Are We Still Lovin'

THE ECONOMIC TIMES NOVEMBER 09-15, 2016 SOUTH Always The CXO Never The CEO What sort of a message are companies that pass over Indian CEOs for expats trying to send? BE investigates. By Ravi Balakrishnan McDonald’s 20th BORA ANIRBAN Anniversary Film & Shephali Bhatt he marketing and advertising landscape career paths for its best Indian talent. Are We Still Lovin’ It? across the Asia Pacific region (and many This isn’t a very publicly articulated grouse — hen McDonald’s Tother pockets of the world large) is dotted most marketing folk like their jobs and/or need started 20 years ‘What’s there to celebrate?’ ask McDonald’s rivals and with Indian expatriate talent. But do all of the money to pay for the beach house in Goa or ago in Mumbai, them really want to be there? At least some would the farmhouse in Kodaikanal. But BE decided to it was welcomed industry observers as the burger brand launches its 20th rather be back home, even if it means braving traf- find just why the career paths in some companies with crowds anniversary celebrations with a new campaign and more. fic jams, being forced to support a ‘city team’ in end at CXO and seldom CEO for Indian talent. Wqueuing up out- cricket or kabbadi, have a working knowledge of Especially when there’s ample evidence of some side its restau- By Ravi Balakrishnan & Rajiv Singh the ins and outs of Bigg Boss and an opinion on of the country’s biggest companies like Mondelez rants. When its South Mumbai the latest K-Jo outing. The deal would have been and Hindustan Unilever, faring very well, helmed location replaced an iconic Irani and marketshare. To make mat- ing is if there’s enough cause or marketing and digital, McDonald’s sweetened by the prospect of being country lead by non-expats. Here’s what we found: café, doomsayers predicted a ters worse, a revitalised KFC is reason to celebrate. India (West & South) adds, “We are of a large MNC, in charge of a brand or culinary apocalypse, where snapping at its heels (see Food For There is, if you ask Amit looking to double the footprint from ten. The right and just reward for hav- Indians with It has a lot to do with the sec- McDonald’s would subsume lo- Thought on Page 4) Jatia, vice chairman, Westlife 240 to 500 in the West and South by ing built some of these from scratch or stellar track tor you are in: Technology com- cal eateries and we’d get our fix of McDonald’s is currently prepar- Development Limited and the 2022. We have a significant outlay got them up to speed in what’s widely records are panies are notoriously particular parathas, dosas and idlis from an ing to launch its 20th anniver- owner of the McDonald’s franchise of `700 to `800 crores to invest and acknowledged as one of the world’s sent to unfa- about expat leadership. LK Gupta, American burger company. sary campaign around the theme for the West and the South. He grow this market.” toughest markets. miliar mar- CMO, Cardekho (GirnarSoft Labs) Two decades later, traditional ‘A Lot Has Changed. says, “Often brands If the North and East are absent But often Indian professionals with kets to prove who had a previous stint with LG Indian fare and the restaurants Nothing Has Changed. McDonald’s from 10 years ago in these growth plans it’s be- impressive track records and pedi- observes, “The technical know-how that serve it up have proved to 20 Years of Lovin It’. It faces many chal- don’t do well today, cause of McDonald’s prolonged grees find themselves in a strange their mettle, is concentrated in the mother com- be surprisingly resilient. After a tracks the twenty year since consumers legal battle with its franchisee for unfamiliar country, having to prove yet again pany. Be it LG, Samsung, Sony, or long run as the only burger show journey of a couple who lenges after a move ahead. But these regions, Vikram Bakshi, their mettle all over again. And that most car companies.” To the point in town, McDonald’s in India is meet at, bond over, and long run as the McDonald’s is un- ongoing since 2013. Commenting at the point when they should, logically speak- where according to Gupta, the Indian heads contending with global arch-ri- finally bring their child only burger recognisable from on the development, Jatia will ing, have taken on the largest role within their are out of the loop on many aspects of technol- vals like Burger King, specialty to McDonald’s, and an show in town what it was four only say, “The last couple of years home country. It’s no secret that Japanese ogy, financials and transfer pricing even at the chains like Carls Jr and every interactive component years ago. The res- have been difficult, but in the and Korean firms typically have bosses from C-suite level. These companies are hierarchi- tony diner serving up its own be- inviting people to send their pho- taurant is more relevant to con- long term, a country takes time to the head office, irrespective of the strength or cal, demand and expect loyalty, with personnel spoke burger range. More criti- tos taken over the last two decades sumers of today. Many mall own- build. We have years ahead of us. weakness of local ops. Even some of European frequently spending their entire careers at the cally, it has a formidable rival in during visits to the burger chain. ers tell me it doesn’t don’t feel like The difficulty will be overcome firms operate on the same principle. Ferrero same firm. Gupta says wryly “We Indians are Domino’s Pizza which has stolen But the question many of its rivals a food offering is complete without soon as litigation gets resolved.” Rocher for instance is run by an expat CEO as not like that.” a lead in terms of outlets, revenue and industry observers are ask- McDonald’s.” Kedar Teny, director- Continued on Pg 4 >> is L’Oréal, even as it has managed to carve out Continued on Pg 4 >> Starbucks accused of ‘political brainwashing’ over green cups Last week, Starbucks began serv- chain of “political brainwashing.” ing its seasonal holiday drinks in Some people saw the green cup as new green cups that were meant to a distinctly political act. Some Twitter promote a message of unity. But the users were connecting the green cups cups are having the opposite effect, to Hillary Clinton, who Starbucks CEO causing an uproar among some cus- Howard Schultz has endorsed for tomers who are accusing the coffee president. (Source: businessinsider.com) “You’re Not So Special Anymore” Two of the world’s most valuable brands have been served a bad blow by their chosen ones. By Delshad Irani “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one” said Jose Mourinho at a press conference in 2004. The football club man- ager with a reputation as big as Ben had just moved to Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, which became his stomping ground during two separate stints with starkly different outcomes. Ever since that fate- ful day when he introduced himself to the Cyrus Mistry, former Chairman of English press, Mourinho has been called Tata Sons the ‘Special One’. Eight years after the Special One’s first TATA coming, another chosen one, Indian con- Source: Brand Finance struction magnate Pallonji Mistry’s son and heir, Cyrus Mistry was picked to lead $13.7 BRAND VALUE Tata Sons. He took over from Ratan Tata bn IN BILLION as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding com- Most Valuable Brand in pany of the global salt-to-Jags Tata Group. It was a momentous occasion in Indian India (2016) corporate history, dissected and covered with almost as much depth and fan fare as a tory”. In Tata’s 148-year-old history, the prime ministerial election, complete with chapter on Ratan Tata and Tata Sons’ coup coverage staples like a sort of 100-Days in and the “malicious allegations” in the office report card. Mistry-ously leaked letter is far from its Five years, a boardroom coup, the return finest hour. of an old king and a leaked “bombshell let- What a few might have missed while the ter” later, Mistry’s unceremonious evic- letter from a miffed Mistry was doing its tion from Tata Sons has shaken WhatsApp laps, was another meltdown. India’s corporate universe. Its That Mourinho’s return to England, first MANCHESTER UNITED FC ripples have been felt across with Chelsea and presently with its bit- World’s most valuable and the world. While the morning ter rival Manchester United FC, has been after the mutiny was a field rough is a colossal understatement. His the first billion dollar day for punsters in the Indian team’s embarrassing 4-0 loss to Chelsea football brand (2015) press corp, at our B-Schools the two weekends ago was the lowest point, Source: Brand Finance Mistry-Tata saga has already only aggravated by the club’s malfunc- become the subject of case tioning WMD and the world’s most expen- studies on succession planning, corporate sive player, Paul Pogba. It was a bloodbath governance, and conflict management. one could barely watch, even if you are a An episode Mistry himself described as ManU hater. “unique in the annals of corporate his- Continued on Pg 4 >> THE ECONOMIC TIMES NOVEMBER 09-15, 2016 2 Brands Wanna Be A Social Butterfl y “You don’t have to be more In its Social Media Report 2016, Yral, a JV between cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s YouWeCan ventures & digital marketing agency AdLift, charts the evolution of social media for brand engagement and the use of platforms across categories f*cking careful.

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