever there are rocks and hills, stiff climbs and sheer mountainsides - rock climbing is a popular sport.
BALLOONING:
In its infancy this sport is available only in Delhi. The Balloon Club of India at Delhi's Safdarjung Airport is the takeoff point and has its headquarters within the complex. HANG GLIDING:
Recently introduced in India Hang Gliding is available at Pune, Devlali, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla and Banglore. Kangra and Kasauli are developed as major hang-gliding centers.
CAMEL TREKS AND DESERT SAFARIS:
The great Indian Thar Desert provides the scene for exploring the old desert routes on camel back or for the less intrepid in camel carts. Jeep tours can be taken over remote desert tracks that are rarely taken by tourists. Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner are the starting points for such tours with stops at villages en route.
WHITE WATER RAFTING AND RIVER RUNNING:
The mighty Indian rivers tumble and crash through the mountains to form white water rapids and terraced cascades. This is a paradise for the white water sportsmen. Ladakh and Zanskar valley in Kashmir, Lahul valley, the Garhwal Hills and Sikkim are some popular areas. The Indus, Zanskar, Ganges, Ravi, Beas, Chenab and Teesta are rivers with both rough and calm waters for both beginners and experts. These rivers are excellent for canoeing and kayaking.
WINTER SPORTS:
Gulmarg in Kashmir is India's most popular and developed ski resort with most modern equipment. There is an institute of skiing and mountaineering, which offers training courses. The Gulmarg - Khilanmarg route is a great experience for ski mountaineering enthusiasts. Kufri also offers skiing. Along the Rohtang pass, skiing is possible in summer also. Shimla offers ice-skating, figure skating and speed skating.
MOTOR RALLIES:
Through out the year many rallies are held whose dates can be obtained from the nearest tourist office. The Himalayan car rally attracts international participation and goes through the mountains of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
BEACH RESORTS:
The extensive coastline of India has excellent virgin beaches unspoilt as yet by man. The best-developed beach resorts are at Goa, Kovalam and Mahabalipuram. Excellent water sport facilities are available at these three centers. There are other resorts in smaller cities along the coast of India.
SCUBA DIVING:
The best spot for scuba diving and snorkeling is at the Andaman Islands, which has a vast plethora of coral and marine life that is equally interesting to the tourist and naturalist. This clear water permits exciting under water photography for enthusiasts. WILDLIFE TOURISM:
The Indian subcontinent provides vast variations in geography and climate, which results in diversity in habitats and wildlife. The Himalayas offer a wide spectrum of landscapes and wildlife. Tropical forests in its eastern extremity contrast with pine and coniferous woodlands of western Himalayas. Natural cover varies with altitudes and these
evergreen forests are bounded with high alpine meadows nearer the snowline and temperate forests of short stout trees in the lower elevations. In the foothills are the deciduous trees, with shrubs, bamboos, fern and grass. The northern plains, the course of holy rivers, the great Thar Desert and the Sundarbans, the marshy swamplands, the volcanic rock of the deccan plateau all provide fascinating habitats that sustain over 350 species of mammals, 2100 kinds of birds - local and migratory, nearly 350 species of reptile and countless insects. India currently has around 80 national parks and 441 sanctuaries dotted around the country. While some are inaccessible others have excellent facilities for the visitors. The thrill of spotting herds of wild elephants, deer, a rhino or even a tiger in its natural environment is very difficult to match.
BUDDHIST CIRCUIT AND PILGRIMAGE TOURISM:
Pilgrimage tourism is a major segment that contributes to the growth of employment and local economic development. The National Action Plan announced in the parliament in 1991 recognized pilgrimage tourism for the first time in the country. Temples and tourism go hand in hand and with the increase in the number of temples the tourism industry also grew. Today more than 50% of the 9.2 million domestic tourists travel to visit various places of worship starting from the Ganges to Rameshwaram and
Vaishnodevi to Valankini. In 1998 more than 95 lakh people assembled at the Kumbh Mela, the largest and the last of its kind in the 20th century. Another standing example is Tirupati in the south. It is also an example of the best temple management in the country. It has devised methods by which every devotee pays for the service they get. The
government recently identified 17 places of pilgrimage for developing
The country has embarked on the right path. Upgrading existing infrastructural facilities and adding new ones should definitely help tourism industry to tap the enormous existing potential.
8 P’SOFSERVICESMARKETING: RAJ TRAVELS