Category: DEAR MxM

By Jaisurya Das

 

I just can’t understand why most of us crave to own a piece of our past.

 

Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back to yet another week with Dear MxM.

 

An interesting week to say the least, and hence I decided to share one of its highlights with you today. Am not sure if any of you have encountered what I did a few days ago but it was certainly quite interesting as far as I am concerned. Different matter that at the end of it, my wallet is lighter !

 

This is about the passion to own a slice of what I call history! An iconic brand, a reminder of a bygone era that has touched me in more than one way or the other. It’s mighty strange how iconic brands have an intrinsic ability to induce passion and desire in even the least interested audience.

 

I sat working furiously at my laptop for hours that morning, only to take a short break to check on my mail and that’s when it all happened.

 

I scanned a few random mailers before I opened this one. Tissot, the age-old watch company was back to haunt me yet again. The same watch and dial that my grandfather wore over 40 years ago. Memories of me grabbing it from his desk to see how it will look on my wrist, memories of his winding it every morning with clockwork finesse. Memories that have stood the test of time and affection.

 

Just plain nostalgia from an era that is long gone. No more winding, no more grandfather either. Just the stark realisation that time has gone by. Isn’t it strange that an inanimate object can stir such emotion in you.. ?

 

Well it did, and I hit the ‘buy’ button and ordered a watch that I didn’t need one bit for its utility ! I just did was what an iconic brand does to you. Stir emotion to give you an almost life-like experience of a past that you pine for.

 

In a few days, I will in all probability adorn this Tissot in memory of a lovely childhood.

Will it tell the time with the same precision that my grand father believed in ? Am not sure, But does that matter any longer to me?

 

No, It’s about owning a brand that has stood the test of time, much like the Zippo and the heady Chivas Regal. There is something beyond what is apparent, what is seen.

 

My own feeble attempt to own an iconic slice of my past!

 

So, what makes a brand iconic?

 

I leave you with this random question and while you’re at it, let me take you through the questions from our readers in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

 

Do read on…

 

Why is it that many regional newspapers carry loads of poetry and fiction, but most English newspapers find no space for all it?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM!

 

While I have reason to agree with you on this observation, it may not be entirely correct to say that the English media has no place for creative writing. The weekend supplements in leading dailies do have their share of fiction and creative content, though in terms of frequency it’s far from regular.

 

Personally, I believe that this has much to do with the readership and audience psyche today. Regional audiences still demand their share of creative writing, culture, art and topics such, while the more so called ‘evolved’ city audiences find all this passe!

 

I think ’’ts got a lot to do with the infinite distractions that we as an audience reckon with day after day. Where is the time for good fiction or poetry? For us, it’s all bout being socially active, being seen, reproducing what someone said, liking and sharing and….

 

Creativity is appreciated by only those who have the time and inclination. Unfortunately, thanks to one excuse or the other, the English readership is more skewed to the excitement of glamorous infotainment.

 

Having said this, I do hope that, at some point of time, the English media witnesses a resurrection of sorts and brings back some good reading. But then reading in itself is a dying tradition.

 

One of the main reasons why I am not relocating to a city like Mumbai is that good housing near the office is prohibitively expensive… even in rentals. Why don’t media organisations have provisions for housing for employees like many other private and government outfits?

Ah, good point, yet it’s important to understand that no media organisation can afford to provide accommodation for all its people. Media margins are slim now (except for a handful of leaders) and hence capital investment/ high overheads is a tall order.

 

Moreover, how many people can an organisation take care of? I know of several media companies who have provided company accommodation for a few senior people but this can’t be made applicable across levels and functions, for obvious financial reasons.

 

I think it’s good enough that most discerning companies today provide for a fairly decent HRA (House Rent Allowance) that allows their employees to find something reasonably comfortable.

 

I don’t think it’s a lack of inclination on the part of the company as much as the financial outlay required to create living space for a large number of people.

 

I must confess that heart of hearts, I would be the happiest to see media professionals being provided with company accommodation but that seems highly unlikely!

 

Is it true that a person with a research background sees faster growth in media organisations?

No, this isn’t true! Yes, a research background is always beneficial but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have accelerated growth.

 

It’s the advertising fraternity that sees a major affinity to research for the plethora of brands it works with. Hence for me, research is more a catalyst than a precipitator for a positive appraisal. 

 

There are exceptions to this rule but that’s when the basic role demands a high degree of numerical acumen.

 

If I were you, I wouldn’t worry myself on this. Just focus on your defined objectives and KRAs (Key Result Areas) and soon enough, you will be at the receiving end of accolades!      

 

Do well, my friend. Career and growth will happen.

 

In Delhi, schools stay shut because of the summer. But shouldn’t working professionals also be allowed the benefit of not having to go to office to beat the heat? Many jobs in India can easily manage it!?

I completely agree with you on this. In fact peak summer sees productivity dipping in most field jobs. It’s inhuman to expect people to spend the entire afternoon out there in the blazing sun wth temperatures soaring 40deg’C ++

 

While I don’t entirely agree with your view on working from home etc, I think a moot point must be arrived at, to solve this weather issue.

 

One of the things that I have always thought of implementing at work, is the afternoon siesta in line with the Gulf countries. The tendency to sleep and put on weight notwithstanding, it may be a sensible idea to budget for a sleep hour during summer. This will allow for some recharging when you have run out of steam.

 

Honestly, I don’t think this is about which job can manage all this luxury; Almost every role can, but how many companies think like this?

 

And, yes, all the best with your’s, my friend!

 

My friends, I do hope you enjoyed reading this weeks dose of Dear MxM. Do feel free to write and give us your valuable inputs. Believe me, we take these things seriously !

 

And, yes, do take good care of yourself; It’s the raging month of May. So, keep yourself well-hydrated, indulge in those coolers, butter-milk etc and eat light. It honestly helps.

 

And for those of you who have questions ready, please do write in to us at editor@mxmindia.com mentioning ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line !

 

Well, for those of you who don’t have anything to ask, sit back and relax, We will be back soon with yet another week of India’s only online counselling column for our industry. 

 

So what if we say it’s the best too!

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.

His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable.

He is also Contributing Editor of MxM India. For more information on his work visit www.xanadu.co.in

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Apparently Ladies and Gentleman, man is made lazy! I heard this quite recently and was exceedingly thrilled with this revelation. Almost everything that I have been doing and not doing was amply justified the moment I heard this.

 

And since the operating word is lethargy, this week’s column has no customary long introduction, but goes instead straight to our Q&A for the week. Read on. You will enjoy it !

 

This time almost entirely from the city of Mumbai. Way to go Mumbai!!

 

My company has imposed a scheme of variable pay. But we don’t trust the company to pay us the entire variable pay as they can always say that the company hasn’t made enough profits. Are there any laws governing this? Should we ask HR to tell us where the company stands on parameters that will decide the performance of the company and where things stand now?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM! Yes, indeed the parameters are to be made transparent and hence you must check the fineprint. I know this isn’t easy since quite a few organisations stay from getting into the micros.

 

Unfortunately, there are no laws governing this, my friend. Incentives and variable pay are all component of remuneration in the private sector, and this is entirely the prerogative of the organisation and its functionaries.

 

So my advice would be to trust more and worry less! Go on with life, my friend. All will fall into place.

 

I really like my boss but I don’t want to join him in this large team that he’s leading out of the company to a rival. Please advise what I should do.

Simple. Do nothing! If you aren’t comfortable tagging along. Just decline and move on. Yes, you like your boss but that doesn’t mean that you forsake your job satisfaction..

 

By the way, I am curious to know as to to why you decided to stay on?

 

And yes, do have a nice and frank chat with your boss in order to put things in perspective for your mutual benefit!  All the very best with this.

 

I don’t knowTamil and I have to relocate to Chennai as I need to take care of my boyfriend’s dogs (my bf is travelling to the US for a year). I am a journalist and am told – no Tamil, no job in Chennai? Life sucks! Vanakkam Saar (that’s the only one of two Tamil words I know), Tamil illay for me. Please help

Oh boy!! This is the strangest thing I have heard in a long time. I must say that I am most impressed with your devotion to purpose. Your boyfriend is sure lucky to have you as his dogsitter!

 

Jokes apart, this is certainly a very noble act that you are going to indulge in, and I sincerely hope his dogs are as fond of you

 

Now coming back to your question on Tamil, let me assure you that this is a whole load of rubbish. You can manage very well in Chennai without knowing the local language. I say this quite emphatically as I have stayed in this city long enough to know what works.

 

As long as you’re comfortable with English, Hindi etc, you can do famously at Chennai. It’s a wonderful city which grows on you,

Have a lovely time!

 

The person who sits next to me in the office bus wears a very strong fragrance. Some very 1990s scent, as they would call it. And I have developed an allergy to it. I even gifted her an EDT recently, but she said she only likes the one brand she wears. What should I do? And since I am the juniormost, I can’t swap seats with someone else.

Wonders will never cease will they!!! I must be a lucky man to get such interesting questions this week. Trust my readers from Mumbai to bowl these medium-paced googles at me.

 

Well, answer I must so. The simplest thing to do would be to have a change of place handle this. Additionally, you can be nice and have a 1990s type person take your place so that everyone is happy!

 

The other option would be to have your neighbourhood pharmacy get you one of those high end masks . Apparently, they keep away all odours and can be particularly helpful in dealing with BO, perfumed or otherwise.

 

Well, if this doesn’t work, mail me your CV and we shall try and find you a new job… the 2016 type !

 

All the best with your sensory pursuits. Amen.

 

And with this we come to the end of another smashing week on MxM. Do come back next Thursday for yet another edition of Dear MxM !

 

Meanwhile, feel free to mail us 24/7 on editor@mxmindia.com with Dear MxM and your city of residence in the subject line. God Promise, we will read this and do our best to answer all your queries 🙂

 

Au Revoir, my friends. Be well.

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands! His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable.

 

He is also Contributing Editor of MxM India. For more information on his work visit www.xanadu.co.in.  The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Namaskaar and welcome to this special edition of Dear MxM.

 

I have heard that blowing ones own trumpet is bad manners besides it being a possible cause of throat discomfort. They often say that when you have a great brand you don’t need to make a noise about it… This is the exception to the rule. This is love.

 

It’s been just a week since we launched Pune’s most happening online magazine Pune365 and boy ! It’s been really overwhelming in every little way. From the amazing welcome extended to this baby to the comments and feedback that we have been receiving over the past few days.

 

Our founding partners brainstormed this over the past three months to be able to perfect a model for launch. For us, it was clear from Day1. We have to make it content-driven with content like never before on this city. Stories of the unknown, unspoken, unassuming, unpretentious and unbelievable people and places in this city, Capturing the subtle emotion and sensitivity was our biggest challenge..

 

Our combined experience of a century was at stake here. We had to get it to work to become an integral part of the city’s routine from the day of launch.

 

It’s been long since all of us actually rolled up our sleeves, made our own cup of tea (often lethargy moved us to tetrapacked chaas!) and set this up word by word. We hired colleagues with passion not bylines. We connected with friends, writers and journalist colleagues to invite them to feel Pune in this avatar.

 

God has been kind, very kind. We already have over 70,000 people who have been reached and have substantial returning visitors too. Something must be right I guess…and yet it’s a long mile. We shall trudge it with elan, for now we know the city loves this baby.

 

Indian cities need passion and outstanding ideation to give them a place in the Sun. Pune this is your time! We love you, for we belong here.

You have made us what we are.

 

I tip my hat to this wonderful city and its people. Thank you for giving us a space in your heart. We promise not to let you down ever.

 

Time now to move from an ode to pune to this weeks Q&A with our readers from Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and for the first time ever Bhubaneswar!

 

Recently the CEO of a rival company has joined my company. Now I have no issues with it, but it is difficult to report to a someone whom we have fighting against in the marketplace. What is your advice?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM, your friendly neighbourhood agony uncle.

 

I completely understand your concern with this situation. The interesting thing is that it affects only the scrupulously loyal and no one else. I can bet you a thousand bucks that there will only be a handful of colleagues who share your concern. For the rest, he is merely the new boss man!

 

Well, this is what the corporate world and headhunting is all about. Sometimes it’s not enough being equally good to win in the marketplace;

It takes guerrilla tactics and that as you know, spares none.

 

I know it sounds unfathomable to someone like you who is wedded to the company but do not forget that the marketplace is akin to war and in war there is no good or bad. Win or perish!

 

My advice to you would be to start accepting the fact that the new boss could actually make your company go places. Now that’s what’s important, isn’t it? So walk head high, for such a move is no less than a coup.

 

And, yes, why do you limit yourself by worrying about reporting into the new man? This is time you can leverage your experience and learn the tricks of the trade from a man who has seen it all. Help him settle down, share your experience and get on to being his confidante.

 

After all, good work eventually pays off no matter how long it takes.

Craft is for keeps. It is yours and no boss can take it away, Build on it young man and don’t waste your time on rumination.

 

Are newspapers worried that no one will buy them if they raise their cover price? What is the real reason?

No, no, this isn’t the case at all. It’s just that they dug their own grave with invitation pricing policies. Yes, it was a legendary move by the Economic Times a few decades ago that changed the marketplace..

 

In fact, not many know that this amazing manoeuvre was inspired by a Zoo! Yes, the crowds that thronged on a particular day of the week thanks to a ‘half-priced entry’ led to some brilliant thinking and brainstorming soon after.

 

The rest is history. The Indian media market was remote controlled by price and competitive pricing. Everyone had to follow suit wagging their tails.

Brilliant move, unparalleled thinking and yet in my opinion irreversible for many followers.

 

Today, years later, the same newspapers and media moguls are struggling to push up cover prices. India is price-sensitive no matter how affluent the audience is. Now, this is what wasn’t factored at that point of time.

 

Today, it isn’t about affording. It’s about habits and a super consumer-friendly environment. To add to this, the bogie of print getting extinct.

 

Yes, print in this avatar will die. Those who survive will be the smarter ones who will be quick to adopt and adapt to audiences of the future.

But do we really know who this audience is?

 

My twin brother and I both want to get into advertising. Now what if we join competing organisations. How does one cope with competition at home?

Ha ha! That’s a unique question indeed, but isn’t life all about competing?

 

As far as I know, we are competing perennially. Sometimes it’s life itself or with family, friends and even the environment at large.

 

So my friend, relax, for all these emotions are normal and pretty much a part of our interesting existence on planet Earth.

 

Both of you are professionals (or so I assume!) and hence it’s craft and only craft that will make the difference. In fact having a family member in the industry only helps exchange notes, greater learning and industry networking.

 

I can say this with vehemence, since all of us (we are three brothers) have spent a greater part of our lives in media. In my case I was the luckiest since I had two elder brothers who I could learn from.

 

Go for it bro, all will be good!

 

I recently found that the lights in my office are not bright enough. I think it has adversely impacted my eyesight. I informed my office administration staff. They said the bulbs can’t be changed because a lot of expenses have happened recently on LED bulbs. What should I do? Please advise.

Thank you for writing in to us! This is a common issue with a lot of workplaces since lighting design is an area that is most often neglected. Loads of money is spent on making the office space look nice, but when it comes to lighting, switches etc, corners are cut for reasons best known to the corporate.

 

In your case I am almost certain it is a lighting design & plan issue. If they have LED bulbs and fittings (Light Emitting Diodes) there is no reason for the office remaining inadequately lit. LEDs are exceedingly powerful when it comes to lumens and hence are cost effective since you need less wattage/sqft of area. Somewhere this has been mucked up resulting in eye strain etc to you.

 

Do your colleagues also complain or is it only you? If it’s only you, a change in your workstation would probably take care of it. It would also be advisable to have a complete eye check up from a good ophthalmologist to rule out any inherent eyesight malaise. If everyone has the same complaint and the management isn’t doing anything about it, It would make sense to invest in some good table lighting for your workstation. LEDs have made portable lighting exceedingly attractive and compact. A good flexible table lamp can ease your problem effectively.

 

May you have a really bright career ahead :).

 

It’s wind up time at Dear MxM this week but before we take our bows, I take this opportunity to wish all my friends the best of this season. May the almighty give you and your families peace, happiness and good health.  Ramadan Kareem.

 

As always, Dear MxM will be back with you next Thursday with a super fresh bouquet of questions and plain talking answers ! Till then, keep writing in at editor@mxmindia.com superscribing the subject with ‘Dear MxM’and your ‘City’.

 

Accha toh hum chalte hain….

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also a co-founder of www.pune365.com. He can be reached at www.xanadu.co.in, He is also Contributing Editor of www.mxmindia.com. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Ladies and Gentleman, a very warm welcome to this 24th week of 2016!

… and another one bites the dust! This time it’s the enormously popular LinkedIn which has  just been acquired by Microsoft in an all-cash deal. Yet another example of a company that is phenomenally successful yet lacked the energy for the winning lap!

 To be honest, I just don’t understand what prompted them to sell? Was it the immense valuation or just the fact that they were unable to scale it to the next level of engagement?

 Or did they hit the glass ceiling? Great brand, great community and yet, a not-so-robust revenue model? This is often the biggest hurdle of being a startup that’s not part of a group/ conglomerate in the trade.

 You have a great idea and a super set of people and the next thing you know, you’re in business…  till a few years down the line when you come to what I call a crunching halt. Then starts the rumination.

 How do I go from here? Well, as the Cheshire cat would have remarked: It all depends on where you want to go. And if you don’t have the answer to that, then it really doesn’t matter which way you go.

 I guess this is what new-age business is all about. Often, just a germ of an idea that grows into a huge enterprise built on virtually nothing but people and emotion. All the rest is an aura that balloons’ around the brand and the community that it bonds.

A virtual paradise that is a treat for the eye. But what next?

 It’s critical that the scaling up is well strategised through the best days of the brand in order to create a robust plan that the founders can go back to when their brand hits glass!

 Do not wait for the brand to stabilise to work on your next phase. Remember, in today’s age and time, stability is merely another word among the millions you will find in a dictionary.

Before I get even more profound, it may be sensible to move on to the Q&A for the week.

A special welcome to our readers from Karachi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad with their questions.

 

Sir, have you had a situation where you have not received any questions. Or they are all trashy? Or are repeats? What do you do then?

Thanks for writing in to us, albeit the tricky questions. To be honest we did face a situation such during the column’s early days this season. It can be particularly frustrating to have questions and yet realise they just don’t make the cut for our column. It’s not so much the language and style that bothers us; Its the depth and genuinely of the concern that we look for.

 

We are fortunate that we have built a good bank of questions over the past 6 months and hence a stray bad week isn’t really that bad for us. Thanks to our readers, we add to this bank week after week. Urgent questions are addressed in the following week’s column.

 

Yes, we need to edit the questions quite often for reasons of grammar and length etc, but that is acceptable. Repeats are avoided as far as possible, though 1-2 may slip once every few weeks

 

since its not always possible to check back with archives to avoid duplication. Yet, we do our best to run a search over the previous 6 columns to prevent this.

 

We do hope we have been able to satisfactorily address your ‘AK47 modelled’ queries.

Keep shooting… ! Jai Hind.

 

There is only one other other organisation that’s better than mine in my field of marketing analytics, and my ex-boyfriend works there. I don’t know what to do? Can you help him get a job? Or me another job?

Oh boy! This week’s questions are sure testing this ‘Agony Uncle’…!

 

Well, I don’t really envy you. What do you get when you attempt to consciously blend your personal and professional life ? Invariably a heady concoction of confusion and unhappiness.

Tread cautiously young lady.

 

This is your career, and opportunities need to be grabbed as and when they are in sight. The world isn’t going to be waiting for you to sort your personal differences. You exist in a corporate environment for a specific task and responsibility, and this is the only thing that you need to be concerned about.

 

Focus on work and allow your heart and mind to soar above these personal issues..

 

Do not fall prey to emotion, and sacrifice what could turn out to be a great career move. And yes, if your ex-boyfriend cares/ cared for your well being,am sure he would think the same way.

 

Go for it! I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys become the best of friends and colleagues in this process of growing beyond trivia. I wish you all the best for your new port of call.

 

Sir, recently I had two job offers – one from an ad agency and another from a leading marketer. The marketer was willing to pay me 1.75x of what the ad agency offered.

Why such a wide gap between the two?

Oh really! Its tough to land one offer nowadays, so two is brilliant! Congratulations to you my friend. So,which one did you take?

 

Coming back to your question. There could be several reasons for this including the imminent need for someone with your skill sets.This is normally a major driver when it comes to making an offer, as urgency then comes into play. Besides that, scales vary from organisation to organisation and there is very little standardisation, besides the obvious components and some entry level parity.

 

Advertising agencies are not known to be great pay masters at the entry and junior levels and yet a great training ground if it boasts of the right leaders.I guess the lower salary is the price you pay for a good mentor and great exposure.

 

It’s also important to differentiate between marketing and sales as often this line is blurred by the slapping of revenue targets onto everyone, including the brand team.Hence its important to check the detailed job description and the components of your offer. Variable pay today forms a significant part of the compensation package in a lot of companies, and hence this gap you refer to could be a by-product of this.

 

My personal advice would be to focus on the role and the work environment that is to provide you with learning and growth. The salary shouldn’t be your primary driver lest you end up with a fat wallet and terrible work! Be well and do justice to whichever company you join. God Bless.

 

Hello, I am from Karachi, Pakistan. Is there a restriction on Pakistani nationals working in India? I have some third and fourth cousins in various parts of India. But is there a restriction of working in the media? Do all Indian journalists HATE Pakistan? Can I just apply?

Welcome to Dear MxM. It’s a great feeling to have readers write in from Pakistan too.

 

At first, let me assure you that there is no animosity of any kind towards Pakistan in general.

 

Yes every society has its handful of critics whose sole objective is to find fault, but that isn’t the case with our journalists per se.Hence, please do not harbour any such feelings.

 

India offers a lot of opportunity to professionals across several streams and welcome people from most geographies including Pakistan. The very fact that several talented Pakistani’s have not only moved to India but also done significantly well in art, cinema, television, music etc exemplifies India’s passion for good talent.

 

I know the sheer love we share for some of your actors and musicians, and they are all today household names in this country.Why not journalists then?

 

No, there isn’t any restriction I know off that prevents Pakistani nationals from working in India.

 

Registration within 24 hours (please check with the embassy on this deadline) of your entering India is necessary and this can be done at the Foreigners Registration Regional Office ( in most cities ) or at your jurisdiction police station.

 

Once you have the registration,you can apply for a resident visa providing the registration certificate and other documents. More information on this will be available with the Indian embassy who will guide you through the process, which is more or less the same for most nationalities from across the world.

 

Wait no more,go ahead and apply. All the very best to you!

 

Jai Hind.

 

Thank you readers for staying with us week after week. We look forward to your questions and feedback from time to time.

 

We at Dear MxM try our level best to respond to as many questions possible given the limitation of space and time. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Wish you a jolly good weekend! Do take good care of yourself. We will be back with you next week, same day, same space. Do keep writing to us at editor@mxmindia.com

 

And yes, superscribe ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line.

 

Sayonara!

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also a co-founder of www.pune365.com. Need more information on his work? Do visit www.xanadu.co.in, For the record Jd is also the Contributing Editor of www.mxmindia.com. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

And another one bites the dust…!

 

No, this isn’t a repeat of my last week’s edition. This is about my perception of why a dynamic RBI Governor decided to exit well before his objectives were achieved.

 

What a pity. Raghuram Rajan is known for his brilliance and economic acumen and we cut him short. For me, this is about our fraternity: the media that uses its power and prowess to build, criticise and break the strongest of people.

 

We have this unique ability to go for the jugular just when someone has settled in to achieving his core purpose. Even the most unassuming are often over-publicised to the extent that there is a fine lens examining each move they make. Every initiative, every statement is recorded and then the holes get poked at regular intervals.

 

You balloon an innocent professional’s life into public eye and go on to puppet them day after day. After all, we have a moral responsibility! Such gibberish is good for the books and journalism schools but in reality there is no accountability any longer. Media is just another industry that is trying hard to survive and make both ends meet. It’s just a handful of people that still believe that media is about social responsibility and truth.

 

I belong to this industry and despite all this, I am proud of it. However, I stick to my views on some of these issues. Media is often the killer and the pallbearer of some of the finest brains in our country..

 

It’s time we allow people to function without putting them in public eye minute by minute. Let the paparazzi wait!

 

There is work to be done in India. Allow it to happen, please.

 

Ramble time over. It’s time to cut to our Q&A for this 25th week of 2016.

Read on…

 

For the record, this week’s questions are from our readers in Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai.

 

And for the first time in our second season, we take five questions this week in recognition of the significance and importance of our reader concerns.

 

I am a junior copywriter in a leading agency. Do you think it will be too much if I were to pay my own way and attend the Cannes Lions. Coz it’s unlikely that my agency will send me unless I get a little senior?

Hello and thanks for writing in to Dear MxM!

 

Sure, why not? Buy your way to Cannes. How does it matter if you are junior or otherwise? Cannes is an experience be it the Rivera or the selfie opportunity. But jokes apart, there is a huge amount of learning there and it makes all the sense to attend it and soak in the excitement!

 

I know it probably feels awkward to attend the Lions, considering your current role but all this doesn’t matter..

 

If you can afford it, attend it. It’s worth every penny. To hell with the critics.

Learning needs no justification ever.

 

Have a blast and be good, my friend!

 

Sir, I did a random survey of five leading newspaper organisations and I found that they do not have any committee for handling sexual harassment complaints. And even if they do, the women folk I spoke to were ignorant. As a woman this is reason for worry. I would like to report the matter to the authorities but since I have discussed the matter with my bosses, I will get identified. Please advise what I should do?

Oh. This is shocking. I suspect that the internal communication is to blame;

I can’t imagine a large organisation ignoring this legal requirement.

Well, if they have ignored this, it would be their folly as they can be dragged to court on this ground.

 

Anyway, I do not intend to masquerade as a lawyer or purport to be one, so all I can say is that, this is unacceptable in a professional corporate. They are playing with fire irrespective of how the organisation and its people view these issues. And if they do have a committee, bereft of communication and dissemination, its existence is of no relevance. My lawyer friends are requested to forgive me for any faux pas on this, but this is far as I can recollect of the “Sexual harassment in the workplace… Act! “

 

Sorry for digressing but your question warranted an explanation in the best interest of our readers. Coming back to your query, I would suggest that this is raised with the senior management at the earliest in order to ensure appropriate implantation of the law that is cited here.

 

I would imagine that your action on this is more than necessary.

 

Thank you once again for writing in to us.

 

Sir, shouldn’t it be mandatory for all offices to have a recreation facility? We work for hours on end in a media agency, and there is no way to unwind!

Good try buddy! No recreation and a relaxation facility isn’t mandatory. Those who offer this are the ones in the hallowed ‘best employers’ segment and believe me they are far and few.

 

Recreation unfortunately is a much abused term and can be exploited no end.This is one of the reasons why a lot of corporates don’t hazard this luxury.

 

I agree that in today’s high pressure work environs,this is a pre-requisite and ‘unwind’ time is imperative but difficult to provide.

 

I would imagine that staff strength would need buffering to ensure that there is a dedicated team to get people out of that ‘fun’ room back to work.

Yeh hai India mere jaan!

 

I know you are an aggrieved corporate citizen however may I suggest that you turn to more acceptable forms of recreation such as mindful meditation; This can be practised wherever you are and all it takes is focussing on the sounds you hear when you shut your eyes. I know this may sound ludicrous but I urge you to try it for a few minutes. relax your body (wherever you are) , shut your eyes and just listen to all that you can hear for a few minutes..

 

You will be amazed what this can do to you. You don’t need any special facility, my friend. Relaxation is nothing but a state of mind.

 

Your mind is yours. Take control of it!

Amen.

 

I am a junior marketing executive, having passed from a leading B-school. My boss asks me to make all his PPTs (powerpoint presentations), but I find that he passes them as if they are his own to his bosses. I am upset with him. My colleagues say that these are the ways of the world, and I will do the same when I get senior. Please advise what is a wise way to respond.

Aha! This one’s familiar and quite typical of the ‘I,Me,Myself’ boss..

They are the kind who will do anything for those extra brownie points from top management. Old school most often, they have command over a whip and nothing more.

 

Worry not, my friend. Life isn’t all about plagiarism and powerpoint presentations. You will be more than recognised despite an odd presentation that is stolen right under your nose. All the same, since you ask, here a few quick fixes for this problem:

 

1. If he’s using this at a meeting that you are attending, be sure to slip in a line ‘so when I was working on this presentation, I intentionally gave emphasis…’ Now, this is a surefire method to have him cringe while the big daddy gets the drift! I must confess that I have used this technique quite effectively in my corporate career.

 

2. Place a well-designed watermark with your name on each of the slides. Ideally have this replace the one on his machine when you are checking it before the presentation.This is one of those shockers which will see him duck below the podium instantly.

 

3. Have the presentation end with a thank you slide… This presentation is conceptualised and created by….  for Mr………….!! Thank you for your attention

 

4. If none of these make him realise, go for the kill. Water on his laptop.

Accidents happen.

 

All the best to you!

 

Sir, we really like your column but you have written about the new online project you are working on – Pune365. While one appreciates your spirit of enterprise, why blow your own trumpet?

Hmmm, Were you the one whose question’s I rejected several times????

Ok, now to answer your questions on trumpeting and so on. No, this isn’t about me at all. Pune365 is a great media platform and deserves praise no matter what anyone thinks!

Incidentally it may be prudent to go through our archives to read my earlier columns where I have talked about several ventures such.

As a brand professional, I value good work and acknowledge this wherever possible. It would be unfair on my part to keep a successful startup like Pune365 out of this purely because I am part of this venture.

I owe it to the acumen and effort of its co-founders to give credit where its due. And yes, I do dabble with musical instruments often but never the wind ones!

Now that I have the trumpets finally out of the way, I might as well move on with the rest of my life. Adieu, Ladies and Gentleman!

Have a smashing weekend and do take good care of yourself. As always, we will be back with you next with an all-new edition of Dear MxM.

Meanwhile do keep mailing us with your questions at editor@mxmindia.com with Dear MxM and your city of residence mentioned in the subject line.

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also a co-founder of www.pune365.com; Need more information on his work? Do visit www.xanadu.co.in, Jaisurya Das is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own.  The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Hello and Welcome to this ‘pre-monsoon’ edition of Dear MxM,

 

India’s premier counsellor for the media, advertising and marketing industry.

 

Now that the trumpet is out of the way, I shall risk getting into the meat of this introductory piece! Talking about meat, I had the most amusing experience of my life on social media a few days ago.

 

It began with a tiny post from ‘yours truly’ offering to help promote a cause/ creative expression in the city of Pune. I actually imagined this to be quite harmless and with good intentions till I encountered a disgruntled gentleman who was out to make mince meat of the media brand I represented.

 

What interested me was his ludicrous definition of what constituted his group’s audience (the group he represented on Facebook) who he believed were people from another planet and not the kind who would read a city online magazine. Such audiences no matter how large were only a distraction or so he imagined. Downright rude, this man went on with his comments almost as though it would tilt the world at large.

 

While I would have in the normal course, enjoyed giving him a piece of my mind, our media baby was the platform and hence I resisted temptation.

 

Pity. I would have just loved to take him and his kingsize ego head-on.

What caught my attention however was the lack of sensible etiquette on a pubic platform. I remember having instantly apologised months ago to a young lady who was offended by one of my posts on a common friend’s timeline. It was misunderstood but if it upset the lady, an apology is in order no matter what.

 

No, I don’t want an apology from this disgruntled genius of human engineering for having poured forth his venom. But yes, some amount of self-regulation is called for on public platforms.

 

Eventually someone takes flak or ends up facing the consequences of callous remarks.The group in question for instance, took an image beating thanks to this one member who just didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.

May God give him the wisdom to understand his folly. Amen.

 

I think it’s time all of us who use social media brainstorm to evolve a code of conduct or put together an etiquette document that can be adopted at least in spirit. After all, if social media users are the problem, it’s best that the solution come from them / us too.

 

Give this thought.

 

On that contemplator note, may I with your permission cut straight to our super set of questions from our readers in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Read on…

 

It’s my boss’s birthday next week. What gift can I give him without making it look as if so am ‘lagaoing maska’ (intentional flattery)? Please advise.

Thanks for writing in my friend, and with a pertinent question that! This is a situation we often face in our corporate careers. If you do respect and genuinely like the individual on that chair, it is only natural to want to wish them on his/her special occasions and yet this is often misconstrued as an obvious attempt to curry favour.

 

There is really no stated protocol on this and yet, peers and colleagues often raise an eyebrow when gifts are exchanged. This honestly greatly depends on the environment at work, your boss, your colleagues and their level of professional maturity if I may say so!

 

If you think it’s all good and comfortable, then go ahead and buy him/her whatever you would actually like to. Ideally this should be a small gift which is inexpensive and yet elegant. Normally, memorabilia, workspace artefacts, books, potted plants, chocolates and flowers are all well-accepted.

 

It’s best not to go overboard and keep it dignified and simple. A nice fun card also works well. Nothing like a good laugh on one’s birthday!

 

And, yes, do wish your boss a very Happy Birthday from me.

 

I am a copywriter but I think I should work in a media agency and not a creative agency. What say you?

That’s interesting! What is it about media agencies that get you so keen?

I somehow don’t see reason with this, assuming you’re serious about good getting some good creative exposure.

 

Finally it all depends on what you expect from your career and how your creativity competes in this rat race. If you are serious about great copy then it’s best to be with your tribe.

 

It may just end up being very monotonous to interact with planners and buyers beyond a point. Yes they do great work, and are very analytical and sharp with their acumen, but do you see yourself fitting in?

 

It’s important to be excited each day of work and that’s precisely why you need to be at a temple of learning. Remember, It takes a creative person to mentor another!

 

My advice to you would be to get serious, and introspect on some fundamental issues. It’s critical that you now identify your passion, and decide on how you wish to romance it..

 

All the best to you!

 

Sir, given that there are such a large number of people comfortable with our regional languages, why is it that we don’t see enough original work being done in regional by our big advertisers?

Brilliant question, my friend. I have often wondered why everything you see in regional languages are all dubbed or adapted from English. More often than once, it’s done shoddily with horrid voiceovers armed with questionable diction. And as far as the print campaigns go, they are literally translated making them quite hilarious, especially for the bi-lingual audience.

 

This gap is essentially driven by the majority of advertising agencies in large metros who only ‘think in English’ most often. Having said that, Pune does see some original work in Marathi but it gets restricted to the local market thanks to the clients footprint.

 

Today, even the regional advertising agencies ‘think in English’ to be in sync with the big daddies of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. I don’t blame them. Clients demand that for reasons of ‘perceived image’ among other things.

 

Someone needs to herald a movement to get creative advertising professionals think regional, think vernacular.This is the only way.

It has to be a concentrated effort with the client, the agency and the media involved. This is the answer, or so I believe.

 

If Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation, who is the Father of the Indian Media?

This is indeed a smasher of a question!

 

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM, India’s weekly counsellor that strives to find method in the madness we call media and advertising!

 

To be honest, I would personally like to credit a lot of media professionals for having given birth to a plethora of brilliant media companies and initiatives. Some old, some too young to be called the Father and others who worked relentlessly in the background to make so much happen.

 

Some got all the glory, while the others were kicked under the rug but only after they gave their lives for great media in this country. Having said that, it would be unfair on my part to name one or two people who have made a huge difference and created powerful media in India.

 

And yet since you ask, Samir Jain (Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, owners of The Times of India Group, Times Television etc) is definitely the man who made media owners and organisations realise that media is also a business like any other.

 

This changed the face of Indian Media once for all! No, Samir Jain isn’t the Father of Indian Media. No one person is, or will be. But yes, he did what many couldn’t imagine doing, no matter if his moves are debatable, questionable or otherwise. Brilliant mind. No debate on that.

 

May I reiterate for abundant clarity, that these views are in no way linked to the fact that a greater part of my corporate career was spent at The Times of India Group.

 

Wow! this is what I call a fun set of questions… Thank you my readers for this weekend treat. It’s invigorating to have exciting questions that test your ability to be frank, diplomatic and yet ‘on the face’ when it’s called for…

 

On that note, here’s wishing you a thrilling weekend with much fun, good cheer and much deserved rest. Do take good care of yourself.

 

See you next week! Keep those questions coming at editor@mxmindia.com. Do mention ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line. It helps.

 

Goodbye and God Bless.

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also a co-founder of www.pune365.com. Need more information on his work? Do visit www.xanadu.co.in, Jaisurya Das is also Contributing Editor of MxMIndia. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

Ladies and Gentleman, Welcome back to yet another edition of Dear MxM, India’s premier counselling column for the adverting, media and marketing world.

Thank you readers for your amazing warmth and valuable feedback. This week’s column is dedicated to all my younger readers who are making great careers in branding…

Over the past few months, I noticed the somewhat flippant use of the term “iconic brand’ be it an marketing collaterals or huge billboards. Often for brands that are far from occupying this hallowed space. Maybe it’s time we examine the essence of iconic branding albeit form my own perspective!

So what makes a brand iconic after all?

Let’s examine a few examples(in random order)before we get into the mechanics of ‘iconisation’…
Harley Davidson, Rolex, Amul, Rolls Royce, Zippo, Heinz..

Ever wondered what makes a brand iconic?

Here are some attributes that go into iconisation of a brand:

*  Age and the Test of Time
*  Sales volumes
*  Audience, Psychographic profile of the customer
*   Its intrinsic value to the customer
* Cult image enjoyed
* Status symbol
* Peer pressure
* Quality and physical attributes
* Persona

Interestingly, most of these iconic brands have been around for a while (read three decades or more) and enjoy a global customer base.

One of the significant triggers for iconisation is probably the cult image that these brands occupy in terms of positioning. The aspirational emotion of ‘I want to own and be part of the elite group’ is more than established with most legendary brands.
Having said this, I was particularly curious to study the reasons behind why India is home only to a handful of iconic brands. The Ambassador (Hindustan Motors ) is a great example of how a brand has stood the test of time or the Maruti Gypsy for that matter and yet, we don’t seem to value for reasons best known to us.

I often wonder if this has something to do with our innate desire to gravitate towards international brands more than our home grown ones. Or is it the lack of expertise and marketing talent to build an iconic brand of our own? I guess a lot of these questions will remain unanswered and yet somewhere most of us know it’s nothing more than rhetoric.

I know I would be committing professional harakiri if I were to get into the mechanics of brand ‘iconisation’, however it’s important to you a peep into what this involves. Honestly, it’s no rocket science but just a well-calculated deep understanding of the process of buying. It’s just that the practitioners (me included ) make it sound so confusing…

In my opinion, the starting point is believing in the brand. I say this out of experience. Often one finds brand heads who don’t believe in their own product end to end. Belief is the root of passion bereft of which this relationship is nothing more than an infatuation. I know I may be ruffling many a feather with my candid remarks but this is the truth. If you don’t believe in your brand, you have no damn business to manage it.

Start by believing, and follow this with miles of walking the streets to connect with your consumers, Befriend them, and listen to what they have to say about your brand and its pros and cons. Don’t ever forget that the biggest critics are your catalysts to create the perfection required to become iconic.

Iconic brands are born of a mettle that is difficult to replicate. Quality that is unparalleled, attributes to die for, perception that is higher than its price and the ability to strike a chord with any race, any geography across the globe.

There is a defined process for every facet of marketing, it’s a science after all.

Iconic brands are created, not born. Use the science of effort and deep understanding and soon enough you will be running a winning brand. Once an icon, always an icon.

Ramble done. Here’s our weekly Q&A this week from our readers in the South of India; Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Read on…
Sir, I am a visualiser and have done an advanced course from an art school. Is it better to look for a job in an ad agency or design agency?

Good to hear, my friend! Since you are well-armed with all the creative academics it would be prudent to join a company that will give you enough room and freedom to experiment.

Having said this, I must add that an advertising agency may not be entirely design or art-focussed but they can certainly give more than room for creative freedom!

It’s really greatly dependant on the company and its leaders. You may find a great design agency but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get the room to display your talent.

Tread this path with caution. Speak with people who work there or have dealt with them in some manner. This feedback can really help you take a sensible decision.

Do remember that great work isn’t about big names or positions. Creativity and the ability to adapt to the changing environ is the crux.

Go where your heart takes you. Believe me, most often it’s right.
Sir, you wrote about Mr Samir Jain being a true media pioneer while discussing a question on who would make it as the Father of the Indian media? But hasn’t Mr Jain’s Times of India group also introduced questionable practices such as Medianet?

Absolutely. May I with your permission, reproduce an extract from my column of June 30, 2016…

“This changed the face of Indian Media once for all! No, Samir Jain isn’t the father of Indian Media. No one person is, or will be. But yes, he did what many couldn’t imagine doing, no matter if his moves are debatable, questionable or otherwise.”

I think it’s also important to go into the thinking and basic objective of this move. From what I understood, Medianet came into being in order to legitimise paid content. Hitherto, this was the unstated prerogative of many an unscrupulous journalist in Indian media. Well, you have a rotten egg everywhere.

Machiavellian thinking is at times called for. For me personally, Medianet was a strategic move such. Quite simply, the business of media…!

As a marketing professional, I have tremendous respect for such ideation. Yes, as an individual and a writer of sorts, this seems unethical and highly questionable.

But does it really matter when most content has already been reduced to doctored handouts?

I have learned to live with mediocrity. You must too.
I am looking for placement next year but want to be ready career-wise. I am a journalism student but don’t know which city I should work in? Please help

Great! Welcome to the wonderful world of media and content ! To be honest, a good journalist will find space in any town..

Yet, a few good media markets can help build a good foundation for your career. I would advise you to research the media active markets and then zone on the one that suits you well.

Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune are markets that offer great learning and interesting opportunity for content professionals. However, as I mentioned, scan the environment and take a call.

It would be inappropriate on my part to weigh one against the other when it comes to building your career. I would however be more than help you should the need arise ! All good wishes to you for a great journalistic career!
Sir, I am an MBA student from a top business school in Pune. I am interested in advertising but I was told that ad agencies pay horribly and generally don’t come to B-school campuses? Why so?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM!

Let me at first allay your fears on placement opportunities in advertising. Interestingly, most mass communication schools find it easier to place their ‘advertising major’ students over the rest.

Agencies do hire from media schools that are worth their salt. I can say this from experience since my own daughter was hired on campus by an international advertising major.

Ad agencies aren’t great pay masters as you rightly said however this is essentially only at the point of entry. Bright adverting professionals get rewarded well agencies or elsewhere.

Go for it, my friend. Focus on building great craft and the career will follow you no matter what the rest of the world thinks or says!

On that note, Ladies and Gentleman, the time has come for me to say goodbye! Wish you all a very happy Eid and a wonderful weekend. Do keep writing to us on editor@mxmindia.com while we prepare to be back next week, same day, same space.

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is a co-founder of www.pune365.com; Need more information on his work? Visit www.xanadu.co.in, Jaisurya Das is is also Contributing Editor, www.mxmindia.com.  The views expressed in this column are his own.

By Jaisurya Das

 

Ladies and Gentleman, I take pleasure of welcoming you back to yet another edition of India’s Only Online Counselling Forum for the Media, Advertising and Marketing industry…

Since we are on the subject of media, it’s interesting how social media has made people far more responsive. Ministers, bureaucrats and corporates today take every post on social media seriously. Tweets are today powerful when it comes to evoking action.

 

Be it Suresh Prabhu or Sushma Swaraj, the tweet has become a wake up call to become a 24/7 solution provider to the citizens. I quite recently heard of how the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) Commissioner has been actually responding to individual tweets and taking immediate action.. I of course, decided to test this and tweeted Kunal Kumar an hour ago inviting him for a drive down the road leading to my house in Pune. Now i figure how Neil Armstrong felt when he walked the moon. Poor chap, it must have been hell.

 

People often scoff at social media and the flippancy of most of the mediums within it. What they are missing however, is its infinite ability to garner eye balls. Its almost epidemic like when you think about it. Life is inclusive now. Privacy is nothing more than a word in the dictionary and yet we have made this integral to our lives..

 

Often we find it hard to accept and yet we know this is the truth. We are but virtual players on this boardgame of connected Life: Social Media.

 

Interestingly, it’s also done well for the economy. Social media has made almost every other person an expert waiting to take you to the next frontier of business success. There isn’t a given day when small firms like ours aren’t at the receiving end of someone offering their social media expertise.

 

I did happen to look at the curriculum of a course on social media recently, and I noticed that it was pretty much what all of us did every time we used this medium.

 

I shudder to think of what will happen to traditional media in the years to come. Well before you even decide on how your newspaper page should look, social media would have stepped in, given the topic its due and exited with steadfast purpose. Having spent over a decade as a publisher, this certainly sounds tough to combat. “Reinvent Print’ is a much-flogged term today and I read articles on this time and again but, the fact of the matter is that, there isn’t a solution! Reinvent is easier said than done. All inventions and reinventions are products of brilliant ideas. Man has forgotten to ideate when confronted by a behemoths. And worse still since this behemoth is man-made and man-managed.

 

Double edged swords need crafty hands..

 

Let’s leave it at this for now and go onto our questions for this week from our esteemed readers in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru. Read on…

 

Sir, I hope you are able to answer this question for this week:

July 14 is Bastille Day. I am a junior copywriter and wish to learn a foreign language. What do you recommend I learn: French or Spanish? Or should it be Chinese/Mandarin? French is my first choice, but a lot of people are saying Spanish and Mandarin. Please enlighten… Merci!

Indeed we shall answer your interesting question..! Thank you for writing in to Dear MxM.

I can see that you are most inclined to go with France what with the  Bastille emotion!  To refresh my readers memories, The Bastille is how the French Independence Day is referred to the world over. The storming of the high security prison, Bastille laid the foundation for the French Independence, or so we believe.

To be honest I can only give you a biased answer since I learnt French for a couple of years, and it’s indeed a beautiful language. More so, if you are interested in history and literature. It’s a gentle language with almost a sing-song intonation that grows on you day after day.

As a copywriter, I am not sure how much potential French will have for you from a career perspective. Mandarin is more likely to be of use given its rising popularity with trade burgeoning between the two countries.

Coming to think of it, why stop at one? Learn both, and they will only do well for you. One for passion and the other for your career. More the merrier!

 

I am in Class 11. I enjoy food-related marketing. Do you think it’s good to a hotel management course? Or a cookery course? Sir, can you help me out, I will be e(a)ternally grateful.

Ha ha, You certainly have a way with words. Hopefully, this talent extends to your marketing skills too!

Honestly, food marketing is a segment that India has ignored despite the huge food industry that thrives here. While food marketing is certainly practiced, there are no established courses ( that I am aware of) to teach this interesting subject.

As for the Hotel Management course (in the Indian context), the primary focus is production and operations and there is virtually no marketing in the curriculum.

I personally wouldn’t suggest this course unless you are passionate about working your way up the hotel hierarchy. You could think of doing a shorter course from one of the catering colleges in the country. This will teach you enough to work on your marketing strategy.

If you’re serious about food marketing, do it abroad. While there are a few online courses for this, it would be prudent to do a full-time one, even if it is for shorter duration. Once you bag this, you will well equipped to enter this industry and fair well.

All good wishes to you. May you race along to become a super food marketer! Tasting requirements if any, may be referred to Dear MxM 🙂

 

Sir, I enjoy horse racing. I have been riding horses since I was a kid. Is there a future in horse racing journalism?

Hi and thanks for writing in..

To be honest, riding horses and writing about them are two very different talents. Great racing journalists may not even know how to ride!

Having said that, I must confess that in my opinion the answer is NO.

Racing journalism is a dying art and today, the digital world has appropriated this segment almost entirely.

Every single bit of information is available online / on the mobile leaving these well-written columns hardly read by the younger generation of racing enthusiasts.

Indeed unfortunate, but even the sports pages of the daily newspapers are left untouched today.The lethal combination of television and online have taken a huge toll on print and reading as a whole.

No, this won’t see a remedy.This is part of the churn that life sees decade after decade.

Journalism is good but broaden your scope and you will have a dream run as you go along. All the best!

 

Recently, I left an organisation having worked there for nine years. Now, the new organisation has reneged on its promises. Is there something that I can do to ensure the company doesn’t cheat me? I don’t have anything in writing… And to think of it, this is a well-reputed media agency.

Oops! This is unfortunate. Companies going back on their word is certainly unacceptable and only shows the extent of professionalism or the lack of it..

You are probably lucky that you figured now. Well if there is nothing in writing then am afraid, you have very little chance of getting anywhere with your grouse.

You could however try and discuss this at a senior level in the company and hope to get some recourse. If not, go back to your old company and tell them you made a horrid mistake..

If you have done them well, they may just take you back in. As they say, a known devil is always safer. And yes, do remember that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Amen.

 

On that note I’ts time for me to say Sayonara. Wish you all a thrilling weekend with much rain, food, and great cheer. Take good care of yourselves. It does matter to us you know!

 

And thank you so much for writing in to us week after week. Please keep that going! All it takes is in-boxing us on editor@mxmindia.com superscribing ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line.   Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands.. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also co-founder of www.pune365.com. Need more information on his work? Do visit www.xanadu.co.in,

 

Jaisurya Das is also Contributing Editor of www.mxmindia.com. The views expressed here are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

So, things can happen quick if need be… I remember the time I was setting up my Consulting Company in 2003 and decided to register it as a Private Limited Company. It took us well over a month-and-a-half to have our incorporation in place..

Yes, I am yet another Citizen of this Country who heard that the PM has instructed all the authorities to speed up approvals in order to make life easy for new businesses. As always, my Partners and myself were sceptical about the efficacy of the system and believed all this to be pure propaganda.

If am not mistaken, our CA submitted requests for Title Clearance for the new venture around July 12, 2016. The clearance was received within 24 hours… flukes happen.

Friday, the 28th of July, our CA uploaded Stage 2 for Company Registration and applied for Incorporation. Weekend so nothing would happen, we were sure. August 1, Monday and we have the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies. I am still reeling under the shock of this efficiency.

Something is obviously working…

No, this isn’t paid PR. I am honestly impressed with the way things are moving and if this is the speed at which authorities are going to function, then India is probably going to witness sea change.

I am just hoping that this percolates to every window an Entrepreneur and Citizen has to visit. India must shine and its important that all of us give credit where its due. Somewhere I believe, that there isn’t any better motivation than public recognition of efficiency and service…

As for now, my respect for the PM and his manner of work have grown manifold. India needs this!

On that note of gratitude to the system, I take you straight to our questions this week from Mangalore, Mumbai and Gurgaon. Read on…

 

I am due to retire in eight years from now. Unfortunately, I haven’t risen very well in life and do not have a great bank balance. All the money is in the PF after thirty years of selfless service in the advertising industry. I currently live in Gurgaon, but last week’s traffic mess and water-logging has disillusioned me so that I want to return to my hometown Mangalore. But is there enough scope for advertising there? Please advise.

Thank you for writing in to Dear MxM. I can understand your concern since infrastructure is a major bone of contention in most cities today. The deluge in Gurgaon and the resultant damage is a typical example of the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities with respect to infrastructure.

In fact the situation is as bad in several cities of our country and people react only when there is an emergency. Having said that, Mangalore is still a good mix of the old and new with fairly decent infrastructure.

However I must confess, that besides a handful of local agencies, there isn’t much happening out of this market. This is primarily because most of the advertising is headquartered out of Bengaluru. While there are some active clients in Mangalore, their marketing communication is most often handled by a Bengaluru agency.

However, this may also be a good opportunity for you to set up something on your own and scout for new business. There is always place for a good enterprise. And why limit yourself to advertising…?

There could be so much more..

I suggest you visit Mangalore for a couple of weeks and study the market well to help you crystallise your plans well before, you finally move back.

I take this opportunity to wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

 

I trust this will be kept confidential. I find that the agency that I work with is dishonest with my client. Simply put, we are overcharging them. I tried making my bosses see reason, they said “get real”. While my conscience says I should blow the whistle, do you think I should just grin and bear it?

Hmmmm. This is an unfortunate malaise that we see a lot off nowadays, with clients being given a raw deal. One needs to see both sides to be honest. Kickbacks and under-the-table commissions and payoffs happen as well. Often the client has a rotten apple in his backyard and this is where it gets worse.

There is little you can do by blowing the whistle. You will lose your job and it’s highly unlikely that the client is going to compensate you for this. I know this sounds inappropriate but at this stage of your career, it’s best not to attempt cleaning dishonest fabric in the business!

Focus on your work, and start looking around for a more professional environment where unethical practices is abhorred. There is no excuse really. It’s disgusting and I would ideally like to have all this exposed, but this isn’t the way you need to shape your career at this point of time. Yes, whenever you leave, do tell them that it is this dishonesty that you cannot accept.

There is nothing to fear. Good craft will find its space and am sure you will find a good professionally managed agency soon. There is no shortage of such well-run outfits. It’s just a few that give the industry a bad reputation. I wish the nodal bodies get more active in smaller markets and weed out this culture. This is what needs to be done.

 

I am good in both Hindi and English, but need to choose a language as I get into a career in journalism. The numbers are big in Hindi, but the $$$s are bigger in English. Please help me take a decision.

Ah, this is always a huge dilemma… English or Vernacular! It really depends on your interests and writing persona. Both are equally good and today vernacular media is growing too. The Hindi press is more or less stable and it can certainly offer you a good career.

 

Yes, it’s true that English media pays better. In my opinion this has a lot to do with the image of the medium. English media are most often better marketed and also end up getting a lions share of the advertising pie. This in turn allows them to spend more on staff, marketing, production etc.

It’s a mindset issue, but unfortunately this won’t change in a hurry. The strong western influence adds  to the divide and the big moneys get spent on English media especially print.

I am biased and hence may not be giving you the flipside, but if i were you,

I would take English provided, it’s a sound environment you are working with. Look for a place that offers sensible learning and is content led. Tough to find nowadays but yes, you will, if you look hard enough.

You are likely to get better breaks as you go along, given some good formative years in the English press. This is the rule of the land. Strange land we live in, isn’t it?

All the very best to you, my friend. Be well.

 

I am a student of PR, but I am unsure if I should get into a PR agency or corporate communications. What should I do?

You should ideally finish your PR course and then worry about this 🙂

But, yes, since you ask, both are good careers and offer a plethora of opportunities given your academic foundation. PR is an industry that has grown fairly steadily and has now gone beyond getting editorial coverage for clients.

In fact, the line between marketing and PR is getting blurred by the day. Brand consulting is becoming an integral part of the business. I reserve my view on the prowess of a lot of the PR professionals when it comes to citing edge brand custodianship but that’s a different matter totally.

As far as you are concerned, both these options can work well and it would be best to do short internships and then take a call. Once you are in that environment you will build perspective.

I suggest you work towards getting some assignments in both these areas, find your comfort zone and then focus your attention on getting the right break

All the best to you!

 

Ladies and Gentleman, as always sincere gratitude for the faith you have in Dear MxM. Our raison d’être is you and nothing will change that. We belong here and will do our little best to help you navigate and find method in the madness we live in…

 

Have a wonderful weekend and take great care of yourselves. Keep those questions coming on editor@mxmindia.com. Be sure to superscribe the subject with ‘Dear MxM’ and the ‘City’ you call home.

 

Sayonara. Be well.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

It’s wonderful to have you back with us on Dear MxM, India’s best known online counselling column for the media, marketing and advertising fraternity.

I am most enamoured by this selfie generation. There isn’t a dull moment ever in their lives. Every wall, chair, curtain, restaurant, road, river, chasm and ditch transforms into a backdrop for a beaming smile and pout. Quite something this is. Almost like this Pokemon business. People walking into walls and stuff. Either it’s the game on the phone or their own face staring at them from their mobile screens. Both lethal and most entertaining… or so I think.

Now that I am on this, I must tell you about how last Saturday turned out to be great fun. We decided to go out for dinner and this time to a lounge that opened recently. This was quite a move from the staid dinner joints we normally visit. Daughters in tow, we walked in looking as ‘at home’ as possible. I think we did a jolly good job of that, as no one even gave us a second look till we were shown our table..

The lovely outdoor seating with a view of the rivulet was perfect to spend an evening. To add to this, young company and even younger guests at the restaurant. Some giggly, some coy and some intense faces. A largish group of urban-clad youth occupied the table next to us. They were all set to celebrate a birthday and cut cakes and stuff but not before they gulped their drinks posing for the camera. Soon it was five skirt-clad, heady lipstick-faced

girls who stood one behind each other… I stared quite aghast at this formidable line-up with legs stuck out at 33 degree angles.

While I tried to imagine a synchronised swimming demo it turned out to be a damp squib. It was all for a selfie which am sure found its way to the social media jungle the very next second! Quite disappointed, I was left to think of the positive side of all this.

What an amazing branding opportunity! Brands must embrace this generation and figure how best they can blend with this camera-facing generation. Maybe it’s time advertisers have pop-ups projected on walls each time a selfie is clicked or a message flashing across your screen when you click the button to capture that never before tilt of the head or the pout of the century…

Possible am sure. It’s just a matter of time before Google and other powerful engines start delivering contextual advertising basis your back drop…

Stand with a pothole and you’re served with a feeling you are seated on the next manned lunar expedition! Wonderful, isn’t it?

Now that I have made my point, it’s time to transport you to this week’s Q&A from our readers in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Happy Reading…

 

Sir, I want to get into business journalism. Is it good to do a CA in order to get a good job?

Hello and thanks for writing in to us at Dear MxM.

Whoever told you that you need to do a CA to get into business journalism?

Honestly, I don’t think it necessary to have a finance degree to write well about business. Yes, a decent foundation in economics and basic understanding of finance is a significant advantage but it’s not about degrees and all that.

What is important is your domain knowledge and that’s greatly dependent on the amount of effort you put into reading and learning. This of course must be combined with sound writing skills to make you a winner. Research is a constant for a good business journalist and the more you seek information, the more you sharpen your skills.

Being eminently qualified in finance and economics may be an advantage at the point of entry provided you have other fundamental skillsets in place. All the rest gets added on while you are on the job!

Go ahead and work towards this. Start reading every bit of business and corporate news, study the way companies are performing and how the economy is working around the lows and highs of the world environment.

It’s a long mile but am sure you’ll max it soon enough. All the best!

 

I am planning to undertake a PhD in Media, and have found that people in the news media do not respond to meeting requests. Can you help?

Am indeed happy to hear this! Not many people would chose media for their thesis nowadays what with the amazing cacophony and ego clashes all over the place..

I fail to understand why people appear so busy all the time… I guess it’s integral to the place of eminence they occupy. The hallowed chairs that quite a few news media professionals sit on coupled with their perceived power is much like a heady cocktail.

I suggest you email them first with details on your research study and then seek an appointment to meet or send them a questionnaire that they can respond to.

The few who don’t respond can be safely ignored since there is no dearth of great professionals in media who would am sure be glad to help your thesis take shape.

And yes, do feel free to inbox us if you need any information that we could help you with. Dear MxM would be happy to help academic pursuits such. Moreover, we prefer drinking tea. Doesn’t go to the head after all 🙂

 

I work with a leading newspaper group and find that the government has stopped advertising with us because we are against them. Is there any thing we can do legally against the government?

Ah the eternal divide between editorial and advertising yet again! I can understand your concern but unfortunately there is no legal recourse for this…

Media selection is the client’s prerogative and this case the government in power and sweet nothing can be done about their decision. However, from my personal experience, good connect and a regular follow-up can remedy this to a great extent.

In fact, you need to impress upon them that advertising in the very medium that writes against your policies is a very positive message for the citizens. It only shows how balanced the government is when it comes to taking criticism from media.

Try it! Believe me, it works more often than one.

 

I am planning to specialise in intellectual property as a law student. Is there enough scope in the media for an IP lawyer?

Indeed there is! It’s not easy to get a good IP lawyer for the legal department in a large media house. Most often the legal department has to make do with regular civil and constitutional lawyers to handle the litigation.

This is one of the significant reasons that media houses end up spending huge sums of money hiring external firms to handle litigation be it alleged defamation cases or IP issues. India is unfortunately very laid back on IPR and Copyright matters and most often these matters get very little attention.

Go for it, my friend! Am sure you will do very well. Media or otherwise, publishers and other copyright holders are always on the look-out for good lawyers who are eminently qualified and capable of handling these issues of Intellectual Property.

 

Ladies and Gentleman, it’s celebration time again! Long weekend and one more year post Independence. Have a wonderful holiday, chill-time, feet-in-tub-time, partytime etc but remember to be good and drink only when stationary. Keep those car keys stashed away please!  Till the next week then, it’s good Ol’ me saying Sayonara!

And yes, if you do feel like sitting at your computer or stare into your mobile, feel free to write to editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ mentioned in the subject line.

 

Jaisurya Das, maverick and media evangelist, eats, sleeps and makes love to brands. His consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.