5 customer insights culled from social media - Hindu Business Line

In just half a decade, social media has transformed the way marketers now treat the medium and how much they spend on it.

1) Consumers in the boardroom

Consumers are probably the most effective consultants your company can hire and perhaps social media has made this only easier. According to a recent survey by Insites Consulting across 19 countries and over 7800 active social media users, 36% prefer to participate in a branded research community. Consumers believe that their feedback will have a high impact in a building the brand.

2) Influencers are the new brand ambassadors

Every marketer in social media today look forward to having their brand trending in Twitter or their video going viral in YouTube. In social media, it is a handful of influencers who can make or break your brand’s reputation, set a hashtag trending or make a video go viral. Influencers are the hardcore fanatics and guardians of your brand and sometime they double up as the destroyer of your competing brands too.

3) Convergence is the key to convenience

According to Nielsen, in India, an average Smartphone user spends over 10% of their time on the phone, while calls and SMS accounts only for a fifth, the rest of the time is spent on browsing, social media, apps and gaming respectively. These insights are evident that convergence of web and mobile are becoming less seamless and so marketers much customise their strategy considering the usage pattern for optimising yield and maximizing ROI on digital spends.

4) Deeper vs Wider: Choosing the right channel

Brands doesn’t necessarily have to leave digital bread crumbs all over the social media. Marketers should choose specific platform that fits the brand’s personality and go deeper than wider. While a platform like Facebook, because of its huge user base, can be common to both b2b and b2c brands; however, a fashion brand has more to do in Pinterest than LinkedIn and a DSLR brand can dig gold in Flickr than YouTube.

5) Synergy in Online vs Offline

Coca-Cola’s James Bond styled SkyFall challenge for unsuspecting visitors at Antwerp’s central station saw few participations on-ground, but the video encapsulating the activity went viral and has garnered over 9.5 million views in YouTube in just 2 months. As a matter of fact, there are lot more social media impacts on offline than just make videos go viral, people share their offline experience in social media, more so when it comes to travel, movies, gadgets and cars. If traditional marketers used PR to increase word-of-mouth (WOM), today we have social media to increase word-of-mouse (WOM).

The multiple choice question - One agency on record or multiple agencies

One agency on record or multiple agencies – this has been an ongoing debate for some time now. Many corporates are adopting the latter model – which might work for some. But I have full faith in the single agency model.


This is because only one agency can remain with you through thick and thin – that not just develops creative but evolves the brand along with the marketer; that guides future thinking as much as it provides quick solutions in times of need. And it can do so because it knows the brand, its products and services, its customers and the company’s internal processes inside out. Something that an agency brought in for a project can never do.

Some things are integral to a client-agency relationship– collaboration, trust, patience and communication for getting to that unified brand message. In a way, it can be compared to a marriage. The success of any marriage depends on trust, patience and candid communication. Similarly, the best work that come from an agency-corporate liaison is based on the strengths of the two parties in a synergistic way. There has to be transparent expectations and clear definition for success. And deep rooted relationship, based on trust, lead to great business results.

Some corporates like watching their agencies fight it out, thinking that the best ideas come from such environment. But great work comes from creating an atmosphere of clear communication, mutual collaboration, brain-storming ideas and have specifies roles and responsibilities. Agencies on record provide continuity, stability and efficiencies that one-off, ad hoc, or project partners simply can't meet. Just like an one off relationship may be exciting. While it gives the thrill, no one probably at that moment thinks about the ramifications of that one off relationship.

Typically it has been noticed that the introduction of a second agency happens due to one or more of the following – (a) Brand has become stagnant. (b) The business is going through troubled times. (c) People quality at the agency has deteriorated. (d) Leadership at the client, agency or both sides has recently changed.

Often when the business or brand is challenged, the easiest thing to do is to make the incumbent agency the scapegoat. T o blame communication instead of solving for strategic direction. However in cases where there is indeed a genuine problem with the agency’s output, I believe it is important to discuss it openly and give the agency a fair chance. Only when they are not able to deliver even after this, should one choose to look out.

I also believe that when a second agency enters the picture, it is best to evaluate their work not just on a project but a more sustainable basis. If they are found good, then I would rather switch the entire brand building to them rather than have multiple agencies coexist. Multiple existence may breed competition for a while, but in the long run, are unsustainable. Also the original agency in order to save their share of the business, may start second guessing it’s client which almost always is disastrous as client are never the experts at creative.

I believe that ultimately, the corporate and the agency-on-record – should together take responsibility for the brand's strategic vision. We look at our agency partners as an extension of our marketing arm. They are part of the fabric of the company and turning around to find a partner who will understand what our brand needs, at what time is comforting.

Having been on both sides of the table I think the agency-on-record system of working is more effective. One needs people who understand what the marketer needs and how it works and who live, eat and sleep your brand along with the corporate. They form the nuts and bolts that will move the brand forward.

Aapke Sachche Advisor campaign wins silver effie award

How technology and data analytics is changing in the marketing function -CNBC TV18

I had this wonderful opportunity to talk ‘How technology and data analytics is changing in the marketing function’ in the programme Storyboard on CNBC-TV18.The discussion started with Max Life Insurance insights in customer related data that helps us understand their changing needs and ensure insurance coverage and provide customized product solution.
I also explained the importance of Data Quality that ensures that customers are sent scheduled communication to inform them of critical events like renewals and dispatch of maturity proceeds.
Please watch the full programme (link below) and let me know your views

http://storyboard.in.com/index.php?dt=2012-12-08

http://storyboard.in.com/index.php?dt=2012-12-08

TWELFTH CII MARKETING SUMMIT 2012

TheTwelfth CII Marketing Summit 2012 was held in Mumbai on 27th August. I was part of a panel discussion at the summit - Marketing and Sales or Marketing vs Sales: Driving Sales to Alignment. Attaching the ppt as reference to my flow of thoughts on the subject. http://www.slideshare.net/AnishaMotwani/mktg-vs-selling

　

　

Business Standard -Roberto Cavalli and Hackett London have come to India. Priyanka Sharma leads two of the brands' aficionados into their stores in Delhi to size up their collection

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/high-street-debut-/488636/

“Why Brand Matters’ organsied by at Ernst & Young at their forum for ‘Strategic Growth Forum India 2012

September was a hectic month. I was travelling all across for stitching up the post brand transition meetings at Max Life Insurance offices.


Additionally, I was speaking at various forums about marketing and brand and having the privilege of meeting great minds in the business.

In the first week on September, I was a speaker in a session “Why Brand Matters’ organsied by at Ernst & Young at their forum for ‘Strategic Growth Forum India 2012 – Grow Beyond’. The other panelists in the session were Sam Balsara, Chairman of Madison Communications, Dr. Bhaskar Das, President & Principal Secretary to MD, The Times of India, Bennett, Coleman & Co., Venkatesh Kini, VP Marketing - Global Juice, The Coca Cola Company. The event was moderated by Andrew Shaylor, EMEIA Marketing Leader, Ernst & Young.

Andrew set the tone for the discussion by presenting four features of the post-global financial crisis economy. These, he said, are market variation, market volatility, cost competitiveness and uncertainty – and they all impact upon an organization’s brand.

I explained that global companies must retain a core message, so that they build up consistency and ultimately consumers’ trust. But, it is important for them to pitch this message at the particular local market they are addressing. Venkatesh Kini of Coca Cola said that it is crucial that the soft drinks giant’s advertising in India is made by Indians, for Indians. To which I said that in today’s fragmented media world, consumers consider the medium before the message. Therefore, brands must decide on the medium first and then tailor the message to it.

After a lively discussion with all participants, the Max Life Insurance ‘Aapke Sacche Advisor’ advertisement was showcased and then the conversation continued about my views on the shift in the trend in marketing.
I said that when I started, India was taking its first steps towards globalization of economy. I was part of those first generation professionals who saw the benefits of an open economy. Opening up of the economy has also brought international competition to Indian shores with a level playing field. And now the Indian consumer’s mindset has changed from ‘Thoda hai, thode ki zaroorat hai’ to ‘Thoda hai par zyaada ki zaroorat hai’. Studies conducted by McKinsey Global Institute and demographic research by Max Life Insurance point to the fact that Indian consumer is predominantly young and more confident than ever before. He is willing to take risks and is unabashedly ambitious.
On the Aapke Sachche Advisor campaign – our base was – customers of Life Insurance buy advice and not products. The campaign is aimed at the customer who is looking for advice. The communication has been designed to extend itself beyond promoting life insurance policies and products and begin establishing trust with the consumers.

The forum then showcased the recent marketing and advertising efforts of Coca Cola and …..Each of the participants discussed their strategy behind each projects.

The session was exhaustive but enriching as well and I was privileged to be a part of this gathering of beautiful minds.

CMO Corner - Hindu Business Line

My most memorable marketing initiative –


This would definitely be the ‘Karo Zyada Ka Irada’ campaign for Max New York Life. We decided to adopt a challenger brand strategy which was based on an ambition to own a differentiated position in the market place with innovative marketing programmes. We took Life Insurance to a higher level – Financial planning for a better future. Life insurance has traditionally been sold on the plank of duty and responsibility. It has been about jeevan, zindagi and suraksha. But a resurgent India was rewriting the rules of living in its mission to create, indulge and celebrate. Earnings, savings, investment, consumption was the force multiplier that would feed this virtuous cycle of need and want as people moved from denial to desire. That was the basis of ‘Karo Zyada Ka Irada’ campaign. It was an integrated launch across multiple consumer touch points .The efficacy of the positioning was proved with the brand awareness moving upwards by 25 points in just 18 months.

My first product launch –
My first product launch was Nestle Polo with its ‘Mint with a hole’ campaign. I was working with Mudra then. The creative duo of Freddie Birdie and Naved Akhtar was behind the idea. We had a wonderful client in Nestle who was very appreciative and approved almost all innovations on the campaign that we took to him. The campaign won every possible award across categories. It won the 'Campaign of the Year' award and was instrumental in Mudra winning the A&M 'Agency of the year' award.

A setback I have learnt from
For me it was not a setback. It was a learning. I had once walked out of a job, because it was not good enough, without having one in hand. Even though I emerged stronger from that experience, looking back I think I would have done it differently. The initial tendency is to deal with these situations head-on but one needs to dwell deeper and take a careful step.

My marketing idol
SRK in a recent interview with zoom TV spoke about the amount of effort he puts into marketing his projects. His marketing efforts both on screen and off screen including his film promotion, TV shows, stage events have made him into a larger than life persona, one that the masses love. A large amount of his success can be directly attributed to the widespread marketing efforts he embarks on for any of his projects. Who hasn't seen the promos of Don, Ra One and KBC in its various avatars including traditional media, merchandising, online, road shows etc. Being one of the top grossing and the most bankable stars is no mean feat.

Where I get my insights from
Life is nothing but a set of experiences. And I gain my insights from these life experiences. If one can observe experiences just like any object then one would get a new perspective to learning.

Insights are a result of observation and curiosity. Some insights also originate from a point of frustration, a pain point or a problem statement. One needs to have an insatiable hunger and morbid curiosity to get under the skin of the customer to un-earth powerful insights.

Powerful insights can only be imbibed by a keen observer of life, aided by good questioning.

How B-school has helped in my career
B school helped me streamline my thought process. I specialized in marketing in MBA. And the two years I spent in B school helped me develop the basics of business methodology. It gave me a perspective of how each area in marketing from brand management to creative aspects worked. There was immense learning through the case studies and basic theories that prepared me to face the on-ground challenges.

How advertising has influenced/helped my marketing career
Advertising is a great learning ground where the fundamentals of brand are taught. Brand building is learnt in hands on manner, does not happen in any other place. Working across multiple categories & consumer types helps in absorbing diverse information, understanding how the consumer mind functions & most importantly why? Advertising sharpens strategic thinking capability & helps develop creative appreciation.

Marketing lessons from insurance, automobiles
Life Insurance is the ‘business of life’ and not finance. It touches the most memorable and emotional milestones of one’s life from marriage, to child birth to children’s education etc. People also have to be prepared for sudden accidents and eventuality. At each stage there is a different need that arises. The marketing strategy therefore has to emanate from a deeper understanding of this entire journey.

Automobiles however are related to ‘lifestyle’. As and when one upgrades one’s lifestyle the need and wants changes. And hence changes the aspiration for a new car. The strategy here is more focused on positioning the product that fits into customer’s lifestyle.

Image of Power

Whenever I think power dressing, I always think of the late Rajmata of Jaipur Gayatri Devi. She wore her silk chiffons with as much élan as her Polo suits. In both type of clothes and role she made her presence felt. My point is that power dressing is job specific and culturally relative. In India, we have a variety of ensemble to choose from. The age old sarees make as much an impact as a well tailored suit. It is the way one carries it.
Power dressing has now percolated to every level of any organization. I sometimes hide a smile of satisfaction when I see women stand out in their attire, in a room full of serious men with uninteresting suits. Though substance is important, it is equally vital for women to project the right image.
My personal choice is always skewed towards clothes that are comfortable. I wear both western and Indian clothes in office. The key for women is to look professional, yet retain their femininity. I add accessories such as a simple string of pearls, ear drops or sometimes silk scarves with my suits. Fashion magazines have made the terms ‘business formals’ and ‘business casuals’ very common. My mantra about Friday dressing is casual yet chic. I like carrying leather tote’s that are not too big but large enough to hold my ipad and other essentials. A subtle hint of perfume, a wrist watch and comfortable shoes, and I am ready to face the world.
Lastly, I must stress the point that it is the attitude that counts. Be positive, look confident, smile and people will look up to you.

Anisha Motwani - Profile April issue

The new age Work- life balance - Times Accent

In college we were a batch of 40 girls. Of which only 10 are still working and even lesser number of them are working to their full potential. A common thread that runs through any woman’s life is – she studies, works for a few years, gets married, continues working, has a child and that’s where the thorns start pricking in a bed of roses.

The challenges of motherhood conquer every other hurdle a woman has faced. Some look for part time jobs, others start working after the baby begins school and yet the tug of war remains.

They are what I call the ‘Parenting career woman’. These women face the perennial dilemma of - 'I need to make these choices because my family is a priority' or 'I need to make these choices to make my life work.' Eventually they pick one.

I have always come across stereotypical issues coming in the way of a woman while taking a call on their career. It is easy to get swept away by the overwhelming need to choose one – profession or managing a home. It is their own ghosts and mindsets that come in the way of work-life balance.

But there are also women who have kept working even after having children, taken a break for them and continued to climb the corporate ladder after the break. The societal understanding of marriage as a threat to career or vice versa is slowly changing.

Here are some tips that suits most of us:

1) Set your priorities. You have to have a schedule for yourself. That includes work, family time and time for your own self.
2) Don’t give up too easily. Some people also look for less important roles, as women don’t necessarily want to get to the top; they want to be good at what they do.
3) Slow down or even take a break if the juggle is too much to handle. Enhance your skills in the meantime, so that when you return the organization cannot overlook you.
4) Big job is too big for me syndrome – Most women feel that they will not be able to handle the top job as it comes with bigger responsibilities. What they forget is that with higher responsibilities comes empowerment. Look for ways to lighten the load by delegating work and focus on the most important deliveries.

Once Jack Welch of General Electric had said, “There’s no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” It is however true for both men and women.

Work life balance for women can be dealt with. It just needs some reflection of women on their life with some support from organizations.

Reduced aspirations do not mean women employees are not talented or good at what they do. While women are given flexible working hours, stay at home options – they should also be judged by their output and results. It should not be about ‘where she is working from’; it should be about ‘what she is delivering’.

In today’s 24x7 connected business world, work can be done from anywhere and at any time. It does not have to mean that an employee works less. Instead it means that organizations are empowering employees to do their work on a schedule that works for both. So what if she is working from her dining table? This kind of flexibility increases employee morale and woman executives are able to manage their life and career well.

From having a boss to becoming one: Business Standard March 2012

Intro: More and more women are becoming entrepreneurs and bringing in their edge to work for them
Anisha Motwani
Whenever I see the idol of goddess Durga, it reminds me of the fact that women have played multiple roles not only since ages but even in our religious scriptures.

Women know how to double up a spoon as a knife; they know when the man says “I am alright” it means, “just leave me alone”; at work women know who can really deliver and when the need comes women make a quick switch from working for others to being their own boss. All this, while being the nurturing mother and caring wife, all rolled into one.

I do not mean to start the clichéd debate of women and men here. What I want to point out is the way women know how to adapt to situations. The society is going through what I call a metamorphosis of sorts. Nuclear families today are becoming bigger reality than they ever were. And women are proving it yet again that they are adapting and accepting to that change. The change is reflected in the way women want to function today.

Women aspired for corporate careers keen to break many a glass ceilings. But then realities of life catch up. Women get married; a few years down the line have children. And that is when the consequences and problems of a nuclear family impact them. It’s quite possible that while going on their maternity leave they’d marked their calendar on when they want to join back work. But then, life changes.

Corporate careers are demanding. And though there are some corporates doing a lot to make women employees feel comfortable with incentives like extended maternity, half day half pay etc., the reality is that when these women get back to their workplaces, they are torn between being a performing mom or a performing executive.

This is the inflection point that forces them to introspect - at crucial crossroads of life, forced to make a choice between being with the children or getting back to a full time career. Even though advertisers have smartly used the syndrome by giving women ‘ideas’ to manage a job and child – on ground realities are not as smooth as the film.

Innovative as they are, many women have found a solution to the desire of being a good mum, wife and be financially independent. Small or big, women are taking to entrepreneurship that gives them the flexibility of working when, where and how they want. Like they say, ‘Necessity is the mother of all inventions’; some of the best known entrepreneur’s that have emerged are from ‘post-partum syndrome’.

Take for instance Saundarya Rajesh of Avtaar Career Creators. After working in Citi Bank for a number of years, Saundarya quit her job after she had her child. She started teaching MBA students and that’s when she realised that likje her there were many who wanted to do something with ‘flexi-hours’. Her primary goal was to provide career opportunities to people with unique situation in life (women with breaks in career, elderly folks who still had half a decade of service in them post-retirement) required to be presented as an alternate talent source to organisations. Today the company works with more than 400 clients.


Offbeat is the new beat

Recently, I read and interesting article about Dolly Jain. An intelligent young girl who was married off early into a family where women only wear saris. A careful dresser, she always got noticed for the way she carried off herself. Then, on a usual day, she helped somebody in her locality to tie a sari. Soon some more came for help. Then an accidental workshop and before she knew, she had a fulltime, offbeat profession as a sari draper. She loves what she does and has even got featured in Limca Book of Records for the number of styles she can tie a sari in. Her high-profile client list include women like Kokila Ambani and Neeta Ambani to Mrs Rahul Bajaj to Mittals to Jindals to our Bollywood divas (from Sridevi to Katrina Kaif and Kangana Ranaut), to innumerable women and girls.

What they probably draw their drive and innovations from, is the situations they usually go through as a woman. Take for example a typical situation where a recipe book mentions a certain ingredient. While a man would have gone on in a very usual way of finding that particular ingredient, a woman will think out of the box and look for an ingredient close to the recipe or may be just give it her own twist.

And that is exactly what they are doing in today’s time of nuclear families. They want to be around for their family and yet have their financial independence.

Second to none

What probably makes women good entrepreneurs I think is the fact that they have an inborn talent of managing people and situations and multitasking with perfect ease.

Women I feel are the power drivers for entrepreneurial rise. A study entitled ‘Growing role of women Entrepreneur in India’, by Peter F Drucker points out , “Women owned businesses are highly increasing in the economies of almost all countries The hidden entrepreneurial potentials of women have gradually been changing with the growing sensitivity to the role economic status in the society. Skill Knowledge adaptability in business are the main reason for women to take up entrepreneurship. They span generations and are there in every field. From Tractors to television from biscuits to banking from HR to hospitals Denied entry into a male bastion they create another industry like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon. According to her hard work commitment and caring in word and deed helps people overcome obstacles.”
The societal change
What strikes me most about achievers is their inclusive approach. If they grow, they don’t grow alone.

In fact I’d say the women entrepreneurs must be considered in the economic development of the nation for various reasons. No wonder women entrepreneurs are now being recognised as an important untapped source of economic growth.

Little surprise in the first half of 2011, women angel investors represented 12 percent of the angel market, and women-owned businesses accounted for 12 percent of the entrepreneurs seeking angel capital. While these numbers aren’t outstanding, they do represent progress. More impressive is that 26 percent of the women entrepreneurs seeking angel investment in the first half of the year received it. In fact, the report notes, the percentage of women actually getting angel investments is above the overall average.

Women Entrepreneurs, points our Drucker “tend to be highly motivated and self directed. They also exhibit a high internal locus of control and achievement, possess certain specific characteristics that promote their creativity and generate new ideas and ways of doing things.”

Why we have success stories written in our own country. Look at Shahnaz Husain. A young girl from a traditional family, who was married at the age of 15, emerged from a sheltered life and upbringing, to step into the world of business. She had the will and let nothing come in her way. She started a small parlour from her home four decades ago with a borrowed capital of Rs 35,000 from her father. When the business she decided to get into franchise system and help other women grow. Like she said in an online interview of Business Standard, “A woman manages her different roles of wife, housewife, mother and career woman efficiently. She brings to the work the values of patience, courage, inner strength. The woman’s ability to adapt and adjust is important at work.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Maharanis of Marketing - An International Women's Day Special

Anisha Motwani is the Director and Chief Marketing Officer at Max New York Life Insurance. As part of our ongoing series on the importance of technology for marketers and the hunt for tech savvy CMOs in the M.IT.R Top 50 list we caught up with Anisha and got her views on how they have used technology in their various marketing programmes. Read on for the complete interview

How important is technology for the success of the modern marketer?
AM: To answer that question, let’s first see the Indian scenario for technology related progress. India’s total number of internet users is 112 million. Mobile penetration has reached 64.7%. Popularity of social networking sites has reached an all time high. The face of the consumer is changing as they are becoming more technology savvy. The amount of data that is available is exponentially increasing, so from a marketer’s perspective, data analytics is becoming the key. Hence technology will become increasingly important for a marketer to define its marketing strategy.
It is very important for organisations to use technology to understand customer preference and behaviour. At Max New York Life, we use technology to track customer complaints online; we have leveraged technology to move from a policyholder to customer view. We have used social media effectively and created a strong online community with 3Lac+ users engaging with the brand and seeking advice online with expert views available to them as well. On the company website, capability is being built to enable customers to have live online chats with insurance experts and seek clarifications on their queries

What are your current marketing priorities & how does that translate to technology?
AM: Life Insurance is a push market. It is sold through consultative sales for long term saving and protection. Our focus is to get our customers stay with us as long as they live, buy more from us and recommend us to their family and friends. Hence, our market priorities are acquisition, retention and cross-sell.
For acquisition, we have used social media platforms to capture customer attention and engage with them on the topics relevant to them through two programmes - igenius and Khyshiyon Ki Planning.
In life insurance, it is important to retain customers for long term as the full benefits of the product accrue with regular savings over a long-term. Through an integrated Customer Value Management (CVM) model we have used advanced analytics to build loyalty programmes for high value customers and Cross-Sell / Up-sell campaigns to generate additional revenues. We have also created a Loyalty programme called the Gold Circle using technology platforms and build a Single view of customer.
For cross selling, technology platforms are used to identify customer with high propensity to repurchase. Cross sell generates 22% of new business of our agency distribution.

At Max New York Life how has technology played a role in customer acquisition or retention?
AM: We have a robust social marketing platform through igenius and Khushiyon Ki Planning forum. Over 14 Lac children registered over the last 2 years from over 1000 cities across the nation and Rs 3 Cr. worth of scholarships awarded so far. The Khushiyon Ki Planning facebook page has more than 1 lakh members. These efforts have provided us leads for customers and have also helped in brand building in the online medium. Retention is important because Life Insurance is a long customer life cycle industry and full value of a policy cannot be extracted by customer/industry otherwise. We have used technology for robust data analytics and SAS models for predicting behaviour of customer for retention and deciding on appropriate action. We have also used a single view of the customer for servicing them effectively so that we can have long term relationship with the customer.

How has technology played a role in new product development, market expansion or other areas?
AM: For the Life Insurance Business, it is imperative business to stay in sync with market changes and get real time analysis of customer trends, consistent benchmarking of key customer attributes across the organization and higher returns on per unit information.
For research we have Online feedback panels (OFP) that are mainly digital extensions of proprietary Research Panels that allow us to stay in touch with a select group of customers, for tracking effect of ongoing changes, that may result from initiatives taken by the company, or other external sources. OFP also helps in faster turnaround time – ideation and deployment to analysis of results is accomplished in days and at times in hours. It also helps in deeper insights into trends – tracking perception choices of separate customer segments.

Would you say the level of collaboration between the CMO and CIO in your organization was:
AM: Technology has become a major dimension of marketing. At Max New York Life, the collaboration between the IT and marketing team is extremely good. We are just a phone call away. Both teams work in tandem and there are many processes currently under revamp or being launched. We have uniform focus of collaborate for customer led innovation.
For igenius programme, we need extensive resources from both marketing and IT to work together from online registration stage to video conferencing. The programme is in its third year and we have never faced any problems in implementing and execution of the project.

About Anisha Motwani: Anisha brings with her over 20 years experience in building consumer brands in highly challenging environments. During her career in advertising and marketing she has developed memorable and effective campaigns across a range of industries. Anisha joined Max New York Life in 2007 and is responsible for Brand & Marketing, Research & Insights, Customer Value Management, Corporate Affairs and Direct Sales.
Anisha has been recently conferred the ‘Women at Work Leadership Award’ for 2011 Asian Confederation of Business. She has also been voted as one of the ’50 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business’ by Business Today for three consecutive years from 2009. She has also been recognized as ‘CMO council – Marketing Super Achiever’

The Art of doing More - New Woman, March 2012

Food for thought - IMPACT, 4th March 2012

As a young girl, I clearly recall the family eating out sessions. They were occasions that you would dress up for. In fact I still clearly recall the kind of anticipation that surrounded “the event”.
Ajmer at that time had only one restaurant called ‘Honeydew’. What is interesting is that I vaguely recall what we ate but what I most certainly recall is the kind of time we, a family of four siblings and our parents, spent with each other. A good three hours is what our ‘eating out’ experience was. We would go out early evening. Starters in the lawn and then we’d move indoors. Easy conversation flowed, jokes floated around and sometimes it was plain ice breaking (after sibling quarrels). But yes we had great times, times that each of us still cherish.
Somehow the eating out experience seems to have changed a great deal in India. Over years I think we all have become very approach oriented about most things and sadly eating out is also a part of it. Indians have most certainly changed. Our lifestyles are better, we go to fancier restaurants, know what to order, know what dress codes should be followed but what we seem to be missing is the entire experience of eating out. We all seem to have evolved a very tick and go kind of an approach.
Eating out today is big entertainment. You ask most people what they like doing and eating out, more often than not figures in the list. It’s almost like a hobby to a lot of people. In fact numbers only substantiate what I thought was a trend I’d been noticing.
Visiting restaurants is now one of the top three leisure activities for most Indians, according to the Indian Leisure and Entertainment Report 2008-9 (Knowledge Company)
The Food Franchising Report 2009 said, “The concept of eating out is surely catching up in India. Compared to 2.7 times a month in 2003, urban Indians now have a repast outdoor six times in a month.” And the figures are for 2008 which most certainly must have gone up. In fact the report goes on to say that the retail food sector in India is likely to grow to $150 billion by 2025.
Today when we go out, we book the best restaurants, dress up better but then the eating out experience seems to have shrunk by quality and quantity if you look in the real sense. People go to restaurants, take a nice table, and look impatient if the waiter hasn’t arrived. And when he does, they will quickly order, wait for the meal. The time in between which was earlier a great window to catch up on family things seems to have been gobbled up by our precision type attitude. Another conversation killer seems to be mobile phones. Either the husband or the wife or sometimes the children are on the phone. If they are not talking, they are showing pictures or videos on the phone to friends, if they are accompanying the eating out entourage. Once the food arrives, it’s a quick meal and we are off. We seem to have evolved a very result oriented approach to most things. And I’m all for result oriented approach but not everywhere. Family lunch/dinner for example I think is absolutely not the place for being result oriented.
The idea should be savouring the experience, enjoying conversation, catching up on the small but important things in life that we might have missed out on. For example what your daughter’s teacher had to say about girl’s fancy dress or how your son is enjoying his cricket lessons? Or simply telling your children about experiences from your childhood. And sometimes it can be inane family jokes. But the idea should be to bond. In fat thanks to our approach, even restaurants seem to have caught up with our 'eat and leave ways'.
I’m sure you have noticed impatient waiters hovering over your table if you haven’t ordered a few minutes after you’ve sat down. Compare that to restaurants and cafes abroad where it is considered rude to have a waiter hovering around.
Let’s get the beauty of family outings back I say. A simple thing to do for example would be ordering a starter or drinks that help you can enjoy longer conversations. Have a relaxed meal and yes, don’t forget to share a sinful dessert together. Life like they say, is in little moments.

Airtel ‘Friend’, Cadbury win over marketers in 2011 - Exchange4media.com, Jan 12 2012

Anisha Motwani

Director & Chief Marketing Officer,

Max New York Life Insurance

Campaign: Airtel - Har Friend Zaroori hai

In today’s Facebook generation, you can have unlimited 'friends'. This isn't the ''yeh dosti hum nahin todenge" kind of friendship. This is an acquaintance of casual utility; where every kind of friend can have his/her role. The campaign captures the true spirit of today's youth.The early morning friend, the late night saviour, the guy who throws his house open, the guys who always pile on. The ones who borrow money from you, the ones who pay for you - the list is endless. The innate truth is, we all know someone like that, and that is what makes this campaign so memorable and relatable!

Campaign: Seagram’s Imperial Blue: Men will be men

Traits peculiar to men - feeling delighted when wife is away, glancing at a woman all time are depicted very well in the commercials. Definitely brings a smile with a thought - "So true"!!!!

Campaign: Asian Paints

Based on real insight of relationship between elder and younger brother in India, the campaign exhibits the product attributes through an interesting storyline.

Campaign: Levis Jeans: It's the shape that matters not size

The campaign is an Interesting integration of functional benefit of the product (slim, curve and jeans) with the idea of liberation of women. Breaking away from age old norm of ‘big size is bad’ to ‘its shape that matters’ is intelligent.

Campaign: Super Zoo Zoo

The launch of Super Zoo Zoo with Vodafone 3 G was one of the most successful product launches of 2011. It just shows how a great idea in whatever form has such a long expendability and shelf life.

Ensure Safe Future - India Today Aspire, 22nd Jan 2012

The insurance agent is not just the face of the insurance company; he is also the interface that understands the market pulse which helps in product design and even positioning
The role of the insurance agent is undermined by strong stereotypes of someone who is trying to talk you into something that you don’t want or need, someone who is there to cheat you and what not. I have my own recollections of agent uncle walking into our house always nattily dressed as if it was a uniform, chat about existing policies my father had, update on their progress, and enquire about family members and their well-being, before bringing up a new plan that will do a lot of good. His departure left my father most often thinking about his finances than he would otherwise in so much detail.
The insurance agent did play a telling role in an era when financial products were far and few and insurance agents doubled up as financial advisors owing to no exposure to financial product let along financial literacy. The role of an Insurance agent or advisor has remained the same; provide clients with insurance options that suit their needs. Traditionally most agents sold only life insurance policies, but with increasing financial complexities, individual needs and product proliferation; they sell life, health, retirement, pension and sometimes even other policies such as auto, household and accident related covers. The idea behind the success of cross-selling is the clients are already in a frame of mind to listen to the benefits of insurance products when they walk in the door. This is a great opportunity to propose other products that provide financial stability.
To many it may seem a simple task, but a lot goes before an individual becomes an agent. First, there are minimum stipulated qualifications that they need to have, next as insurers we train them on insurance, which includes them passing an agent’s qualifying examination conducted by the insurance regulator. We also train them on our product suit; understand individual’s financial status, on sales kills, techniques and strategies before they start selling under supervision before they get on their own. In my experience hardworking individuals who have the ability to perform necessary research and who have a strong background in business or finance do well selling insurance.
It is not an easy job being an insurance advisor and many would tell you that it is one of the most challenging careers you can take on. Yet, it is also a very fulfilling job which one gets to realise with time. Take for instance, the paramedics in a hospital; though it is the doctor who diagnoses the illness and prescribes a treatment, it is the nurse, the technicians and support staff who execute the advice for the patient to be cured. The agent’s role is like the soldier in a war, he is the face of the war, business in this case. A war is won by soldiers, not by generals plotting it in safe war rooms; likewise, we plot the strategy, design products and empower our agents to make successful product sales. And, the way a soldier protects our borders for us to live in peace, the insurance agent provides protection to the families of those who are insured. The fact that the insurance penetration in the country is 4.1% of the GDP is largely because of the agent’s drive to go far and wide to insure people and protect lives. It is one of the most under stated achievements of the agents; their role in providing insurance protection to millions of policyholders.
Likewise, the economic value of an insurance agent is not fully understood; imagine if you did not have insurance for a moment? In an ideal rising income economy, additional income would have gone into discretionary spending and consumption expenditure. Smart and successful agents knock on doors where consumption expenditures are rising. In fact, many families’s discretionary spending capacity probably will not yet be fully committed to new consumption expenditures, installment payments, life-style habits, or savings programs but for the agent. With his knowledge of financial products and its importance to manage future finances, insurance agents provide serious thought to consumers on the need to save and invest through life insurance. Thanks solely to the agent’s ability in making the life insurance sale; the family has the economic values in the insurance contract at its disposal rather than none.
Although, at the base lies a sales driven transaction, many agents have realised the way to grow is to expand their domain expertise and personal finance acumen. A needs analysis is the first step towards selling insurance; it is also the starting point in developing a holistic financial plan. Many agents have successfully gone into financial planning as a career by qualifying as certified financial planners (CFP) which enables them to sell a suit of financial products including insurance. While some may visualise insurance agents as those looking for a share of the wallet, they in fact help you reduce discretionary expenses and channelize it towards regular savings and investments.
Though, largely commission-based remuneration, agents have several working benefits of flexi-time and even flexi-office to suit their convenience. Many agents become successful in taking on a second career while being agents such as teaching and training. Finally, purely from the moral perspective, surely the society is better off when it is protected against risks that it faces than being exposed to risks that it cannot balance itself. Insurance agents are the catalysts that enable individuals realise the virtues of savings, investing and protecting one’s future financial needs by being friends for a lifetime and beyond. A career in insurance sales is a lot enriching, self satisfying and for the greater good of society.