Tag: Das ka Dum

He could’ve answered with just a number, but we know him. And we knew he would contest the very idea of the question. Ha ha. Let’s get straight into his response… Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 24 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. If the number of jackets in the Times of India is a barometer of the festival frenzy in terms of adspends, would you like to forecast how many jackets TOI Mumbai will see in Dassera-Diwali 2020?

A. Media planning and buying is not like writing prescriptions. While writing prescriptions, diagnosis is a precondition. Same with media buying which is a function of advertisers’ sectoral prospect, consumer sentiments and of course bullishness about their respective business prospects. Jackets are outcomes of interplay of the aforementioned variables. Secondly, this year is unprecedented in terms of business challenges for all. But it seems metro-based English newspapers might experience some headwinds in terms of business compared to Indian languages publications, if I go by some unrepresentative empirical evidences. For example, some of the Dainik Bhaskar editions have already published more than 100 pages   on particular days. I have heard that  some other Hindi dailies have increased rates for special positions. So langauge , non-  metro editions seems to have started gaining back their mojo. Now, you have the germ of a news story there 🙂

Pertinent question (even if we say that ourselves), good response. Without further ado, here’s the September 23, 2020 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. If you find that a CxO doesn’t have a social media presence -on Twitter or Instagram, for instance – do you judge her or him as someone who’s not in tune with the times?

A. Not at all. I am not denying that social media presence might have a utilitarian edge but not having a social media handle need not be a handicap. The possible toxicity can rather work adversely and cause unnecessary distraction. There is no research-based evidence to suggest that a social media presence enhances effectiveness of CXOs. You may like to view Social Dilemma in Netflix to experience the dark side of social media..

We all want 2020 behind us. So the statistic of 100 days left for the end of the year interested us. And we asked BD this question as part of our Das ka Dum series. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. Today, September 22 is the 266th day of 2020. More importantly, there are exactly 100 days left in the year. Are you also, like many others, waiting for the year to end with the hope that 2021 would be happier?

A. The beginning and end of year are inconsequential for me, albeit philosophically and not in terms of accounting years of organisations. For me, time is a continuum and fortunately, change of time doesn’t coincide with end of the year or for that matter with the beginning of a year. Pessimism or optimism about time is a state of mind and circumstances of individuals. I am conscious about my transient existence in sync with the same characteristics of time. So I don’t get deluded by such illusions.

Welcome to an all-new week of Das ka Dum. It’s two days after IPL 2020 took off and there is much anticipation for the 2020 editions of Bigg Boss and KBC. So we asked Dr Bhaskar Das for his view. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. That there is so much excitement about the conduct of IPL, Kuun Banega Crorepati and Bigg Boss speaks a lot about the presence of television in our lives. That these are bellwethers of the good times. What’s your view?

A. So long as escapism continues to be  the raison d’etre of media consumption, any tentpole entertainment properties are bound to work. Besides, we need to get used to a segment-agnostic media landscape where verticalised classification of media should be replaced by horizontal ones viz content producers, content aggregators, distributors, platforms and devices. As B2C is complemented with a dominantly D2C orientation, good times can come to all so long the changing dynamics of a market of one is understood.

It’s the day when we get a little personal. Or a tad more personal than other days. Without any further ado, here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 18 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. What’s the secret sauce that makes you so very indispensable to media organisations?

A. Is that so? That’s news to me. For me, I am humbled that my services are still found to be contributing to the superordinate goals of a corporation. There is a different level of satisfaction in making an impact (through learning, unlearning , relearning and collaborating with colleagues). Philosophically, I am a traveller who finds joy in walking the path of life, as it comes.

Hmm. Hmmmm. We reserve comment on the issue that we’ve raised but must add that we loved BD’s response. So let’s get right into it… Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 17 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. There are a lot of people who believe that the media is cashing in on the Sushant Singh murder controversy to capture ratings. Is it correct? What’s your view?

A. There is an implicit assumption in your question – that is: consumers are morons. In reality, they are not. They make conscious choices when there are a plethora of choices, these days. Secondly, when it comes to news or any other content, there is a buffet of options available. So ratings needn’t be dependent on one topic. Thirdly, if every delivery format is serving the same dish, how come the pecking order of rankings of various formats of delivery are so different? I wonder.

It’s Q&A #250 day today. Wish us well. Meanwhile, read Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 16 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. This is the time when the media associations get all-new officebearers or some see renewal of their terms. Given the status of our ecosystem, any ask that you have from them for the next 12 months?

A. The heads of every media association are sagacious enough to address all relevant issues facing their association. Hence my ask doesn’t matter. However, from a macro angle, it would make enormous sense to spread cheer, positivism and constructive routes to combat the current challenges of the fraternity/ industry.

A fun question, but Dr Bhaskar Das put his wisdom in it. So here’s the September 15 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. One more on the Das ka Dum anniversary, and because it’s Das ka Dum #250 tomorrow, does it speak well that even after 249 questions, there are still more waiting to be answered?

A. In any business, the moment questions are over, you may surmise that something is amiss. Progress happens when curiosity dominates every discourse in Institutions and society. Questions are indicative of a curious mind. Hence even after 250 questions, I am sure that your erudite mind would continue to be curious.

So this wasn’t an attempt to earn compliments, but that’s Dr Bhaskar Das for you. Always understated. What inspired me to do this was an interview I did with him last year, where he answered every provocative (and sensitive) question I asked him. Also there was a Q&A with maverick actor I S Johar that I would enjoy reading in Filmfare magazine in the 1980s (or perhaps 1970s). But this had to be different. It was going to ask A&M industry-related questions. I suggested the idea to Dr Das, and he took a few seconds to say ‘Yes’. We started it the very next day. – Pradyuman Maheshwari

So without further ado, let’s read the Q&A with Dr Bhaskar Das in the September 14 edition of Das ka Dum. Enjoy.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. We celebrated a year of Das ka Dum on September 12. It’s been great fun doing this Q&A. I try to provoke you, and you hit them back, right out of the park. Honestly, when you started doing it on a year back, did you think it would last this long?

A. Wow! Didn’t realise how time flew. But I must admit I have enjoyed the journey. The credit goes to you as you kept the questions interesting, contextually relevant and generally provokes one to think. Our jugalbandi worked, it seems. Kudos to you.

We were to ask this question yesterday, but since we digressed to take tips for our own future, we are back with it. So let’s hear Dr Bhaskar Das’s view on the HT assertion in this September 10 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar.

Q. Continuing with the HT note which we quoted on Tuesday, it also notes:  It (the redesign) did recognise that ultimately, many readers would do their newspaper-reading online. The redesigned print paper was always going to be a tasting menu of sorts for the website www.hindustantimes.com. Wow! The newspaper as a tasting menu for the website. Comments?

A. When consumption of content is increasingly becoming  platform-agnostic, why not then symbiotically promote every format of delivery.  The collective stickiness might be bigger than individual formats. That expands both provenance of the brand and improves monetisation potential of the assets. It makes sense.