Marketing Profiles in Summer Internships

8/8/2019 Marketing Profiles in Summer Internships

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Marketing Profiles in Summer Internships

For Private Circulation Only


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C onsumer MarketingConsumer Marketing is what creates a Pull for the product among theend users consumersT his is different from Customer Marketing which deals mainly withcustomers (Stockists, Retailers, etc)T he Consumer Marketing division creates all the communication that is

targeted to the end user, Including: Ads TV , Print, Online Point of Purchase materials Standees, End Gondolas, Posters, Banners,

Display windows In store activities , contests etc (Eg Rin Safedi Challenge ) C

reative use of digital media and social networking sites such as Facebook,twitter, to promote your products


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C onsumer Marketing

T ypical Objective: Suggestions to improve XYZ or Suggestions to solve problem XYZ

Example of Objectives: Suggestions to improve customer satisfaction Suggestions to improve customer loyalty Suggestions to prevent client loss and increase retention Recommendations for business development activities i.e. Below-

the-Line activities, Above-the-line activities etc.


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Role of an Intern in C onsumer Marketing

Co s look to interns to suggest fresh ideas to help market their product betterJob involves visiting all kinds of retail outlets (Kirana shops,Supermarkets, Mega Marts etc)

Research and compare trends across categories and brands (For example, If I am marketing Lakme, I will spend time observing

Garnier to see what they do better) I will also look at other categories (Like detergents, or soaps) and see if I

can adopt innovative marketing from thereT he goal is to create a marketing communication across various mediathat will reach your target audience in the most cost effective wayA keen eye, an open mind, and enthusiasm will go a long way in thisjob


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Customer or Trade Marketing

Trade Marketing involves Developing a trade marketing plan based on the brief given by the

company, and the objectives given in it. Generally done brand-wise/channel-wise.

V isiting the outlets, surveying retailers and observing purchasing

trends. May or may not include customer surveys. C omparing trade incentive or trade advocacy programs (incentive

programs offered to retailers from the company- gifts, discountsetc.) adopted by competitors, and recommending the best alternative.

Optimizing trade support measures (finding out what can be doneat the store itself to increase overall sales) In-Store merchandising and POSM (Point of Sale Material)

placement [shelf space, visibility factor such assignage/posters/displays etc. in store, product-location mapping]

Designing POP (Point of Purchase) promotion schemes.


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Possible pitfalls to avoid Be Careful while talking to the retailers about schemes and

promotional discounts offered to them by the company. T hey mayperceive your words as company directives and act accordingly.

While engaging in chit-chat with competitor s sales representative,

avoid giving any sensitive information (they may try their best toextract some) Expected approach would be to silently observe the outlet, trade

behavior and consumer behavior first before going and talking toretailers or customers

Be very clear about the objectives of the Research Plan get it clarified multiple times from your Guide to avoid issues later on

If there are multiple Guides, or there are multiple people in theCompany involved with your project, get the Objectives clarifiedfrom each one of them. If they are at different levels in thehierarchy, always listen to the highest ranked individual.


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Suggestions C learly understand the business as well as principle of the company

before designing your approach. Your hard workedrecommendations may be rejected because they may not be aligned

with the principle or vision of the company As IIM Grads, companies expect new creative ideas from you.

Whenever you recommend something which is not tried before, besure of all the legal aspects related to the suggestion

Build cordial relationship with company Sale Representatives. T hey

can give you valuable insights and help you in many ways, but becareful not to get opinionated by their views. It would be great if you can maintain a daily journal of your actions. Do not fudge any data whatsoever


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Market Research

Market Research involves Developing a research plan based on the brief given by the

company, and the objectives given in it Identifying the right target group and the mode for the research Identifying possible methods of Data Analysis T he questionnaire

will vary depending on the kind of methods used Implementing the research plan by carrying out surveys amongst

the target respondents Analyzing the data obtained, and coming up with recommendations

and conclusions Market Research is an integral, but not the only component in a

Marketing profile. It can also be a part of a Sales or Branding profile


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Market Research

Possible pitfalls to avoid Be very clear about the objectives of the Research Plan get it

clarified multiple times from your Guide to avoid issues later on If there are multiple Guides, or there are multiple people in the

Company involved with your project, get the Objectives clarifiedfrom each one of them. If they are at different levels in thehierarchy, always listen to the highest ranked individual

T he Target Group, or T G, for the research is very important.Accordingly, the language of the questions (rustic/refined) and theplace of taking surveys will vary (Online/malls/door-to-door)

Do not fudge any data whatsoever You will end up with resultsthat do not give out any clear results, or give glaringly clear results.Any Marketing professional will be experienced enough to spot both


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Market Research

Suggestions Take the Market Research course seriously. Focus not just on the

Data Analysis methods, but also the real-life situations in whichthey are applicable

Interns from other Institutes will be in your team. To ensure that their knowledge and clarity about Market Research is not higherthan yours, keep a MR book handy if possible. Also do not use anAnalysis method just for the sake of using it, check its applicabilityand conformance with Research Objective

Be aware of the business of your Company, and what kind of T G itsproducts target. Lack of awareness about this reflects poorly on theIntern s preparation

Knowledge of MS Excel is required. Knowledge of Lookup functions,Pivot table and basic Conditional statements come in very handyand are expected of an IIM grad

Documents

Marketing Profiles in Summer Internships