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    STUDY OF DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVENESS

    AND READERSHIP SURVEY OF

    BUSINESSGYAN

    A Dissertation submitted in partial requirements for the

    award of MBA Degree of Bangalore University

    By

    Ms Vibha Shetty

    (Reg no: 04XQCM6116)

    Under the guidance of

    Prof. Jairaj Nair

    MPBIM, Bangalore

    M.P. Birla Institute of Management,Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,

    No 53, Race Course Road,

    Bangalore-560001

    2006

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    The objective of the readership study was to identify needs of

    Businessgyan readers and to make recommendations to enhance

    readers satisfaction in the Businessgyan.

    The objectives of the distribution study was to examine the

    visibility of Businessgyan in the distribution outlets and to

    identify how visibility can be improved in the distribution centers

    This research investigation is analytical in nature. We seek to

    generate the data for the research analysis through an interview

    schedule to be administered on the readers and the data so

    generated will be subject to analysis and inferences will be drawn

    accordingly.

    Businessgyan was found to be popular for its practical

    information especially to human resource managers and facility

    managers. It was also noticed that the articles and practical

    information sections are the most preferred among the other

    content in the magazine.

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    Declaration

    I hereby declare that this dissertation entitled, STUDY OF

    DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVENESS AND READERSHIPSURVEY OF BUSINESSGYAN is a bonafide study, completed

    under the guidance and supervision of Prof. Jairaj Nair, Adjunct

    Professor, M.P.Birla Institute of Management, Bangalore. (Internal

    Guide) and Mr. Balaji, Businessgyan Bangalore (External Guide).

    I further declare that this dissertation is the result of my own efforts

    and that it has not been submitted to any other University or Institute

    for the award of a degree or diploma or any degree or other similar

    title of recognition.

    Place: Bangalore

    (Ms.Vibha Shetty)

    Date:

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    Certificate

    I hereby certify that this dissertation entitled STUDY OF

    DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVENESS AND READERSHIP

    SURVEY OF BUSINESSGYAN has been prepared by Ms.Vibha

    Shetty under the guidance and supervision of Prof. Jairaj Nair,

    Adjunct Professor, M.P.Birla Institute of Management, Bangalore.

    (Internal Guide) and Mr. Balaji, Businessgyan, Bangalore (External

    Guide)

    Place: Bangalore

    Date:

    (Dr.Nagesh S Malavalli)

    Principal

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    Certificate

    I hereby certify that this dissertation entitled STUDY OF

    DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVENESS AND READERSHIP

    SURVEY OF BUSINESSGYAN is the result of research work

    carried out by Ms. Vibha Shetty under my guidance and supervision.

    Place: Bangalore

    Date: (Dr. Jairaj Nair)

    Internal Guide

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    Acknowledgement

    I would like to take this opportunity to thank my project guide,

    Prof Jairaj Nair, for highlighting certain aspects that I needed to

    cover and also in framing the final report.

    I am also grateful to Mr. Balaji, Chief Catalyst and Mr. Kiron,

    Relationship Manager of Businessgyan for their expert guidance and

    support.

    Credit also goes to my parents, without whose moral support

    and inspiration, this report would have been incomplete.

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    External Guides Certificate

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    INDEX

    SL. # CONTENTS

    1.1 Industry profile

    1.2 Company profile

    1.3 Product profile

    1.4 Businessgyan distribution

    1.5 Businessgyan readership

    2.0 Research topic-

    Study of distribution effectiveness

    of Businessgyan and Readership

    survey

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    Part I

    PROFILE OF THE

    ORGANISATIONAL

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    1.1 INDUSTRY PROFILE

    Introduction

    For centuries human civilization has utilized the printed media

    to spread news and information about political and social happenings

    to the masses. In ancient Rome and China, handwritten newssheets

    were posted daily in the major cities to update citizens on

    government scandals, military campaigns, trials and executions, etc.

    With the invention of the printing press during 14th century in

    Europe, the spread of news and information on paper increased

    dramatically. Short pamphlets reporting a news event were circulated

    around the community. However, these pamphlets appeared only

    once, reporting a single news event.

    The first modern newspapers, or publications that would

    appear regularly and frequently, are a European invention. The first

    half of the 17th century saw weekly news publications popping up in

    Germany, Italy, France, England, and many other western European

    nations. These newspapers featured items from all over Europe and

    occasionally America or Asia. However, they rarely reported any

    news about the country in which they were being printed.

    The invention of the telegraph in 1844 revolutionized the printed

    media industry. For the first time information could be transferred

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    within a matter of minutes from all parts of the country. Publications

    were reporting events that were now only one or two days old, rather

    than one or two weeks. As newspapers began to go into mass

    circulation they became valuable businesses with large staffs. They

    started to be less of a vehicle for one person's opinion and more of a

    provider of information.

    The first magazine came into existence in 1700s, looked like

    books. Magazines began as a medium from which literate men

    expounded their points of view, in essay or satire. Daniel Defoe

    started the first English magazine, The Review, during or just after

    his imprisonment for criticizing the Church of England. His purpose:

    a statesman or man of letters offers his comment, criticism and satire

    to influence public taste. The audience is composed of members of

    the same social scene that is the subject of most of the magazine's

    writing.

    Until the 1880s, only the upper classes read magazines. They

    were small soft cover books, carrying stories that appealed to a

    classically educated, elite readership that identified with Europe. The

    poor folk read newspapers and weekly tabloids. Magazines were

    expensive, partly because printing technology limited even the most

    popular to a run of 100,000 copies; it simply took too long to push

    any more paper through a press. The birth of mass media changed

    this trend. Magazines began printing in large numbers which brought

    down the price and hence circulation increased.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Introduction of photography during the period 1890-1910

    brought dramatic improvements to the magazine industry.

    Photographers and editors had to devise precedents for using

    photography and words together in print. The first photo-interview,

    between French photographer Paul Nadar and 100 year old physicist

    M. E. Chevreul, set a precedent for photo-captions later. The

    combination of the photos, evolving styles of journalism, and the new

    technology of offset printing and color process created a new

    language of the printed page, a language which made high-power

    advertising layouts possible. Suddenly magazines became very

    attractive to advertisers. Before the turn of the century, even the most

    popular magazines carried only a small amount of what we call

    classified advertising and almost no large display ads. But after some

    resistance, the last of which died out in the 30s, mass market

    magazines all came to depend on advertising to survive. This

    changed magazines completely. They no longer sold people

    information and entertainment; their main purpose was to provide

    advertisers with a steady, returning audience. Advertising exploded

    not just because of the magazine but due to large-scale distribution

    networks.

    New manufacturing technologies made it possible to mass-

    produce goods for unprecedented reach. And the invention of plate

    glass windows, around the turn of the century made possible

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    expansive storefronts, which in turn set the tone for the large

    department stores which placed the most expensive early advertising.

    But the co evolution of advertising and mass media was dramatically

    important. Ads made it possible to sell magazines below production

    cost, which made it possible to lower their price still more increasing

    their audience, which made them even more useful to advertisers. Ad

    agencies started in 1890. They developed research and circulation

    boosting: the subscription discount offers, the efforts to survey a

    magazine readership to document their demographics for potential

    advertisers.

    The slick magazine look didn't crystallize until the late

    40s/early 50s. Its roots were in the fashion magazine of the 20s.

    Vanity FairandVogue, where advertising and editorial art directors

    worked together on the new language of fashion photography/page

    display. At first the slick look was purely a highbrow consumer

    phenomenon, a representation of new attitudes about quality. Vogue

    in particular, for all its evocation of upper-class pretension, made that

    pretension accessible to wave after wave of newcomers. The slick

    look signified a further democratization of style and substance alike,

    a sense that audiences as well as information producers would

    henceforth be chosen on merit and not appointed merely because they

    represented a social class.

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    But it wasn't long before the slick look gravitated even to trade

    magazines. New magazines all looked the same, and adopted the

    same tone. They distinguished themselves only by carving out

    narrow consumer-group content niches: Runners, weight-lifters, dog

    lovers, model train builders, music lovers, computer owners, knitters,

    home restorers, and so on. People turned to magazines in a much

    more prosaic way, to identify (through them) with communities of

    interest, rather than communities of identity. In the early 1970s, one

    magazine established itself as a general-interest vehicle for

    describing identity in a mass-medium-dominated world. It enjoyed

    one of the most popular magazine launches in history known as

    People.

    Media in India

    News media in India is undergoing significant changes in the

    current liberalized environment. To understand these changes, one

    needs to have some idea of the road traversed so far. It is useful to

    look at media in the two phases of India's history - pre-colonial and

    post-colonial. Each medium has taken its own evolutionary path.

    William Bolts, an ex-employee of the British East India

    Company attempted to start the first newspaper in India way back in

    1776. Bolts had to beat a retreat under the disapproving gaze of the

    Court of Directors of the Company.

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    The BengalGazette by James Augustus Hicky was started in 1780.

    The Gazette, a two-sheet newspaper, "specialised" in writing on the

    private lives of the Sahibs of the Company. The colonial

    establishment started the Calcutta Gazette. It was followed by

    another private initiative the Bengal Journal. The Oriental Magazine

    of Calcutta Amusement, a monthly magazine made it four weekly

    newspapers and one monthly magazine published from Calcutta, now

    Kolkata.

    PTI (Press Trust of India) and UNI (United News of India) are

    the two primary Indian news agencies. The former was formed after

    it took over the operations of the Associated Press of India and the

    Indian operations of Reuters soon after independence on August 27,

    1947. PTI is a non-profit cooperative of the Indian newspapers. UNI

    began its operations on March 21, 1961, though it was registered as a

    company in 1959 itself.

    Over the years saw the development of magazine industry in

    India. Eventually trade specific magazines came into being due to

    influx of foreign media. Most prominent among them is Business to

    Business publications which involve both daily newspapers like

    Business Standard, etc and magazines like Business World.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Business Media in India

    Business media industry remains a very small business in India

    by International standards. Combined revenues from business-to-

    business publishing are in the region of Rs 46 crores. The past 2 3

    years have been tough ones for publishers in particular with

    advertising revenues falling dramatically as they have elsewhere in

    the world. Advertising is heavily skewed towards newspapers and

    television which are relatively much larger businesses in India. Acombination of various data sources generates the following from

    Indias total Rs 5bn advertising expenditure.

    Advertising spent between different media

    TV

    45%General Print

    52%

    Radio &Cinema

    2%

    Internet

    0%Specialist &Trade Mags

    1%

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    The market for business publishers is dominated by a small number

    of companies each of which own around 10 15% of the business

    publications market. The following table shows the top six publishers

    who, between them, account for 67% of the market ranked here by

    Business Strategies Group (BSG) private estimates of revenues from

    business publications. It appears no other publishers achieve more

    than 5% share of the market:

    Top 6 business media publishers in India:

    Company Comments

    1 Cyber media Leading and longest-established major technology

    publisher.

    2 ABP Group Publisher of Business World

    3 Living

    Media

    Indias largest magazine publisher. Now publishes

    only to one B2B magazine, Business Today

    4 Jasubhai A leading publisher of technology and other

    business magazine

    5 Business

    India

    Flagship publication is Business India

    6 Indian

    Express BPD

    The Business Publication Division of Indian

    Express Newspapers has a range of specialist

    business titles of which Express Computer is the

    flagship.

    Source: BSG analysis

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Because of its relatively small size and the fact that it has remained

    tightly closed to foreign publishers, the presence of international

    business media companies in India is very limited. The following

    profiles represent the largest and most important of India business

    publishers.

    Cyber media

    Cyber media is one of the best established of the business

    publishers in India. Founded in 1982 by Pradeep Gupta, the

    Chairman and Managing Director, the company has for most of its 20

    plus years history focused on technology publishing. Most recently, it

    has announced its intention to work with McGraw Hill to launch an

    Indian edition of Business Weekalthough approvals for that venture

    are still pending. The company is also planning an Initial Public

    Offering. The company has various business lines, as well as its eight

    magazines; it has an event management division and what is regarded

    as the leading on-line service for the technology industry. The

    company has also ventured successfully into producing technology

    programming for television as well as multi-media content and CDs.

    Cyber media employs 375 staff with offices in Delhi (its Gurgaon

    head office is one of the more sophisticated publishers offices in

    India), Mumbai and Bangalore.

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    ABP Group

    The weekly Businessworld has emerged as the leading

    general business title in India with a circulation of 135,000. Although

    it carries rather fewer pages in each issue than its fortnightly rivals,

    business today and Business India, our estimates still put the

    magazine in the top spot with over 10% of all Indias business

    revenues. Businessworld is published by the Kolkata-based ABP

    Group which also produces the English language The Telegraphnewspaper and the Bengali newspaper Ananda Bazaar Patrika.

    Living India (India Today)

    Indias leading magazine publisher now has one major

    business title, Business Today. The Group was launched in 1975 with

    the fortnightly English news magazine, India Today. Today, that

    magazine claims a circulation of 417,505 and total readership of 15.9

    million across all its editions. The publishers say it is the most

    widely read magazine in the country and that Living Media India is

    the largest magazine publisher in the country. The company also

    published Computers Today for a number of years but pulled back

    from that market. An attempt to re-launch as Smart Inc. was not

    sufficient to keep the company in that market, leaving Business

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    Today as the only business focused title in a portfolio which

    otherwise focuses on consumer titles.

    Jasubhai Group

    Jasubhai Chairman, Jasu Shah, is one of Indias business

    media pioneers. Starting with his flagship Chemtech trade show some

    30 years ago, he has built what is now clearly one of the leading

    business media groups in the country. As well as the chemical

    industry, the Groups magazine portfolio covers IT (DIGIT,

    Computer Reseller News, Network Computing, and Developer 2.0

    are the main titles),, architecture, interiors and, in its newest venture,

    the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sectors.

    Business India

    The original Indian general business magazine founded by

    Ashok Advani, 26 years ago, Business India, is a powerful brand in

    the Indian market. Published every two weeks, the magazine bears

    some resemblance to The Economist and has a reported circulation of

    89,000. As well as Business India magazine itself, the company

    produces magazines and events for interiors (Inside Outside). Theevents division was previously very active producing, amongst other

    things, Comdex India. .

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    Indian Express BPD

    The Indian Express is one of the great Mumbai newspaper

    titles founded by independence campaigner Ramnath Goenka.Its Business Publications Division was founded in the early 1990s by

    his grandson and remains an important publisher of trade titles in the

    IT, hospitality, pharmaceuticals and textiles. The groups flagship

    weekly Express Computer competes vigorously with Cybermedia and

    Jasubhai in the IT sector.

    RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:

    The following is a summary of business media developments

    in India since the middle of 2002:

    June 2002 Restrictions on foreign investment lifted:Foreign holdings in news and current affairs publications are now

    allowed up to 26% while technical and other non-news media can sell

    up to 74% to non-Indian companies. Information and Broadcasting

    Minister Sushma Swaraj was reported as saying that editorial and

    management control have to remain in Indian hands. The

    Government retains veto rights over investments by foreign

    companies and needs to approve subsequent changes of ownership. It

    also requires that 75% of all employees are Indian nationals. The

    move received a mixed welcome from Indian media groups. The

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    major ones remained opposed to it while smaller players saw it as an

    opportunity to tap outside capital sources.

    Aug. 2003 AMP acquires stake in Hindustan Times:

    Australian financial services group AMP acquired 19% of the

    Hindustan Times; a Delhi based general newspapers, the first

    transaction of its type after the 2002 regulatory liberalization.

    Sept. 2003 Financial Times acquires stake in Business

    Standard:

    The Financial Times (FT) announced the acquisition of a stake

    in the Mumbai based Business Standard newspaper. The investment

    of Rs141 million gave the FT a 13.85% stake in the pink broadsheet

    which is printed in seven Indian cities. The existing shareholders,

    investment bank Kotak Mahindra and Great Eastern Shipping, both

    retained their equity positions following the deal.

    Jan. 2004Wall Street Journal announces Indian edition:

    Dow Jones announced an agreement with Bennett, Coleman &

    Co. Ltd., publisher of The Times of India and The Economic Times,

    to establish a joint venture to publish an Indian edition of the Wall

    Street Journal. Dow Jones will own 26% of the new business, themaximum allowed under current rules. The Indian Journal will be

    published five days a week. Bennett, Coleman has been among the

    more aggressive Indian companies in taking advantages of the

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    liberalization of foreign media ownerships rules first announced in

    June 2002.

    Last year it also announced a joint venture with BBC

    Worldwide to publish specialty consumer magazines in India.

    Foreign ownership:

    Until June 2002, foreign companies were not allowed to own

    print media operations in India. At that time, the government

    announced a limited relaxation of those restrictions.

    The new rules are as follows:

    News publications can take up to 26% foreign investment;

    Technical and non-news media can take up to 74% foreign

    investment.

    The two highest profile deals in this sector have been the

    Financial Times acquisition of 13.85% of the Business Standard

    newspaper in Mumbai and Dow Jones announcement that it will

    work with Bennett & Coleman, publishers of the Times of India to

    publish an Indian edition of the Asian Wall Street Journal of which it

    will own 26%. So far, BBC Magazines acquisition of a stake in the

    Times of India Groups Filmfare and Femina titles is the major

    magazines investment so far. The financial details of this

    arrangement have not been released although market rumours in

    Mumbai have speculated on a high price paid for the stake of up to

    Rs 80 crores

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    Circulation

    Controlled vs. paid circulation

    By and large, this is a market where business publishing is

    dominated by controlled circulation titles.. Many publications are

    largely limited to 8 10 major cities. There has been some success in

    working around this physical limitation with online publications such

    as ITNation.com whose e-newsletter goes to IT distributors in 200 or

    so small and medium-sized cities.

    Estimated circulation of Indian business and finance

    publications in Karnataka:

    Publication Frequency CirculationBusinessworld Weekly 10747

    Business today Fortnightly 11764

    Business India Fortnightly 10622

    Business Week Monthly 10500

    Business

    Standard

    Daily 32350

    Most controlled circulation titles use the Indian Postal System

    for distribution. Some of the more up-market titles use courier

    networks, which today have become very cheap and reliable.

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    There is also a network of bulk delivery companies who do

    citywide deliveries while some publications have their own local

    delivery teams.

    There is a market for international magazines but industry

    insiders in India believe it is essential to have a large local media firm

    to publicize these titles. The Times of India, for example, does this

    through its portal indiatimes.com for quite a number of titles.

    Without the local boost, the sale of most international titles does not

    exceed 1,000. Time magazine and Cosmopolitan have an

    arrangement with the India Today group and the BBC, now

    managing the two top brands of the Times Group, has indicated that

    is wishes to launch a number of other consumer titles into the market.

    They would use the distribution infrastructure of the Times

    The future

    A number of important trends in business media over the next

    several years will emerge in India. These will all have significant

    impacts on the way foreign companies can do business there:

    The beginnings of a process of consolidation will occur over

    the next 3 4 years in which smaller publishers will be acquired or

    will go out of business. Foreign publishers are likely to be involved,

    at least in part, in this process.

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Several Indian business media firms are considering Initial

    Public Offerings. This move will inevitably be linked to an

    acceleration of mergers and acquisitions as well as pressure from

    market regulators for significantly improved professional standards in

    those companies which do list. Investors will also be looking for

    higher returns than have traditionally been achievable in this sector.

    This will presumably lead Indian business media groups to look to

    diversify into other media and to seek foreign partnerships to help

    improve their capitalization and give them access to international

    markets.

    It is believed that 2004 - 5 are likely to see the emergence of

    the Internet as a significant business tool in India. This will lead to

    the emergence of new business opportunities which are subject to

    much less regulatory constraint for foreign companies.

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    1.2 COMPANY PROFILE

    Introduction

    Businessgyan is a unit of Dr. C V S Ratnam & Associates Pvt

    Ltd. It was started in 2001 April. Mr.Balaji Pasumarthy initiated the

    idea of this magazine. He realised the need for a medium which

    would educate new entrepreneurs. Thats how Businessgyan a

    business handbook was initiated to cater information, contacts, etc to

    companies who were setting up operations in Bangalore. It was setup

    and started working to collect information, different articles,

    advertisers, etc.

    Mission

    Businessgyan Mission is To help people do business

    smoothly and successfully. This is achieved by making practical

    information available. Key aspects of Businessgyan are

    It is a one stop place for decision makers to access

    information

    Handy information, guides, checklists, benchmarks

    & resources are provided to save time and effort.

    Presented in a manner, which is user friendly

    Integrates print, e-mail & help desk formats to

    effectively provide information.

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    After just 3 years of existence Businessgyan has grown well to

    establish itself as a unique magazine with a difference and to boast

    for being only city specific business magazine. It has further

    extended itself from magazine to bring up a business directory to

    cater information to facility managers to find their vendors. It acts as

    a bridge between facility managers and vendors.

    Businessgyan has taken up a project with IFMA India

    chapter called as Atheos. Atheos was launched on 15th

    Nov 2003 in

    IFMA India Work Place. The First Ever Enterprise Collaboration

    Gateway, designed specifically to simplify the partner selection

    process in Enterprises. Atheos facilitates interactions by providing

    relevant contact information, knowledge on selection and usage of

    various services and products. Atheos is truly a collaboration

    exercise, with the actual users, namely decision makers, providing

    inputs on exactly what information gaps they encounter and how they

    would like it to be solved. An initiative of International Facilities

    Management Association- India Chapter and Businessgyan, Atheos is

    designed to catalyse the partnering process in the Enterprise to

    Enterprise space. Atheos Vision is To Provide knowledge products

    and services to catalyse the Decision Making process in enterprises.

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    STRATEGY

    Definition of Strategy:

    Strategy is the art of devising and employing a system of

    activities that mobilizes all resources toward a valuable goal.

    According to Edmund P. Learned Strategy is the pattern of

    objectives, purposes or goals, stated in such a way as to define what

    business the company is in or is to be in and the kind of company it is

    or is to be. One another definition given by Alfred D. Chandler

    states that Strategy is the determination of basic long-term goals and

    objectives of an enterprise, and the adoption of course of action and

    the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals. In

    other words, the route that the organization has chosen for its future

    growth; a plan an organization formulates to gain a sustainable

    competitive advantage.

    Businessgyan is the only city specific practical business

    magazine which doesnt believe in becoming a yet another business

    magazine. Various companies have different strategies to achieve topposition in their field of operation. Businessgyan give priority in

    creating unique methods to reach buyers in offices in the growth and

    expansion stage. Core readers of Businessgyan are decision makers

    in the investment, growth and expansion phase in an organisation.

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    To reach them Businessgyan have devised unique techniques

    like Watering Hole concept, referral networks, etc. Mission of

    Businessgyan is Information, to help do business smoothly and

    successfully. So creating content which key decision makers

    involved in buying decisions would require for their work and which

    will catch their attention and interest is given at most priority.

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    STRUCTURE

    Definition of Structure:

    A structure is the formalizing of relationships, roles and

    responsibilities in order to organize and perform work. In simple

    term, structure is the pattern in which various parts or components

    are interrelated or interconnected. So organization structure is the

    pattern of relationships among various activities and positions.

    Because various persons hold these positions, the structure is the

    relationships among people in the organization.

    Organizational structure of Businessgyan is shown above is for

    the sake of the outside world to open customer doors etc. but have no

    significance within the company. In reality Businessgyan has a fluid

    and dynamic structure. Actual working involves defining the broad

    activities, which also include identifying a coordinator.

    People work on different aspects and are responsible to

    different coordinator of the broad activities. People in the team couldbe working for different coordinators at the same time and be

    coordinators themselves for specific activities or objectives. This is

    sponge structure of organisation. Depending on the immediate

    urgency and priorities people drop or reduce the time spent on long

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    term projects and focus on immediate priorities etc. Frequent groups

    meetings to share and exchange information and set objectives.

    Administration head is in charge of financial activities also among

    other activities. Main financial activities are maintaining accounts of

    all essential issues like salary billing, purchase, sales, etc.

    Administration head is also in charge of data entry in the

    organisation. Editorial staff is involved in developing issue focused

    articles, interview the gurus of different field, product review and

    hence thereby increasing the subscription. Concept Development

    Manager is responsible for forecasting sales for the financial year,

    taking care of P&L of the company, taking care of production & get

    copies on time, recruiting, etc.

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    SYSTEMS

    Definition of Systems:

    A system is a defined process, or set of processes, that links

    and orders activities to enable work to be done and goals to be

    achieved. According to Richard A. Johnson A system is an

    organized or complex whole; an assemblage or combination of things

    or parts forming a complex unitary whole. System in simple words

    is the formal and informal procedures, including innovation systems,

    compensation systems, management information systems, and capital

    allocation systems, that govern everyday activity.

    In Businessgyan lot of time and effort is spent of developing

    systems to eliminate non-productive work. Continued improvement

    and streamlining of all day to day activities is given importance.

    Information is readily available to anyone in the team. Businessgyan

    have an efficient data entry system where data is entered only once

    for multiple tasks. In terms of IT systems, an Relational Database

    Management System (RDBMS) based Management Information

    System has been developed internally which integrates sales, billing,order book, readers database and interactions with readers and

    advertisers. This has been designed on filemaker pro, which is a

    Apple company product.

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    Systems like group meetings to encourage team work and

    sharing of information where new ideas and concepts are discussed.

    These meetings are frequent with each and every member can

    express their view points which will be put up for discussions and

    finally a consensus will be arrived at. Evaluation and feedback

    mechanisms to help improve each individual. Accounts, sales,

    readership interaction systems all integrated to provide intelligent and

    quick data.

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    STYLE

    Definitionof Style:

    Style of leadership or relationship refers to the manner in

    which an individual uses his or her talents, values, knowledge,

    judgment, and attitudes to lead and relate to others. Style expresses

    the person's character. Style is the leadership approach of top

    management and the organization's overall operating approach; also

    the way in which the organization's employees present themselves to

    the outside world, to suppliers and customers. In simple words styles

    is the pattern of behavior, which a leader adopts in influencing the

    behavior of his followers (subordinates) in the organizational context.

    Businessgyan has a participatory, non intrusive, democratic

    decision making with special emphasis on grooming skills among

    team members and working towards a system to help foster a

    collaborative and productive work culture. Control is restricted to

    setting the broad direction and structure for the business to grow

    naturally. This provides a good environment for personal growth and

    skill setting among the members so that they get equipped to meet the

    challenges on their own. Members are given full power over their

    area of work in taking decisions. Clear policies are set helping in

    decision-making.

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    Team Members are independent and driven to perform their task.

    Seeking help, expertise and assistance as and when required from

    other members. Sharing and expressing concern and plans to make

    necessary shifts in strategy as and when required in a dynamic not

    centrally planned fashion. Clear emphasis is given on team work and

    co-operation. The team members are responsible adults, skilled and

    competent for their roles. Good ideas and commitment is not a

    prerogative of a few but something basic for every team member.

    Every member's actions impact the organisation and the success of

    other team members. So every team member is responsible to correct

    and set right deviant behavior of another if any and is responsible to

    make his or his team member contribute the maximum.

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    STAFF

    Definition of Staffing:

    Staffing may be defined as filling and keeping filled the

    positions in the organization structure. This is done by identifying

    workforce requirements; inventorying the people available; and

    recruiting, selecting, placing promoting, appraising, planning the

    careers of, compensating and training or otherwise developing both

    candidates and current job holders so that task are accomplished

    effectively and efficiently

    Staffs are selected based on skill and aptitude required for

    specific roles. However once hired, they are free to work on projects

    of interest and importance to the organisation. Team members

    evaluate performance of each member and weightage to each

    evaluation is given in proportion to the impact of the team members

    work on other team members deliverables. Basically internal

    customers get to evaluate their internal suppliers. People work across

    projects and teams get formed and dissolved automatically based on

    projects. Designations are given for the sake of the outside world toopen customer doors etc. but have no significance with in the

    company. Increments happen based on the value provided by the

    individual to the team and to his internal customers.

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    Everybodys opinion matters and decision-making is done by

    evolving consensus. Finally the person responsible takes a call taking

    the majority on board.

    SKILLS

    Definition of Skills:

    A skill is the ability, knowledge, understanding, and judgment

    to accomplish a task. Skills may be defined as what the company

    does best; the distinctive capabilities and competencies that reside in

    the organization

    Key areas in Businessgyan are Concept Development and

    Marketing. So basic skills required are good sales and marketing

    skills for the sales team whose work involves marketing physical

    copies of Businessgyan and selling ad space. Content development

    skills for editorial staff is a must. They must be able to provide

    relevant, useful and accurate information to readers. Knowledge of

    business management and the Bangalore business environment is

    essential which will contribute towards the pursuit of excellence in

    this field.

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    SHARED VALUES

    Definition of Shared Values:

    A shared value is an essential characteristic or attribute

    promoted by the organization to motivate the behavior of members of

    the organization. In simple words, Shared values are what stimulate

    trust. Values are the identity by which a company is known

    throughout its business areas. These values must be explicitly stated

    as both corporate objectives and individual values.

    Create a culture where every one is comfortable

    contributing and reaching out to his or her full potential. Where

    individual initiative thrives and finds expression. An organisation

    which responds to changes in the environment fast and seizes

    opportunities, and is capable of high growth while resilient to face

    tough times. Where each individual feels important and has a sense

    of being part of creating something important. An environment free

    of hierarchy and red tape, yet very productive and effective, where

    people enjoy working yet are result oriented. Where people come to

    make a living and a life.

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    1.3 PRODUCT PROFILE

    Businessgyan is the only city specific practical business

    magazine, which doesnt believe in becoming a yet another business

    magazine. It helps a very focused communication channel for those

    who want to reach out to the decision makers in the companies,

    enterprises and the startups. It covers articles which are focused on

    issues which are very useful to decision makers like CEOs, CFOs,

    HR Managers, Purchase Managers, Students, Entrepreneurs, etc.

    Businessgyan covers topics on all aspects of management and

    also on industry verticals like BPOs, etc. Rather than focusing on

    industry sectors, it prefers to focus on functional areas inside each

    industry.

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    Content that stands apart

    Businessgyan, is the only city specific business digest, with

    little news but more implementation oriented articles.

    It is a handbook for decision-makers in companies and for

    entrepreneurs to access practical business guidance and to

    collect vendor information.

    Articles like panel discussions, best practice case studies,

    business methodologies, expert columns, message board,

    product launches and jargon busters, are relevant to an

    audience across all industry sectors.

    Prominent personalities are featured in our 'First Person'

    interview, so are companies and products as case studies.

    Articles give handy business information to be used for day-to-

    day operations, starting new ventures and understanding

    industry trends across verticals.

    Management Gurus give 'gyan' for navigating through toughtimes. Inputs are taken from industry practitioners to design

    content for decision makers to solve complex problems.

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    Last but not the least, it is a Cost Effective Publicity Media for

    Small & Medium Enterprises who support the huge IT and

    ITES industry in city. You can find classifieds on pest control,

    data storage, foreign exchange dealers, audiovisual renting,

    HR, tax and financial consultants.

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    Distribution system

    Businessgyan uses unique ways to reach the target readers.

    One method is distribution through couriers to reach well known

    organisations. Distribution technique called 'Watering Hole', is

    employed by which the magazine is placed in strategic locations

    where new entrepreneurs or top executives can pick it up. It also uses

    Refferal networks which is a common means of getting information

    about vendors. Right now Businessgyan has a circulation of 15000

    copies, which is more than any other business publication in

    Bangalore.

    Benefits to Advertisers:

    1.Provides an effective focused medium to address decision makers.

    2.Information dissemination and brand building takes place during

    decision-making stage,

    3.Little spillage of media spending.

    4.Long shelf life since decision-makers keep reffering to it during

    growth stage.

    5.Constant updation possible.

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Businessgyan Distribution

    CIRUCULATION: AN OVERVIEW

    SUBSCRIBERS 2500

    MAILED COPIES or sponsored copies: Decision

    Makers - CEO's, Facilities manager, Finance Head,

    HR Head, Branch Heads Sales & Marketing Head,

    Senior Partners of Venture Capitalist and

    Consultantancy companies

    3500

    TRADITIONAL CHANNEL / Paid Copies

    Available at Stands ie, Bombay Store, Fabmall,

    Gangarams, Higgin Bottoms, Java City, In & Out,

    Regular Book Shops, Super Markets and other

    premium outlets

    4500

    WATERING HOLES: for companies in growth/

    expansion and start-up phase: STPI, Venture Capital,

    Business Centres, Builders, International Real Estate

    Consultants, Banks/Financial Institutions, Trade

    Chambers

    2000

    For Transit Visitors/for new to town: all Premium

    & Business Hotels, Car Rentals, Foreign exchanges1500

    Conference: TIE, CII, and other events like IFMA,

    Microsoft conference, PC Expo, IT.com paid

    conference, HR India monthly meet,

    700

    Total 14700

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Businessgyan In Brief

    Businessgyan is a business digest providing practical business

    information. It is the only city specific handbook available for

    decision-makers in companies and entrepreneurs to access practical

    guidance and to collect vendor information.

    In its five years of existence Businessgyan has built a unique

    identity for itself as being the only source of information in

    Bangalore for useful information that can be applied to work. With a

    circulation of 15,000 copies a month and readership of around

    60,000 a month, Businessgyan leaves an imprint in the business

    landscape of Bangalore and thus is a very effective vehicle to reach

    out to professionals and business decision makers.

    Businessgyan Highlights:

    We take Focus very seriously:

    Trying to fill a tea cup with a fire hose? No one likes spillage, so

    why not focus your marketing budget in a media, which can reach,

    business decision makers with pinpoint accuracy...And thats the

    precise reason you don't find us everywhere! But examine the desks

    of corporate decision makers in Bangalore, be it a CEO, CFO,

    Finance, HR or Admin Manager, High Net worth Individual and

    you will surely find us.

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    Effective Medium, in terms of cost and reach:

    In a world of information overdose, it might sound preposterous to

    claim that we are the only medium who can assure some mileage

    for its advertisers. It is the only medium, which is sought out for

    both advertisements and articles.

    Businessgyan is designed as the most effective channel in Bangalore

    to reach business decision makers, be it the huge IT, BPO or Biotech

    Industry, or the large number of companies starting up to support theneeds of the growing city. With our focused distribution methods we

    reach out to the decision makers who have the maximum impact.

    We reach out to the CXO of the top 1000 companies in Bangalore in

    a targeted and sustained basis, and we have also got special methods

    to reach out to those companies who are in the growth and

    expansion phase. Needless to say we cover the people who really

    matter in Bangalore in a very effective manner.

    Grey matter for the business elite:

    We are experts whom you can refer for every practical business

    information that can help you get down to business right away. Our

    implementation-oriented articles like best practice case studies,

    business methodologies, expert columns on HR, Finance, Facility,

    Marketing, are relevant to an audience across all industry sectors.

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    Management Gurusgive 'gyan' on navigating through tough times,

    inputs are taken from industry practitioners to design content for

    decision makers to solve complex problems.

    Outstanding personalities are featured in our First Person interview

    and so are remarkable companies and products featured as case

    studies. Articles give handy business information to be used for day-

    to-day operations, starting new ventures and understanding industry

    trends across verticals. In short, we are the mouthpiece of seasoned

    veterans who want to propagate the 'best practices' in business.

    The context makes the difference:

    Business Information that is useful for work, this is what

    Businessgyan is all about, and this sets us apart from all the other

    business media, which cater to the economy, news, and stock

    market. Since Businessgyan is read for useful business information,

    readers also look at advertisements for making decisions. It is not a

    surprise that you will find Businessgyan in the office environment,

    on desks of managers, in the reception, with the office secretary,

    and used for contacting vendors, looking up business information.

    Businessgyan is not read in the morning and forgotten, it is read at

    work and preserved.

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Readership

    By Functional Area: -

    CEO / General Management/ Partners:- 23%

    Human Resources:-21%

    Facility Managers / Admin:-23%

    Finance / Information Systems:- 15%

    Marketing/ Advertising:- 14%

    Production/ Operations/ Quality:-4%

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    By Position in the Organization:-

    Top Management (CEOs, Directors, Owners, Heads of Department)

    64%

    Team Leaders:- 22%

    TeamMembers:-14%

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    By Industry:-

    IT / ITES/ Bio-Tech 46%

    Banking / Finance / Retail- 7%

    Hotels/ Hospitality 6%

    Manufacturing- 11%

    Consultants/Resellers- 8%

    Others:- 22%

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    By Size of Company: -

    Less than 20 employees:- 17 %

    20 100:- 37%

    100 and above :- 46%

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Part II

    PROJECT

    TOPIC-

    Study of the distribution effectivenessof Businessgyan in the distribution

    outlets and readership survey of

    Businessgyan

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    Study of the distribution effectiveness of

    Businessgyan in the distribution outlets

    RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:

    The following are the objectives of the research undertaken:

    To examine the visibility of Businessgyan in the distributionoutlets

    To identify the how visibility can be improved in the

    distribution centers

    To make recommendations to enhance the visibility of

    Businessgyan in distribution centers

    To examine if the agents supply Businessgyan at the right time

    and at the right place

    To examine if stores are being supplied with adequate number

    of copies of relevant issue

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    To understand the feasibility of selling the magazine in the

    respective store

    To identify the pattern of sales and pattern of refilling the

    magazine.

    PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

    Our preliminary enquiry with the distribution manager in

    Businessgyan indicated that distribution of the magazine though

    extensive was not effective and lacked visibility.

    These findings reveled that the distribution and readership aspects of

    the magazine have not been researched adequately. This is a road

    that is less traveled. This prompted us to undertake this research

    PROBLEM STATEMENT:

    The research has been undertaken to identify the distribution outlets

    that can be used as a tool to enhance visibility and increase sales.

    HYPOTHESIS:

    Since this research investigation is company-specific, the company

    has asked us to identify the visibility effectiveness of Businessgyan

    in the distribution centers and readers satisfaction based on its

    requirements. Hence the issue of hypothesis formulation, we feel, is

    redundant.

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RESEARCH DESIGN:

    This research investigation is analytical in nature. We seek to

    generate the data for the research analysis through an interview

    schedule to be administered on key officials in the distribution

    centers and the data so generated will be subject to analysis and

    (simple statistical treatment) and inferences will be drawn

    accordingly

    RESEARCH LIMITATIONS:

    Since this research investigation has been administered on

    randomly selected key officials in the distribution centers, the

    problem of generalization is obvious

    Time and resource constraints

    Reluctance of store managers to reveal flaws and negativeaspects of the store and visibility

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RESEARCH TOOL:

    A questionnaire was designed with the help of the distribution

    staff of Businessgyan (distribution manager and assistants who

    personally visit stores).

    The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify certain key

    aspects of the distribution of the magazine, which ultimately

    determine the sales of Businessgyan. Some of them are:

    Distribution effectiveness

    Visibility of Businessgyan in the store

    Feasibility of selling the magazine in the store

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    QUESTIONNAIRE:

    DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVENESS

    1.)How good is the visibility of Bg compared to other magazines

    in the rack?

    ( ) visible ( ) barely visible ( ) not visible

    2.)How effective is the distribution, i.e. does it reach the stores on

    15th

    of every month?

    ( ) yes ( ) no ( ) sometimes

    3.)Does the refilling take place on time?

    ( ) yes ( ) no ( ) sometimes

    4.)How often is it refilled?

    ( ) monthly ( ) weekly ( ) fortnightly

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    5.)Do people prefer magazines based on the prices? (E.g. what is

    the probability of people choosing Business World over Bg

    since BW is Rs. 10?)

    ( ) most of them ( ) no ( ) yes

    6.) Do you get enquiries about Bg from customers, especially if

    the store is out of stock?

    ( ) yes ( ) no ( ) rarely ( ) most of

    the time

    7.)Has the sun board improved the visibility of Bg?

    ( ) to some extent ( ) to a large extent ( ) no

    8.) Is it the first of its kind?

    ( ) yes ( ) no ( ) dont know

    9.)Do you think its the right idea to improve visibility?

    ( ) yes ( ) no

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    10.) Is the cover page attractive enough to induce customers

    to buy the magazine?

    ( ) yes ( ) no

    11.) Which is the most preferred category in magazines?

    Sports Movies &

    entertainment

    Health

    care

    Business Others

    Most

    preferred

    Less

    preferred

    Not

    preferred

    12.) Any suggestions?

    Store-

    Contact person-

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    RESEARCH FINDINGS

    Stores visited:

    FOODWORLD

    FABMALL

    BOMBAY STORE

    LANDMARK

    HEALTH & GLOW

    JAVA CITY

    HIGIN BOTTOMS

    GANGARAMS

    Visibility of Businessgyan:

    FOODWORLD

    The visibility of the magazine in Foodworld (3 outlets) is

    good. It is placed in a rack along with the other magazines of

    different categories, some of them being sports, entertainment, and

    health etc. It is visible to people who walk into Foodworld as the rack

    is placed near the entrance.

    The distribution of magazines to all Foodworld outlets is

    handled by a distribution agency called Magworld.

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    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Each of the Foodworld outlets receives 20 copies every month and on

    an average each outlet sells 15 copies per month. All the unsold

    copies are sent back to the distribution agency.

    BOMBAY STORE

    Bombay store is located on M G road. Businessgyan here is placed

    on the cash counter in a small rack. It is the only magazine sold here.

    As per the officials in Bombay store they receive 15 copies every

    month and they sell 10 copies on an average every month.

    LANDMARK

    Landmark is located in Forum. The magazine is hardly visible in the

    rack as the rack is stuffed with several other magazines, which are

    larger in size than Businessgyan. When questioned, the officials in

    the store were not aware if they had received the most recent issue.

    There seemed to be lot of confusion regarding the current status of

    the magazine in the store as to whether they had any copies in the

    store presently and when was the last time they had received the

    copies.

    Further probing revealed that Landmark had not received any copies

    of Businessgyan for the past 6 months, which was not known until

    then. The distribution agency for Landmark is Kasturi and the agency

    was responsible for not delivering the magazine to the store

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    HEALTH & GLOW

    Businessgyan in Health & Glow outlets are placed in a rack

    near the cash counter. Each of the three outlets visited receive

    anywhere between 15 to 20 copies each month. The officials in

    Malleshwaram and Basaveshwarnagar outlets claimed they sell on an

    average 7 to 8 copies each month. As per the officials as most people

    who walk into the store are women looking for cosmetics and other

    beauty products, they do not pay much attention to the magazinesplaced in the counter.

    The store manager in the commercial street outlet said that not more

    than 3 copies in a month are sold since the visibility is very poor. The

    magazine in the store is placed in a rack adjoining the cash counter.

    The rack is barely visible.

    JAVA CITY

    Church Street

    Lavelle road

    Java City is a coffee shop located in two prime locations. Each of the

    Java City outlets receives 20 copies per month and as per the

    managers they sell 10 copies each on an average per month.

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    Businessgyan in the Lavelle road outlet is placed behind the cash

    counter and is visible to people who walk up to the cash counter, but

    since most of the time the bill is produced to the customers in their

    respective tables, customers do not approach the cash counter. As

    hence visibility though good is not meeting its purpose.

    HIGGIN BOTTHOMS

    Higgin Botthoms is a bookstore located on M G Road. The

    magazine is placed on a table along with the other magazines. Thestore receives 25 copies each month and sells all the copies. At times

    when there is excess demand, the store manager informs

    Businessgyan distribution officials and the required numbers of

    copies are delivered to the store.

    GANGARAMS

    Gangarams is a bookstore located on M G Road. The magazine is

    placed on a table along with the other magazines. The store receives

    25 copies each month and sells all the copies. At times when there is

    excess demand, the store manager informs Businessgyan distribution

    officials and the required number of copies are delivered to the store.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    EFFECTIVENESS OF DISTRIBUTION:

    The distribution of Businessgyan takes place on 15th

    of every

    month. The distribution agencies (Magworld and Kasturi) are

    responsible for distribution of Businessgyan to most outlets

    (Foodworld, Landmark, Health & Glow, Fabmall). The distribution

    staff of Businessgyan handles the distributions to bookstores.

    The distribution staff and the distribution agency have to make sure

    that the books reach the stands by 15th of every month. All the unsold

    copies of the previous issue are returned to Businessgyan.

    On enquiry with the store managers regarding the promptness of

    distribution (i.e., whether they receive the magazine on 15th

    of every

    month) the following facts were revealed:

    Promptness of distribution

    0

    2

    4

    6

    8

    10

    12

    14

    On time Not sure No Sometimes

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Refilling maybe done monthly, fortnightly or weekly depending on

    the demand.

    The stores where refilling takes place monthly are

    FOODWORLD

    FABMALL

    BOMBAY STORE

    HEALTH & GLOW

    JAVA CITY

    The stores where refilling takes place fortnightly are

    HIGGIN BOTTHOMS

    GANGARAMS

    Refilling

    0

    2

    4

    6

    8

    10

    12

    monthly fornightly weekly

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    PRICE CONSIDERATION:

    In majority of the stores ( except Bombay Store & Java City),

    since the magazine was kept in a separate rack along with others the

    consumers would pick up the magazine of their choice or based on

    impulse.

    But in Java City and Bombay store, Businessgyan is the only

    magazine to be sold. Most of the times, the customers perceive it to

    be a complimentary issue with their purchase and hence they just

    pick it up from the rack without paying attention to the price (but it is

    later included in their bill).

    ENQIURIES FOR BUSINESGYAN:

    The question of enquiries arises only when the concerned store runs

    out of stock and refilling has not taken place on time. Since the

    distribution staff and agencies are prompt with their services except

    in Landmark, the enquires for Businessgyan are not received that

    often. However there have been cases where bulk orders for

    Businessgyan have been placed on a single day (E.g. in the month of

    May, Gangarams received an order of 20 copies on a single day andthis resulted in enquiries when they were out of stock)

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    EFFECTIVENESS OF SUNBOARD:

    The sunboard is a cardboard frame placed behind the magazine

    to enhance its visibility in stores where magazines are placed in a

    rack.

    During the visit to the various stores mentioned above it was

    noticed that the sunboard was not used at all. The company should

    make sure that the concerned distribution agency handles this issue

    strictly.

    For instance in Foodworld (Malleswaram) the distribution

    agency (Magworld) had not ensured that the sunboard was placed

    behind the magazine.

    Due to such instances the survey revealed that the sunboard

    hardly mattered in enhancing the visibility of the magazine.

    The store managers in all the outlets (where sunboard was required)

    were not sure if its the first of its kind. They are also not aware if the

    cover page is attractive enough to induce a purchase.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    MOST PREFERRED CATEGORY:

    Business magazines were the most preferred category in all the

    outlets. For instance in Gangarams OUTLOOK (business magazine)

    is the most preferred magazine.

    SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

    BY STORE MANAGERS:

    Mr. Michael, store manager Java City (Lavelle Road)

    Businessgyan in the Lavelle road outlet is placed behind the cash

    counter and is visible to people who walk up to the cash counter, but

    since most of the time the bill is produced to the customers in their

    respective tables, customers do not approach the cash counter. As

    hence visibility though good is not meeting its purpose. Hence therack needs to be shifted from the billing section to the sitting area of

    the coffee shop.

    Health & Glow (Commercial Street), Store manager-

    The store manager in the commercial street outlet said that not more

    than 3 copies in a month are sold since the visibility is very poor. The

    magazine in the store is placed in a rack adjoining the cash counter.

    The rack is barely visible. Hence provision needs to be made to place

    the rack at a prominent place. E.g. on the billing counter.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    Businessgyan should try to increase its reach to more number of

    people by enhancing its visibility in distribution outlets and efficient

    and timely distribution services.

    The distribution agencies responsible for placing and refilling the

    magazine on the stands should be given strict instruction regarding

    their role and the repercussions if they fail in their duty.

    Monthly or quarterly visits to the distribution outlets can be made by

    Businessgyan staff to verify if the said instructions are being carried

    out and also to check if there is a possibility of placing the magazine

    in a more prominent location where visibility is enhanced.

    Businessgyan now needs to identify many other outlets where the

    magazine can be placed and help in increasing its circulation.

    Others were of the view that the magazine should be bigger in size so

    that the visibility can be enhanced and looks on par with other

    business magazines. They also felt the cover page of the magazine is

    not attractive enough; one of the reasons is that the cover page is

    congested with too much content (pictures and text)

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    READERSHIP SURVEY

    PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

    The readers of the magazine have several suggestions for the

    magazine. There was a requirement to clearly define the needs of the

    readers in order to facilitate implementation of the possible changes.

    These findings revealed that the readership aspects of the magazine

    have not been researched adequately. This is a road that is less

    traveled. This prompted us to undertake this research.

    PROBLEM STATEMENT:

    This project is undertaken to identify the varying needs of

    Businessgyan readers and also to determine its reach impact. The

    following pages contain recommendations and steps to improve the

    problems stated above.

    HYPOTHESIS:

    Since this research investigation is company-specific, the company

    has asked us to identify the readers satisfaction based on its

    requirements. Hence the issue of hypothesis formulation, we feel, is

    redundant.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:

    To identify needs of Businessgyan readers.

    To make recommendations to enhance readers satisfaction in

    the Businessgyan.

    RESEARCH DESIGN:

    This research investigation is analytical in nature. We seek to

    generate the data for the research analysis through an interview

    schedule to be administered on the readers and the data so generated

    will be subject to analysis and inferences will be drawn accordingly

    RESEARCH LIMITATIONS:

    Since this research investigation has been administered on

    randomly selected readers, the problem of generalization is

    obvious

    Difficulty of tracking actual number of readers due to

    overlapping

    Time and resource constraints

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RESEARCH TOOL:

    A questionnaire was designed with the help of the staff of

    Businessgyan.

    The objective was to identify the readers opinion about

    Businessgyan, their opinion on the articles, their ideas for

    improvement of the magazine in terms of content and people

    featured in the magazine.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    READERSHIP SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE:

    Please Let Us Hear From You

    We hope you find it useful. Our purpose with the survey is to meet

    your professional information and career and practical needs. To

    evaluate how we are doing and help us enhance the digest, we are

    conducting this readership survey. The following questionnaire takes

    only a few moments to complete. Since your views are very

    important to us, please take the time to let us hear from you. (Pleasefeel free to check more than one box.)

    1. How often do you read Business gyan?

    ( ) Regularly ( ) Sometimes ( ) rarely

    ( ) Never

    2. How do you like the magazine?

    ( ) Interesting ( ) Satisfactory

    ( ) Informative ( ) No comments

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    3. From where do you pick it up?

    ( ) Subscription ( ) Book shops

    ( ) Food world or other super markets ( ) Business center

    ( ) Hotel ( ) Conference

    ( ) Other

    4. Have the ads helped you?

    ( ) Yes ( ) No

    5. How do you rate it compared to other magazines?

    ( ) Very good ( ) More Informative

    ( ) More practical information ( ) Same as other business

    magazines

    6. The length of articles in Bg is:

    ( ) too long ( ) too short

    ( ) just right

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    7. Which area(s) of Bg are of most interest to you? (Please feel

    free to check more than one box.)

    ( ) Articles ( ) Interviews

    ( ) Panel Discussion reviews ( ) Campaign reviews

    ( ) Practical information ( ) In-depth analysis of cover

    feature

    ( ) Expert-written ( ) other

    8. What kind of people do you think should be featured inBusinessgyan?

    ( ) Business Leaders ( ) Entrepreneurs

    ( ) Achievers ( ) Middle/top level managers

    ( ) CEO /CFO ( ) Others

    9. Any suggestions regarding content?

    10.Please tell us how you think Bg can better meet your needs?

    11.What kind(s) of information would you like to see featured in

    future editions of Bg?

    Comments:

    Name

    AddressThank you

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RESEARCH FINDINGS

    Total surveyed 50

    Corporates 35

    Students 10

    Others 5

    Majority of the regularly category includes corporates. However

    some of them come under sometimes and rarely category as they

    are constantly travelling.

    The magazine is not very popular amongst students.

    Frequency of reading

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    Regularly Sometimes Rarely Never

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    RATING OF THE MAGAZINE:

    Businessgyan is most popular for its practical information especially

    to human resource managers and facility managers. Practical

    information includes advertisements (contacts) and articles that are

    useful to decision makers in companies.

    LENGTH OF THE ARTICLE:

    No changes are required relating to the length of the article. The

    readers were of the view that the length of the article was just right.

    Though few were of the view that certain extremely interesting

    articles could be carried forward in forth coming issues.

    Rating of Businessgyan

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    Verygood Informative Practical Information

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    CONTENT PREFERENCE:

    Preference

    80%

    42%

    32%38%

    82%

    52%

    76%

    4%

    00.10.20.30.4

    0.50.60.70.80.9

    Artic

    les

    Interview

    PanelD

    iscus

    sionrevie

    Campa

    ignrevie

    w

    Pra

    cticalin

    form

    atio

    In-d

    epth

    analy

    sisofc

    over

    feat

    Expe

    rt-wr

    itte

    othe

    r

    CONTENT

    VALU

    E

    IN%

    From the above graph it is noticed that the articles and practical

    information sections are the most preferred among the other content

    in the magazine.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    CATEGORY OF PEOPLE MOST PREFERRED:

    Most preferred category of people to be featured

    0

    0.2

    0.40.6

    0.8

    1

    Business

    Leaders

    Entrepreneurs

    Achievers

    M

    iddle/top

    level

    m

    anagers

    CEO/

    CFO

    Others

    From the above graph it is seen that the readers prefer to read articles

    on achievers, business leaders and entrepreneurs. The readers want to

    know the best practices followed in their respective companies and

    try and implement it in theirs.

    However in the CEO/CFO section only outstanding and popular

    CEOs like Nandan Nilekani are preferred among a certain section of

    people.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    SUGGESTIONS ANS RECOMMENDATIONS:

    Suggestions by corporates:

    As stated earlier corporates are frequent fliers and hence need the

    flight schedule which was being printed earlier but was later

    discontinued. There has been a suggestion to continue with the same.

    Some of the Facility managers felt that the advertisements in the

    magazine were been repeated too often. They suggested that new

    advertisements and contacts should be printed as the use of the old

    ones has been exhausted.

    Suggestions by students and others:

    The articles of Businessgyan pertain to more of practical information.

    Students suggested that more of day to day affairs and news at

    national and international level should be included to keep them

    updated and for a better reach.

    Students also suggested that Businessgyan should organize

    competition in colleges and participate in the managements functions

    of B-schools to create awareness about Businessgyan magazine as

    majority of the students are not aware of the magazine.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    The students were also of the view that to increase the subscription

    the magazine should be given at subsidized rates to the B-school and

    graduate college libraries.

    Students also feel that a section can be devoted to career related

    issues, career counseling and growth, since most of the information is

    firm specific. The Human Resource managers who are interviewed

    can specify the knowledge and skills required for candidate to enter

    their organization. This can help management students to equip

    themselves with the required skills so that they can fit the job profile.

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    M.P.Birla Institute of Management

    Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Books used:

    Businessgyan

    Businessworld

    Business Standard

    Websites visited:

    www.businessgyan.com

    www.business.com

    www.hinduonnet.com

    http://www.hinduonnet.com/http://www.business.com/http://www.businessgyan.com/
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    ANNEXURE