Businessworld launches 5th Edition of The Businessworld Marketing Whitebook 2009-2010

Media News

Mumbai, February 03, 2009

Businessworld launched its 5th edition of the Marketing Whitebook, which is one of the most comprehensive handbook for all marketing professionals. This edition packs in the latest marketing research from several of India’s leading companies and research organisations, including CII, Ernst & Young, FICCI, KPMG, Max New York Life Insurance Ltd, McKinsey & Company, NCAER, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Special focus has been given to two new sunrise industries – insurance and retail – and what consumers perceive and desire of them.

Key highlight of the evening was a high-powered panel discussion on one of the most topical issues today, ‘Building Brands in a Slowdown’. The panelists included veterans from the media and marketing fraternity - Shailesh Rao, Managing Director, Google India; Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World; Sanjay Purohit, Executive Director (Marketing), Cadbury; Ranjivjit Singh, Chief Marketing Officer, Microsoft India; Saugata Gupta, CEO, Consumer Products Business, Marico; and Maitri Kumar, Head (Marketing) HSBC India. The well-known adman Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India, moderated the panel discussion.

Suhel started off the discussion by inviting Maitri Kumar to talk about how HSBC as a brand is dealing with the slowdown. Kumar said, “We are now looking at ways to maintain the position that we enjoy in the market and at the same time, deal with the challenge of degrowth. This is a time of hard choices.”

Shailesh Rao commented, “We need to invest in brands with a long term perspective. The flab needs to be cut. Between boom time and recession, we can find out the difference between good and bad. It’s time for sharper accountabilities. We need to do something that is fundamental.”

Sam Balsara had a unique perspective. He added, “What is happening right now is not necessarily all bad - the advertising market has grown from 10,000 crores to 20,000 crores - we are asking how to take the market to 50, 000 crores.”

Sanjay Purohit commented “FMCGs are feeling the effect of slowdown a little less than others. The converse was also true. Our industries saw less growth in 2001-2002, when consumer goods were booming. We are looking at opportunities to galvanise growth in uncertain times. In slowdowns, consumers experiment less and go back to brands they trust.”

Ranjivjit Singh said “This is a time to reflect. The crisis is well-documented. But this is an opportunity for great growth. Brand building is about getting close to the consumer, and stepping into their minds to figure out what makes them tick.”

Saugata Gupta added, “Nobody is immune. We all are making adjustments. In times like this good business decisions can catapult a brand. We have to make decisions that are good in both - short as well as long term.”

On the launch occasion, DD Purkayastha, Managing Director and CEO, ABP Group said, “The Businessworld Marketing Whitebook is designed to be a marketer’s best friend and that’s why it is one of the best-selling publications in the country. Over the period of five years, it has become an indispensable guide for all marketing, advertising, and research professionals.”

Commenting on the book, Pavan Varshnei, President – English Magazines & Digital Media, ABP Group said, “By putting India’s most comprehensive collection of marketing information at your fingertips in an easy-to-refer format, the Marketing Whitebook empowers marketers’ to take decisions that help combine their practical experience with the latest research.”

2009-2010 edition of the Businessworld Marketing Whitebook covers views, reports and statistics on marketing issues and trends such as How India earns and saves across the urban and rural landscape, the urban centres outside the top eight cities that will be driving growth in the retail industry, how generic drugs will likely account for 10 percent of the pharmaceuticals market worldwide, how India’s nascent asset management industry is evolving rapidly with new equity inflows accounting for a major part of growth and much more.

For further information, please contact:

Businessworld

Shivik Gupta

Deputy Manager - Brand

E-mail: Shivik.Gupta@abp.in

Mobile: +91 9899114516