Saturday, March 06, 2010

...And AMCs need to rethink their push & pull strategies, says Deepak Ranjan Patra


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Without an established distribution network in place, most of the AMCs at present are dependent on distributors, agents who sell funds for a fee. However, the recent regulatory change, which banned the entry load levied by mutual funds on investors, has created a hurdle for the AMCs, particularly small and new, in becoming aggressive in the retail segment.

Meanwhile, as research reports suggest, the retail segment is expected to be the largest contributor to the growth of the asset management industry in India and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35%-42% in the next five years. Moreover, during this period the mutual fund industry could see an addition of nearly nine million first time retail customers. If this is considered as a target that the industry is gearing up to meet, then very soon investors will see AMCs bombarding the market with new and innovative marketing initiatives, brushing aside their pre-historic strategy of depending on agents for sale. It will also highlight how different their product is and how it has delivered good returns in their advertisements. So, where will the AMCs be focused now?

Well, as per global consulting firm McKinsey, it’s branding. “Fund performance is necessary but not sufficient for driving the AUM growth. However, a positive perception of the brand induces a positive view of performance, even if the figures don’t bear this out. Strong brands influence perception of fund performance and hence spur growth,” suggests a McKinsey report (Indian Asset Management: Achieving broad-based growth). Agrees Waqar Naqvi, CEO, Taurus Mutual Fund. “Brand always has been a key aspect for the AMCs. But yes, earlier it used to get a little diluted because of the role of agents. But if the thrust shifts away from the old model of generating business, then brand will certainly take a front seat.”

However, distribution will continue to hold a lot of value for the AMCs. Most importantly, with banks, independent financial advisors and national distributors, all playing their roles, the AMCs have to be very careful in choosing their distribution partners. Because those partners will actually be the vehicles riding whom the AMCs can penetrate deep into the retail segment. As per Naqvi, “Owing to the change in regulations, we may soon see slight changes in the way the business happens today.” That certainly confirms the fact that the AMCs market itself will also see good amount of changes. So, don’t be amused if you get to see Shahrukh Khan selling XYZ fund on the idiot box.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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