Clinical All Clear Operation

Its really good to see companies like Banglalink taking initiatives to keep the beaches of Coxsbazar clean and environment friendly. The company has surely identified the potential the largest unbroken sea beach in the world holds. Too bad that those who were supposed to promote it to foreign tourists and make it more tourist friendly, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, could do very little about it so far. So what makes Banglalink do what they are doing in the sandy beaches down south? They are supposed to be the 2nd largest mobile telecom operator in Bangladesh, does cleaning beaches fall under their business processes or is it some sort of CSR...or a way to keep the media interested about them? Never mind what the reasons are, that might require yet another post, but the spirit is worthy of praise. In the same way, I was thinking if companies like Unilever Bangladesh could do something innovative in terms of cleaning...cleaning the roads and cleaning the minds of the city dwellers to some extent. Clinic All Clear shampoo is supposed to be the best (according to Unilever) to get rid off dandruffs, If their product is being used by us to keep our heads and hair clean of unwanted dandruffs...I wonder if Unilever could do something clinical to keep the roads in Dhaka clean and/or show the ordinary city dwellers some good practices of living in a city.

For example, a group of Unilever staff could hit the roads of Dhaka on a certain day, or say for a whole week, wearing fancy t-shirts and caps, and be busy picking up garbages from the streets, cigarette butts, kolar chilkas etc....whoever collects the most amount of garbage (in terms of weight), wins a special Clinic City All Clear award. How about that? If you notice, we in Dhaka are very used to doing ourselves and watching others doing the following. The list is not exhaustive, as there is an whole array of weird ways of making the city dirty.

-Spitting from a passing vehicle, or while walking (sometimes its remarkable to see the amount of Niagara falls people carry in their mouth and how far they can throw their load)

-throwing packets, polythene bags, cigarette butts left and right.

-Attending to nature's call in exposed and public locations.

-talking in mobile phone while driving

-Happy honking even if it might be visible that the traffic is not moving the next two miles...

and the list might continue, you might add a few more...and you might also argue that basic etiquettes are taught at home, or at school..what a corporate like Unilever got to do with this and why should they do this? Well...to an extent you are right...but what makes me fumble for an answer is that many of those above antics are performed by people who are supposed to be of good families, possessing good educational degrees and holding high salary jobs...then what explains their behaviour when they do it? Also..you might argue that like in many other countries, there should be heavy fines for those who throw garbage and litter on the street or if talk on mobile phone while driving...but in Bangladesh, laws have always been there, but there had been no enforcement of it...so what do you do in such a case? I sometimes wonder we should have won many gold medals in Olympics beating Michael Phelphs, as Bangladesh is one of the countries where everything is done free style, when I am on the road, I am the road King, every tree is my toilet, every street is my spitbin and dustbin, as thats how things are here...and thats what everybody else does..so why should I be different...so what can be done in such a situation?

White collar employees of Unilever might be thinking that why the hell should they leave their cosy comfort of air conditioned office mansion in Gulshan and walk out in the sun to do the job of a clean sweeper. Well, its true that it might not be part of their job profile, but if they consider themselves more fortunate to be leading a global company like Unilever, its only natural that they will have some obligations to the people and city and the villages...to whom and in which they have been selling their soaps and shampoos. Agreed that you have been doing a lot in the name of CSR...

but also think beyond cleaning dandruff from the hair of Bangladeshi consumers, could you be a bit more innovative in cleaning up the city which you are doing business in and the minds of city dwellers whom you are selling your products to? After all, you taught us to brush our teeth with Close Up, you taught us to shampoo our hair with Clinic All Clear and you promised us that rubbing Lux will make my wife prettier, then why not teach us a few best practices of living in a city, how to keep the city clean and environment friendly, so on and so forth. Korben na?

Unilevr's Khalu

Cloze Up 1: Tomakei Khujche Bangladesh (TKB) is perhaps the most successful event that has promoted Unilevr and its brand Cloze Up. For over three years Unilevr has been admired as one of the first multinational giants which has put much of its interest in bringing out the hibernated talents of Bangladesh. I, too, think highly of Unilevr for putting their valuable wealth in search for the ultimate music talents of Bangladesh. Certainly it’s worth praising. It doesn’t matter whether the idea has been copied or the set ups has been modified to suit the culture of the country; what matters most is the purpose of the job, and in this very case it can be stated without any doubt that the purpose was good enough.

Undoubtedly, Unilevr has a strong market research team, along with the very best business executives who work hard to keep the Unispirit up. Unilevr has shown strong business skills in their day to day operation, their managerial skills, and the dexterity in getting things done pursuing people with power. Like in the case of Cloze Up 1:TKB, the most awestricken reality show ever aired in Bangladesh. I look for answers to a couple of questions that I’d not have shown interest in if I were not engaged in writing business articles concerning Bangladesh in most of the times. The questions are:- 1) Despite having so many TV channels why did Unilevr choose NTV as their host? 2) Would Unilevr consider joining up with NTV if Mr. Khalu had not been associated with the company?

As accountants, often our purpose lies in finding out fields where we are putting our money in, and making no profit out of it. For management, we sort out it non-value added items, and try to find why these are happening. This process is called Activity Analysis in our terms. The process consists of two things, i.e. 1) Finding out root causes for an activity and 2) Sorting out activity triggers that are setting off the activities. Root causes are often difficult to identify, and require group discussions while sorting them out. For example, if you are producing cigarettes, you need to buy tobacco as your raw material. So when you procure tobacco, your root cause is to collect the main resource for the soundness of the production, and so on.

So, I went searching for the root causes that could answer my questions. I found the root cause to be very simple and straightforward. As I move on, please note that, all these thoughts of mine are based on assumptions. So, do not rely on this information. This article may change some of your view points in finding out the reasons behind Unilevr’s choosing of NTV as their host for the event of Cloze up1: TKB.

At the time Unilevr thought to stage the so called drama, the team of Mr. Khalu was in power. And it is widely known that Mr. Khalu had some unusual relationship with the Prime in a number of ways. If you are to get the blessings from the boss, you must satisfy his/her PA. Here, in this event, Unilevr may have persuaded Mr. Khalu to get oiled by the smooth hands of the Prime. One other thing, I have labelled Cloze Up 1: TKB as ‘Drama’ for, because I found it nothing but a drama! It’s a way to get rich by the contribution of public wealth. The mobile companies, along with Unilevr and NTV did a monstrous business through public sms; the revenue from each of the sms that I, he and you have sent has been evenly distributed among the three companies.

Did you know? The non resident Bangladeshis were given a chance to vote for the contestants through online voting. And no one was allowed to vote a candidate more than 5 times. And, most importantly no people living in the boundaries of Bangladesh were permitted to take part in the online voting as it would turn their sms business down! Huh! I smelled the rat, and voted Rumi more than 20 times a day changing my IP (Internet Protocol) address from my home at Dhanmondi. Guess, how fragile their voting system was for such a big event? Do you think they put much of their interest in planning for the program? No, they just thought of making business blackmailing public emotionally.

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Moreover, the (three) judges were not satisfied with event management team, and at one stage they refused to run the judgement panel. Some newspapers covered news about these. However, I suppose NTV managed the whole matter with the power they have in them, obviously from the part of Mr. Khalu.

I don’t think Unilevr would have tied up with NTV if Mr. Khalu had not own this media. They may have gone either to Channel I or ATN. Everything would be same then, the channel would make money from advertising in between the gaps while the program ran, Unilevr would make profit from the sms, and getting promoted to more and more public. But . . . but Unilevr would never get a chance to handle political influences if they worked with Channel I and ATN.

Now for the third time Unilevr is going to arrange the event again. But the company’s Khalu is not in power anymore, and not even in the vicinity of their premises! But Unilevr certainly is long sighted, and they have not yet breached the unwritten contract between it and NTV.

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Mr. Khalu will surely benefit this multinational giant sometime in future.

Brilliant dubbers, brilliant brand managers and the Indian advertisers

Unilever, Reckitt, Nestle-- who is not in the league. Bangladeshi TV screens are tirelessly airing Made in India TVCs. No wonder dubbing jobs carried on by Asiatic or Adcomm requires ‘praise’. Press insertions are also snapped from TVCs. Billboards, tri-vision, neon signs, shop signs, posters, festoons, buntings all are derived from the same source. Even shows like Closeup1 ‘tomakei khujche…’ are also ‘inspired’ by Indian idol or American idol. All this replication is being treated as advertisements instead of mere dubbing! MNCs in Bangladesh are full with dubbing managers, rather than having marketing managers or brand managers. Should we rename the division 'dubbing division', and the heads as, director- dubs and developments. May we ask Philip Kotler to write 13th edition of his marketing management as Bangladesh Special where 'chapter-dubbing' will replace 'chapter-integrated marketing communication & promotion.' Amidst all this rub-and-dub, I wonder where the room is for creativity and innovation. Corporates might argue in favor of having uniform advertisements across socially or culturally homogeneous regions in order to cut cost, but that surely happens at the cost of letting go local uniqueness, celebrity endorsements etc.

by Azad. A. Kalam

Butter up with cupcake adulators

Females have been long in use in handling hard-hitting customers, welcoming new clients, hanging on to old patrons, and performing other roles better not be stated on a public platform. Be it a multi-national giant, or a pocket-sized ‘deshi’ business everyone yarns to have some beautiful-supercilious-adamant-outspoken-bla-bla-hot-shot-more importantly sweet voiced girls in the front desk, at the customer service center, at the sales promos, at the fairs, and sometimes at the boss’s room as his cheerleader, PA (Passionately Allegiant... 8). Moreover, if you are to build up demanding PR, do some event managements or may be networking, you are to get a girl, a corporate one indeed. By definition from no where, a mere corporate girl understands all the corporate issues in a corporate way. She has to have the abilities to mollify the office executives, customers, and sometimes new-potential clients.

Warid’s customer care executives (female) can be brought into attention. A one Natacha has made some of my mates screwballs. When I see them at the University I often find them dialing Warid’s 786 (Customer Care Number) to access the Voice of Enigma ... psst!...Natacha, I meant. Willingly or not, I don’t know, Warid is gaining some revenues through the voice. I don’t have any idea how many more are trying to find either a Natacha or a Batasha at Warid, GrameenPhone, Banglalink, Aktel, Citycell and so on. Not a bad idea though for the companies. Hiring someone who can profit you collaterally.

Literally speaking, it’s not always that the females willingly do it. More often they are bound by the laws of the corporate world, i.e. if you wanna set in you have to make us feel good, or else you have to walk away, and I’ll call the next candidate. I know of a few words that came past the walls of Lux-Channel-I Super Star (LCSS) competition. A lot of girls came to get famous. But very few were given chances according to how they satisfied 1. the even management team 2. the male judges 3. the bosses. Among them only three could top; and here, too, based on their internal arrangements at that level! Any girl who walks in an advertising media are faced with almost the same challenges every now and then. I can mention here about one of my friend from Rajuk College, Uttara. She was picked by a production house that was going to make a drama serial. In the first interview she was asked to wear a Saree without blouse!! Can you possibly imagine that putting your own sister in that set up?

It’s a very common practice at the corporate world nearly in every country to have seductive girls at the office premises. In GP you have the CEO as the ‘Bond’, so you have the bomb, Rubz as his ‘Bond Girl’. Where you have Mahz at the ATN, you have Eve at the ATN Muzik. Where you have Huma in the films, you have Shaoon at the shoot. Things go like this. Girls have been traded as a corporate gifts in some cases. The cooperates surely keep a keen eye on the media seeking new-arousing-previously not used girls. And it’s a secret known to almost everybody.

Now, what’s my point here? If the girls are chosen on the basis of their fastness and skin and beauty, a terrible situation may arise out of nothing! What will be the fate of the ill-looking girls, or the ones cannot understand the corporate culture to the fullest extent? Female employment growth is shrinking at a high rate according to The Daily Star. No doubt, the things I have discussed in the previous paragraphs will considerably contribute in the high shrinking rate. I have no idea how we can come out of these set ups, but can assure you, if we do not, something unusual is racing towards ... ... ... God bless all!

Nurturing Multiple Brands : Unilever's Strategy

Today, Lux, Close Up and Wheel are all household names. Nowshad Karim Chowdhury, Brand Director of Unilever, explains his company takes a disciplined approach that combines market intelligence, number crunching, and yes, creativity, in managing as many as 14 brands and many more extensions.

The Executive Times (ET): You have a number of products or brands. What factors do you consider before launching a new product?

Nowshad Karim Chowdhury (NC): At Unilever, any new product innovation is a consumer driven process whereby creative marketing and relevant technology leads to new and different products. We consider a number of factors, namely: consumer need for the product; our capability to offer a product to meet those needs; development of the particular category in Bangladesh; other country experiences in the same category etc.

ET: How do you identify the need for a new product?

NC: Our marketers are always vigilant about new product innovation opportunities, be it extension in a category we already operate in or entry into a completely new category. We carry out a number of quantitative and qualitative consumer immersion programs on a regular basis. This helps us enhance our understanding of Bangladeshi consumers and their needs leading to new product ideas. As an operating company of a global Unilever, we can also choose and evaluate new product ideas from the product portfolio that Unilever offers across the globe.

Unilever has an Innovation Management Process where every new idea goes through four different phases:

1. Idea: This is the stage where new product ideas and concepts are tested/evaluated

2. Feasibility: At this stage the product mix (formulation, packaging etc.) is locked

3. Capability: Communication campaign is developed and tested

4. Launch: The product is launched and monitored

During the launch of a product, the focus is on 'bringing the product alive in the consumer's mind'. The execution varies from category to category. Typical launch activities include: communication campaign on various media, experiential marketing activities, awareness drive at retail end etc.

ET: What factors are taken into consideration while deciding to make product extension?

NC: For all of our brands, there are global Unilever guidelines that outline the scope of each brand. We strictly adhere to these guidelines when deciding on product or brand extensions. However, this is heavily dependent on equity of mother-brand. When deciding on any brand extensions, we make sure that it should take something from the core and give something back to the mother-brand equity.

For example, Wheel Bar played an important role in developing the detergent category in Bangladesh. Leveraging the strong wheel mother-brand equity, wheel washing powder was launched in Bangladesh during the late 90's. This was one of the major successes of Unilever Bangladesh.
ET: What are the analyses that you do to ensure that the launching of a new product will not reduce the band value of other products or cannibalize the profits of an existing product?

NC: We carry out a special type of research called Simulated Test Market (STM) that helps us project volume and estimate cannibalization rates for a new product. If the test results are positive- i.e. the incremental impact is greater than the cannibalization impact-we go ahead with the launch.
For example, before launching Vim bar, we carried out STM putting it against Vim powder. The results were positive and we launched the product.

ET: Having too many products of similar kinds can be confusing to customers. How do you make sure that these products have clear differentiations?

NC: Consumers and their needs are of topmost priority in every decision that we take. Each brand is positioned to address a specific consumer need. When we have more than one Brand in a particular category, we ensure clear differentiation in proposition based on consumer needs. For example, in Toothpaste, the two most sought after benefits are germ-free mouth and fresh breath. We have two distinct brands addressing these two needs: Pepsodent with germi-check proposition and Close Up with fresh-breath confidence promise.

Thanks to ET for informative, useful and relevant articles.