Annapurna Case Study Questions:

1. What is the role of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in BOP markets according to Prahalad?Do you agree with this position?

According to Prahalad Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in the innovation process of several MNCs, especially when the latter intend to approach consumers at the Base of Pyramid. The primary role of an NGO in times of disaster is to provide: 1) selfless, voluntary, non-discriminating service, 2) joint action/programmes at the national level and 3) public awareness through the mass media.

I definitely agree with this position. NGO's are essential in giving out what is best for BOP markets.

2. According to Rekha Balu of Fast Company, "poor people ... can become just as discerning about brands as rich customer". Do you agree with this statement? Is this applicable in the Philippines?

I agree in this statement. People who are in higher class have the tendency to have the best quality they could get in a particular product. Branding has become a great issue for people here in the Philippines. More people are getting conscious on what they should buy and what should they prioritize.

3. What is the nature of the breakthrough of K15 Technology in your own words?

K15 technology is used to protect iodine not the microencapsulating the entire salt particle. In the experiment that they did that iodine having a coated surrounded iodized to protect it from environmental conditions.

4. What are the issues/difficulties in branding something like salt according to Vishal Dhawan?

According to Vishal Dhawan, head of Popular Foods, the difficulties in branding products is to choose which product have the best potential in branding and how can they develop the undeveloped food staples market like salt.

5. Why is the Annapurna evolution necessary according to Vishal Dhawan?

The evolution gives the idea of market expansion. As market expands, supply and demand to people will be efficient enough to sustain healthy living.

6. What would the nature of the "differentiator" for Dr. Amitava Pramanik?

Dr. Amitava said that the stability of iodine in salt is poor and it can be lost. They also also claimed that 70% of iodine can be lost during the Indian cooking. Dr. Pramanik and his teamed develop a technology to guarantee that substantial iodine would not be lost during storage, transport and cooking so that they can provide the brand differentiator that no competitor could match and to help fight IDD in India.

7. What is the effect of advertising for the marketing strategy for Annapurna with K15?

Advertising makes market more visible. It helps people to be more aware and be educated about the importance of iodine.

8. What are the innovations of HLL with regards to transporting salt?

HLL uses rail, mitigating some of the problems with trucking and earning an edge from their competitors. In the system, salt is transported on rake-sized rail carriages, vastly increasing the amount of salt that can be transported in one shipment. The rail transport adds a salt buffer depot step to the process, in which salt is loaded into trucks for delivery to the wholesaler or retail outlet. 

9. What is Project Shakti and what are its goals?

 Project Shakti is a direct-to-consumer initiative targeted at individuals at the bottom of the pyramid in rural India. The four goals of Shakti are: 1) To increase our reach to the rural market, 2) Attempt to increase awareness, 3) Change attitudes regarding usage of the various product categories, and 4) And catalyze rural affluence and hence give growth of the market.

10. How would you imagine SANGA, an "e-tailing program for daily ordering and delivery"? If you were its designer how would you describe it?

E-commerce website with delivery tracking and online payment. Thru online, consumers could actually order products hassle-free. The e-commerce website will be usign  a payment gateway where people could transact for their chosen products.

11. Project Shakti caters exclusively to men. There have been requests for men to becomeShakit dealers but HLL turned them down. If you were the decision-maker, would you allow men to become Shakti dealers? Why?

Men and Women are exchangeable when it comes to skills and character. On this case, men can be responsible in handling dealership, however, they should also look on the possibility that women can also do the same as men can do.

12. What is i-Shakti? As an IM/IS student how can you improve i-Shakti?

i-Shakti is an information-technology-based initiative aimed at providing solutions to rural information needs.

As an IS student, I can improve i-Shakti by creating a system which people can interact with. The system will display infomation which would help them learn about crops, health, etc. t is important that people who will be accessing the system should be aware of rural information needs.

13. HLL's would-be competitors decided to have a watch-and-wait policy. If you were a would-be competitor for HLL would you decide to get into HLL's market? Why? How?

Yes. It would be a better world I myself would initiate being involved in a BOP market. This kind of opportunity would not only benefit me but as well as the community who needs the most that they could get.

14. Should HLL keep their K15 technology proprietary? Why?

Yes, they should keep it. This technology would become an edge to their competitors.

15. Do you think a program like Project Shakti would succeed in the Philippines? What do you think would be some of the anticipated difficulties?

In a way, yes. It will only take us a lot of time to motivate and persuade people to be involved with this kind of marketing strategy. As long as they are informed with the benefits, I think Filipinos have the chance to adapt this kind of approach.