Category: DAS KA DUM

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Q: With AI taking centerstage, would you say it can be goodbye to learning and upgrading oneself on AR, VR, voice etc?

A: An emphatic: NO, NO!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is surely brewing a revolution of a different kind, akin to the industrial revolution, the green revolution and or the internet-led digital revolution. Whenever it has taken a leap, technology has injected efficiency from a legacy operating practice and its concurrent inefficiencies. In short, it acts as a conduit for availability of superior intelligence and judgement support system for a qualitatively higher order outcome for every organisation and individual.

Having said that, AI may not be able to excel in all human tasks, as of now (after the launch of GPT-4o, I don’t have full glimmer of a so-called amazing future and can’t imagine the pace of development through AI), but many tasks are still outside the domain of AI. For example, competition-level mathematics or visual common sense reasoning etc. But the day AI can excel in this might not be far off.

So, superior level of learning can happen with AI for sure and those who bid goodbye to learning because of AI would miss the bus of opportunities of leveraging its potential. If one considers AI as an adversary, one would face a different consequence, compared to those who would consider it as an empowerment opportunity.

I am not denying that businesses across the globe are getting aware of the risks emanating from AI. Even deep fakes or manufactured content for spreading disinformation and misinformation have become a matter of concern for all concerned, be it brand custodians or politicians.

But it’s too late to reverse the click. Regulations would certainly be there to regulate it but I wonder how they will achieve the desired goal.

I know my answer has gone beyond the ambit of your question but the answer tried cover a larger space to look at both the sides of AI —positives in the form of improving lives and creating superior form of intelligence and negatives in the form of misuse by the dark forces of society.

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: Do you see influencer marketing just a passing fad or a gamechanger for the Indian advertising industry?

A: In recent years, Influencer Marketing (IM) has become a significant part of marketing strategies of many brands. While it’s early to predict its future with conviction, it seems likely that influencer marketing will continue to be a dominant culture for marketers. With the rise of social media and the increasing influence of online personalities, it’s quite possible that influencer marketing will be an effective way for brands to reach their addressable market. However, like any element of marketing strategy, its credibility and effectiveness (third party metrics are yet to evolve) may take some time to evolve as consumer behaviour and their contexts of various cohorts change over time.

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: Who from the Indian A&M ecosystem do you think would make a good influencer? Name any five people

A: Are you a well-wisher of mine or do you want to put me in a spot, like you often like to do. I surely don’t want to make enemies in the industry by not naming someone. Having said that, there are many people from my perspective who have impressed me in the past and even now. These are people who I would like to hear just as a young adult would go to experience an Ed Sheeran or Arijit Singh concept.

So who are these people? In no random order, five each in three categories of people who are part of the A&M ecosystem:

Corporates:

Nitin Paranjpe

Sanjiv Mehta

Suresh Narayanan

Aditya Puri

Deepak Parekh

 

Advertising:

Piyush Pandey

R Balki

Prasoon Joshi

Sam Balsara

CVL Srinivas

 

Films & Sports:

Amitabh Bachchan

MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Zeenat Aman

Sharmila Tagore

 

There are many other names that come to my mind. Also, each one of us, in a big or small way, is an influencer. But that would be boring for you, right?

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: Your views on the IPL 2024 final. Any learnings from KKR winning strategy?

A: The strategy for any IPL match in general and IPL final in particular in this case is anybody’s guess. Too many factors affect the pre-planning before the match and during the match. And this influences every decision including shot selections and fielding placement. I can’t exactly pinpoint the micro elements that worked for KKR. Hence I would focus on the macro factors that have revealed KKR’s character as a team:

1. KKR played consistently throughout the tournament, and in every department of the game.
2. The team management (whoever that may be) has focused on selecting a balanced team with batting and bowling skills, all-rounders, pinch-hitters and a skilled captain in his own craft (though he is under punitive measures by the authorities)
3. The main coach and other coaches of various departments of the game do play a significant role in creating competence in every area of a game –individually– thereby creating a multiplicative effect on the overall performance specially in the crunch games and in case of any contingencies (eg when the anticipated performance of a key player goes below par), the other players were in a position to step in those situations.
4. I must mention about the lead coach –Gautam Gambhir– who has had stints twice over in other franchises, but he couldn’t excel. In the case of KKR, he excelled and how! I know it’s a post-game conclusion but if you observe the consistency he brought in each match without any brouhaha is certainly a quality to be appreciated.

This brings me to the culture that the owner could inculcate in the overall environment of managing team spirit – be it victory or loss. It’s not easy to develop such a homogeneous culture where even foreign players were present. In fact three of the foreign players contributed hugely in maintaining the winning streak of the team.

The Badshah of Bollywood didn’t try impose/ extrapolate the same formula in the 22 yards, as in his films. I am sure he gave freedom to Gautam Gambhir and his team to engender a camaraderie amongst all that could give the team members a Zen-like attitude against the two imposters- victory and defeat, so long they could win the third title. Since winning is an attitude, KKR evinced the same throughout the season.

There are micro factors also which could  be decoded —I know hindsight is a precise science- eg it was great toss to lose by KKR. The opponent’s reading of the pitch was erroneous. Secondly, the opponent team applied the same principle of excelling in the final encounter. This formula contributed to showing a stellar performance (vis-a -vis the previous years) in matches they won, even if it didn’t ensure consistent performance during the season. A rigid formula  in micro situations need not be a success. Every match in a T20 game is unique and needs micro response with macro capabilities underpinning it.

I think the KKR team has inculcated the right character of a winner, consistently, which ultimately differentiated a winner from a loser.

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: The standout moment of IPL 2024 for me/many was the booing of Hardik Pandya. Perhaps for the first time ever, a cricketer received much hate from audiences? An indicator of times to come

A: Even if the incident is part of history now (in the context of nano-moment of time now), it was unfortunate to say the least. But mob/ crowd psychology can’t be predicted/ complained about. In the age of social media and consumer activism, no earned media reactions can be controlled. For players, the best route would be to switch off external noise and focus on their craft and respond to situational triggers during a match, keeping in mind the franchise’s priorities. So far as the franchise owners are concerned, one has to proactively manage reputation of the team and its players and avoid any visible trigger to consumer activists.

But as you correctly pointed out that this is an indicator of time. One can’t stop it, but one can navigate it adroitly by strategic thinking.

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: Goafest starts today. Having been to almost all editions held thus far, your sentiments?

A: I love Goafest. Why? I love its cognitive immersion, hedonistic (food and party) triggers and interacting with great speakers and M&E friends. What else one can expect from the ‘Mahakumbh’ of Marketing and Advertising.  You must not miss it also.

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: The Age of Adaptability is the theme for Goafest. Do you think more ‘adaptability’, it should’ve been Reinvention. Perhaps a tad more proactive and aggressive?

A: The theme of Goafest this year is most appropriate in the context of prevailing BANI ( Brittle, Anxious, Nimble, Incomprehensible) environment. Adaptability is the pertinent attitude for survival and thriving for any corporate setup. Reinvention is one of the outcomes of adaptability/ nimbleness. It’s a permanent beta state of an organisation to navigate the shifting sands of business and environmental vicissitudes.

At the end, may I take the liberty to quote Charles Darwin on the subject: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” That’s pretty proactive and aggressive.

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: The Lok Sabha election results will be known in a few days. What’s your sense: achche din aanewaale hain?

A: In a democracy, election results, are always very critical as we elect a government who would run our country with the hope of maximum achche din for maximum number of people to mitigate their existential challenges. In view of this, all concerned citizens of the country would be excited to know the outcome of the general election. I am no exception.

Achche din is a quintessential hope of every human being, irrespective of economic strata or geographic location. So even I shall be hoping for the same and I am specially an incorrigible optimist.

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: The Lok Sabha election results will be known in less than 24 hours from now. Your sentiments

A: Why this Kolaveri di (murderous rage) about election results? Que sera sera… Whatever will be, will be. We shall get the Ruler we deserve, rather it should be which party the country’s population have opted for. So we should wait for one more day. Anyways, Nifty has given a thumbs up to the sunny side up sentiment, if that is any indication. So sentiments are upbeat and as I am not an astrologer, I don’t want to guess the result at all.

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: What was your one big takeaway from Goafest that happened last week?

A: Adaptability is being considered as the most crucial skill for success, be it personal or professional life.  Robin Hogarth used a term called “wicked environment”—where uncertainty and complexity dominate due to various tectonic shifts. Hogarth, a renowned psychologist and decision-making expert, highlighted the importance of flexibility and learning in today’s unpredictable settings. How does one navigate the scenario where the operating rules are getting altered constantly?

I wanted to set the context of the theme of Goafest. Given the above background, I don’t see any further explanation for the selection of the theme of the prestigious festival held last week.

The above is the first and most important takeaway from the conference. Secondly, well-calibrated sessions were another positive from the festival. There were parallel dedicated sessions for special interests. Thirdly, the spirits were high as was evident from award functions and networking engagements during coffee and lunch breaks.

Since you asked me to give one key takeaway from Abby-Goafest, I would say that the overall sentiment of the audience was positive and the   camaraderie was palpable.

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: Even as there’s time for the formation of the next government, any one thing that you would like the ‘new’ government to do for the A&M fraternity?

A: Irrespective of the government in power,  the business interests of the A&M cohort would always be critical. When business interests general prosper, the marketers and business enterprises would reap dividends. Hence, I would recommend to the new government to engender a climate of ease of doing business and encourage more and more entrepreneurial ventures for generating employment, and Income. Everything else would follow.

I feel that economics (and therefore A&M is included) and politics are deeply connected. Look at the stockmarket though it’s too much sentiment-based. While politics may be fluid, economics is on a solid ground. But the message from the voters is clear: deliver some core ground-level realities like job creation (it implies focus on brisk business that creates more blue collar jobs). But as it might be a coalition central government, the elbow room for bulldozing controversial and painful economic decisions would not be easy.