Outlines its channel strategy for the state

Canon India having tasted success in Rajasthan by becoming the market leader
with 59 percent share (in the inkjet printer cate-gory) as per IDC, has chalked
out major plans to maintain the posi-tion. Alok Bharadwaj, Director and GM
(Consumer Information and Volume Products), Canon India, was exuberant about its
emergence as market leader and along with the company’s 10 channel partners
and 100 rese-llers across 50 towns in Raja-sthan, marked the occasion with a
show of fireworks which it called ‘celebration fire-works and leadership
blasts’.

Today, Canon claims to have a presence in 50 towns in Rajas-than, which it
plans to increase to 60 within this year. "Today it’s the B and C class
cities where the business is, therefore, we are targeting them and want to
br-ing ourselves more closer to customers," elaborated Bharadwaj.

He was excited about the fact that the company was able to garner 59 percent
market share without resorting to price drops. "Compared to our competitors
our pries are higher, but still we were able to gain such a high marketshare."
He attributed the success to the initiatives they took including brand building,
launc-hing new products, opening five service centers, expanding the channel
base etc. Apart from all this, Canon also launched 25 ret-ail points across
Rajasthan, which will be further increased to 40.

To further strengthen itself in Rajasthan, it has planned out to hold more
than 10 training programs and 15 dealer meet across the state in 2004. The
company also plans to increase it presence from the present 50 to 60 cities in
the coming months.

As a part of its strategy, Canon will organize roadshows and leverage on the
gains in laser printers and create awareness amongst the customers through ‘don’t
think below 18' campaign. It plans to achieve no less than 20 percent of market
share of the laser printer market. On the services front, it will now expand the
centers from the present five to 10 towns in the state.

Apart from these various marketing and brand building activities like
advertising and focused channels schemes, new product launches will also be
undertaken to consolidate Ca-non’s leadership in the state.

On its consumer imaging busi-ness, it plans to promote use of genuine
consumables, stren-gthen channel foundation for laser printers, increase inkjet
leadership in more states and last but not the least, to lead the digital photo
transition or photo-ism. It is also looking for partners for its Digifoto Zones
concept.

Stressing on the importance of channels in increasing its marketshare, Alan
Grant, CEO and President, Canon India, co-mmented, "We need to transform
the channel base and intend to increase the channels partners from the present
281 to 500 and Canon Empowered Partners to 8,000. With an increased focus on B
and C class cities we will now augment our presence to 1,000 towns from 416
currently."

He also gave a peek into the areas Canon will get aggressive on. "We are
really not looking at fax and analog devices. But are majorly focusing on laser
MFDs, inkjet MFDs, inkjet printers, scanners and digicams." With digicam
market witnessing a major boom, Canon aims at capturing 30 percent marketshare
by 2005 in all major product categories of the Indian digital imaging market.

Karma Negi

Jaipur