Moon B Shin has a lot on his plate. The suave managing director of LG Electronic India is likely to emerge as the biggest advertiser in 2008-09 with an advertising budget of Rs 350 crore. What is more, the Indian market now contributes nearly 10% of the global turnover of the group. Thus within LG, India is a priority country. That will mean than-ever-before attention for India and many more decisions.

Shin was in casuals for the meeting in the relaxed environs of a Chinese restaurant in Delhi?s Hyatt regency. That of course, didn?t make his attitude casual. Shin expresses disappointment with the fact that a lot of top of the line ad spend in India is inevitably wasted. ?Frankly, no one really knows what the consumer of the media actually consumes. TRP ratings of the channels tell us little and can even deceive. I believe that each firm with a sizeable budget needs to undertake its own research and this isn?t cheap. What is more, a deeper interaction with your consumers is also critical to understand what media is he/she really consuming and in which language. Add to all this research your gut feel and you can satisfactory spend the ad budgets. Frankly, media consumption measurement in India is a black hole and needs drastic improvement.? But it?s probably his association with an electronic major that makes him easily switch from one topic to another.

A keen golfer and lover of mountains, Shin is on a mission. He wants to upgrade LG from a mass brand to a premium one. On that front, LG will invest in access of $100 million in India by 2010. This will see a massive push in the Korean firm beyond building the brand, a focus on the experience, service and technology. It is obviously going to be difficult given that inflation is catching up and consumers are undecided and competition is intense. However, as Shin points out the growth in the retail revolution is enabling greater numbers, allowing for more flexible options beyond the high street and consumer finance is now a mature industry, which allows for several purchase options.

We talk cultural differences as a learning curve for a multinationals as the chilly butter crab and dumplings arrive. With revenues of $24 billion this Korean conglomerate is present in more than 100 countries, it is global and thus cross-cultural. Shin ponders over the cultural imperative, ?Culture is everything. Sure, we are driven by technology and a lot of that does come from South Korea. But you have to localise and even micro- localise. India is too diverse a market. For example, here when you buy television, sound is of critical importance, which is not so in Korea or America. This county loves its song, it loves to dance and the consumer wants boom in the box. We have learnt that and our TV sets here come especially equipped to give that greater sound quality. It?s the same thing with flat televisions. I think the trend among higher income groups is that they are switching to LCDs that hang on the wall.? However, he knows, in India the simplest thing is the most difficult. For LCDs, the Chinese imports are so cheap that the price point for LG becomes a marketing issue. Says Shin, ?This is a challenge. With LG there is assurance of both quality and back up service. Chinese products may look cheap but we believe that the LG consumer is looking for long-term product reliability. We need to enhance that promise and build on our strengths and not focus on price alone as a selling point.?

Was this cultural uniqueness ever a management issue? ?It was funny. When LG decided to take a call on sponsoring the Cricket World Cup in 2007, I was new into India. I did not know this charming British game. The sponsorship was a major expenditure and hey I did not know my short fine leg from my silly point. But as I got into the game, it became exciting. These days frankly, I am an involved player and yes I do bite my nails when that tight finish is on cards!? says Shin with a straight bat. Given his newfound love for the game, it seems rather strange that they don?t have any involvement with the Indian Premier League (IPL). ?We have not ruled it out. We will be taking a call on how we can leverage this. For LG, cricket is an important part of the overall marketing strategy.?

Cultural diversity was also a challenge for Shin when he first arrived three years ago. ?I decided to travel and not sit in the corner office. It was the best decision I made. Even today I travel 10 days a month. I go and meet dealers across the country. I interact with consumers and study feedback. I think the retail revolution is changing the consumer, making him smarter and giving him choice. In India, durables is a occasion-driven, thought-out decision and we have to make an impact across this decision making chain.?

And what has all this interaction and travel taught him? ?If we aim to be a premium brand for the mass market, the first thing we have to do is to invest in service. After sales service is a weak link of consumer durables in India. There are partly attitude and partly infrastructure bottlenecks. A major part of our investments in the next three years is going to be in beefing up LG?s after sales service backbone. We will not be more than a day away from attending a request and in no way will be more than two days away in the delivery of even the complex products. For this to happen we will need to attend to people and workforce motivation as much as technology. At the end of the day, although we run a tech oriented operation, I am a believer that people deliver and they need to be empowered to do their job.?

So, what does he do when he is not deciding mega budgets, expansions and technology? It is golf at the Jaypee Greens and the DLF courses for Shin. ?For me, golf is an extension of business and relaxation at the same time. It calls for so many of the common qualities. For one, you compete with yourself. One should know when it is important to keep calm, be forceful or gentle according to the situation while decision making. Golf is great for me. It lets me be.? He also enjoys having local food when he travels. From fish and seafood in Kochi to vegetarian delights of Gujarat. And occasionally when homesick, it?s Khumganag?the Korean restaurant at the Delhi?s Ashok Hotel run by a fellow expat. Shin finds solace here.

How is Delhi to stay in for an expat? ?I enjoy Delhi when I get to visit it. I stay in Noida, which is very nice. It may lack in character but it sure has amenities on hand. Power could be better but then you can?t have everything. Delhi is changing by the day, but I really wish there were more by way of cultural activities. That link is still tenuous in Delhi?s social life. Take away a couple of places that hold regular culture events and you really don?t have much by the way of a cultural evenings out here. ?

What about the perception that Korean firms have a glass ceiling when it comes to foreigners? ?I think this was true in the past. It is no longer the case. If the right person is groomed and matches with culture of the firm, I see no issues. Merit is not decided by nationality.?

As we wrap up with herbal tea, Shin is looking forward to a spring break back home. After that will come the task of spending Rs 350 crore on marketing.

It?s one decision the marketing fraternity will be watching closely.

Fact File

* Moon B Shin is the managing director of LG Electronics India and has been in India for three years.

* Shin is a keen golfer and also loves travelling to the mountains.

* LG is likely to emerge as the biggest advertiser in 2008-2009 with a project advertisement budget of Rs 350 crore.

* Shin?s latest mission is to upgrade LG from a mass brand to a premium one. LG is investing in access of $100 million in India by 2010.

* He travels 10 days a month and meets dealers not just in important cities but also across the country.