Pull v/s Push Strategies of Marketing
Both, the pull strategy and push strategy are widely employed by firms to boost their marketing performance. Yet, the crux of the decision is when to use which strategy, and in what proportion. For this, it is essential to understand what each strategy is all about.
The Pull Strategy: The Pull for a product is created by creating a Brand image in the minds of a customer, in the case of Consumer Products, typically by way of skilful advertisements and in case of fashion Products, by getting high profile Brand Ambassadors for promoting and endorsing them. This ensures a top of the mind recall in the psyche of the Consumer when he is making a buying decision.
In the case of Industrial Products this same Pull is created by employing sales personnel to canvass the products with consultants and specifiers. In the case of Pharma Products, this is achieved by sales staff making a pitch with key doctors and generating prescriptions for a product.
The Push Strategy: It is not enough for a company to merely create a Pull for the product. It becomes equally essential to make the Product available at various purchase outlets, where a Consumer is likely to make a purchase. A key role is played by Distributors who Push stocks on to retailers, who in turn, ensure that sufficient stocks are available on the counters for those consumers who have come looking for the products owing to the Pull created!
At times a Push is created by having attractive Point of Purchase Displays as well as schemes and similar offers.
Chains like Big Bazaar create a big buzz by having various schemes for a limited period and advertising them in a big way through the effective channels. Some of these chains like Aditya Birla’s More and Big Bazaar use the Push strategies by making a sale of their equivalents of popular consumer brands of toiletries, biscuits etc., giving them a prominent position on shelves as well as devising attractive schemes and pricing.
Hence it can be seen that both Push and Pull are extremely important and are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
I will now illustrate this by an example:
Recently I have partially involved myself in the launch of an Industrial Consumable, a surgical blade used in a saw for Bone cutting, which was supposed to have a Generic demand. It was assumed that merely having a very good quality of product, making it available and that too at the right price, would suffice to ensure demand.
However when launched it was difficult for the product to make any dent in the market place in spite of being priced right as well as being of a superior quality.
When closely examined it was found that it was difficult to displace the market leader although it was exorbitantly priced, simply because the market leader was also supplying the main saw in which this blade was being used.
Hence none of the distributors who were pushing this blade was willing to promote it for fear of upsetting the market leader whose saws they were selling, making these saws a monopoly!
This made it essential to really create a Pull in the minds of the operating surgeons who were the influencer’s of the purchase decisions of these blades. Once prescriptions were created, it was easy to get the administrators of the hospitals to buy these products, as this was a cost saving solution. After this demand was created, it was relatively easy for the company to enlist a series of distributors who could then Push the product at various hospitals.
Milind Vartak.
www.valueaddservices.com
Saturday, November 28, 2009
How to appear for an Interview
What To Look For When Appearing For An Interview
Now a consultant, I have extensive senior management experience in the Industry. Hence, I have faced a few interviews and have interviewed scores of candidates. I believe that I have what it takes to share my thoughts on the above subject.
Employers look for the following from prospective employees:
a) Domain specific knowledge and skill
b) The ability to analyse various situations and apply the requisite skill
c) Employers would also like to assess the long term Growth potential of the employee as well as his fitment in the organisation culture.
d) Personality
At most times the knowledge / skill of the employee is judged through specific mental ability and other written tests.
Hence usually, only candidates having the requisite skills are invited to participate in interviews. Knowledge and skills is really a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition to land a job.
As the panel of interviewers would normally be highly experienced, the employee could do well to create a good impression at the outset and throughout the interview. The candidate should be able to create a perception that he / she is not only good, but also to subtly emphasise that he / she would be the best fir for the job.
Usually it helps to be assertive and not aggressive to ensure that the communication is crisp and precise. At the same time the tone of voice should be endearing and not a monotone.
A candidate, when pushed into a corner, should be able to demonstrate a positive and never say die attitude.
Whilst it is important to create this perception it is important to create a true perception and not a Mirage! There are two reasons for this:
1) At most times the interview panel would see through attempts to create a Mirage!
2) Even if one succeeds and lands the job through deception, few would be able to retain the job if the requisite qualities are at a premium.
It is important to prepare well for the interview by trying to find out as much as possible not just about the financials, the products and markets of the organisation, but also about the organisation culture and values, which will help one align oneself with the same.
The interview panellists would assess the personality of the candidate, both the external crust which consists of looks, smartness, good communication etc. and also the core which is the self confidence, self esteem and other values
Smart dressing, good verbal and non verbal communication can be learned and then demonstrated by specific coaching , however core values such as self esteem, self confidence etc. needs to be developed from early childhood. However, these too can be developed through a better understanding of self.
In case any of you are looking for specific coaching on the above subject I can be reached through my website or my blog.
Milind Vartak
www.valueaddservices.com
Now a consultant, I have extensive senior management experience in the Industry. Hence, I have faced a few interviews and have interviewed scores of candidates. I believe that I have what it takes to share my thoughts on the above subject.
Employers look for the following from prospective employees:
a) Domain specific knowledge and skill
b) The ability to analyse various situations and apply the requisite skill
c) Employers would also like to assess the long term Growth potential of the employee as well as his fitment in the organisation culture.
d) Personality
At most times the knowledge / skill of the employee is judged through specific mental ability and other written tests.
Hence usually, only candidates having the requisite skills are invited to participate in interviews. Knowledge and skills is really a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition to land a job.
As the panel of interviewers would normally be highly experienced, the employee could do well to create a good impression at the outset and throughout the interview. The candidate should be able to create a perception that he / she is not only good, but also to subtly emphasise that he / she would be the best fir for the job.
Usually it helps to be assertive and not aggressive to ensure that the communication is crisp and precise. At the same time the tone of voice should be endearing and not a monotone.
A candidate, when pushed into a corner, should be able to demonstrate a positive and never say die attitude.
Whilst it is important to create this perception it is important to create a true perception and not a Mirage! There are two reasons for this:
1) At most times the interview panel would see through attempts to create a Mirage!
2) Even if one succeeds and lands the job through deception, few would be able to retain the job if the requisite qualities are at a premium.
It is important to prepare well for the interview by trying to find out as much as possible not just about the financials, the products and markets of the organisation, but also about the organisation culture and values, which will help one align oneself with the same.
The interview panellists would assess the personality of the candidate, both the external crust which consists of looks, smartness, good communication etc. and also the core which is the self confidence, self esteem and other values
Smart dressing, good verbal and non verbal communication can be learned and then demonstrated by specific coaching , however core values such as self esteem, self confidence etc. needs to be developed from early childhood. However, these too can be developed through a better understanding of self.
In case any of you are looking for specific coaching on the above subject I can be reached through my website or my blog.
Milind Vartak
www.valueaddservices.com
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