Hema Malini Nidamanuri

When Spotify and Uber partnered in 2014 to offer in-car music streaming for the riders, everyone claimed it to be a marketing gimmick. But the alliance was simply too powerful to ignore. Imagine hailing a taxi and playing your favorite tunes during the ride, as you would in your own car. This personalization of the riding experience gave Uber a hard-to-beat competitive edge in the market, while both the parties benefitted from the other's audience reach. Today, Uber generates over $6.1 billion every year ; all because of a strategic partnership with Spotify, among many other brands like Trulia, Virgin America, etc. Closer to home, CRED's commercial starring Rahul Dravid (a personal brand in his own right!) as the " Indranagar ka Gunda" single-handedly exposed the brand to country-wide prospects. That's mass brand awareness done right. The lesson? You cannot take your business to the top of the mountain alone. After all, like humans, no business is an island...

Always dreamt of wearing a Sabyasachi sari for your bestie's wedding or a Ralph Lauren jacket for an important business meet? You can now make your dreams come true without having to burn a hole in your pocket. Welcome to the world of ‘Fashion Rentals’ where exotic designer wears are available on rent at a fraction of its original cost. From clothes, shoes, sunglasses to designer gowns and accessories, all that stands between you and your dream attire is just a mouse click or a Smartphone tap away.  Millennials’ paradigm shift from ‘ownership’ to ‘no ownership’ If you are a skeptic and feel fashion rentals are just a social buzz, there are strong reasons why fashion rental market is here to stay. Snap to a decade ago where buying premium dresses was limited to the ultra rich or celebrities.  Today in the digital world of Instagram and Snapchat, the millennials like to have holistic experiences each day. This includes dressing smart for each occasion, looking g...

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”. Perhaps these words weren’t meant for a marketer. But when you consider today’s tough market scenario, nothing can be more relevant. For any business, the efficiency of their marketing strategy is as essential as the quality of their products and services, right? But is that possible without a clear marketing plan in mind? Probably not! A solid marketing plan is key to a successful business. It provides a direction to your teams’ efforts, goals, and growth. And so, if you haven’t focused on developing a marketing plan for your business before, there is no better time than now. Not sure where to start? Here are the steps to create a robust plan for your next big marketing campaign. 1. Define Your Business To write a successful marketing plan, begin with defining the workings and goals of your business. Believe it or not, your audience will be more interested in your product when they understand your business better. What is so unique about ...

What is good customer service ? Understanding your customers’ problems? Yes. Offering them relevant solutions? Yes. Managing their expectations effectively? Yes! But what separates it from great customer service? Empathy. That’s right. Providing an excellent customer experience is not just about providing the best products anymore. It’s also about allowing them memorable interaction, where empathy takes the front stage. But what is empathy? Empathy is the ability to identify or understand other people’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings. It has now become a must-have skill for enhanced customer experience. As it turns out, 21.3% of customers expect more empathy in their interaction with customer service. True, your main aim is to capture more customers for the growth of the business. But leading with empathy can set you apart from others. An empathetic approach is all you need to establish customer loyalty and boost your brand image.   How Is Empathy Critical to Sales? The...

In the post-COVID economy, startups in emerging markets are making strides. If you own a startup, the time is ripe for expanding into mature markets. But wait! Here are some things to consider before taking the leap. Do you have an innovative startup in an emerging market? Congratulations, you have unparalleled potential to make an impact in the post-Covid economy, and here is why. In the past year, the world has realized that people across the globe can access most services digitally, and fast-growing tech startups are headlining this change. Emerging markets are also attractive to foreign investors due to the high return on investment they can provide. Startups in emerging markets have enough financial backing and winning prospects to broaden their horizons. However, before you make the leap into mature markets in your preferred growth location, there are four key things to consider.  Wait For the Right Time Before you expand internationally, you need to evaluate your presen...

The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely changed the way we live and work. These behavioral changes will persist even after the pandemic subsides. Some of these changes were forced upon us, and the rest simply represent the height of innovation in a time of crisis. Businesses have had to adapt to survive this gruesome pandemic. They started moving towards digital and automation technologies, and started implementing them a lot faster than they were pre-COVID. All businesses have experienced a massive reset of the workforce, employer/employee relationship, and the entire business ecosystem. The impact of the pandemic was negative on most businesses and positive for some. Whatever the case, we can all agree that the pandemic has left businesses with invaluable experience and insights. The pandemic has revolutionized the entire work culture, and the businesses that survived can make use of this treasure trove of knowledge to boost productivity and overall growth. In fact, a 2020 study conduct...

If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic came as an ugly reminder that health is transient. However, there’s a silver lining to it – it also led to the realization that health is the natural state of the human body. It is only when it is meddled with that the bodily functions all go haywire. As such, 2020 through 2021 saw a significant health revolution of sorts. Despite a deadly pandemic, people maintained a balance – Instead of becoming COVID-fatigued or believing that it was all a little too sensationalized, many stepped forward to take charge of their health. Naturally, healthcare brands followed suit. Here are key drivers or post-pandemic healthcare trends that are rocking the ecommerce sector. The shift from Reactive to Proactive Health :  Consumer consciousness regarding proactive health – using ‘food as medicine’ – had already developed back in 2019. If anything, the pandemic of 2020 only intensified this focus so that 2021 is seeing more and more demand for products that can hel...