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Executive Summary Amazon entered India in 2013 via Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd., launching Amazon.in as a marketplace that connected third-party sellers with customers. Its India strategy centered on navigating strict FDI rules that bar foreign e-commerce firms from holding inventory or selling directly to consumers, while competing intensely with Flipkart. As reported by The Economic Times and Business Standard (2013–2020), Amazon operated formally as a marketplace but

Executive Summary Airbnb, founded in 2008, transformed short-term rentals by creating a two-sided marketplace connecting hosts with travelers. According to Airbnb's S-1 filing (November 2020), "Our platform is built on trust. Guests must trust hosts to provide them with a place to stay that is accurately represented. Hosts must trust guests to treat their homes respectfully." This case examines how Airbnb designed its review system to establish digital trust at scale. Company

Executive Summary Tinder, the location-based dating application owned by Match Group Inc., entered the Indian market in 2013. The platform's communication strategy in India has involved navigating cultural sensitivities around modern relationships, dating, and technology-mediated matchmaking in a market traditionally dominated by arranged marriages and family-driven partner selection. This case study examines Tinder India's publicly documented communication approach, market p

Executive Summary Spotify, founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon in Sweden, became the world's largest audio streaming platform despite competing against Apple, Amazon, Google, and regional players with deeper resources. By Q3 2024, Spotify reported 640 million monthly active users and 252 million premium subscribers across over 180 markets, according to company shareholder letters. The company differentiated through a freemium model, algorithmic personalization,

Somewhere in the mid-2000s, Abhijit Avasthi, National Creative Director at Ogilvy India, found himself thinking about his childhood memories of eating Cadbury 5 Star chocolate. He remembered that specific feeling—the way he would lose himself in each bite, the world fading away for those few moments of pure indulgence. That memory, that sensation of being completely absorbed, would become the foundation of one of India's most memorable advertising campaigns. When Mondelez Int

It’s 11 PM on a Tuesday. You’re half-asleep, scrolling, when suddenly you crave Maggi. Not noodles—Maggi. Not “instant noodles,” but 2-minute Maggi. That’s not hunger talking. That’s decades of brand recall at work. And here’s the kicker: when was the last time you saw a Maggi ad? Can’t remember? Doesn’t matter. The brand lives in your mind, rent-free, taking prime real estate in your memory. This isn’t luck—it’s engineered through what I call the Brand Recall Accelerator, th

Executive Summary Paper Boat, launched in 2013 by Hector Beverages Private Limited, pioneered the Indian ethnic beverages category by commercializing traditional drinks like aamras, jaljeera, and jamun kola. Founded by Neeraj Kakkar, James Nuttall, and Suhas Misra, the brand positioned itself around regional nostalgia and authentic flavors, challenging both carbonated soft drinks and emerging juice categories. According to multiple interviews with the founders, the brand was

Executive Summary Zomato Limited, founded in 2008 as a restaurant discovery platform, has executed a strategic diversification into B2B food supply (Hyperpure) and quick commerce (Blinkit). According to Zomato's FY2024 Annual Report, the company operates across three primary segments: food delivery, quick commerce through Blinkit, and going-out (dining and events). Hyperpure, launched in 2018, serves as the supply chain arm providing ingredients and supplies to restaurant par

It was January 2025, and Center Fruit was about to do something it hadn't done in years—bring back the phrase that once made India laugh, wag their tongues, and remember a chewing gum brand like no other. "Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee" was returning after a significant hiatus, and it was coming back with a story that would bridge the old with the new, the rural with the urban, and tradition with urgency. For those who grew up in the 2000s and early 2010s, "Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee"—w

"Washing powder Nirma, Washing powder Nirma, Doodh si safedi Nirma se aaye..."  Stop. You're already singing it, aren't you? That jingle—etched into the collective memory of generations—belongs to a brand that did the impossible: a lab technician on a bicycle defeated Hindustan Lever's mighty Surf. This is the story of how Karsanbhai Patel turned Rs 3.50 detergent packets into a $9 billion fortune and rewrote India's marketing playbook. The Farmer's Son Who Chose Chemistry (1

"Khushbudar antiseptic cream Boroline"  – If you're Bengali, you didn't just read those words; you sang them. That jingle, etched into generations of memories, belongs to India's first antiseptic cream—a humble green tube born not in a laboratory, but in a patriot's home during the fierce fires of the Swadeshi movement. This is the story of Boroline: how an ordinary merchant's cream became an extraordinary symbol of India's fight for economic freedom. When Importing Foreign G

Executive Summary Coca-Cola India represents one of the company's critical emerging markets, with operations spanning over three decades. This case study examines Coca-Cola's strategic approach to leveraging cultural elements—specifically sports and festivals—as core pillars of its marketing and brand-building strategy in India. The analysis is based exclusively on publicly available, verified information from company reports, press releases, credible news sources, and docume

Executive Summary Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019, in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands, marking The Walt Disney Company's direct entry into the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming market. According to Disney's Q4 FY2019 earnings call, the service attracted 10 million sign-ups on its first day. By the end of Q1 FY2020 (fiscal quarter ending December 28, 2019), Disney+ had reached 26.5 million paid subscribers globally, as disclosed in the company'

Last week, a small chai business from Pune broke the internet—not with ads or celebrities, but one simple video of their founder showing how to make kadak chai. Within days, that same video became an Instagram carousel, a LinkedIn post, a YouTube Short, and a viral Twitter thread. One idea, ten formats, thousands of new customers. They’d discovered the Content Repurposing Flywheel—and once I saw it, I started spotting it everywhere. The Power Plant That Never Stops Think of c

When you see that friendly logo with the moon and stars promising peaceful sleep, you're looking at India's most trusted mosquito repellent brand. But Good Knight's journey—from a struggling entrepreneur's dream to a ₹30,000 crore empire—is a story of innovation, timing, and one of the smartest acquisitions in Indian FMCG history. The Beginning: When Distribution Wasn't Enough (1970s-1980s) In the 1970s, an entrepreneur named R. Mohan started a trading firm in India. He began

Executive Summary Ola Electric entered India's electric two-wheeler market in 2021 with a pure direct-to-consumer model, eliminating traditional dealerships entirely. Founded in 2017 by Bhavish Aggarwal, the company launched its S1 and S1 Pro scooters exclusively online, backed by the "Ola Futurefactory" in Tamil Nadu—announced in company press releases as having 10 million unit annual capacity. The strategy achieved rapid initial scale but encountered significant operational

Executive Summary The Amazon Great Indian Festival (AGIF) is Amazon India's flagship annual sale event, launched in October 2014 to capture peak consumer spending during India's festive season around Diwali. This case examines publicly documented aspects of AGIF's strategic positioning and verified business impacts, while acknowledging significant limitations in available public data regarding internal metrics and financial performance. Background and Market Context Amazon en

In the world of festive advertising, where every brand competes for emotional resonance during the holiday season, Zomato created something truly special with their Christmas 2023 campaign. Titled "What Happens When Santa is Late," this heartwarming film didn't just sell food delivery—it delivered a masterclass in emotional storytelling, brand positioning, and the art of turning a service benefit into a touching narrative. The Story That Touched Hearts The campaign opens with

Executive Summary Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited) represents one of India's most enduring examples of cooperative enterprise and brand consistency. Operating under the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Amul has maintained a distinctive brand voice for over five decades, primarily anchored by its advertising campaign featuring the "Amul Girl" mascot. This case study examines the publicly documented aspects of Amul's brand-building strategy, focusing on ver

Executive Summary Starbucks Corporation's entry into India through a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages Limited represents a significant case study in international market entry strategy, particularly in navigating complex emerging markets through local partnerships. Announced in January 2012, the joint venture entity Tata Starbucks Limited commenced operations in October 2012 with the opening of its first store in Mumbai (according to company press releases and m