By Saloni Dutta
Ritu Gupta, Director - Marketing, Consumer & Small Business, Dell India talks about the brand’s marketing strategy of believing in customers as brand ambassadors, and holding up technology as an enabler for the next generation of consumers to go out and achieve more
Q] What are the fundamental principles of your marketing strategy? What does your marketing mix look like?
Dell’s journey in India over the years in terms of growth, share and customer-recognition indicates that we are poised for brand leadership in the consumer and enterprise space. We are positioned to reach a diverse range, including young consumers, which is our TG for consumer business. As a basic strategy, our customers are at the heart of everything we do related to products, design, features, service proposition, or the way we design communication. We follow the four imperatives - transform, connect, perform and protect. We are driving ‘connect’, which focuses on helping the next generation of consumers to increase productivity and achieve anything they want in their sphere of work through technology.
Our communication is integrated, so no medium is given preference over the other. We are as focused on reaching out to Tier II or Tier III customers through Print or Television, as we are on targeting the youth and people who are online in Tier I and Tier II cities. On-ground activation or BTL activation is also a very strong component. Our programmes drive the aspect of technology as an enabler for consumers to go out and achieve more.
The percentage of investment on online and social media has increased significantly over the past the past three or four years. The consumer we are talking to is the youth – 55% of the country’s population is below the age of 35. We recognize and realize that and need to be where our TG is, but without compromising on any other way of reaching out to the consumer.
Q] With competitor brands aggressive in the marketing space and using Bollywood stars as brand ambassadors, how does Dell stand out?
Other brands are using celebrities as brand ambassadors, but Dell’s customers are its brand ambassadors, and that has been our philosophy. We ran an achievement campaign with a microsite and invited customers to send in stories on how technology helped them unleash their passion and achieve their goals. Close to two lakh consumers visited to the site and we have published over 550 customer stories. As a brand custodian, I see my customers as the best brand ambassadors.
Q] Do your marketing efforts come under the same umbrella for all verticals and products?
Every product is different and requires a varied approach and effort. While we could be addressing each differently, the overall message and Dell promise is delivered. PC penetration in India is very low and we are targeting the first-time buyer. Our communication is designed on the understanding that the first PC a person buys is not necessarily individually-owned or operated and could be used by many of a family or joint family.
Q] There’s been much buzz around Dell with the Hint a Gift campaign. Can you talk about the outcome of the campaign?
The ‘Hint a Gift’ campaign was run during the festival season for a month-and-a-half, pan-India. It had elements including television commercials, social media components and a complete engagement programme focused on reaching out to the youth at a much deeper and emotional level. Over 1,000 participants responded via Twitter and over 30,000 users posted feedback, which is quite encouraging.
Q] You had recently started the My Dell Rewards Programme on Facebook, how did that work out in terms of numbers and reach?
The ‘My Dell Rewards Programme’ is entirely social media-driven – Dell’s Facebook fan base is over 1.6 billion fans – and focuses on driving consumer engagement with the brand. Participants are awarded for engaging with the brand and not for necessarily having bought a product. Participants register – registrations are nearing 10,000-mark – and earn points through various activities like surveys, polls, contests, etc., which can be redeemed for vouchers and used to buy a Dell product. Around six lakh points have been redeemed so far and we have got fantastic feedback from consumers.
Q] What are some of the interesting BTL activities, sales promotions you have engineered at Dell to increase consumer engagement?
We have a massive rural outreach programme running successfully since the last two years, with the purpose to reach out to first-time consumers in Tier II and Tier III cities. Rooted in the insight that many district headquarters and small towns have multi-brand outlets that may not always have the complete range of products on display for consumers to go, check, touch and feel, our campaign takes the experience to them. Also, we reached out to around 17 district headquarters with mobile Dell shops displaying a complete range of products along with technology advisors to give consumers a better feel of the products.Consumers keen on buying products can approach our local channel partners.
We have been holding the ‘Dell Champs’ – a school competition programme – each year and this year will be the fourth. Last year, we reached out to over 200 schools across 20 Tier II and Tier III cities, held workshops and a technology-based quiz, which students and parents could participate in. The quiz was organized at school, city and then national level, with the idea to add value and connect to the consumer.
Q] What is the brand’s current marketshare in India? Which is the biggest brand in your portfolio and which brand are you betting on going ahead?
Looking at the year 2013, the market on Y-O-Y basis grew at about 4.5 to 4.8%, with around 11.5 billion units. We are at Number 2 position with a 13.2% market-share, and 6% Y-O-Y growth in terms of absolute volumes. Inspiron is one of our biggest brands in the varied portfolio, but we are betting equally on all our brands, as they all address the different consumer needs.
Q] What are your plans with your Alienware range of computers, with a lot of new entrants in the gaming market?
Alienware is a strong brand with strong brand equity across the world and a cult brand for many in the gaming industry. Interestingly however, many who buy Alienware in India, do not necessarily buy it for gaming, but for its high performance. As a marketer, I am not worried about new entrants in the gaming market because that really is not the only segment we are focusing on.
Q] Which markets have been contributing greatly to the growth of the brand? Looking ahead, which areas do you see as potential growth drivers?
Typically, the top 10 to 20 cities contribute majorly to the overall brand volume and this applies to any technology brand and not just Dell. Increasingly, growth can be seen coming from Tier II and Tier III markets, and that complements our initiatives and activities. In terms of cognizance of brand, we are reaching out to those people through activities and look to expand our retail footprint.
Q] What are the emerging consumer trends and future opportunities?
I think consumers would get more savvy and discerning about what brand they want, what role technology plays for them and what they expect technology to deliver. A brand that can keep in step with those expectations and think far ahead, and then kind of engage with customers accordingly, would define success.
Q] What are the challenges and opportunities for the brand in the market?
I look at them more as opportunities than challenges, and I am coming from the page where the computing trend in consumers worldwide is changing really fast. The format of engaging consumers and where and what we communicate is changing – there is lot more preference for mobile devices, smaller form factors, two-in-one kind of devices. Our entire focus is based on keeping the customer in mind and then looking at our product approach. A lot of our product portfolio has been reflective of the changing consumer trends that we have been able to tap into, in terms of either smaller form factors, or two-in-one devices and even in terms of the tablet we recently launched.
CMO FILE
Ritu Gupta leads the Brand Marketing team for Consumer and Small Business at Dell India, and is responsible for developing the overall brand strategy across its product portfolio. She has over 17 years of experience and has been with Dell since 2011. Gupta is a member of the Dell WISE (Women In Search of Excellence) programme for Dell women team members. She has worked across industries, including Consumer Research (AC Nielsen), Durables (Whirlpool), FMCG (Dabur) & Financial Services (ICICI Bank). Gupta has a Masters in Management Studies from Mumbai University, and is an Economics graduate from Delhi University
MARKETING TIP
Let’s stay focused on the consumer - not on competition, not on anybody else
ABOUT THE BRAND
Incorporated in 1996, Dell India has been among the fastest growing technology companies in the country. Dell India is a strategic component of Dell’s evolution to be a true IT solutions partner and a ‘trusted IT advisor’ focused on end-to-end offerings. With around 26,000 team members, Dell India is the largest operation for Dell outside the US and has presence across eight cities – Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Pune, Noida, Coimbatore and Chennai.
FACTS
CREATIVE AGENCY: GREY WORLDWIDE
MEDIA AGENCY: MEDIACOM
SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING AGENCY: GOZOOP
BTL/ACTIVATION AGENCY: RW PROMOTIONS
PR AGENCY: 20:20 MSL
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