MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • Forays into focused programmes in digital marketing & brand management

    Maa Group launches Academy

    By Our Staff

     

    Bengaluru-based Maa Group is set to launch the Maa Academy. Maa Academy will offer short term industry focused programs in Digital marketing, Brand Management, Animation and Multimedia as well as Copywriting. These programmes, notes a communique, are classroom-based, and are conceptualised and designed to help students launch their careers in marketing communications.

     

    Said Paul Woolmington, CEO – Canvas Worldwide, and a member of the BOA of Maa Academy: “There is a growing demand for skilled digital marketers, but the available talent pool is small. Most students are extremely well versed in the theory of Digital Marketing but there is a disconnect when it comes to practising what you have learnt. This program aims to develop a job-ready talent pool ready to face the demands of current day job requirements.”

     

    Added Akshhar Peerbhoyy, Director, Maa Group:  “With hands-on expertise in the marketing space spanning over 6 decades, we have developed a strong understanding about what skills and savvy is required to excel in the field. Although theory in Digital Marketing is crucial, we give our curriculum a competitive edge by hiring experts in the field as faculty to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Since most of the courses in the market today are online, our research led us to believe that this has created certain gaps in practical understanding and applications of Digital marketing. With this in mind, we developed a customised curriculum that is hands-on and delivered in a physical classroom setting.”

     

  • Ah, we couldn't not ask our Wizard with Word this question. Without much ado, here's Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 30 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | In an interview with Financial Times, Gautam Adani has said his acquiision of NDTV wouldn’t impact media independence? Should we believe him?

    Bhaskar DasAh, we couldn’t not ask our Wizard with Word this question. Without much ado, here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 30 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. In an interview with Financial Times, Gautam Adani has said his acquisition of NDTV wouldn’t impact media independence? Should we believe him?

     

    A. Why should we not believe him? We are believing Jeff Bezos for Washington Post, Rupert Murdoch for Fox News, Times of London and Wall Street Journals. The litmus test for success of any media organisation is its loyal audience base. So long the media organisation enjoys its stickiness, no amount of external criticism can justify the point of view of detractors. Please don’t underestimate the audience’s intelligence. As they say, yeh public hai sab janati hai.

     

    Even in India a lot of media houses have interest in other industries but that haven’t affected their audience loyalty or market dominance. I would like to add that a media organisation has to be managed as a business also. There is nothing pejorative about it. The second richest industrialist knows the principles of managing multiple businesses successfully and the same principles ought to be applied for the media business too. And audiences are prudent enough to act as judge of the credibility of its content. And in the ultimate analysis, that’s what matters for any media organisation.

     

  • Fans can watch 40+ matches on Sony Ten channels

    Sony acquires rights for LPL 2022

    By Our Staff

     

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has bagged the exclusive broadcast rights for the third edition of the Lanka Premier League 2022 franchise cricket tournament.

     

    Notes a communique: “The broadcaster will get the exclusive television rights across the Indian subcontinent including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and Maldives along with digital rights for India and Sri Lanka. Cricket fans are in for a high-octane ride with 40+ matches to be telecast across Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 channels.”

     

  • Features its real-life learners

    UpGrad rolls out new brand campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    UpGrad has rolled out a brand campaign, featuring the journeys of its alumni in candid conversations on-screen.

     

    Said Ankit Khirwal, Head of Marketing at UpGrad: “It was our deliberate effort to bring out such real stories from upGrad alumni, which resonate with the concerns of the millions who want to pursue upskilling to fast forward their careers. This also helps build trust and credibility of our courses and their impact at large.”

     

    Added adman and filmmaker, Manoj Tapadia: “Realism was inbuilt, and I didn’t have to try and manufacture anything like fiction. The challenge was how to make it entertaining and engaging because there are dime-a-dozen testimonial ads. How could have we been different? That’s where the idea of capturing the real onset interaction between the director and the ad came in. It was spontaneous, like a live shoot.”

     

  • Announces higher interest returns for them

    Esaf Bank woos senior citizens in new TVC

    By Our Staff

     

    Esaf Small Finance Bank has rolled out a new campaign announcing higher interest returns for senior citizens. The TVC leverages a straightforward approach indicating the bank’s interest in senior citizens. The key message of the campaign is ESAF Bank’s offering high interest rates on Senior Citizen FDs.

     

    Commenting on the campaign Sony V. Mathew, VP- Head Branding & Communications, Esaf Small Finance Bank said: “The TVC is an extension of the print and outdoor campaign that we have done titled ‘The older you grow, the more interest we have in you’. The whole idea of the campaign was to build the brand along with the product. When FCB Kochi came up with the idea of happy smiles for TVC we didn’t think twice. It seamlessly jells well with our brand positioning- joy of banking.”

     

    Added Anees Salim, Creative Head, FCB Interface, Kochi: “It can be a hassle for senior citizens to bank nowadays. The mere thought of going to a bank can make them feel low. So, through this campaign, we wanted to showcase how ESAF is keen on serving senior citizens and is making them smile with its services. Precisely why, we candidly captured the smiles of Esaf’s senior citizen customers in the TVC.”

     

  • Highlights unparalleled benefits

    Cleartrip rolls out Clear Advantage campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Cleartrip, the online travel agency that’s now part of Flipkart, has unveiled a new campaign ‘Clear Advantage’. The ad films focuses on how to get out of penalties around cancellations in travel. Every film is punctuated with a tagline – ‘Isse accha Cleartrip kar lete’. Aligned with the Challenger Brand narrative, this campaign offers a unique glimpse into the tendencies of the masses and Cleartrip’s ability to address these better than any other OTA player in the market.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Kunal Dubey, CMO, Cleartrip said: “The desire to explore is an innate human expression. At Cleartrip, we celebrate this desire and constantly strive to make travel more accessible and inclusive for all. Cleartrip’s Clear Advantage was borne out of this intent. As a brand, we don’t just rely on price parity; when a customer chooses us, they are guaranteed a seamless and unforgettable travel experience that is value-driven. While the treatment of our ad films contains an element of humour, these are invitations to bid excuses goodbye and say yes to the wonders of travel.”

     

    Added Pravin Sutar, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Orchard, Cleartrip’s creative agency: “Travel, as a category, has been cracking the wildest of ideas. So, we decided to do something that stands out and stays true to human behaviour. When things don’t go their way, people pull the craziest hacks, cook up weird stories, and come up with lame excuses, to get their thing done. And all we had to say was, “Isse accha, Cleartrip kar lete.”

     

    We aren’t sure if all of this works. Travel ticketing is a lot about pricing, and, sadly, Cleartrip doesn’t always offer the most attractive for ticket costs.

     

  • Launch the 'The Steel Of Oman' campaign 

    Jindal Shadeed Oman and W+K India collaborate for FIFA 2022

    By Our Staff

     

    Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel, privately owned integrated steel producer in the Persian Gulf Region (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Wieden+Kennedy India creative agency, have collaborated to bring alive Oman’s love for Football during FIFA 2022. ‘The Steel Of Oman’ campaign by W+K India celebrates Omani culture and sportsmanship.

     

    Said Santosh Padhi (PADDY) Chief Creative Officer, W+K India: “The whole Jindal Shadeed team and especially Mr. Venkatesh Jindal (Chairman) had massive faith in us and gave us full creative freedom to get this narrative right. This piece isn’t about selling more steel or chest thumping about being a market leader. Instead, Jindal Shadeed wanted to honestly celebrate the real steel of the nation i.e. the people, culture, their spirit and passion for the game. There was a conscious decision to pitch the film into beautiful arty non-ady-space, as we all were very clear we didn’t want another ad in the midst of celeb centric football clutter during this FIFA World Cup. We wanted this to be as authentic as it could get. It was a challenge to work with real people, non-actors, and a stunning yet daunting Omani terrain but thanks to Ayappa and gang, we went above and beyond to bring that alive.”

     

    Added Harssha Shetty, CEO, Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel: “Football has been a much-loved sport that has brought the country together. While our new campaign has football at its heart, our film is also a journey through the authentic traditions of the country, its rich culture, and its strong values. Most importantly, it celebrates the people of Oman. Through this campaign, Jindal Shadeed seeks to further weave itself into the social fabric of Oman. At Jindal Shadeed, we will continue to deepen our relationship with the Sultanate through initiatives that drive meaningful impact in society.”

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala is very impressive with the work by ZAK, short for the Toronto, Canada-based Zulu Alpha Kilo

    On my Bucket List: Wish to work with Zulu Alpha Kilo

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaIf there is one creative agency I want to work with and spend some time with, it would be ZAK- Zulu Alpha Kilo. I have been hugely impressed by their culture, work and approach. No, I don’t know anyone in Zulu Alpha kilo, and I don’t think there will be an opportunity for me, but there is no harm in adding to your wish list- bucket list. Anyway, you don’t get to tick off everything on your bucket list like – my travel bucket list is still looking for sponsors.

    I share some old dated self-focussed work by Zulu Alpha kilo- and not their work for clients. Things make me want to be in Canada and work with them. At least hear them talk and work. Maybe we could get them at Goa Fest next year!

    To see some of Zulu Alpha kilo work, click here.

    And as the site says, REAL WORK- featured work– click here. The agency says to have created a Parody website that pointed out the sameness in agency websites. Featured on the site are fictional co-founders Frank Zulu – ‘chief executive, executive officer’; Marcus Alpha – ‘ultra-chief creative director officer’; and Katherine Kilo – ‘VP strategic strategy officer in charge of everything. Services at the ‘World’s fullest full-service agency’ include ‘cattle branding’, ‘calculus tutoring’, and ‘unofficial Cannes Lion trophy manufacturing’. How cool it is.

     

    The Wall at Zulu Alpha Kilo.

    I remember doing such an exercise at the Mudra management training programme sometime in 1987 in Ahmedabad. The programme had Naganand Kumar asking us to write about what the earthen horse in the training room would say, silently watching the sessions if it was to come to life. That was to transpose your perspective and speak from a different space. It is an excellent exercise to do.

    So: What if the agency could talk? What would it say? ‘The Wall’ is a short video created by Zulu Alpha Kilo when it was honoured to be nominated for both ‘Agency of the Year’ and ‘Digital Agency of the Year’, and were asked to create a video to represent the agency. Here is the response of Zulu Alpha Kilo some 9-10 years back. The Wall at Zulu Alpha kilo is for mature audiences only.

     

    Mery Jingles From The Bottom Of Out Bottoms

    Watch this –  Zulu Alpha Kilo clip Mery Jingles featuring Spanish percussionist Jorge Perez performing the song with vocals by Alana Sinkey. And when as per reports, some complained the clip being misogynistic, the company denied it and said, “As ‘equal bum opportunists,’ both male and female bums were used,” and added that they have also made a generous donation to Colon Cancer Canada.”

     

    Scared Straight: Out Of Advertising 

    Scared Straight: Out of Advertising comes with a warning of EXPLICIT CONTENT and a rider that reads, ‘The following contains subject matter that may be disturbing to those hoping to enter the ad industry.

    It is humour laced and should terrify any new joiner to think again about their career in advertising. Here senior creative resources give the potential recruits reasons why choosing advertising, more so, Zulu Alpha Kilo, would be a wrong choice.

    Come to think of it, this video was the shirt-self-promotion video produced by Zulu Alpha Kilo when shortlisted for Strategy Magazine’s Canadian Agency of the Year Competition.

     

     

    Zulu ALPHA KILO Blank Canvas

    Simple project. Zulu opened its doors in 2008, and a blank white canvas was displayed in the office lobby. The agency encouraged employees and visitors to express their inner artist and colour canvas. A stop-motion camera captured every stroke creating a mini-documentary.

     

    Saying NO to Spec Work – Zulu Alpha Kilo

    Okay, it sounds unreal, but Zulu Alpha Kilo, a leading Canadian independent ad agency, does not do spec creative. In India, I know of few who hold a no-spec approach as an agency or consultant. But it is still rare to see some agency holding on to this for too long.

    Zulu believes in being a platform for change in the marketing and advertising industry. They not only say ‘no’ to spec work but are also known to pay candidates for their job interview time. Watch this talk where Mike Sutton – of Zulu Alpha Kilo talks about Say No to specs.

     

     

    Here watch the famous World’s Worst RFP.

     

     

    Zulu Alpha kilo’s recent take on AWARDS- the case of left-handed Mango Chutney. Yes, there are polarised views on this communication too- but it does make a point.

     

     

    And here is ZAK’s pitch for the Campaign of Clinton and Trump. Watch to know how not to take yourself seriously and make a point.

     

     

    ADDON

    While we are at the ‘Say No to pitches’ and ‘awards’ here is a video on appeal to the Cannes jury and spoof on social cause-based advertising. Does it ring a bell?

     

     

    While at it, you can watch one about the Award Case Video.

     

     

    I remember many other videos made for Abby in the nineties, but I have no access to them. Out of them, there were two I would love to see again. One was Durga Khote Production by Mudra- ‘Advertising Works it Works’ and the second was a tale on Sholay- ‘Pitch mai Kitni Agencies’- that ends with – ‘This year forget the Abby awards. However, here is a clip taking a shot at the ACCOUNT PLANNERS  show. I like it.

     

     

    NET-NET

    I may not get a chance to interact at Zulu Alpha Kilo, but if you people at Zulu Alpha Kilo get to read this- you know how much I respect your approach. Maybe you will think it over.

    The debate about whether advertising agencies should do speculative Pitches or not is not a new one. Someone has to bite the bullet. At least Charge for the time and effort that goes into it. At least ensure that the client does not go back to the same agency that was the reason for the pitch.

    Similarly, the Scam ads- Patli Gully ads- surrogate communication for awards ( not surrogate advertising) and Plagiarism  is a reality that needs close monitoring. Recently, we have seen some 2-3 works that have screamed ‘For Awards’ and will most likely win many awards. But who will bell the cat? Till then, keep debating.

     

  • The first 10 days of the 2022 Fifa World Cup have reiterated realities that every brand manager should pay heed to, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Brand Lessons from Football

    Nicolas Otamendi’s photograph saying: Hoy más que nunca (today more than ever). Indeed! Picture source: @Notamendi30

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThe biggest sporting festival in the world is in full swing. Like every previous edition, this too is having its share of delights and controversies. Each day for the last 10 days, has thrown up one new story outside of the sport. Starting with the general narrative of human rights abuses and contract worker deaths in Qatar, the spotlight moved on to beer not being allowed in the stadia despite Budweiser being a sponsor, to the Iranian team not singing their national anthem in their first match, to the Germans doing the team gesture in support of the ‘OneLove’ movement, to the ex-Danish prime minister sitting next to the FIFA chief wearing a dress with rainbow sleeves, to a tweet before the US-Iran game showing the Iranian flag without the central crest and then to celebrations in Tehran on the national team failing to qualify for the next round. Guess Gianni Infantino has had his fill of hair-raising anxieties for one lifetime!

     

     

    Since we do not have actual wars and battles as frequently as till the 1800s, the sportsfield has been the battleground. Between countries. For movements. For protests. For spreading fear. For claiming ‘victories’. And football has been one of the biggest sporting platforms since the first World Cup in 1930. Given that 140-odd nations play the game and are ranked by FIFA, no other sport comes close by a mile in terms of popularity. It is the only team sport that has no hierarchies in terms of the elite performers and the also-rans. This is one team sport that has broken down barriers of colour, race, region and faith… time and again. Therefore, the lessons a brand can draw from the sport are priceless. And the current FIFA World Cup is no exception.

     

    The first 10 days have reiterated the following realities that every brand manager should pay heed to:

     

    No place for pedestals

    There are no hierarchies in the marketplace. There is a leader and a challenger. And that is all. What was good for yesterday is not good enough for tomorrow. And no challenger fears the holder of the crown. Champions are meant to be beaten. The higher ranked teams might not even go into the next round. They will be made to struggle for survival at every stage. Every new market or segment or target customer is a totally fresh playground.

     

    Possession is nothing

    This is the biggest learning from the game. One can possess the ball for only one-third of the time and yet win the game. In this edition too several teams have done so repeatedly. One does not get any point for possession but only on scoring goals. Quality over quantity!

     

    Counterattacks are critical

    The ability to react against intense competitive pressure is to take the game into the other camp and strike. For this planning counterattacks as part of the core strategy is important. The counterattack cannot be random and whimsical. It needs to be thought out, rehearsed and then deployed for maximum impact. The counterattack has the ability to break the morale of competition.

     

    Conversion matters

    One cannot come away from the game happy that the team made 17 attempts of which two hit the crossbar, five were parried away and six were corners. Every free kick within 25-30 metres of the opposition’s box needs to be converted. Same with every corner. These are opportunities given to you by the other team, so wasting them is almost a crime. Leads and footfalls need to be converted just like these chances, especially if handed over by competition.

    As I write, it is half-time in the Argentina-Poland game.

    Argentina must win this to move into the next round.

    It has had 65.8% possession, nine shots inside the box, seven shots on target, two shots blocked and one penalty saved. If this continues and Argentina cannot make it, who else is to blame? (Argentina beat Poland 2-0, and, yes, it has advanced to the next stage – Ed)

     

    Plan B in reserve

    Superstars can be injured. Pivots can underperform on certain days. Have alternatives ready in reserve. Also, have a balance of specialists and generalists. There will be the traditional defenders and midfielders who have clear roles but also the ‘liberos’ who can operate in different positions depending on the situation. Players who can use both feet to shoot are prized for any team. Ivan Perisic of Croatia typically switches flanks from his favourite left to the right when the game demands. And the opposition is typically not prepared for such sudden changes in plan. Multi-tasking works in football too as Johann Cruyff and his Dutch team demonstrated in the 1974 World Cup!

     

    Regard and respect

    At the end of the 90 minutes, once the battle is over, you go over and embrace the player of the other team. If you tackle a player, you give him a hand too to get up. When an injured opposition player is being tended to, you do share a bottle of water with his teammate. And when your opposition has been knocked out of the tournament, you do lend a shoulder to cry on. For it is a game after all. It is to win and not to kill, to defeat and not to destroy.

     

    Antonee Robinson of the US team comforts Ramin Rezaeian of Iran after the latter are knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup – Source Getty Images

     

    Like a good Bong, Avik Chattopadhyay is nuts about football. Just as he is about brands, automobiles, advertising, culture, religion, Indian politics, American politics, British politics… almost everything. Like a good Bong, we told you. This is his column, which is published every other Thursday. His views are personal. And, yes, he’s a strategy consultant based in Gurugram.

     

  • It's a question we generally ask closer to the end of the calendar and fiscal year. So here's Dr Bhaskar Das and his response in the December 1 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das | It’s the beginning of the last month of the calendar year. Your response (and why): Phew, Sob, Bring it on!

    Bhaskar DasIt’s a question we generally ask closer to the end of the calendar and fiscal year. So here’s Dr Bhaskar Das and his response in the December 1 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

     

    If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

     

    Q. It’s the beginning of the last month of the calendar year. Your response (and why): Phew, Sob, Bring it on!

     

    A. To me there is no difference between months (apart from a seasonal change). Philosophically, time is a non-spatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future. This is not my funda, but I believe in it. So, the end of the calendar year or financial year are part of corporate lexicon, and do not belong to the realm of philosophy.

     

    I know you would not be satisfied with the philosophical jamboree. So another way of answering your question is: though December is the last month of the year, it also gets us excited about new hopes and possibilities of 2023. The last three years have been quite challenging for India Inc through various headwinds, but everyone hopes that the India Growth Story would augur well for the coming year and our collective wish would take India upwards in terms of prosperity. Amen to that.

     

  • Intended to equip brands, advertisers, marketing communicators

    WPP unveils new study into LGBTQ+ marketing and its future

    By Our Staff

     

    Unite, WPP’s LGBTQ+ community, and Choreograph, WPP’s global data products and technology company, has launched Beyond the Rainbow, a new study into LGBTQ+ marketing and its future. The study surveyed 7,500 LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada to better understand their perceptions and experiences of viewing LGBTQ+ identities in media and advertising. Note: not India. Beyond the Rainbow is intended to equip brands, advertisers, marketing communicators and others in the industry with actionable data and insights to help build a more inclusive future.

     

    Spearheaded by an all-queer team from WPP Unite with representation from BCW, Choreograph, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Hogarth, Landor & Fitch, EssenceMediacom, The&Partnership, VMLY&R and Wavemaker, the study releases insightful new data calling for more authentic representation of LGBTQ+ identities in advertising, the need for long-term support beyond Pride month and the role of queer media in culture and brand communications.

     

    Among young people, queer media has become truly mainstream: 93% of LGBTQ+ 18–24 year olds and 85% of non-LGBTQ+ 18–24 year olds actively seek out queer media, proving its universal appeal

     

    Despite widespread appeal, the quality and quantity of queer media needs improvement: Just 38% of those who seek out queer content are satisfied with the way LGBTQ+ people are represented, and 2 out of 3 LGBTQ+ people want to see more queer representation.

     

    The annual change of logo may be where communications start but shouldn’t end: 52% of LGBTQ+ people told us that they do like it when brands change their logos to the rainbow flag colours during Pride month. However, there’s a clear desire for more year-round support, as 3 out of 4 LGBTQ+ people and half of non- LGBTQ+ people think brands should do more to support LGBTQ+ people outside Pride month.

     

    Beyond the Rainbow explores LGBTQ+ identity, media, and communications today, and provides commentary on how that might evolve tomorrow. It offers actionable insights and suggestions from industry experts on how brands can succeed in what will be a more informed future of LGBTQ+ marketing.

     

    Said Michael Houston, President of WPP in the US: “In a world where the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination and violent attacks – both in the workplace and in life – the power that our industry has to create change should not be underestimated. As a global company of over 100,000 creative thinkers and makers, WPP has a responsibility to educate and empower our people, our clients, and our allies to positively and meaningfully influence the cultural representation of the LGBTQ+ community through marketing, advertising and communications. Right now is an incredible moment and opportunity for brands around the world to use their influence to impact society for good.”

     

    Added David Adamson, Founder and UK Co-chair for WPP Unite: “Our goal in launching Beyond the Rainbow is to help shed light on opportunities to create inclusivity and broader acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community beyond just Pride month. As more people identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, being genuine and inclusive in everything we do is more crucial than ever for brands to be relevant. At WPP, we can help advise on the best approach for inclusivity and representation, reflective of today’s changing culture.”

     

  • Inclusive content can enthuse empathy for persons with disability, writes Shruti Pushkarna

    Shruti Pushkarna: Much like charity, inclusion begins at home

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Shruti PushkarnaThe battle for inclusion is an ongoing one. Different groups go through varied struggles at different points in time, to be accepted by the majority. Gender, race, colour, disability, religion, caste and sexual orientation, have been the basis of discrimination, keeping the so-called ‘abnormal’ outside of the larger group.

     

    Underlying beneath the idea of exclusion is a total absence of empathy. It’s the inability to realise the inherent privilege with which we overlook or dismiss the existence of another. It’s often assumed that the inability to understand and address the issues facing persons with disabilities comes from a lack of awareness or ignorance.

     

    Take a day-in-the-life scenario…

     

    Did you know that persons with disabilities or those with limited mobility, have to consider the following before heading out of their homes?

     

    They have to think of the mode of transport and how they will transfer from the wheelchair to the vehicle seat. The number of stops and transfers also have to be accounted for, to consider the rate of exhaustion in the entire process. Access to a bathroom is usually unpredictable in unknown territory. We hope to find clean facilities, while they think of the possibility of using a bathroom at all, given the narrow openings, unsuitable height of the toilet seat, et cetera. Foregoing the desire to drink in order to keep the water intake to a minimum seems the only option. Obviously, they have to check on the availability of ramp and elevator, and if they are operational.

     

    Speaking of functionality, in many residential complexes where maintenance of elevators is dependent on the funds generated by inhabitants, people don’t want to pay for fixes and replacements, if they can take the stairs. This not only displays apathy for someone who cannot physically climb up and down but sheer shortsightedness of an event that can render them temporarily dependent.

     

    But if 15 per cent of the world’s population living with some form of disability remains invisible or marginalised, how do we develop our knowledge of people’s diverse needs? Is it our (non-disabled) responsibility to educate ourselves in order to include them or does the onus of being included lie with the voiceless and oppressed?

     

    My own limited understanding of living life with disability comes from the acquaintances I have made in the last few years while working towards empowerment of the disabled population. But do all of us have enough opportunities where disabled and nondisabled worlds intersect and interactions flow freely?

     

    Rights-based advocacy groups rely on awareness campaigns and initiatives to sensitise people in a controlled, simulated manner. Consciously training to accept people as they are, communicate in non-threatening ways and use person-first language.

     

    Such drives and discourses are amplified around December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. But we need repeated iterations through the year to bridge the humungous gap that separates groups of people on account of misconceived notions of ability.

     

    Media portrayals also prove helpful in widening the scope of imagination. In the last couple of years, OTT platforms have featured a variety of fictional content that tackles disability and inclusion from a humanistic as well as thematic approach.

     

    Here are a few recommendations to get you started on inclusive content,

     

    1. Sex Education (Netflix):A British comedy drama featuring a teenage boy with a sex therapist mother who teams with a classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic in high school.
    2. Only Murders in the Building (Disney+ Hotstar): A murder mystery comedy starring Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short. James Caverly who identifies as Deaf also plays the character of a deaf boy, Theo Dimas.
    3. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix):A South Korean legal drama in which 27-year-old Woo Young Woo who is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, plays the central character. She has an impressive memory but struggles with everyday interactions.
    4. Years and Years (HBO):A science fiction drama that revolves around the day-to-day lives of Lyons family. Ruth Madeley, a disabled British actress plays the role of Rosie Lyon, a single mother born with spina bifida.
    5. The Good Doctor (Netflix):A series about Shaun Murphy, a young surgical resident with autistic savant syndrome, who challenges his sceptical colleagues by displaying extraordinary skill to save lives.

     

    While the natural instinct is to judge and exclude, can we challenge ourselves to unlearn and rewire, to accept even before we can embrace?