Early Engagement -2

More and more companies are aiming to catch talent young, most of them while they are still in their finishing schools. This on hand serves efficient execution of their business plans but implicitly they succeed in 'engaging' these young minds to the company.Nissan's student brand manager program is another  such example...

'The automobile company has invited management students from across the country to showcase their business skills, creative thinking and people handling skills.

Nissan Motor India has driven down to Bschools to promote its brands in India, especially Micra. The automobile company has invited management students from across the country to showcase their business skills, creative thinking and people handling skills as part of its student brand manager programme.

The students for the programme, who will be selected by advertising veteran Prahlad Kakkar, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc chief executive officer Harish Bijoor and Autocar India Magazine editor Hormazd Sorabjee, will be trained by Nissan’s marketing team before starting work as Nissan Student Brand Managers from July to December 2011.

“ This is the second year of the Nissan Student Brand Manager Program and we are inviting applications from 150 colleges across 15 cities in India,” said Dinesh Jain, chief executive officer ( CEO), Hover Automotive India ( HAI), which is Nissan Motor India’s exclusive partner for sales, marketing, after sales, dealer development and customer relationship in India.

“ Nissan will spend ` 1 crore on this activity,” Jain said. “ Students will get hands on experience in brand building. It will help them after they join the corporate world.

Such initiatives are common abroad. As India is growing fast, we also require a lot of such initiatives,” said Bijoor.

Each student brand manager will be given ` 30,000 as stipend and ` 20,000 as marketing budget for the six- month period by Nissan to implement their initiatives. Each student will also be given a kit that will include a digital camera, visiting cards, T- shirt and jacket.

The students, if needed, will also be given a Micra during the training period, to help popularise the brand. “ This will help them conduct the marketing activities in a professional manner,” said Jain, adding that the students will play a key role in bringing brand Nissan closer to the student community.

Nissan is inviting applications from second- year students of business schools such as K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Kolkata, University Business School, Chandigarh, and S. P. Jain MIR, Mumbai.

“ We are targeting around 1,200 entries out of which 20 will be selected for the programme,” said Jain.'(Source: Nissan drives to B- schools for brand promotion by Nishi Rath - 09 Jun, 2011, Yahoo)