CASE STUDY

OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

Submitted by -

Amey Katpelwar
 Introduction
• In October 1995, group company Hathway Investments Private Limited entered the
print media. OUTLOOK, a weekly newsmagazine headed by Lt.Vinod Mehta, galvanized a
sluggish market reeling under the impact of satellite TV.

• OUTLOOK quickly carved a significant niche for itself among discerning readers who value
its in-depth, investigative reporting as well as its stylish visual format.

• Known to be fiercely independent, OUTLOOK has shaken the establishment on events

ranging from Kargil to Kashmir to cricket, sensitized the reading public to important
issues like big dams, education and gender, and provided an unremitting focus on South
Asian geopolitics.
 Introduction
• Today, OUTLOOK is the preferred magazine of 1.5 million readers in India, and sells
more than 11.2 million copies over the year.

• OUTLOOK is one of India's four top-selling English weekly newsmagazines. OUTLOOK's

competitors are India Today & Readers Digest.

• Currently it has several magazines like -

I. OUTLOOK Business
II. OUTLOOK Money
III. Outlook Traveler
IV. Outlook Weekly
V. Outlook Hindi
VI. Outlook Luxury Traveler.
 Products and Services of the
Organization
I. OUTLOOK Business
II. OUTLOOK Money
III. Outlook Traveler
IV. Outlook Weekly
V. Outlook Hindi
VI. Outlook Luxury Traveler.
OUTLOOK WEBSITES

• Outlookindia.com: In 1998, OUTLOOK went online as OUTLOOKindia.com is both OUTLOOK magazines’ home
on the Internet and an online publication. Apart from OUTLOOK's print edition in its entirety - supplemented with links
to related articles on its own site.OUTLOOKindia.com also offers an array of original Web-only columns and news
updates every day with a very lively interactive section.

• Outlooktraveller.com: Inaugurated as a web resource in 2000, this travel Website has since come a long way.
Outlook Traveller began by opening up new vistas in web-driven vacation planning, with its highly focused editorial
features on an array of destinations, from selecting your destination, to choosing your mode of transport, finding your
way around the map, selecting a place to stay to catching the local festivities, plus ferreting out the nearest ATM, fuel
stop or cybercafé.

• Outlookmoney.com: OUTLOOKmoney.com takes forward the philosophy and beliefs usher in by Intelligent
Investor (the personal finance magazine that was launched in mid-1998, now known as OUTLOOK Money). The site
has six channels -- Stocks, Mutual Funds, Loans, Retirement Planning, Taxation and Insurance -- that address broad areas of
the personal finance spectrum. OUTLOOKmoney.com comes with many interactive tools.
 OUTLOOK Quarterly Sales

OUTLOOK quarterly sales doughnut is being described and it is

observed that during 2nd quarter (Jul – Sep) and 4th quarter (Jan –
Mar) maximum revenue is earned reasons thereof are as follows:

• In the middle of 1st and 2nd quarter, company appoints college

interns, who are really enthusiastic and focused towards their
work. Secondly, company launches Bonanza offers during this
period.

• During last quarter, every employee gives his/her best performance

to achieve the annual targets and company earns maximum profit
through its ‘Subscription & Retail division’.
 Growth chart of the Organization from
the year 2005-2009:

• The company has grown marginally at the

lower rate of 15% from past 5 years. In the
present market situation INDIA TODAY is
capturing the major share of 32%, which is
followed by THE WEEK & OUTLOOK.

• Majority of the respondent are influenced to

buy the for the purpose of cover story and the
contents in the magazines.
 OUTLOOK vs. INDIA TODAY

• INDIA TODAY is considered as major competitor of

OUTLOOK, thirty five years old brand, which has
touched all the segments of the market and shown a ray
of light to Print Media.

• Customers’ feedback is being compared, amongst

two print-media Groups and it is found that India
Today, which is 35-years old brand, has been
performing well consistently and OUTLOOK Group
has surprised everyone by aggressive marketing
during the last 15-years and beaten the Champion
of its field by circulating its eleven magazines 0 2000 2005 2010 2015
INDIA TODAY 3.7 4.1 4.3 4.5
which fulfill the needs of different age group people OUTLOOK 2 2.9 3.6 4.7
GROUP
belonging to different sectors.
 MARKETING STRATEGIES
ADOPTED
• 1. Mass impersonal selling methods (Advertising) - > Pull Blend.

• 2. Face to face personal selling (Salesman ship) - > Push Blend.

Both of these are closely related to the Channel of Distribution.

• 1. A Pull Blend is one in which mass impersonal, sales efforts are given the greatest emphasis. The
purpose of pull blends to pre-sell to the final consumers so that they demand the product at the retail level
of distribution.
• The firm adopting this strategy would spend more on advertising and sales promotion rather than in
personal selling.

• 2. A Push Blend emphasizes personal selling. Naturally firms adopting this method develop a strong
sales force at both the distributor and the dealer level; this method would tend to push the product through
the channel of distribution.
 PROMOTION AND SELLING

• The term promotion is very often used as a synonym for selling. But selling is a
narrow term which includes only transfer of title or personal selling.

• Promotion on the other hand is broader in its outlook and includes a variety of
activities used ultimately for increasing sales volume.

• Promotion has come to mean the overall co-ordination of advertising selling, publicity
and public relations.

• Promotion is a helping function designed to make all other marketing activities more
effective and efficient.
 Objective of Sales Promotion

• To increase sales directly by publicity through media.

• To attract new consumer.
• To face the competition effectively.
• To help salesman in selling more to the retailers and consumers.
• Generally speaking sales promotion involves rendering the
following services:-
(a) Services to dealers.
(b) Services to own salesman.
(c) Special publicity.
 SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS:

• Well organized and experienced staff.

• Innovative and customer oriented products.
• Direct approach to the customer.
• Customer satisfaction.
• Strong distribution network.
• Efficient and fast delivery system Through Blue Dart
• Good subscription gifts.
• Have separate group for Hindi magazines
 SWOT ANALYSIS

WEAKNESS:

• Price of some magazines is high.

• They are reluctant in promoting some of their own
products .
• It takes four weeks in delivering first copy of the subscriber
and two weeks in case of address change.
• Sometimes Gift is not delivered to Customer as per given time.
 SWOT ANALYSIS

OPPORTUNITIES:

• It has many products capturing all sectors information so it has an opportunity to become a
market leader.

• Outlook Weekly is very good and effective magazine. This is the public –interest magazine.

• Outlook has an opportunity to promote its magazine at international level with international
edition.

• OUTLOOK can increase its product line by launching three new magazines, related to auto
industry, magazine for beauty parlours exclusively and OUTLOOK technology these three can
increase the market share of OUTLOOK
 SWOT ANALYSIS

THREATS:

• Existing competitors in the market. Competitors are increasing

in the product line.
• India today has already captured the big market share.
• Perception of Readers: Outlook Favours Congress party and
most of time
 Suggestions

• Company should be emphasis on more effective advertisement.

• The most important task is that company should give its priority to coverage. If
the company could cover home towns, cities and villages then it will create their
more magazines readers.

• The company should enhance its awareness among many people by mobile road
shows: outdoor advertising in local and national newspapers as well as more type
of ads on prime time on television channels for different uses segments. So that
many people may come to know about the services of the magazines and can
become a subscriber of the company.
 Suggestions
• The policy or company should be simple. And bring more transparency.

• The company should up date marketing department in town offices for the
benefit of the subscribers as well for the company.

• Follow Up is very crucial for any call and hence should be done very
thoroughly by the sales executive. As magazines is not a critical product for any
organization and have to be pushed for sales, hence if regular and thorough
follow-up is not done, the client may soon loose interest in the product and forget
it. Hence, the sales executive should try and maintain a relationship with the
client and pursue him with great interest.