By Jaisurya Das
Dear MxM expresses its heartfelt condolences to the people of Tamil Nadu on the humongous loss of the exceedingly popular CM, Selv Jayalalithaa Jayaram.
To make things worse, the brilliant journalist, author and former MP, Cho Ramaswamy passed away a few hours later, in the same hospital at Chennai. I write this short piece today in tribute of these amazingly charismatic human beings who I have had the good fortune to meet professionally, during my Chennai days.
Selvi. Jayalalithaa’s infectious smile and fabulous diction floored me instantly and I was left gaping at her during the short interaction. Her calm and composed body language radiated power, confidence and immense belief in her ideals… Rest in Peace, Ma’am.
Tughlak Cho Sir as he was known in the media circles in Chennai had this amazing blend of sarcasm and humour that I wished I could learn. I remember him saying in his characteristic Tamil-laced, English: “Why this media line I say? So many better things to do. See what it did to my hairâ€..
Looking back, my inspiration may have been his bald pate and his amazing wisdom across topics. His magazine Tughlak was a no-holds-barred brand, where he criticised anything that felt amiss. He was probably one of the few people who had an amazing relationship with Indira Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Narendra Modi for that matter…
In fact, if am not mistaken Tughlak was the first media brand that bandied Modi as the ideal PM, even when Advani was ruling the roost. Cho Sir was a man who was fearless, much like Jayalalithaa.
Lived on their own terms, did what they believed was right and stood steadfast with their objectives. Much respect.
I tip my hat to these amazing human beings…
Straight to our questions for this week, Thank you readers from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
I finding doing creative work for outdoor advertising the most challenging. But is there a future in outdoor or OOH?
Thanks for writing in to us at Dear MxM..! Yes, the OOH medium is in serious need for creative re-invention and this is one of the less explored mediums in creative media.
Unlike most other verticals, OOH hasn’t seen earth shattering work here in India. Having said tha, I seriously believe that this sector offers tremendous potential, however this gets relegated to the bottom of the media plan..
Coming back to your question, frankly, as of now the future looks bleak and this can only change when we see more investment in this area. This is exceedingly dependent on the market dynamics much like retail and hence predicting this mediums future would be fool hardy.
Yes, as far as I see it, the current advertising slowdown has made it difficult for most media including OOH that is also at the mercy of the municipal corporations and others with respect to their sites. Personally, I would urge you to treat this with caution for a year till things stabilise.
Sir, I saw that journalist covering the Selvi J Jayalalithaa hospitalisation and passing away were in the constant fear of a mob attack. While I would like to be in the place of action when I get into journalism next year, does all of it require any special skills?
No, you don’t need to invest in a bullet proof vest to be a good journalist. These are those rare days when anything can happen, be it mob fury or terrorist attacks.
For god’s sake, don’t get carried away. Yes, you need special skills and foremost in this list for me, would be the ability to grip audiences with your journalistic abilities.
The ability to keep your ears on the ground and your head firmly on your shoulder. Read, talk and learn all that you can and yes, stick to your purpose of becoming a sound journo.
The rest is anybody’s guess. The media market is as volatile and any other and its the what that separates from the chaff that can make the difference and retain audiences of the future.
My agency won an award at a recent advertising function. However, I didn’t get due recognition even though I contributed immensely because I am a trainee. How do I extract some recognition for my work?
This is indeed unfortunate and yet very typical of a large setup and team work. Doesn’t speak well of the organisation and its leaders but, yes, this is the reality.
I completely understand how you feel and I think it’s important to have a chat with your immediate superior. Not to be aggressive but to share your feeling on being left out of this recognition. It’s important to place on record your displeasure after all the effort that went into it.
It may not have any effect but they will know and this is important. This is the mark of a good leader who is secure enough to be inclusive with all that he does. You don’t find them easy nowadays though. Pity.
For now, don’t worry yourself about it. Feel good that you work obviously won accolades and this is what is the larger picture. Stick to your craft and soon enough recognition will come to you.
Am sure you will see the day when you have the rest looking upto you in awe. Make you work inspiring and leave the rest to the Universe.
Sir, I work with a publication where my BFF and colleague has quit recently. And being a small team, I am worried about being alone and that impacting my productivity. Sir, what would you advise I do?
I see no reason for you to worry. You are not a rookie any longer and don’t need handholding. Why the diffidence in your ability?
Forget about this trivia and move on with your objectives at work. There is always time beyond this to interact and enjoy a great friendship. This doesn’t need to be at office.
In fact, this may be a blessing in disguise. You may just end up becoming far more confident with your skills and abilities.
Go for it! All good wishes to you.
On this note of promise, I take leave for this week. Do enjoy your impending weekend and take good care of yourselves… Please do feel free to write in with your concerns on editor@mxmindia.com superscribing your ‘ City’ and Dear MxM in the subject line. Till then, Sayonara and God Bless.
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 Contributing Editor of MxM India and Co-Founder of pune365.com. For more on his work, visit www.xanadu.co.in. The views expressed in this column are his own.