LOCAL MEMOIRS OF A GLOBAL

MANAGER
Local Memoirs Of A Global Manager

Gurcharan Das

BY GURUCHARAN DAS
 AUTOBIOGRAPHY
 Guru CharanDas
 His birth
 His entry into Vicks vapor rub company
 Think global and act local
 “Love to the nation”
 One – Pointed Success
 Richardson Vicks Indian headquarters, which
turned out to be a rented hole-in-the-wall with a
dozen employees.
 Focused on making Vicks a household name in
India.
 The company focused on one thing i.e., creating,
retaining and satisfying consumers.
 Concentrating on one’s core competence thus
was one of the first lessons he learned.
 He believed that tomorrow's big companies will
mainly indulge with small decentralized units to
focus on particular markets and customers.
 AD PLAY

How Gurcharan Das got the idea to advertise

Vicks.
 On Taking Ancient Medicine
 Problem Turning Point
--- Chemist and Pharmacists .
--- Production decreased, Wages increased.
--- Profit fell to 2% of Sales.

 Solution
--- Realized Vicks Products were all Natural, Herbal Formulas.
--- Changed the Govt registration from Western Medicine to Indian
Medicine.
--- Delhi Govt were impressed about the element in the product and
gave the new registration.

 Result
--- Built New Plant near Hyderabad.
--- After tax profits rose from 2% to 12% of sales.
--- R&D Centre was established.
Of Chairs, Armchairs and
Monsoons
place

product

price promotion
 PLACE

 Geographical Segmentation
North – South
 Listen to and respect the market.
 “Better to build on your strength than try to
and correct weakness”.
 PRODUCT

 The company as positioned the product as in

the consumer mind as
“ COLD RELIEF BALM". Its unique function
was to relieve colds.
 Vicks Vaporub (natural cough liquid)
 Vicks Hot sip (cold & cough)
 PRICE

 Another factor for success was introduction of

cheaper prices –
 5 gm – 10cents (40% volume)
 The tins were positioned for Working Class –
targeted at middle class for they would stay
loyal.
 PROMOTIONS

 Cinema Commercial
Company

Retailers

Distributors

Local Distributors (traditional way)

Of Local Passions and Golden
Ghettos
 What is the universal idea behind Vicks Vaporub’s
success in India?

 What is it that made it sell?

 Was it “ rubbing it on the child with tender, loving

care”?

 Could that idea be revived in the United States?

 Managers must plunge into their communities and

make them their own.
 ON GLOBAL THINKING
 Advantages of being global.

 Local experience learning can be used anywhere.

 Local insights of manager with open-mindedness are clear,

understandable and sensitive.

 “not invented here” syndrome.

 Any advertising idea can be implemented anywhere globally.

 Smart global manager nourish each blade of grass without

neglecting the garden as a whole.
 Lessons learned
 Think globally--act locally AND think locally--apply knowledge
globally.

 Have a global vision & strategy but also cultivate roots and
individual identities.

 Key to success is local passion for a brand and feeling of local

pride & ownership.

 Focus on one thing: create, retain, satisfy customers.

 Never forget that it is not the company but the customer who
makes money.

 Build on your strength rather than try and correct a weakness.

 Never mix up functions in an organization.

 Never become complacent--instead grow the market, and tap
pluralism/diversity of local roots.

 Do not reinvent the wheel but rely on existing distribution/sales

system.

 Local passions are important.

 Avoid managerial isolation/rootless ness.

 Nourish each blade of grass without neglecting the garden as a

whole.

 Make consumers responsible, innovative, self-reliant.

 Act for the sake of action, not for the reward.

 Use the optimism of developing countries.

 ADS

 http://www.vicks.com/0.0_Home.php
 Vicks initial ad
 Vicks Nyquil
 http://www.bondmovies.com/news/204.shtml
Deepak
Seshu
Preethi
Soujanya
Sony Pratima
Swetha