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Profile of Ashwin Merchant: A true entrepreneur and SME family member
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Born in an industrious SME family, Ashwin Merchant is an engineer from VJTI, University of Mumbai with post graduate studies in marketing management. After returning from USA, where he had gone to pursue higher studies, initially he joined family linked business in manufacturing of electrical equipment.
In the first quarter itself he designed and developed first of its kind of solid state battery charger (unique, advanced, not available in India) and demonstrated manufactured product at India International Trade Fair (IITF) in New Delhi under Government of Maharashtra pavilion for SSIs & SMEs. He put in lot of marketing into business of selling a hard core electrical product by designing catalogue which unlike rest, talked about benefits and not just features.
For a 15 day trade fair, to explain product he used tape recorder which played product information to visitors. A nice logo and business cards were designed as marketing tool. Received hundred of enquiries and back in Mumbai seniors were not ready to allocate company typist to reply enquiry.
Ashwin Merchant borrowed money and bought Apple computer than costing Rs.99,000/- a first generation of PC. Used low profiled word processing software and mail merged all enquiries with a single text in less than a week. Surprised by technology assistance and usage for commercial purpose, senior encouraged him to do a business in the area of providing similar services to all those who regularly participate in exhibitions.
And, this gave birth to India's first word processing bureau WORDPLUS Compu-Mark Assistance which was launched at a well known event at Hotel Ambassador in Mumbai. From thousands of square feet of space at the factory, Ashwin Merchant preferred to settle in 200 square feet office in South Mumbai, purchased on rent.
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GO for Guerilla Marketing: It works!
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Ashwin Merchant | 03 Nov, 2009
Focus. If you can not outspend, at least you can out perform.
When the competition is tough – with larger organizations, national brands and globally competitive products, find out where is your strength.
Alternatively, find out the weakness in the overall strength of your competitor as far as your product, customers and territory is concerned.
Select a small area where you can concentrate – create your own USP, develop your customers and attack the market aggressively like how MNC do for national and international market.
Use your strength – logistics, language, taste, culture, education, economic segment and position your product and promotion in such a way to that a small but a well defined market you can virtually lead. The customers in that focused group will always prefer to buy from you.
It is better to be a big fish of a small pond and keep on taking benefits. Plan your marketing strategy accordingly and use the most appropriate marketing tools to reach and communicate with your customers.
(To know more about the author please visit: www.ashwinmerchant.com The author can be contacted at ashwin.merchant@yahoo.com)
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