Tag: Jaisurya Das

By Jaisurya Das

 

Hello and welcome to yet another exciting edition of India’s best known (and only?!) ‘Agony Uncle’ for the media and marketing world.

 

Today, I take you on a short voyage through sensory perception and how it shapes our emotions and purchase behaviour…

 

Do you recollect what your new car smelt like when you just brought it home?  Or what aroma enveloped you when you visited the bakery down the road ?

 

I bet you can still recollect these distinct aroma’s if you were to shut your eyes for a minute. Some memories linger life-long, don’t they ? It may just be an aroma but what your mind just did is transpose that scent onto your innate sense of fulfillment.

 

It’s amazing how the senses can go far beyond what were exposed to day after day. I can never forget the wonderful gentle scent of Johnson’s Baby Powder. So much so, that I have actually bought cans of baby powder just to be able to sprinkle it around the room. Purity is best reflected in an aroma like baby powder, no matter what goes into it.. Yet another example of how your senses perceive and relate one advantage to the other. in this case, a gentle pleasant aroma with the purity advantage.

 

Foodstuff is one category that can do wonders with sensory marketing initiatives. For instance, it’s highly unlikely that you would catch a movie tonight without sensing the aroma of freshly popped corn.

 

What is even more interesting is that the tight purse strings get all loose when it comes to buying a tub of pop corn at the theatre.. I wonder if it has anything with the aroma that one is struck with when you walk to your screen.? Your senses just took over your rational mind. That is the simple answer.

 

Sensory branding isn’t new. It’s been there all along.

 

It’s just that we haven’t realised it. Coming to think of it, not many marketers in India use it to their advantage.

 

Globally, the aroma of freshly baked bread is used effectively by several large format supermarkets at point of entry. You walk in thanks to this inviting aroma and end up buying a basketful of goodies. What happened is sensory perception took over and the whole experience transformed into buying really fresh food, bread or otherwise. For the store sales grow, customers enjoy the experience and the bread smells fresh !!

 

It’s amazing how sensory branding can change the way we buy and this has been proved beyond doubt with brands across the world be it coffee, cosmetics, soaps, jeans and more.

 

Am sure it will come as a surprise if I were to tell you that most of these tantalising aromas, be it coffee, new cars or bars of chocolate originate from spray cans used liberally by the stores, manufacturers etc !

 

Marketing today isn’t today just about advertising or good visual branding; it’s about how to give consumers the right  ‘connect’  to appeal to their senses..

 

Easier said than done! Sensory branding demands acumen of a different order. It’s about the will and patience to understand how the human brain works with its complex structures…

 

It’s probably a good idea for discerning marketers to wake up and smell the coffee !

 

Ladies and Gentleman, moving on from the heady stuff, we now take you through the Q&A for this week. We are happy to welcome and respond to our readers from Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

 

Short question: I want to get into advertising. Which is a better place to be in: Mumbai or Delhi?

My recommendation would be Mumbai . Yes, Delhi has great names in advertising, be it agencies, clients or enthusiasts, yet somethings don’t change…

 

Mumbai is the Mecca of advertising and it will remain so for decades. It’s not just about the clients, it’s about the sheer cultural diversity and the buzz of a ‘activity intoxicated’ metropolis.

 

This is were careers are made, creative minds are shaped and brands are put to test 24/7.

 

Strategies that have made billions for brands are created are designed day after day in this very city. Yes I am biased, but that’s only because I have seen great talent in the city of Mumbai, be it advertising, film-making or streetfood !

 

However I must confess, I haven’t worked in Mumbai beyond a couple of days on work trips etc, yet I back Mumbai to learn the fine nuances of successful advertising.

 

Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan!

 

All the very best and a very warm welcome to Maharashtra!

 

I am in a spot. One of my members in my team who is a high performer is frequently unwell. While I just ignored it, I find that it’s due to the colleague’s own neglect. But even if that were to be untrue, the frequent absence (or erratic presence) is impacting my work, and more importantly that of the team. I do know that the colleague is genuinely unwell, and it’s horrible to let him/her suffer job-wise for this. But, yes, it is affecting work and the productivity of our entire effort. What would you advise I do?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM. This is tricky situation indeed but we shall nevertheless try our level best to alleviate your concern. Frankly i don’t envy your position my friend. It’s always a huge dilemma when you have to decide on priorities that aren’t in line with your leadership style or character.

 

I can sense that you are a sensitive leader who values your teams well being beyond everything. Great leaders are made of this mettle. Kudos to you! Unfortunately, this breed is quick vanishing from the corporate horizon.

 

Having said that, it’s important to remember that you have corporate objectives to meet as well, and it’s not fair on your employer to let that get affected by one individuals’ indisposition. Life has to go on, and your work mustn’t get neglected beyond a point.

 

May I suggest you have a fair and frank conversation with this colleague and explain the need to find a replacement for him/her in case the current health situation persists. You could think of giving your colleague a less demanding role if it exists, till he/she gets through this rough patch. You could also advise him/her to take a few days/weeks off assuming you can grant this. This will help him/her recover fully and get back to the normal routine.

 

This is the only way to go. Let me also caution you against allowing emotion and sensitivity play havoc with your role and objectives within the company.

 

Someone told me the other day that the advertising industry thrives on moonlighting. But is it really advisable? The creative output of the copywriter/visualiser will suffer if he or she is distracted. Right?

This is not true. The advertising industry had enough talent to go around and there is no reason for it to depend on people who moonlight.

 

Yes, this kind of a thing happens in small markets where there is a dearth of visualisers/ copywriters but not so much in large cities, unless its a very specific regional language campaign etc. Hence you may find a good Malayalam copywriter doing work for half a dozen agencies in Mumbai when it’s time for the Onam campaigns to roll, but this is not the rule of the land.

 

You’re right, the visualiser/ copywriter can get distracted with multiple campaigns, resulting in inhibited creative output. This isn’t ethical either, so I don’t imagine true professionals resorting to this merely for the monetary benefit.

 

As far as the agencies are concerned, it’s about work getting done especially in the less mature

 

Ad markets. Encouraging this practice by assigning work is in itself unprofessional!

 

The lure of the extra buck will always remain. The point is whether you want to be known for great work or just as someone who is available on call 24/7.

 

Is it okay to take off for a month to watch cricket? I have always wanted to, but never had the guts to ask the boss 🙂

Ha ha, this is an amazing question. I wonder if you’re boss is also a cricket fan like you? If he is, you may just find him taking the leave instead of you !

 

Honestly I don’t even know if something as crazy as this, is ok !!!! You have the leave and a good boss, take it by all means.. Sit back and gorge on the popcorn and cheer team India.

 

To hell with the world. If it’s cricket, nothing else matters. Don’t think buddy, just go for it.

 

But yes, there’s nothing ok about it . Nothing will ever be ok about it either ! ..

 

And yes, before I forget… If you get that leave approved, do inbox me and let me know which company you work for….I might just want to send in my resume!

 

That was a super quick week that went by wasn’t it? Such is life! Before you realise it, time has just flown by … from college to matrimony.. from living to fine living… from family to nuclear… from togetherness to being there.. from romance to intense love…. Life moves on hour after hour, day after day….

 

Such is the magic of life. Noting changes, and yet everything is different…

 

Well, some things don’t change.. Dear MxM will always be around, week after week, with more and more Questions, whacky Answers and our inimitable gaul to call a spade a spade!

 

Thanks for being with us. It means a lot.  Feel free to mail us if ever you’re in doubt at editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’  and your ‘City’ in the subject line.

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelisteats,sleeps and romances brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Incidentally he is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India.  The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

I was watching a talk last evening by the inimitable Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev exclaiming with his characteristic élan.. “If you can see things with your eyes closed, you’ve lost it!” . Typically Sadhguru, in reference to a devotee who told him that she was seeing Lord Shiva when she shut her eyes.

 

He was just reiterating the brutal truth. Our thoughts govern what we see and what we don’t! Powerful, yet so limiting.

 

Our lives are spent on our thoughts and emotions and rarely does anything else matter. Even the wonderful cosmic phenomena of sunrise or sunset make no difference to our lives, nor will the death of a star or a galaxy! The point here is whether we realise this at all

 

Coming to think of it, have marketers realised this..?

Finally, consumers befriend what is part of their thought process and nothing else really matters.

 

A classic example is the automobile advertising we see today. Not more than 25% of them even mention the kind of engineering that goes into the heart of the vehicle; the engine!

 

Sadhguru, the godman with the flowing robes, is incidentally a rally driver too and has often said that the automobile advertising talks only about the frills. Gives no information that he seeks on the engine and gear ratios and so on… I don’t blame him. Not everyone is interested. In fact the majority isn’t interested at all.

 

And yet these automobiles sell, and boy do they sell!!

The reason is simple. Inherently, we are more concerned about the perceived value of our possessions. Understandably then, the interior and the paint job assumes significance over the engine. Who sees the engine and transmission anyway ?

 

Be it clothes, electronics, cars, houses or dining out, much of it is about how we want to position ourselves to the world at large.

 

Buying behaviour is closely associated with relative perception. This is the truth that marketers need to leverage. Create aspiration and ambassadors for your brand. I know you’re wondering  how what I am saying today is any different from what we see today…

 

Think and ask yourself if if you’d rather buy a brand that is used by a member of the family/ friend vis-a-vis one that is advertised by a celebrity?. In most cases, we choose familiarity over admiration or awe!

 

Celebrity brand ambassadors are good to create aspiration, yet purchase needs a different degree of comfort and familiarity. Strange as it may seem, this is the truth.

 

Sure, the human brain is THE most developed engine in the world, and yet performs uniquely almost each time it is accelerated or exposed to stimuli.

 

Thus, it may be advisable for marketers to leave deciphering the unknown to the neuro-enlightened.Today,winning brands take more than just good brand management…

 

On that note, it’s advisable that I take you straight to our Q & A for this 10th Thursday of 2016; Incidentally and for the record, it’s also the 10th day of this month of March !

 

Ladies and Gentleman, Read on…

 

Sir, I am the only male in a team of nine women colleagues. While I enjoy my work and my advertising career, I often feel that my growth is stunted because I am a man. Or am I imagining things?

Am absolutely certain you are over-thinking this! Yes, one hears of gender bias and stuff like that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the only male in an office gets targeted !

 

At first, it’s important to understand the provocation for this belief that your career is getting stunted by this environment. Is it the lack of a promotion/ raise year-on-year that is making you feel like this? Have you sat down and taken stock of your performance and contribution to the team targets?

 

How have you performed vis-a-vis your female colleagues? Has someone superseded you at work? My apologies for this barrage but bereft of these answers it’s virtually impossible to give you a sensible view on this.

 

And last but not the least, are you finding it difficult to absorb the fact that you have lots of female colleagues who are doing well, and probably even better than you?

 

Think my friend, and be honest with yourself. It only helps.

 

All the very best to you!

 

While my written English is fine, my spoken English is a giveaway of the fact that my spoken English language skills aren’t good. I can’t really help it… my schooling was in English, but all my friends spoke Hindi and that’s what my friends and I speak in. But I want to improve my spoken English. What should I do?

Why are you sounding defensive about this? Most of the world we live in can’t even read English so you’re actually way ahead with the language!

 

Having said that, I must confess that it has become increasingly important to have spoken English skills for most white collar jobs; A fair amount of weightage is given for communication proficiency at ‘point of entry’ level.

 

Yet, let me assure you that this skill isn’t rocket science and can be learnt within weeks. All you need to do is to sign up for a spoken English class in your city. There are also courses available with audio lessons etc online. However it is advisable to attend a class, since this would also give you a chance to clear your doubts on phonetics, intonation and the like.

 

In simple terms, all the rubbish in the para above, translates to the fact that in class you can talk and listen and someone will correct you if you go wrong. Hence it’s better. Period.

 

Meanwhile, do make it a point to talk to your friends (whoever you may be comfortable with) in English only. This in itself is a powerful method of learning languages. Listen carefully and speak confidently and soon enough you would be as fluent as they are.

 

All the best!

 

I read one question about appraisals last week. How do I ensure that I get the hike I think I deserve?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM. I just love these questions since the answer doesn’t take effort! The answer is simple my friend; WORK !

 

There is no shortcut to effort if you’re looking at sensible growth rates. If at all there is another criteria that is adopted, it’s most likely suspect! Hikes are about performance, and promotions are based on potential of the candidate. There is very little that can change this equation, no matter how fancy it is made out to be.

 

Stay focussed, forget about your career and work on craft. The stronger that becomes, the higher you go and you can be sure none will steal the thunder from you!

 

Your craft is yours (at the risk of being irritatingly repetitive!) and for keeps.  The career will follow, no matter what.

 

Hence my advice to you is to stop worrying about your hike, and focus on the objectives and KRAs (Key Result Areas) you have been assigned. Everything else will fall in place. Amen.

 

I want to do a short-term course in Digital Marketing. Any recommendations of what I should do? Is a course necessary or can I just read up and learn the tricks of the trade?

Digital marketing like any other trade/ skill can be learnt through various methods and reading is one of them. However, it’s important to work on case studies and exchange notes etc and hence the course needs to be comprehensive.

 

While there are a few classroom and seminar-based training programmes available in metros, these may not suit your need since you don’t have any prior exposure to the subject. f

 

My recommendation would be to go to an educational portal like Coursera and sign up for a good course. You will find excellent courses offered by leading global universities. There are both paid and free courses on Coursera and you can decide basis the course and its synopsis.

 

This will also enable you to add this skill as part of your CV (Curriculum Vitae ) where the University reputation will make a positive difference.

 

Good luck, May you become one of the best Digital Marketing professionals in India !

 

My friends, its time to say ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ but not before I wish you a fantastic weekend with much beer and great food. Now when I say beer, it’s important you understand that I mean strictly ginger beer. So, yes drink much ginger and so on, and laugh your heart silly…

 

After all, life is about celebration; Don’t you dare lose out on that!

 

And we will be back next week, same space, same day….

 

Don’t overthink, just write in to us at editor@mxmindia.com with Dear MxM and your City in the subject line. Leave the rest to us. Because we care, we honestly do !

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romances brands.  His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable.  He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Apparently the unusually short intro last week wasn’t appreciated, and consequently I was at the receiving end of couple of mails and messages. My apologies, but the occasion demanded that rather abrupt paragraph. Well, I shall make up for it more than necessary !

 

After all, it’s all about emotional attachments, be it an intro, a column or a new shade of lip colour…

 

Since we are on the topic of emotion, I must tell you that I spent a few months researching varied emotions as part of my research on the importance of neural intervention in the buying process.

 

Its interesting how one customer reacts differently from the other, when confronted with the same page on their preferred shopping site.

 

We believe that human beings keep in mind their ancestry and ape each other. Today, I can tell you with vehemence that this is a myth. In fact most of our lives are spent on bettering each other. Its competition more than co-existence. Animals co-exist. Humans compete!

 

Purchase decisions are today highly governed by peer pressure and the infinite need to better the other. If at all there is anything sacrosanct, it is the propensity to spend on oneself.

 

Hitting the ‘buy’ button is a topic that is running several entrepreneurs lives today and yet this remains a mystery…. Martin Lindstorm and a few others have interpreted brain responses and reactions ( using fMRI studies ) to enable a closer look at purchase behaviour.

 

Phenomenal work if I may say so.. and yet the tip of the iceberg.

 

What they haven’t figured however, is the Indian brain! Which other brain prompts people to stack old newspapers and shopping bags till they shift home? Which other race believes in rinsing empty milk packets and sticking them on tiled kitchen walls?

 

No, this isn’t about ridiculing a practice. It’s about a unique process of thought which originates a few generations past and is passed down with amazing regularity….

 

Some classic examples include :

The house is spotlessly clean, clothes, linen and even the kitchen cloth is spotlessly clean. And yet, you can bet the cloth bag for milk hanging on the door is atrociously filthy.

 

Every free sample, be it a shampoo sachet or hair oil will be kept aside for future use. Soon covered with layers of dust it will be found during the next spring cleaning. 

 

Soap in its nano form will not be disposed off and will only be persuaded to merge seamlessly with a new bar in the soap dish. To add to this, you will be confronted with a soap juggle while you’re n the shower and the challenge is merging the two yet again.

 

Hitting the ‘buy’ button is thus much more than a result of just emotion or desire… Its about ancestry, familiarity, comfort and impulse and to top it al, unique to each race. 

 

Yes, ladies and gentleman, it takes more than reading to fathom the unknown. The mysteries of the human race will continue to enthrall us for generations to come.

 

This is the truth. Take it or leave it.

 

And now, questions from the cities of Mumbai, Calcutta and Nagpur…….

 

Sir, I am unable to interpret the Budget, and what impact will it have on my life. Does it really make a difference to lives of entry-level media professionals like me getting less than Rs 4-5 lakh per annum?

Thanks for writing in to Dear MxM. Let me at first clarify that I am not a finance whiz and hence my response to this would be more from a layman’s perspective.

 

The Budget will sure affect your life in more than one way and quite dearly if you are a smoker. But, for the sake of this answer, I am assuming you are sensible enough not to smoke.

 

On the personal taxation front, you will get a relief of Rs 3000 on your tax payable since you are below the 5 lakh cut-off. Additionally, deductions on cost incurred towards rented accommodation has seen a much needed hike from Rs 20,000-50,000 thereby reducing your burden.

 

Besides these two, other provisions in the Budget are not going to be of immediate advantage to you at this stage. I would be happy to send you more details on the Budget should you desire to study it closely.

 

Sir, last week, you mentioned that print will not die out in a hurry. But that may be true in small-town India. In cities like Mumbai, Delhi or even Nagpur, Pune, Chandigarh, most of the younger set of people watch news on the mobile. Apps rule for them. It would be good to see separate set of data for urban and rural audiences.

Point taken my friend. Yes, the major growth is in smaller markets of our country but what is interesting is that the print market hasn’t shrunk even in large towns. Individual players have lost numbers but only to someone else and this is despite the youth turning to online and mobile media.

 

The overall numbers remain the same and there is no apparent shrink in market size.

 

The reason is fairly simple. Most large cities have a huge readership for regional language publications and as the second generation is ushered in, the household moves from a single newspaper to a multi-brand scenario. This is initiated by the head of the house who believes the children must be comfortable with English too.

 

While this has been good for the newspaper market, it really hasn’t made the youth sit down and read print media. It’s brought in for them but unfortunately lies untouched day after day.

 

Separate data for urban and rural has only been there in a very primitive form in studies that cover smaller towns and without doubt needs to be churned out more efficiently.

 

BARC ( Broadcaster’s Audience Research Council ) has made a great beginning in this area for viewership data and hence, I do hope to see this percolating to readership studies soon.

 

Successful first generation entrepreneurs seem to make a virtue of even their failures. But people who have experienced that first-hand know what the follies of their bosses mean for an organisation and its staff. Comments?

Completely agree! If i get to writing all that I want to, this column will probably be long enough to carry over a couple of weeks….

 

From what I have analysed, this is an individual trait and is not universal to the first generation of entrepreneurs. I have worked with several first and second generation entrepreneurs on my consulting assignments and each one has proved to fresh learning for me.

 

It’s amazing how even cardinal mistakes can be positioned as strategic decisions taken in the best interest of the organisation and its people. This is in itself is an art, and the first generation is more skilled at this. The second generation also makes horrendous mistakes, but are not half as good when it comes to padding it or accepting the error in judgement.

 

Cascading effects on the organisation and people are common thanks to such errors in judgment committed by the owners. Employee morale also suffers a beating quite often. But then, its their organisation and they have the right to handle it the way they want….!

 

It’s finally about the giant sized ego we human beings live with. Most of ones life is spent massaging our ego while the rest goes in keeping it in check !

 

It’s appraisal time. And in my organisation the juniors have started ‘applying maska’ to their bosses to get good scores on their appraisal forms. I can’t get myself to doing it. Please advise.

Ha ha, this is a nice question indeed. But before I get to answering, I need a small detail..

 

Amul ya Britannia? Each one works differently and hence the query 🙂

 

Jokes apart, please stay the way you are! It’s demeaning to go around ‘buttering’ the boss to get a good appraisal. And If you honestly have a boss that likes this, its best you start looking at other opportunities.

 

Appraisals are a serious process that evaluates both performance and potential of en employee and reducing it to a mere exercise in sycophancy is disgusting to say the least.

 

I am happy to hear young people like you have the right values in these situations. Am sure this will hold you in good stead as you move up the corporate ladder.

 

Once again I take this opportunity to advise you to move jobs. Your efforts here will mean nothing if this is the environment you’re in.

 

All good wishes to you.

 

So my friends, butter well, but strictly on bread ! By the way buttered bread is damn tasty but in excess can get you to look like a load of multi-grain bread… well dressed and yet bulging at the sides….

 

Coming to think of it, why bother? Go and eat yourself silly this weekend. It’s good for the soul and those in the food trade.

 

And yes for now, it’s sayonara from all of us here. See you next week, same day, same space !

 

When in doubt mail us at editor@mxmindia.com with your home city and “Dear MxM“ in the subject line. You can be dog sure we will read it !

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romance’s brands.

 

His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable.

 

He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Ladies and Gentleman,

 

Sometimes silence speaks a thousand words….

 

Dear MxM salutes the spirit of the brave officers and jawans who have laid down their lives for our safety and peace. May God give them eternal peace.

 

This isn’t the time for ramble. Join me in praying for their families who have sacrificed their loved ones for our cause, our India.

 

Jai Hind. Jai Jawan.

 

Our Q&A for the week :

I will be graduating in journalism this year, and I am told that I must learn touch typing and shorthand. Is it really that important?

Oh boy! This is a new one. Is that your institute diktat? If so, feel happy you’re graduating and will soon will be out of their hallowed corridors.

 

No, my friend. Be rest assured that the lack of knowledge of these skills is not going to slow down your journalism career. Journalism is about creating and disseminating quality content, and has little to do with how it was put on paper/ screen.

 

Don’t ever waste your time acquiring these skills now. Focus on your core craft and get that to be formidable. Nothing else matters. I have always believed that craft will always find its space.

 

Nothing can ever stop that. Not even shorthand or typing ignorance.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of media! Own it my friend. God bless.

 

Am adding this with permission from our dear Contributing Editor: While it’s not that you can’t be a journalist without the knowledge of touch typing, you’ll experience the difference when you can type with all your fingers (and thumbs) without looking at the keyboard. I often give the example of driving a car looking at the steering wheel as against looking at the path ahead. Well, that’s an incorrect comparison – no lives will be lost if you don’t know touch-typing, but I would strongly recommend that you learn it. As for shorthand, you can develop your own short forms etc. I see many journalists using digital recorders/mobile phones to record statements even at routine press conferences. It’s a pain to transcribe, and easier to look at your notes when filing the report. I still remember being able to record longish court proceedings thanks to a basic knowledge of Pitman’s shorthand. – Editor

 

One of the big problems in television news media today is that they take sides in stories. Now there is nothing wrong if you openly admit that you are Pro-Congress or BJP. So why don’t our newspapers do that?

True that, but it’s quite upfront with quite a few newspapers isn’t it? Some take the neutral stand more often but that’s more for commercial interest I would imagine.  Governments also power revenue for the newspapers, be it in the form of advertising or political advertising during the elections or paid editorial. It’s important to realise that newspapers have to be profitable too and it’s not just about delivering news to its readers.

 

Whether it’s the Congress or the BJP, the newspaper has to do its job, both as an entity to deliver news and analyses as well as to be a commercially successful venture for the principal shareholders.

 

Hence, take these things with a pinch of salt my friend. Don’t forget life is all about ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours’ and hence it’s important to remember that life is to be celebrated and not wasted on editorial analysis.

 

In the financial services sector, many firms insist that many employees take 15-odd days compliance leave. Why don’t we have this in all streams of media?

Hello and thanks for writing in to Dear MxM!  This is news to me ! I didn’t know of a statute that rules management staff having to take 15 days compliance leave. In this sector like most others, long leave is in literal terms ‘earned leave’ and is credited to the employees leave account after each year of service.

 

Having said that, I more than agree with you that a decent break is important for media professionals too. More than the system, I would set the onus on the heads of departments/ editors etc since it’s for them to realise the importance of giving an annual vacation to members of their team.

 

This, contrary to popular belief actually, does invigorate the individual to perform better on their return. It’s a different matter that in a lot of corporates (more so in India unfortunately!) leave means nothing more than staying away from the office premises. The employee is made to be on call 24/7 and to answer queries ranging from ‘ By the way where is the key to the file cabinet?’

to ‘Hey! How’s your break man… Have fun buddy. Incidentally, do you by any chance know when the appraisals interviews are happening?’.

 

So, to answer your question in one line: question the people, not the system!

 

I was reading the Madison forecast recently on your site. Print is doing very well as per that report. So why do people say that print is dying?

Good question, my friend!  The answer is simple. We ape the west in more than one way, and unfortunately even their fears are passed down to us. No, print isn’t dying that easy in our country.

 

Long way to go! I am not suggesting that print will survive any tide but it’s sure going to weather the next few decades well. India is one country that still believes in its roots.

 

Strange as it may sound, the newspaper is part of the Indian fabric and no other media can deliver this quality of weave. Yes, I am biased. I am an Indian and proud to be one!  Print penetration has a long way to go and we are only going to see higher growth in the smaller markets in proportion to increase in literacy. Don’t forget, literacy is still measured by the knowledge of the alphabet. Print.

 

Yes, print will die, but not before 2050. I am ready to stake my life on this, and believe me I am going to be around for a very long time!

 

Ladies and gentleman, in true western spirit it’s time to say Au Revoir!  Have a splendid weekend and take good care of yourself.

 

And if you haven’t figured the importance of eating two nice carrots every morning, then you haven’t figured a thing yet! Carrots are good and they have beta-carotene and stuff which are good for your eyes…..! 

 

Reading this column week after week may result in undue corneal stress. The consumption of foodstuff high in beta-carotene is recommended. This communication is brought to you by ‘ The World Carrot Federation ‘ .  While you’re at it, do mail us your questions on editor@mxmindia.com with Dear MxM in the subject line.

 

Yes, Dear MxM is now open to ‘in-column’ advertising and promotion. Mail us for further details. As you can see, we get carried away by trends ! It may however be noted, that our soul isn’t for sale. Dear MxM; Truthfully yours week after week. Sweet nothing will contain our candidity. Amen.

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romance’s brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Yes, Thursday it is, and time for a fresh edition of Dear MxM, unarguably the most widely read counselling column that India’s Media and Marketing folks can call their own! Thank you, readers for giving us this niche in your heart. Your positive feedback on the series on neuro-understanding is indeed heartening and yes this will continue, in deference to your wishes.

 

I am not sure if you’ve heard, but a legendary print brand has been laid to rest. RIP ‘ The Independent ‘. With barely over a 60,000 copies sold it was inevitable, I guess.

 

I wonder if it’s a result of poor marketing or just lack of foresight but it’s a certainly an important lesson to learn. ‘Content is king’ is the mantra today and yet brands come crashing down like a tonof bricks!

 

The answer is simple. The audience isn’t the same despite their physical characteristics. Much to the surprise of practitioners, the neurons in the human brain are reinventing themselves rapidly in their attempt to adapt to the changing world.

 

Evolution will ensure we have no extras and organs like the appendix do not exist in the future.. Fingers that are adaptable to incessant texting, eyes that can focus on a brightly lit screen and skulls that can take larger sized brains are all inevitable. I wouldn’t be surprised if even menstrual cycles begin and end the same day to avoid any downtime.

Today, even puberty is attained well before we thought ideal. Maybe it’s just evolutions way of ensuring early childbirth (if need be!) and seamless adaptation to the environment. Yes, these are my views and I firmly believe in them.  Life has changed, and we jolly well accept it.

 

And, believe me, it won’t be long before we forget how we lived in the past and what the world was like.  Memory in the human species is good but limited to the broad aspects and not so much when it comes to details.

 

All of us when prodded for detail, end up filling the blanks with instantly created information, and then soon enough, we believe in that. Our memories work with complex algorithms and are always linked to some other aspect . This seamless instant linking is the essence of recall.

 

It’s fascinating to see how it works. Do spend a few minutes to think how often this happens to you.. We make up little bits of information, fill the spaces and later believe in the new story we just created. That, then becomes the entire episode which we believe is a result of our amazing memory.

 

Interestingly, this is the social animal we are trying to market to, without estimating how complex they actually are. Unfathomable! It’s much like a million apps running highly complex algorithms all at one go, for even a simple activity.

 

Hence, ladies and gentleman, do not leave home without a hearty breakfast or what I term Brain Meal! The brain utilises over 20% of our energy needs/ day, despite contributing to only 2% of our body weight. Hence overnight is long enough and it’s imperative to feed it first thing in the morning to ensure optimal functioning.

 

I do hope to fill you in with more news from the ‘ cerebral side ‘ of town but for now, let’s move on to your questions and our answers for this 7th week of 2016.

 

Read on, my friends, Read on….

 

I am an executive with fair exposure to advertising and marketing content. I am considering an MBA abroad/India in marketing. But I hate maths and econometrics etc. I am told marketing is good to do but it’s all very numbers- and data-driven these days. And one can rise faster only with fair comfort and proficiency in data and research. My questions to you:

a. Can someone who detests Maths and all stuff that requires numerical proficiency go far in marketing?

 

b. Is there stuff that I can read and figure whether this is something I am interested in and I can do well? Any book, Internet links etc?

Thanks for writing in, my friend. I can seriously sympathise with you on maths, since I barely managed to scrape through all this at school!!

 

Having said this, I did come to terms with all this at various stages in my life as a marketer, brand manager and an entrepreneur. Fortunately, the amazing genius of human engineering, the calculator ensured I faired well! I wonder why they didn’t allow me to use one at school…I would have had a happier childhood!

 

Now to answer your questions…

 

But of course you can do exceedingly well in marketing without being a numerical genius. Yes, understanding finance is an advantage but that’s not something that you can’t manage, even if you detest mathematics. I say this from experience. I can handle P&L accounts and Balance Sheets with ease and they actually make a lot of sense to me too. I hate numbers though.

 

It does make sense to adapt yourself to reading numbers and numerical data but that doesn’t mean you have to proficient at putting them together. At work in a marketing environment it’s empowering yourself with data that’s significant, and not how well you calculate! Yes, being a number whiz can help to a certain extent to speed up your presentations and sales dockets but it’s not imperative in my opinion. Marketing craft is the challenge. The rest will fall in place.

 

Research is a given now in a marketing environment but it’s more qualitative now and will  increasingly be cerebral, hence the number game will be relegated to the books! Don’t detest numbers or get attached to them. It can give you sleepless nights.. ‘Numerimares’, I call it!

 

Yes, is the answer to your second question. There are loads of books you can read on marketing, some bigger than the other. So, from a Peter Drucker to Al and Laura Ries… all speak the same language. A good start (ignore the name!) is ‘ Marketing for Dummies ’.  Brilliant, simple and gives you the works. Get a newer edition. Available online for sure.

 

Post that, may be ‘22 Immutable laws of Marketing’ by Al & Laura Ries. Another simple, brilliant book by this pair. Their one on branding is legendary too.

 

This is enough reading to interest you. Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy it!  Still in doubt? Mail us @ Dear MxM and we would be happy to advise you.

 

My mother tongue is Bengali, but I can’t read and write the language. I have been living in Mumbai for the last 15 years, and haven’t ever felt the need to be proficient in the language beyond speaking. For my profession (I am a journalist), do you think it’s good to know how to read and write?

Am not sure I have understood your question completely, but for the moment I shall assume you are a journalist who isn’t employed with a Bengali publication/ channel…

 

Besides the positive emotion of being proficient in one’s known mother tongue, it really isn’t a necessity unless you are working / want to work with Bengali media. In this case, it’s definitely a pre-requisite!

 

Personally, I feel knowing to read and write a language will always hold you in good stead, no matter whether it’s your mother tongue or otherwise. I would have loved to learn more than what I know, but never got to doing it.

 

If you have the time and inclination, do learn. Learning empowers!  All good wishes to you for your career ahead.

 

Why do we find so much inefficiency and corruption in our private sector media companies, and why is that the owners condone all the mess that happens.

Now that’s a strong statement my friend ! I don’t think one can generalise in this manner. Yes, there are instances in a few companies but these are exceptions to the rule.

 

I must add, that this is true of any industry and loopholes to beat the system are exploited by one smart cookie or the other! Having said that, the situation isn’t as bad in professionally managed firms who have tighter controls and are not typically owner-driven.

 

I would to a great extent blame the owners themselves since they tend to be lax with basic protocols and don’t follow them either. This results in the wrong message being passed down the line. Owners tend to treat the company as their own proprietorship firm and hence financial regimen is ignored.

 

Prohibitive costs are incurred to keep their ego well-massaged and this cascades to become a huge drain on the company. Chartered air travel, hotels, luxury vehicles are all part of this persona that they carry. Yes, this is fine if the company is doing well and business looks good. However, it doesn’t stop here and such cost is incurred even when the chips are down!

 

Now, this is being unreasonable and grossly inefficient . On the one hand, the company takes cost-control measures eating into various things and on the other, the owner splurges as though it’s a blue chip enterprise!

 

Corruption etc is yet another fall out of corporate inefficiency and mismanagement wherein constituents tend to strike deals with suppliers etc to satisfy their greed. Controls are critical and so are protocols and this is the only way to ensure it’s a well managed firm. Owners can’t really do much but condone since most often they don’t have the mind-space to get into the micros.

 

Yet, these things mean nothing, if it doesn’t apply to all, principal shareholders included.

 

The advertising agency that I work with has this celebrated creative guru as its head. In fact I joined this agency only because of him. But since the “hi, hello” I got to do on the first day and some exchange of pleasantries there has been no interaction. Now this CEO is so busy with his own thing that he doesn’t inspire anyone to stay on. Can you please help ? Should I move elsewhere?

Now, that an interesting one!

 

I completely understand the way you feel yet, you must know it’s virtually impossible to spend time with everyone when you are in a high pressure environment. Hence, I wouldn’t really blame this Ad guru for not finding time to mentor you… unless ofcourse mentoring is priority 🙂

 

Having said this, let me ask you what you looked for when you joined this agency? Was it just the celeb ad guru and his persona or was it to work with his trademark agency?

 

This is important to understand. Is it really the man who is important or his legacy, his excellence, his work ? Does it really make a difference whether you meet him once or a hundred times as long as you are exposed to his creative expertise?

 

Do or don’t you feel good about learning in this environment or is it just another job and having him around is the only advantage? I doubt it! If he’s that good, am sure the work the agency does is equally interesting and of a high order.

 

The decision is really yours, my friend, but do read my response to your questions more than once.

 

It not anything, it may give you another perspective to learning itself.

 

Remember, even legendary advertising and marketing professionals are as good as they’re work yesterday . This is the environment now.

 

They adapt and continue to excel… and you ? Think before you leap

 

All the best!

 

Jolly good weekend to all of you! Now, stop getting so excited… We are returning next week, same day, same space but with newer questions and taaza answers.

 

Well, thats our job isn’t it? Dear MxM because… We care, we honestly do. 

 

Keep writing to us with all your questions at editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ as the subject…. and do mention the city you currently live in !

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romance’s brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Namaskar and Welcome to this edition of Dear MxM!

 

A couple of days ago, an acquaintance asked me a few questions on my childhood. My place of origin, and other seemingly mundane details of life.

 

I told her I come from Punnayurkulam. Someone had to, right?

 

Seeing her expression, I realised how some people consider all this as significant even in today’s time… Where we come from, where we belong, what language we speak etc are questions still of paramount importance.

 

And yet, we gloat about how location-neutral we are, how well we blend with new cultures and how all of us now belong to a connected world. I guess all this is only for the books and social media, and in reality its is a completely different. 

 

This brings me to my favourite subject, brands and how familiarity plays such an important role in the purchase / consumption decision. Hundreds of brands are launched every week and they vie for space on shelves, and a niche in the human mind.. The marketers eternal battle!

 

Novelty is a major driver of consumer interest today and probably the reason behind the popularity of e-commerce sites, yet when it comes to purchase, the consumer looks for that fragment of familiarity; Be it colour, shape, design, content, advertising or just a recommendation from a friend.

 

Browsing through hundreds of pages on shopping sites is a common pasttime now, and yet when it comes to hitting the ‘buy’ button, it’s most often about what we are familiar with in one way, or the other.

 

Well, that’s the way the brain works, and hence prudent for brand manager’s to to build familiarity in all that is novel !

 

How can this be done one may ask…?

 

Here is where I draw a line…. I can’t tell you that since thats my raison d’être at work 🙂

 

Anyway, for the time bring, we must move to your Questions and our Answers, as always  ‘on the face ‘ each week.

 

Dear MxM; Read on…

 

Qs this week, from the cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai:

Shouldn’t it be mandatory to have resident doctors in media organisations with employees above a certain number? People don’t get the time to visit a doctor given pressures of work, and they neglect their health. Possibly group of organisations should come together and offer this as staff welfare. Actually not just media organisations, but all organisations! What is your view? Is there a legal view? Shouldn’t the municipal corporation also make provisions for doctors in office areas too?

Thank you, my friend, for such a pertinent question. I completely agree with you on this.

 

Today, stress levels have accounted for both acute and chronic conditions in professionals across industries. One the most common nagging problems is the lowering of immunity thanks to indiscriminate use of OTC (over the counter) remedies.

 

You would be surprised to know that the bulk of medicines dispensed by quite a few chemists across the country are non-prescription drugs. These most often include antibiotics, pain-killers, cold and cough syrups etc that are bought with basic usage instructions from chemists etc.

 

Soon enough, the patients/ customers become immune to a lot of antibiotics resulting in secondary infections which doctor’s struggle to contain.

 

While there are legal requirements when it comes to factories etc, there isn’t anything that is rigid when it is regarding corporate offices. Yes, some really large organisations have an infirmary and a visiting doctor but rarely a resident one. I guess the logic being ‘we will cross the bridge when we reach it ‘. And, yes, if the employee has a problem, there is always a referral/ approved hospital to take care of them.

 

Prevention is the answer,and this requires medical professionals. It’s not enough to have a first-aid box or a nurse manning your sick bay. No longer. The viruses aren’t the same, the bacteria doesn’t respond the same way, lifestyles are horrid and medical ignorance is still rampant.

 

Corporates, industries, governments need to do the extra bit for people. Don’t forget they make you what you are. Provide them with the best care. They deserve it.

 

I am a graduate in mechanical engineering from a leading institute. Somewhere during my course, I realised my true calling was copywriting, and I switched to advertising. But often I am ridiculed by people who say that I have wasted public money because I didn’t use the knowledge of my engineering degree. Tell me, Sir, do I need to feel guilty? Have I committed a crime? I have started doing social service to atone for my sins… but is this career switch a sin?

Social service is a good thing to do! I wish I could do more than the little I do now…

 

Ok, now that apart, let me ask you as to who is feeding you with such rubbish? This is your life we’re talking about, and if someone actually believes that making a career choice is a sin, they ought to buy themselves a new copy of a dictionary!

 

Far from it my friend, and I can tell you from my own experience ; I moved from hotel management to frontline sales (blatantly telling people that they are likely to be sick all their lives, if they didn’t drink purified water etc…) and thereafter to the magical world of media.

 

I never looked back after 1987 when I started my career in media. For some strange reason, I did well, quite well apparently, and went on to handle profit centres, brands and all other such fancy sounding responsibilities.

 

In fact, you’re actually saving someone’s money since you realised quick enough and am sure you’re more than thrilled to be writing copy with a careless abandon!

 

Keep mastering your craft at copy and write copy like no one did. And before you realise it, the career will come asking for you.

 

Trust me, this happens. And yes, keep the social service going. Its extremely fulfilling.

 

All the very best,my friend.

 

I was asked this question at an interview on who I think is the best English news reader in the country? Frankly, I don’t respect any of them. What is your view?

I am quite curious to know what your response was to this question 🙂

 

Honestly, this is a very relative question, and it really depends on what persona the viewer carries and expects from a news anchor.

 

Personally, I believe we don’t have great anchors now, since most of them are now de facto business heads of their respective channels. I often wonder what is more significant today, revenue or news ? Thin dividing line. No offence meant to anyone. I am a diehard marketing person and yet believe strongly in the power of content.

 

Having said this, I think I have to give it to Arnab Goswami! No, I don’t like the cacophony of his  predictable annihilation of the guests in the newsroom yet, this man is quite something..

 

He is a tremendous performer who knows his job. He has to push viewership at any cost. He does it with a brutal élan that is more than unique. Audiences switch channels and then bounce back to him since they know a fresh controversy is being raked up. Often from nothing, yet wielding a double edge sword each time.

 

This isn’t his persona. He is soft-spoken and quite unlike the Arnab we see. Yes, he’s a performer with interesting talent. Having said this yes, I would love to see a new breed but can we create them !

 

The other day, a friend in the marketing department of a channel told me that the reason why channels air entertainment shows with regressive themes is that because the public like them. Is this true? Can we not ‘train’ the minds of the masses to like good quality entertainment? Does entertainment have to be vulgar?

Your friend has a point here. Generically, readers and viewers tend to veer towards drama, controversy, domestic discord etc when they need entertainment. It’s really not about being vulgar or crude but more about the kind of stickiness a program can create..

 

Any channel for that matter, needs high viewership in order to monetise their audience through advertising. Hence, it is fairly obvious that programmes that command high TRPs  ( Television Rating Points, the Unit of measure to tabulate viewers preference/ choice of programmes) end up as favourites of the advertisers and consequently the channel.

 

Good quality entertainment does exist and is aired too. It’s just that we don’t know too much about that, since we rarely tune in when they’re broadcast 🙂

 

Audiences can be given great fare, but honestly are they takers ?

 

You need the melancholy, the intrigue, the discord and the deviousness as part of their day’s quota of entertainment.

 

So, it’s best we sit back, smile, and enjoy the wonderful world of marketing and how it can change the way we think, we read and we watch. Amen.

 

Well, all good things need to come to a logical end. In this case, the week’s done !

 

We will be back however with much much more next Thursday, same space . Meanwhile do have a fabulous weekend and eat yourself silly 🙂 Its good for the spirit.

 

Take good care of yourselves and see you soon !

 

And yes, before I forget do inbox us on editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ as the subject. We will read each one of your questions no matter what !

 

Ladies and Gentleman, we do hope you enjoyed reading this weeks edition of Dear MxM. As always we would be more than happy to hear from you with your feedback, comments and suggestions ! 

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romance’s brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

And we are back..! ‘Avanti‘ to the inimitable Dear MxM, the flipside of counselling!

Much patriotism was seen this January 26 with the tricolour splashed all over town.. Cars, toys, apartment blocks, offices and streets all proudly displayed our flag. Felt good indeed!

One also saw a few distraught faces in the crowd later in the evening, who I understand hated this day despite being patriotic! I had reason to agree with them when I figured their grievance… It was a dry day! So much for celebrating the Republic….

India’s come a long way hasn’t it? We’re one of the fastest growing economies of the world and that’s amazing progress! And to think for long our country was only known for its elephants and strange men climbing up ropes that danced to their tune… !

No wonder then, that a world leader in Neuromarketing has pitched tent in India. I was pleasantly surprised to get a connection request on LinkedIn from its Asia head a week ago.

We followed up with a long chat on phone where we discussed fMRI studies, Eye-tracking and EMGs like they were neighbourhood buddies! Felt good that there was finally someone who understood the greek I evangelised time after time for the past decade.

Yes, this isn’t a PR forum but I can’t not mention that Neurons Inc. believes that India has potential and that our consumers will finally be deciphered through Neuromarketing techniques.

While I wish them all success, I must remind them that the Indian consumer isn’t easy to figure unless you have phenomenal gut and experience in this market. You may need a champion to hold your hand for this market that can be treacherous, indifferent and yet prove to be the biggest treasure you ever found. Tread safe, tread well, my friends!

The time has come for us to delve into the unknown, the infinite mind of the Indian consumer…

It takes more than normal research. You need gut and expertise for the future.

 Think, think hard. How much do we really know of the human brain?

 Let me without further ado take you through this week’s Q&A from the cities of Kochi, Mumbai , Chennai and Hyderabad…..Pretty dominated by the South, eh ?

 Simply read on, I say….

You and MxM readers may call this a very stupid question but the anonymity of this forum allows me to ask this: My colleague and I travel on the same bus and sit alongside on the bus as well as in office. I find that he has had a bad cold for over a month and thanks to that I also keep sniffing and have had my round of cough-and-cold. I would like him to sit away from me, but that will mean that I will have to involve the HR/ admin departments. Sir, what do I do?

Well, well! Quite an unusual question indeed. I didn’t ever imagine the common cold would be a centre point of HR controversy ! Wonders will never cease I guess.

So you do what is obvious! Change the bus 🙂

Well, if you can’t, then it may make sense to carry a mask with you and wear it the moment your colleague sits next to you. This may be a simple yet effective signal to him to keep off!

If he doesn’t buy that he’s indeed a tough nut to crack, hence go onto turbo, and get him a mask too!

God forbid he’s a serial infector, the only way left is to carry some cold medication with you and probably start sniffing eucalyptus and such wonders of nature once every hour.

Sorry, no more! Get the damn guy here and we will poke some sense into him. Amen.

My final placements are happening, and I find that many companies are paying very bad – especially ad agency and news companies. What should I do, Sir?

Hmmm. Am not sure if you’re completing a Bachelor’s/ Master’s programme but, yes, I know what you mean. Either way, compensation needs to be commensurate with effort considering what the grind is like at good colleges.

I am guilty of hiring many smart kids from leading institutes at salaries often less than what they deserved but that’s what company policy demanded!

Nothing is lost however, and it’s prudent to start being pro-active and applying directly . Am sure with a bit of research you will armed with a good target list.

If not, let us know and we would be happy to give you a list of the companies that could be prospect.

There isn’t anything to be diffident about. Walk head high and let those CVs roll! Soon enough, am sure you’ll be deciding on which company to accept 🙂

Do well, my friend. God Bless.

Sir, for the last three months in my new job the only time I get to meet my boss is when I am organising coffee for him. And this is at least five times a day. Shouldn’t organisations have some rules on what kind of work they should give to entry-level professionals?

To be honest, this is a question I could very well answer in two simple words; Move on!!

Oh boy! Yes I know what this feels like. I have been privy to people asking me to measure their waist in order to get some bunch of trousers altered to go over that mighty abdomen!

Yes, I cringed too each time and yet toed the line for a short while. Beyond that I decided I won’t take it any longer and went in search of my calling…

I was fortunate. I had the audacity to leave all that mattered to life overnight, and start from the basics. Soon enough I realised that all that meant nothing. As long as you have craft, the world will make room for you!

If making coffee is what they expect you to do, it’s obvious that they don’t mean business. And such an environment breeds nothing but coffee, if at all !

Don’t think twice. It doesn’t matter if you get no time with your boss. He in any case doesn’t know what he’s doing! Go for it buddy …

Nothing will stop you. All the best friend !

Sir, my office has relocated to a place where there are many coaching classes. One teaches French, another teaches German and a third one offers a Part-time MBA. What course do you think is advisable for an ad-sales professional with 5 years experience ?

Hey! That sounds like an interesting neighbourhood.

If you’re planning on working in Europe then one of the languages may certainly help but within India, a foreign language is unlikely to add a fillip to your career.

Hence, undoubtedly the part-time MBA would be a better option, provided of course, that the institute is reputed and has a strong academic focus. This learning will certainly add to your practical expertise and provide you with an easier point of entry when you move jobs.

It also comes in handy to add such qualifications to your CV since they are valued even for appraisals within your existing company.

However, like I said, it’s important to check the credentials of the Institute before you invest your money and time. More so in view of the huge number of ‘fly by night’ academic institutes that keep popping up in some part of the country !

Well, the long and short of this, is that learning will always hold you in good stead.

Go burn it!

 

Not to worry if you haven’t got one of those awards this Republic Day; There is much to celebrate in life and its happiness is as simple as recognising this…

So, just go and have a fantastic weekend and yes, we will be back next Thursday with a taaza edition of ‘your friendly neighbourhood’ agony uncle !

 And till then keep questioning us at editor@mxmindia.com !

 

Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist, eats, sleeps and romance’s brands. His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 

Allo and welcome back to yet another edition of Dear MxM, unarguably India’s most candidly funny counsellor! May the force be with us. Amen.

 

Quite recently, while researching my pet subject cognitive neuroscience, I came across some fantastic recent insights into what the few decades hold in store..

 

‘Neuromarketing’ is slated to be the ‘Holy Grail’ of marketing and advertising in the future and contrary to what you ay think , the future is already here! So the quicker we all adapt to it, the softer will be the blow.

 

Whoever thought for instance that  ‘confabulation’ would upset the apple cart for brands time and again… but that’s the truth.

 

‘Confabulation’ in psychiatry terminology is the falsification of information and creation of stories to fit into gaps that occur from loss of memory etc.

 

Almost all current research methodology focusses on either personal interviews, focus group discussions or surveys, all of which are highly dependant on the respondent’s answers.

 

That’s where ‘confabulation’ takes centre stage, leaving the unsuspecting researcher churn all this data, run fancy algorithms to find patters than govern purchase decisions and action.

 

Unfortunately. once these brands are on the shelf, nothing of this sort takes place and the consumer is as indifferent as ever. The answers are rarely found. It’s the ‘fill in the blanks’ in the consumer’s mind that defies logic, algorithms and marketing excellence.

 

And this is where behavioural economics and ‘Neuro-Understanding’ hold the key.

This isn’t a rhetorical strategy. It’s highly researched methodology coupled with deep understanding of the brain to give accurate answers. These are the signals we are going to look for, be it an advertising campaign or a brand launch exercise.

 

Ladies and Gentleman, the future is here. Don’t ignore these signs, for if you do, it will be akin to what the brilliant astronomer Galileo Galilei said much before our time ….

 

“ I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use “

 

So, cerebral kept aside for the moment, its Q&A time with write-ins from Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mumbai and Hyderabad this week.

 

Read on friends, read on!

 

Sir, I am just a graduate with an excellent track record. I am now working. Do you think it will help if do a postgraduate programme in media?

Why do you sound so diffident with a graduation under your belt? It’s all finally about the individual. Yes a good degree helps at the point of entry more than anything else. If you have a good track record and you’re happy with the work you’re doing, there is nothing else that you need to worry about.

 

Having said this, a postgraduation (from a reputed institute ) will build fresh perspective and probably give you a strong academic foundation to your work ahead. Yes, it also helps get you a better break with a good company. But do remember a PG is not life-changing and the only thing that can make a vast difference is You !

 

At the risk of sounding repetitive, ‘Master the Craft and the Career will Follow’. Sweet nothing can stop you.

 

All good wishes to you for a highly successful career ahead. Walk head high, my friend !

 

My wife and I are journalists. I have been urging her to continue her work as she earns twice of what I do and I will sit and manage our kid… like in the Raymond ad. But day after day. My wife says that Indian society does not accept the concept of “house husbands”. Sir, I don’t know if you answer such questions in Dear MxM. But please do….

I wonder if your inspiration was the ad campaign or was it for other reasons?

 

All the same, you are absolutely right and there is absolutely no reason why a husband can’t take over the house and all duties associated with it. Yes, it’s not customary, and does not conform to old school thought, but how does it matter?

 

The important thing is, for both of you to be happy and share responsibility, growing with the good and ‘not-so-good’ times. I can assure you, that Indian society will accept this quite soon, and even if they don’t, it’s not going to make any difference. The society doesn’t run our lives. We do.

 

If you ask me, It’s quite unfortunate that a good journalist like your wife is constrained to stay away from her calling, all to fall in line with stereotyped thinking. I do hope the imbroglio is comes to its logical end soon.

 

I wish the both of you all happiness ahead.

 

Sir, your website has statistics proving that magazines have de-grown in the last few years in terms of advertising spends. I work with a leading national newsmagazine. What should I do?

Well I would imagine, you are already facing this reality every day at work. Yes, globally the magazine market has taken a steady beating over the past decade.

 

Contrary to what people may think, this isn’t about the genre or quality of one magazine over the other. It’s the entire segment which has seen its advertising move to television and the online space.

 

Magazines as you are aware, is essentially a leisure medium that demands a fair amount of time. Hence with the advent of satellite television and high speed internet, spare time got divided between several mediums both active and passive. The obvious fall-out were the magazines, since the other two were far more involving and provided infinite variety to quench the desire for change.

 

Hence, to be honest I wouldn’t remain in this segment too long since, it may deprive me of the challenge and excitement of a more fast paced market.

 

Moreover, in your case it’s a news magazine which is a genre that is nearing extinction.The interest in long analytical stories has dwindled and media today is about delivering short, crisp bits and bytes of information to keep the consumer’s informed.

 

Move on, my friend. You have a life ahead of you.

 

All good wishes for a great media career ahead!

 

Sir, since you worked with leading media groups, I want to ask you this question: are film awards rigged? Please answer truthfully.

Ha ha. Answer truthfully, I believe! What gives you the impression I don’t?

 

Let me at first clarify, that by working in a large media house, one is not necessarily involved in any of their industry awards. Yes, I have worked on several large format events that included awards and contests, but fortunately miles away ( in spirit ) from the hallowed judges arena.

 

But more importantly, why are you complicating my life, young man? I mean, I have a rough time answering complex questions already, and the last thing I need, is to get one of those Shoaib Akhtar missiles coming straight at my solar plexus!

 

Jokes apart, that’s a smart question buddy!

 

To be honest, I have no clue as to what really happens behind the scenes. Popularity is a major factor I would imagine, and this can skew even the jury’s thought process.

 

Having said this, I must add that all contests and awards across the globe face the same criticism and this normally originates from nominees and their brethren, who haven’t been at the receiving end of an award or fame.

 

Personally, I would take a lot of this kind of buzz with a pinch of salt, though, yes, sometimes the powers that are, can be ‘spot on’ in predicting the list of winners at some of these ceremonies.

 

And, yes, the sixth sense is a powerful tool too, or so I am told. And if nothing works, just redo the maths. Now, that’s what I call the smart sense!

 

Simply, have a splendid weekend with much fun and cheer I say ! Not to worry folks, we will be back next week with much much more. And yes, all this will be for you..

 

Dear MxM ; Only because we care !

 

And yes, do inbox us with your questions on editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ in the subject line and yes, I promise to read every single question. We honestly do !

 

Jaisurya Das, maverick and media evangelist, eats, sleeps and makes love to brands. His consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.

 

By Jaisurya Das

 Hello and welcome to a wonderfully hap-hap hooray week !

Quite recently, I heard a gem from the man with the flowing robes, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev who was in conversation with actress Juhi Chawla…

 We don’t realise he said, that the most important thing in ‘life’ is ‘life’ itself!! It’s so true when you think of it…

 Most of our lives are spent on aspiring for, and acquiring symbols of success, be it cars, houses or fancy jobs and then one fine day, nothing else but one’s existence matters. The dichotomy of life, witnessed each day of our infinite trudge through what we call living…!

And, somewhere in the midst of all this, good cheer and laughter disappear….

Smiles become increasingly artificial and conversation’s stilted with nothing beyond the customary exchange of pleasantries. Everything becomes a task, so much so that, even spending time with your own assumes the role of a time slotted task! One more tick off your daily calendar.

Lot of this rat race is the negativity that lingers in the air we breathe.. We wake up to the mayhem in our world, followed by the world at large, day after day. It can be quite tiring you know, and what is worse, is that our eyes and ears will soon only recognise this sombre genre of news and information.

 If it’s sad or horrible, then it’s for me to know… Appalling isn’t it? But this is exactly how most of our lives are lived now. Negativity attracts negativity, unfortunately. Stop. Think. We don’t need this any more!!

May be the time is just right for a ‘sunshine take on news’, the flip side of life and news around it…

It felt nice to see my good friend Pradyuman Maheshwari (who also spearheads this site) is now partnering a venture that powers ‘Happ Post’ which as the name suggests is an app whose raison d’être is good news! Simple, unpretentious and yet has great intentions. I am still unclear though, on ‘how and what’ they define as happy news but thats alright. Am sure soon enough, one of us will figure !

All the best guys ! May ‘Happ Post’ bring us all good tidings.

You know sometimes, the simplest of things can have the largest impact.

And, on that simple note of happiness, we shall dive into the Q&A for this 2nd week of 2016.

Enjoy reading it. We do, each time, every time….

Would it be right to say that the kids of today aren’t disciplined as we would be 20-30 years back?

Ha! Now this a question I like, though there is a strong chance that I shall be under major flak from my own children.

Having said that, to be honest I don’t think that is right. It’s more about adapting to the world around them that makes them seem disobedient. Peer pressure is at its highest now, and whether the children agree or not, they are all guided by their circle of companionship.

So, whether it’s going for a really late night movie or attending ‘that friend’s’ party and sleeping over, it’s about being ‘in with the rest of the gang’.

Two or three decades ago, things weren’t the same. ‘Gangs’ were smaller, more sedate, and rarely did anything that wasn’t time tested. They were

And even if all that was in place, there was really no place to go!!!

 Discipline is relative, and hence tough to elucidate here, yet safety and well-being is a major concern that needs to be addressed through frequent communication with children.

 And, yes, just as they are trying their best to adapt to the madness that is life, it’s important we as parents/ elders adapt as well to current times and our lovely children. God bless them all, always.

 

I live in Shillong and a music writer. While the rock scene rocks here, I am told you hit it big time only if you are in Mumbai or Delhi. Please advise

You have a point there, though I wouldn’t restrict it to only Mumbai and Delhi. Plenty of other cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Kochi etc have given birth to fantastic bands and musicians.

I am aware of Shillong’s penchant for rock, yet it may not be a great market for you long-term from a career perspective. Hence it may be a good idea to check out other cities as well.

This could also work in your favour by opening up opportunities to write for other genres besides rock.

You would obviously be dabbling already into other areas and a move may give you enough exposure. Additionally you would get an opportunity to interact and work with varied musicians.

I mention this, since most bands write their own music in India at least. I may be wrong but this is the impression I have, having interacted with a few bands and musicians.

Hence, if I were you, a trip to key music markets would be in order. Spend a few days, connect, soak in the music , the environs and the culture. Soon enough you will have your destination in place. And once you do, don’t think. Just move !

Mobility is an important catalyst for growth.

 

Why is it that the business models in media are so warped that salary levels are so low?

Wait a minute, my friend ! Whoever told you that media business models are warped. If this were true, India wouldn’t be home to one of the largest media groups in the world

Or for that matter several groups who are very profitable and have very strong business models too…

Salaries aren’t great, yet not frightfully low. This is as much as I will agree with your view, my friend. Yes, salaries can get better and am sure they will considering how they have grown in the past decade.

This has lots to do with the economy, the propensity to spend on marketing, the wealth to do so and the demand : supply ratio.

With the kind of population we have, coupled with the humungous number of professionals we throw up year on year, it’s not surprising that earnings haven’t matched the greater developed continents! Get 50 of the top US companies into India and I can assure you that in 24 months flat they would be revoking their global compensation policy.

Give our country a chance! Give it the patience and faith you have in greener pastures and believe me, much will happen.

 

Sir, Do you see a greater consolidation happening in digital agencies? Please enlighten us.

No, I don’t . Digital is on a good trajectory and there is no reason why the smaller agencies can’t do good work and complement the larger players.

Consolidation, in my opinion, is most often a side-effect of a shrinking marketplace. In the current context there is more than enough room for everyone to co-exist and prosper.

Yes, such a move can happen when India attains a decent enough level of digital maturity which would mean a couple of years for sure.

Having said this, one would probably see a few instances of mergers and acquisitions in digital akin to SVG buying out the Indian’s business of Komli Media last year, but I don’t expect this to change the fortunes of the smaller players.

 

Not a bad start for the year, what say? More cheer, more apps and more things happy….

 

So, put on your dancing shoes and take on the year with a smile ..

 

And yes, do take good care of yourselves till we meet next week … Au Revoir !

 

Meanwhile, you can mail us 24/7 at editor@mxmindia.com with ‘dear mxm’ in the subject line and we would be more than happy to answer your questions !

 

Jaisurya Das, maverick and media evangelist, eats, sleeps and makes love to brands. His consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. The views expressed in this column are his.