THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT ENSHRINES
THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS OF CONSUMER:
Right to be protected from hazardous goods and services
Right to be informed about the quality and performance of goods and services
Rights to free choice of goods and services
Right to be heard in decision making process concerning consumer interests
Right to redressal if consumer rights are infringed
Right to consumer education
THE PATIENT AS A CONSUMER
Traditionally, patients in India have unquestioning trust in their doctors. Most doctors deserve it. But in some cases, medical negligence has resulted in severe harm physical, mental and financial . In addition, Unqualified practitioners have brought suffering to gullible patients. Doctors have been liable to prosecution in civil court, but few malpractice victims sue for compensation, fearing years (even decades) of costly litigation. Fortunately, in 1995 the Supreme Court decreed the medical profession to be a "service" under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.It set aside a writ Petition challenging the same by the Indian medical Association.
WHAT IS MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE?
Medical negligence is defined as a failure to exercise reasonable skill and care in diagnosis and treatment as per the prevalent standards as that particular point of time. An aggrieved patient who believes that he is a victim of medical negligence can now approach the Consumer Courts for fair compensation, and expect results in a relatively shorter period of two to three years. The procedure is comparatively simple and inexpensive.
THE PATIENT'S RIGHTS
In the interest of a healthy doctorpatient relationship, A patient should Know his rights as a consumer:
1. You have a right to be told all the facts about your illness; to have your medical records explained to you; and to be made aware of risks and side effects, if any, of the treatment prescribed for you do not hesitate to question your doctor about any of these aspects.
2. When you are being given a physical examination, you have a right to be handled with consideration and due regard for your modesty.
3. You have a right to know your doctor's qualifications. If you cannot evaluate them yourself, do not hesitate to ask someone who can.
4. You have a right to complete confidentiality regarding your illness.
5. If you are doubtful about the treatment prescribed and especially an operation suggested, you have a right to get a second opinion from any specialist.
6. You have a right to be told in advance what an operation is for and the possible risks invoved. If this is not possible because of your being unconscious or for some other reasons, your nearest relatives must be told before they consent to the operation.
7. If you are to be discharged or moved to another hospital, you have a right to be informed in advance and to make your own choice of hospital of nursing home, in consultation with the doctor.
8. You have a right to get your case papers upon request.
A PATIENT'S PRECAUTIONS UNDERGOING OR PLANNING MEDICAL TREATMENT
1. Make sure you have told all relevant facts to the doctor before deciding any treatment.
2. Unless it is a life threatening emergency, the final decision about the treatment should be taken after proper deliberation and/or second opinion.
3. Please seek clarification for all the doubts regarding diagnosis/treatment/investigation.
4. Discuss with your doctor the cost of the treatment. Please make sure the cost includes possible complications.
5. During the treatment, If you are not satisfied with any aspect and/or have doubts, seek clarification from the doctor.
6. Keep all receipts/prescriptions/reports/discharge cards safely and keep extra photo copies.
7. After treatment clarify all doubts regarding bills/payments etc before discharge.
8. Involve your family physician in the discussion with the specialist doctor.
9. In case of a deth during the treatment, if you are not satisfied with the cause of death, demand a post mortem examination and get copies of the entire Indoor Case Record. This is the right of every patient/legal heir.
10. It is necessary and correct to discuss with the concerned doctor all the doubts before resorting to any legal action. Many of the complications/delays/mishaps in any medical treatment can be genuine.
11. In case you require expert medical advice regarding the legitimacy of your complaint about medical malpractice or deficiency in service you may approch the Association for Consumer Action on Safety and Health (ACASH) or any similar organisation.
CPA AND MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE
The Consumer protection Act 1986 (CPA) is a unique legislation which provides for speedy and economical redressal in a simple manner. It has been held in a number of cases under CPA that instances of medical negligence are covered by CPA. Given below is a brief of the provisions under CPA.
Those unfortunate enough to experience gross malpractice may approach (in writing or in person) the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum when the compensation claims amount to less than Rs.5 Lakhs. Claims between Rs.5 Lakhs and Rs.20 Lakhs may be taken to the State Consumer Dispute Commission. Claims above Rs.20 Lakhs may be placed before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The addresses of the above bodies may be obtained from your local consumer organisation. All complaints must be endored by the written opinion of two expert specialists in the medical field.
CHECK IF YOUR COMPLAINT COVERS THE FOLLOWING POINTS
1. Name and Address of the complainant in full.
2. Name and Address of the opposite parties.
3. When and where cause of the complaint arose.
4. Particulars of the complaint in detail along with supporting documents as exhibits.
5. Relief prayed. such as replacement/removal of defect or return of price/compensation for expenses incurred & physical/mental torture, if any. While asking for claims the amount should be within reasonable limits and justifiable.
6. The entire set of papers regarding the complaint, along with exhibits, is to be given in 1+3 sets and one set each for every aditional opposite party.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The relief claimed by you should be in clear word.
2. The complaint can be sent in Marathi,Hindi or English. If the company's office is in another State, it is better to make the complaints in English.
3. The complaint should not be on a post card.
4. Three copies of the complaint, together with all the annexures for the Forum and extra sets for each of the opponents should be filed, together with the above three copies.
5. The complaint can be sent by post.
6. Complaints of a representative nature may be filed by registered Consumer Organisations Like Consumer Guidance Society of India.
WHAT ARE RATIONS ?
Rations are the monthly quotas of certain essential commodities distributed at special rates to ration card holders by the goverment under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Rations are essential for people with limited incomes hence card holders need to know their rights and assert them in order to get their rations regularly. The purpose of the Public Distribution System is to exercise some control over prices of essential food grains and commodities in the open market ensure supply of these to the average citizen an those living below the poverty line. For adivasis and people living below the poverty line, the goverment subsidises the cost of essential commodities, thus further reducing Prices for these sections. But in some areas these ration are not made avilable to them.
RATIONING RULES AND CARD HOLDERS RIGHTS
1. THE WEEKLY QUOTE IS NOT FORFEITED IF NOT PURCHASED: For the convenience of consumer who cannot buy the fortnightly quote at one time, purchase of rations on a weekly basic is permitted. If a card holder cannot purchase his rations in the first fortnight of a month. he can do so in the second. Sugar is available owing to shortage or strikes by shopkeepers, truckers or godown employees in a particular month, these quotas will be made available in the next month by the government.
2. DISPLAY OF SAMPLES: Samples of food grains, etc are to be displayed in sealed plastic bags. The general impression that rations are of poor quality is not correct.They have to be clean. The state goverment is supposed to lift stocks from the Food Corporation of India only after proper examination. It does not accept spoilt stocks. If the grains are of bad quality you have a right to complain and have then exchanged. Samples of the available food grains have to be displayed in the ration shops in sealed plastic bags bearing the number of the godown and the date of delivery. The card holder can compare the quote given to him with the sample in the bag and ensure that he is given the same quality. If samples are displayed in plates you could be cheated.
3. ENSURE THAT YOU GET A RECEIPT: The receipt is yellow in colour and in simple language. If the figures are not clear ask the shopkeeper to write them down legibly. The receipt should give the date of purchase, details of the rations supplied and the number of the ration shop in Marathi only. There is no rule that the ration can be purchased only once a day. You may make more purchase separately on the same day.
If the shopkeeper has no change, ask him to write the amount due on the back of your receipt and to sign below so that the amount can be adjusted against your next bill.
4. You are entitled to buy only the commodities you require. The shopkeeper cannot insist that you buy Wheat or rice in order to get your quota of kerosene or sugar.
5. A fee of Rs.5/- is charged for new card. The fee for replacement of a lost card is Rs.10/-. There is no charge for issuing a temporary card, or for adding or deleting names in the ration card.
6. When applying for a new card or adding names to a card, verification will be carried out after your application is received and the card will be made available within 10 days.
7. To obtain a ration card, applicants do not need to have a fixed residence. Tenants, sub-tenants, pavementdwellers,temporary construction workers,contract labours and hostels can all obtain ration cards after inspection to verify produce a "no objection" certificate from the owner of the premises.
8. If a card holder is moving from one Locality of greater Mumbai to another, there is no need to surrender his card. A slip giving the address of the rationoing office for the new residence, reference number and the number of the new ration shop (ARS No.) will be attached to his ration card by the rationing office. The card holder should first go to his change of residence; the officer in change will guide him regarding the steps to be taken.
9. If the card holder is moving to mumbai from distrcts or from outside the state, he will have to get a surrender slip from his old rationing office and present it at the new rationing office. If the card holder did not have a ration card in his former home he will have to get a certificate from the 'talathi' of his district to this effect. In case where documentary evidence cannot be produced, the Rationing Inspector will inspect the home, verify the statement of the applicant and issue a temporary card.
10. Card holders should not be intimated by threats made by the shopkeeper. He has no powers to seize, change or cancel their cards.
INFORMATION TO BE DISPLAYED
The ration shop has to display:
a. The registration number of the ration shop (ARS No.).
b. The number, address and phone number of the ration office.
c. The inspector's name and the time of his weekly visit.
d. The stock position of all rationed commodities in units.
e. The official price list.
f. The total number of ration cards registered with the shop.
g. The total number of units.
A complaints book has to be available to card holders.
HOW TO GET A RATION CARD
You can obtain an application from for ration cards from your ration office or district office on payment of Re.1/- There are three types cards, Yellow, orange and white. The yellow cards are given to families below the poverty line, i.e. those having an annual income between Rs.15,000/- and Rs.1 Lakh. Those families having an annual income of over Rs.1 Lakh are given white cards.
Listed below are the various types of forms to be filled up by card holders.
a. To obtain a new ration card, fill up form No.1, attach all the required documents and pay a fee of Rs.5/- only. The card should be received within 10 days.
b. For deleting names from the card, fill up Form No.9 and get a certificate from the ration office to this effect. This should be done the same day or at most the next day.
c. For adding names fill up from No. 8. The change should be made within 7 days.
d. To replace a lost or mutilated ration card, fill up from No. 15. The card should be replaced within 10 days.
e. For other alternations such as change of address fill up from No. 14. The change should made within 7 days.
Approach the Public rations Officer at Window No. 1 for Free assistance. Do not involve any middlemen who approach you.
llliterate applicants or those who do not know Marathi should seek help at Window No.2 to get their forms filled up. Completed forms for new ration cards are also accepted at this window.
Application for increase in the number of units will be received and registered at window No.3. People wishing to surrender their ration cards can get a receipt for the same at this window.
Distribution of ration cards, registration and accounts will be handled at window No.4.
RATIONING SYSTEM URBAN AND RURAL
The Food and Civil Supplies Department of the state goverment controls the functioning of the PDS, Policy decisions are taken by the Rationing Controller.
In the Greater Mumbai and Thane Industrial Zone there are 6 zonal offices:
1) Zone A-Office Nos. 1,3,5,6,9,11 and 13
2) Zone C-Office Nos. 15,16,17,18,19,20 and 21
3) Zone D-Office Nos. 22,23,24,25,26 and 29
4) Zone E-Office Nos. 30,31,32,33,34,35,44 and 45
5) Zone F-Office Nos. 36,37,38,39, and 40
6) Zone G-Office Nos. 27,28,42 and 43
The head of a rationing office is the Rationing Officer. The Asst. Rationing Inspector and the staff help in the day to day Functioning of the office. The staff helps to redress the grievances of the public and guide them.
THE RURAL SECTOR
In rular Maharashtra the Addl. District Collector is in over all charge of the P.D.S but the District Supply Officer operates on his behalf. At the taluka level the Tehsildar heads the rationing operations. There is a head clerk to assist him and a rationing inspector who is charge of 100-125 villages. Hence, it is impossible for the inspector to physically inspect them often. In rural areas, card holders obtain Kerosene from authorised kerosene suppliers. The Chairman of various co-operative societies are required to certify that the quota given to the shop has been properly distributed before a fresh quota is supplied.
HOW TO LODGE A COMPLAINT
Quite often, kerosene, Wheat and rice are not available or the sugar is less than 500 grams. People wish to complain against the shopkeeper but are afraid that he may be abusive or confiscate their card. At such times to whom should one complain? First, one should ask for the complaint book in the ration shop and enter the complaint in the book. Then inspector examines the book every time he visits the shop. If the inspector does not redress your complaint, you should complaint to the tehsilder/rationing officer. If there is steel no action complain to the Collector/Addl. Collector or District Supply Officer / Controller of Rationing. Regarding Policy matters, suggestions or complaints should be sent to the Secretary, Department of foods Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs or to the Minister. To ensure implementation of the rules and assert one's rights is diffcult for one person, hence it is necessary to from local organisations of ration card holders. Local groups, women's groups and party branches should take the lead in solving card holder's problems. For this complaints redressal committees.need to be set up.Card holder, ration shopkeepers and ration inspector should be member of this committees.
Such a committee could be for one ration shop or for 4 - 5 ration shops jointly. Problems that cannot be sloved by the committee can be referred to the Controller or the Department. The PDS covers all of Maharashtra. Rationing Problems affect everyone from city dwellers to adivasis. it is essential that those oganisations which are working on behalf of cards holders should come together in the form of a federation to ensure proper working of the PDS.
Showing posts with label Consumer's page. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consumer's page. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Wanted to expand ur customer base ?
7 Marketing Ideas to Expand Your Customer Base and Profits
How do you grab people's attention, arouse their interest, trigger their desire, and motivate them to take action? Answer that four-part question correctly and you've identified the secret to achieving tremendous sales and marketing success in your chosen business or field. To complicate matters, however, the potential answers are as numerous and multi-faceted as the growing number of niche markets, products and services, and marketing trends in our culture. While not all inclusive, the following list of priorities and small business marketing tips can help put your small business on a faster track to growth.
Marketing Tip #1: Gain Customer Confidence. Customer indecisiveness, skepticism, indifference, or confusion are among the top sales killers in the business world. It's up to you to project an image of experience, quality, dependability, excellent customer service, and/or value to your prospective customers in order to win their confidence. If you haven't clearly communicated the advantages and solid reasons for them to do business with you, then they'll be hesitant to commit, and the sale will go to your competitor.
Marketing Tip #2: Penetrate awareness of your target audience by using some form of integrated marketing. In other words, the more ways the public hears about you, the better your chances are for achieving brand recognition, credibility, and greater market share. Effective marketing is partly the result of exposing your target group to your name and your selling points (unique selling proposition) as often as possible(frequency), in as many ways as possible, and as cost-effectively as possible.
Marketing Tip #3: Enthusiasm, in both print and in person, is contagious (and I'm not talking about using multiple exclamation points after sentences!!! That detracts from your credibility.) If you deeply believe in your products, services, your company, and yourself, then your prospects will pick up on that passionate attitude and feel confident and optimistic about doing business with you.
Marketing Tip #4: Purchasing is an emotional decision. Instill in your prospects good feelings about your company, your business relationship with them, and how you can improve their lives or solve their problem. Accomplishing that is at least as important in the sales process as focusing attention on product features and benefits.
Marketing Tip #5: Dispel distrust. Gain customer confidence and overcome potential feelings of distrust by offering written guarantees of satisfaction, customer testimonials, references, and by joining respected and well-known professional organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau, Chambers of Commerce, and industry associations.
Marketing Tip #6: Impose a deadline. Counteract one of the biggest obstacles to closing a sale known to mankind: procrastination. To overcome the natural human tendency to deliberate, postpone, and delay, it's often necessary to inject a sense of urgency into your ads, sales presentations, and marketing messages. Whether supplies are limited or prices are going up at the end of the month, some prospects need to have a deadline or an incentive to motivate them to take action now.
Marketing Tip #7: Create a business marketing plan to identify and capitalize on your strengths and opportunities. Your strategic plan should also take into account factors such as your weaknesses (and possible remedies), external threats (competition, economic factors, etc.), your marketing mix strategy (products/services, promotional goals, pricing strategy, and distribution decisions), media strategy, sales and expense budgets, and target market analysis (know your customers).
Joel N. Sussman, an upstate New York business writer, newsletter publisher, and Internet marketer, has created an online small business resource, called “Marketing Survival Kit.com”. Get access to hundreds of free and affordable business marketing ideas, strategies, and tools by visiting www.marketingsurvivalkit.com
Implimenting is also an important factor int his.., more than reading implimenting is a better one.
cheers
sumi
How do you grab people's attention, arouse their interest, trigger their desire, and motivate them to take action? Answer that four-part question correctly and you've identified the secret to achieving tremendous sales and marketing success in your chosen business or field. To complicate matters, however, the potential answers are as numerous and multi-faceted as the growing number of niche markets, products and services, and marketing trends in our culture. While not all inclusive, the following list of priorities and small business marketing tips can help put your small business on a faster track to growth.
Marketing Tip #1: Gain Customer Confidence. Customer indecisiveness, skepticism, indifference, or confusion are among the top sales killers in the business world. It's up to you to project an image of experience, quality, dependability, excellent customer service, and/or value to your prospective customers in order to win their confidence. If you haven't clearly communicated the advantages and solid reasons for them to do business with you, then they'll be hesitant to commit, and the sale will go to your competitor.
Marketing Tip #2: Penetrate awareness of your target audience by using some form of integrated marketing. In other words, the more ways the public hears about you, the better your chances are for achieving brand recognition, credibility, and greater market share. Effective marketing is partly the result of exposing your target group to your name and your selling points (unique selling proposition) as often as possible(frequency), in as many ways as possible, and as cost-effectively as possible.
Marketing Tip #3: Enthusiasm, in both print and in person, is contagious (and I'm not talking about using multiple exclamation points after sentences!!! That detracts from your credibility.) If you deeply believe in your products, services, your company, and yourself, then your prospects will pick up on that passionate attitude and feel confident and optimistic about doing business with you.
Marketing Tip #4: Purchasing is an emotional decision. Instill in your prospects good feelings about your company, your business relationship with them, and how you can improve their lives or solve their problem. Accomplishing that is at least as important in the sales process as focusing attention on product features and benefits.
Marketing Tip #5: Dispel distrust. Gain customer confidence and overcome potential feelings of distrust by offering written guarantees of satisfaction, customer testimonials, references, and by joining respected and well-known professional organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau, Chambers of Commerce, and industry associations.
Marketing Tip #6: Impose a deadline. Counteract one of the biggest obstacles to closing a sale known to mankind: procrastination. To overcome the natural human tendency to deliberate, postpone, and delay, it's often necessary to inject a sense of urgency into your ads, sales presentations, and marketing messages. Whether supplies are limited or prices are going up at the end of the month, some prospects need to have a deadline or an incentive to motivate them to take action now.
Marketing Tip #7: Create a business marketing plan to identify and capitalize on your strengths and opportunities. Your strategic plan should also take into account factors such as your weaknesses (and possible remedies), external threats (competition, economic factors, etc.), your marketing mix strategy (products/services, promotional goals, pricing strategy, and distribution decisions), media strategy, sales and expense budgets, and target market analysis (know your customers).
Joel N. Sussman, an upstate New York business writer, newsletter publisher, and Internet marketer, has created an online small business resource, called “Marketing Survival Kit.com”. Get access to hundreds of free and affordable business marketing ideas, strategies, and tools by visiting www.marketingsurvivalkit.com
Implimenting is also an important factor int his.., more than reading implimenting is a better one.
cheers
sumi
Thursday, November 1, 2007
From when u started using a Deo .., ?
Have u ever wondered from when u started using a body spray or deodrant?.., a haircolor, fairness cream or a hair gel instead of hair oil...., think..., and u ll find that more than 70 to 80% of individuals get influenced by the advertisements.
In this modern world advertisements influence people a lot especially between the age group 16 to 30. As i told earlier deodrants started to sell in a very huge numbers and the companies never expected that, behind that huge sales there were lots of things to be considered and market researches etc. A detailed market study will be taken about every single product before and after the lauch of that product. Now let us see a detailed case study about the growth of deodrant market and how advertisements palyed a major role in it.
An impossible task
No one could have imagined that deodorants would become a 1000 tonne market in India by the millennium. Not because the need was not strong, but because it has always been a monumental marketing task, converting people from an old to a new way to meet a primary human need.
In this case the need was to smell good. India being a high-perspiration market and one where body odour (BO) sensibilities have always been sharp. Camouflage products have always done well and for several decades a ritualised Indian existence included the usage of a perfumed soap and talcum powder combination. So when Hindustan Lever (HLL) decided to create a market for specialised deodorants with the launch of Rexona in the mid 90’s, there was much scepticism.
However, the marketing pundits were proved wrong when the market itself grew from nearly nothing in 1995 to 308 tonnes in 1997 and was 616 tonnes in 1998. Other brands joined in, but the market creator’s share stood at 57% in the initial years.
What did Lever’s do right?
HLL understood the Indian market. It had a gut-level understanding of the precise coordinates of the target consumer on a two variable map (conservative-liberal scale on one axis, monetary tightfistedness on the other). They also had a feel of how quickly this was changing, how the transformation could be hastened and what could play the catalyst. That they had the marketing acumen, no one doubted, because back in the mid 90’s Rexona was not the first deo to be launched. Baccorose was selling it’s Copper for men, with sensual ads that went ‘Before you get close, get Copper.’ This was an aerosol spray deo, priced at Rs 200 for a 150 ml can. Fa, aimed at women, was the other brand in the fray. Neither of these had made a splash.
HLL realised that Copper and Fa were aiming for those who understood the deodorant as being distinct from a perfume, and also the product’s advantage over the old soap-talc combination. Those who already knew the function of a deo. They aimed the product at a market which already knew that that a deo delivers lasting BO freedom (all through the day) because it doesn’t merely mask BO, but it actually prevents it.
But the majority of Indian consumers couldn’t guess it at the time, and that was why the two pioneers remained insignificant, even as the Indian talcum powder market stood firm at a huge 24,764 tonnes.
Market creation
HLL understood that selling a deo would require market creation and it was important to disseminate information. So HLL’s market approach was different. Research had shown that only 10 per cent of the target population had any awareness of deodorants, and a few felt that BO was their own private business!
HLL understood that pitching a deo on a high-sensuality platform at this stage could botch up it’s chances for a wide consumption base. And that was what the company wanted: to enter the bathroom cabinet of the relatively conservative Indian household.
So that was why the advertising had a good, clean, family setting - to sell the primary benefit. They knew that the time to do a ‘close-up’ of the product benefits would come only later, once it had achieved a multi-generation approval.
Developing a mass market
HLL was keen on ‘step-up ladder pricing’. It wanted to attract people beyond the Indian elite. The latter in any case were already tuned in to using products like Old Spice, Denim, and other foreign brands. Thus it was the uninitiated Indian consumer that HLL wanted to target, a consumer who was contentedly using the soap/talc combination, a consumer who used perfume only occasionally. Fragrance sensitivity was an important factor as this was often a matter of consensus between the husband and wife. That was why it chose the brand: Rexona. Rexona was known in India as a soap although globally it was an anti-per spirant brand.
Actually that was what HLL wanted to launch first…the Rexona anti-perspirant. But they realised that an anti-perspirant would baffle people even more than a deo. Besides, an anti-perspirant doesn’t really stop all perspiration, and in a hot sweaty environment that India had, there was a risk that it would be labeled as a non-performer.
Test Launch and National Launch
The first task was to ensure that Rexona deo was not mistaken for a light fragrance. Secondly the company had to break the price barrier and ensure widespread trials. Thus Rexona deo was test-launched in April 1995, in Tamil Nadu, a state reckoned to have a large number of early-adaptors. It was launched as a push-up stick and a pump spray. An aerosol, being an alcohol-based can, was thought to prove expensive.
Post-launch research showed that while the concept had sunk in, the benefit-delivery package needed –re-tuning. The pump spray, which was priced at Rs 85 for a 50 ml container was not seen as value-for-money. HLL decided to phase it out and replace it with an aerosol can, which was convenient and only slightly more expensive.
For the national launch, HLL also came up with some packaging innovations that brought the prices down. The push-up stick was able to attain the magic price of Rs 1/- per gm and the 20 gm pack was priced at an affordable Rs 20. This was as open-armed that a deo could get!
Advertising problems
The television commercials, which went on air in 1996, centered around the acceptance-rejection (of a person) theme, in an attempt to sell the need to fight BO through means more effective than the regular soap/talc combination. Reminiscent of what Colgate had initiated in the Indian market for toothpaste (wife turns face away from husband because of his bad breath), the commercials had someone turning away from a someone with BO. However while bad breath was acknowledged to be a problem, BO was not considered such a bugaboo. Market Research showed that the consumer found it impolite to turn away in the manner depicted. So while awareness of BO was growing, Rexona’s sales were not!
Rexona’s communication approach needed fixing. As market research had indicated that most people were reluctant to acknowledge that they had a BO problem, and HLL decided to tackle this head on. The new ads showed that it was nothing to be ashamed of, that even the most charming, well-dressed an sophisticated people could have BO, without realising it! This was because the nose picks up only new, unfamiliar smells. However the BO could lead to considerable sniggering behind the person’s back.
The first TV spot showed someone sneaking up behind a small boy and clasping her hands over his eyes. He guesses her to ‘Shilpa Aunty,’ only because of the small from her armpits. In the second commercial, a boss overhears his junior wanting to buy a deo for him as a gift. In the third, a young girl is horrified on overhearing colleagues talk about BO. Result: awareness of BO started spreading amongst the youth like wildfire and there were collegians who even became anxious about how they smelt. It was interesting the way the commercials drew attention to BO without having to show the boy-girl situation.
The Applicator strategy was revamped too.
HLL wanted to deliver Rexona’s benefit as affordably and conveniently as possible. As mentioned earlier in April 1997 when Rexona was launched the roll-on was at Rs 35 for 40ml, and the original 20gm stick was just Rs 21. The roll- on and the stick, while cheaper, did fine with young males but these products were not fully able to overcome the female consumers innate aversion to a product that touched the body. What HLL did was launch in aerosol cans, priced at Rs 65 for 75ml and Rs 95 for 150ml ( less than half of Copper). This price was a coup as sorts for the company, since rivals were not able to match it. HLL attributes the price mainly to economies of scale, HLL being a big buyer of aerosol applicators. The big trial-getting move however was a simultaneous launch of a 5gm stick for just Rs 5. This was designed to get all and sundry into giving the deo a shot. It was test-marketed in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And it worked.
And once it was launched nationally the deodorant category started growing feverishly. Within the year the stick form accounted for as much as 40% of Rexona deos volumes!
Some more hiccups
By the end of 1997 HLL deo team was sure that the market was well on it’s way. However the team rapidly realised that while it was working hard to spread the BO message, other products were hitching along for the ride. While the market volumes grew as the advertisement campaign converted deo non-users to users, Rexona’s market share stagnated. Light perfumes started flooding the market under the garb was ‘body sprays’, hoping to cash in on the growing demand for BO –fighters.
HLL wasn’t terribly worried since the market was still miniscule (308 tons in 1997) by global standards. The real fight was against age-old talcs and that was the market HLL was eyeing. They knew that a sharper strategy was needed.
Re- launch
The market for talcs operated on fairly sophisticated segmentation principles. Some brands sold a set of general fragrance values ( Ponds Dreamflower, Old Spice) and others operated on a partnership with bathing soaps such as Liril and Cinthol. These products had gone far beyond the reason-why stage and were selling on the basis of higher order intangible benefits as well. The volume base was large enough for such refined consumer-targeting.
Thus, in May 1998 HLL re-launched Rexona deo, splitting the range into two variants – Fresh Green and Cool Blue. This time the communication took a step ahead. It played down the social cost of BO and spoke specifically of the Deo’s advantage over talc: durability. Rexona was effective throughout the day, while talc was not. The net benefit : body appeal confidence.
A series of 6 second commercials showed a boy and a girl sitting in the pavilion watching a cricket match. As the day progresses, Rexona is shown to be ‘still working’. The voiceover : ‘talcum ka asar char ghanto mein gayab. Rexona, ghanto tak suraksha de’. The new advertising also brought out the value-for-money equation. The pitch: a deo that lasts long is worth more per application than a talc.
Re-crafting strategy
The brand also re-crafted it’s strategy to focus more sharply on a young target – the 16-20-year old. This ‘magic age’ (since everyone wants to be here) is also considered the one that’s most conscious of the benefits of smelling good. Best of all, the post-adolescent, pre-marriage gender interaction in this age group is quite cool, unlike a generation or two earlier. This holds out immense potential for deos.
The secondary target audience ofcourse goes all the way upto 35, since people stay vanity-conscious well into their 30’s. People older than that, went the reasoning, wouldn’t be adopters of a new concept. They wouldn’t suddenly grow conscious of BO and seek any better remedy than what they’ve been using all these years.
HLL re-designed the pack to look suitably vibrant as this audience gets put off by fuddy-duddy products rather too soon.
HLL realises that talcs would not easy to edge out. In fact that may never happen in India – the land of a million co-existences! In fact, it is believed that talc is likely to survive even with the ‘happening’ crowd.
Targeting the youth
An increasing number of products are being aimed at the youth these days and that’s natural as a quarter of India is currently in the 16-24 age group, and this fraction is projected to rise rapidly.
In this modern world advertisements influence people a lot especially between the age group 16 to 30. As i told earlier deodrants started to sell in a very huge numbers and the companies never expected that, behind that huge sales there were lots of things to be considered and market researches etc. A detailed market study will be taken about every single product before and after the lauch of that product. Now let us see a detailed case study about the growth of deodrant market and how advertisements palyed a major role in it.
An impossible task
No one could have imagined that deodorants would become a 1000 tonne market in India by the millennium. Not because the need was not strong, but because it has always been a monumental marketing task, converting people from an old to a new way to meet a primary human need.
In this case the need was to smell good. India being a high-perspiration market and one where body odour (BO) sensibilities have always been sharp. Camouflage products have always done well and for several decades a ritualised Indian existence included the usage of a perfumed soap and talcum powder combination. So when Hindustan Lever (HLL) decided to create a market for specialised deodorants with the launch of Rexona in the mid 90’s, there was much scepticism.
However, the marketing pundits were proved wrong when the market itself grew from nearly nothing in 1995 to 308 tonnes in 1997 and was 616 tonnes in 1998. Other brands joined in, but the market creator’s share stood at 57% in the initial years.
What did Lever’s do right?
HLL understood the Indian market. It had a gut-level understanding of the precise coordinates of the target consumer on a two variable map (conservative-liberal scale on one axis, monetary tightfistedness on the other). They also had a feel of how quickly this was changing, how the transformation could be hastened and what could play the catalyst. That they had the marketing acumen, no one doubted, because back in the mid 90’s Rexona was not the first deo to be launched. Baccorose was selling it’s Copper for men, with sensual ads that went ‘Before you get close, get Copper.’ This was an aerosol spray deo, priced at Rs 200 for a 150 ml can. Fa, aimed at women, was the other brand in the fray. Neither of these had made a splash.
HLL realised that Copper and Fa were aiming for those who understood the deodorant as being distinct from a perfume, and also the product’s advantage over the old soap-talc combination. Those who already knew the function of a deo. They aimed the product at a market which already knew that that a deo delivers lasting BO freedom (all through the day) because it doesn’t merely mask BO, but it actually prevents it.
But the majority of Indian consumers couldn’t guess it at the time, and that was why the two pioneers remained insignificant, even as the Indian talcum powder market stood firm at a huge 24,764 tonnes.
Market creation
HLL understood that selling a deo would require market creation and it was important to disseminate information. So HLL’s market approach was different. Research had shown that only 10 per cent of the target population had any awareness of deodorants, and a few felt that BO was their own private business!
HLL understood that pitching a deo on a high-sensuality platform at this stage could botch up it’s chances for a wide consumption base. And that was what the company wanted: to enter the bathroom cabinet of the relatively conservative Indian household.
So that was why the advertising had a good, clean, family setting - to sell the primary benefit. They knew that the time to do a ‘close-up’ of the product benefits would come only later, once it had achieved a multi-generation approval.
Developing a mass market
HLL was keen on ‘step-up ladder pricing’. It wanted to attract people beyond the Indian elite. The latter in any case were already tuned in to using products like Old Spice, Denim, and other foreign brands. Thus it was the uninitiated Indian consumer that HLL wanted to target, a consumer who was contentedly using the soap/talc combination, a consumer who used perfume only occasionally. Fragrance sensitivity was an important factor as this was often a matter of consensus between the husband and wife. That was why it chose the brand: Rexona. Rexona was known in India as a soap although globally it was an anti-per spirant brand.
Actually that was what HLL wanted to launch first…the Rexona anti-perspirant. But they realised that an anti-perspirant would baffle people even more than a deo. Besides, an anti-perspirant doesn’t really stop all perspiration, and in a hot sweaty environment that India had, there was a risk that it would be labeled as a non-performer.
Test Launch and National Launch
The first task was to ensure that Rexona deo was not mistaken for a light fragrance. Secondly the company had to break the price barrier and ensure widespread trials. Thus Rexona deo was test-launched in April 1995, in Tamil Nadu, a state reckoned to have a large number of early-adaptors. It was launched as a push-up stick and a pump spray. An aerosol, being an alcohol-based can, was thought to prove expensive.
Post-launch research showed that while the concept had sunk in, the benefit-delivery package needed –re-tuning. The pump spray, which was priced at Rs 85 for a 50 ml container was not seen as value-for-money. HLL decided to phase it out and replace it with an aerosol can, which was convenient and only slightly more expensive.
For the national launch, HLL also came up with some packaging innovations that brought the prices down. The push-up stick was able to attain the magic price of Rs 1/- per gm and the 20 gm pack was priced at an affordable Rs 20. This was as open-armed that a deo could get!
Advertising problems
The television commercials, which went on air in 1996, centered around the acceptance-rejection (of a person) theme, in an attempt to sell the need to fight BO through means more effective than the regular soap/talc combination. Reminiscent of what Colgate had initiated in the Indian market for toothpaste (wife turns face away from husband because of his bad breath), the commercials had someone turning away from a someone with BO. However while bad breath was acknowledged to be a problem, BO was not considered such a bugaboo. Market Research showed that the consumer found it impolite to turn away in the manner depicted. So while awareness of BO was growing, Rexona’s sales were not!
Rexona’s communication approach needed fixing. As market research had indicated that most people were reluctant to acknowledge that they had a BO problem, and HLL decided to tackle this head on. The new ads showed that it was nothing to be ashamed of, that even the most charming, well-dressed an sophisticated people could have BO, without realising it! This was because the nose picks up only new, unfamiliar smells. However the BO could lead to considerable sniggering behind the person’s back.
The first TV spot showed someone sneaking up behind a small boy and clasping her hands over his eyes. He guesses her to ‘Shilpa Aunty,’ only because of the small from her armpits. In the second commercial, a boss overhears his junior wanting to buy a deo for him as a gift. In the third, a young girl is horrified on overhearing colleagues talk about BO. Result: awareness of BO started spreading amongst the youth like wildfire and there were collegians who even became anxious about how they smelt. It was interesting the way the commercials drew attention to BO without having to show the boy-girl situation.
The Applicator strategy was revamped too.
HLL wanted to deliver Rexona’s benefit as affordably and conveniently as possible. As mentioned earlier in April 1997 when Rexona was launched the roll-on was at Rs 35 for 40ml, and the original 20gm stick was just Rs 21. The roll- on and the stick, while cheaper, did fine with young males but these products were not fully able to overcome the female consumers innate aversion to a product that touched the body. What HLL did was launch in aerosol cans, priced at Rs 65 for 75ml and Rs 95 for 150ml ( less than half of Copper). This price was a coup as sorts for the company, since rivals were not able to match it. HLL attributes the price mainly to economies of scale, HLL being a big buyer of aerosol applicators. The big trial-getting move however was a simultaneous launch of a 5gm stick for just Rs 5. This was designed to get all and sundry into giving the deo a shot. It was test-marketed in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And it worked.
And once it was launched nationally the deodorant category started growing feverishly. Within the year the stick form accounted for as much as 40% of Rexona deos volumes!
Some more hiccups
By the end of 1997 HLL deo team was sure that the market was well on it’s way. However the team rapidly realised that while it was working hard to spread the BO message, other products were hitching along for the ride. While the market volumes grew as the advertisement campaign converted deo non-users to users, Rexona’s market share stagnated. Light perfumes started flooding the market under the garb was ‘body sprays’, hoping to cash in on the growing demand for BO –fighters.
HLL wasn’t terribly worried since the market was still miniscule (308 tons in 1997) by global standards. The real fight was against age-old talcs and that was the market HLL was eyeing. They knew that a sharper strategy was needed.
Re- launch
The market for talcs operated on fairly sophisticated segmentation principles. Some brands sold a set of general fragrance values ( Ponds Dreamflower, Old Spice) and others operated on a partnership with bathing soaps such as Liril and Cinthol. These products had gone far beyond the reason-why stage and were selling on the basis of higher order intangible benefits as well. The volume base was large enough for such refined consumer-targeting.
Thus, in May 1998 HLL re-launched Rexona deo, splitting the range into two variants – Fresh Green and Cool Blue. This time the communication took a step ahead. It played down the social cost of BO and spoke specifically of the Deo’s advantage over talc: durability. Rexona was effective throughout the day, while talc was not. The net benefit : body appeal confidence.
A series of 6 second commercials showed a boy and a girl sitting in the pavilion watching a cricket match. As the day progresses, Rexona is shown to be ‘still working’. The voiceover : ‘talcum ka asar char ghanto mein gayab. Rexona, ghanto tak suraksha de’. The new advertising also brought out the value-for-money equation. The pitch: a deo that lasts long is worth more per application than a talc.
Re-crafting strategy
The brand also re-crafted it’s strategy to focus more sharply on a young target – the 16-20-year old. This ‘magic age’ (since everyone wants to be here) is also considered the one that’s most conscious of the benefits of smelling good. Best of all, the post-adolescent, pre-marriage gender interaction in this age group is quite cool, unlike a generation or two earlier. This holds out immense potential for deos.
The secondary target audience ofcourse goes all the way upto 35, since people stay vanity-conscious well into their 30’s. People older than that, went the reasoning, wouldn’t be adopters of a new concept. They wouldn’t suddenly grow conscious of BO and seek any better remedy than what they’ve been using all these years.
HLL re-designed the pack to look suitably vibrant as this audience gets put off by fuddy-duddy products rather too soon.
HLL realises that talcs would not easy to edge out. In fact that may never happen in India – the land of a million co-existences! In fact, it is believed that talc is likely to survive even with the ‘happening’ crowd.
Targeting the youth
An increasing number of products are being aimed at the youth these days and that’s natural as a quarter of India is currently in the 16-24 age group, and this fraction is projected to rise rapidly.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Consumer forum pays compensation
Consumer plays a major role in the world of business. Any indistry is bound to the demands of them. So the product or services must satisfy the need of the ultimate consumer, when that is not satisfied they have the right for compensation.
Trust me how amny people go for it.. ? People don offend them when there is a bad sevice or when the product did not satisfy their need as mentioned. These factors has to be overcomed and faced. Consumer protection help any individual to face it. This case is a veyr good example for that.... this happened in ahmedabab, the Ahmedabad Consumer Forum asks United India Insurance to pay compensation.
The brief story is
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad District (Rural), has ordered United India Insurance Company to pay compensation of over 5,000 US dollars to one Smruti Bhasker Patel in an overseas medical claim policy.
The Forum, while hearing the case filed by Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) and Ms Patel, a resident of the city, ordered the United India Insurance Company Limited (UIIC) to pay Smruti 5,041.65 US dollars compensation for gross negligence, deficiency in service and unfair trade practice case.
The Forum ordered the company to pay Smruti 5,041.65 compensation, i.e 3,632.15 US dollars plus 1,409.50 US dollars with nine per cent cumulative interest, from the date of the complaint until recovery.
The amount should be paid in Indian rupees as per the exchange rate prevailing on the date of the complaint.
The Forum also ordered the company to pay her Rs 10,000 for tension, hardship and inconvenience suffered by her.
Smruti had paid a premium of Rs 3,281 and taken out an overseas mediclaim policy from United India Insurance on April 22, 2002, covering the period from April 27 to June 12, 2002. She renewed the policy from June 12 to June 25, and again up to July 10, 2002, for which she paid the premiums. The policy thus covered her from April 27 to July 10, 2002.
During her stay in the US, Smruti suffered from acidity-related laryngeal lesion illness and was treated at the John Hopkins Hospital on July 1 and 2, 2002, as an outpatient and on the second day underwent a surgery. She paid 3,632.15 US dollars towards the charges for surgery and subsequent hospitalisation up to July 9, 2002.
She submitted her claim form with the original documents to Mercury International Assistance and Claims Ltd, the UK-based agent of United India Insurance. She also sent 100 US dollars along with the claim form towards the amount deductible as per the policy.
Later, she received three more bills from John Hopkins Hospital and forwarded them to Mercury International for direct payment.
Mercury International returned some of the documents along with an undated letter to Smruti and asked for some other documents. As she had already sent the originals, she sent copies of the documents on August 23, 2002. After more futile correspondence between Smruti, United India Insurance and Mercury International, she sought the intervention of CERS which, in turn, wrote to the chairman of United India Insurance requesting an early settlement of the claim.
She and CERS submitted that, even after two years, the insurance company had shown clear negligence and that it had neither settled nor repudiated the claim within 30 days of receipt of the claim, as per the IRDA Regulation 8(3) 2002. But the fact that the insurance company had asked Mercury International to arrange for releasing the payment soon indicated that it had acknowledged the claim but was not settling it.
The insurance company argued, among other things, that it had not repudiated the claim and that the complaint was not maintainable as the Forum had earlier dismissed it, and that the complainants had not challenged that order.
cheers
Sumi
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Consumer case _ The great Mc Donald's
Business Ethics Consumer Rights and Complaints The Case of McDonalds Coffee Albuquerque New Mexico USA
The Incident: In an early morning of February 1992, a lady drove into a McDonald's restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico to have breakfast. She had just dropped her son at the local airport. She ordered Mcbreakfast with coffee and decided to have the breakfast in the car itself. She could not place the coffee cup on the dash board as it was slanted too steeply. Since both her hands were busy, she placed the coffee cup between her knees. She also tried to open the lid off the cup in that position. What she did not know was that the coffee supplied in that cup was heated to 170 Degrees.Many people do not know that when you pour something very hot into containers and immediately close the lid, it can be very difficult to open for scientific reasons. You need to be a Tarzan to open the lids in case of metal containers. You will also spill the contents, invariably. In case of plastic containers you might damage the container and it can be dangerous. The same thing happened to the lady. Hot coffee poured out on her thighs and she suffered second degree burns on her private parts. She was hospitalized for 3 weeks and further went for skin grafting, which can be very painful. Her experience was traumatic, lost lot of weight and she also lost further 3 to 4 weeks recuperating. Her daughter had to stay at home to look after her and she lost her salaries and wages.This lady wrote to McDonald's asking for just USD 2000 as compensation. McDonald's offered her USD 800. Her daughter decided to approach some lawyer and did so. The lawyer filed a case in courts asking for USD 100,000 as compensatory damages and 300,000 as punitive damages. The jurors were quite irritated and not amused when the case came up in courts and thought that the issue was frivolous. However, when they learnt that McDonald's had not reduced the temperature of the coffee for 10 years even after receiving 700 complaints, they changed their minds. Medical experts confirmed that at 170 degrees, coffee can cause serious second degree burn injuries. McDonald's blamed the lady completely for the incident and said it was her fault in keeping the cup between her knees. The jury decided in favor of the lady. She was awarded USD 200,000 as compensatory damages and USD 2.7 million as punitive damages. The trial judge later reduced it to USD 640,000. The case was finally decided out of court and the final settlement is a secret.
i do appreciate feedbacks....
cheers
sumi
The Incident: In an early morning of February 1992, a lady drove into a McDonald's restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico to have breakfast. She had just dropped her son at the local airport. She ordered Mcbreakfast with coffee and decided to have the breakfast in the car itself. She could not place the coffee cup on the dash board as it was slanted too steeply. Since both her hands were busy, she placed the coffee cup between her knees. She also tried to open the lid off the cup in that position. What she did not know was that the coffee supplied in that cup was heated to 170 Degrees.Many people do not know that when you pour something very hot into containers and immediately close the lid, it can be very difficult to open for scientific reasons. You need to be a Tarzan to open the lids in case of metal containers. You will also spill the contents, invariably. In case of plastic containers you might damage the container and it can be dangerous. The same thing happened to the lady. Hot coffee poured out on her thighs and she suffered second degree burns on her private parts. She was hospitalized for 3 weeks and further went for skin grafting, which can be very painful. Her experience was traumatic, lost lot of weight and she also lost further 3 to 4 weeks recuperating. Her daughter had to stay at home to look after her and she lost her salaries and wages.This lady wrote to McDonald's asking for just USD 2000 as compensation. McDonald's offered her USD 800. Her daughter decided to approach some lawyer and did so. The lawyer filed a case in courts asking for USD 100,000 as compensatory damages and 300,000 as punitive damages. The jurors were quite irritated and not amused when the case came up in courts and thought that the issue was frivolous. However, when they learnt that McDonald's had not reduced the temperature of the coffee for 10 years even after receiving 700 complaints, they changed their minds. Medical experts confirmed that at 170 degrees, coffee can cause serious second degree burn injuries. McDonald's blamed the lady completely for the incident and said it was her fault in keeping the cup between her knees. The jury decided in favor of the lady. She was awarded USD 200,000 as compensatory damages and USD 2.7 million as punitive damages. The trial judge later reduced it to USD 640,000. The case was finally decided out of court and the final settlement is a secret.
i do appreciate feedbacks....
cheers
sumi