Light & Insight

In today’s fast-paced world, businesses need to adapt quickly to stay competitive. Whether you’re aiming to scale your operations, improve efficiency, or explore new markets, expert guidance can make all the difference. That’s where online business consultancy comes in. It offers a flexible, accessible way to tap into professional insights without geographical constraints. I’ve found that hiring a business consultant online can be a game-changer for many organisations, especi

When it comes to growing a business or navigating complex challenges, hiring a business consultant can be a game-changer. But one question often stands in the way: How much does a business consultant cost? Today, I want to break down the costs involved in hiring a business consultant, helping you understand what to expect and how to make the most of your investment. Let’s dive into the consultant cost analysis together! Understanding Consultant Cost Analysis: What Influences

When we set out to grow a business, the foundation we build is crucial. A well-crafted business plan is not just a document; it’s a roadmap that guides us through challenges and opportunities alike. But not all business plans are created equal. Customized business planning is the key to unlocking real potential. It’s about tailoring every detail to fit unique goals, market conditions, and strengths. Let’s dive into how bespoke business plans can transform your journey to succ

A client in the food industry sought to understand consumer perceptions and preferences for a new plant-based protein product. The goal was to refine the product's value proposition and identify optimal marketing strategies. Study Impact By conducting this comprehensive case study, the client gained deep insights into consumer perceptions, preferences, and expectations for their new plant-based protein product. The findings provided clear directions for product refinement, ma

Growing a small or medium enterprise in India is both an exciting and challenging journey. With a dynamic market, evolving consumer preferences, and increasing competition, it’s essential to adopt smart strategies that fuel sustainable growth. I’ve seen firsthand how the right approach can transform a business, unlocking new opportunities and driving success. Let’s explore practical, actionable SME expansion strategies that can help your business thrive in India’s vibrant eco

Growing a small or medium enterprise (SME) is both an exciting and challenging journey. We all want to see our businesses thrive, expand, and make a meaningful impact. But how do we get there? What strategies truly work in today’s dynamic market? In this guide, I’ll walk you through practical, actionable growth strategies tailored for SMEs. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, these insights will help you unlock your business’s full potential. Understanding S

Our colleague Pallavi Gadre shared a presentation on Oscar Trimboli’s book 📖 for one of Learning Monday’s sessions called 'Deep Listening'. Deepa Soman asked us to take a listening test 📋 in the following session. We got our reports; some were Lost, Dramatic, Interrupting, and Shrewd listeners . Surprisingly, all were Shrewd listeners in the Design team. Some tidbits about listening. Image by Pallavi Gadre. In OPS, both Smita Khadpe & I are Interrupting listeners. Then, on

We have been doing Lumière Learning Mondays, inviting inspiring people to engage with the team at the Lumière office. During Covid, we transitioned Learning Mondays to an online video podcast featuring two-hour conversations with guests to delve into their journeys. The sessions were aired live on Zoom Webinar and later on YouTube. A snapshot of an event aired in 2020 We launched other online events, such as Torchbearer Thursday and CMA Samvaad , each with specific inspirati

A popular television network engaged Lumière to understand television-viewing behavior among groups of young and older women in April 2007. The channel hoped to gain access to viewer attitudes towards its longstanding programmes, to its newer offerings, and to those of other networks as an outcome of this study. The team at Lumière used a combination of N-Light ©  Behaviour and N-Light ©  Connect to conduct a dipstick research and ascertain attitudes of viewers to program co

As India inches close to becoming the most populous country in the world, one aspect that continues to be under constant scrutiny is how the country fluctuates in its health index. According to the latest Global Hunger Index, India, which ranks 100 out of 119 countries, is one of the countries with the “lowest reduction in hunger” in the nine years. Companies operating in India understand now the importance of addressing the BOP segment both for its volumes and its potential.

The way people communicate, get entertainment, shop, and socialize has changed dramatically. Thanks to the smartphone, access to consumers has also changed. It is now possible to reach people across geographies, socio-economic status, cultures and ethnicities without any prohibitive barriers like high costs and distance. We at Lumière recently explored a new dimension of moderation with consumers across the globe sitting comfortably back at our offices. While we have been d

Prelude: The phone rings a couple of times. The founder CEO of a leading fashion accessories brand comes on the line. We had undertaken a small qualitative research project two years ago. The study objective was to understand usage and purchase habits in the category. The research design was five focus groups in two metro cities. In the report we identified four consumer profiles. After the research, the client wanted some additional guidance on sizing up the opportunity. Wh

OBJECTIVE: Project Persone was a project to understand who the NRI customer based out of the gulf is, a special understanding of the NRI Priority Customer. PROTOCOL: A detailed study of the customer profile by in-depth interviews at their home . 10 such interviews were conducted. ACTION: Understanding the life of a GCC NRI –in India and abroad. Detailed understanding of his banking and financial needs. Mapping his needs to the different emerging profiles and hence developing

Lumière undertook an interesting study for an Online Service Provider, which sought to understand how Indian businesses perceive online advertising. It studies their attitudes towards online advertising and looks into how aware of ‘search marketing' Indian businesses are. The study reveals that perceptions of online advertising differ according to the size and type of a business. The need for online advertising depends mainly on a few parameters, viz., the objective of the c

Written by Juili Dharmadhikari and Deepa Soman Planning and Preparing It was after I interviewed Soundari Mukherjea on Learning Monday, that I learned about one more facet to her persona - pottery! The potter's wheel is a metaphor for God's creation of "clay", man. As a people collector, I lend a platform for interesting people to talk about their life and work on the Lumiere Learning Monday. A person has many layers and the longer one's history with a person, the more storie

Lumière undertook a unique project for an MNC in September 2006, wherein we worked closely with a reputed management institute to put together a syllabus for key distributors in the 4 zones. The objective was to enhance skill sets of distributors with the objective of achieving greater business growth in the future Lumière conducted focus groups among the distributors across the four regions. The research tool N-Light © IdeaCon was utilized to define learning needs, the sco

With an experience of 37 years in the teaching profession, Prof. Dr. Leena Chatterjee, retired in 2021. Celebrated and decorated, she ranks among the most popular faculties at IIM Calcutta. She has recently joined at BITSoM. Accidental Educator Prof. Leena Chatterjee never thought she would become a professor. Both parents were professional social workers. She learned the value of “being helpful”. Her father encouraged her to read books in sociology and psychology. She was

A study was conducted in Aug- Sept 2006 to understand triggers and barriers for the prescription of an Rx brand of medication. The study helped to arrive at product format preferences and key reasons for preference, with the intent of exploring likely brand extension opportunities. A one on one in-depth interview was conducted among doctors who regularly used the product format as well as among non prescribers of the format under consideration. The interviews revealed reaso

A study was conducted on behalf of an FMCG major for testing various ad scripts for re-launching a brand of milk food drink (MFD) under a new name. The objective of the research was to give a qualitative understanding of the most compelling advertisement. The task was to compare comprehension levels and key take out of the main message for each situation. The research methodology was a combination of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with mothers with children b

Lumière took on a study for a client who wanted to identify need gaps in its store observation exercises. The study revolved around understanding the diverse experience levels of the client team and their familiarity with ‘observations' as a process. The study attempted to make the client team comfortable with the observation process, in order to make it a ‘way of life'. It enabled each manager to experience the value of shopper observation and the impact that it has on arriv