Suman Sinha Invented The 5th P Of Product Marketing

I have known Suman Sinha for over 40 years. His passing last month ended an era. My first meeting with him was in the final interview of Hindustan Lever (HUL)selection process in October1981. HUL was hiring Direct Recruits for various functions including Sales and Marketing. I had a preliminary interview at the Madras Branch, now Chennai Branch, conducted by the late Tarun Sheth, Management Development Manager, and the Branch Manager Prem Kamath. It was a tough interview. I knew the final interview would be tougher and so would the competition. As was the tradition then, the panel consisted of 2 Directors of the company, Vice Chairman Gerry Alcock and Sales Director Suman Sinha. It was Suman who asked most of the questions. Getting an offer was a huge relief.

I joined HLL in January 1982. I met him on the very first day. He and his wonderful wife Uma travelled to Chennai to participate in the Annual Plan meetings and the Sports Day event. Suman was a different person outside the office. He had a knack of being on the same wavelength as the frontline which they loved. He would be quite at home doing a jig with them. I was delighted to receive some prizes which I had won during the athletic meet from Uma.

 As luck would have it, I was posted to Hyderabad for my field training stint under Chennai Branch supervision. During my training I realized that Suman was feared and revered by the frontline. He had built quite a reputation for his rigor in the marketplace. However, his commitment to the welfare of the frontline was total. Even today, the old timers at Chennai Branch recount the tales of their interface with Suman, the hard taskmaster. For Suman,99% was not enough. He was an absolute stickler for perfection. For me, the field training stint was baptism by fire. The ‘Surf Asiad’ field force contest announced at the end of 1981 led to a discount of 20% on Surf in the Hyderabad market which was unprecedented. A discount of 20% on a premium brand was simply unheard of. The distribution at the retail level was disrupted. I was asked to investigate this phenomenon and report back to Head Office through the Chennai Branch. The Redistribution Stockist didn’t make it easier. He started shooting out letters to the Chairman on daily basis and copying everyone in the hierarchy including Suman. The email era had still not begun and hence all these letters would be handed over to me for action every day. I was suddenly on everyone’s radar including Suman’s. It created stress which resulted in sleepless nights. The follow-up from his office was quite rigorous. We finally figured out what was going on and took corrective action. Suman never forgot this episode. He used to discuss it whenever we used to meet.

Suman and I kept in touch even after he left HUL, and I also moved on. He reached out to me when he was looking for Market Unit Managers for the Company Owned Bottling Operation (COBO) in 1998.I received an offer in November and was expected to join in December. There was a delay since I had to finish a project for Lever Brothers, Bangladesh. Suman misunderstood this and thought I was acting difficult. He would have none of it. He called me to his office and took out his steam even before I had settled in the chair. This was Suman. He would give it to you straight, but he would carry no grudges. At the core, he was extremely warm and generous.

Suman’s stint as a Chairman of Pepsi in India was even more eventful. He led the team from the front. In the battle for supremacy, not an inch would be conceded. This battle was fought in each retail outlet in the country. He would himself travel in the field making calls with the frontline thereby energizing them. As a member of his team, there was never any dearth of support. Suman always played to win. This is reflected in the performance of the company during that era. He brought so much passion to the brand. He kindled and engrained passion in every member of his team. This was the 5thP of product marketing which helped Pepsi win.

At a personal level, I learned a lot from him. Every interaction with him was a learning experience, both in HUL and Pepsi. I kept in touch with him after his retirement. My wife Kamala and I used to meet Suman and Uma every year around Diwali.  They were fond of homemade Chikki which Kamala used to make for Diwali. Even after Uma’s passing, this tradition continued. We used to go down the memory lane over chai and goodies. This year we couldn’t meet him because he was unwell. We left the Chikki with the guard at the gate with a promise that we would return soon for our cup of chai with him. Alas, that was not to be. He passed away on December20th.

Suman was a man of many parts. He was a demanding boss and a perfectionist. A man of impeccable integrity. He was passionate about everything he did. He had a hard exterior but a kind heart. He will be missed by all who knew him. He leaves behind a rich legacy which will last forever.

Sunder Hemrajani

Guest Author Co-founder and CEO of Incon Strategy Advisors