Tag: Dr Bhaskar Das

Did we upset our Wizard with Words? Well, perhaps. But we could not have asked this question. Without any further ado, here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 14 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…

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Q. There were celebrations in India because Pakistan lost the T20 Finale. Sad, or is this an expected part of India-Pak rivalry? A rival’s rival is a friend?

A. It is a sweeping generalisation and there is no statistical proof of your surmise. Being a lover of sports, I think we should be supportive of a good game and the deserving team wins. Real sportsmanship is about accepting victory and defeat with equanimity. I am sure no one wants to lose but that’s part of any game. One has to learn from each and move on to progress.

I feel Pakistan has progressed tremendously from where they were in the league table and so did England after losing to Ireland. So it’s about resilience and indomitable spirit that are worthy of celebrating. There would be more T20 tournaments. But we must not pander to besmirching the spirit of sportsmanship.

Not the happiest of questions to ask, but then it was, as the Guardian called it, a marmalising of the Indian attack. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 11 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. And we were all so excited about Rishi Sunak becoming British Prime Minister. His country has taken us to the cleaners!

A. The semifinal contest looked so un-semifinal like. Indian T20 match experts looked so mediocre. Losing a semifinal match isn’t the issue. One can at most be feeling bad. But the way we lost is incredible. There was no semblance of a real fight. England has outclassed us in every segment of the game. And your question seems so reflective of the sentiments of the majority. Now we should feel happy in the same way as we felt when Rishi Sunak became PM of the UK. Some way to experience solace!

No context or reason for asking this question. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. Despite no third-party readership data for a while, the newspaper industry has been getting ads. If advertisers and media agencies are cool with it (or not very uncool with it), why do an IRS at all

A. There is no denying the fact that audience data is important in deciding on the media investment. But post Covid, manual field data collection was a challenge. Now that the threat of Covid infection has reduced considerably, the concerned body must be evaluating various options.

Having said that, newspapers have an advantage as their business survives on response delivered to the advertisers. Though ROI calculation, before the media selection might be a challenge, but empirical evidence confirms the investment. Advertisers have their internal metric to evaluate every outlay. Secondly, (again an Indian context), in most of the newspaper markets, there are one or two dominant market leader/s. Being a passive medium with an active audience (reading-wise) , the pecking order of leadership plays a key role in both consumer immersion in the content consumption and, accordingly, the response quantity and quality get impacted positively. This experience leads to future inclusion of the publication in various campaigns. Due to this unique nature of the sector, newspapers can continue without a formal data regime, though it’s not an ideal situation from the media planning and buying context.

No marks for guessing the context for asking this question. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 9 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. If a cricketer is more inconsistent than consistent as a batter, how can he inspire an entire team as leader?

A. You have a valid point as the leader has to lead by example. But a leader also knows the way (judgment, strategic decision-making etc) and shows the way. So it’s not about scoring runs only. A batsman can go through a lean patch, but the craftsmanship is there and because of that, the sportsman is chosen. In fact, in this year’s T20 World Cup matches, the track record of most captains of various teams are not much to write home about. There was no consistent performance. Hence one can’t replace a leader on the basis of a lean patch of a few match. One has to see his contribution in mobilising his resources and motivate the team to play as a unit and combat the challenges in each game.

Incorrigible. Those 12 characters are best to describe the man. Or perhaps worse. We asked Dr Bhaskar Das a questions for the November 8 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. Elon Musk is quite a character. Paid more to buy Twitter, sacked 50% staff and then called back some people as well. Now, after all this, would you find it safe to drive a Tesla?

A. Yes, I admit I am also confused. Twitter, as a global brand might face some setback, unless Mr Musk has a unique plan to prove all critics wrong. He has another trouble of fighting some legal case where he has to defend his mindboggling compensation package (56 billion) at Tesla Inc against claims that it unjustly enriches him without his full-time presence in the company. So Mr Musk’s plate is full. But it appears to me that Twitter might sully his supra-idiosyncratic talent (as created through his various unusual investments in various companies), unless he has something up his sleeve and it would unravel in the near future. As of now, his stated vision of widespread verification leading to democratisation of journalism (you should feel happy!) and empower the voice of people might not salvage Twitter of its business challenges or delete the emotional scar amongst its workforce ( present or sacked).

Having said that, I would reiterate that Mr Musk must have some method in his seemingly aggressive style— we may not have any idea of connecting the right dots. After all, he is the richest man of the world for nothing. It may be too early to write the final verdict. We need to wait and watch.

I take this opportunity to express my astonishment about your linking of volatility at Twitter and the risk of driving Tesla. My imagination has not yet been expert in grappling with such asymmetric correlation-ship.

Phew! So India has made it to the semis of the T20 World Cup. As have Pakistan, England and New Zealand. But our heart goes out to South Africa. Sad loss. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 7 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. Ireland bt England and Netherlands robbed South Africa a berth in the semis. Clearly one can’t treat any competitor lightly. Any lesson in life from this for our readers?

A. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties, specially the short format of the game. A team is as good as the last match. I doubt, in this case, any team has taken their competitor lightly. It is just that on that day, one team has better mental control over the game. Besides, all the teams have understood the algorithm of the game. The underdogs (ie probability-wise in the global pecking order) had nothing to lose. So they give their best to create disruption. This year’s World Cup has caused unexpected exits of powerful teams like West Indies, Australia and South Africa, inspite of the fact that the latter two teams have great track records. At the same time, Pakistan has risen from ashes. And that’s the fun and excitement of T201 format of the game.

One can stretch one’s imagination and there are certainly possible lessons in the area of business. But the business world is replete with stories of Davids upsetting Goliaths. And the message was clear even before T201 was invented.

Our now-regular question pre-season, post-season and in-season.Without further ado, here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 4 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. Given that Diwali-led Festive Season 2022 is now past us, what’s the mood on the Street? Jubilant or Despondent?

A. The general mood as I discern is of cautious optimism, experiment without profligacy, leverage the innovation/ startup culture that is dominating the India growth story, etc. There are global and local headwinds, yet India is showing positive signs of drive towards growth aspirations. I think that India can show better growth rates in the coming years as political ambitions of China are stymied by contradictions. Through the China +1 approach globally, a few countries are well-poised to craft a different growth orbit and India can be one of them. There are many indicators for that.

In others words, jubilant or despondency can be a sector-specific and company-specific affair. But directionally, India story is going to be positive.

A question meant to provoke, but that’s not a trait you associate with our Wizard with Words. Presenting Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 3 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 or click here: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/das-ka-dum/

Q. The British media – print, television and digital – showed amazing character reporting on the run up to Rishi Sunak’s ascent. And even after. Why do you think our Indian media can’t be and do the same?

A. This question is more appropriate for media owners. I can’t arrogate their authenticity. Having said that, I would like to submit my point of view of two cents: our proclivity towards comparing/ benchmarking everything that is western need not always be appropriate. Every country has its own cultural preferences on many matters , including news. So benchmarking against a western country won’t help much. If market/ consumers stamp their preference (as evident through an accepted currency like BARC data), why ignore that. There is no use extrapolating our individual liking on the universe of news consuming audience. Besides, western news channels don’t offer choices to consumers, the way it’s available in India and consumers have the right to choose the news channel they like. I am sure mediaowners are conscious of the market forces that determine viability of a channel and cater to the needs and wants of their served markets.

So he calls us a “white collar, privileged person”!!! Ha ha. But we stand by our view, even though twice over he has made us believe that our argument (or question) was bunkum. Without any further ado, here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 2 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. Given your response to our question on newspapers taking a day or two or three off, would you be cool with digital and television also doing the same. The rank and file there also need some respite, na?

A. Asymmetric comparison. In case of digital and news television, the content generating team have duties in shifts. Generally the employees have shifts of eight hours or so. There are compensatory offs. They have compensation and promotions. Have we heard that a hawker has been promoted or he can take off as part of his job or he has been given a hike beyond his commission? I can imagine that as a white collar, privileged person, it’s difficult to empathise with blue collar workers and their work challenges. Marx and his ideology is out of fashion anyway in today’s post-modern society.

Well, an unfair question to ask because Elon Musk is known to be an unconventional businessperson, and his ways are even more dramatic. While all of it may work for Tesla, but will it work for a platform like Twitter? We posed this to our Wizard with Words today. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 1 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. It’s now been a few days since Elon Musk took over Twitter. Your expectations from the ‘Chief Twit’?

A. I am too small a fry to pen down my expectations from the ‘Chief Twit; and as a digital immigrant, I am not an avid social media user.

Having said that I must admit I was watching the developments at the Twitter takeover battle and being a fan of Elon Musk—I love his attitude and his business ventures—and find a lot of comparable stuff with Steve Job’s story of his return to Apple, albeit in different contexts and circumstances.

I may guess from Elon Musk’s tweets on how he wants to change Twitter. He seems to have a lofty plan like defeating spam bots on Twitter, prevent Twitter to becoming an echo chamber of hate, to be more inclusive and would support free speech etc. Now, the God is in execution and it might not be a smooth task, especially when one has to work in sync with multiple-nation regulatory frameworks. Musk must have an execution roadmap in his mind and the new lead driver (if I may suggest) of these goals Shriram Krishnan would certainly try to fructify Musk’s vision. Come to think of it, it’s too early to comment authentically on the subject. So, as they say, watch this space.

Nothing new in this question as we tweeted on it last week. But we didn’t get too many answers, so we posed this to our Wizard with Words today. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the October 31 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. Last week, newspapers in Ahmedabad were shut for three days. In Pune for two. And this is when printwallahs have been complaining that ‘dhanda’ is ‘manda’. What’s your view?

A. Your question seems to suggest to me that continuing publication for the two-three days would have cured all the perceived ills that plague the print media.

I find no substantive logic in this legacy industry convention. Incidentally, I feel this convention has a humane aspect in it, beyond the cold logic of business. Just imagine: the entire community of sellers and hawakers who work round the year during the wee hours when all of us are in deep slumber. Day in, day out, in all seasons. They never fail to deliver the daily newspaper at our doorsteps. They deserve two-three days in a year to celebrate an annual festival with their families.

Finally, even in terms of cold logic of business, I can mention with confidence that no advertising revenue (generally 75/80 per cent of a newspaper’s topline) is lost due to this as advertisers also make their media plans accordingly. The only loss is the cover price revenue which won’t be generally more than 25% topline of a newspaper, leave or take 5/10% plus- minus. In fact I would hazard a guess the savings due to non-publication on those two-three days of holidays would be more than the loss of cover price revenue.

So there is economics in being humane too. If you are really concerned about the future of print media, there are other systemic issues which, if addressed, can make more impact on the sector.

It’s one of those questions where you feel a little embarrassed after reading the answer. So let’s dive right into it. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the October 28 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. What does the rise of British Indian mean for Brand India? Unlike Kamala Harris, he is quite upfront about his Indian roots and Hindu faith?

A. I think we should stop counting chickens before they are hatched. The new PM of UK has to look after his country’s priorities in the context of various global imperatives and not take decisions on the basis of his country of origin. That’s pretty myopic and not in sync with what the world need. He has a tough task in hand and the world is surely looking at how he demonstrates his leadership skills for UK and the world.