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Case Study: Leading The Mind

Case Study: Leading The Mind Shamsher Rao was delighted to see Raghav Kashyap, coach and mentor to some good senior managers in India, jog in his direction. This was too much of a coincidence. For, that morning, Shamsher had sought the advice of old friend Sanjeev Sachar of Egon Zehnder and it was Sachar who had suggested to him to enlist the help of Raghav. Shamsher knew Raghav. They had all been together at university and met periodically at the alumni meets. Shamsher shouted out a familiar greeting and Raghav reciprocated. They exchanged mild pleasantries and soon the two were strolling down the tracks talking business. Taking opportunity, Shamsher, who was the chairman of Lafette Industries, asked Raghav, “I need some advice. Can I? ” Raghav: Oh, please! Do tell me. Shamsher: I will tell you very briefly and then if need be, we can meet for lunch early this week? And Shamsher told him about a senior manager at Lafette, Madhav Saha. Shamsher: Madhav has been with us s...
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Case Study: Store Big, Mall Bigger

Case Study: Store Big, Mall Bigger Angad Singh noticed the growing confusion on the face of Mallika Talwar, his colleague. Was there something he was now going to hear? Angad had called for a meeting with Mallika and another consultant, Sanam Sinha to discuss Gigil’s proposed outlet in The Quartz Mall in Pune. Mallika looked uneasy as Angad explained the brief for their meeting that week with Gigil owners in Mumbai.  StratNext, a brand marketing and consulting firm, where the three around that table worked as consultants, would be advising Gigil on its branding at The Quartz Mall, in line with its ongoing strategy for the chain in India. No doubt Gigil, a growing name in salons, had begun to find a following rapidly across the metro cities; but the spot that Gigil was going to occupy at The Quartz had erstwhile hosted a competitor — Volyoom, a high end, premium hair and skin salon. In less than 15 months, Volyoom was exiting The Quartz and Mallika knew of this. So,...
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Case Study: To Be Or Not To Be In A Mall

Case Study: To Be Or Not To Be In A Mall Mahadev Garg heard Angad patiently, even intently, as the latter presented brief bullets about his team’s anxiety over Gigil’s presence in The Quartz Mall.  Angad’s consultant team at StratNext (whose CEO was Mahadev Garg), made up of Mallika and Sanam, had dissected why Volyoom a premium salon brand at Quartz did not succeed. And since Gigil was taking that vacated spot, Gigil was at risk too. Mallika had felt Quartz had let down Volyoom by bringing onto the LG floor, mass brands, which had not been on the cards earlier. When the mall was opened to the public, the Lower Ground (LG) level was mostly empty, save two or three cosmetic stores. The rest were just boards that announced ‘Coming Shortly’ for some premium brands. The other point Mallika had made was the coexistence of mass brands that were not mass but, in fact, cottage sector products that littered the concourse on the LG. In short, Mallika felt that while Volyoom was ...
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Case Study: From Mill To Mall To Sprawl

Case Study: From Mill To Mall To Sprawl Mahadev Garg walked into XtOne Mall in Mumbai. His client had asked to meet him at “Golden Chai on the ground floor”. But on stepping into the XtOne, Mahadev was alarmed. ‘Ground Floor’ was not good enough an address. The floor just unfurled before him like an endless carpet. Mahadev walked around negotiating every turn while his trained eyes took in the mall ambience. People were sitting around in bunches, watching life, unagitated, happy, calm, while their kids ran around in glee. This was an ideal ‘city’ for them. Full of happiness, full of all their needs and wants and dreams. Mahadev clicked a few pictures, of the vibrant mall and posted a few on his Facebook with a comment, “This is the life they want. They come here to live. In the process, some needs will be met, some wants will be met, some dreams will be seen and stored for later. Presently he stumbled upon Golden Chai — tucked away far inside and away from visibility. Later h...
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