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Customer retention is all about satisfaction: Lester Wunderman
JAIPUR: “Loyal customers are satisfied customers.”
The Buddha of direct marketing Lester Wunderman kept it straight and simple as he opened proceedings on Day 3 of Ad Asia 2003. “Knowing customer needs is the first step to satisfying them,” said the advertising legend.
Wunderman paraphrased from both the Bible and events from the life of the Buddha in his presentation and began by saying, “I have been a maverick, breaker of all rules and maker of new rules all my life.”
Wunderman had no answers though, for a problem that is being increasingly articulated against direct marketing across the world, that it represents unsolicited intrusion, and it is getting worse rather than better.
He did however agree in an indirect way with the complaint when he criticised what he termed as loose language and thought that goes under the name relationship marketing.
“Most people lead busy lives that are only getting busier. I don’t need and would resist having a ‘relationship’ with companies that make my toothpaste, soup, soap, or even my automobile. I don’t have the time or inclination to do it. I don’t purchase things again because I am loyal. I do so because I am satisfied. And I will remain a customer of the products, services and brands I use just as long as they continue to satisfy my needs,” he said.
The point that could be argued is that similar is the resistance to the very intrusive nature of direct marketing, especially tele-marketing.
Anyway, coming to the gist of what he had to say, “The mission of direct marketing has continued to evolve from that of just another way of making sales. With the advent of Information Age (what he termed the post-present age) and the new technologies it has spawned, it has become an information-based discipline.”
According to Wunderman, the way to leverage this information vis-?-vis product sale is to better understand consumers, their identity, their proclivities and their behaviour. This information should be used to develop strategies aimed at increasing share-of-market rather than share-of-mind, he stressed. But he issued a warning as well on the misdirected use of data. “Data is an expense – knowledge is a bargain. Collect only data that can become information, which in turn can become knowledge. Only knowledge can build on success and minimise risk,” he said.
The end aim of all direct marketing efforts should be on the creation of customers who will make repeat purchases, Wunderman said, pointing out that “it costs six to ten times as much to create a new customer than to keep an existing one.”
Speaking about the changes that the post-present age had engendered in the marketplace, Wunderman said, “We have moved from a culture of mass to one that is more information-based and directed to customers and prospects in small groups or even one at a time.” It was imperative that direct marketers “learn to communicate persuasively with individuals rather than demographic segments, he said. “From the age of mass marketing, we are entering the era of personal marketing,” he elaborated.
His concluding line: “In marketing and advertising as in life, there is no substitute for being direct.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
