As if free cash vouchers to sign up weren’t enough, it seems like Jabong is trying a more targeted approach. Offering 50% off only for IIT students! Pardon me for my ignorance here, but this is the first time I’ve seen this kind of discrimination based on a user’s educational qualification.
Curious, I clicked on it..surprise!
The same result page as the one you get when you just click on the “Sale” tab..although an alum and not a student, I felt cheated!
I have been thinking on why Jabong would mention “IIT students” and not just “students”. For what I know from my experience, the advantages that IIT students have over other student consumers are:
– a 24X7 internet access at pretty good speeds
– possess credit/debit cards
– more willing to engage in online shopping as many IITs are located in Tier-2/3 cities with fewer shopping destinations.
But, on second thoughts I guess all three points apply to a large section of the student community too nowadays.
So what could it be? Just another cheap marketing trick of a portfolio company of the Samwer Bros. or a desperate attempt to get some sales?
Arindam
Vipul Agarwal
Arindam,
This is a rip-off from our local Mithai wala (Sweet shop). They have literally created this kind of Market Segment by advertising heavily around results time. Their tag line is “Pass Class Ho yaa First Class, Pede Baato Top Class” …. (Trans: Whether you have a Pass Class or First Class but distribute sweets which are Top Class) and others have imitated them over the years…. 🙂 🙂
But seriously, I am sure Jabong would have thought thru the fact that IITians are more likely to be online and perhaps their research showed that they are more likely to spend online as they dont have time to go out to buy stuff (or are lazy) or have the Moolah to buy such stuff…
Alls fair in business…. no harm trying … perhaps some students may start “Aspiring” to be IITians because of such offers … Ha Ha …
Sachin Sharma
I think this is based on a stereotype of IITians being the trendsetters in the students community. Only Jabong knows the reason and can reveal the intent, but this seems pathetic to me (Being a non IITian :P)
Puneet Sharma
Had this been during my school days … I would have cracked JEE 🙂
Murtaza Amin
haha, this would have worked as a motivator.
Manoj Awasthi
🙂
Murtaza Amin
I think its just a way to get publicity, like some company started selling Kamasutra books at 5 Rs jsut to free coverage, they knew not a lot of people would buy as then they will get it delivered at their home or office and this at times could get them in trouble.
Govind G Prajapati
This kind of marketing will do nothing but kill the business,
every one will ask for discount discount and discount…
Now where is the value — is it in Price or in Product?
Big players like Naap tol buys products in million of Quantity and sell it online with discounted price. that original manufacturer dont sell in its own factory outlet.
No one care abouts price if it gives you value and after sales service, I am damn sure Naaptol or this one above JABONG
will give you guarantee or warranty as the original manufacturer will give. its their responsibility and they dont fulfil it
bcoz they bought @ very huge discount in returns of Letting warranty and guaranty go away and take responsibility on their own.
I have similar experience with vijay sales, and tradus,
I am sure there are many others like me on this board.
Amey Asuti
I came across a similar attempt by MakeMyTrip – though there was nothing on the website, the Facebook ad that they were running talked of special discount for IIM grads. Nothing different from what they were offering to others.
In both the case, I think its just a way to grab attention.
Amey, http://www.socialsquared.in
Arun Purohit
Now see whats going right with Food commerce : When an IITian opens a restaurant.. https://www.wic.co.in/blog/you-better-buy-burger-from-me-i-am-an-iitian/
Murtaza Amin
Do you work for naptool?
they suck man, I hate them, I will never buy anything from them ever again.
looted me.
Daman Anand
But how can one verify that this is really for IIT students? Do they ask for student ID or some thing like that? If they are not asking, even a child will know that they are fooling us.
Snehal Nimje
me and my friends too felt a bit cheated. Well, the IIT in the fb ad was to lure you into clicking it.
Their philosophy is like “growth ke liye saala kuch bhi karega”. they have already screwed ecomm market with Rs 2000 discount, which i dont know i never get.
btw, do check out this post by Mark Suster : https://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2012/09/22/is-going-for-rapid-growth-always-good-arent-startups-so-much-more/
Arindam Mukherjee
@Vipul: Well said..and I would really like to get my hands on such a research, if done at all by Jabong.
@ Amey: the Facebook ad for MakemyTrip might still make sense since that is just targeted advertising..Jabong has this wrong because a) I first came to know about this when a non-IITian friend of mine said that she spotted this ad and b) I should have been shown a “50% discount for IIT alums” if it was actually targeted advertising!
@ Daman: as I wrote in my post, on clicking this banner, you get redirected to the general Sale page..no exclusivity for IIT students here..so no need for extra verification..also, with the already broken infrastructure of most e-commerce companies in India, I’m sure they wouldn’t like to add this extra complexity of verifying someone’s IIT id as part of the checkout process.
Govind G Prajapati
I dont work for them, I forget to put them with those vijay sales and tradus
Sridhar V
I’m not sure if this offer is for IIT students though it says so. I doubt if Jabong has a mechanism or system to verify if the visitor clicking and purchasing is an IIT student or not. If I’m wrong please prove it to me.
Rohit Goyal
Being an IIT Alum even I saw an e-commerce website doing this kind of campaign for the first time. Many restaurants and lounges definitely provide IITian discount and for the verification they ask for IIT Student ID. For restaurants that make sense because in IIT there is a culture of having lots of treats on different different occasions and giving these discounts provide them word of mouth publicity into the campus which is really a huge market for these restos.
But for an e-commerce company doing this type of campaign I don’t think it makes that sense (off-course it’s debatable). As there are certain issues…
1) Advance payment without verifying the student ID
2) If they are just faking it they are damaging their brand image
3) Why IIT at all?
Anamika Joshi
In pure marketing words – its segmenting your TG to see what garners you more sales – a focused group or a broader TA. Its a gimmick and not intended to make IITians feel special or something but to test what works and what not. But to see such blurbs on websites like Jabong can really act repulsive for non-iitians – they should have thought about that.
Puneet Sharma
Ha Ha Ha … Helping IIT geeks get fashionable.
I dont think using Apple/FB/Google/Yahoo and using jabong is same. And discounts for hiring … i dont think so.
Sagar Yadav
The idea behind would have been to create a controversy in the media and attract hits. Not an easy marketing gimmick to execute.