MxMIndia

Category: THE ANCHOR

  • Besides common avoidables such as stealing other people’s ideas and being caught gossiping in the aisles once too often, there are some quirky traits that may be driving colleagues up the cubicle walls and you may never know…

    The Anchor: 5 no-nos in the office. No matter what

    By Vidya Heble

     

    #1 Stealing people’s food. This is the big one. You do not have to be the person who shares their food. It’s the era of portion control and diet selection. It’s fine not to share. But do not be the person who steals from the fridge, however tempting that salad in the unidentified lunchbox may look. Leaving aside the question of world famine for now, it is crushing to realize that someone has been boorish enough to eat one’s carefully packed food.

     

    #2 Vocalising your aargh. It’s a stressful world, none more so than media and advertising. And there is this cutesy trend to actually say “Aaarghh!” out loud, growling the aargh. Don’t. It’s not cutesy, it startles people around you, and it shows you up as a loose cannon who may have a screaming fit any moment. Channel your frustration in one of many other non-disruptive ways.

     

    #3 Brushing out your hair. It’s lustrous, long and lovely… and when you brush it out at your desk, it travels across to other people’s. No one likes hair straggling across their work, and god help you if it reaches a high-strung creative type.

     

    #4 Being the sound-effect person. Clackety heels or – sometimes worse – flats announce your approach. Your bag is set down with a thump, both actual and vocalized by you. You sigh dramatically as you take your seat. You wonder aloud why the computer is slow and implore it not to die (a phone call to tech support would help). Everyone else is hoping you shut up soon.

     

    #5 Spreading your mess. Whether it’s your meeting notes on scrap paper or the printouts from your slick presentation – no one will lurve them if you leave them lying around on desks other than your own. If it needs to be junked, put it in the waste basket or the shredder. And if you have the habit of carting your lunch or snack box to a colleague’s desk and carelessly leaving it there when you’re finished…  what kind of slob are you?

     

    Vidya Heble is Deputy Editor of MxMIndia and – ahem – often works from home.

     

  • As if our cup of digitization woes wasn't already running over, now it'll overflow even more, writes A N Chorrea.

    The Anchor: 5 problems that you and I will face thanks to digitization

    By A N Chorrea

     

    #1 You need a fresh table for the set-top box:

     

    So you thought the fancy 165-cm Sony Bravia would look fantastic on the bare wall of your living room. Now, where you are going to keep the set-top box? Pain, huh?

     

    #2 Other paraphernalia for the box:

     

    Like a sexy little cover for the box so that dust doesn’t settle on it when not in use. Buy an all-in-one remote and if necessary get an additional remote laminated. Build an electricity point for the set-top box.

     

    #3 Keep tabs on packages:

     

    Until now it was the cable operator who decided what you saw. Well, kinda. But now with several packages, and a variety of new channels coming on board, get ready to be picking and changing channels and/or packages.

     

    #4 One more monthly payment to be made

     

    If your existing arrangement with the cablewallah allowed you to pay just once a year, now you may want to make it a monthly cycle, until you’ve decided what package to take.

     

    #5 More money

     

    Set-top boxes for all the help/assistants at home, office, the driver… and the building sweeper and watchman. Guess one of the suggestions that someone should’ve made to the government that is that investments in buying set-top boxes will get you tax exemption. This could be sizeable given the number of boxes you’ll be buying in the immediate future.

     

  • Looking to the future and thinking ahead of the curve are key to monetizing your mobile platform, says Mark Challinor.

    The Anchor: 5 ways of making money from the mobile platform

    By Mark Challinor

     

    #1 Work out where your readers are going to be in the future. The eyeballs should decide where the advertisers go. Monetize the space accordingly.

     

    #2 Think of advertisers and readers jointly. The content that they value will help develop content accordingly on various platforms whether it is mobile or tablet.

     

    #3 Look at all the new technologies that are coming in, such as augmented reality, QR codes, mobile payments. Get the right blend of technologies to work with the audiences.

     

    #4 Bundle all the digital subscriptions to drive home more revenues, and give more opportunities to the advertisers.

     

    #5 Experiment and research to work out the digital model according to the market you operate in. Only trial-and-error can help you decide on the right model.

     

    Mark Challinor is Director of Mobile Platforms, Telegraph Media Group, London

     

  • The Twitterverse was abuzz on Sunday (November 4) as news filtered in that Ajmal Kasab was down with high fever and could have dengue

    The Anchor: 10 Kasab-dengue tweets that kept Twitterverse busy on a lazy Sunday

    So you thought the influentials keep their smartphones or iPads away on a lazy Sunday? The Twitterverse was active on the Congress and Nitish Kumar rallies, Girish Karnad and VS Naipaul and of course the news that the convicted Ajmal Kasab has high fever and suspected to have contracted dengue. We reproduce here 10 tweets that give you an idea of what India thinks given the news…

     

    Madan Sanglikar ‏@maddyisms

    At least our mosquitoes are fair, secular & democratic an believe in immediate justice #IncredibleIndia

     

    Sidharth Rao ‏@sidharthrao

    Jo Sarkar nahi kar saki, woh ek macchar ne kar diya?“@M2Od: It will be epic if #Kasab dies of Dengue, Incredible India.

     

    Kunal Purandare ‏@kunaljp

    Since the government is so keen on keeping Kasab alive, the mosquito tried its best to kill him

     

    Mohit Hira ‏@mohitoz

    Evidently mosquitoes are more efficient than our judiciary.

     

    Ramesh Srivats ‏@rameshsrivats

    I propose that we make mosquitoes our National Insect. Then the government will try to protect them and they’ll become extinct.

     

    Lk Gupta ‏@Lk_Gupta

    Dang you, mosquito! – Kasab

     

    Shunali Shroff ‏@shunalishroff

    The Indian mosquito will get to terrorists sooner than the Indian law. Machhar key haath bahut lambey hotein hain jaani. #kasabgetsdengue

     

    Seema Goswami ‏@seemagoswami

    So the Indian mosquito may achieve what the Indian justice system could not #kasabgetsdengue

     

    Piyul ‏@Piyul

    What an existential dilemma… So do we pull out all stops in taking care of him and then hang him? #kasab has dengue

     

    TheComicProject ‏@thecomicproject

    Mosquitoes replaced hangmen in 3 years – a record #tweetslikePMOIndia

     

    The UnReal Times ‏@TheUnRealTimes

    Pakistan complains to the UN; alleges India is testing biological weapons on its captured citizens

     

  • Windows 8 is here, and Manish Chopra has a rough guide to being a smooth app-erator

    The Anchor: 5 things to watch out for while launching an app on Windows 8

    By Manish Chopra, CEO of Zovi

     

    #1 Supporting multiple modes of interaction – Desktop machines using mouse/keyboard interactions + tablets using touch/swipe interactions.

     

    #2 Supporting multiple screen resolutions and orientations – (Orientations to be supported: Snapped mode, Landscape mode, Portrait mode).

     

    #3 Providing a customized and special experience for the app user – Not trying to mimic your website, but try and provide an experience that is better suited for the tablet audience.

     

    #4 Cutting down on features and streamlining the workflow – Try to cut down the features to a bare minimum. Keep in mind that the app is supposed to be used by people on the go and so we should not overwhelm them with a multitude of features. Prioritize and decide on what few thing your app should let the user accomplish and execute on them well. Try to re-imagine the workflow in the app so that the user need not go through multiple screens and/or commands to accomplish simple tasks.

     

    #5 Follow the Windows 8 app best practices and guidelines – Apps that don’t follow the guidelines are not usually accepted in the app store. Following the guidelines also helps in providing a predictable experience for the user.

     

    Manish Chopra is CEO of Zovi

     

  • Seven Amul topical advertisements that tell the Barack Obama story from his election in 2008 to the 2012 campaign

    The Anchor: 7 Amul ads that tell the Obama story

    We are back with telling a topical story via Amul advertisements. Here are links to seven ads that give us the high points of the Obama regime from 2008 to now that made news here in India.

     

    The latest one: US Presidential Elections 2012 (November 2012)

     

    Head-to-head debates between President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney (October 2012)

     

    President Obama delivers pizzas to volunteers in his campaign office in Nevada (October 2012)

     

    Hollywood star Clint Eastwood speaks to invisible US President Barack Obama at a Republican Convention (September 2012)

     

    President Obama assures Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of access to the much-wanted David Headley (April 2010)

     

    President Barack Obama awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 (October 2009)

     

    Barack Obama elected first African-American president of the United States (November 2008)

     

  • Whether consumers are just Windows-shopping, or on a serious buying spree – there are heaps of sites out there. How do e-tailers differentiate themselves? Richa Kar has some hints

    The Anchor: 5 ways e-shopping portals can differentiate from hordes of others

    By Richa Kar

     

    #1 Marketing

    How does a portal market itself and build the brand over a longer period of time? Why should a customer keep coming back and shop with you instead of going to a competitor website? Marketing will drive the association of brand with consumers.

     

    #2 Technology

    This plays a big role in enhancing user experience on site. As a portal increases the categories that it retails, it becomes that much more difficult and time-consuming for a customer to find what they need. An e-tailer needs to leverage technology to make product discovery much easier and faster by way of tagging, search, filter etc.

     

    #3 Re-looking at content strategy

    In an industry where you have multiple players selling the same categories, brands, styles etc., the only way an e-tailer can differentiate themselves is content. Content can be on site, product lead, off site, social media. This also involves looking at merchandising very differently.

     

    #4 Execution

    Execution plays a very important role. Customers buy from online portals without having a real-time experience of the products and repost faith in the portal to deliver high-quality products, on time and in great condition. We at zivame ensure that we execute the order well and live up to the customers’ expectations.

     

    #5 Value Proposition

    Our value proposition is making the customer feel comfortable buying lingerie. Buying lingerie offline can sometimes be awkward. We also ensure that our packaging is done in really neat-looking boxes with no provocative pictures on them. Sticking to the core value proposition is of utmost importance.

     

    Richa Kar is CEO of Zivame.com

     

  • The Anchor: 5 reasons why brands need to reinvent

    By Vinay Khandpur

     

    1. Consumer has more exposure to information and is now in control. They demand more value for his spends

     

    2. Constantly changing marketing environment. Companies need to maintain and improve their Brand Equity

     

    3. Remain contemporary, refresh brand core and enhance brand experience

     

    4. Increased competition and the necessity to maintain and increase customer base

     

    5. Anticipate future trends to grow business

     

    BUT:

    Must have a reason to reinvent – not just for the sake of it

     

    Vinay Khandpur is Business Director, Vertebrand

     

  • It's Bhai Dooj/Bhau Beej, and A N Chorrea wonders why the opportunity hasn't been milked enough by marketers

    The Anchor. 5 reasons why marketers must use Bhai Dooj/Bhau Beej to sell their wares

    By A N Chorrea

     

    I’ve often been surprised at how and why certain festivals haven’t been tapped enough by our marketers to hawk their wares and services.

     

    Bhai Dooj or Bhau Beej or Bhai Phota or Ningol Chakuba or Bhathru Dwithiya or Bhai Tika or Bhatri Ditya or  however else it’s called in various parts of the country is an excellent opportunity for marketers to hawk their wares and services. Here’s reason why:

     

    1. Bhai Dooj or Bhau Beej or however it’s called in various parts of the country exists as a festival. In fact in Maharashtra it’s huge… newspapers for instance take a day off not on Diwali but a day prior to Bhau Beej so that vendors can celebrate it

    2. The number of ‘days’ and ‘festivals’ is limited. Also, creating new days is a no-no with not everyone happy about the fact that there’s some commercializing them

    3. There’s festivity in the air and it’s the last day of the five-day Diwali festival. Celebrations can in fact climax with Bhai Dooj

    4. There’s no other major festival between Diwali and Guru Nanak Jayanti and Christmas. So it’s not inappropriate to celebrate it in bigger way. In modern times, where people are more in touch via smses and emails, any event that requires physical contact helps all

    5. Any spending fuels consumption and helps the economy. Jai Ho!

    6 .The day marks bonding between the brother and sister. Yes, there’s a Raksha Bandhan in August-September, but the relationship is big enough to warrant another ‘day’. Right?

     

    A N Chorrea is the pseudonym of a well-known industryperson

     

  • It's not a tussle that is likely to be resolved soon – but Dipankar Zalpuri rolls up his sleeves in the PR corner

    The Anchor: 5 reasons PR is better than advertising

    By Dipankar Zalpuri

     

    Let me start by quoting George Bernard Shaw who once said, “The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” That makes it even more important to understand why and how PR/Media Relations is better than Advertising:

     

    #1 Fish Tank Syndrome. When creating a PR pitch, a professional (internal or external to organization) will always do a dip-stick study and gain valuable feedback from prodding the press members. Also, as the story development goes along, media adds value to the brand proposition, if communication is clear and crisp. Advertising usually restricts to highlighting the important aspects of the product/service and thus sounds very promotional. A creative agency and the client usually generate these ideas thus leading to a closed fish tank syndrome

     

    #2 PR is increasingly being seen as being more empathetic to customer need. Consumers know when they’re reading an advertisement they’re trying to be sold a product/service. Consumers/Customers are wise. When someone reads a third-party article written about a product or views coverage of an event on TV, they’re seeing something a client didn’t pay for with ad rupees and thus view it differently than they do paid advertising.

     

    #3 It’s all about the money, honey. Considering the ever looming fear of economic recession, one of the most important points obviously is the cost involved. Where an effective multi-media advertising campaign will cost millions of rupees, PR is a much wiser and in-expensive option.

     

    #4 Longevity & Shelf Life. So if you are paying so much for space, you can run your ads over and over for only as long as your budget allows and in places which fall in your overall budget. Whereas with one press release you can target all publications through PR & Media relations

     

    #5 Advertising helps to maintain a brand, not build it. It helps in the long run. Last but not the least, good PR is a carefully planned, sustained effort to establish your company identity, maintain credibility and promote communications between your company and its public. The public can be cynical. They have lots of advertising messages directed to them on a daily basis. But, when people read media articles, hear or see something about your company in the press, it results in much better credibility and thus is much better for the long run!

     

    Dipankar Zalpuri is Director, YouMe&We Media Services Pvt Ltd

     

  • How the front pages of various Mumbai and some national/state dailies announced the passing away of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's passing away on Sunday

    The Anchor: How the Sunday papers announced the Bal Thackeray news the morning after

    In a departure from the normal format of the Anchor, here’s looking at how the front pages of various Mumbai and some national/state dailies covered the news of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s passing away on Sunday.

     

    As is evident, the three tabloid/compact-sized publications (Mid-Day, Mumbai Mirror and Economic Times) and the Marathi dailies have put in much effort on the design of the front pages.

     

    The Times of India
    Hindustan Times
    DNA
    The Indian Express
    Mid-Day
    Mumbai Mirorr
    Economic Times

    The Hindu
    The Telegraph
    Loksatta
    Lokmat
    Maharashtra Times
    Sakal
    Divya Marathi
    Saamna
    Dainik Jagran
    Dainik Bhaskar
    Hindustan
    Ananda Bazar Patrika
    		  

    Free Press
  • The best way to get lunch without doing battle for it, how to find good seats (and keep them), and what not to waste time on. Conferencing tips from Rahul Kishore

    The Anchor: How to make industry conferences work (better) for you

    By Rahul Kishore

     

    Having just attended a large conference organized by a leading media organization, I have a few pointers that you might benefit from:

     

    #1 Do not go there looking for knowledge. Most speakers are dull, and love to hear their own voices. The really good ones are expensive and most event organizers cannot afford them. So they make do with whatever is available.

     

    #2 Do not expect to engage with the speaker. Most have tie-ups with TV channels and the channelwallahs inflict their anchors on you. These anchors are ill-prepared mostly and forget their own questions. They also encourage their friends in the audience to ask questions.

     

    #3 If it is a one-on-one then the guest is extremely circumspect and cannot hold you for an hour or so. The moderator also uses this to become friends with the guest, whom he would not have otherwise met! If he has met the guest before then they try to make it like we are best friends etc and that works for no one!

     

    #4 Make sure you reach early and grab a good seat post registration. There are sponsor reserved tables but they never work as the ushers are clueless. I have seen CEOs after pumping in over a crore, looking for a decent seat.

     

    #5 A word about the popular speakers. These are ONLY Bollywood…anyone from a Katrina to a Sonakshi works for our celeb-starved public. So you have to be in your seats at least one if not two sessions before the Bollywood session. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE! It is best, trust me!

     

    #6 Lunch is normally better than average as hotels who do a barter like to showcase their kitchen. So, like me, hit the lunch hall at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled lunch time. Large screens are beaming the event live anyway and as soon as lunch is requested, you are there. The queues are awful and all decorum and decency is forgotten when the food-starved public comes gushing. It is easier now to look for seconds since you have had your first shot berfore everyone else. People will let you break the line if you have a soiled plate in your hand.

     

    #7 A few years ago it used to be a great place to network. Not any more. Audiences are random and arbit. A few page-3 types, assorted goras, and some retired bureaucrats are all a part. The marketer is mostly missing. Women are more active as they want to go back and tell their friends they attended an extremely high-brow event! Be prepared for loads of Aunties in their Guccis, LVs, Jimmy Choos. Also loads of jewellery… good on the untrained eye! Happy Conferencing!

     

    Rahul Kishore is senior vice-president, priority projects, Mogae Media. The views expressed here are his own.