Briefing document for TMVs MBA-Tech Programs Positioning 1. The Marketing Objective A.

What is TMV MBA Tech (MBAT) Programs marketing objective? i. MBATs marketing objective is to get 60 engineering graduates (including those who have appeared for their final year exams) enrolled as students for the course by 31 st. July 2012 for this new MBA program at TMVs Pune campus for which the fees will be Rs. 1,50,000/- per year. a) Therefore the objective is to generate minimum revenue of Rs. 90,00,000/- (Rs. 9 lakh) the 60 students enrolling by 31st. July 2012 b) For the current year the engineering disciplines targeted are limited to Mechanical, Production and Automobile Engineering c) MBAT also needs to ensure that it is strongly differentiated from any other MBA/equivalent program available in and around Pune at any other college or University because 1) Unlike any other MBA program, MBAT is designed exclusively for engineering graduates 2) It seeks to build on the knowledge of engineering acquired by students to help them build a career path commencing in the manufacturing (shop floor) department rather than sales, finance, personnel etc department. 3) The pedagogy is different compared to other MBA programs available ii. MBAT needs to be simultaneously sold to the manufacturing organizations as a excellent source of quality manpower. a) It needs their support to enable proper conduction of the program as such companies cooperation participation is needed for shop floor training b) Post graduation these organizations should be willing to recruit all the successful student c) Even for the first batch the target should be get such organizations o sponsor students who could be earmarked for them B. What is the communication objective and how it will be measured? i. Ensure that 600-1000 graduates students from relevant engineering disciplines should enquire about the program at TMV of which 20% make an admission application (around 1.251.5% of total target group should enrol) ii. All these students understand and accept the difference between MBAT & regular MBA can articulate the same and therefore wish apply for admission 2. Target Group A. What segment of the consumer population might buy into the MBAT program? i. Recent engineering graduates or those about to graduate who are interested in an engineering career per se rather than seeing it merely as a qualification for employability. ( (This is a

relatively small percentage of the total number of engineering graduates) Note: The total no in Pune city is around 18,000 per year of which those with graduation in relevant disciplines will be around 5000. ii. Such graduates would like to utilize the knowledge gained during the 4 year degree program rather than waste it a. Therefore they seek employment in manufacturing organizations b. However these engineering graduates also recognize the need for a master degree course which equips them with: 1. An understanding of both Business and Technology and application thereof (beyond basic engineering knowledge already acquired) 2. Thus enables them to rise faster in an organization 3. In demographic terms the target customer will be in age group 20-25 years, more like to be males c. The parents of the target group of students are also an extended target group as they pay the program fees d. As regards manufacturing organizations (the programs industrial target segment), it is necessary to target the top and senior managers who take recruitment decisions such as: i. Directors/CEOs of large, medium and small companies ii. Heads of manufacturing and human resource departments as well as there e. At what stage or stages in the decision making process is communication most likely to have critical effect? i. For consumers, (students and parents) communication will need to address the entire spectrum of the buying process: 1. Creating awareness about MBAT, which does not as yet exist a. As a management course for Engineers only b. And as a program that builds on their core engineering competence and supplements it with knowledge of business/commerce 2. Create acceptance, that such an educational program is a worthwhile alternative to other programs they are evaluating 3. Create preference (Make engineering graduates believe that it is worth exploring) 4. Drive search to ensure that target consumers visit the TMV website or campus and talks to admission councillors for MBAT ii. In case of organizations, the managers too there is a need to 1. Create awareness

2. Create acceptance 3. Create preference 4. Involve some in the student selection process for the first batch itself 5. Create willingness to accept students of MBAT as interns within the organization for practical training 6. Also induce them to offer students scholarships f. Considering the target and the point where communication will have effect, to whom will the communication be addressed? i. The communication will be addresses to the primary target groups listed below: 1. Engineering graduates (mechanical, production or auto) particularly those who have appeared for their final year exam in April/May 2012 and have passed or await results 2. Parents of above graduates 3. Top/Senior managers in manufacturing companies who have face difficulties in getting well groomed frontline shop floor managers g. What is the target like as a person? What feelings, attitudes and beliefs does the target hold of our brand (outlet)? i. The primary target group - students who will seek admission are young adults (predominantly male) and are all recent graduates or those awaiting graduation results who find themselves at a critical juncture in their lives. ii. On one hand they sense that they are reaching the point where their student days are nearing their end and they are poised to enter the world of employment. From being dependents they are becoming truly independent adults and will be far freer to take their own decisions in life and be responsible for them. iii. However at the same time there is also a sense of trepidation at what this next phase in life holds for them. They are both confident and hesitant this transition which leads them to seek avenues to postpone the eventual entry into responsible adulthood for some more relatively carefree student days before the inevitable change takes place. There is also a feeling that it will be very difficult to once again become a student if they take the career plunge. iv. The search for an extension of a carefree life makes them look for educational opportunities which both

1. Immediately boost their employment prospects by way of enhanced entry level salaries 2. Also Enhance their long term career prospects v. These young men and women are prepared to spend relatively large sums of money to acquire additional qualifications which in their perception provide distinctly superior career prospects and will totally change their line if they feel it worthwhile vi. They often take education loans for the purpose vii. However their perceptions are strongly influenced by their peer group. viii. Unfortunately the proportion of students who have chosen engineering as discipline which interests them per se is low. 1. Even such students can be influenced by peers to opt for non technical courses 2. However if offered a genuine prospect of staying within a discipline that adds value to their current qualification they can be persuaded ix. The parents of the above student group will be in their late forties and fifties and will be just as anxious about the prospects of their wards in the job market x. Given high parental involvement in India such parents will support their wards if they also perceive a good opportunity for career advancement in MBAT xi. The top/senior managers in manufacturing organizations including SMEs are aware of the shortage of skills in young recruits. They need to be persuaded that the program will help reduce the same as it will provide them with better trained entry level managers. h. What is the target like as a person? What feelings, attitudes and beliefs does the target hold of our brand? i. The target customer has unfortunately a negative perception of TMV as a brand because of the case against deemed universities which is pending in the Supreme court ii. The target group does not have any knowledge of MBAT and there is a danger of it being seen as just another MBA iii. The above opinion are likely to also held by parents and company managers because of lack of information about the actual status/ pronunciations of the court i. What is the personal media network of the target individual? i. The entire target group is literate and can be reached through the press. (Marathi as well as

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English), both dailies and magazines. Local press is important as there is little wastage. The same is true of FM radio, though absence of visuals limits this medium. ii. However the target number is very small (5000 students) therefore better routes will be: 1. Use of events and direct mail which will enable focussed communication and direct contact 2. Co-branding or promotions with relevant partners if any can be found. iii. It is necessary to prepare marketing collaterals (brochures, leaflets/pamphlets, canopies etc. For facilitating direct contact) j. It may be possible to contact Parents (fee payers) through the same media. k. One to one contact, supplemented by mailers (including electronic) is also needed for the managers in target companies Action a. What action do we want the target consumer to take as a direct result of exposure to communication? i. The target students should opt for TMVs MBAT program paying full fees for year-1, taking education loans if necessary. ii. Parents of such student should pay the fees iii. Manufacturing company managers should 1. Agree to interview candidates for MBAT 2. Provide short and long duration internship opportunities 3. Recruit successful MBAT students on program completion b. What action will that replace? i. Students instead of enrolling for an MBA at any institution including TMV itself, should choose to enrol in the MBAT program ii. Parents should accept pay the fees rather than ask their wards to enrol for other programs iii. Managers should not be passive about this program and instead should support it actively Reward and Support a. What competitive advantages or equities does the brand have that are or will be valued by the target? i. MBAT expects to provide the following to the those who enrol: 1. A well planned education program which builds on already acquired engineering skills. Unlike other MBA programs those with non-engineering degrees are just not eligible to join. Therefore MBAT program does not waste learnt skills. The engineer

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in other MBA programs is no better than a graduate in any other discipline 2. Does more to familiarize students with the reality of the shop floor management 3. Improves short and long term career prospects in vocation of choice ii. Managers will get manpower which far better trained than before, reducing the time and money spent on the task post recruitment. SMEs will get personnel who can fill-in for the owner manager quickly during their absence. b. What reward the brand (or product or service) promise, to persuade our target to take action? i. MBAT students will get better employment opportunity as compared to those engineers ii. They will also get faster promotions and have a better career iii. Managers will be able to deploy the MBAT product right away on the job. Note: Two approaches for par brands suggested are pre-empt or import. c. How will the reward be supported? i. The program structure provides for far greater interaction with manufacturing industry making students aware of work conditions, employer needs and thus will close skill gaps ii. Managers will be able to see the students at work within their own companies during internship and will be able to see the potential for themselves before final recruitment v. Personality a. What is the brands current personality? TMV as a whole has a quiet, understated and undifferentiated personality while the MBAT program which is to be launched does not have personality. It is necessary to create a different personality for the MBAT program which can be described as serious, competent yet youthful and go-getting b. Given the Marketing objective, the brands potential competitive advantage, the nature of the target, action and reward, and the competitive personalities, how must this personality be changed? The personality type suggested is suitable for the MBAT program c. In no more than five adjectives, what will our brands personality then be? TMVs MBAT is a mentor who primes me for success. Media a. When, where and under what circumstances will our target be most open to hearing about and desiring to obtain the specific reward and support described before?

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The window of opportunity to communicate with the student target group is small from mid June to end July 2012. i. During this period the new engineering grads/grads to be as well as those who have graduated earlier but feel they need to further boost their qualifications look for educational opportunities ii. This is also the time when the industry is inducting inexperienced engineering grads and finds them insufficiently prepared for work and has to spend time and money on training. Therefore they are more likely to respond to appeals for supporting MBAT b. Which vehicles on the targets personal media network reach the target at times, places and circumstances when the target is ready to hear about the specific reward and support described in 4b & 4c. i. It is necessary to try and reach the grads at their meeting places, which could be their college campuses, our campus, or at hangout joints ii. Managers will need to be contacted at their work places c. Considering the competitive media mix and our brands relative size are there particular media which should be included or excluded? i. It is necessary to include personal contact programs as interactive sessions with the target group are likely to be the most productive. ii. ATL media should be avoided due to very low proportion of target audience in any such vehicle, except for an announcement advertisement Key insight What is the one key insight on which to focus the campaign? MBAT is completely new program created solely to boost engineers career opportunities by making them multi skilled and employment ready in their own chosen field. Brand positioning platforms a. Platform 1: Leverage you engineering degree with MBAT to realize your career dream b. Platform 2: Build a managerial career with engineering as the foundation through MBAT c. Platform 3: Managerial careers for engineers through MBAT

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