MxMIndia

Tag: anil thakraney

  • Instead of unleashing boring stories of healthy electrons and neutrons inside the cooking oil, Fortune has gone all out to win the housewife's heart.

    Debrief: Cooking emotions

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Here’s another tear-jerker. And if you are an emotional fool (like me), you will rush to your nearest grocer to pick up cartons of Fortune cooking oil. And when the emotion involves a mother/son situation, an advertiser can be pretty sure it’s a safe bet.

     

    Fortune’s new commercial features an elderly mom who whips up delicious food for her merchant navy officer son. Since the officer won’t get a holiday to visit home, she lands up on the ship to celebrate his budday. And then, of course, it’s the predictable re-union.

     

    Smart move. Instead of unleashing boring stories of healthy electrons and neutrons inside the cooking oil, Fortune has gone all out to win the housewife’s heart. And the cleverest thing about the ad is the soundtrack. It’s the classic song from SD Burman: ‘Meri duniya hai maa’. It’s the sort of song that will move a heartless, emotional geek, leave alone an already teary mother.

     

    However, I must add that I didn’t get the same emotional high that I did from the recent Cadbury ‘Lonely maa’ ad. Here, the emotion seems to be a bit contrived and forced, and I suspect the person to blame for that is the ad filmmaker. Somehow the tears get diluted in the translation of the storyboard. Tells you how important it is to cast the right director.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Most of those marks go to Burmanda.

  • India is a vast, complicated, multi-layered nation. There is room for every kind of business out here. Co-existence is indeed the soul of this nation.

    Hard Knocks: The retail FDI tamasha

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Total bullshit is going on over the subject of FDI in the multi-brand retail market. India is a vast, complicated, multi-layered nation. There are all sorts of market segments out here, based on all sorts of classifications… social, economic, regional, etc… each with its own needs and behavioural patterns. There is room for every kind of business out here. Co-existence is indeed the soul of this nation.

     

    Take a drive down Bandra in Mumbai. At a traffic signal, affectionately parked next to each other, you will notice a Benz, a Nano, a Luna and a bicycle. Ditto in a Punjab village. A loaded farmer would flaunt his latest Rolex. While one of his minders is eyeing that brand new 20 inch colour TV. Similarly, there is a market for Tesco. And a market for Nilgiris super market. And a market for the guy who runs the local kirana shop. Because there are various market segments they cater to. And even within each segment, a consumer would have different needs at different times. A housewife will want to indulge in a super store. But back home in the evening she will call her kirana guy for six eggs and pickle.

     

    And if at all there is increased competition, isn’t that a good thing for the consumers? Retailers will have to improve their offerings and service. The grocer in my building complex is a smart chappie, he’s already seen the future. Not only does he promptly send me maida and bread, he also helps with paying my electricity bill and offers to get appliances repaired, for a small fee.

     

    So basically, the whole tamasha is about the opposition parties trying to show the Congress-led UPA in a poor light. By scuttling their ideas. And the only thing they’ve managed to achieve is to get the anti-corruption bill off the agenda, as the parliament fights over retail chains.

     

    Who would have thought Walmart could trump Anna Hazare. Happens only in India.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Quite liked this ad from Chrysler. Talking tough, talking steel, talking business. Detroit’s fighting back, and how! Also, aggro, spirited singer Eminem is the perfect guy to represent them. Good one.

  • The contrast is endearing – that of a desire to look beautiful. And a real life that's full of stress. Good show!

    Debrief: High on Mia empathy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interesting TV campaign from Tanishq for their new sub-brand called Mia. Mia is a jewellery brand targetted at working women. I suppose it’s meant for lady execs who usually wear imitation jewellery at work. And yes, I do think there’s a separate market for this segment. Jewellery pitched for use during momentous occasions like marriages, etc, can’t be adorned for daily wear. Good marketing strategy.

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Sound strategy backed by relevant creative.

    And what’s even better is that the creative work shines. There are three commercials on air. The idea is this: A female executive feels really happy when she wears her jewellery. Even if she’s stuck in a boring workshop. Or can’t find a parking place at the office building. Or gets a poor increment. The format of each commercial is that in the beginning you see the woman delighted at wearing her jewellery. And later arrives the twist of an ‘unhappy’ work situation.

     

    I like this campaign. For two reasons. One, because of the sharp understanding of the working woman by the advertiser. Which is that whatever be the work pressures, however sadela her job might be, a woman would want to look pretty at workplace. Two, the execution is steeped in reality. Yes, highly boring workshops and car park mess are realities we all totally identify with. The contrast is quite endearing. That of a desire to look beautiful. And a real life that’s full of stress. Good show!

  • As Vinod Mehta, the editor of Outlook mag says, in our profession we must always remain spectators, and never try to become players. However tempting it is to dive into the arena.

    Anil Thakraney: Always the spectator. Never the player

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Quite saddened to hear that a fellow journo may have abetted the murder of crime reporter J Dey. Mind you, the allegations against her have still to be proved in the court of law, so we will know the facts only after the legal process is done.

     

    However, here’s a concern and let me first illustrate this with a little example. I had once gone to interview the Maharashtra Power Minister, armed with some tough questions on the frequent power outages in the state. He was already surrounded by 20 fawning reporters from the state’s vernacular press. And the mantri insisted I do the interview with all of them seated in the background. He said he had to rush to Pune for a meeting, and would not have the time to meet me separately. Yes, I had taken a prior appointment but these silly things don’t matter to netas. With not much choice in the matter, I agreed. And after each serious question, the minister would loudly guffaw and make fun, looking to his audiences for support. And yes, the reporters behaved like his cheerleaders, and would also laugh as he laughed. Of course, this didn’t matter to me at all, and I went on firing. This is because when I do an interview, it’s like making love, my entire attention is on the subject, and as Metallica sang, nothing else matters. But it doesn’t need too much intelligence to figure that the reporters had either sold out or were desperate to sell out. Or at the very least badly wanted to bond with the powerful man.

     

    The reason I share this incident is because, as Vinod Mehta, the editor of Outlook mag says, in our profession we must always remain spectators, and never try to become players. However tempting it is to dive into the arena. As Radiagate showed us, close proximity to power and pelf is seductive. It is very tempting to go heady and jump over to the other side. And delude yourself into believing you can do it too. Those who have fallen for this attraction have almost always burnt their fingers. It’s always a fatal attraction.

     

    No, we can’t bat like Sachin. We can’t act like Amitabh. We can’t be politicians. We can’t be underworld dons. We must remain who we are: Spectators. Whose only job is to observe, report, analyse, have a beer and go home.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Shekhar Gupta is a below-average interviewer on TV. His show on NDTV is a downer. But this one I watched shell shocked. Dear Ekta, plunging necklines DON’T work on all women. In your case, it literally makes for a dirty picture. Avoid.

     

    http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/walk-the-talk/walk-the-talk-with-ekta-kapoor/217039?hp

  • A regular kind of sod sings some nonsense inside a recording studio, words that sound like a cross between Tamil and rustic English. I found it neither funny nor entertaining.

    Hard Knocks: Why this Kolaveri Di, indeed! Why?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    When I first came across links to Kolaveri Something on the social media sites, I quickly ignored them. Thinking this is another one of those time-pass videos that keep getting shared by virtual pals. But the video went viral in a matter of days, and by now millions have watched it and the world is talking about it.

     

    As a result I was compelled to click on it and must say I was left pretty unimpressed. A regular kind of sod sings some nonsense inside a recording studio, words that sound like a cross between Tamil and rustic English. I found it neither funny nor entertaining. And was left wondering what I had missed out here. Incidentally, I felt the same when the Pakistani band Beygairat Brigade went viral.

     

    Three observations I have to make in this matter. One, it’s abundantly clear that you can now use only social media to launch a brand with a huge bang. If there ever was any doubt on that, then it can be laid to rest now. Owners of mass media need to pay close attention because as time goes by, more and more advertisers will take social media a lot more seriously, and not as a ‘secondary’ medium which it is currently treated as. These are not freak incidents but a clear warning sign for the future.

     

    Two, no one can predict with any degree of accuracy what can go viral in the virtual world. I found the Kolaveri video quite stupid, but millions of people don’t think that, they love it. Maybe a study needs to be conducted on this subject, and it would be quite helpful. However it’s clear people have found a way to showcase their ‘talents’. I already see many imitators busy at work.

     

    Three, my own guess is that the best chance to strike gold on the net is to be as absurd and loony as possible. And the more rustic and unrefined you are, the better your chance of getting noticed. Now all of us have a real shot at being stars!

    ***

     

    PS: So, Cyrus Mistry is the chosen one, and by all accounts this seems to be a decision made purely on meritorious considerations. However, one wonders if things may have been different had Ratan Tata married and had his own children. Would the Dynasty Raj have played a part? Like it happens in all walks of life in India? Well, we’ll never know. My own hunch is this: Mr Tata would still have used merit as the yardstick. Indeed, it is this culture that makes the group unique in this nation.

     

     

  • The whole anti-corruption crusade of Tata Tea is getting cornier by the ad. And the juxtaposition of tea-making with nation-building is completely hilarious.

    Debrief: Tata Tea: ROFL!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Remember that offensive cad in the Tata Tea ads, the one who’d smugly ask us to ‘Jaago Re’? Well, mercifully he’s been given a break in the new TVC created to celebrate 25 years of the brand. Now the message is ‘Soch Badlo’, and there’s a lady protagonist.

     

    But the anti-corruption tirade goes on. A cynical man cribs in his living room that corruption will never end in the nation, and that basically India is doomed (my thoughts exactly!). He then turns to his wife and demands a cup of tea. The missus uses the opportunity to teach him a lesson. And she delivers a long lecture about how preparing tea is like changing the state of the nation. A convoluted metaphor about boiling water being the raging nation or some such gibberish.

     

    I don’t know whether the makers of the ad intended this as a desired response, but I was left laughing out loud. Because the whole anti-corruption crusade of Tata Tea is getting cornier by the ad. And the juxtaposition of tea-making with nation-building is completely hilarious. Plus, in all this pagalpanti, the tea story gets buried somewhere.

     

    Yes, some soch needs to badlo out here. On the part of Tata Tea managers and their ad agency. They should leave the anti-corruption drive to Anna saheb. And stick to selling us chai.

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. The marks are only for some good laughs!   

  • While the good thing that could come out of this incident is that the media will hopefully be more careful in the future, there is no denying that the rather harsh punitive action against Times Now has alarmed all of us in the media.

    Hard Knocks: Heavy price for a goof-up

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In a nation that boasts of hundreds of news channels (with more dying to get into the fray), speed of content is crucial. It’s a cut throat situation out there, and there is tremendous pressure in the news rooms to be first with the story. In this high tension scenario, mistakes can and do happen. And even if heads of news channels build in fool-proof checks and balances in the process, one can never totally eliminate the chance of a slip up.

     

    Because making mistakes is human, we have all been guilty of it at some point or another. That’s why the defamation suit of Rs 100 crores slapped against Times Now by an aggrieved judge is not just a bit excessive, it’s rather frightening for all of us in the media. The case pertains to the channel erroneously carrying a picture of the judge while reporting on a scam story.

     

    Now, I have no doubt at all that the judge in question has every reason to be upset. We would all be in similar circumstances, when someone wrongly tarnishes our integrity. But with due respect to the esteemed judge, if the channel has publicly apologised, that should be the end of the matter.

     

    While the good thing that could come out of this incident is that the media will hopefully be more careful in the future, there is no denying that the rather harsh punitive action against Times Now has alarmed all of us in the media. Many of us would now think a hundred times before running edgy stories, even after filtering them through a battery of lawyers. Who wants to carry the burden of such a stringent defamation action? And when, after having said sorry, the case goes on.

     

    On my own part, I have reached a state where I am seriously contemplating seeking a PR job. Forget imagining what an amount of Rs 100 crore looks like, the very mention of the figure gives me nightmares.

    Meri to phat gayee, yaar!

     

    ***

     

    PS: So, the Bigg Boss cuckoo house has a new inmate, a porn star. Makes no sense to me. The only great thing a porn star can do is to expose, that’s her ticket to fame. And when she can’t be allowed to expose on a family channel, what’s the point in spending so much money on her? They should invite me into the house, and I am available for a fraction of her fee. I shall create trouble in seconds, that’s my ticket to fame! 🙂

  • Vodafone must realize that simple need not be boring.

    Debrief: Zzzzrfan Khan

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Vodafone has decided that people with, let’s just say ‘limited means’, but with a mobile phone in hand must do more on their phones than just talk.

     

    This makes sense. A whole lot of Indians at the bottom of the telephony pyramid use basic handsets and are averse to experimenting with features. They are happy to use it purely as a speech device. If some of them convert and do more voice-based things, it expands the market. So no issues with the strategy.

     

    In order to communicate this to the lower end of the consumer spectrum, Vodafone has gone back to the ‘aam aadmi’ actor: Irrfan Khan. A series of TV commercials have been unleashed. I watched two. In one, the actor cribs that people invite him to parties just to get an update on the latest Bollywood gossip. And he says they should use their Vodafone connection for their gossip needs. In the other one he complains that his missus cooks cauliflower all the time. When all she has to do is use Vodafone to learn new recipes.

     

    Now while I understand that the intent is to keep the communication simple given the target audience, that does not mean the ads have to be dull and witless. The problem is the scripts aren’t funny, and the continuous stand up drone of Khan can get really irritating after a point. And even if you are the sort who smiles at such stuff, you will not do so on the second exposure. Also, for some strange reason, Irrfanji mumbles his way through the ads, as if they woke him from deep slumber. I had to watch the ads many times to even comprehend what the man is saying.

    Bring the Zoozoos back, I say!

     

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Only good for putting you to sleep.   

  • The new Birla Sun Life Insurance campaign objective is to reiterate the philosophy to leave nothing to fate

    AdStrat: Birla Sun Life leaves nothing to fate

    The Campaign: Birla Sun Life Insurance Protection Solutions Campaign

    The Client: Birla Sun Life Insurance

    The Agency: JWT

    The Brief: The campaign objective is to reiterate the philosophy to leave nothing to fate. The communication would center around the proposition of fulfilling responsibilities towards one’s loved ones. The tonality and messaging of the TVC and the campaign throughout is both empathetic and a friend who knows what’s best for you, thereby attempting to move him into action, more effectively

     Any specific advisory from the client: Manage the task of sensitizing the consumer to the uncertainties or fragility of life without putting them off.

    Research insights:  Consumers today are becoming more confident and optimistic about their achievements. They have the zest to achieve everything, however there are little efforts towards securing or insuring these achievements against any unforeseen circumstances. Thus it was observed that there is a further need to infuse a sense of urgency towards insurance planning and protection in the otherwise optimistic, confident Indian consumer who tends to leave his dreams to fate/destiny. The average Indian’s apathy and inertia is evident from the fact that the pure protection category merely contributes to just 3% of the total industry premium. This brings to fore the reality that a large population base is leaving their dreams to fate or destiny.

    The thought process behind the creative: The communication aims to create an emotional connect and empathy with the aam aadmi, by showing a slice of life situation which can happen with any young couple staying in metros or small towns. They share each other’s dreams and are thinking about their future, which they are eagerly looking forward to – just when they come face to face with the unpredictability of life.

    Media vehicles chosen: The TVC has been on air since November 04, 2011 and is being played across all leading television channels. In the time to come you will witness an array of initiatives that will help BSLI reach out across the country with the theme of ‘safety, security and protection’. These will span television, radio, outdoor, below the line and digital media.

    Key issues kept in mind while executing the ad: The attempt here is not to challenge the consumer’s confidence (and switch him off), but sensitize them in a thought provoking way that spurs him to act.

    Does the treatment do justice to the brief? The commercial certainly breaks clutter through its neat execution. It is based on a very thought- provoking insight – can you leave your dreams to fate? There is a moment in the film that shakes the viewer into thinking. On a day just like any other, a young couple narrowly escapes a brush with death. Call it luck by chance, destiny or fate; it does shake up the couple in the film and the viewer. The differentiating factor of the ad is its very real and slice of life feel. There is absolutely nothing ‘ad-dy’ about the ad. The couple are just like any young couple with dreams, the day is just like any other, but then something happens that makes it a day very unlike any other.

    Differentiating factor: Everything about the ad is natural and candid, and it still succeeds in driving home the point. Natural acting,  no stars, a sudden realization through the shock and a simple message ‘Kahin aap apne sapno ko kismet par to nahi chor rahe’ towards the end, makes it an appealing and relevant communication. The ad carries an emotional realization for everyone including individuals from towns and villages who come to cities with big dreams and aspirations but tend to ignore something like insurance and their own protection

    Campaign credits

    Creative Agency:                                         JWT India

    Director for the film:                                    Amit Sharma

    Production House:                                      Chrome Pictures

    Media Planning:                                          Mindshare

    Language:                                                   Hindi / other regional

    Duration:                                                     45 seconds

    National Campaign Launch:                         4th Nov, 2011

    JWT Team that worked on the film:

    Creative: Tista Sen, Nandita Chalam, Dipesh Kowarkar, Siddharth Joglekar, Kunjika Talpade

    Servicing: Samarth Shrivastava, Swati Bobde, Vineeta Sukhija, Amita Servaia

    Planning: Rajesh Mehta

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTwNe38qls[/youtube]
    [vimeo width=”400″ height=”250″]http://vimeo.com/31714764[/vimeo]

     

  • Vijay Mallya has fallen into a self-created trap. Because the Kingfisher airline is a brand extension of the high selling and very profitable Kingfisher beer, it must carry forward the brand values of the latter.

    Debrief: A wing and a player

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Many experts (and non-experts!) have given us their views on the Kingfisher airline mess. Many reasons why the airline is in trouble have been speculated upon. And all this while the man in the hot seat, Dr Mallya, only posts pissed-off tweets. But doesn’t tell us what really is going on.

     

    Here’s my theory, and I put it out despite the fact that I know as much about the airline industry as Rakhi Sawant knows about nuclear physics. And I do so because I believe the main problem isn’t really about the business itself, it’s about branding.

     

    Yes, Mallya and gang have messed up on the running of the company. Yes, they could have handled flight scheduling better. Yes, they should have hired better talent at the top, and yes, the government’s unhelpful policies have added to their woes. But the real problem is that Dr Mallya has fallen into a self-created trap. Because the Kingfisher airline is a brand extension of the high selling and very profitable Kingfisher beer, it must carry forward the brand values of the latter. Any deviance from those would hurt the beer brand, because they share the same identity.

     

    Now, Kingfisher beer is synonymous with good life and high living. And has been so for many years. If the airline goes totally cheap and down-market, it runs contrary to the mother brand’s values. I suspect this is the battle that Dr Mallya lost, because it has conflict embedded within. With the downturn in the economy, spiraling cost of fuel, heavy taxes on airline travel and some serious competition in the sector, downgrading Kingfisher airline, cutting off all the frills, was the order of the day. What Dr Mallya did instead was to spend more on comfort, food, service and entertainment. And sent the operational costs crashing through the roof. He HAD to do this because the Kingfisher brand = Good life. He had no choice. Dr Mallya cuts the good life on the airline, it comes straight back to haunt his cash cow Kingfisher beer.

     

    Make no mistake about this: Dr Mallya is no spring chicken when it comes to dhandha, he runs a massive, very profitable liquor empire. He knows a lot about costs, revenues and bottom-lines. Where he went wrong was in the branding strategy. That trapped him big-time. He ought to have coined a new, independent brand name for the airline. A stand-alone brand that fights its own battles and is unburdened of any legacy. In which case Dr Mallya could have taken tough decisions on his airline. He could have gone really low-cost, and may well have been saved from the miseries he’s facing today.

     

    Perhaps he should have called it ‘Deepika’ airline. His equally flamboyant son would have approved! 🙂

     

    ***

     

    PS: Very happy that the media left Baybee Bachchan alone. Maybe Justice Katju has got to them. Maybe the broadcast editor’s guidelines were taken seriously. Maybe an earlier post from me opened their eyes (hee hee). Whatever. But this incident could well be a turning point for Indian journalism. Let’s hope so!

  • If we really want to make a difference, we need to go after the big fish. Exposing the big daddies of corruption will make the real difference, as the 2G scandal has shown.

    Hard Knocks: Exposing the big daddies of corruption

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mumbai Mirror’s cover story on 15/11/11 caught my attention for different reasons. The story involved conflict between a traffic cop and a celebrity nutritionist, and yes, it had to do with petty corruption. Here’s the link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/201111152011111
    5025305142b58e3baa/PautiWhat-for-Celeb-nutritionist%E2%80%99s-fine-fight-against-corrupt-cocky-cop.html

     

     

    The story reminded me of the one I had done years ago for a tabloid. Dressed as a rich cat, I drove around on the streets of Mumbai breaking every single traffic rule, while being filmed by a battery of photographers. And on every single occasion, I was let off after ‘tipping’ the havaldar. At the time it was a sensational story. I received thousands of happy and angry e-mails. And yes, I was pretty chuffed at having pulled off a ‘big’ story.

     

    However, down the line, I have had a change of heart. I am no longer proud of what I did that day. Sure, some lowly traffic cops got pulled up or were suspended for a bit, but what did the story achieve beyond that? Did anything change? The answer is obvious: No. I now realise there’s no greatness or value attached to exposing the small fry of society. They are sitting ducks, easy to be caught with their hands in the till, and putting them under pressure makes no difference anyway.

     

    Given that, I really think the Indian media as whole must move on from such worthless stories. If we really want to make a difference, we need to go after the big fish. Exposing the big daddies of corruption will make the real difference, as the 2G scandal has shown. There’s another thing, and this is more personal in nature: I am convinced it’s pointless even blaming the small operators in the food chain for being corrupt. When the entire system is so rotten, when corruption is so deeply embedded in this nation, with its tentacles going right to the top, does it really make any sense in punishing the chhota mota chors? Which is why I no longer quarrel with traffic cops, autorickshaw drivers, cabbies, ration card office clerks, municipal office clerks, etc, when they cheat me. I quietly pay them off. Because they are just tiny leaves of the huge corruption tree we have all collectively planted and nurtured.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Totally adore the new Benetton ‘Unhate’ campaign. Controversial, funny, irreverent and very Benetton. But a tad disappointed they ignored the subcontinent. Imagine SM Krishna and Bina Rabbani Khar together? Hmm. That would be heavy!

  • The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen.

    Hard Knocks: BCCI needs a third umpire

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The first day’s play at Calcutta in the current India/West Indies series produced a real shocker. Near-empty stands at the Eden Gardens. Who would have imagined such a day would come in that cricket-crazy city? And this, despite a player like Sachin Tendulkar being in the house, and perched on the verge of a historic milestone of his 100th 100. Now, I realize cricket in India has become a television sport and that’s where all the money comes from. Still, it must be said there is no fun watching a match on TV with no cheering, booing, placards-carrying crowds in the backdrop. That’s the essential part of sports excitement. Already, the TRPs of test match cricket have taken a beaten in recent times, and with no crowds in the stadia, I am afraid more and more fans will give even television viewing a miss. And that would be an alarming situation for advertisers.

    There are many reasons why test cricket is dying a slow death in this nation. The obvious one is the BCCI’s greed, which has resulted in excessive cricket tournaments, leading to crowd fatigue. Then there’s the issue of New India’s impatience with a five-day game. These problems I would leave for the cricket pundits to tackle. However, I must say sponsors and advertisers must come together and set out a few guidelines for the BCCI if they don’t wish that the game, which is always a good marketing vehicle, dies out. Because today it’s test cricket, tomorrow it could be the one-day game. And if the BCCI chaps don’t listen, sponsorships should be cancelled.

    One thing the BCCI must be compelled to do is to ensure that the various cricket associations sell stadia tickets for a low price. Perhaps Rs 20 a ticket. And all minors and school kids should be allowed in for free. Also, facilities in the stadia should be improved so that going for a cricket match is a joy and not a pain in the you-know-where, which it currently is. The very very, very cash-rich BCCI can easily re-imburse the associations for their losses/expenses. This will make sure the stands are reasonably packed at any point of time. And we don’t have a situation where Sachin scores a ton and there’s no-one around to cheer him.

    Bottom line: The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen. It’s no longer enough being passive spectators in the game. It’s time to play the role of a strict referee.

     

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    PS: Waiting for a cutting-edge column from Ms Shobhaa De on the Kingfisher mess. Mallya is the lady’s BFF, so let’s see if she gets after him like she does with all else. Will she risk missing out on a yacht invite? Take a guess!