Marketing Advisory Services (MAS)

(Established in 1975) - Founder: Walter Vieira


MISSION
Helping industry, government and non-profit organizations to bring about desirable change to meet new challenges through accelerated evolution – not revolution.

OVERARCHING GOAL
To be involved in all activities concerning Strategy, Structure, Systems which will bring about CUSTOMER ORIENTATION at all levels in the organization

ABOUT US
MAS - led by India’s guru on Marketing – Walter Vieira - conducts premium quality training Workshops on Marketing and Management in four continents: Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.


PROFILE
For 25 years, MAS has helped Companies to increase effectiveness, sales and profits – through services in providing market foresight; better marketing operations; improved organization structures and interactions among stakeholders.

MAS helps companies in USA, UK, Japan to make an entry into India by:

assessing the market potential for product/service
conducting detailed market research – quantitative and qualitative
doing feasibility study if required
finding an appropriate local partner
developing an entry strategy
helping with development of total marketing plan
selecting and recruiting key top management personnel
initial handholding, as/if required.

OUR TEAM

Only those who combine academic background with at least 20 years of experience.

Walter Vieira - Founder
President of MAS, and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of India. Worked in industry for 14 years with Glaxo, Warner, Boots. Founded India's first marketing consultancy company in 1975. Accepted as "guru" on Marketing in Asia. Author of 10 books, Visiting Professor at US Business schools; business journalist; international circuit speaker. Was Chairman of ICMCI (1997-99), the 42-country world apex body of management consultants.

E.J. Fernandes - Senior Consultant with over 30 years of experience was General Manager - Marketing, at India's largest soaps company (Tata Oil). Moved into academics (Xavier Institute) and consulting. Mr. Fernandes was Marketing Consultant to UNITATA, Malaysia, a highly successful joint venture. He was President of the Bombay Management Association (1997-99).

A.K. Kher - Senior Consultant with over 30 years of experience. Electrical Engineer and MBA - Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), India's premier institute. 30 years experience in consumer and consumer durables products in India and the Middle East in marketing and general management. Also teaches Marketing at management institutes in India.

C.R. Seetharam - Senior Consultant with over 20 years of experience. A Chemical Engineer and MBA from the Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIM-C). A specialist in market research and quantitative methods. Has worked as an UNIDO expert in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Ram Mohan - Associate Consultant with over 20 year of experience. A Marine Engineer, who changed track to become a specialist in Human Resources and Change Management. He works with marketing specialists especially to bring about change to a customer oriented organisation. He has done considerable work in Western and Eastern philosophies and thought processes.

OUR CLIENTS

MAS - provides on-going marketing consultancy to companies in India and abroad in:-

- consumer products like OTC pharmaceuticals, shoes of Gaitonde
- consumer durables like Alpha Water Purifiers; Mafatlal Textiles in India;
Afprint Textiles Nigeria.
- agro products like pesticides (of Bayer, BASF, Hoechst, Rallis India, Hoechst)
- pharmaceuticals like Ciba Geigy (former); Cipla
- industrial products like aluminium (Hindalco); cement (Birla White,Vikram Cement)
- services like banks (Bank Am)


In India
MAS have been consultants for periods ranging from one year to ten years, for leading companies in India in the pharmaceutical, cement, pesticides, chemicals, aluminium, textiles, and consumer durables industries.Some of the leading conglomerates and companies in India, such as the Tata Group, the A. V. Birla and B.K. Birla Groups, BASF, Boehringer Manheim, and others have been assisted with inputs in areas of either Market Research, Marketing consulting, Organization Structuring, Training and Development

In Asia /Africa
MAS helped to reorient the marketing strategy for one of the largest cotton textile mills in Nigeria. For the first time a branded product was introduced, followed by a marketing campaign to a segmented market, in selected geographical areas. This was the first experiment, and successful too, in branding textile products in Nigeria.

MAS helped in the training and development of management consultants in Sri Lanka in the area of consultancy skills, under a three year contract.

MAS has done market research and market potential assessment for artificial sweeteners for a large corporation in Japan. Based on this recommendation, the company successfully entered the market.

In US /Europe
MAS has helped in organization structuring and in training the sales force in selling skills and sales management skills, for a large HMO in Chicago, USA.

MAS is now helping to get software developed by a company in Chennai, for clients in Europe, the Far East and USA.

MAS did market research for cast iron forgings for a client from Italy. The research was done using the survey method. Since the project was found to have good potential, the client was encouraged to move ahead. A collaborator was identified and a joint venture project of approximately $8 million went into production near Chennai, in South India.

MAS did a market scan using secondary research for waste water evaporators for a client in the USA. A recommendation saying the market was not attractive enough at this point, saved the company money on any further research as well as potential losses from their planned $10 million investment.

Our Services in India & in Asia, Africa, Europe and USA

· Can you afford to ignore India?
· Are you interested in entering the Indian market?
· Do you need help from a team of experts who have known success and failure and can help you with the lessons learned?

India and China are the two largest markets in the world. They are also among the world's most heterogeneous and complex markets. They are markets within markets, within markets!
This is what we can do to help you increase your chances of success:

Market Scanning:
* To assess whether the market is mature enough to accept a new product or service.
* Do a check on Arthur Felton's Three-Stage Formula:
Is there a need but no market?
Is there a market but no customer?
Is there a customer but no salesperson?

Competitive Intelligence:
Who are the important players in the market? What are their stated plans? What are customer perceptions about their offerings?

Market Research:
Qualitative or quantitative market research can be conducted in specific locations, or on an all-India basis. MAS is among the few companies in India having qualified personnel to conduct market research for highly technical industrial products.

Feasibility Studies:
If the market research is positive, then feasibility studies can be done to give the new entrant a roadmap for further action.

Development of Business Policy and Marketing Strategy:
Based on the feasibility study and government policies (present and anticipated), the client is helped in developing appropriate business policies and marketing strategies.

Identify Collaborators:
A collaboration route often facilitates entry of transnationals into developing countries. The initial hiccups resulting from an unfamiliar environment are minimized, or avoided. However, selecting the right collaborator needs considerable expertise borne out of experience. This is offered to the client to help smoothen the entry path.

Assistance in Implementation (Organisation Structuring, Selection and Training of personnel):
We believe that 'only' the preparation and presentation of a report and subsequent exiting cannot be the action plan of a modern day consulting company. We therefore go beyond the written document and 'hand-hold' Companies in the initial implementation stage, until they gain the expertise and confidence "to walk alone".

Cross-Cultural Issues:
Too many transnationals have done everything right according to the text book. Yet, they failed in the market, because they misunderstood the local ethos, whether in Mexico, India or Japan. We help clients bridge this gap and avoid the land-mines.

Independent Customer Satisfaction Surveys:
We conduct surveys for clients, through personal interviews, telephone, or mail, as may be appropriate. These are followed up with Recommendations and a plan for corrective action.

In-company training :
At all levels of the organization on a continuous and sequential basis to ensure:
· Smooth management of change
· New styles of management with a focus on collaboration and networking using the concept of constructive disobedience.

CONTACT US

You can reach Walter Vieira at vieira@vsnl.com

Tel: 91-22-2521-8027
Fax: 91-22-2521-4462
205, Eric House
16th Road
Chembur
Mumbai, 400 071
India.