MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • Since most events are usually private/low-scale functions, no one discusses the bloopers, and life simply goes on. But we get caught with our pants down when they are held on a mega scale, when the world is watching.

    Hard Knocks: Event mismanagement

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Whenever I get invited to participate in an event, my first reaction is to hesitate. And this is because, of the many I have visited in my life, most have turned out to be shoddily organized. Mismanagement of crowds, late start, poor banquet service, clueless hosts/hostesses… it’s a long list of gripes. And this turns out to be the case even when professional event managers have been hired. I must also add here, the few events I have visited in London, Cannes and New York, were a pleasure. Which is why I have always wondered why we screw things up in India.

    Since most events are usually private/low-scale functions, no one discusses the bloopers, and life simply goes on. But we get caught with our pants down when they are held on a mega scale, when the world is watching. Our pathetic show at the Commonwealth Games, and now with the mess on Metallica’s performance in Gurgaon, has made us look like bloody jokers.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”300″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELQ39QAYP4[/youtube]

    I really don’t understand why we Indians make for such poor planners and executors. Maybe it’s in our DNA. Or, we can blame it on bad karma, as we usually do for everything! However, here’s a hunch: I suspect our event management companies are not being run professionally. And they aren’t being held accountable for flop shows. Perhaps a hefty fine for botched events may make them pull up their socks. I wonder if these people train their staffers on the skills required to run an event. If there’s any quality control in place. I would stick my neck out and say that most staffers are hired based on their general enthusiasm and little else. When the ground reality is that running a huge event takes a lot more than enthusiasm. It needs astute planning skills, a resourceful temperament and a jihadic passion to execute a successful event.

    Our event management companies need to clean up their houses. Or be ready to get penalized for bringing embarrassment to the host. Or to the whole country on occasion.

     

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    PS: Haha. Came across this funny ad on the need to wear proper lenses. Must say the dude reminds me of a bumbling Indian event manager. Just kidding!

  • There are many reasons behind the cult of Jobs. Here’s my little list on what made the man so special. And my reasons actually lie within Apple’s own legendary ‘Think Different’ advert.

    The Anchor: Anil Thakraney’s 4 reasons why Steve Jobs was so special

    The entire world seems to be in collective grief over the death of Steve Jobs. As if people have lost someone close. Does it make sense? When you consider he was just another businessman out to make a lot of money. And there are thousands of very loaded industrialists all over the world. Most of who we don’t care much about. And Jobs, unlike rival Bill Gates, wasn’t even big on charity work. So then why do we all adore him? Even those of us who have never touched an Apple product in our lives. (I certainly haven’t.)

     

    There are many reasons behind the cult of Jobs. Here’s my little list on what made the man so special. And my reasons actually lie within Apple’s own legendary ‘Think Different’ advert. It’s as if the script was written with Jobs in mind. Businessmen and industry leaders must pay close attention to what it takes to catch consumers’ hearts and minds. From across the world.

     

    #1 Because he was a rebel: Jobs did not conform to the industry standards, nor did he try to surpass them. Instead, he showed them the finger. He was a true inventor, a visionary, who believed he could do it his way. Self-belief was at the heart of his success. And that’s how a lad working out of a car garage went on to build an international tech empire.

     

    #2 Because he didn’t just make and market products, he pushed the human race forward with his bold innovations. Product innovations that are not just technologically marvellous, but are slick and aesthetically rich. Consumers don’t just wait for a new Apple product. They queue up for it. They save up for it. They dream about it. Jobs never short-changed his buyers by taking short-cuts. He thought big. He delivered better.

     

    #3 Because instead of throwing out the ‘square pegs in the round holes’ from his organization, he trained, nurtured and cherished the misfits. He saw the genius in his crazy, offbeat employees. He knew he needed people who thought differently, if his vision for Apple was to come good. Look around you… very, very, very few leaders in the corporate world are capable of such an ideology. That’s why we have just one Steve Jobs.

     

    #4 Because he genuinely, passionately believed he could change the world. And he did.

     

    Links: The unforgettable Apple advert.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE&feature=related[/youtube]
    A touching tribute to the tech king.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzWft8ZtTTY[/youtube]

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    PS: Apparently there’s a TV journalist called Mandeep Something inside the Bigg Boss mad house. And she wailed on national television that she hasn’t gone to crap for four days. If a journo is doing stuff like this, can we really blame the other bimbettes on the show for all the nonsense? Anyway, guess now you know why it’s called a crappy show.

  • We need to once again take a hard look and check if what the Press Council chairman says is entirely wrong. Some-soul searching would actually do us good, and perhaps we’ll hire better personnel in the media.

    Hard Knocks: Sadly, Mr Katju may have a point

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice Markandey Katju, is determined to sort the Indian media out. Some days back I expressed skepticism on whether he’ll succeed in his noble endeavours. Here’s the link to that piece.

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2011/10/hard-knocks-katju%e2%80%99s-unreal-expectations/

    It appears Mr Katju read my post (hehe), and perhaps out of frustration, has lashed out at the Indian media. He’s basically questioning our skills, integrity and competency levels. Naturally, there’s collective outrage in the media frat, and an angry desi media is a dangerous beast, you don’t mess with it. I would be quite surprised if Katju remains for very long in his chair.

    Having said that, and having been sufficiently offended, we need to once again take a hard look and check if what the man says is entirely wrong. Some soul-searching would actually do us good, and perhaps we’ll hire better personnel in the media. So let’s examine Katju’s critique and his three key problems.

    He says the Indian media divides people on religious lines and is anti-people. A sweeping generalization, no doubt. But there IS a section of the media that caters to specific communities and their respective communal biases. A section is even aligned with political parties. And this ideological bias comes to the fore during riots and elections. So what Katju says isn’t entirely wrong.

    He says TV channels focus on cricket and other celebrities. And Katju doesn’t like that very much. Well, that’s true. We do pay too much attention to entertainment and celebs, and I am guilty of that too. And often hard news gets buried somewhere. Yes, we do need to worry about excessive flooze in the media, for sure. But I don’t know how this will ever get sorted out. Because the truth is: Advertisers are more interested in Katrina Kaif’s fashion mantra rather than the survival plans of the family members of that RTI activist who got killed. That’s the sad commercial reality.

    He believes journalists have not studied economics, politics, literature and philosophy. Is he entirely wrong? Switch on the news channels and you’ll notice the general knowledge skills of most anchors and reporters. Yes, it needs a lot of beefing up, we have to admit that. Most journalists are too busy chasing celebs to find time to read Shakespeare, that’s another fact of media life.

    Bottom line: It’s easy to get offended by Shri Katju’s crazy generalizations. And dismiss them as outbursts of an angsty uncle. Still, it will serve us well to pay attention. He isn’t entirely inaccurate.

     

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    PS: Watch this show as Barkha Dutt interviews a Google chief. You’ll notice what a struggle it is for her to have a meaningful conversation with a new media specialist. It’s not her fault, really. Most of us old-world journos would find it tough going. A glaring example of the schism between the old media and the new media. Also, hope Mr Katju didn’t watch this one. Else he’ll accuse us of being zero on media, apart from literature and philosophy!

     

    Link: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/in-the-google-of-things/215082

  • Anil Thakraney’s comment on advertising and media matters

    Anil Thakraney’s Hard Knocks: The impotent social media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The social media has become the brand new joint to bond and vent pent-up anger. Even as you read this, tens of hundreds of causes are being launched by eager Facebookers, with many followers diligently signing up. From issues of animal rights to environment protection to fund raising for the needy to just about anything that can change the world. And when problems happen in the metro towns, it’s time to scream, collect fellow networkers and put pressure on governance. This too keeps happening every month. The two recent causes that come to my mind immediately are one, the ‘Meter Jam’ campaign launched with a lot of fanfare to teach the cheating auto rickshaw buggers a lesson. And two, demand for justice for the dead Keenan and Reuben, the young men who died fighting off drunken taporis.

     

    Now while I am happy folks have found a new place to express rage (far easier to click buttons from inside an air conditioned room than trudge to the Gateway of India and light candles), I wonder if the social media has the power to make real impact. The ‘Meter Jam’ effort flopped miserably after a lot of noise. And am afraid the ‘Justice for Keenan and Reuben’ campaign will meet the same fate. Sure, anger has spilled on to the mass media, and the Maharashtra CM has been forced to make a statement, but all will be forgotten soon. Perhaps some of the culprits will get a jail term very soon, but sexual harassment of women and crime on the streets will simply go on. And the rick guys will continue to cheat us, of course. Quite obviously what is required is a massive overhaul in our legal and policing machinery if we want to see real change, and that can’t happen by cribbing and carping on Twitter and Face Book.

     

    But, no matter. Let the causes be launched, let the anger roll. At least people feel a little lighter in the head after clicking the ‘Like’ button. It de-stresses the mind. However, I’d imagine Yoga is a better bet. It’s soul satisfying, and if you indulge in some of Baba Ramdev’s techniques, you could lose some weight too.

     

    PS: Watch this ad for a vacuum cleaner. A superb example of how to use horror in advertising. It’s one genre that’s rarely used inIndia.

    [youtube width=”300″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGb8pMIeY6w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

  • At the root of good journalism lies the Lakshman Rekha with celebs, writes Anil Thakraney in context of over-bonding of some journos and celebs over Twitter

    Hard Knocks:Journos,keep your distance from celebs

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Twitter boom has helped celebrities the most. Politicians, movie stars, sports icons, authors, etc, now have direct access to their fans. And it also helps them promote their own work and speak their minds without having to deal with the “middleman” (mass media). Nothing wrong with that. And more power to twitter!

     

    As it turns out, many of us journalists are also on Twitter. Not only does the platform help us break news, it also gives us a firsthand report on what the celebs are doing and thinking. Most of it is garbage like “I am eating a piping hot masala dosa” or “Traff&cked in Chennai”…. Still, it’s a useful medium for quick info.

     

    So far so good.

     

    However, I have noticed some over-eager journalists bond with celebs over Twitter, as if they were conversing with close buddies. I notice a huge amount of backslapping and general bonhomie. It’s quite possible some journos feel a high with this instant celeb connect. But quite frankly, this is an unhealthy thing to happen.

     

    At the root of good journalism lies the Lakshman Rekha between reporters/editors and celebrities. Because this line of control helps to keep reportage and analysis unbiased and free. This detachment is absolutely essential to journalism. While it’s okay to wish the celebs now and then on momentous occasions, the interaction must remain at that level. Because the truth is, you cannot write bad and embarrassing things about friends. You will hesitate in doing so, and that’s human nature.

     

    Already we saw what happened during Radiagate. Some journos, because of their good friendship with politicians, crossed the line. And made fools of themselves. And Twitter has made possibilities of such things happening at a higher frequency.

     

    So yes, let’s tweet. Let’s read their tweets. Let’s even re-tweet. And that’s where it must all end.

     

     

     

    PS: Speaking of Twitter, some days back there was a massive rumour going around that the J&K CM Omar Abdullah is in a relationship with a senior TV journo (speak of crossing Lakshman Rekhas!). And that he was even planning to marry her. Not sure if there’s any truth in this. But if true, the journo in question must examine the past history of neta/journalist alliances. It’s doesn’t read very well.

     

  • I find it appalling that the Bachchan-baby-obsessed media has so quickly forgotten the humiliation of the recent past.

    Anil Thakraney: Why the media must boycott Abhi-Ash baby birth

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Aishwarya’s yet-to-be-born baby has become national news. Front pages of newspapers and prime time programming on television carry minute details of the event. Astrologers have been consulted to predict the sex of the baby, and the whole nation knows which hospital has been chosen for the historic delivery.

    Well, I am not going into the importance of the story vis-à-vis more pressing matters, that’s for Shri Katju to worry about. I just find it appalling that the Bachchan-baby obsessed media has so quickly forgotten the humiliation of the recent past. Remember the Big Wedding? When journalists waiting outside Pratiksha and Jalsa for days together were completely ignored by the Bachchan clan. When some photographers were beaten up by Amitabh’s then chhote bhaiyya Amar Singh’s goons. When the newly wed couple didn’t even extend the courtesy of emerging for a single photograph.

     

    Yup, it’s all forgotten. The media is back to cover the baby birth with full gusto. And the journos are ready to get humiliated all over again. Have we no shame? Have we become so beygairat? In fact, according to Mumbai Mirror, a guideline has been issued by the Broadcast Editors’ Association on how TV channels must conduct themselves during the event! And to think this sort of a guideline ought to have been issued during the 26/11 terror attacks, and who knows… some lives could have been saved. Tells you how jumbled up our priorities are. While to some extent I can understand the junta’s interest in the new member’s arrival inside India’s ‘first family’ household, if we in the media have any self respect left, we should boycott the event.

    Of course, that’s not going to happen. Kya karein, we are like that only.

     

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    PS: Speaking of Beygairat Brigade, here’s the whacko Pak band with their popular number titled ‘Aalu Anday’. An otherwise ordinary track that became a rage courtesy the social media. Intersperse faces of the lads with those of our popular TV anchors and the song works marvellously!

  • Hard Knocks: It could do well if briefs were concise and precise… perhaps in 140 characters!

    Anil Thakraney: Any one for brief briefs?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    A firangi ad pal has come up with a fantastic idea: Clients and ad agency client servicing people should brief creative people only on Twitter. That, no other method should be used, and all current briefing formats must be junked. Brilliant! Because this means the suits will be compelled to tell their creative folks what the advertising needs to communicate in just 140 characters. And it will cut the temptation to file pages and pages of irrelevant info and put out excessive demands from an advert. This will result in sharp, focussed communications.

     

    I recall some years ago when I was in the advertising biz, I did recommend a similar sort of thing. I once bought a wad of tickets from a Mumbai BEST bus conductor. And then circulated the little tickets amongst the agency client servicing people and account planners, insisting that briefs must only be written on the back of the bus ticket. One brief per ticket. Of course, they were outraged. How can one state everything on that size of a paper, was the common protest. Yes, they missed the point completely. Which is the need to keep the brief simple and single-minded, state one promise that the ad must deliver on, and remove all the so-called secondary data, which planners and suits feel very tempted to load on. And which is not just unnecessary, it confuses the hell out of creative people.

     

    Well, no need for bus tickets any more. Technology has provided the answer. Tell your creative people in 140 characters what the ad must communicate and who it should address. If you can do this, chances are very high you’ll get a much better creative output. And if you refuse to tweet and continue to dart out large e-mails, then don’t blame your creative people for coming up with laundry garbage.

     

    Now let me sum up the above column in exactly 140 characters and you’ll notice it still works! No reason a brief should not.

    My tweet: “Mr Suit: Tell me who the target audience is. The brand promise. The desired brand personality. The media vehicles. And then leave me alone!”

    Happy tweeting!

     

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    PS: Loved it that hunky star Akshay Kumar chucked the empty ciggie pack back into the face of the car driver who had carelessly thrown it on to the street. We must all learn from Akshayji. Just one question: How did the hero manage to grab a picture of the incident? Does he take his publicist along wherever he goes? Hmmm.

     

    Image courtesy: Mumbai Mirror.

  • What I don’t like about what’s happening is that the Indian media only stands up for the middle class, for ‘people like us’.

    Hard Knocks: How the Indian media doesn’t champion the cause of ‘lesser’ children

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Just as it happened with crimes against Priyadarshini Matoo and Jessica Lal, our news channels have been busy doing shows on the dead young men from Mumbai, Keenan and Reuben. Just in case you are a Martian, the two were killed by some drunken elements when they protested against sexual harassment of the girls accompanying them. And yes, it’s nice that the media stands up for such people and puts pressure on the system for swift deliverance of justice. So, good show.

    However, what I don’t like about what’s happening is that the Indian media only stands up for the middle class, for ‘people like us’. Because crimes in the metro towns attract more attention, and I daresay, they also excite the advertisers. Which perhaps explains all the campaigns for justice. But the media must also stand up for crimes committed against the have-nots from interior India and run similar campaigns for justice on their behalf, even if this doesn’t interest the advertisers too much. Not just because residents of rural areas are Indians (lest we’ve forgotten), but because they are human beings too and their lives are just as precious.

    To illustrate this apathy with an example, let’s take the case of the heinous crime that was committed in the ‘unhappening’ Khairlanji village of Maharashtra some years ago. Priyanka Bhotmange was attacked by twelve men. They strapped her to a bullock cart as one would a disobedient animal, and dragged her out to the village chaupal. Then, they took turns to rape her, following which they completely stripped her and paraded their ‘trophy’. This was followed by beating her naked body with bicycle chains and publicly gang raping her all over again… and this went on till the mutilated Priyanka stopped breathing. However, not satisfied, the goons continued. The teenage corpse was raped yet again. On realizing the dead body was no longer rape-worthy, the men shoved iron rods into her blood clotted genitals and used pickaxes to disfigure her face.

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGI76__sSA&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/youtube]

    Did the news channel run aggressive campaigns on her behalf? Were candle light marches held in her memory? Did the media keep the pressure going to get justice for her? The answer to these questions is a sad ‘NO’. Aside from the odd, reluctant story, Priyanka was quickly forgotten. And this, quite obviously, is unfair.

    So yes, I am proud that the media fights for the middle class urban victims of crimes. But I would be happier if this passion is also on display for the children of the lesser god.

     

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    PS: Lilting tributes continue to pour in for Steve Jobs. Here’s a lovely one from Jonathan Ive, the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. No, we can’t have enough of Jobs, keep them coming! What a man!

  • The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen.

    Hard Knocks: BCCI needs a third umpire

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The first day’s play at Calcutta in the current India/West Indies series produced a real shocker. Near-empty stands at the Eden Gardens. Who would have imagined such a day would come in that cricket-crazy city? And this, despite a player like Sachin Tendulkar being in the house, and perched on the verge of a historic milestone of his 100th 100. Now, I realize cricket in India has become a television sport and that’s where all the money comes from. Still, it must be said there is no fun watching a match on TV with no cheering, booing, placards-carrying crowds in the backdrop. That’s the essential part of sports excitement. Already, the TRPs of test match cricket have taken a beaten in recent times, and with no crowds in the stadia, I am afraid more and more fans will give even television viewing a miss. And that would be an alarming situation for advertisers.

    There are many reasons why test cricket is dying a slow death in this nation. The obvious one is the BCCI’s greed, which has resulted in excessive cricket tournaments, leading to crowd fatigue. Then there’s the issue of New India’s impatience with a five-day game. These problems I would leave for the cricket pundits to tackle. However, I must say sponsors and advertisers must come together and set out a few guidelines for the BCCI if they don’t wish that the game, which is always a good marketing vehicle, dies out. Because today it’s test cricket, tomorrow it could be the one-day game. And if the BCCI chaps don’t listen, sponsorships should be cancelled.

    One thing the BCCI must be compelled to do is to ensure that the various cricket associations sell stadia tickets for a low price. Perhaps Rs 20 a ticket. And all minors and school kids should be allowed in for free. Also, facilities in the stadia should be improved so that going for a cricket match is a joy and not a pain in the you-know-where, which it currently is. The very very, very cash-rich BCCI can easily re-imburse the associations for their losses/expenses. This will make sure the stands are reasonably packed at any point of time. And we don’t have a situation where Sachin scores a ton and there’s no-one around to cheer him.

    Bottom line: The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen. It’s no longer enough being passive spectators in the game. It’s time to play the role of a strict referee.

     

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    PS: Waiting for a cutting-edge column from Ms Shobhaa De on the Kingfisher mess. Mallya is the lady’s BFF, so let’s see if she gets after him like she does with all else. Will she risk missing out on a yacht invite? Take a guess!

  • If we really want to make a difference, we need to go after the big fish. Exposing the big daddies of corruption will make the real difference, as the 2G scandal has shown.

    Hard Knocks: Exposing the big daddies of corruption

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mumbai Mirror’s cover story on 15/11/11 caught my attention for different reasons. The story involved conflict between a traffic cop and a celebrity nutritionist, and yes, it had to do with petty corruption. Here’s the link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/201111152011111
    5025305142b58e3baa/PautiWhat-for-Celeb-nutritionist%E2%80%99s-fine-fight-against-corrupt-cocky-cop.html

     

     

    The story reminded me of the one I had done years ago for a tabloid. Dressed as a rich cat, I drove around on the streets of Mumbai breaking every single traffic rule, while being filmed by a battery of photographers. And on every single occasion, I was let off after ‘tipping’ the havaldar. At the time it was a sensational story. I received thousands of happy and angry e-mails. And yes, I was pretty chuffed at having pulled off a ‘big’ story.

     

    However, down the line, I have had a change of heart. I am no longer proud of what I did that day. Sure, some lowly traffic cops got pulled up or were suspended for a bit, but what did the story achieve beyond that? Did anything change? The answer is obvious: No. I now realise there’s no greatness or value attached to exposing the small fry of society. They are sitting ducks, easy to be caught with their hands in the till, and putting them under pressure makes no difference anyway.

     

    Given that, I really think the Indian media as whole must move on from such worthless stories. If we really want to make a difference, we need to go after the big fish. Exposing the big daddies of corruption will make the real difference, as the 2G scandal has shown. There’s another thing, and this is more personal in nature: I am convinced it’s pointless even blaming the small operators in the food chain for being corrupt. When the entire system is so rotten, when corruption is so deeply embedded in this nation, with its tentacles going right to the top, does it really make any sense in punishing the chhota mota chors? Which is why I no longer quarrel with traffic cops, autorickshaw drivers, cabbies, ration card office clerks, municipal office clerks, etc, when they cheat me. I quietly pay them off. Because they are just tiny leaves of the huge corruption tree we have all collectively planted and nurtured.

     

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    PS: Totally adore the new Benetton ‘Unhate’ campaign. Controversial, funny, irreverent and very Benetton. But a tad disappointed they ignored the subcontinent. Imagine SM Krishna and Bina Rabbani Khar together? Hmm. That would be heavy!

  • While the good thing that could come out of this incident is that the media will hopefully be more careful in the future, there is no denying that the rather harsh punitive action against Times Now has alarmed all of us in the media.

    Hard Knocks: Heavy price for a goof-up

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In a nation that boasts of hundreds of news channels (with more dying to get into the fray), speed of content is crucial. It’s a cut throat situation out there, and there is tremendous pressure in the news rooms to be first with the story. In this high tension scenario, mistakes can and do happen. And even if heads of news channels build in fool-proof checks and balances in the process, one can never totally eliminate the chance of a slip up.

     

    Because making mistakes is human, we have all been guilty of it at some point or another. That’s why the defamation suit of Rs 100 crores slapped against Times Now by an aggrieved judge is not just a bit excessive, it’s rather frightening for all of us in the media. The case pertains to the channel erroneously carrying a picture of the judge while reporting on a scam story.

     

    Now, I have no doubt at all that the judge in question has every reason to be upset. We would all be in similar circumstances, when someone wrongly tarnishes our integrity. But with due respect to the esteemed judge, if the channel has publicly apologised, that should be the end of the matter.

     

    While the good thing that could come out of this incident is that the media will hopefully be more careful in the future, there is no denying that the rather harsh punitive action against Times Now has alarmed all of us in the media. Many of us would now think a hundred times before running edgy stories, even after filtering them through a battery of lawyers. Who wants to carry the burden of such a stringent defamation action? And when, after having said sorry, the case goes on.

     

    On my own part, I have reached a state where I am seriously contemplating seeking a PR job. Forget imagining what an amount of Rs 100 crore looks like, the very mention of the figure gives me nightmares.

    Meri to phat gayee, yaar!

     

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    PS: So, the Bigg Boss cuckoo house has a new inmate, a porn star. Makes no sense to me. The only great thing a porn star can do is to expose, that’s her ticket to fame. And when she can’t be allowed to expose on a family channel, what’s the point in spending so much money on her? They should invite me into the house, and I am available for a fraction of her fee. I shall create trouble in seconds, that’s my ticket to fame! 🙂

  • A regular kind of sod sings some nonsense inside a recording studio, words that sound like a cross between Tamil and rustic English. I found it neither funny nor entertaining.

    Hard Knocks: Why this Kolaveri Di, indeed! Why?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    When I first came across links to Kolaveri Something on the social media sites, I quickly ignored them. Thinking this is another one of those time-pass videos that keep getting shared by virtual pals. But the video went viral in a matter of days, and by now millions have watched it and the world is talking about it.

     

    As a result I was compelled to click on it and must say I was left pretty unimpressed. A regular kind of sod sings some nonsense inside a recording studio, words that sound like a cross between Tamil and rustic English. I found it neither funny nor entertaining. And was left wondering what I had missed out here. Incidentally, I felt the same when the Pakistani band Beygairat Brigade went viral.

     

    Three observations I have to make in this matter. One, it’s abundantly clear that you can now use only social media to launch a brand with a huge bang. If there ever was any doubt on that, then it can be laid to rest now. Owners of mass media need to pay close attention because as time goes by, more and more advertisers will take social media a lot more seriously, and not as a ‘secondary’ medium which it is currently treated as. These are not freak incidents but a clear warning sign for the future.

     

    Two, no one can predict with any degree of accuracy what can go viral in the virtual world. I found the Kolaveri video quite stupid, but millions of people don’t think that, they love it. Maybe a study needs to be conducted on this subject, and it would be quite helpful. However it’s clear people have found a way to showcase their ‘talents’. I already see many imitators busy at work.

     

    Three, my own guess is that the best chance to strike gold on the net is to be as absurd and loony as possible. And the more rustic and unrefined you are, the better your chance of getting noticed. Now all of us have a real shot at being stars!

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    PS: So, Cyrus Mistry is the chosen one, and by all accounts this seems to be a decision made purely on meritorious considerations. However, one wonders if things may have been different had Ratan Tata married and had his own children. Would the Dynasty Raj have played a part? Like it happens in all walks of life in India? Well, we’ll never know. My own hunch is this: Mr Tata would still have used merit as the yardstick. Indeed, it is this culture that makes the group unique in this nation.