Special report: The World is Flat [Marty Dagdag]

Special Report: The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

reported by: Marty Dagdag

http://www.slideshare.net/martydag/the-world-is-flat-15028215

The World is Flat from martydag

Effectuation Entrepreneurship

Last night, we had entrepreneur guests:   Ron Dagdag who owns Flowers Symphony and Alex Pe, Managing Director of Singapore based Terramedic.  The enteprise which he founded with his wife, Susan was bought out by their Singapore based company. Alex who used to be Siemens and Kodak veteran, manages the company for the Singaporeans, although he is now a minority.

Both agree:

l.  That they put their companies out of dire need. Ron was illegally dismissed;   so with Alex.

2.  Both assessed:

Their skills and contacts.  Skills and contacts (network - guanxi) are very important for entrepreneurs.  So guys, you never know, your cellphones phone book must be your most important assets/resources for an entrepreneur. 

                                    Ron the brother of Marty who celebrated his birth today

                                Presentation of certificates and token

Pranav Case Analysis by Marty Dagdag

Pranav Paris Case Analysis.

By: Martino Rafael Dagdag

Entrep S10

Analysis

While the mission of Pranav Paris which was to opened salon and spa services to the male market is a good idea, the partners, Mark and Karlo failed to conduct a thorough market study on the perception of the target market for instance, as mentioned by the pair's professor the Pranav used salon chairs instead of barber chairs and employed female hair stylists. Being a part of the target market I can relate to the situation their customers perceive their salon.

While moving location is an ideal option, Having the salon on the third wing together with the other grooming and wellness establishments can have its advantages, they can use it by stretching their differentiation among other grooming alternatives in the same floor: to emphasize the masculinity of the place.  Thus the 3^rd floor is now known for grooming and wellness establishments and men who know about Pranav will personally go to the place to experience specialty masculine grooming.

It is not clearly stated in the case what the aesthetics of the store looked liked and for me, It is an important factor for customers retention and decision making process to go in and avail of services right at the given moment. I visualize their salon as the standard salon for men and women. Only that they put up a sign that says "for men" only. As a strategy, Pranav can improve their brand image, by  changing the set up of their establishment.

Chair Design

Having a barber chair instead of a salon chair would be more masculine in nature, men generally don't want to be associated with feminine designs such as salons, at times it maybe embarrassing for men that others know that he get his hair cut from the salon. If they cannot afford a barbers chair a boxed type of salon chair could be an alternative to come in between the two designs

 for a guy like me, I do feel that I get a more professional haircut seated in a barber's chair however if I have to go to a salon , a high back  chair will still make me more comfortable than a low back salon char that is commonly found in women's salons.

Hair Stylist's Gender

On female hairstylist: For men, it is more comfortable to have their hair cut by straight men because there is that confidence that barbers know how to cut men's hair properly and that they understand how it feels to be seated under the pair of scissors.

Other Aesthetics

The aroma of Pranav should not smell like hair chemicals because that would bring recall to a ladies salon. The smell of the place should be masked by masculine scents such as wood or leather.

The colors used also play an important role, I think for a masculine clientele, Pranav can play on Corporate colors of blue, black and gray for a cool vibe or go for blacks and wooden colors for a warm feeling.

A logo speaks not only of the brand but the image your clients can relate to. so Pranav must have a logo that is serious to attract the businessman aged market.

Conclusion:

This is a problem I see with many small Philippine businesses, entrepreneurs are happy with creating the idea and operation that they miss out on the brand image they are presenting in exchange of cost savings. What needs to be instilled in the minds of entrepreneurs is that: brand image is a strategic investment to present your company to your target market.