1. What is the role of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in BOP markets according to Prahalad? Do you agree with this position?

According to Prahalad Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in the innovation process of several MNCs, especially when the latter intend to approach consumers at the Base of Pyramid. The primary role of an NGO in times of disaster is to provide:

·         selfless, voluntary, non-discriminating service.

·         joint action/programmes at the national level

·         public awareness through the mass media

I agree on this one because and I believe that NGO’s do really have actions that would actually help those in need.

 

2. According to Rekha Balu of Fast Company, "poor people ... can become just as discerning about brands as rich customer". Do you agree with this statement? Is this applicable in the Philippines?

 If I were to ask if I do agree on this statement maybe I would say “maybe” because even though I know for the fact that most people who are “rich” are those people who are “vein” when it comes to the brands of the material things. And so it is also true enough for me that poor people…can become just as discerning about brands as rich people. But there are also instances that poor people do buy things that are branded but sometimes they do even though they suffer poverty and crisis.

 

3. What is the nature of the breakthrough of K15 Technology in your own words?

K15 Technology -“It is used to protect iodine not the microencapsulating the entire salt particle. In the experiment that they did that iodine having a coated surrounded iodized to protect it from environmental conditions.”

 

4. What are the issues/difficulties in branding something like salt according to Vishal Dhawan?

 I think it is the difficulties in product branding because most of the people c do have concern also when it comes to packaging because they know that best package means best product as well. This is an issue for the reason that this is one of the difficulties on how to develop and improve products like salt

 

5. Why is the Annapurna evolution necessary according to Vishal Dhawan?

Because in business if you can observe, the company or the business do last for a longest time for the reason that they have leave a best name to public or to the market, they also has a good quality of products and services and more importantly they established good and profitable relationship with the customers they have in the market.

 

6. What would the nature of the "differentiator" for Dr. Amitava Pramanik?

Differentiator when you try to connect in business or a development of something means also its competitive advantage among other products or invention. And so in connection with the question if were going to take a look at again or read again the study we can say that Dr. Pramanik and his teamed develop a technology to guarantee that substantial iodine would not be lost during storage, transport and cooking so that they can provide the brand differentiator that no competitor could match and to help fight IDD in India.

 

7. What is the effect of advertising for the marketing strategy for Annapurna with K15?

 Advertising plays a crucial role in creating the image of a brand since it is a direct communication outlet. Through advertising, the brand generates its structure as well as content, and builds up consumer behavior that result in the purchase of that particular brand. And so the effect of advertising for the marketing strategy for Annapurna with K15? Is very successful because we cannot deny the fact that it provides benefits for most of the  people who uses it.

 

8. What are the innovations of HLL with regards to transporting salt?

According to the case study, HLL executed a salt supply chain innovation. They use rail, mitigating some of the problems with trucking and earning an edge from their competitors. In the system, salt is transported on rake-sized rail carriages, vastly increasing the amount of salt that can be transported in one shipment. The rail transport adds a salt buffer depot step to the process, in which salt is loaded into trucks for delivery to the wholesaler or retail outlet.

 

9. What is Project Shakti and what are its goals?

 Project Shakti means strenght in Sanskrit, it is a direct-to-consumer initiative targeted at individuals at the bottom of the pyramid in rural India. There are four goals of Shakti:

·         To increase our reach to the rural market

·         Attempt to increase awareness

·         Change attitudes regarding usage of the various product categories.

·         And catalyze rural affluence and hence give growth of the market.

 

 

10. How would you imagine SANGA, an "e-tailing program for daily ordering and delivery"? If you were its designer how would you describe it?

 Since I’ve studied a lot of lessons when it comes to vertical market solutions, retailing, e-tailing and e-commerce I would rather create a system that has online transactions and online tracking of everything, meaning I want everything done in the cloud.

 

11. Project Shakti caters exclusively to men. There have been requests for men to becomeShakit dealers but HLL turned them down. If you were the decision-maker, would you allow men to become Shakti dealers? Why?

Maybe I would also allow women more than man because I do believe with what women has to do nowadays they are much thinker and doer than men’s of today’s generation.

 

12. What is i-Shakti? As an IM student how can you improve i-Shakti?

i-Shakti is an information-technology-based initiative aimed at providing solutions to rural information needs. Maybe I can improve this in a way of doing/creating features that would attract and make the life of users/customers easier and faster in the way they want it.

 

13. HLL's would-be competitors decided to have a watch-and-wait policy. If you were a would-be competitor for HLL would you decide to get into HLL's market? Why? How?

For me it depends, because I just want first to know whether they will be going to add conversation in the market or to the business or company itself. But more or less it’s a YES for me.

 

14. Should HLL keep their K15 technology proprietary? Why?

 Yes. Because I do believe that this will serve as an eye opener for them to improve, develop and grow more as a company and as a business in the market.

 

15. Do you think a program like Project Shakti would succeed in the Philippines? What do you think would be some of the anticipated difficulties?.

 Yes. Because if you’re going to observe there are lot’s of business and company’s nowadays in the industry to have dealership in which we cannot deny the fact do help a lot of people specially those who really needs it, specially now we are in the midst of crisis.