Sabiha Kidwai, General Manager (Marketing), Panasonic India has particularly huge hopes from Panasonic’s ECO range of environmentally friendly products, which are backed with a big budget media plan. “Our rivals also have energy saving models in their line up, but at Panasonic we are going a step further by sharing eco awareness with consumers,” says Sabiha, referring to Panasonic’s celeb laced campaign – ‘I’m doing my bit. How about you?’
The ambition within Panasonic’s Gurgaon headquarters is to double the company’s revenues from Rs.2,200 crore in the last fiscal and the marketing team says that plans are on track to achieve the doubling of turnover by March 2011. Explains Ito, “Despite slowdown, we have grown 200% over 2009 so far,” adding that the company hopes to finish FY10 with a robust 270% growth. The efforts by Ito and his core team are by no means restricted to just advertising communication. The change is reflected simultaneously in the company’s product, pricing and distribution strategies. At the product level, for starters, Panasonic has now begun designing its products within the country (as opposed to importing made in US or Japan products) to leverage on the unique requirements of the Indian consumers. By 2011, there is also a huge investment planned for setting up a production facility within India for ACs, plasmas/ LCDs and refrigerators. Of the $300 million set aside for the Indian market, about $100 million will go into setting up of the proposed plant. Not surprising, given that going purely by sales, Plasmas/ LCDs and air conditioners are the fastest growing product lines at Panasonic India these days. Also on the cards is an extension of Panasonic’s existing PDA technology into India to take advantage of the 3G regime, a move that would once again propel Panasonic in the lucrative Indian handset market (from which it had exited in 2006 after it failed to woo customers) where its biggest rivals LG and Samsung already boast a big presence.
Pricing is the next frontier that Panasonic hopes to conquer successfully. “There is an ongoing debate in the Indian market as to when LCDs will become a commodity as has happened with CRTs. We have already started commoditising the LCD with our 2009 festival offer of a 32 inches LCD at Rs.29,990 only,” continues Sabiha. In fact, next in their line up – to be launched early next year – are the Volume Zone products in every category, which will entail giving the Indian consumer better quality at lower prices.
Distribution however is one area where success still eludes. After all, in a cut throat competitive market where rivals LG and Samsung are virtually falling over each other to buttress their mostly common dealer network, distribution is certainly a tough nut for Panasonic. But undeterred, this Buddhist from Japan is counting on his 3Ps of product, positioning and people to deliver the goods. “Panasonic India is limited compared to our global operations, which makes even small components. Now that the Panasonic management has renewed its commitment to the Indian market, my dream is to get our global range to consumers here,” he says, signing off. After UK and Japan, will this turnaround man manage to give a new lease of life to Panasonic in India? We don’t know yet, but wish him luck anyway!
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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The ambition within Panasonic’s Gurgaon headquarters is to double the company’s revenues from Rs.2,200 crore in the last fiscal and the marketing team says that plans are on track to achieve the doubling of turnover by March 2011. Explains Ito, “Despite slowdown, we have grown 200% over 2009 so far,” adding that the company hopes to finish FY10 with a robust 270% growth. The efforts by Ito and his core team are by no means restricted to just advertising communication. The change is reflected simultaneously in the company’s product, pricing and distribution strategies. At the product level, for starters, Panasonic has now begun designing its products within the country (as opposed to importing made in US or Japan products) to leverage on the unique requirements of the Indian consumers. By 2011, there is also a huge investment planned for setting up a production facility within India for ACs, plasmas/ LCDs and refrigerators. Of the $300 million set aside for the Indian market, about $100 million will go into setting up of the proposed plant. Not surprising, given that going purely by sales, Plasmas/ LCDs and air conditioners are the fastest growing product lines at Panasonic India these days. Also on the cards is an extension of Panasonic’s existing PDA technology into India to take advantage of the 3G regime, a move that would once again propel Panasonic in the lucrative Indian handset market (from which it had exited in 2006 after it failed to woo customers) where its biggest rivals LG and Samsung already boast a big presence.
Pricing is the next frontier that Panasonic hopes to conquer successfully. “There is an ongoing debate in the Indian market as to when LCDs will become a commodity as has happened with CRTs. We have already started commoditising the LCD with our 2009 festival offer of a 32 inches LCD at Rs.29,990 only,” continues Sabiha. In fact, next in their line up – to be launched early next year – are the Volume Zone products in every category, which will entail giving the Indian consumer better quality at lower prices.
Distribution however is one area where success still eludes. After all, in a cut throat competitive market where rivals LG and Samsung are virtually falling over each other to buttress their mostly common dealer network, distribution is certainly a tough nut for Panasonic. But undeterred, this Buddhist from Japan is counting on his 3Ps of product, positioning and people to deliver the goods. “Panasonic India is limited compared to our global operations, which makes even small components. Now that the Panasonic management has renewed its commitment to the Indian market, my dream is to get our global range to consumers here,” he says, signing off. After UK and Japan, will this turnaround man manage to give a new lease of life to Panasonic in India? We don’t know yet, but wish him luck anyway!
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
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