The 248KB that fired to defend the honour

By | 12/06/2015

      

70th Episode. Many answered my call to share some episode from their life in advertising and marketing, this is one of them where I am not in the picture.

Back to 2006-2007. Post launch of two English newspapers in Mumbai, the fight for respectful second was still on. TOI (Times of India) was feeling the heat but had the cushion of legacy & numbers.

NEWSPAPERS copyOne of the newly launched English newspaper decided to introduce a circulation drive based on classic coupon scheme. The process was simple; circulation sold these highly discounted coupon booklets to the readers. This money was deposited at the newspaper-billing department.  The readers   gave one coupon per month to the hawker instead of cash. Hawker presents the coupon at newspaper office and collects cash.

Marketing and brand team as per verbal communication from 2nd-in-command at the newspaper went ahead and printed 5000 coupon booklets and handed them over to circulation.

Till here things were working like an ISO certified process. It became a problem only when hawkers started submitting coupons for reimbursement at the newspaper office.

What happened? Simple, in the chaotic system working in top gear people failed to regularise and document the scheme. Circulation sold the booklets or lets say used the booklet and no one in billing was aware of the scheme. There were no internal records. No one submitted the cash after selling the booklet.

Smart circulation guys under pressure to build up numbers sidestepped the process. They showed false gain in numbers. Then they sold newspaper as raddi (Scrap). If that was not enough, they tried to get the coupons cashed through hawkers. This is where they were caught.

With no internal record and no one aware of what was happening, marketing was hauled up for being inefficient and causing more than 25 Lakh loss. Management called in manager (brand) who had printed the booklet. Luckily management had full trust in his integrity.  But, organisation needs scapegoats. The trail unfortunately was ending at his level. Management openly shared what they had unearthed. The poor manager marketing was asked to think peacefully and try remembering everything associated with the coupon booklets.  The management was interested to identify all who were involved. They were fuming as to how this could happen without anyone being wiser.

Here is where the hero of the story, a 248 KB excel file makes its grand entry. It was the only document that listed how 5000 booklets were distributed within the circulation team. Not surprising that the call for coupon reimbursement were coming from same pockets. The marketing manager was saved.  I am told that some senior member and the circulation zonal head were sacked.

A classic example when a 248 KB excel file as a result of diligent documenting actions and decisions, a simple CYAUYH  (Cover your ass using your head) saved the day.

……….. OTHER ADVERTISING MARKETING EPISODES 

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