MAXImum Marketing

Updated on: Thursday, February 09, 2012

The 33rd edition of XLRI’s famed marketing fair, popularly known as MAXI Fair was held recently at the XLRI campus grounds. For the last 32 years, MAXI Fair has not only provided students with an innovative method of conducting marketing research, it has also greatly benefited the local NGOs and business houses in better understanding and addressing consumer needs.

Pioneered by one of XLRI’s most eminent professors Dr Sharad Sarin in 1979 the fair is organised and conducted by MAXI – the Marketing Association of XLRI. Games and events are designed as surrogates to the actual research questions. The consumer is attracted by the fun element and enjoys the series of carefully designed games, unaware that his responses and actions are being tracked.

With over 5000 visitors, the corporate partners for this year’s edition included Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), ITC, Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and SAIL. Marketing research problems floated by HUL, ITC, GSK and J&J were skillfully addressed by the students of XLRI by designing games to capture the reaction of the participants.

“It is a great way of doing research. In conventional marketing research it is possible to capture only one dimension. The research conducted here captures a gamut of dimensions including product, packaging and pricing,” said Nilanjan Mukherjee, head of marketing for ITC’s Personal Care Business.

The fair also had a social research problem on rash driving. The project was guided by Prof Sanjeev Varshney, chairperson of marketing at XLRI and was meant to study the effect of stimuli on the observance of traffic signals.

This year, MAXI Fair expanded its horizons, making an attempt to help the local tribes of Jharkhand. The art and culture of Jharkhand was promoted along the theme of ‘Jharkhand Haat’. Stalls were set up showcasing their products like khadi, silk, handloom, handicrafts, pytkar paintings, dokra metal works etc. Artisans from villages made pytkar paintings depicting the tribal folklore on the spot from natural colours. Various organisations including Tata Steel’s Tribal Cultural Center, SEEDS, Neev, Kalamandir, Jeevika and Aadhar Mahila Shilp participated in Jharkhand Haat.

MAXImum Marketing

More Education news