B-Acumen#5

1) I really like this particular ad.Identify the advertiser.
Answer:Air India. The ad was way back in 2004 when they started flights to Los Angeles. A great collection of all ads by Air India can be obtained at this link

2) In the late 1800s, Louis Glass and William S. Arnold placed a coin-operated cylinder phonograph in the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. It was an Edison Class M Electric Phonograph in an oak cabinet that was refitted with a coin mechanism. This was the first Nickel-in-the-Slot machine. The Nickel in the slot machine was an early forerunner to which modern (well known) device.
Answer:The JukeBox.

3) A gentleman named Thomas Adams had first tried to make a particular type of sap into car tyres, toys, masks, and rain boots but every experiment failed. One day, he did something strange and this resulted in the creation of a brand new product. What did he do, what is the product?
Answer:He popped it into his mouth and he liked the taste. He added flavors to the sap (chicle from sapodilla tree) and thus was created chewing gum.Shortly after, he opened the world's first chewing gum factory. In February 1871, Adams New York Gum went on sale in drug stores for a penny apiece, and in 1876 he founded Adams Sons and Company Adams’ power brands are Halls, Trident and Dentyne. Cadbury Schweppes acquired Adams in 2002.

4) They originally imported Hermann Aegler’s Swiss movements to England and placed them in quality cases made by Dennison and others. The products were then sold to jewelers, who put their own name on the cases. Whom and more importantly what are we talking about?
Answer: These were how Rolex watches were first marketed. The jewelers put their respective names on the dial and sold them. Rolex was called Wilsdorf & Davis before it was renamed in 1908, after their founders Hans Wilsdorf and his Brother in law Alfred Davis.

5) This brand was launched by Transelektra Domestic Products Limited in 1984. The product was innovative and was perfectly priced. It struck the market at the right time and was a huge success in small towns, big cities and metros. Just identify the brand in question.
Answer: Good Knight. Godrej Hi- Care took over TDPL in 1994 along with other brands like Jet and Banish, besides Good Knight.

6) Sona Spice, Jai and Breeze are lesser-known brands of which Indian FMCG company?
Answer: Hindustan Lever Limited, more famous for Fair & Lovely, Lifebuoy, Sunsilk etc.

7) Which company has an NYSE ticker: SDX?
Answer: Sodexho. This company brings out the meal and gift vouchers, which are free of certain taxes, are provided by most MNCs.

8) Born on March 3, 1839 in the sleepy town of Navsari, Gujarat, this gentleman passed out from the Elphinstone College in 1858 as a ‘green scholar’. Identify the business great.
Answer: Jamsetji Tata, the only child of Nusserwanji Tata.

9) A toughie to end the quiz: Which company manufactures all the crockery at Rashtrapathi Bhavan?
Answer:Tata Ceramics Limited

Suggestions, Feedback and Comments to: nitirsorah@gmail.com

B-Acumen#4

1) The advertiser, I suppose is very simple: The question is, mention the subject of this ad.
Answer: The advertiser is McDonalds and the inspiration is Osama Bin Laden.


2) The inspiration for which advertising icon, was a photograph and story of cowboy Clarence Hailey Long, which appeared in LIFE magazine in 1949?
Answer: Marlboro Man. Leo Burnett who was looking for a new image for Philip Morris’s Marlboro brand was inspired this story.

3) Two Hollywood stuntmen originally from Hampshire started their first venture called ‘Airdome’ in 1937. This was the beginning of a long and successful business story. Identify the two people. (Clue: Go through the quiz carefully, another answer is linked to this one)
Answer:Richard and Maurice McDonald. They opened their first restaurant- a drive in called McDonalds.

4) The following ad campaign was launched by Chemical Bank in the US in 1969 "On September 2, we'll open at nine and never close again." This was actually the punch line for a particular technology/product launch. What?
Answer: This was an ad campaign for ATMs (Automated Teller Machines)

5) Which business magazine was founded by Chris Anderson and journalist James Daly in 1998 and is popular for its ‘101 Dumbest Moments in Business’ list, which is published at the beginning of the year?
Answer:Business 2.0. Josh Quittner is the editor of the magazine since 2002.

6) Depend, Viva, Scott, Poise and Cottonelle are the lesser-known brands of which company?
Answer: Kimberly Clark. Their famous brands, of course, are Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex, Pull-Ups and Little Swimmers.

7) Simple one to end: IBN is the NYSE ticker of which company?
Answer: ICICI Bank.

Suggestions & Feedback to nitirsorah@gmail.com