BUSINESS FREAK

Place for just business quizzes and any trivia that smells business.

Mar 15, 2010

Brand history- Nivea

NIVEA is a German brand owned by Beiersdorf company, marketed in India by JL Morrison.




1911
is the birth of NIVEA Creme.

1890 Oscar had acquired the Troplowitz Beiersdorf by company founder Paul C. Beiersdorf. He successfully been producing medical plasters and the first rubber-band-aid (the forerunner of Hansaplast), as well as technical adhesive tapes (the forerunner of tesa). The scientific advisor of Oscar Troplowitz, Professor Paul Gerson Unna, drew his attention to the discovery of Dr. Isaac Lifschütz: the emulsifier "Eucerit" for determining the link between fat and water to form a stable cream base.

Eucerit, originally discovered in medicine, has now been used as base material for a new cosmetic cream - the first stable oil and moisturizing cream of the world: the NIVEA - Cream. They possessed due to their stable consistency pure white appearance - hence the name NIVEA, which is derived from the Latin nix, nivis snow.




The product range initially comprised NIVEA - cream - and powder - soap.

In 1924, the company Beiersdorf developed a fundamentally new approach to advertising. The image campaign of "NIVEA Boys" introduced a completely new, modern image, which is still in the familiar blue and white presentation showed all NIVEA products.




The social upheavals of the 20s, began associating naturalness, freshness, associated leisure fun in the sun and nature, with wind and weather with NIVEA.

1928 - 1930 The product range was extended to hair and shaving, and the respective items sold internationally.





Today Nivea has sub-brands such as NIVEA Body, Visage, Beauté, SUN, FOR MEN, Hair Care, Baby, whose history can be to trace the beginnings of NIVEA Creme.

Sep 3, 2008

BUSINESS FREAK 9


Presenting a quiz,after an extremely long sabbatical….ENJOY!!!!!

1.Started as Bookwing Publication and Trading Company in 1984, this family business is a pioneer of publishing educational books in the country. What is the current identity of this company?

2.What is the significance of this pic. ?


3. (Before I came to Mumbai, lots of ppl had told me loads of good things about Marine Drive. But , after actually goin 2 d place , I realized whatever things I heard were nothing!!! Its simply amazing!!!!! Mesmerised by Marine Drive, lets have a lil trivia related to it!!!)


This skyscraper is supposed to come up at the Queen’s Necklace on Marine Drive in 2010. What is the claim to fame of this skyscraper? (Don’t tell me its gonna compete with Burj Dubai. By 2010, Burj Dubai would dominate the global building height stakes at about double that height!!!!)
4. This service which would be available sometime next year, transforms the car into a hotspot. Not only can the kids in the back seats play games on the internet; but the other passengers can surf too. Which company has planned to launch this service?
5. Years back, George Fernandes, asked a businessman the reason for which it took so long to get clearance for their power project, the businessman reasoned that it was because they didn’t pay bribes. Which businessman? (People who said, history doesn’t repeat itself, were so wrong!!!)
6. Identify this group from the pic. (Clue: No more they are as youthful as their counterparts!!)


7. Connect the two pics


8. Identify the logo.

9. Way back in 1930s, there was a Manufacturers’ show for a particular kind of product in Atlanta. The company in question had lack of funds to market this brand because of which they could not register for the show. So, the founder parked his car at the entrance and boosted the volume of his car radio with loudspeakers to attract attention. Thus, he encouraged the show attendees to look at his product. Thus began the popularity of which brand?

10. During WWII, American Research and Development was established. Its founder became a professor @ Harvard later on .What concept did he pioneer by establishing the above company ?
Answers only to those who care to attempt the quiz.
Suggestions, remarks and answers can be sent to
nidhi148@gmail.com

Apr 18, 2008

BUSINESS FREAK 8

1. During 1960s, In the French Alps an enterprising hotelier marketed something with the slogan “No need to rent the room, buy the hotel, its cheaper!” What first did he market by the slogan?

2. Anjaneyulu Kakkera, is busy with setting up a new retail business under the brand name of “Vah Magna.” Magna has created a network of 70 outlets occupying over 5 lakh sq ft of space. While, bulk of the outlets are located in Andhra, two of them are located in Maharashtra. Magna, operates four retail formats comprising hypermarkets, cash-and-carry stores, FoodEx supermarkets, and recently launched Super Centre. With which other retail chain would you associate the name of Anjaneyulu Kakkera?

3. DIC Entertainment, the mid-size kids' TV program producer and syndicator, is working on a direct-to-video animated kids' series called "The Secret Millionaire's Club" . What is so special about this animated series?

4. What organization/company did Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman establish with a shared secretary and a balance sheet of $400,000, in 1985?

5. BBC Worldwide has launched BBCGreen.com, a consumer lifestyle website. How is this website different from other websites?

6. On March 10, a certain innovation was carried in Times of india, Dainik Jagran and Sandesh. What was the innovation and what was it meant for?

7. If Sunsilk : www.Gangofgirls.com ; ______: www.Magicofblack.com?

8. NDTV Profit has launched a contest that will require participants to register on the contest site, www.makeovermyoffice.co.in, and write a small essay about why their office needs a makeover. They can supplement their claim with pictures of the office premises. Successful participants will have their offices revamped on a reality show on NDTV Profit. The show is used as a platform to promote which company’s products?

9. ‘A Library for every school’, is a large rural education program under which, so far 25000 libraries have been setup in various government schools across AP, Karnataka, orrissa and Kerela. Who/what is behind this venture?

.10. Easy one- Which was the first Indian IT services firm to list on NASDAQ?




Suggestions, remarks and answers to be sent at nidhi148@gmail.com.
Answers to those who reply.

May 2, 2007

BUSINESS FREAK 7

1. This business has its origins in 1900 when Dewan Bahadur AM _________ Chettiar established a money-lending and banking business in Burma(now Myanmar) , which then spread to Malaysia, Srilanka, Indonesia and Vietnam. The group had to strategically move its assets back to India and restart from scratch in 1930s , before the Japanese invasion in WWII. Presently it has interests in engineering, abrasives, sanitryware, fertilizers, finance , bioproducts and plantations. Name the business group in question.

2. In 1952, a first generation entrepreneur started off in a small village in Haryana by trading in steel pipes. He established a manufacturing plant near near Kolkata in 1952, producing steel pipes, bends and sockets. He then expanded to Hisar in Haryana, setting up a steel manufacturing unit. Today the group is a leading steel producer, with interests spanning across the spectrum, from mining ore, to manufacturing value-added steel products. Name the business group in question.

3.The group was founded by Thomas Leishman, a Scotsman. In 1947, X then only 22, took over as the first Indian director of the company. The company initially made its impact by manufacturing bulk beer for he British troops which was transported in huge barrels or ‘Hogsheads’. The 1950s and 1960s saw myriad expansions and acquisitions. The group also moved to agro-based industries and medicines. The group today has interests in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, alcoholic beverages, fertilizers, infrastructure development, media and international trading. Name X and the business group in question.

4. The group’s business origins can be traced to 1820, when X arrived in Kolkata from Dundlod, in Rajasthan, to do business with the British East India Company. Alongwith his brothers, he acquired several profitable agencies. By the turn of the 20th century, his business expanded rapidly with significant diversion in banking, textiles, jute and tea. Name X and the business group in question.

5. The group began as a conference room sized assembly line in 1979 and is today a $2.5 billion conglomerate. The founder, X was a Sugarcane and cotton cultivator. He began an entrepreneurial venture by importing machinery from Europe to setup a Gangapur Sakhar Karkhana(Sugar Mill) in 1955. In the early 80s the founder initiated his three sons into the business. The group’s interests are primarily in consumer durables, but it also has a significant presence in glass, oil and gas. Name X and the business group in question.

6. The group was setup by Parmanand Deepchand ________, a young entrepreneur from Shikharpur in Sindh(now in Pakistan). He traveled to Mumbai in 1914, and quickly learnt the ropes of the business. The business journey which began in Sindh, entered the international arena with an office in Iran(the first one ouside India) in 1919. merchant banking and trade were twin pillars of the business and the group remained headquartered in Iran until 1979, when it moved to Europe. The group has expanded and diversified into business interests like Banking, Finance, Energy, Chemicals, IT/ITES, Media and entertainment, Real estate, investment banking and international trading.

7. The group was founded over three decades ago and the family has been in business and trading since 1800s when the family first moved to Mumbai from Rajasthan. In 1956, the founder moved to Chennai to begin independent business activities. In 1969, following the deise of the founde, his sons took the reins of the business. With a strong foundation in both India’s industrial core and the sunrise services sector, the group has stayed firmly at the forefront of new opportunities. The group setup India’s first independent power plant and its first generation private steel plant. Name the founder and the group.


Suggestions, remarks and answers to be sent at nidhi148@gmail.com

Mar 29, 2007

BUSINESS FREAK 6

This connect special is a dedication to all those Moron friends who are soon to end their student quizzing and from now on be a part of corporate quizzing.
Rock the Paradise forever guys!!!!!!



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