Tag: Dr Bhaskar Das

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: In a world saturated with digital ads – especially in the West, what can traditional mediums like print and TV do in India to stay relevant and effective in capturing audience attention?

A: First things first, for any business, one principle to be always remembered is: Jhuk jao, ya Tut jaoge – that is, bend to market forces, listen to customers and to their unfolding/ unarticulated wants. Secondly, it’s not about the formats of delivery, it’s about catering to the demands and expectations of one’s served markets in sync with each format’s uniqueness. Any myopia about one’s format and not genre (eg news business as opposed to newspaper or News TV channel business) is a sure recipe for failure. In other words, it is an imperative to think through a prism of outside-in and horizontally but deliver content and context vertically and complementarily , suitable for an omni-channel content discovery. It might not be an easy task as legacy mindsets have learning disability and the proclivity to adhere to past success models is difficult to escape.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: As technology advances, the line between personalised advertising and invasion of privacy gets thinner. How do you foresee the ethical considerations evolving in the future of marketing

A: I agree with your concern. In fact with the arrival of generative AI , the line is going to be blurred further. In reality, we shall be unable to differentiate between truth and fake, more and more. The more digital media make inroads into our life, as a user/ consumer, we shall be leaving our indelible footmark, to be leveraged or for deception. I hope someday regulations would ensure respect of individual privacy. But till then we have to live with the current practice where ethical considerations would be a casualty. At this point corporations do express their commitments to respecting privacy of individuals, but they get flouted in execution, willy nilly.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: In less than a month from now, the new CEO of the India office of VML (one-fourth of which is the old JWT) will take charge. Any thoughts on what she should be doing?

A: I don’t want to be branded as an armchair advisor for any industry, let alone a big agency like VML. They know their business and its strategy.

Having said that, I may mention that they must have definite plans to manage their business both with telescopic and microscopic perspective. In today’s business landscape, every business needs to future-proof their business models and remain in a perpetual beta state so that no macro and micro development could torpedo organisational existence.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: Your view on Poonam Pandey faking the news of her death to promote cervical cancer? Do you approve? There are some who don’t think it was very uncool?

A: I feel it’s unfortunate to use a serious ailment like cervical cancer for spreading awareness of the disease. In spreading awareness of an issue, it is common to leverage topical occasion , but to announce one’s ‘death’ to spread awareness tantamounts to a cheap publicity stunt. The backlash would certainly affect the salience of either the brand or individual, as in this case.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: The South Asia wing of INMA, the association of news publishers, is for the first time being headed by the CEO of a new media company. Is that how the wind is blowing in news-land?

A: I think you are generalising a possible macro trend on the basis of a micro incident. Secondly, in today’s omni channel ecosystem, there is nothing called new and old media. Every media, to my mind, is mainstream media depending on the communication and performance objectives. So, there are only new mindset and old mindset companies who are not in sync with the unfolded landscape of media. Finally, so far as I know, the Head of †INMA is chosen from amongst the Board members and on rotation and by their commitment to the cause of INMA. Incidentally, the new Head of INMA is also from the so-called old media ownership viz Jagran group which has a new age mindset, as per my categorisation.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: And we have already into the second month of 2024. How has the year been so far for Indian A&M?

A: It’s too early to give comments about a large economy like India on the first month of the year. It can be a hazardous guess. However, I may comment on a few macro trends and opportunities that would be indicative of the economy’s performance and thereby impacting the A&M industry. The Indian economy grew a solid 6.5% in 2023, outpacing most major economies. Even for 2024, the prediction from economists and RBI are pretty bullish against a backdrop of pessimism in case of other economies. I am not denying the possible grey rhino impact emanating from war, geo-political tensions, AI-led disruptions on many industries, and surprises in elections in India and other big economies, could queer the pitch of sustained growth curve in India and other countries. We are all connected in the new world and one can’t blissfully be oblivious of the aforementioned disruptions.

If Indian business environment remains stable through continuous reforms, investment in infrastructure, technological innovation , entrepreneurial initiatives and positive political environment, the india growth story would continue. And if that happens, A&M would also prosper during the year. The month of January 2024 doesn’t have enough datapoints to deterministically say the % growth that A&M industry would experience. My gut feeling suggests that the pro-active players would experience a double digit growth if I go by the bullishness in the industry.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: We read this report saying that Nielsen will ramp up offshoring to India, Mexico, Poland and elsewhere in a move likely to result in more layoffs. Clearly creation of more MNC jobs in India is not something we should always be celebrating. What say?

A: Even if one hears about anti-globalisation trends setting in, I still believe that it’s too late to prevent its existence. Accordingly, offshoring as a practice (for intellectual and cost arbitrage advantages) for improving one’s competitive advantage has been in vogue for a long time. Hence, one can’t crib about it as it has become a normal rule of the game. And when one is playing the game, the rules can’t be questioned.

Keeping in mind the viability of a business, I can’t agree more with Nielsen’s initiative. Having said that, I must reiterate that they should be empathetic about the social and psychological side effects of rightsising on employees (affected by it) as a conscientious corporate citizen.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: Apple, the phone and computer maker, has been releasing special ads for the Chinese new year for some seven years. Would you say that if it wants to be recognised as an Indian brand, it must also be producing big budget ads for the various new years observed in India?

A: A basic tenet of strategy, be it business in general or corporate communication, is that it has to be deaveraged, by market, by market and by context. Any generic application or a copycat execution is generally a sure recipe for failure. What applies to a particular market might not be relevant to the socio-cultural-economic context of another country.

Having said that, I must admit that your idea makes sense to immerse marketing communications and align with the cultural context of the country. It can improve the brand affinity. And for this one needn’t have to invest in the so-called “big budget”. It requires smart execution which is not a function of money, always. As a cult brand, I am sure Apple would make the right moves which would strengthen its current perception as apple of consumers’ eyes.

Hmmm. We love watching the parade, even if it’s a cold January morning. We asked our Wizard with Words to check on how the parade can be promoted to better viewership. Here’s the January 25 edition of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: Every Republic Day, there’s a magnificent parade happening in Delhi and the state capitals. But viewership levels are very low since it’s a holiday. How do you think should these be promoted to attract more consumption?

A: Generally total viewership is never evaluated on the basis of performance of one programme on a particular day. GRPs or relative market share or TSPVs are the usual metrices for selection of a TV media vehicle. Hence, working on increasing viewership of a national holiday programme is a zero-sum game (specially for a news channel).

You should also be considerate for Aam Janta to indulge in escapism (read revenge tourism) from the daily din and bustle of their working life. Now they can’t feel guilty about the declining viewership of a programme.

Since most of us are groping in the dark on what will finally happen, we asked our Wizard with Words to check for his views. Here’s the January 24 edition of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: You’ve tracked both Zee and Sony India very closely since they set up in the 1990s. Now that the merger has been called off, your sentiments. And do you expect fresh alliances elsewhere for both

A: The outcome of the protracted discussion is certainly disappointing for both the parties, I presume, as it has a significant strategic advantage for both the partners.

Now what? It would be a matter of conjecture and it is too early to even comment, let alone a prediction. I can only say that markets hate vacuum and concentration of power. So I won’t be surprised if some white knights or dark horses appear and market would achieve equilibrium after initial turmoil.

We couldn’t have not asked this question to our Wizard with Words. Here’s the January 22 edition of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das.

If you wish to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q: From a purely marketing academic standpoint, how do you view the crescendo around the Ram Temple consecration scheduled for today?

A: If the collective spiritual and emotional state of the nation is organically participating in this event, why should we view it through a default prism of an intellectual elite (assuming we all are). From a marketing point of view, I discern it as an opportunity for ‘Moment Marketing’. I can’t pinpoint how the occasion would be leveraged though pure play classical advertising, but I am pretty sure about the ancillary benefits in terms tourist attraction and its concurrent impact on brand consumption, hospitality and real estate offerings. I strongly feel that the trickle-down effect of this crescendo would result in an economic resurgence of Ayodhya.