MxMIndia

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  • For the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere

    Anil Thakraney: Are corporates pushing Sachin?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There has been a lot of talk in the media (and on the streets) over Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement plan. Or indeed the lack of it. Further fuelled by Ricky Ponting’s decision to hang up his large boots. Obviously there is merit in this discussion, even if Tendlya himself doesn’t wish to be a part of it. Cricket is a young man’s game, and a 40 year old batsman does sound like a misfit. This is further confirmed by the master’s consistent failure to perform. Of course, he’ll play the odd decent inning, but that doesn’t take away from the point.

     

    So then why is the Rajya Sabha MP unwilling to leave the pitch? Part of the problem I guess is the state of living in denial. Your mind says you can rock it, but the ageing body isn’t falling in line with that thinking. This can happen in any field of activity (even sex!), but it becomes a huge problem in sport. Sachin may still be as tough in the head as he was two decades ago, but that won’t improve his reflexes. He also gives me the impression of being a stubborn man-child. Notice how Sachin continued with that shoddy new hair style of his for months together despite all the criticism in the media, even from his diehard fans.

     

    However, there’s another theory doing the rounds, and this one is far more sinister than a bad hair job. Sachin is mindful of the endorsement contracts that are still alive, and the impact of his retirement on these deals. Naturally the contracts become null and void if the man suddenly retires, and hefty refunds (possibly even penalties) will become payable. It’s very likely that these financial matters are playing on the MP’s mind. And preventing him from walking away into the sunset. If so, this is terrible. Because this means Sachin will play for a few more years, causing problems not just for the team but for his own self. A billion Indians would hate to watch the old master make a fool of himself on the cricket ground.

     

    I think for the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere. In any case, Brand Sachin is no longer as potent as it used to be (this factor deserves a post by itself), so it’s better to move on.

     

    Perhaps with this weight off his shoulders, the master will do the right thing. Which is to join the commentary team. And also focus on how he can make this nation a slightly better place.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Ah. Just another day in the entirely stressful advertising life. 🙂

     

  • Navneet Anand lists five not-so-talked about ways in which PR agencies can deploy social media tools for their clients

    The Anchor: 5 ways PR agencies can employ social media for clients

    By Navneet Anand

     

    Technology has continuously added to the comforts of the communicators. Migrating from old-style bulky phones to fax and then to emails and finally to the two-way social media tools, as professionals we have watched with glee the many comforts that technology has bestowed upon us with the passage of time. Technology has made us more efficient and this is especially true of those who in the business of communications.

     

    Public Relations agencies today can use social media for a variety of purposes – ranging from simple dissemination of information, to crisis mitigation, stakeholders engagements and creating platform for dialogues and so on.

     

    I list below five not-so-talked about ways in which PR can deploy social media tools for their clients.

     

    Go Beneath the Dust Cover: Often advertising, and even regular PR activities, capture and depict only some aspect of an organiation – akin to the dust cover of a book. So you tend to highlight the mission and the vision, or a new product, a new initiative, the financial results and so on as per the needs of communication, which is defined by the top management of an organisation. The consumer or stakeholder gets to see very small part of the corporate personality – You can surely make a first impression from the cover of a book, but to know the real worth you have to get onto the pages inside. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Blogs can help us get inside the book – meaning they can help disseminate many aspects of organisations which conventional communication may not capture.

     

    Converse Closely:  Social media tools have opened numerous windows for conversations. They have expanded the scope of communication – not too long ago organisations had to depend on tools like surveys to gauge the mood of their consumers / stakeholders. Some such tools, while still in use, have their limitations especially in understanding the softer side of human personality – their predilections, association, anguish and anxieties. For those who are willing to get close and personal with their consumers and stakeholders, social media surely provides a way out and this is a great opportunity for PR agencies.

     

    Advocacy – Find a Voice, Create a Noise: Social media is very effective, if used judiciously, for articulating serious issues and generating dialogues around it. Our client ABLE – AG or Association of Biotech Led Enterprises-Agriculture Group, which is an industry body representing agri biotech seed companies including giants like Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont and Monsanto, is grappling with a misinformation campaign unleashed by those opposed to GM crops in the country. Fact is the myths being perpetuated around safety of GM crops is nothing more than a bunch of distortions and lies. Along with our regular advocacy campaigns including reaching out to policy-makers, we work closely on Blog and Twitter to dismiss fallacious claims and submit science and evidence-based facts in public domain. We collate large number of academic papers and write-ups in media and put these on a blog and share with journalists, scientists, academic and policy makers.

     

    Be a Resource Hub: Social media is also a great tool to enable journalists and other stakeholders understand the many issues that your client may want them to know, understand and follow. As part of our advocacy campaign we have created a page on the Facebook and an account on YouTube where we capture / upload the many updates, beneficiaries’ testimonials and global studies on the same. We also use social media for facilitating updates on issues which are of constant interests to journalists.

     

    Read Faces on Facebook, Map Journalists: Often social media can serve as critical tools to map journalists and gauge their preferences and orientation. Many clients today have specific needs in terms of media visibility – which may require a non-conventional approach to media engagements. Non-conventional means looking beyond only the beat reporters for a particular sector.

     

    Navneet Anand is Secretary of Delhi Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) and  founder of GreyMatters Communications & Advisory.

     

  • Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance lists five reasons why Corporate India should not ignore Public Relations

    The Anchor: Anisha Motwani on 5 Reasons why corporates should not ignore PR

    By Anisha Motwani

     

    1. It’s the age of transparency – In the age of Wikileaks, everyone needs Public Relations (PR). The world is almost like a glass now – transparent. There may be true and untrue stories always doing rounds about your business in a bigger scale or a smaller scale. PR is that tool that helps bringing out the accurate story proactively and steer clear of controversy.

     

    2. Crisis Management – Today, the media is all-pervasive and still remains the primary influencer of public opinion. So an ultra-quick reponse with finely-tuned messaging is a must.

     

    3. Creating correct visibility – It’s the PR job to know how to connect when and where. It is obvious that we all want to feature in mainstream media but that may not happen and be relevant all the time. The job of a PR team is to understand how to play the cards correctly and deal with it in the most efficient way possible. This means knowing all facets of any story being told, keeping up with the changing face of media and creating client interface through the right channels. May be those channels are local newspapers or even a blog.

     

    4. Increase loyalty – It is easier than ever to access information. We always have to keep pace with it. If I don’t provide information first, someone else will. Customers expect companies to act with integrity and the best way to control what is shared is by sharing it yourself. We can get increased customer loyalty by shaping third-party influence which often leads to greater trust with customers.

     

    5. Stand Out – It is impossible for businesses to connect with everyone. PR helps in getting the company increased followings, entice buyers to switch to your brand or become a loyal customer, or to simply share what you have to say. It is a great outlet as PR creates the opportunity and create that outlet for businesses to talk and stand out of the crowd.

     

    Anisha Motwani is Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance

     

  • PR is coming into its own in India, and as the industry evolves, PR practitioners are faced with a number of issues. Vivek Rana takes a look

    The Anchor: 5 challenges that PR in India still grapples with

    By Vivek Rana

     

    PR is coming into its own in India, with more and more companies recognizing that strategic communication can help build brand equity and support a company’s marketing goals more effectively than other disciplines. As the industry evolves, and principles of human behavioral change become core to spirit of communication, there are a number of dilemmas its members have to ponder over, to move the needle forward. Here are a few of these challenges:

     

    #1 Identifying the target market: When they are up against the wire, many PR professionals reach for a generic set of tactics that ignore target market demographics or preferences. Since success depends on correctly defining the audience, practitioners must have a firm handle on this aspect before they roll out a PR campaign or initiative. Studying customer profiles, consumption patterns, market research reports or other relevant data will help in this direction. Relevancy of stakeholders is key to a successful program.

     

    #2 Looking beyond print: The Indian PR industry continues to be fixated with print coverage with results often measured in column centimeters or some variant of this. In today’s world, people get their news from many different sources, spanning traditional and new media. So, PR professionals must encourage both themselves and their clients to invest to measurements tools that look at direct impact on behavior. After all Public Relations is not just media relations. This approach will also help identify the most relevant channels that resonate best with the target audience.

     

    #3 Do not compromise on creativity for ‘paid editorial’: We have heard enough on the debate around paid editorial v. earned editorial. While this trend becomes an increasingly mainstream practice, the concerning factor is that many PR professionals are willing to compromise on being creative, on walking that extra mile, because yes its easy to pay and get written about! And when you have a willing client, voila! To be sustainable and maintain credibility innovation and good ideas will continue to hold you valuable and in business.

     

    #4 Ethics and Integrity: The challenge today is not that we do not communicate enough; we just do not communicate in a manner that displays integrity and ethics. Everyone seems to be in the race to “kill stories”, influence the media through relationships and not by providing accurate, unambiguous messages.  Often I meet candidates at an interview to gloat about how they are skilled to “STOP PRESS” and I start wondering what drug is he on! Respect the intelligence of the media, and partner with them to ensure they have access to clear and genuine information.

     

    #5 A need to raise the bar: Mediocrity can crop up in many forms in the PR industry’s output: a poorly written press release, an uninspired campaign, a campaign strategy that is not based on research, a lack of attention to detail… the list goes on. On the flip side, when substandard quality is accepted and condoned by clients, it gives PR professionals little reason to up their game.

     

    The good news is that these are problems that are now acknowledged by many in the industry.

     

    Let’s not remain armchair reformists. Let’s lead the change.

     

    Vivek Rana is Principal at The PRactice

     

  • Talent acquisition can make all the difference between short-term and long-term success for start-up, writes Ambika Sharma while listing six things one can do to attract the right talent

    The Anchor: 6 things young companies should do to attract talent

    By Ambika Sharma

     

    Talent equals value and value drives strong organizations. Talent is capital and for young companies and start-ups, talent acquisition decisions can make all the difference between short-term and long-term success. Younger companies often face challenges when looking for talent. Here are six things one can do to attract the right talent.

     

    1. Build your brand, get your name out there. Most times it’s seen that startup teams get so busy pulling every day business together that they ignore showcasing and brand building. Build your organization’s brand carefully, ensure that you talk to potential talent pool right at the beginning and steadily create a conversation with your audience. Make sure you convey your brand values; what your company stands for, why are you doing something exciting and why they should want to work for you.

     

    2. Underline the opportunity for growth. Start-ups have advantages; they are less bureaucratic and hierarchical, show openness to fresh ideas and have a higher growth ratio as compared to traditional organizations. The new generation of talent realizes the potential of a free workspace and the growth opportunities it presents. Being able to walk up to the boss and present your case is a huge benefit. Don’t under value its potential. Be open list your advantages, package well and be honest, it’s a lot of hard work to be employed in a start up don’t let that fact slip through the cracks.

     

    3. Reward and respect. Respect the talent you have. Begin with setting the tone, if you had a good year don’t put off sharing the fruit for later. Give those well-deserved bonuses, and reward your talented partners, that’s what being a startup is about if you want to stop being a startup and graduate to being a respected employer. Last year, when the industry was putting off the increments and cutting the bonuses, we gave out nice juicy bonus packs. The team who ensured it is a good year deserves it. It’s about respecting the talent you have on board they are your strongest advocates to the outside world.

     

    4. Create value. Take initiatives early on to nurture the culture of being a valuable employer, being a great place to work in. Make your workplace fun, chose your benefits carefully and ensure your employees get well-constructed plans, Medical cover for the family, birthday bonuses, R&R programmes create value in the work place for every one on the team. Build in referral programmes, it’s a great way to identify talent as well as open a dialogue.

     

    5. Be inspiring: Talent and inspiration have a strong equation don’t forget to inspire. When you recruit, spend time to explain your organizations values to your HR partners, explain to them the qualities you want in a candidate and ensure you let them know why. They are your mouthpiece and must get the correct pitch on why your organization will be the game-changer for promising careers.

     

    6. Be consistent: Don’t go looking for talent when you are in need. It’s a constant process identify your 5 A-team list, constantly evaluate people you would like to have on board (yes even if you cannot afford to today) don’t settle for less it will not be fair on your current team or on your organizations future. I find this the most trying, to give time to a potential candidate when I am not looking to hire any time soon, but it’s important to know the trends and connect with talent on a consistent basis.

     

    Ambika Sharma is Managing Director and CEO, Pulp Strategy Communications

     

  • Every week, Deepa Gahlot casts a critical eye over media reviews of Bollywood releases… in Reviewing the Reviews

    Reviewing the Reviews: Khiladi 786

    Khiladi 786

    Key Cast: Akshay Kumar, Asin

    Written By: Himesh Reshammiya

    Directed By: Ashish Mohan

    Produced By: Twinkle Khanna, Sunil Lulla, Himesh Reshammiya

     

    The common belief is that a certain kind of Bollywood commercial film is critic-proof, or a Housefull 2 or Rowdy Rathore would not have succeeded. But once in a while critics must feel vindicated, when a film like Khiladi 786 comes out, thumbs its nose at anything that spells sense, and is confident of its power over the masses.

     

    Critics pan it – with a couple of exceptions – and the ratings hover between 1 and 2. This film is not likely to hit the 100-crore mark, and it’s not because of the reviews; the audience got sick of having garbage thrown at it.

     

    Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rants, “There is, of course, no plot. The attempt is to piggyback on the Khiladi brand that belongs to Akshay, marrying it to the currency of Chulbul from Dabangg. But when Akshay turns to us at the start of the film, having finished with a fight sequence, and declares – ‘The Khiladi Is Back’, I didn’t hear any clapping, though I did hear a few obligatory titters at the most distasteful parts (Akshay doing blackface is one). Lower the denominator as much as you want, you will always get some laughs. In the end, I was left looking at a straw to clutch. Any little thing. I found, dear viewer, none. Not. A. One.”

     

    Anupama Chopra of The Hindustan Times was unimpressed too, “All through, the funny bits were rare and mostly unintentional. Akshay swaggers above this messy material, which includes African-American characters and dancers in blackface. If I wasn’t so exhausted, I would have been offended. Box office figures suggest that many people enjoy this school of cheerfully moronic cinema, but Khiladi 786 really isn’t my idea of a good time.”

     

    Rajeev Masand of IBNLive commented, “Directed by first-timer Ashish Mohan, an erstwhile assistant of Rohit Shetty, Khiladi 786 is funny, but only in spurts. For the most part, it’s as enjoyable as watching a kitten struggle to shake off the firecracker that some mean kid tied to its tail. If you laugh, they’re probably guilty laughs – how can you be amused by such cruelty? At the receiving end of writer Himesh Reshammiya and director Ashish Mohan’s tasteless sense of humor are dwarves, handicapped people, and particularly foreigners who’re reduced to embarrassing racial stereotypes.”

     

    Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV was left cold. “Khiladi 786 has nothing new to offer. It is cut from the same cloth that has yielded many of Akshay Kumar’s recent vehicles. These films have sought to cash in on his rough and rowdy screen persona. Khiladi 786 does more of the same. In short, it is another outright assault on the senses. The comedy is crass, the acting borders on the slapstick, and the general air that hangs over the film is one of utter lunacy. The loudness is accentuated manifold by a ear-splitting background score.”

     

    Shubir Rishi of rediff.com gave it a low half star and wrote, “Debutant director Ashish R Mohan does try, but everything becomes dim and dull because of a really weak script, with unacceptable dialogues which are constantly in bad taste, and a single-finger synthesizer which is utilized for filling in as background score. This is no Rowdy Rathore, folks, this is just a gimmick. True, they did infuse it with a lot of other delightful innuendos, and some reference to comic books, but at the same time, ruined with unclever lines and expectant looks. This is a wannabe funny movie, an assault on our collective intellect.”

     

    Nandini Ramnath on Livemint commented, “The anything-goes movie is packed with so many random characters and even more random jokes that moments of inspired humour emerge out of the hodgepodge. Bahattar Singh, his father (Raj Babbar) and uncle (Mukesh Rishi) pretend to be policemen to impress the other side, as do Indu’s brother TTT (Mithun Chakraborty) and his hoods. A police inspector who is locked away for threatening to spill the beans loudly protests his treatment, saying he will “complain to Kejriwal”. The rest of the time, much of Bunty Rathore’s dialogue depends on rhyming words for laughs (bayko, the Marathi word for wife, is matched with psycho; Sikh with seekh kebab). It’s hardly enough to sustain the running length of 2 hours and 20 minutes, but you might just find yourself occasionally sniggering without meaning to.”

     

    Shabana Ansari of DNA observed, “Khiladi 786 is the kind of movie that critics pan and audiences lap up. Bahattar (72) Singh (yes, that is really Akshay’s name in the film) beats villains black and blue and makes walls crumble with just a single punch! What he can’t do is find himself a bride because of his reputation. When an out-of-work matrimonial agent (Himesh) offers to get him hitched to Indu (Asin), the spoilt sister of an underworld don Tatya Tendulkar (Mithun), both families pretend to come from respectable backgrounds. What ensues is as unbelievable as Akshay lip-syncing to Himesh’s songs.”

     

    Did anyone find any merit in the film? TOI’s Madhureeta Mukherjee did. “Debutant director Ashish R Mohan’s masala potboiler style is unmistakably reminiscent of his guru, Rohit Shetty’s films. There are flying cars, flying bodies, flying fists and a flying Singh too. He shows flair for comedy, but for a film titled Khiladi, it lacks hard-core action, heat and the adrenalin rush that is synonymous with Akshay’s Khiladi series (maybe intentionally). With a feel of hip-hop, rap, rock and our good ‘ol Burmanda, Himesh’s music pumps life and energy into the story. For those looking for some logic-less laughtime, groovy tunes topped with some todh-phodh – this one could bring some action to your weekend.”

     

  • A hospital is not a place where you make 'Bakras' out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it's bloody insensitive

    Anil Thakraney: Australian radio jocks should be jailed

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Abetment to suicide will obviously be an unfair charge, but the two Aussie radio jockeys whose wild prank led to the suicide of an Indian-born British nurse must definitely be made to face at least some prison time.

     

    For those of you not in the loop, an Australian station’s radio presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, made a hoax call to the hospital in London where Kate Middleton is being treated. Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse, took the call and believed the lie when the jocks claimed they were members of the Brit royal family. When Saldanha later discovered she had been made a global fool of, the sister apparently took her own life. In short, a joke gone horribly wrong.

     

    Following worldwide outrage, the two RJs have been sacked, but I don’t think that’s enough. The two should be charged under the relevant Australian law, and they need to pay for their crazy antics. Some of you might argue that the jockeys were having a good gaffe, that they did not intend for the nurse to die. Yes, I buy that. In fact, I believe our radio stations should learn a lesson from these guys, our RJs are specialists at annoying listeners with mindless chatter. I also accept that Cyrus Broacha had been doing stuff like this for MTV, and many unsuspecting souls were made ‘Bakras’ by him. However, there’s a huge, huge difference in the case of the dead nurse.

     

    The difference is that the idiotic RJs messed around with a hospital staffer. This simply cannot be defended. A hospital is not a place where you make ‘Bakras’ out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it’s bloody insensitive. And the worst-case scenario happened; someone committed suicide. Clearly, all this nonsense is a direct result of excessive competition in the media. Which compels some personnel to cross the line of control. And these rubbish deeds need to be clamped down upon, the offenders duly punished. Whether it’s journalists taking money for news or RJs risking people’s safety, some prison time would set the right example for both kinds.

     

    ***

     

    PS: What’s with Twitter? It seems to get the worst out of people, many end up with foot in the mouth. The latest victim is British Airways. An airline staffer allegedly retweeted a highly racist message, and the airline is in trouble for that. BA claims that someone hacked their Twitter account, though I won’t be surprised if that turns out to be untrue.

     

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234688/British-Airways-apologises-retweeting-racial-abuse-customer-angered-flight-cancellation.html

     

  • That Zee chairman Subhash Chandra has apparently been questioned for between seven and nine hours by the Delhi police, is surely not a common occurrence for high profile owners of media houses, notes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Our ‘News of the World’ moment?

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The Zee-Jindal case is certainly a watershed moment for the Indian media. Subhash Chandra, chairman of Zee, has apparently been questioned for between seven and nine hours by the Delhi police, surely not a common occurrence for high profile owners of media houses.

     

    The Zee group, apart from its packaging and entertainment interests, has the Zee news channels and newspaper DNA and rumoured to be in the market for Hindi daily Amar Ujala. During this questioning, Chandra was brought face to face with his jailed editors Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia, both of whom have supposedly told the police that the management knew what they were up to. Chandra’s son Puneet Goenka however left after 20 minutes of questioning. Chandra walked out saying he was ready to sue Naveen Jindal.

     

    Most newspapers and news channels in India have not gone further than bland reporting of the case, except perhaps Tehelka, with managing editor Shoma Chaudhury writing an opinion piece calling this our “News of the World” moment: http://www.tehelka.com/story_main54.asp?filename=Op081212Editer_cut.asp

     

    Everyone in the media knows that something of the sort that Zee News has been alleged to be up to happens more frequently than the general public might imagine. Usually, however, in the English media at least, the deals are struck by marketing departments and not by editors themselves. The Hindi language media has been much maligned, not least in the documentary Brokering News. But it has to be clear that no one is really innocent.

     

    How the Indian media deals with the Zee case will be an indicator of how serious we are about ending the reign of practices like Medianet and paid news and whether journalists are happy just being management puppets. The temptations are many, no question about that but sooner or later, better sense has to prevail. The Indian media has been safe or maybe cocksure in the knowledge that India is a few decades aware from the challenges being faced by the counterparts in the West because of low literacy levels and low economic growth. But a complete loss of credibility will strip away that little security blanket. Do we want it to come to that pass?

     

    I cannot see that most media managements will be easy to convince. They have found a way to easy money and may use words like “credibility”, but one suspects that it’s just blah blah to most of them. Journalists will have to fight this one on their own.

     

    **

     

    It seems that something intriguing is happening in the coverage of the Gujarat elections. Suddenly, both commentators and reports from the ground no longer see a clean sweep for the incumbent Narendra Modi government. Stories about anger over electricity and water, particularly in the Kutch and Saurashtra areas, are now frequent. Well-known and respected commentator Urvish Kothari also questions in rediff.com whether Modi’s Gujarat-centric campaign will really help on the national stage – a transition he certainly aspires to. http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-gujarat-election-m-for-modi-is-m-for-mr-moneybag/20121207.htm

     

    When it comes to Modi however it is clear that whether the electorate is divided or not, the media certainly is. There are some journalists on social media who work as Modi’s PR people and some who most certainly do not!

     

    **

     

    A trip to Delhi brings up this observation: Delhi newspapers seem to be paying a lot more attention to city issues these days than they did in the past. Shades of Mumbai journalism rubbing off on our superior worthies in the national capital?

     

    All right, I retract my claws… for now.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are her own

     

  • I would urge their ad agency to push the insanity envelope even harder. And the team should enjoy all the fun while it lasts. It's not every day that creative people land up with such hot 'deals'

    Debrief: Groupon: Craziness pays off

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I like all the madness in the new Groupon commercials. The online portal needed such sharp clutter breakers in order to get noticed.

     

    The positioning is that Groupon offers a wide array of deals. This is not an exciting proposition, but the creative treatment gives it the much needed punch. The idea is that Groupon offers really crazy deals, and this makes the TVCs quite humorous. One ad talks about karate lessons. A granny is shown peppering a couple of thieves with killer karate chops. In another one that hawks an unlimited buffet lunch, a pot-bellied man sets off chaos inside the restaurant as his under pressure belly button (of the shirt) takes off like a bullet. And there are more such rollicking ads.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9BYxUIwMqg[/youtube]
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwfmzuR3rBQ[/youtube]
    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Correct strategy. Fun ads.

    Good one. In the television medium that’s booming with ads, a new entrant has to create a splash immediately. Especially if the ad budgets are limited and there’s no scope for a long-term brand building idea. And once it’s decided to go with the humour route, the idea should be to go all out. More the ads get bizarre, better will be the noticeability. And Groupon ads meet that expectation. They are entertaining and will lead to quick brand recall.

     

    In fact, I would urge their ad agency to push the insanity envelope even harder. And the team should enjoy all the fun while it lasts. It’s not every day that creative people land up with such hot ‘deals’.

     

  • Email is a great way to reach out and stay in touch… but it is also only too easy to make the mistakes that make people mad. Vidya Heble has a shortlist of what to avoid

    The Anchor: 5 ways to piss people off via email

    By Vidya Heble

     

    Email is a great way to reach out and stay in touch… but it is also only too easy to make the mistakes that make people mad. Here’s a shortlist of what to avoid

     

    #1 Signature

    Coloured, no. Bold, no. Large font size, no. Lots of words, no. JPEGs or GIFs that some mail programs turn into attachments, certainly no. If your company has foisted a signature upon you, nothing you can do about it. But if you choose to do it, if you must have a signature, keep it simple, informative, and to the point.

     

    #2 Font

    It sounds unbelievable that people still use Comic Sans. In purple. And bold, and a large font size. Chances are, the formatting was done by someone about three generations up the chain who had discovered Microsoft Word and the delights of a colour monitor. And never got over it. But hey, YOU can click “send as plain text” or something like that, or just select all (ahem, Ctrl +A) and make the font something sober like Calibri or even, heck, Times. In a normal sort of size, and black. If the email is worth sending on, it’s worth doing this much.

     

    #3 Subject line

    If you yell “Must Read!” – and, worse, do it in all caps – the recipient may do just the opposite. Because chances are you are forwarding someone seven generations up the chain who first screamed “Must Read!”, and that forward has probably already reached your audience through other sources way before your breathless email. And it has probably reached them twice, at least. Seeing “Must Read!” may just make them go Aargh! So, if you are forwarding something that you liked and you would like your friends to read (assuming you still want them to be your friends after this), take the trouble of saying something about the content of the email in the subject line.

     

    #4 Tone

    This is a true story. No, really, it happened to me. A PR person visited our editorial offices and met each person who she thought was important, in turn. We found it a bit amusing but we went along as we believe in encouraging young things. About two emails later, in the next couple of days, she says this to me suddenly, in an email with no other salutation or ending: “Listen, why don’t you interview XYZ?” I may have imagined the punctuation in that sentence but those were the words (XYZ was a client’s CEO). That was supposed to be her interview pitch. Even I, with the kindest of hearts, could not look kindly upon this. I was only one among many other journos. Not her bosom buddy. Even if I had been, an interview pitch is an interview pitch and this is not how it is written. So, make sure your tone is appropriate to your email’s contents.

     

    #5 And, of course, spam

    A baby was miraculously saved from a rare disease. A little girl is dying and needs your email to survive. You can win untold riches from Microsoft with just one little forward. Changing room mirrors have cameras behind them and there are gangsters in the parking lot and the world is going to end because NASA said so. Drop it, get a grip, and stop spamming people with lies, damned lies and bullshit.

     

  • Young Track by Samyak Chakrabarty: 4 key differences between youth in Europe and India

    By Samyak Chakrabarty

     

    Throughout my travels to Europe, I have been trying to decipher the fundamental differences between urban youth there and in India. Just last evening at a bar in Helsinki in Finland, I bumpedinto an ethnographic researcher from whom I derived certain insights on the formation of Europe’s ‘Modern Social Fabric’ that reaffirmed my observation that in almost every way, the two human sets are totally different species unlike compared to say a North America or the Far East. This has more to do with history than geography. In fact, I am exploring making this a chapter in my next book: ‘Species 1988’.

     

    1. Relationships: A lot of my young friends in countries like Germany, Sweden, Austria and France often mock me when I talk about commitment, persevearance and loyalty when it comes to relationships (with partners, friends, colleagues and family). At first I thought, these are just a bunch of brash playboys – but a more indepth reasoning reveals that while they too hate frivolity at one level, practicality takes the front seat. They prefer to remain at the convergence of holding on and letting go – hence making it easier and quicker to decide. The average divorce rate in Finland is 50%! Young India on the other hand gives more importance to emotions, memories and wants to try preserve which is of course great but often becomes a bad practice when dealing with relations that are at its expiry date.

     

    2. Ambition: Indian youth by far surpasses all benchmarks of ambition levels! We always seem to want more and more out of life. Whereas, the average youngster in Europe prefers to lead a less riskier life by following the routine of struggling through college, finding a good (and in today’s times – sustainable) job and shoveling snow out of the driveway! Of course they too have exceptions of some very successful achievers, but then outliers are born everywhere… Just a few months ago, I was at this session on the ‘Indian Jugaad’ for Scandinavian media entrepreneurs and it amazed them on how we had more stories about growth than survival (for every day, common people !). But another truth is that while in our learning system, it is ingrained right from the beginning about the merits of being first (by any means) – for them, it is mainly about substance. Most youngsters these days in Europe are choosing their line of work based on passion and interest rather than on what is the quickest option to make the million.

     

    3. Adaptibility: The Europeans seem to be more resistant to change and prefer to conform to habit. Experimentation is not their favourite hobby. Interestingly, I first noticed this from their beer drinking habits – it has been the same brand since their first time. The bartender always hates it when I take five minutes to ponder over which brew to sample next… he tells me: “You should know what you want, like everybody else does”. A more serious dig into this reveals that the same conformity is applied in their very way of life – working hours, scheduling, outlook towards work, building new relationships, adhering to rules etc. Whereas we Indians are always on the look out for new experiences, love to challenge norms and are open to anything that is new.

     

    4. Spending: But obviously, the Europeans are more conservative with their cash outflow and one would think recession is the reason. However, this is untrue. Unlike the Americans for example, people from this land have always valued their wealth. When I say conservative - I do not imply in any way that they spend any less, rather they do so more wisely. They think through every major expense (even the ‘rich guys’) and will always ensure there is ample saving. In my opinion, modern young indians are somewhere in between the American impulse and the European caution  if one were to average the spending habits of urban 18 to 24-year-olds.

     

     

  • Samyak Chakravarty lists four key factors that influence buying decisions of the urban Indian youth

    Young Track: 4 purchase decisions influencers of urban Indian Youth

    By Samyak Chakravarty

     

    Experiential Engagement:  With so many campaigns all over, youngsters are biased towards brands that are able to engage with them in an innovative and sustained manner.  They respond more effectively to activations that make them think. For instance, games/events in college festivals where the product is a key part of it has successfully created a great recall value.

     

    Testimonials:  When at the point of purchase, young people will easily make a choice if there have been testimonials and chatter about a brand amongst friends beforehand as it reassures them that their choice is right.  For instance, while purchasing laptops,students will tend to buy the models which have been conversed about the most within their network. So then effectively the best brand agents for this segments would be from within the TG itself.

     

    Strategic presence:  Young people feel more connected and loyal to brands which are present at points and times of need. They will only use that brand even if not in a dire situation the next time. For instance, Red Bull is always present outside colleges post exams / festivals – at times when youngsters would want to consume it the most. This automatically results in building a strong relationship with the young consumer.

     

    Social Relevance: A currently small but increasingly significant trend is that students prefer buying products, which have a positive impact to society and try not to choose products that in some way create harm. For instance, young people have started influencing their parents to only purchase eco-friendly home electronics even though they may be more expensive.