Abhijit is a business manager with proven experience in multiple domains. He has highly successful track record in market development. At Quick Heal, Abhijit has been an initiator and strategic planner and has worked towards making the company a market leader in SOHO, and SMB business in India.
Are there any marketing rules to follow when communicating in your category?
We have security solutions for retail as well as business segments. So the communication strategies differ for each segment. For the retail customer, the communication is usually very simple yet is
designed to effectively convey the need for digital security. In this case, the use of popular mass media is also taken into account. While for business customer the messages have to be different and the proper channels of communication have to be identified and utilized.
As a marketer, what are the two trends that will define the future of your industry?
The current scenario is more social and communal, more fragmented, more transparent, more personal and always on the move. Personalization is the key here. One major trend that is defining the dynamics of this industry and making it quite complex is the proliferation of platforms.
The mobile explosion has also added a layer of complexity, and although location meant nothing few years ago, it is everything today. This has resulted in a rapid, dynamic and wildly complex
marketplace. Here it is about delivering the right content to the individuals who need it, at the right time, in the language they prefer, on the device of their choice.
Mobile devices are like second computers for many business users. Employees don’t just want access to email; they want access to critical business data and processes. However, the policies used to manage laptop PCs don’t fit with mobile devices and the internal firewall in this case is ineffective against the increasing application level attacks. The focus of new generation devices and operating systems is on app stores that gives users one-stop shopping for mobile applications. This turns your
traditional management model on its head because you are not the only one in control of the apps installed on user’s devices. In such a case, the security is heavily reliant on the authentication system and forced settings via configuration policies.
On a personal note, what is your all-time favorite marketing book?
The domain is quite dynamic to stick to one book.
A marketing mantra that you would like to share.
Keep listening to the customer. This implies identifying the right platforms to reach out to customers and communicate the right message. The efforts have to be grounded in behavioral science and have to be highly adaptable. Because the aim here is to build sustainable relationships, instead of just marketing a message. There has to be a healthy degree of reciprocity and value exchange. If your customers don’t find value in the relationship, they move on.
Moreover, always ensure that the product or service experience is always available and reachable irrespective of location.
Can you talk about any successful campaign that you have been a part of why you think it has created a difference?
The first media campaign – the Radio advertising that started some seven years back made a huge impact. The target segment was clear as we had decided to reach out to our retail customers. FM radio at that time was fairly new and there was no fragmentation. The message was crisp and clear. In fact, Quick Heal was known as the brand built on Radio. People were surprised to see a technology product on FM.
Can you share one trait that futurist marketer should possess.
In a highly networked and participatory environment – the role of a marketer is to nurture participation. Since marketing is about getting someone to take an action it is important to understand the right platform so that it reaches the right customer. So, in an age where the biggest challenge is fragmentation of media the one trait that every marketer should possess is to understand and identify the right platforms for content delivery.
This article has appeared in Marketing Booster magazine
This is one of the best interview answer i have read..i have always admired Quick Heal for its marketing ways to brand themselves in this fragmented Indian SMB market.
I will suggest editor of this site to consider a series of stories on Quick Heal ways of doing things…so many saas and tech startups can learn how to crack Indian SMB market, which is btw massively big.
Is there somewhere one could find additional info?