Strategy, Positioning, 4Ps, Research and Tau!!

The Baap of all Marketing events is here- Mandi 2009.

Mandi would be the first in the series of Experiential Marketing events that Census conducts during the year. This year, it will take place from 18 October 2009. This event tests the marketing, selling and strategic skills of the participants over a period of 8-10 days. It also focuses on the execution part of the theories that have been imparted to our fellow students. In its inaugural edition, over 200 IIMCians participated in the event. The title partner for this year’s edition of Mandi is ITC.

Last year, the week-long event was conducted in two phases- an elimination round and the final round. With around 200 participants (in 50 teams) fighting for a place in the finals, only 7 teams managed to do that. Designed as a simulation of the real market-place, this contest allowed the teams to select their own product and bid competitively for promotions and stall location. The finale of the event saw a huge crowd turn-out numbering nearly 600. The presence of a DJ, who was dishing out popular songs, added to the boisterousness of Mandi.

This year, Mandi promises to be bigger than ever. With innovative ideas, new rules and a whole new format, IIMC is guaranteed to be in for a jam-packed weekend.

For the 1^st round, teams of 4-5 members are required to

• Design a product with a maximum price of Rs. 20
• Design a promotion for CRY (Child Relief and You) on the theme “Is education for all a reality?”

The teams can note that only the advertisement message is important and not the presentation. The effectiveness of the ad message and the feasibility of your product are the criteria to judge the qualifying teams for the next round.

Round 2 will promise to separate the budding Kotlers from the hoi-polloi (was that an insult?). The top teams will be awarded 1000 bidding points to bid for scarce resources like banner space, mess raids and location of stall while each team will also be given Rs. 2000/- to finance their non-scarce resources like raw materials for the product, posters etc.  Teams need to price their products appropriately and can also offer bundled discounts. They can also take advance bookings for their products but all transactions would necessarily have to take place at Mandi only. Each team can engage in various forms of product/service promotion in the form of banners (a maximum of 2 per team), posters, mass mailers or IP spamming and employ other innovative forms of communication.

Each of the 700 IIMC students would be given 20 Tau (our currency!) to spend on the various products on display in the basketball court on the day of the finale. The winners would be decided based on the total profits garnered by each team. And guess what? The teams get to pocket their own profits!

So clear your calendars for the 18^th of October and witness the smartest guys on campus battle it out for the title of the Mandi Champs! Be there!