25432804 Laptop Industry in India Jan 2010

8/2/2019 25432804 Laptop Industry in India Jan 2010

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Introduction to

Advertising

A Project on the

Laptop Industryin India

Submitted to: Mr Rajwade

Submitted by:

Manali Shah 43Munira Rangwala 34

Shweta Mane 00Akshay Bhatkar- 04


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SY BMM, V.G. Vaze College ofArts, Science & Commerce

Laptops were originally considered to be "a small niche market" and were thoughtsuitable mostly for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the InternalRevenue Service, accountants and sales representatives". But today, there are alreadymore laptops than desktops in businesses, and laptops are becoming obligatory forstudent use and more popular for general use.

Key players in the Indian Industry today:

Hewlett-Packard Company

Hewlett-Packard Company commonly referred to as HP, is a technology corporationheadquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States; with offices at the old CompaqCampus in Houston, Texas. HP is the largest technology company in the world andoperates in nearly every country. HP specializes in developing and manufacturingcomputing, storage, and networking hardware, software and services. Major product linesinclude personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, as well asa diverse range of printers and other imaging products. Today HP serves more than onebillion customers in more than 170 countries on six continents. When HP merged with

Compaq in 2002, it took over Compaq's existing naming rights agreement. As a result,HP sells both HP and Compaq-branded machines.

Segments of HP:

StudentsTravelersHome and FamilyEntertainmentTechnology and Style

Models of HP:

Mini: To help schools offer affordable computing to every student, HP introduced a full-function, mini-notebook PC priced starting under $500.Designed for the educationmarket, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is flexible enough for students to use from theclassroom to the family room. The HP Mini provides mobile professionals a sleek,lightweight device that provides access to information and the ability to collaborate withothers as well as to communicate via email, instant messaging or even bloging.


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Compaq Presario: Compaq Presario range of laptop computers in India are used for

daily computing works. Having great range of selection these Compaq laptops are perfect

for your daily use. Keeping in mind your entire requirement HP Compaq in India has

developed these laptops, more technology oriented.

HP Pavillion: HP pavillion range of laptops is more powerful and trendier serving morein big businesses and traveling personnel. Supporting all kinds of multimedia theselaptops/notebook in Indian market are appropriate fro multimedia. These are verypowerful and easy to use laptops. The various series that HP pavilion is available aredv8000 series, dv5000 series, dv2000 series and dv1000.

Special edition: Special edition for Hp pavilion laptops are mainly designed to give you

entertainment in secure environment. More technology sound with higher power and

speed these special edition laptops/notebook are here to make your dreams come true.

HP support:

HP has a support section on its website, www.welcome.hp.com. The site offers solutionsto FAQs. However, the site is not ever user-friendly and navigation can be a bit difficultfor the uninitiated. The site offers consumer and business support forums. It also offers anonline support call and diagnostic. There is an option to automatically check if the driversare in need of an update. The site offers help categorically apart from some tips and tricksposted by users on a forum.

HCL Enterprise Limited

HCL Enterprise Limited (formally known as HCL Computers Limited) is one ofIndia's

largest electronics, computing and information technology company. Based inNoida,nearDelhi, the company comprises two publicly listed Indian companies, HCLTechnologies and HCL Infosystems.

A formidable name in the Indian IT Market is HC which spans for more than threedecades. HCL is known for constant innovations which are visible in their new ranges oflaptops from time to time. Some of the popular models of HCL laptops include HCLLaptop Z22- Z2201, HCL Notebook P21- P2110, HCL Notebook K21- K2101, HCLLaptop X9912- AX9015, HCL Laptop Z24- Z2403 and so on HCL laptops are known fortheir portability as they are one of the slimmest in the Indian market. HCL laptops inIndia are customized according to the Indian customers, keeping in mind their needs,

look and feel.

The three basic funda which HCL implements in their laptops or you can say three basicpoints which is implemented in all the laptops in India are:

SLIM: HCL India is among companies making the slimmest laptops/notebook inIndia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noidahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCL_Technologieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCL_Technologieshttp://www.laptopcomputersindia.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noidahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCL_Technologieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCL_Technologieshttp://www.laptopcomputersindia.com/


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LIGHT: Lightweight is one of the main features, adding color to thelaptops/notebook.

POWER: And the most important part is the power of this HCLlaptops/notebook. They are up to date and highly technology oriented.

All three features integrated together gives HCL laptops in Indian market, over the edgeadvantage. Being designed for all the generation, HCL laptops in India makes a rageamong the people. With attractive color and design, ravishing looks and bestsuited technology HCL India knows how to market their products.

HCL Support:

On HCLs special support website, http://hclsupportservice.in/, HCL only gives detailsabout its warranty program. It does not offer drivers for download purpose, nor does ithave any other feature. It does not even list the phone numbers for technical help.

DELL

Dell, one of the most recalled names when it comes to buying a laptop is undoubtedlyretained as the favourite computing partner for users of all generations spanning variousregions around the world. A perfect blend of efficiency, performance, elegance, customerservice and more makes it the right choice for those thousands of prospective buyers oflaptops or notebooks around the world. And now the gigantic notebook maker has spreadits wings further with its Laptops now available in one of the world's most potentialeconomy, India. With multifold increase in the IT conscious folks in the country over theyears and a mammoth amount of laptop Buyers around the country at any given pointmakes it "not so bad" decision from Dell. The Dell distribution in India however remains

different from that of the other countries. With not so many people inclined onto theonline purchase, Dell has adopted a proper channel partner that distributes the DellProducts in the same old fashion that the folks in India are glued to. A treat to the allthose users which have been longing to bag one from the vast range of Laptops from thebrand, it won't be long before the brand would pose a strong competition for alreadyprominent brand in the country. Dell has most of its series available in India through itsonline channel or Local resellers.

Dell laptops come in several types meant for the various types of users. Dells range oflaptops meant for the business class includes Optilex, Latitude and Precision which ismeant for such features like reliability, serviceability and long life cycles. The home and

consumer class of laptops introduced by Dell includes Inspiron and xpx brands. Theselaptops emphasize on expandability and performance. High performance, lightweight andhighly technology oriented add more value to dell laptop. You can enjoy traveling withyour dell laptop in India or globally due to its lightweight nature and manufacturingcompatibility for traveling.

Adding color to the scenario Dell laptop never lags behind; it is available for allgeneration. From businessperson, who needs more technological Dell laptop to gamers
http://www.laptopcomputersindia.com/http://hclsupportservice.in/http://hclsupportservice.in/http://www.laptopcomputersindia.com/http://hclsupportservice.in/


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out there, with faster processor, big screens and high end graphics to students going toschool, offering them lightweight dell laptop in India and globally. Dell India makes surethat the laptop/notebook is suitable for the buying generation and should fulfill themarket demand.

Dell Vestro:

Specifically designed for the small business with, the laptops in the Vostro Series arefeature packed appropriate enough for the computing needs of the small businesses,offering a reliable performance coupled with the enhanced security. The models are alsolightweight and compact enough for a hassle free carry. Some of the models are ideallysuitable for graphic computing. It also extends the advantage of affordability to thecustomers that come with a no compromise experience.

Models in the Vostro Series: Vostro 1200, Vostro 1310, Vostro 1510, Vostro 1710,Vostro A840

Latitude Series:

Latitude laptops provides higher speed, multimedia features, higher storage, is

lightweight and battery life is good. Talking about the usage, business man, traveling

worker, technology savvy, mobile oriented Persons are best suited to use latitude laptop

offered by dell. Dell latitude laptops offer high security features and is quality, easy to

use and performance oriented notebook. The commercial Laptop Series from the Dell, the

Latitude Series is reengineered and designed with ground breaking advancements in

durability, security, battery life, connectivity and remote admistration. It comes with

exhaustive innovations from Dell like the Control Point, Latitude ON, Image Direct etc.

Models in the Latitude Series: Latitude E6500, Latitude E6400, Latitude E5500, LatitudeE5400

XPS Series:

This is an yet another series offering thorough entertainment, mobility and security and is

available in various colours. Hard core gamers love XPS offered by Dell in India and

globally. With high settings and graphic cards this is not cheap. Technology packed

piece, needs long time for upgradation.

Models in the XPS Series: XPS M1330, XPS M1530

Inspiron Series:

Jazzy Dell inspiron laptop is great selection for anyone. Available in 8 colors, these are

highly trendy. Talking of speed and storage these are better than ever. Offering a

distinctive look they are not quite expandable as latitudes. But they are more affordable.


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Models in the Inspiron Series: Inspiron 13, Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 1525

Studio Series

The Studio Series of Laptops that offers a blend of style, functionality and performance

with personalization inside and out. They are available with U-Trim options and artistdesigns.

Models in the Studio Series: Studio 15, Studio 17

Dell Support:

Dell has a website, www.support.dell.com, which offers solutions to a whole host ofcommon as well as not-so-common problems. Its solution database is exhaustive.Moreover, the problems are categorised by topics, making things easier for the customer.The site offers technical support in a language that is comprehensible even to customers

who are not technically literate. The site also offers options to download and installdrivers. It also offers an update to check on the status of the order placed, or if you havereceived the order but have a problem with it. Also, there is a Chat with TechnicalSupport which allows users to have a direct online chat with Dells technical support staffand solve the problems. There is another option as Dell Forums which allows users tochat and interact with other Dell users.

Acer Incorporated

Acer Incorporated is a Taiwan-based multinational electronics manufacturer. Its productlineup includes desktops and laptops, as well as personal digital assistants

(PDAs), serversand storage, displays, peripherals, and e-business services for business,government, education, and home users. Acer's subsidiary in India is Acer India (Pvt)Limited, and was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer ComputerInternational, Ltd. in 1999. It is a notable vendor in key segments such as education,desktop computers and low profile notebooks for education purposes. Its headquarters arein Bangalore, India.

Travelmate series: Travel mate laptops/notebook offered by Acer in India arelightweight and slim, appropriate for traveling people. Integrated with latesttechnology and features travelmate series is the best for people who are always ontour.

Tablet Pc series: complementing mobile technology Acer tablet pc series oflaptops/computers offers exceptional mobility giving you high performance,flexibility and great dependability. It has option of pen-input functionality. Theconfiguration is best suited for high performance.

Aspire series: Aspire series of Acer laptops/notebook in India are here to increaseyour productivity adding more value to mobile computing. These Acerlaptops/computer offers you great flexibility and support to your needs.
http://www.support.dell.com/http://www.support.dell.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)http://www.support.dell.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)


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Ferrari series: The Ferrari series are as fast as Ferrari with the latest technologyimplemented these Acer laptops/computer in India. Giving you innovative designand flexibility these laptops are competing with the best market standards.

Acer Support:

On Acers Indian website, www.acer.co.in, Acer has clearly mentioned their support andservice policies. It lists various Toll free numbers for customer care. There is the facilityto download drivers according to the model owned. But the biggest drawback is that itdoes not offer any technical help online. It does not even have a getting started guide ora list of Frequently Asked Questions and their answers. Common software relatedproblems can be easily resolved by the user if they follow a step-by-step detailedprocedure. But Acer does not seem to realise this.

Lenovo Group Limited

Lenovo Group Limited is a multinational computer technology corporation thatdevelops, manufactures and desktops and notebookPCs, workstations,servers,storage drives, IT management software, and related services.

3000 family notebooks: 3000 lenovo laptops/notebook in India offers innovativenotebooks for your worry free access. Compiled with latest technology theselaptops/notebooks are suitable for small business houses and usage at home. Allthe features you need are integrated in the laptop and the best services and supportis provided by lenovo India. Three series are available in 3000 family of lenovolaptops/notebook in India. C, V and N series of laptops to give you the best optionaccording to your needs.

ThinkPad notebooks: These are the more technology oriented and true value foryour money. Design wise these are perfect. Security is the added advantage ofthese lenovo laptops/notebook. Built to serve more speed and functionalities thesecan be used for everyday computing, premium performance, thinnest and lightestand convertible tablets. All these are most reliable notebooks/laptops to serveryour daily needs.

Toshiba Corporation

Toshiba Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation,

headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company's main business is in infrastructure,consumer products, electronic devices and components.

Basic Laptops: Basic laptops offered by Toshiba India are designed to meet yourgeneral needs. These can be used at home, office or any other business purpose.Basic laptops/notebook in India offered by Toshiba is powerful and configurationwise its appropriate to serve your needs. Toshiba India takes care of the basicconfiguration of this laptops/notebook to make it appropriate for all generations.
http://www.acer.co.in/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workstationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conglomerate_(company)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://www.acer.co.in/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop_computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workstationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conglomerate_(company)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan


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Satellite and tecra are the two laptop/notebook family offered by Toshiba whichbelongs to Basic laptop.

Thin and Light Laptops: Thin and light laptops offered by Toshiba India arebest suited for the traveling personnels. The lightweight and thin Toshibalaptops

in India makes you feel proud by their sound features. Easy to carry and availablein wonderful colors. Satellite and tecra are the two laptop/notebook offeredby Toshiba India which can solve your weight problem.

High Performance Laptops: High performance laptops in India offeredby Toshiba India are best suited for gamers and engineers who need moreprocessing speed to perform their daily work. These Toshiba laptops/notebook arevery powerful and high speed. Portege, Satellite and tecra are the threelaptop/notebook offered by Toshiba India which are high performancelaptops/notebook.

Qosimo is the newer brand of Toshiba laptops/notebook in India. Integrated with alllatesttechnology it provides you all the functionalities and features to serve your purpose. Inaddition these Toshiba India laptops are ultra portable, lightweight, supporting gamingand multimedia features to the fullest.

Pricing of laptops in India

The comfort level of consumers in India starts from 30,000 Rs.

Starting range of laptops:

1. HP Rs 35000

2. Sony Rs 38000

3. Dell Rs 32000

4. Acer Rs 24000

DELL

Dell Laptops for Home Users:

Dell Inspiron 14 Price 39,500/- to Dell Inspiron 15 Price 36,900/-Dell Studio 15 Price 40,900/- to Dell Studio XPS 16 Price 67,900/-

Dell Laptops For Small Businesses:

Dell Vostro A840 31,500/- to Dell Vostro A840 29,000/-


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Dell laptops for performance demanding applications:

Dell Latitude 2100 26,750/- to Dell Latitude E5400 63,800/-

ACER

For Home users:

Acer Aspire 5315 22999/- to Acer Aspire 8920G 80999/-

For Travelers:

Acer TravelMate 4720 45999/- to Acer TravelMate 5720 50999/-

For niche users:

Acer Ferrari 1100 80399/-

HCL:

For personal users:

HCL ME G3843 Laptop price - Rs.23700 to HCL ME Z3935 Laptop price - Rs.43928

For niche users:

HCL ME P3859 LEAPTOP price Rs.30480

For small businesses:

HCL Netbook MH04 price - Rs.15,999

For young users:

HCL ME G3843 Laptop price - Rs.23892 to HCL ME Z3935 Laptop price - Rs.43928

HP:

For professionals:

HP Pavilion DV9502AU Price 39,000/- to HP Pavilion DV9731TX Price 67,500/-

For businesses:

HP 530 Business Laptop Price 27500/- to HP 520 Business Laptop Price 28500/-

Sony Viao:

The pricing for Vaio notebooks including the X series featuring Kareena Kapoor as its

brand ambassadors starts from Rs 64,990, Sony W series Net books are priced at Rs

27,490 and the pricing of Vaio CW series ranges from Rs 52,490 to 57,990.

Netbooks


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In todays world ofconvenience andconvergence, most workingprofessionals wouldconfess to being acutely

dependent on the computerand the Internet. How aboutthen, if these essentialscome together in alightweight platform thatyou could carry aroundanywhere? This is exactly

what you can do with the smaller and no-frills netbooks that many PC manufacturers arereleasing these days.

Ever since the launch of Intels Atom processor in 2008, the same size as that of a one-

rupee coin, computer makers have been engaged in a war to woo customers and establishthemselves as the market leader in the netbook segment. But the problem is: Withsomething as small as a 200-page hardbound book, how do you set it apart fromcompetition?

Theres little room in terms of adding features to a netbook. A netbook is essentially ano-frills PC for the casual user. This means that theres usually no CD ROM drive and attimes very little hard disc space than its bigger brother, the notebook. Moreover, thecomputing power is also lower than a conventional notebook. This, however, results in alonger battery life.

The main concept behind the netbook is that its a light machine, used mainly to connectto the Internet. As the pricing and positioning of the product differs, companies add onfeatures like a camera or a high resolution screen. Some have even moved out of thegenerally accepted specifications of netbooks to offer an even higher disk storage space,but at a premium obviously.

Low pricing:

Lower pricing than laptops is one of the most attractive features of netbooks. Economybrands like Acer and HCL tend to show more sales, purely due to their pricing. They fallin the Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000 range.

Highly portable, netbooks are becoming increasingly popular as they allow users to hookonto the internet anytime from anywhere. The pricing is around Rs 20,000; and with thiscategory proliferating with variants (higher screen sizes and gesture sensitive touchpads),the price band stretches up to no more than Rs 25,000. HCL launched their Netbookmodels early in 2008 and so they were able to get a first-mover advantage in this new,emerging segment. The pricing decisions of the respective netbook vendors is a result ofthe positioning they have selected for their Intel Atom processor-based offerings.


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Lifestyle computing:

But not all companies have a similar market strategy. Catering to the premium segment,Sony prefers marketing its smaller laptop, the Vaio P, as a lifestyle PC, rather than anetbook. The smallest PC that Sony has is Vaio P, easily mistaken as a netbook. It is the

size of a business envelope, roughly as thin as a cell phone and easily slips into a pocketor a handbag,

Essentially, there is little difference between other netbooks and the Vaio P series.Similar to netbooks offered from other companies, these too run on the Intel Atomprocessor, mostly offer lesser storage capacity and have no optical drive. However, theprice band of Rs 50,000 to Rs 65,000, coupled with features such as camera, high screenresolution and snazzy design, puts the Sony Vaio P in a class of its own.

Another company which has successfully marketed lifestyle computing is Hewlett-Packard. HP was at the forefront of offering trendy designs on notebooks and has nowintroduced it in its netbook range. Priced slightly higher than its competition, it is

designed for the fashion conscious consumer.

The HP Mini is designed for people who want a light-weight notebook with premiumappeal at affordable pricing. A specific target segment is the working women who need alaptop that is light on shoulders, great on performance and heavy on the style element.

Popular among business executives:

When netbooks initially came out, people thought it would be more popular amongstudents and the young crowd. However, an equally big market has been the businessexecutives and professionals who need the Internet on the go.

Samsung netbooks are targeted at the household consumers young students,professionals who do not have heavy computing needs as well as business executiveswho travel a lot and would like a light and dependable machine to access the Internet andmeet their computing needs while on travel.

The minimalist features of netbooks are a huge attraction for business executives. Thenetbook is a perfect companion for professionals, students and businessmen, specifically


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for people who travel a lot. The trend is catching up as we see people opting for anetbook as compared to a conventional notebook due to their own basic requirements,such as surfing and office applications,

Growing Segment:

Netbooks have been revolutionary in creating a whole new segment in the personalcomputers market. While the initial netbook models that hit the market were strippeddown versions of their notebook PC cousins, later models also feature hard disk drives.In this avatar, netbooks have been able to open a niche market of casual computer users primarily net surfers and executives looking for a lighter, no-frills PC for use duringtravel and business meetings.

According to IDC figures, when netbooks first came into the market in 2008, 37,000units were shipped into India, compared to 2.3 million units of notebook PCs. But, thisyear the industry is projecting much larger sales figures. The unanimous opinion from

companies is that this segment would grow very fast, with netbooks soon becoming animportant part of their product line-up.

While some feel the Indian netbook market would double itself this year, Samsungexpects netbooks to contribute 50 per cent of its total notebook sales this year. Samsungalso aims to garner a 7-8 per cent share in the Indian market by next year.

Acer too sees a tremendous potential in India. They are expecting netbooks to be popularin India, especially among small and medium businesses, and also as a second computingdevice in upper-middle class homes.

Going forward, the market for netbooks looks promising, as its demand will risegradually with the increasing availability of internet bandwidth and GPRS/3G mobileconnectivity across the country. Clearly, the netbook is ready to slip into more bags.

Marketing Strategies

HP Campaign

Last year, HP unveiled a versatile notebook PC featuring a unique and award-winningdesign that takes individual style and entertainment performance to new limits. HP andMTV held a contest for young people around the world to help design a special edition

HP notebook. The theme was the cause that is most personal to you. It all starts with yourpersonal view. Imagine that your design is a positive thought, a belief, a message youwant to tell the world.


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Hewlett-Packard is running a campaign, titled Greenovation, to urge consumers to take apledge that they will dispose electronic goods such as printers, scanners and personalcomputers in a responsible manner. The company has created a website, Greenovation.in,where users can reach and provide their email address as consent to pledge. The websitealso offers users to opt for the HP Product Take Back Program. It will enable consumersto handover HP products to the company, which will dispose the products in aresponsible way. HP is promoting the portal through online banner ads across variouswebsites such as Yahoo!, Rediff.com and In.com. This campaign is mainly for brandbuilding and consumers will now see HP as a responsible environment-friendly company.

The Computer is Personal Again': A Global Integrated Marketing

Communications Campaign

HP wanted to step away from selling computers as a commodity to telling a story in anautobiographical way. The campaign has resonated very well with business customersand consumers around the world. Additionally, it has established HP as the company onthe forefront of delivering new technologies to enable today's digital lifestyle.

The objective of the campaign was "to grow a more profitable worldwide businessthrough the introduction, support, and marketing of innovative products, services, andsolutions that will deliver the absolute best customer experience in personal technology."

The campaign was targeted at PC users aged between 18 and 34 and small to mid-sizedcompanies. The campaign takes off from the basis that a personal computer is anextension and expression of oneself, containing as it does the entire user's information,personal and work-related. The campaign also seeks to go beyond the technological


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aspects and convey the message that HP's personal computers are a more powerfulpersonal tool, and user-friendly, secure and reliable ones.

HCL Marketing Strategies:

The HCL Global branding initiatives was conceptualized in Jan 05 with an objective tounify the global enterprise and connect with all stakeholders. Done in three phases, thebrand communication took a single thread (that of HCL being in the leading edge oftechnology), while expressed it in different ways.

The Fearless Campaign:

The 'Fearless' was a print-led TV campaign, which brought out the core HCL values ofGuts, Courage and Passion. The campaign also spoke about the size and width of theenterprise, while introducing the HCL Heritage and stature.


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'The Numbers do the talking' Campaign:

0 and 1, the binary digits were taken as HCL's brand ambassadors. The story they weavearound the different areas of expertise that HCL has is the crux of the campaign.

The campaign, initiated in Jan 05 went on till March 06 and explained the multifacetedtechnology width of HCL. The campaign helped in sustaining and continuing the brandstature of the company.


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Touch Technology Campaign:

This was a Television advertisement. The idea was to see the world from the eyes of acommon man, someone who isnt completely aware of our presence. But as the filmunfolds, he finds out that we are almost everywhere, and that many of the things that he

took for granted are in fact powered by our technology. In order to initiate this processand give the brand a face, a protagonist was introduced - the HCL employee.

And thus the ad becomes a chance encounter of two people from different ends of thesame spectrum. Its the story of - The Hitchhiker. And the campaign became the"Technology that touches lives."

More recently, in 2009 HCL Infosystems has re-branded its range of laptop products asME, and it aims to raise its market share in the segment to 20 per cent from the existing7.34 per cent in two-three years. Over the next two-three years, the company wouldspend Rs 40-50 crore around the re-branding exercise.

The new HCL ME campaign has been made keeping in mind the requirements of todayscustomers who are on the move and seek seamless connectivity to the virtual world. Asurvey carried out by research firm IMRB on key youth trends has revealed that there isan increasing need for mobility among the target segment but the nuances of mobilityvaried in different age brackets.

For teenagers, laptops are ameans to belong to theircommunity, while thejobseekers biggestmotivation is career growthand technology and thelaptop is an enabling tool.For the mid-level executive,the laptop offered mobilityand the ability to work at hisown pace.

The new marketingcampaign for ME is aimedat establishing a youthfuland vibrant image of thebrand and ensure a strongerconnect with NextGenconsumers. All HCLDigilife stores and retailoutlets would be re-brandedas part of the strategy.


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Dell Marketing Strategies:

Dell is all set to reach buyers at every nook and corner of India with its multi-channelmarketing strategy. The company is still clinging to its original marketing methodologyof catering to customers directly from the company. However, it has adopted a strategy of

creating as many channels as possible to reach purchasers - not only in metros but also inall remote places. The company has uniform pricing of products all over the country, withfull opportunity for product customisation, on-site service even at remotest regions,warranty programmes spanning several time frames, and toward passing on the (central)tax benefits to the customers.

Through customers' feedbacks over a period of time, Dell realises the need for providingbuyers the opportunity for touching and feeling their products - before making purchasedecisions. The PC manufacturer also notes that - in this country, organised retail is still ata very nascent stage. The consumer PCs are being sold in an unorganised way. Thecompany finds that buying PCs from local Resellers or System Integrators (SIs) has some

advantages for customers, like - getting the products within geographical reach,immediate (post-sale) problem fixing at doorstep, better service and price because of theexisting customers influence etc. From its survey of the existing Indian IT channel, Dellobserves that most vendors operate here with a volume-based incentive scheme, i.e. buymore quantity and take more benefit'. The result is - the partners who garner a largevolume of stock, are invariably able to offer a better price to customers, and outcast thesmall resellers. It is leading to a kind of disparity in the channel - everybody is not able tooffer the best possible price at one point of time. The other drawback in the existingchannel system that Dell finds is - to be a successful player, a reseller needs a largeamount of capital. If the reseller does not buy a lot of products he/she cannot becompetitive in the market. So, there is a huge entry barrier for the new venturers too.Thus, the PC vendor is now adopting a new strategy. The evolved marketing plan isreferred to as the Direct-plus strategy.

Direct-plus strategy:

Dell planned - the model that they frame for India should combine the strength of thechannel, the strength of the Dell's direct model and still stays away from the challenges tothe healthy business, like volume-based business, huge investment in inventory etc. Theybelieve they have found the game-changer, which can address all of these issues. TheDirect-plus plan is being implemented in multiple ways. Dell set up its shop-in-shop inTata Croma, Malad, Mumbai. The company intends to shortly establish more such outletsin other Croma branches nationally. Any buyer can walk in to the Tata Croma outlet,he/she can see the whole brand of products displayed there, compare and select a Dellmodel with preferred colour, weight, memory size etc., based on his/her budget. TheDell-trained sales representatives are there to understand the customer's need, and guidehim/her to the right purchase decision. However, the customer has to order hiscustomised PC. Then the product will be manufactured (at Dell's factory inSriperumbudur, Tamilnadu) and directly home-delivered. In the case of Tata Croma,


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what they have done is - the shop-in-shop is manned by Dell. If you go to that outlet youdo not get a Croma Bill. You get a Dell invoice. It is purely a display and a sales point.

Sales-affiliate programme:

Dell has planned to appoint its affiliates out of large cities, especially, in the towns wherethe population is only 50,000 to 1 lakh. The Sales-affiliate programme empowers SIs,resellers and shop owners across the country to offer Dell products to their customers -without having to make huge investment, to take risk of price drop, to bother about thevolume-based incentive, to worry that there is a next-door shopkeeper who will give abetter discount. They have 20 Master Sales-affiliates across the country. They helpcustomers buying Dell's products by placing orders online. They may have a couple ofproducts on display, however, the ultimate dealing is being managed directly by thecompany.

The win-win situation:

All the Dell's programmes are based on flat incentive or margin structure. The sales-affiliates need not even directly handle the products. Dell is letting them focus on whatthey do the best - sales. They just need to advise customers on the right products, andsimply place the order online. This system also brings huge benefit to the customers.They get the freshest technology, pay less for lower supply chain cost, get tax benefit anddeal directly with the manufacturer.

Acer marketing strategy

Acer had been aggressive in building its brand image in India. It signed up Hrithik

Roshan, a popular Hindi film star, as its brand ambassador to promote its products. Theadvantage of having a brand ambassador like Hrithik Roshan was that he helped in brandrecall and in associating Acer with high quality.

To have greater brand visibility, Acer began focusing on the retail outlets. As of May2006, Acer had 225 retail outlets and 179 retail partners. Analysts felt that the retailnetwork was a prime channel for the movement of premium products like notebooks,consumer desktops, and home theater solutions.

Acer's retail strategy was such that each retail outlet was allocated a geographical area inthe city so that the individual retailers could grow their business without infringing on

another Acer partner's customer base. The channel partners were provided training andemphasis was placed on channel communication and relationship management.

Acer's focus in India is on education, youth, and retail. For the education segment, it builtsolutions which fit the needs and budget of the students. On the retail front, it tied up withlarge format retail stores such as Croma, Home Solutions, Next, and Metro.


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SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths:

HP laptops in India are beating technology to drive a great force of power and core

competency in the market. Technological advancement is the market demand nowadays,

but HP Compaq India is going beyond the market demand. Taking care of consumer

need, HP Compaq is offering trendier and more technologically advanced laptop

computers in India. Realizing the potential of Indian market, HP

Compaq laptops\notebook are flooded in Indian market with all great features and

functionality. Considering the needs of Indian consumer HP Compaq India hasresearched the market and knows how to advertise their laptop computer in Indian

market.

HP offers great dependability. They have captured the market running successfully all

over globe. HP India a brand you can rely upon. Making their mark in information

technology world Compaq India is offering wide range of stylish and awesome laptops,

which are more trendy and jazzy. Making their laptops computer lightweight, powerful


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and user friendly HP Compaq has made easy for travelers to carry their laptops.

Providing services to large business houses to personal use HP laptops/notebook in

India are one of the best brands to look for.

Hp laptops are known to have high efficiency and performance. These have high

durability features. With its popularity spread in innumerable countries, HP laptops areknown to be highly affordable as well. There are many models of the Hp laptops meantfor varied uses. Great designs along with the right technology provide the bestentertainment and productivity to the user. The Hp laptops are also considered great interms of mobility.

Weaknesses:

HP does not diversify its products. The range of models is not very exhaustive. This is anarea where other companies score over HP.

Opportunities:

Introduction of Touch pad and think pad expected to boost companys sale. Opportunityto grow since laptop market is emerging in India. Hp is already a market leader so greatopportunity to be the king of market. It is low on price and high on configuration.

Threats:

HP has threats from Acer which offers more or less the same features at a lesser price.


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HCL

Strengths:

Global Presence

Work CultureStrong distribution networkLong standing relationship with customersPan India support & service infrastructure

Global Presence: Its collaborations and joint ventures with international companies suchas Perot System, and partnership with world leaders like Ericsson, Toshiba, Nokia,Oracle and Microsoft, enable it to bring the best technology available world wide to itsconsumers. Across 24 locations in 16 countries.

Fast paced and flexible work culture which provides its employees autonomy to

accomplish the task without much pressure from the higher authorities. Thus, employeesare motivated to give their best to the organization.

The mass markets handled through a chain of dealers, resellers and a retailer which helps

bring technology usage closer to the individual. It has very strong distribution network.

Weaknesses:

Inadequate marketing skillsUnsatisfactory After-sales service

Opportunities:

Capable of building brand nameCustomisation of laptopsTie ups with various MNCs enable to extract their core competencies like Hardware,Software, Training, Networking, Telecom and System Integration

Capable of developing technology and engineering solutions in both the system andapplication software areas. The core strength of HCL is the talent and innovativeness ofits people which enables it to provide the right solution at the right time.

Threats:

Competitors have more attractive substitute products and Technological shift as a resultof research & development; Daily new technologies are emerging.


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Suggestions for Lenovo

Lenovo would like to carve out a lucrative niche. Interestingly, India was the first countrywhere Lenovo launched consumer PCs and notebooks. However, despite some aggressiveTV campaigns featuring sibling duo Saif and Soha Ali Khan, it hasnt managed toconnect with Indian consumers in a big way.

Lenovo would be best served in the consumer market by focusing on brands like itsIdeaPad brand rather than on the 3000 value line. Time and again, we have seen thatIndian consumers deviate from the usual price consciousness when it comes to laptops. Inother product categories, price is the most important factor but when it comes tonotebooks, buyers want a full-fledged model with loads of styling. Laptops priced below

Rs 30,000 have never done as well as those priced in the Rs 35,000 to 50,000 band. Therelative failure of netbooks to take off in the Indian market is another pointer to thispreference for value (features/price) rather than raw price.

Moreover, Lenovos 3000 line up starts with a bunch of DOS laptops (although some ofthe higher end models do come with Vista Basic, not all of them do). Laptops with anOperating System usually cost maybe 10% more than laptops without and consumershave realized that its better to have a legit copy of Windows.


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If you look at HP and Lenovo laptops from the brand perspective, HP has cleardemarcation between its brands and there is no overlap to speak of. In Lenovos case boththe IdeaPad and 3000 series brands overlap to a certain extent. Under the Idea brand ithas netbooks at the entry-level and laptops in the mid-range while the 3000 seriesconsists solely of laptops, starting with DOS machines and going up to Vista Home

Premium models. While both are entry-level/mid-range brands, the Idea netbooks/laptopsare definitely more attractive.

Keeping the above in mind, Lenovo should ideally go head-to-head with HPs consumernotebook brand line up with its Idea range of notebooks and netbooks. With its avowedplan of frequent product releases and brand building that should see it recover ground inthe Indian laptop market. The company also intends to broaden its channel reach, which itis going to have to do to compete effectively in the consumer market. One of the reasonswhy HPs the numero uno in this segment is because of its HP exclusive stores thatensure that a prospective buyer is exposed to a wide range of HP products when the timecomes to buy a machine. Lenovo will have to ensure that prospective buyers will see a

Lenovo store right beside the HP store if it is to get a double-digit share of the IndianPC/notebook mart.

Suggestions for HCL

HCL says that it has got a wide network of service centre and they can solve any

problem within six hours but they fails on this commitment, this act makes the

customer to lose his trust.

HCL should try to win the confidence and heart of customers by providing

them value for money.

Promotional activities are very less therefore they should invest a

considerable amount in advertisements and as a result their brand awareness

will increase.

Brand Image of HCL is very low and it is considered as cheap brand with lowerquality.

HCL is an Indian company and they should design their product according to

the customers requirements of India .i.e. reliability should be considered as major

attribute as us Indians like products that last long.

Most of their products of HCL are standard product whereas now is the age

of customised products and its competitors are trying to provide customised products.

HCL should make strategic alliance with several financial organisations that can

provide installment facilities to the customer as customers are generally interested buying

PC on installment.

HCL should create some factors that the industry never offers such as free

training about using the product, as most of customers dont know how to use the

computer this will definitely creates a brand differentiation.

HCL should try to raise at least some attributes of PCs that can be projected as


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best buy. For e.g. sound or graphic or any other part of the visible system.

HCL should add a good tag line to its name that can make the association of customer

to the company.

Survey:

1) Which is the most selling brand in laptops?

Acer, HP, Compaq

2) Which brand has the lower price?

Acer

3) Which brands comes with more facility but lower price?

Lenovo

4) Two important brands competing on the basis of priceand quality?

In Quality- Sony and Dell and in Price- HP and Dell

5) Which is the latest launched in laptops?

HCL- Me series

6) Which is the latest trend in laptops?

Touch screen

7) Which companys dealer relationship is better?

I-ball

8) which brands after sales service relationship is better?

HP

*******

25432804 Laptop Industry in India Jan 2010

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Transcript of 25432804 Laptop Industry in India Jan 2010