FCB ULKA COMSTRAT 2005
Started with a bang and ended with a banger

The K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, in collaboration with leading Advertising agency, FCB Ulka Advertising Pvt. Ltd., staged FCB ULKA COMSTRAT 2005, an inter-management institute Communication Strategy Competition on 26th November 2005. The communication strategy was designed for a contemporary and live case study: Asian Paints- Wood Finishes
From a slew of entries from right across the country, FCB Ulka identified the six best analyses of the case at hand. And on the big day, six 3-member teams representing Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai,N L Dalmia Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai, Vinod Gupta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology ,Kharagpur, Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai and the hosts, SIMSR, Mumbai were given the opportunity to present their views of the prevailing situation at hand in terms of consumer perception of Asian paints wood finishes and suggest means of improving its brand image and positioning in the minds of the consumer. It was also incumbent upon the teams to identify the most appropriate communication, product and pricing, and retail strategies, in order for wood finish to grow as a brand and benefit from the suggested measures.
The teams were given 20 minutes to impress upon an able and percipient jury comprising of Mr. K.B.S Anand ,vice president Marketing, Asian Paints, Mr. Kinjal Medh, strategic planning wizard and COO, Cogito Consulting, the new brand-consulting agency within the FCB-Ulka group and Mr. Dorab Sopariwala, Director, ORG-MARG, Member of the Board of Governors of The Advertising Standards Council of India, and NDTV's favourite psephologist and advisor, the merit of their arguments.
The teams brought out the issues affecting wood finishes with regard to its branding in the unorganized Indian Market. Backed by painstaking market research, brand prisms and FCB grids, the teams set up and supported their propositions. From reducing the prices, to deploying the magic that only a brand mascot can bring, to striking deals with corporate entities, to striking up mutually beneficial relationships with hardware dealers and carpenters and painters, the teams came up with innovative and carefully thought out tactics to improve wood finish revenues and increase their share in the branded wood finish market. At the end of the day, the jury decided on the top three teams and awarded prizes sponsored by FCB Ulka, Garnier Fructis (L’Oreall, Tata Indicom Total Internet (VSNL), Sunfeast Biscuits (ITC) and Zod! Clubwear (Zodiac).

K.J Somaiya Institute of management Mumbai won the competition for the second consecutive year, where as JBIMS, Mumbai was awarded as runners up
To wrap up an exhilarating evening, Mr. Anand gave his views of what he thought were the issues facing wood Finish, and elucidated on what he thought were the 'right moves' for Asian paints in the near future. At the end of the day, every member of the appreciative audience walked away a little smarter, a little wiser, with a more realistic view about brand building and in anticipation of Asian paints right move'.