MAM
One-stop specialised direct marketing units woo ad agencies and clients
MUMBAI: “Stick to core competencies – outsource the rest” seems to the mantra for ad agencies! A new breed of one-stop direct marketing shops for loyalty programmes, corporate gifting and mail-orders undertaken by corporates (such as banking institutions, credit card companies, automobile and retail companies) has emerged! Ad agencies are coordinating or outsourcing direct marketing (DM) requirements of their clients from companies top players such as Brand Magnet and Infovision amongst others.
Brand Magnet (a division of 15-year old 1st Mail Order company promoted by Leena Godiwala) has completed two
years in the sphere of “fulfillment” related services. It also provides back-end logistics complete with warehousing services and catalogue services.
Established in Mumbai in 1988, 1st Mail Order is India’s pioneering mail order house which markets innovative gift products, for personal and corporate gifting needs, through its colourful mail order catalogues.
Brand Magnet currently handles companies such as Standard Chartered Bank, Tata TELCO’s Indica and Indigo divisions. Infovision too has clients such as The East India Hotels (Oberoi group), Barista and Philips.
In fact, these companies also provide services to websites (such as rediff.com, indiatimes.com) which have online shopping channels. Adequate care is taken to receive orders, source the required goods, package them attractively, deliver them to the client, collect payments and handle customer service.
While undertaking these above mentioned activities, these companies have become an extension of BPO (business process outsourcing) and IT enabled services (ITES). Corporates and agencies who don’t have requisite expertise in this segment have obtained a considerable measure of success by indulging in such
direct marketing activities.
Brand Magnet director marketing Vanashree Ghate says:
“We provide low-cost options as we have adequate resources including affiliates in 11 cities mapping the length and breadth of the country. Otherwise, companies have to dedicate resources and invest in infrastructure to tackle complaints and after-sales
services.” Ghate is a veteran with experience in ad agencies (FCB Ulka) and marketing (Faber Castell India amongst others).
Infovision assistant VP Rohit Gupta says: “InfoVision Group has been promoted by professionals, with vast experience in the IT enabled service industry including software development . The company philosophy is focused upon a relentless pursuit of
excellence and quality in every sphere of its activities. Whether it is the field of managing call-centers, data processing, software development or eMail response activity, InfoVision Group has the resources and infrastructure required to meet future
challenges of an ever changing technology environment.”
The database for the direct marketing events are either obtained from the client or sourced locally through allied companies. Brand Magnet, for instance, has access to 135,000 names which are on the database of its parent organisation 1st Mail Order. Through 1st Mail Order’s existing brand equity, new names are being added to the database every day.
Infovision also has access to the several names compiled by sourcing lists from people who sell databases. Brand Magnet also does regular mailing to more than 50 per cent of the above mentioned list.
“With the hectic marketing for emerging sectors such as the telecom, retail and insurance sectors, more corporate entities are open to our suggestions. However, ad agencies must realise that organisations such as our have the capabilities to take complete
responsibility for the services,” says Brand Magnet’s Ghate.
The business pie is increasing with several new insurance companies (ICICI Pru Life, Aviva, Birla Sun Life, Tata AIG amongst) others aggressively using the direct marketing route. Retail companies such as Shoppers Stop, Westside and Globus strongly believe in loyalty programmes for wooing retail customers.
JWT’s direct marketing Thompson Connect’s head Rakshin
Patel says: “Loyalty programmes help brands and services to establish a one-to-one equation with clients and customers. We look at several viable options based on the client requirements and budgets.”
Looks as if several ad agencies and corporates are realising the importance of outsourcing resources for specialised loyalty programmes or relationship-building programmes which are conceived with the intention of providing long term benefits!
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
