MxMIndia

Tag: Avik Chattopadhyay

  • Why do some people address their nations as 'motherland' while for others it is 'fatherland'. Avik Chattopadhyay attempts an answer

    Avik Chattopadhyay: Maatrabhumi or Pitrabhumi?

    Avik ChattopadhyayBy Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    As a child I was fascinated by Abanindranath Tagore’s painting of a fragile lady with four arms and a beatific face. My mother explained to me that it was ‘Bhārat Mātā’. Then I came across the mention of Bhārat Mātā when I read the Amar Chitra Katha version of Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandamath’. The curiosity grew. So, Bhārat Mātā must be the mother of Bhaarat. No, I was told. Bhārat Mātā is the goddess of Bhaaratvarsha, the land we live in. And Bhaaratvarsha is the land belonging to Bharatvansha, the lineage of a great legendary ruler called Bharat mentioned in both the Rigveda and the Mahabharata.

     

    Abanindranath Tagore’s “Bharat Mata” of 1905; the cover of Bharati’s “Vijaya” in 1909

     

    So, a large part of north Indians come from the lineage of Bharat whereas all Indians revere Bhārat Mātā. The revolutionary poet Subramaniya Bharati had carried the concept of Bhārat Mātā from Calcutta to Madras when he published the image in his magazine ‘Vijaya’ in 1909. So, what was a concept in 1880 in Anandamath became a depiction by Abanindranath in 1905 and an adaptation by Bharati in 1909. And the rest, as is said, is ‘Bhārat Mātā ki jai’.

     

    The curiosity grew. So, what are we, a motherland or fatherland? Motherland, of course, said all!! If that is so, why are our mothers trudging 15 kilometres one way to get water while our fathers are tugging at their hookahs? Why does every government form ask for the father’s name and not the mother’s? silly boy, the land is the mother’s while the form is the father’s, okay? What really is the difference between a motherland and a fatherland? Why do some people address their nations as the motherland while for others it is the fatherland?

     

    After some bit of reading and probing social scientists, I have understood that ‘motherland’ typically refers to the physical landform whereas ‘fatherland’ refers to the race. The former is about the soil or landmass while the latter is about the forefathers that lived on a certain landmass. While the former is defined by a certain boundary of land, the latter is more about the lineage irrespective of the geographical spread.

     

    Hence, for nations like India, Russia, and Turkey it is the motherland whereas for Germany, Thailand, and France it is the fatherland. This has nothing to do with religion or faith, as for India it is ‘Bhārat Mātā’ while for Pakistan it is ‘Madar-e-Vatan’, both motherlands. Social scientists tell me that the reasons for such variances could go back to centuries when early man started travelling to various parts of the world out of what we know today as Africa. The fertile lands, full of food and water, were where the goddesses of fertility emerged, in various forms. And mother nature became a key deity to pray before and keep pleased. The soil was the “mother” and kept being addressed that way over the centuries, irrespective of faith. The inhospitable lands with severe weather were where more male deities emerged to help the community brave the forces of nature and move on. Hence the “father” becoming the pivot.

     

    Can we therefore infer that the more ‘settled’ and ‘content’ peoples are the ones who are blessed with the motherland while the ones who are ‘restless’ and ‘conquering’ carry the flags of their fatherlands? Are those having motherlands not as patriotic as those proclaiming fatherlands? We surely cannot arrive at such sweeping statements. The Spanish and the English have been some of the biggest colonisers while the Swiss and the Tibetans have been some of the most pacific! While France has called itself a ‘fatherland’, one of its most enduring national symbols of Liberty is a lady, explaining for the Statue of Liberty in the US too. Joan of Arc has been a symbol of French patriotism. And the word ‘patriot’ is has been derived from the Greek ‘patris’ which meant fatherland, evolving into the Latin ‘patriota’ and then into the French ‘patriote’ and finally the English ‘patriot’.

     

    Delacroix’s “Liberte” of 1830; Bartholdi’s head of “Liberty” in Paris in 1878, eventually into a full statue in New York in 1886

     

    Then there are peoples who address their nations as ‘motherlands of our forefathers’ like the Jewish ‘Eretz Ha’Avot’, Japanese ‘Sokoku’ and Korean ‘Joguk’. The Persians use two specific terms ‘Sarzamin e Pedari’ and ‘Sarzamin e Maadari’ that are often used with more or less the same implication. Even in India there are distinct concepts of ‘Maatrabhumi’ and ‘Pitrabhumi’, the former being where I belong to and the latter being where I come from.

     

    The subject is surely a bit confusing and has elements of intrigue and loving mystery for the same reason. And being still open to interpretations, it remains unbound by ritual and dogmas. In this context when I see bandana-clad, trident-laden, flag-wielding hirsute mobs shouting ‘Bhārat Mātā ki jai’ more to intimidate rather than endear, I wonder if they really bother with the subtleties and the underlying theology.

     

    But then, as Tagore says, “Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

     

  • For any brand professional, the City is a perfect case study of what product and brand management is all about, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    A Tale of One City!

     

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyaySo, the Honda City completes 25 years in India. That is quite an achievement given the proliferation of choice the consumer has had in the last 10 years and the sheer impatience automakers have with continuing with ‘old’ product names.

     

    I have never owned a Honda City neither have I worked in or for Honda, yet I take this opportunity to salute one of India’s most successful brands, across industries and product categories. So, what exactly has made it such a darling of the Indian marketplace?

     

    It pioneered a segment

    When the first City was launched at Auto Expo 1998, it started a trend of the affordable performance sedan. The Opel Astra was too expensive and unreliable while the Maruti Esteem was a bit underwhelming. Till then, the only Honda people had access to was the expensive Accord, imported through Tata Exports. Suddenly, the aspirational Honda badge became accessible in the form of the City and there was no looking back.

     

    It has stayed true to its core promise

    In its fifth generation in India over the last 25 years, not once has the City wavered from its core promise of “comfort + reliability + performance = prestige”. It is not that every generation has been equally loved and successful, as competitive offers have kept increasing, but one cannot fault the brand for deviating from its promise. The service standard has been a terrific support to the cause.

     

    It has kept reinventing itself

    The brand has kept listening to customer feedback, media feedback, social media chatter and expert inputs to keep refreshing its proposition every 5-6 years. And the refreshment has been totally transformational in style and shape without compromising on the promise. The second generation launched in 2002 was not much liked for its polarising styling yet the promise was otherwise delivered. It has had its dip for the lack of a diesel engine when diesels were the toast of the day, but came back with an offer, even though some may say too late to make the desired impact. Given the stereotype of the Japanese image of being slow and procedure driven, the City has shown that as a brand it has had no ‘holy cows’ to live by.

     

    It has a symbiotic relationship with the mother brand

    “City” is a standalone brand by itself, just like Bravia and iPhone. While it derives its core essence from the Honda DNA, its unprecedented success across South Asia and China has allowed it to feed into the Honda DNA too. The Honda brand has always been about race-bred performance, reliability, and edgy styling. The City has definitely added the facet of comfort to the mother brand. This can only happen when a product badge evolves into a brand with its own following and advocacy.

     

    It is loved by competition

    Strong brands are usually feared or at the most respected by competition. The City is in fact loved! Every automaker has had the City as a benchmark. The V-tec engine was a performance standard for competition to follow. Just like the Maruti 800 gave the Indian consumer access to modern technology and motoring, the City allowed the consumer to experience an enviable package of comfort, safety, performance, reliability and badge value! Competition always has wanted to outdo the City in providing a better package. Interestingly, when in Maruti Suzuki, my team used the entry-level City as a benchmark in deciding the feature package and price point for the top variant of the to-be-launched Swift in 2005. When working out the India entry strategy in Peugeot, we had the City as the only benchmark to use ignoring sedans offered by other badges. In VW, we used to keep scratching our heads on how Honda could offer the City at that price point maintaining the quality index.

     

    For any brand professional, the City is a perfect case study of what product and brand management is all about…staying true to one’s promise, always open to feedback and, sincere respect for the consumer and the market!

     

    Frankly, I remember none of the Honda City communication or advertising. Not because of any quality issues but because the fundamental package of the product + service was so compelling, that all else can only exist on the side-lines. The growing clan of Honda City owners and the increasing tribe of an envious competition has done all the talking all these 25 years. I hope the brand story is kept the same way if it wishes to celebrate another 25.

     

  • The government's Akshay Kumar ad to promote the need for airbags is a case of marketing myopia, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Hot air about airbags?

    Picture caption: Image shows car crash test at 40km/h with crash test dummies with different safety measures: safety belt and airbag (front), safety belt only (back, right) and no safety measure (back, left). Source: Wikimedia

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThe Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has released a piece of advertising on social media and television promoting the need of six airbags in a car. Take a look at the same before I carry on…

     

    akshaykumar latest advertisement on airbag – YouTube

     

    The piece of communication has been well-timed, just after the shocking death of Cyrus Mistry in a horrific road accident. Therefore, with the grapevine abuzz with talks of seatbelts and airbags, a piece of consumer awareness advertising with mascot Akshay Kumar is bound to get the eyeballs and… hopefully create a groundswell of customers walking up to showrooms wanting cars only with six airbags!

     

    This would have been the logic that would have been played out in the Ministry and the Minister would have been pleased as plum. For long has he been leading the mission of having all cars with six airbags as that will make the Indian roads safer. The timing, the brand ambassador, the message, and the context were all perfect.

     

    Lo and behold, within just three odd days of its amplification across all media, the backlash has been unprecedented and I daresay, egg on the face!

     

    As you would have observed in the film, a car is being given as dowry. Also, the policeman seems a bit of a bully, gatecrashing into a private event without being invited, not painting the desired picture of the police, especially in the north. Lastly, the communication is all about having airbags and not about wearing seatbelts, which is actually more important for an occupant to be saved in an accident.

     

    Three cardinal mistakes. Basic things but totally overlooked. If one were to pardon the policeman as he is Akshay Kumar and therefore allowed his usual bullying, what about the seatbelt bit? If one were to ignore the seatbelts as the narrative is all about bulldozing the automakers into providing six airbags in every four-wheeler, what about the dowry? Even of one clarifies it as a ‘gift’ from a loving father to his daughter, why allow such discussions in the first place? How could this pass the keen eyes and sensibilities of the advertising agency, the ministry officials and finally the minister? Social media is busy discussing these aspects of the communication rather than the desired central message. And the minister is receiving substantial flak for the same. Unmitigated disaster!

     

    This, dear readers, is yet another example of what I call ‘marketing myopia’ where one tends to go to the jungle to fell trees to build a sustainable condominium! In the sheer obsession to get the core message across at any cost, the overall aspects of the communication are overlooked. They become blind spots, to use a motoring term.

     

    Mr Mistry was unfortunately killed in the rear seat as he was not wearing the seatbelt as per initial reports, not because the car did not have enough number of airbags. The airbags will get activated only when the occupants are wearing their seatbelts. Providing twelve airbags in a car will also not solve matters if the seatbelts are not worn. There is a cause and effect that comes into play here. Artificial intelligence is applied, algorithms get into action and there is a lot of science at play to keep you safe. Not just the airbags!

     

    In automotive parlance, safety systems are of two types – active and passive. Active systems assist in avoiding accidents, examples being the brakes, traction control, stability control, heads-up display, low cabin noise, driver assist systems and road quality. Passive systems get into action once an accident occurs to minimise the impact and injury. Both the seatbelt and the airbag are examples of such systems.

     

    One has to ensure the active systems are first in place, to ensure minimal use of the passive systems. The location where the accident happened that killed Mr Mistry is known as an accident spot as the road design is faulty, according to many experts. Better road design could have avoided it in the first place, coupled with safer driving of course.

     

    The same applies to brand communication. The active narrative has to be clear before one gets into the passive props. Here, the simple message should have been about safe driving, instead of pointing the finger only at the car. Being clearly led by the agenda to mould consumer thought and opinion into asking for more airbags, the core message has been lost. The passive props of the wedding and policeman are just not required as they take attention away from the elusive core message.

     

    Then again, if the active narrative were in place, the smoke and shadows need not have been created. These make the weak attempt at diverting the consumer’s attention from the core to the periphery, just like many films with weak storylines add songs to merely fill up time. or like at the Ramlila where a lot of paraphernalia is created whereas the core task is to burn the effigies. And people end up discussing the quality of the acting and the hairstyles rather than the need to ensure the victory of good over evil.

     

    Just like a lot of hot air about airbags without getting the seatbelts buckled!

     

  • Avik Chattopadhyay on what happens when brands undergo a change in ownership

    Adani Stake Buy of NDTV: Brand ownership woes!

     

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyaySo there has been a lot of buzz around Adani ‘taking over’ NDTV. While claims and counterclaims are being made, I wish to divert your attention to spend the next few minutes on discussing the typical issues that rise when brands undergo a change in ownership.

     

    In my professional life, I have undergone three such instances, when Exxon acquired Mobil, when Suzuki became the majority shareholder of Maruti and, when Apollo Tyres acquired Dunlop [in Africa]. In the first two cases, I was a member of the acquired brand while in the last, I was part of the acquiring brand. In all three instances, the crucial issues were always three – identity, independence, and integration. Guess the same applies to every case across industries the world over.

     

    Identity

    The acquired brand fears a loss of identity… specifically that it will be subsumed into the acquiring brand. this loss is not just of the name but also the brand purpose, values, and culture. While the fears are justified, in many cases, the new owner actually acquires the brand for improving its own stature, credibility, capability, segmentation or market presence.

     

    An example is the Chinese automaker Geely acquiring brands like Volvo [cars], Lotus, Benelli and Polestar. It has done to gain recognition as a global corporation while also enhancing the group’s capabilities in aspects of research and engineering. Here, the owner will ensure the acquired brands retain their identity and in fact get stronger by the day as it justifies the purchase and enhances valuation.

     

    When Apollo Tyres acquired the Dunlop operation in Africa, the world got to know of the new owner and the brand. The acquisition was not just for access to new technology and markets, but also for enhancement of stature and global recognition.

     

    Unilever as a megalith has been built on acquiring brands through decades, right from Lipton and Brooke Bond to Dollar Shave Club and Pukka Herbs. The owner acquires brands to enter product categories and markets to cater to a wider customer base. This helps in offering its existing portfolio to the same customer in a far more efficient manner. Therefore, the acquired brands not only remain but remain stronger than before!

     

    Independence

    This is the second most crucial element of anxiety for the acquired brand. In most cases, due to the business pressures of bringing economies of scale and quicker returns on investment, the new owner, while retaining the identity, wants to ‘commonise’ aspects of research, supply chain, production, blueprints, operating systems and even in some cases, manpower. I could use the same assembly line for making Lifebuoy and Lux and as long as it does not matter to the customer, it is perfectly fine!

     

    However, as each brand has [supposedly] its own distinct DNA, mature owners let each acquired brand retain its independence of thought and operation. It is a function of the industry. And in some cases, the market realities make the owner realise the need to allow a level of independence to ensure business success.

     

    Martin Sorrell did this pretty well with all the agencies WPP acquired over the years, though the backend operations might have been streamlined into one. Rajeev Chandrasekhar learnt the importance of independence when he acquired Asianet in 2006. He wished to mould its narrative into his own thinking but realised that it would lead to serious loss of viewership that enjoyed Asianet’s left-of-centre editorial stand. He let Asianet retain its editorial independence and in fact sold it off to Star India in just two years’ time. The case of Thums Up retaining its position under Coca-Cola ownership is another ‘toofani’ one!

     

    On acquiring Mobil in 1999, not only was the independence of the Mobil brand assured but the new organisation itself was called ExxonMobil! This obviously sends out positive signals not only to the markets but also the employees of the acquired brand about retention of both identity and independence.

     

    Integration

    Even if the new owner preserves identity and independence of the acquired brand, things can just fall apart due to flaws in integration. This is the third and most critical aspect of a change of ownership, especially if the new owner has existing interests in the same industry or field.

     

    Mega-mergers and acquisitions have failed due to faulty integration. DaimlerChrysler is a case study. ESPN Star Sports was another. There are many more around us. The basic human nature is of control and command and one individual always wants to have the upper hand over another, especially of the latter is an acquired brand. Making the acquired brand feel welcome and taking extra precautions not to ruffle sensitivities is important. It is indeed tough to shed one’s ego of being the owner or the bigger brand. The other side of the coin finds the acquired brand behaving irrationally defensive, protective, and sensitive about the smallest of issues.

     

    I personally experienced this is Maruti Udyog [then] as it was transitioning to Maruti Suzuki. We realised that the Japanese would call the shots very soon and many of us, including myself, behaved rank silly with our counterparts in Hamamatsu on numerous occasions.

     

    New ownership, either through change in shareholding, a merger or a buy-out is always filled with an expected dose of uncertainty for any brand. So must it be inside NDTV right now. I personally think it will be business as usual for the brand. The new owner gains in stature in the global media circles now by acquiring a respected media house. And Adani will never tinker with its ethos for its own good.

     

    Seventy-eight years ago, even though under the ‘ownership’ of Nazi Germany, a certain Hermann von Choltitz chose to disobey Hitler’s direct order to destroy Paris and instead handed it over intact to the French resistance forces. Brand Paris was kept intact!

     

  • A brand born out of negative emotions cannot last for long in a positive state of being, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    What ails Brand Pakistan @ 75…

    https://www.freepik.com/
    Source: Freepik.com

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayAs we celebrate ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, so is Pakistan celebrating ‘Jashn-e-Azaadi’ to commemorate 75 years of its existence. The first is the cause while the latter is the effect!

     

    Pakistan would not have happened but for the creation of India as an independent nation state in August 1947, so technically, while India can rightly claim this as her 75th year of independence, Pakistan technically can claim this her 75th year of creation. Therefore, our neighbours in the north by northwest should be celebrating their ‘Jashn-e-Wajood’.

     

    This paradox itself is a demonstration of brand “Pakistan”. A brand made up of contrasts, paradoxes, and conflicting paradigms. Its very creation is due to the existence of another. Therefore, it’s very lifeline is dependant on the health of another.

     

    This is the typical image of the brand. It is a bit like a parasitic plant, living on the nutrients from another brand that is India. Maybe I sound too harsh, but that is the reality of brand Pakistan today. Almost all references to Pakistan are vis-à-vis India. Comparisons are natural to be drawn but they are of the nature of proving time and again that the brand has been one big mistake. I remember listening to a lecture by journalist M.J. Akbar in 2016 where he said that the current state of Pakistan actually proves that partition, though painful, was a correct step in India’s favour. And Pakistan has not done itself any favours over the last two decades to prove us wrong.

     

    Can the 75th year of its existence give it the space to introspect? Is the Pakistan today the one that the elites of the Muslim League led by Syed Ahmed Khan had dreamt of in the early 1900s? Is this what Mohammad ‘Allama’ Iqbal visualised? Or for that matter even Jinnah? While the germination of the thought of a separate state for the Muslims in British India was a reactionary one, emanating out of fear of losing out rather than any positive vibes, being casually called a ‘rogue state’ and a ‘basket case’ could never have been the desired outcome.

     

    And it is this fundamental principle of brand creation and building that decides where it finally ends up. A brand born out of negative emotions cannot last for long in a positive state of being. It is inflicted with complexes of various dimensions… neglect, inferiority, and lack of self-belief. The brand cannot stand on its own feet. And this exactly is the malaise of brand Pakistan.

     

    Pakistan is one of the world’s richest cultural and civilisational regions. It is the one melting pot of Mehrgarh of the Neolithic Age, Indus Valley of the Bronze Age, the Greeks, the Seleucids, the Mauryans, the Kushans, the Guptas, the Umayyads, the Hindushahis, the Ghaznavids, the Sultans, the Mughals, the Durranis, the Sikhs and the British. It carries a historical legacy that would have seen it as one of the most socio-culturally thriving parts of the world. It could have created a model nation state based on plurality of cultures rather than the purity of faith it opted for. It has ended up choosing the turbulence of multiple cultures rather than their inherent richness. This is so typical of brands that somewhere neglect their roots and natural moorings and go for causes that are non-credible, transactional, and synthetic.

     

    Pakistan is the land of the Nobel winning physicist Dr. Abdus Salam. It is the land of the pathbreaking ‘Ommaya Reservoir’ that transformed medical surgery. It is the land of Naveed Zaidi who developed the first plastic magnet. It is the land of the Farooq Alvi brothers who created the first computer virus (c)Brain! It is the land of Raza Kazim who has created the Sagar veena. It is the land of Mahbub-ul-Haq who created the ‘Human Development Index’! It is the land of Abdul Sattar Edhi who set up the world’s largest private fleet of ambulances.

     

    Noor Zehra, daughter of Raza Kazim, playing the ‘Sagar Veena’

    Pakistan is Faiz, Manto, Iqbal and Eliya. Pakistan is Imran Khan, Hassan Sardar, Jahangir Khan and Abdul Khaliq. Pakistan is Nusrat Sahab, Abida Parveen, Nazia Hasan and Strings. Pakistan is Sadiq Khan, Riz Ahmed, Ayesha Jalal and Zayn Malik.

     

    Pakistan is well beyond the army, ISI, JeM, Masood Azhar, HuM and the Taliban. Pakistan is well beyond bombings, ethnic hatred, corruption, and fundamental terrorism. But the brand is a victim of such a narrative. Pakistan today is a pale picture of the vibrant Pakistan of the 1960s and 1970s. It stands before India today as a stark reminder of what we could become and should stay away from.

     

    Nooh Butt and Gurdeep Singh in Birmingham

    When Nooh Dastgir Butt dedicates his weightlifting gold in the just concluded Commonwealth Games to Mirabai Chanu and celebrates with his dear friend and Indian weightlifter Gurdeep Singh dancing to Siddhu Moosewala songs, it is a Pakistan that is counter to the popular narrative. When Arshad Nadeem throws his javelin beyond 90 metres and remembers his sparring competitor Neeraj Chopra in his moment of victory, it is against the narrative.

     

    On 31st May this year, the Institute of Policy Studies in Islamabad and the Fatima Jinnah University in Rawalpindi organised a seminar titled ‘75 years of Pakistan: Constitution, Public Representation and Governance System’ where some of the sharpest minds reiterated the crucial role the revised constitution of 1973 plays in keeping powers in check and needs to get stronger by the day. To quote from the deliberations, “Martial laws have been imposed on the country a number of times, however, all of the initiators had to seek some form of public representation after some years. Ayub Khan had to resort to local democracy, Zia-ul-Haq had to conduct a referendum to provide the impression that he was a representative of the people, even Pervez Musharraf had to turn to local bodies elections and a referendum.”

     

    In 1956, Pandit Nehru saw Abdul Khaliq run the 100 metres and called him ‘Parinda e Asia’.

    In 1960, Ayub Khan saw Milkha Singh race against Khaliq and called him ‘The Flying Sikh’!

     

    On the 75th anniversary of its existence, Pakistan has to take a strong hard look at what defines its very existence as a brand. It has to question its core purpose and promise to itself. It has to decide whether to remain the parasitic rafflesia flower or evolve into the the symbiotic orchid. And that will be done by its people and not the government, army or ulema.

     

    The two brands of India and Pakistan are inseparable. How I wish the two nations were to together celebrate ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Jashn’. For each brand has a part of itself living in the other.

     

    I conclude with the final lines from Piyush Mishra’s song ‘Husna’ written a decade ago…

     

    “Aur rota hai raaton mein

    Pakistan kya vaise hi

    jaise Hindustan,

    O Husna?”

    [And does Pakistan shed tears every night just as India does, my love?”]

     

    Jeevey jeevey Pakistan!

    Jai Hind!!

     

    (You could watch the song being performed by Piyush Mishra and Hitesh Sonik at Coke Studio MTV Season 2 on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zTFzMPWGLs)

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior brand and business strategist and advisor based in Gurugram. He writes on MxMIndia every other Thursday. His views here are personal.

     

  • Learning from failures, defeats and mistakes is the hallmark of any successful brand, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Here’s to celebrating failures!

     

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThis week has been a revelation for me on two fronts, first getting to know about the ‘Museum of Failure’ and second watching a Hindi film called Samrat Prithviraj.

     

    The first celebrates defeats and the second tries its best to cover up one.

     

    Logo of the Museum of Failure / Poster of Samrat Prithviraj

     

    The Museum of Failure is a simply awesome concept. It showcases close to 150 products and solutions launched that ended up being duds. Examples are like the Apple Newton, Google Glass, Harley-Davidson Cologne, and Sony Betamax. Mega brands. Mega failures.

     

    The reasons for failure could range from being ahead of the times to being totally irrelevant. But the objective of creating this amazing display according to founder and creator Samuel West is to celebrate the spirit of innovation and learn from the failures. He says that the displays demonstrate the risks in innovations yet encourage the human mind and spirit to create newer things. Financially supported by the Swedish Innovation Authority [Vinnova], it opened in 2017 in Helsingborg, Sweden. Since then, it has evolved into a travelling show, doing stints in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Paris, and Minneapolis. The Parisians in fact celebrated a complete Festival of Failures!

     

    Big brands have sportingly supported him with providing exhibits. It was not demeaning for Kodak to donate a DC-40 camera [costing $1000 per piece which is why it failed] or for Lego to talk about its failed fibre optics venture. There is no shame in admitting to mistakes like Coke-II or Nokia Taco. They are brutal facts and hiding away from them just does not make any sense. It would be hilarious for Coca-Cola to wish away the Coke Blak. It was an interesting innovation, something new was tried but it did not work. Simple. Samuel West clarifies that every product or solution featuring in the museum is carefully chosen for its innovation quotient. Samsung Notes was a failure but will not qualify as an exhibit as it was nothing ‘new’! It’s not about the failure. It’s about the ability to be creative and at least try new things. And learn from failures, defeats and mistakes. That’s the hallmark of any successful brand.

     

    I remember Osamu Suzuki once telling us at Maruti [Udyog] Suzuki that one may launch 10 new cars and only two would finally work in the market. The success of these two will cover up the financial losses of the failed eight and provide the investment to create 10 more! The passion for innovation and creation cannot ever stop.

     

    Will Maruti Suzuki donate a Zen Classic to the Museum of Failure if it travels to Mumbai? Will brands operating in India happily own up to failures? Will brands believe that admitting to defeats and reversals endears them better with the customer and makes them more ‘human’? Will Ratan Tata own up that the Nano failed in spite of being a brilliant piece of design and engineering?

     

    Which brings me to Samrat Prithviraj, the movie. Made by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, a person my generation has hugely admired for his portrayal of Chanakya on Doordarshan, I had expected the fundamental admission that Prithviraj Chauhan lost to Mohammad ibn Sam of Ghor [commonly known as Mohammad Ghori] in the second battle of Tarain in 1192 AD. Ghori outlived Prithviraj by close to 14 years. We Indians have a big problem with admitting to failures and defeats. So, we revel in the myth that Ghori was killed by a blind Prithviraj aided by his confidante Chand Bardai. The movie claims to be inspired by a work called “Prithviraj Raso” by Chand Bardai written much after the battle, to keep the spirit of the king alive and positive. However, in the movie he too dies along with Prithviraj leading to the basic question that who then wrote the very literary piece?

     

    This fear of admitting to failure drives our brands too. Reversals are not even whispered in the corporate corridors, leave alone openly sharing them with the outside world. For us, the Hindi term of ‘naak kat jaana’ which means ‘loss of face’ is a huge social stigma which leads to such defensive action. We do not wish to see the valour in Prithviraj’s defeat for in defeat there can be no valour. We do not wish to learn from the fact that Ghori lost once but came back again better prepared for outsiders or competition cannot be worthy of admiration. We love weaving myths and trying to live in them. I have never seen any politician, judge or bureaucrat accept mistakes and defeats in a truly candid and sporting manner. If in a position of power, we are seemingly invincible. Vulnerabilities are signs of improper parentage and weaknesses are to be hidden from all, including self. Which is why most of us fail to do reality checks in time. We tend to start checking too close to failure.

     

    The day we openly celebrate failures as a nation and society will see us as more confident of ourselves, bereft of falling back on our ‘golden past’ and bold enough to invite Samuel West and his Museum of Failure to do a nationwide tour!

     

     

  • 'Brand Kali' scoffs at those who try to recalibrate her for their personal agenda, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Avik Chattopadhyay: Re-Kali-bration!

    Avik ChattopadhyayBy Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    “This time, Kali,

    I’m going to eat You up.

    I’ll eat You,

    I’ll eat You,

    Oh Compassionate to the Poor.

    I was born under an evil star

    and sons born then

    devour their mothers.

    Either You eat me

    or I eat You:

    we must decide on one.”

     

    These are the opening lines of one of Bengal’s most popular songs on Goddess Kali titled ‘Ebaar Kali tomaay khaabo’ composed by Ramprasad Sen sometime in the mid-1700s. One of the leading Hindu ‘Shakta’ saints of all times, he started a genre of Bengali devotional music later called ‘Ramprasadi’ in his honour. Siraj-ud-Daula the last nawab of Bangal was supposedly a huge fan of his.

     

    Ramprasad would be trolled today. The sheer nerve of even imagining that he would devour the goddess! Multiple FIRs would be filed across the country, and he would be spending a large part of his life between sessions of jail and interim bail. Add to that the handful of threats of being beheaded issued by the leading seers of the faith!

     

    Rabi Ghosh as Nataraj smoking a beedi in Satyajit Ray’s “Mahapurush”, 1965

     

    In 1965, Satyajit Ray made a delectable black comedy called “Mahapurush” about the proliferation of fraud ‘sadhus’ and ‘yogis’ in society. In one scene, Rabi Ghosh, a leading actor is shown dressed up as Nataraj [Shiva] smoking a beedi.

     

    Ray would be in jail today for such blasphemy as he would have refused to delete the scene. And the movie would have anyway been an OTT release as the Censor Board would have refused to even purify it with its holy ‘scissors’.

     

    Om Puri as Bheem in the Mahabharat episode in Kundan Shah’s ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’, 1983 

     

    The present generation needs to watch Kundan Shah’s masterpiece ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’. Made in 1983 it is a demonstration of what society and culture was like then. A cult film, the Mahabharat episode would have led to the set being burnt during shooting itself. Imagine Om Puri walking in as Bheem, wearing sunglasses remarking, “How can we let Draupadi go? We are all her equal shareholders!” Processions would be out on the streets and some Mr Shah might as well have interred this Mr Shah.

     

    The entire brouhaha around the Kaali poster for Leena Manimekalai’s documentary is quite amusing to me. People have been offended as the goddess has been shown smoking. There is a lesser blasphemy of showing her also carrying an LGBTQ flag. Twitter wars have been fought, orders for beheading have been issued and FIRs have been filed against the lady. Some politicians have also made the most of the situation, firing barbs and laying barbwire! Kali is trending, finally!

     

    It is good in a way. The goddess has always played second fiddle to her fairer counterparts across the country apart from in Bengal and Odisha. In these two states, she stands shoulder to shoulder with Durga. In Bengal, which is more matriarchal in matters of religion and society than the rest of the country, Kali is more a mother, a daughter, and a child than a goddess on a pedestal.

     

    She did not start from scratch on the Vedic pantheon. Regular mentions are made in Vedic texts only from around 500 AD. Some sources say that Kali was a pagan goddess to start with, going by her complexion and depiction. Tribals and groups like dacoits and thugs prayed before her. Over time she got assimilated into the mainstream and stories were woven around her integrating her into the narrative, along with Parvati and other symbols of ‘Shakti’ [power] like Durga. She is also depicted in contrasting styles across the country. The popular image of Kali is the one from Bengal, dark, menacing, hair open, wearing nothing but a garland of severed heads and a belt of severed hands, blood red tongue out seemingly in embarrassment over stepping on her husband Shiva! The very imagery is very non-conformist and unsettling to the uninitiated. She breaks all rules of conservative feminism. She is offered wine and meat, the staple of her earliest worshippers before the whitewashers came in.

     

    Kali manifests herself in various forms, going by the interpretation of her worshippers. Smashaan Kali. Bhadra Kali. Dakshina Kali. Samhara Kali. Raksha Kali. She is Ugra Tara and Krodikali in Buddhism. She is Sara-la-Kali for the Roman in France. She is the Jessoreshwari Kali in Jaipur and the Dhakeshwari Kali in Dhaka.

     

    ‘Brand Kali’ is omnipotent and omnivorous. She creates her own rules instead of readily accepting the old ones. She does all that the repressed Indian woman has not been allowed to do. She has the power to save as well as sever. She is not the stereotype ‘Sati Savitri’. She is complex yet confident to take the proverbial bull by its horns. She is as comfortable in the dark as she is in the light. She is the modern Indian woman who enjoys her mutton, red wine, and an occasional drag of the chillum. Bereft of rituals, bindings, dress codes, food menus, colour, and caste.

     

    And she scoffs at those who try to recalibrate her for their personal agenda. For it takes just a swipe of her ‘kharga’ to finish it all!

     

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is senior business strategist living in Gurugram. He writes on MxMIndia every other Thursday. His views here are personal

     

  • The youth is on boiling point. The popularity of a Pushpa or a KGF is a signal of the mood of the nation, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Brand Vijay is back!

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayWhen Salim Khan’s Inspector Vijay Khanna appeared on the screen on May 11, 1973, a new brand was born in Indian social fabric from the least expected of places…celluloid. The brand of the ‘angry young man’.

     

    Depicted par excellence by Mr Bachchan, ‘Vijay’ was more than just an upright police inspector out for revenge. The character stood for the young Indian in the early 1970s, disappointed and frustrated. Gone were the days of utopian simplicity of a Raj Kapoor in the 1950s or the romantic optimism of a Rajesh Khanna in the 1960s. The new India was not shaping up as predicted and promised by Nehru and Patel.

     

    Corruption had seeped into every nook and cranny of life. Politics was not clean and noble anymore. Scandals broke periodically. The rich got richer at the expense of the poor. The mouths to feed were going up exponentially. Questioning was not encouraged, and freedom of speech was at a premium. The grand vision and promises lay torn asunder on the sidewalk. Nation building had given way to nepotism. The white sahib had given way to the brown one!

     

    In this context rose Vijay Khanna… sceptical, sneering and sardonic. He was symbolic of the state of mind of the young Indian. He was the young Indian. He was tired of the way things were around him. He wanted to change things. He did not necessarily have a clear idea of how to but definitely had a greater goal in mind of finally getting up to take the proverbial bull by the horns. Vijay Khanna was a character that every young Indian could relate to and saw a reflection of self. The angst and explosive action were relevant to all parts of India, urban, rural and villages. ‘Vijay’ became a brand.

     

    The establishment then thought that Vijay was more of an aberration than the harbinger of the future. The nationwide popularity of the character should have been a clear signal of the mood of the nation wanting correction or change. And change it was!

     

    The brand kept evolving over the years, manifesting itself in various celluloid roles played by Mr Bachchan right till Vijay Dinanath Chauhan in 1990. Many other celluloid characters were created in various languages mirroring the same purpose, persona and value system of Vijay. Importantly, the parallel or art cinema movement played the perfect foil in creating equally compelling manifestations of the angry young man, right from Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Vishwam’ to Nihalani’s ‘Anant Velankar’.

     

    Come 1991, India entered a new phase of optimism. The economy opened up. Liberalisation happened and with it came a new form of romanticism. There were things to look forward to in terms of opportunities, prosperity, and social wellbeing. A bit of utopianism creeped back into the mainstream mindset. Just like the first phase of feeling good lasted around two decades, so did the second. Corruption, nepotism and brazen capitalism again raised their ugly heads to overshadow the progress we made.

     

    2014 was a consolidated and conscious change of course. The old order was overthrown, and new hope was given a chance. Fresh dreams were woven and shared. Awe-inspiring targets were set. Promises galore were made about development for all and with all. Then year after year, initiatives were taken that took a toll on the enthusiasm of the average Indian. Demonetisation. GSR roll-out. CAA and NRC. Farm Laws. Agnipath. The promises of 2014 were nowhere to be seen in 2020 when Covid struck as the proverbial last straw. The young Indian, grudgingly, is angry once more. Yet again, the enthusiasm, energy and optimism has given way to bitterness, frustration, and a feeling of helplessness.

     

    Paving the way for ‘Brand Vijay’ to come back. In the forms of Pushparaj, Rocky, Advocate Chandru and Komaran Bheem. They are all Vijay in different avatars, in different contexts, fighting different battles. Whether for villagers smuggling timber or social outcastes asserting their right to equal existence. They are full of angst. They have none of the refinements of urban life. In fact, they are caustic about the lives of comfort of a privileged few.

     

    The sheer popularity of a Pushpa or a KGF is once again a clear signal of the mood of the nation, 50 years later. The youth is on boiling point right now, once again looking for correction or change.

     

    A brand need not be only a product, service or solution. It can very well be the outcome and a reflection of society. It can be an amplification of a state of mind or the prevailing mood, in the form of a literary or creative character. Vito Corleone is a brand. So is Hannibal Lecter. As well as Forrest Gump.

     

    As Pushpa tells Shekhawat at the fag end of the movie that a brand is not merely the label on a shirt. The brand is Pushpa himself.

     

    Just like ‘Vijay”!

     

  • In the new millennium, relationships have now become three-way, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Three to win!

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay“Three’s a crowd” is a thing of the past.

    Today it takes three to tango.

     

    Welcome to a world of three-way relationships in ‘brand management’.

     

    Since the term was created [and I really do not know when], it has been all about the product or service and the consumer. A company makes a product or creates a service offering with a certain performance promise. Through a channel or medium, it reaches the prospect who consciously chooses it over others. A simple two-way relationship between the provider and the consumer. We spent decades learning how to manage the dynamics of this relationship, with the consumer being the single-minded focus. Till recently, the provider literally provided the consumer all that was to do with the product or service. The process of feedback, complaints and redressal was two-way.

     

    The task for the brand manager was well laid out in terms of what to research, what to create, who to cater to and how to offer. Brand management was more or less linear in nature even though the process might incorporate many stakeholders and be circular.

     

    The new millennium has changed all that. With growing personalisation or customisation and the outburst of digital interfaces, the dynamics of the relationship has taken a new form. If earlier it took two to tango, now threesome is wholesome!

     

    The product or service has given way to an experience. The same hardware may allow use of multiple software depending on the specific requirements of the user. Previously, the product or service provider was expected to create the entire package for the customer. Today, the tasks are clearly demarcated for the domain experts to do their own little bits in creating the whole experience for the consumer. Earlier you bought a car, and it came with all the bells and whistles pre-fitted or pre-loaded by the automaker. Today, one buys a car from the automaker and chooses a connected interface from an Apple or a Google and the two need to work in tandem to give the consumer an immersive experience!

     

    Similar examples abound in every aspect of life.

    Dominos prepares a pizza that is delivered by a Zomato to a consumer.

    Netflix makes content that is viewed on a Sony smart television by a consumer.

    The entire experiences are created by two brands working together than merely one.

    A smart television would be useless without the customisable OTT platforms.

    A Zomato is not feasible without the food maker.

    A Maruti Suzuki is incomplete without Apple Carplay or Android Auto.

     

    Hence the relationships have now become three-way. There are typically two product propositions that work together in catering to one consumer. Both the propositions could be physical in nature, or digital or a mix, depending on the final experience being designed.

     

    This makes the traditional brand manager’s role a bit complex now. Now he/ she has to work symbiotically with another outside the organisation to create the final offer. The purpose and promise of the two brands need to respect each other in the first place. Both need to realise that in isolation, it is both incomplete and incompetent in delivering the final benefit proposition it desires. This necessitates mutual respect and genuine collaboration. This requires the candour to admit one cannot do everything by oneself. Some of the world’s biggest brands have been singed trying to do everything by themselves, rendering them irrelevant or late in the race.

     

    The brand manager has to remap his/ her role into not only protecting the interests of one’s own brand but also becoming capable enough of collaboration and co-creation. This capability has to be acquired through training and counselling as majority will not have such skills as natural. The collaboration and co-creation will be with a counterpart of the same stature. This is an adult-adult relationship and not a parent-child one that brand managers are used to when dealing with ‘agencies’.

     

    Another key evolution in the brand manager’s skillset is to cater to not just the customer but also the consumer. Earlier a product or service had to be bought to experience it. Now one need not buy to experience. One can merely loan or lease for a limited time period to use a product or service and share an opinion on the same. Today one may rent a car for merely a few hours to experience it. Or lease it for a few months. Tomorrow’s generation does not believe in owning but only in consuming, whether it be an app or an automobile. And when an industry as traditional as automotive has realised such a future, all other product categories are sure to follow.

     

    My brand + Collaborating brand + Consumer.

    That’s the equation the brand manager must balance in the days to come.

    There will be a constant back and forth from each constituent as each is an active contributor to the experience. The days of the provider and recipient are gone. All are collaborators and creators. The quicker the brand manager realises the same and upgrades accordingly, the better for all constituents in making it a win-win-win outcome!

     

     

  • If the 10-min delivery service provider is immature, it is the responsibility of key stakeholders to raise a red flag, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    For the impatient imbecile…

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayOn May 29, a Member of Parliament raised the subject of the 10-minute delivery businesses in India. Her contention is that such a service is a serious threat to road safety, both for the delivery people as well as others on the roads.

     

    For once, a serious subject will be raised in Parliament irrespective of the outcome. For all you know, it might remind a few there that they hadn’t ordered their pizzas for lunch!

     

    We live in truly interesting times when junk food is delivered in 10 minutes but medicines in 120, and we seem quite at ease with this paradox.

     

    We are a society where we honk incessantly behind a car and jump red lights with gay abandon as we are in a tearing hurry to reach our destination. Yet, we are one of the most patient when it comes to having our politicians deliver on their promises.

     

    We are a polity where automakers are regulated to have six airbags in their cars while allowing “unicorns” to cock a snook at traffic management by advertising hyper-fast deliveries at any cost.

     

    We are a marketplace where we encourage people to plan for their children’s future by taking insurance policies but do not support planning their household purchases better.

     

    We are an impatient country. We want everything yesterday on our doorsteps. We need to break the queue to be served before others. We need to grease people’s palms to get a favour out of turn. We do not mind driving at high speed to get home to teach moral science to our kids.

     

    And our service providers treat us as imbeciles too. As mature people who cannot plan their purchases well on time. As people who realise at 10.30 pm that we need to have dinner. Or who cannot check the refrigerator in the morning to realise which vegetables we are running out of to order many hours before we actually need them. Get a life, dude! Plan better. It is not a matter of pride that you order for things at the last moment and get served for your inbuilt inefficiency! It all started a few years back with a pizza brand guaranteeing delivery in 30 minutes or free! What was a market disruption then has taken Frankensteinian proportions with timelines like 19 minutes and 10 minutes for deliveries. Basically, encouraging us to be impatient imbeciles!

     

    And what do our regulators do in all this? Pretty much nothing at all. The Advertising Standards Council does not realise the sheer threat to road safety as such an outcome may not have been foreseen in its book of violations. The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways does not think this is serious enough to be regulated. The automobile industry bodies like SIAM and SMEV do not think this falls under their “CSR” or “ESG” mandate to object to vehicle fleet operators encouraging such openly dangerous practices.

     

    Just because there is a latent demand for last moment ordering does not mean a service provider is going to cater to it at the cost of social balance [here road safety]. If all latent demands of the customer were to be met, we would end up living in total mayhem and chaos. The service provider has to be mature enough to take such decisions, even if it means the investors are not pleased.

     

    If the service provider is immature or apathetic, it is the responsibility of other key stakeholders in the system like regulators, policy makers and industry bodies to raise a red flag. A piece of advertising does not only need to be misleading or disparaging to be yanked off the air. It can have the potential of being dangerous for society which is a good enough reason to pull the plug. Like the advertisement of a ride-hailing service that blatantly shows its motorcycle rider carve through traffic with no heed to traffic rules.

     

    The responsibility of an automaker or the automotive industry body does not get over when the vehicle is sold but covers also how the vehicle is used. And the policy-maker’s job is not just to mandate how safe the vehicle engineering is but also to ensure that the entire road safety ecosystem is in place, with compliance and enforcement.

     

    The impatient imbecile is a social malaise who needs to be on the fringe of community. Bringing this person into the limelight and justifying catering to his / her demands is a dangerous trend in marketing and advertising. It needs to be nipped in the bud right away. We cannot afford to be patient about that!

     

  • Avik Chattopadhyay on the ‘Hindification’ of Indian advertising

    English channel, Hindi advertising. Why? Kyun?

     

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayThe other day a South African friend residing in Delhi remarked, “I have been watching the IPL and there are so many ads in Hindi which I just don’t understand!! I choose to watch the games on an English channel yet why do they air Hindi ads?”

     

    Now, that was a truly existential question… one that asked the right thing but would not get a straight answer. It had been a ‘deaf’ spot for me for all this time, but his query made be surely feel uncomfortable, especially with all this social media chatter about language across the country.

     

    Now, Star1 HD is an English sports channel. The language used is to be English so that all those who understand English or wish to listen to all communication only in English shall feel comfortable and comprehend all that is said, both in the programming as well as the advertising. If one wishes to listen to all the same in Hindi, there is another channel specifically for that language. Why will there be any advertising in a language that the subscriber does not understand?

     

    The same applies to NDTV, Times Now and so on. English channels airing Hindi or Hinglish advertising without batting an eyelid or flapping the ear! And then they carry debates on why Hindi should not be imposed across the country and regional languages should be equally preserved and promoted!! The hypocrisy simply bests me! Just because you do not want to lose out on advertising revenues, you are ready to compromise with a core proposition of your brand yet will question why politicians from the Hindi belt address rallies in that language in the South. At least they genuinely do not know the local language and are handicapped, but you as a channel are not. You can stay true to your proposition, can’t you?

     

    Having lived in North India for most of my life, I too have turned apathetic to this basic issue of why should Indians who do not understand a particular language be force-fed advertising in it. In my professional life, I too have been guilty of the same, working with advertising agencies crammed with copywriters from the Hindi belt based out of Delhi and Mumbai churning out communication to be consumed by the entire country. We used to proudly announce that we have vernacular edits of the Hinglish commercials, as if doing a favour to their intended recipients. Then again, the core creative thinking used to be in Hindi or Hinglish at the best later adapted to a vernacular recipient. Basically, Mumbaikars and Dilliwallas having their way at the cost of regional sensitivities and national sensibilities! Till the time Calcutta/ Kolkata was the centre of Indian advertising, if the communication was to be on an English platform, it would be conceived and crafted in English.

     

    I have nothing against Hindi as a language. In fact, I read and write it better than my mother tongue Bengali. While I am ashamed of the fact, it does not take away from the beauty of Hindi, given its eclectic mix of Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Persian. Yet, it is not the national language of my country. It is one of the two official languages, the other being English. It is the official language of only nine states and three Union Territories out of a total of 28 and 8 respectively. I agree that it is spoken by roughly 40% of India, in various forms and dialects but then if numbers alone were to determine a national language, by that logic, the India street dog should be our national animal and not the Bengal Tiger!

     

    The ‘Hindification’ of Indian advertising is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening since the 1980s when Mumbai took over as the hub of advertising. The Bollywood DNA was injected into the thinking and expression. Delhi followed suit and reinforced the used of Hindi as an accepted medium of communication, with brands even creating their advertising taglines in Hindi. Banks to broom-makers signed off in Hindi.

     

    Those who stayed with English as that rightfully reached out to a larger base also fell into the trap and bit the Hindi ‘goli’. Thums Up stopped being “thunder” and became “toofan”. While Bollywood stars became national level brand ambassadors, stars from the South were confined to their respective language belts!

     

    So, you had the convenient nexus of Hindi-thinking advertising ‘mavericks’ and Bollywood to carry this ‘Hindification’ across the country. And they patted themselves on their backs for the same saying that they were thinking and talking ‘Bharat’ and not ‘India’. Then the media platforms joined this nexus, and the rout became complete.

     

    As the media did not balk at accepting advertising in a language that never fitted their intended format, it just emboldened the Hindi-thinkers to keep at it. This has led to a situation today where the brazen use of Hindi on English media platforms is quite apathetic and unapologetic. All research and analysis on the need to ‘think local’ and ‘talk local’ goes out of the window. Almost all North India-based brands seem to have ritualised this behaviour. Till recently, the brands from the East and South used to stay true to the language code but now you do see a few like TVS falling into the trap.

     

    Now with the language row raising its ugly head once again, the ‘cause’ of Hindi will become bolder and vituperative of the other languages of the land. The fact that Bollywood actors openly support the cause is a dangerous sign for the sheer quality of advertising in the country. Communication has to be thought out in the language of the medium of media communication. Assuming that your recipient or subscriber will forcibly learn a language is being foolish. Most of the advertising in Hindi on Star1 HD during an IPL match telecast is lost on the non-Hindi-speaking viewer. The numbers will be there but the comprehension will not. And life will not be as “dhana dhan!”

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior brand consultant and strategist living in Gurugram. He writes on MxMIndia mostly on every other Thursday, and sometimes on other days as well.

     

  • Brand Ram is what a large part of Indian society is today. For, he is the prospect, proponent, and prophet rolled into one, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Avik Chattopadhyay: Brand Ram in the 21st century

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik ChattopadhyayOn the morning of April 10, most of the WhatsApp groups I am part of were full of Ram Navami greetings, mostly with memes and a few without.

     

    Am sharing a few representative ones here…

     

     

    It was interesting to see six-pack Ram memes and angry Hanuman memes being shared. Gone were the days of the more traditional Ram-Sita-Lakshman images blessing us, with Hanuman at their feet, smiling in obeisance.

     

    Ram has got an image makeover.

    He is a symbol of manhood, thus has to be out of a gym.

    He is a symbol of protection, thus has to be with his bow.

    He is a symbol of control, thus has to have a stern look.

     

    He cannot be smiling, seated and unarmed. That does not do justice to today’s Ram who is less a symbol of justice and more a symbol of power.

     

    Brand Ram in the 21st century is a far cry from the obedient, selfless, optimistic, benevolent young man whose journey was more important than his destination. This journey of fourteen years built the foundation of his method of governance.

     

    He is indeed a far cry from a time in my land when he could be adored by all and adorned on all walls.  He is a far cry from the little child dressed up as him for the school Ramlila, sharing the samosa and nimbu pani with Ravan and Kumbhakarna. He is a full grown man now…,

     

    First, he was on the calendar.

    Then he was Arun Govil.

    Now he is Vidyut Jamwwal!

     

    Would Tulsi’s Ram enjoy his current avatar? I doubt, for the very DNA has been replaced. “Purushottam Maryada” has been misread as about mere ‘purush’ and not ‘purushaarth’. The means was what defined yesterday’s Ram. The end had to be an outcome and not the purpose. Today, the end justifies his current form on steroids. Then the protection was of values and society. Today, it is about dogma and oneself. The chant of Jai Shri Ram is less about reassurance and more about retribution.

     

    Gandhi had in fact revived the concept of “Ram Rajya”. And it was a big blunder according to me. In a cultural menagerie called India where monarchy was the one common factor, to tout the concept of “rajya” in a fledgling democracy was disastrous. The core concept of selflessness and governance was lost on most of us and of course twisted to the benefit of the politicians as is being done right now for reasons quite the contrary. Seventy-five years ago, it should have been the concept of “Ram Shaasan” and never “Ram Rajya”.

     

    Ram is what lies deep within… the soul. The character is the manifestation of the current state of the nation and sentiments that drive the average person. The multiple incidents of socio-religious unrest that we have seen this Ram Navami is a clear demonstration of the same.

     

    Ram was about benefaction then.

    Ram is about belligerence now.

     

    Brand Ram is what a large part of Indian society is today. For he is the prospect, proponent, and prophet rolled into one.

     

    I remember having experienced Aamir Raza Husain’s magnum-theatre “The Legend of Ram” around 20 years ago. Then it was a demonstration of the spirit that a person of another faith could put together such a splendid show. Today, the sets might get burnt down before the first show. The bandana-clad Ram would never stand such transgression while the beatific Ram would stand a mute spectator!

     

    I cannot think of a better way to end than reproduce the poem by Mohammad ‘Allama’ Iqbal called “Ram” whom he lovingly calls Imam-e-Hind, in Hindi and English scripts.

     

    लबरेज़ है शराब-ए-हक़ीक़त से जाम-ए-हिंद

    सब फ़लसफ़ी हैं ख़ित्ता-ए-मग़रिब के राम-ए-हिंद

    ये हिन्दियों की फ़िक्र-ए-फ़लक-रस का है असर

    रिफ़अत में आसमाँ से भी ऊँचा है बाम-ए-हिंद

    इस देस में हुए हैं हज़ारों मलक-सरिश्त

    मशहूर जिन के दम से है दुनिया में नाम-ए-हिंद

    है राम के वजूद पे हिन्दोस्ताँ को नाज़

    अहल-ए-नज़र समझते हैं इस को इमाम-ए-हिंद

    एजाज़ इस चराग़-ए-हिदायत का है यही

    रौशन-तर-अज़-सहर है ज़माने में शाम-ए-हिंद

    तलवार का धनी था शुजाअ’त में फ़र्द था

    पाकीज़गी में जोश-ए-मोहब्बत में फ़र्द था

     

    Labrez hai sharaab-e-haqeeqat se jaam-e-hind 

    Sab falsafi hain qhitta-e-maghrib ke Ram-e-hind

    Ye hindiyon ki fiqr-e-falaq-ras ka hai asar

    Rif-at mein aasmaan se bhi ooncha hai baam-e-hind

    Iss des mein hue hain hazaaron malak-sarisht

    Mashhoor jin ke dam se hai duniya mein naam-e-hind

    Hai Ram ke wajood pe Hindostan ko naaz

    Ahle-nazar samajhte hain iss ko Imam-e-hind

    Ejaz iss chiragh-e-hidayat ka hai yahi

    Roshan-tar-az-seher hai zamaane mein shaam-e-hind

    Talwar ka dhani tha shuja-at mein fard tha

    Pakeezagi mein josh-e-mohabbat mein fard tha.

     

    The best translation I could get from a member of an Urdu group I am part of follows…

     

    “The cup of Hind

    overflows with the wine of truth.

    Philosophers of the Western world

    are its devotees.

    The mysticism of her philosophers

    makes Hind’s star soar above all constellations.

    Thousands of angels have descended

    to proclaim Hind’s name before the world.

    And proud of his existence

    the discerning eye sees in Ram, a prophet.

    The glow from this lamp of wisdom

    makes Hind’s evening more radiant

    than the world’s daybreak.

    Valorous, brave, a master swordsman!

    In purity, in love, Ram was unmatched.”

     

    Jai Hind!

     

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior strategy consultant. He writes on MxMIndia every other Thursday on branding, culture and the confluence of both. His views here are personal.