Monday, July 30, 2012

The Strategist Quiz (#264) Gaurav Sri Krishna / New Delhi Jul 30, 2012, 00:58 IST


  1. This was the only brand before Havells that saw value in the late Rajesh Khanna. It struck its first in film placement deal for a movie starring the superstar where he played the owner of an agency in the movie that was named after this brand. Name the movie and the brand.
     
  2. Whose cell phone brand is christened “Chairman” and what is its claim to fame?
     
  3. This brand is from a central European country and its name when translated in its native, means pity/shame. It is quite a popular brand in India. Name it.
     
  4. Who said this “You always start with a fantasy. Part of the fantasy technique is to visualise something as perfect. Then with the experiments you work back from fantasy to reality, hacking away at the components”?
     
  5. At the age of five the founder of this company started selling matches to his nearby neighbours and by the time he was seven, he realised that he can buy matches in bulk cheaply in Stockholm and re-sell them individually at a very low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his porfolio. Name him and his company.
     
  6. Which brand is offering the winner of a new-flavour contest the option of a prize based on sales of the new flavour that he or she inspires? Also mention the title of this campaign.
     
  7. Connect the Lloyd’s Building in London, the Dresdner Bank Building in Frankfurt, IBM Tower in Johannesburg, the Elf Towers in Paris, the Etisalat building in Abu Dhabi and the New York times building with an individual who is considered to be an achiever?
     
  8. Launched in the early 1900s Highland Milk and Jersey were two of the three names that were considered for this brand. By what name is it known today?
     
  9. Identify the brand from this description — “A tribute to the man who stands up for what he believes. Who is brave enough to fight injustice and discrimination. Who leads by example.” This brand is the world’s largest brand in its category by volume.
     
  10. Identify the brand from its logo?

Answers to last week's quiz (#263)


  1. In the early 1900s bankers chose this person to run a failing New York based meat packing company. This company through an earlier subsidiary used animal by-products from its slaughter houses and started out making tennis racket strings, violin strings, and surgical sutures. Identify the company and the person after whom it is named.Wilson Sporting Goods Company. It was first known as Sulzbeger & Sons and was renamed after Thomas E Wilson was appointed president of the company.
     
  2. In the telecom industry what are Cows and Colts?A cell on wheels, usually referred to as a COW, is a mobile cell site that consists of a cellular antenna tower and electronic radio transceiver equipment on a truck or trailer. COWs are used to provide expanded cellular network coverage and/or capacity at special events such as major sporting events. COLT is a cell on Light Trucks.
     
  3. What was the resultant after the US treasury secretary Tim Geithner saw people using their phones to make remittances in India and deputy secretary of treasury, Neal Wolin saw mobile banking in action in the Philippines?The US treasury department set up a competition for developers and lay people as part of MyMoneyAppUp Challenge, asking them to develop a mobile application for people to manage personal finances better.
     
  4. Who is building retail malls in the country under the Trillenium brand?Tata Realty
     
  5. In the world of business what is known as the first Supper? The inaugural credit card transaction of Frank McNamara founder of the Diners Club card
     
  6. Name the designer clothing brand that has tied up with builders in India to brand high-end apartments?Armani
     
  7. Which company’s marketing philosophy was founded on these three principles — empathy, focus and impute?Apple computers
     
  8. At which company’s headquarters will you find outdoor sculpture that includes work from major modern sculptors like Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and Alberto Giacometti?PepsiCo in New York
     
  9. For which brand did Jayaprada, Sridevi, Ravi Shastri, Vivian Richards, Allan Border and Kabir Bedi feature in its advertisements?Vimal from Reliance
     
  10. Identify the mythological beast from the image and name the company that has adopted it as its official emblem. It is also found on the packaging of most of its consumer non-durable products.The Sharabha, a mythological creation from the Puranas

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Strategist Quiz (#263) Gaurav Sri Krishna / New Delhi Jul 23, 2012,


  1. In the early 1900s bankers chose this person to run a failing New York based meat packing company. This company through an earlier subsidiary used animal by-products from its slaughter houses and started out making tennis racket strings, violin strings, and surgical sutures. Identify the company and the person after whom it is named.
     
  2. In the telecom industry what are Cows and Colts?
     
  3. What was the resultant after the US treasury secretary Tim Geithner saw people using their phones to make remittances in India and deputy secretary of treasury, Neal Wolin saw mobile banking in action in the Philippines?
     
  4. Who is building retail malls in the country under the Trillenium brand?
     
  5. In the world of business what is known as the first Supper?
     
  6. Name the designer clothing brand that has tied up with builders in India to brand high-end apartments?
     
  7. Which company’s marketing philosophy was founded on these three principles — empathy, focus and impute?
     
  8. At which company’s headquarters will you find outdoor sculpture that includes work from major modern sculptors like Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and Alberto Giacometti?
     
  9. For which brand did Jayaprada, Sridevi, Ravi Shastri, Vivian Richards, Allan Border and Kabir Bedi feature in its advertisements?
     
  10. Identify the mythological beast from the image and name the company that has adopted it as its official emblem. It is also found on the packaging of most of its consumer non-durable products.

Answers to last week's quiz (#262)


  1. Built to Last is the title of a popular business book written by Jim Collins. Name the business group that uses the same phrase as its logo.Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group
     
  2. “Soon Vapour magnesium is going to compete with brushed aluminum.” What do you infer from this statement?The shell of Microsoft’s surface tablet to be launched in October 2012 is made of vapour-deposited magnesium, or VaporMg. iPad’s shell is made out of brushed aluminum.
     
  3. The English brought to India the criollo variety but the plants were too weak to survive the harsh Indian climate. After Independence, an MNC brought in the sturdier forastero variety and planted them along with coconut plantations in Kerala. Name the MNC and the commodity being described.Cadbury Fry and Cocoa plants
     
  4. This firm has designed a complete line of bathroom ceramics and furnishings, a kitchen sink, a battery ceiling lamp, a champagne refrigerator, an office trolley and a cell phone. It is a renowned luxury brand. The bathroom series is branded F1. Name it.Porsche Design Studio. It’s latest creation is the Porsche Blackberry Phone.
     
  5. Who uses the slogan “Where dreams are made” and for what?Korean Air for its Airbus A380 series of flights
     
  6. What is common to Dr Swati Piramal of the Piramal group and Walter Issacson, CEO of Aspen group and author of Steve Jobs’ biography?Both are members of the Harvard Board of Overseers, one of the two boards governing Harvard University
     
  7. Name this company whose name comes from Latin for day and Greek for world.Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business that owns brands like Johnnie Walker, J&B, Smirnoff, and Baileys
     
  8. What is common to Usha fans, Delmonte Tomato sauce and John’s umbrellas?All these brands use India’s most famous animated character, Chota Bheem for their promotion
     
  9. Whose brands are Excellence Chili and Excellence Sea Salt?Lindt, Swiss Chocolate brands. Dark chocolate with Chili and Sea Salt.
     
  10. Identify both logos from the visuals and name a brand that is connected to both of them.

    Vauxhall and Hindustan Motors. The Contessa was a model of a car manufactured by Hindustan Motors (HM) of India that was based on the Vauxhall Victor FE. The Victor was stopped in 1979 and the production of Contessa ended in 2002.

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Strategist Quiz (#262) Gaurav Sri Krishna / New Delhi Jul 16, 2012, 00:09 IST


  1. Built to Last is the title of a popular business book written by Jim Collins. Name the business group that uses the same phrase as its logo.
     
  2. “Soon Vapour magnesium is going to compete with brushed aluminum.” What do you infer from this statement?
     
  3. The English brought to India the criollo variety but the plants were too weak to survive the harsh Indian climate. After Independence, an MNC brought in the sturdier forastero variety and planted them along with coconut plantations in Kerala. Name the MNC and the commodity being described.
     
  4. This firm has designed a complete line of bathroom ceramics and furnishings, a kitchen sink, a battery ceiling lamp, a champagne refrigerator, an office trolley and a cell phone. It is a renowned luxury brand. The bathroom series is branded F1. Name it.
     
  5. Who uses the slogan “Where dreams are made” and for what?
     
  6. What is common to Dr Swati Piramal of the Piramal group and Walter Issacson, CEO of Aspen group and author of Steve Jobs’ biography?
     
  7. Name this company whose name comes from Latin for day and Greek for world.
     
  8. What is common to Usha fans, Delmonte Tomato sauce and John’s umbrellas?
     
  9. Whose brands are Excellence Chili and Excellence Sea Salt?
     
  10. Identify both logos from the visuals and name a brand that is connected to both of them.

Answers to last week`s quiz (#261)


  1. In the recently concluded Rio +20 Earth summit, more than 50 countries and 86 corporations, including Walmart and Unilever, signed a declaration supporting a measure of wealth that goes beyond GDP by including the value of natural assets such as soils, watersheds and fisheries. What is this measure called?Natural capital accounting
     
  2. A software outsourcing company was set up by two San Diego entrepreneurs in a 600-cabin cruise ship off the coast of California, just over the 3-mile border that marks international waters. An innovative engineering service which creates high end software engineering jobs in the US while still providing lower overall costs. Name the company and the trademarked phrase they created to describe their business strategy.David Cook and Roger Green set up Seacode, a software company on a ship and called their business strategy, Hybrid Sourcing
     
  3. Which was the first company in India to market LPG as a cooking fuel to domestic consumers during the mid 50s?Burmah Shell which later got nationalised in 1976 and was renamed as Bharat Petroleum
     
  4. Prince Bernhard, consort of the Dutch queen and prime minister of Japan were involved in a multi-country bribery scandal involving an US based company during the 70s. Name the company.Lockheed Corporation
     
  5. What is common to Prachi Desai, Yujraj Singh, Remo Fernandes, Zaheer Khan, Mario Miranda and Mahima Chaudhary?They were all brand ambassadors for Goa Tourism
     
  6. Whose employees are referred to as Crayons?
    Employees of the Supercomputer company Cray Inc.
     
  7. Which product was announced through this advertisement that read “We thought you’d like to have something only fictional heroes like James Bond, Walter Mitty or Dick Tracy are supposed to own”?An HP advertisement announcing the first pocket scientific calculator in 1972
     
  8. Whose brands are Gemini, Rath and Silkroad?Cargill India
     
  9. This building was built by Greek business family in Mumbai in the 1920s. It was known by its family name till 2003. A Greek inscription carved on the front door stone lintel of the building reads “Walk the straight line”. What is the building’s new name and who is its current owner?TCS House formerly known as Rallis House. It is now the headquarters of TCS.
     
  10. Identify the brand from the visual. Every year during mid June to the first week of July it is noticed more.
    Christy, the UK based towel brand that has been the exclusive supplier to Wimbeldon for the last 25 years. It is now owned by the Indian Welspun group.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

This week's Quiz - Printer's Devil

Dear Followers of the Strategist Quiz
Ignore the quiz published today. Seems to have been some kind of mix up and questions from the week before last have got published again.
Apologies on behalf of my publishing team.
Gaurav Sri Krishna  

Answers to last week's quiz (#259)


  1. When Amul was building a modern dairy plant to process liquid milk UNICEF and other diary experts declared it impossible to process liquid milk into powder and other solid products. Undeterred, Dr Kurien’s team went ahead and achieved one of the firsts in the world. What is it?Amul was the first in the world to convert buffalo milk into powder, butter and Ghee etc
     
  2. Whose in house magazine for its employees is called the Magic Carpet?Air India
     
  3. This name the brand that was presented through India’s first colour advertisement in the mid 40s. Also name its ad agency.India’s first ad agency B Dattaram founded in 1905 and was responsible for the first colour advertisement for Ramtirth Brahmi Hair oil.
     
  4. What term did Stuart W Cramer, a leading textile engineer from Charlotte, North Carolina, introduce in 1906?He used the term air conditioning in a patent claim filed for a humidifying head, , giving the fledgling industry in 1906 its name
     
  5. Whose baseline reads “If We ask the right questions we can change the world”?Dassault systems
     
  6. Name the two global technology giants that are embroiled in a controversy which is dubbed as “the Itanium situation”.HP and Oracle
     
  7. This person known as the London Whale was mainly responsible for a $2 billion loss that hit a Wall Street bank. Name him and the organisation he represented? Bruno Iksil, a London based trader of JP Morgan. He had influence in the credit derivatives market which spurred some of his counterparts to dub him the London Whale.
     
  8. Name this entrepreneur who at the age of 26 started selling trouser material branded as White, Blue, Brown(WBB) and launched a brand called Manz Wear in India?Kishore Biyani
     
  9. Which organisation orients its employees around the concept it calls Scootitude?Scoot airlines, a low cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines
     
  10. Identify the character in the images and the brand that uses it as its logo. The first image shows its logo from the 50s and the second image is its current logo.
    Staedtler, the german pencil and writing instruments company. The logo represents the image of the Roman god of war.