There is a new guy in the world of ‘brand ambassadors’ in advertising. He is a quirky little character named Mel, who suffers from an identity crisis, for he does not know whether he is milk or granola. To put it in short, Kraft has launched a new product ‘MilkBites’, which is actually granola bites baked in milk. It’s supposed to be for people who don’t have time for breakfast. But this MilkBite needs to be stored in a refrigerator, so it’s a ‘pre-made, refrigerated cereal’. It’s a complicated product, which required a different positioning; for here is a cereal, which has to be picked up from a refrigerator in a departmental store! So Kraft decided to use this strange positioning to its advantage and came up with the character Mel, who battles with low self-esteem and deals with identity issues (something we too battle with often!). The character Mel is turning out to be an interesting fellow as you get to know him better through various advertisements; where he tells the story of his confused life, and in the process, also tells us how he is to be consumed.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Business is Marketing: BRANDING THE MAHABHARATA WAY!
Business is Marketing: BRANDING THE MAHABHARATA WAY!:
All About Business Strategy... Well, Almost...: ALLOW THE VALUES IN, AND WEALTH FOLLOWS
All About Business Strategy... Well, Almost...: ALLOW THE VALUES IN, AND WEALTH FOLLOWS:
One is reminded of the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “My life is my message.” The success of a cult entrepreneur is driven by his passion and zeal for a vision, a passion that transcends short term blips, analyst forecasts, quarterly shocks, economic malaise, et al. For Murthy, his personal ‘larger than life’ vision (apart from the Infosys’ vision) was linked to eradication of poverty. Unlike the anti-capitalist mindset that prevailed in the 1980s, Murthy was convinced that entrepreneurship and capitalism are the ways to take India ahead. He calls Infosys his experiment in entrepreneurship. Even when he moved on from Infosys, he decided to devote his energies to fostering entrepreneurship in India, which led to the formation of his VC firm Catamaran Ventures.
Read more: http://a--sandeep.blogspot.in/2012/02/allow-values-in-and-wealth-follows.html
One is reminded of the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “My life is my message.” The success of a cult entrepreneur is driven by his passion and zeal for a vision, a passion that transcends short term blips, analyst forecasts, quarterly shocks, economic malaise, et al. For Murthy, his personal ‘larger than life’ vision (apart from the Infosys’ vision) was linked to eradication of poverty. Unlike the anti-capitalist mindset that prevailed in the 1980s, Murthy was convinced that entrepreneurship and capitalism are the ways to take India ahead. He calls Infosys his experiment in entrepreneurship. Even when he moved on from Infosys, he decided to devote his energies to fostering entrepreneurship in India, which led to the formation of his VC firm Catamaran Ventures.
Read more: http://a--sandeep.blogspot.in/2012/02/allow-values-in-and-wealth-follows.html
Passionate About India: Time to give more than the standard election-time ...
Passionate About India: Time to give more than the standard election-time ...:
With state elections gaining heat, the farmer community of India would again, suddenly find themselves in the thick of all attention.This pocket of population that is usually sidelined, would again find themselves at the top of all political manifestos. And why not! When farmers constitute 60 per cent of the entire population, no political party can ignore this huge vote bank. And ironically, in spite of their seasonal electoral importance, the very same people are left in the lurch post the elections. Today, this one sector employs almost 60 per cent of the entire population, yet contributes merely 17 per cent to our national income! Shamelessly, our successive governments have succeeded in keeping a majority of them marginalised, bereft of even basic amenities, which are required for day-to-day sustenance.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/time-to-give-more-than-standard.html
With state elections gaining heat, the farmer community of India would again, suddenly find themselves in the thick of all attention.This pocket of population that is usually sidelined, would again find themselves at the top of all political manifestos. And why not! When farmers constitute 60 per cent of the entire population, no political party can ignore this huge vote bank. And ironically, in spite of their seasonal electoral importance, the very same people are left in the lurch post the elections. Today, this one sector employs almost 60 per cent of the entire population, yet contributes merely 17 per cent to our national income! Shamelessly, our successive governments have succeeded in keeping a majority of them marginalised, bereft of even basic amenities, which are required for day-to-day sustenance.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/time-to-give-more-than-standard.html
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Sutanu Guru: OUR STUPID OBSESSION WITH NARENDRA MODI
Sutanu Guru: OUR STUPID OBSESSION WITH NARENDRA MODI:
So Modi as Ravana will become the leitmotif for India in the coming weeks. But don’t you honestly think we are going too far in our obsession to demonise the man? And that we are belittling ourselves and India in the bargain? I wont repeat stuff about how our media conveniently ignores the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and the myriad massacres of Muslims in the (then) Bombay, in Bhagalpur, in Nellie, in Meerut and many other places in which surely Narendra Modi was not the ‘mastermind’ (there goes another word).
Read more: http://sutanu-guru.blogspot.in/2012/02/our-stupid-obsession-with-narendra-modi.html
So Modi as Ravana will become the leitmotif for India in the coming weeks. But don’t you honestly think we are going too far in our obsession to demonise the man? And that we are belittling ourselves and India in the bargain? I wont repeat stuff about how our media conveniently ignores the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and the myriad massacres of Muslims in the (then) Bombay, in Bhagalpur, in Nellie, in Meerut and many other places in which surely Narendra Modi was not the ‘mastermind’ (there goes another word).
Read more: http://sutanu-guru.blogspot.in/2012/02/our-stupid-obsession-with-narendra-modi.html
Typos: DEATH OF A DREAM
Typos: DEATH OF A DREAM:
The pall-bearers who carried those Khidmatgars who managed to get a burial were not carrying the mere corpse of a Khidmatgar but the corpse of a dream and a world of possibilities that will now never come to be. The ideals of spiritual non-violence and moral courage have been replaced by gun toting religious bigotry in the region. A land and a people that had once been a fountain of hope and inspiration has now become a cesspool of violence, oppression and despair.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/death-of-dream.html
The pall-bearers who carried those Khidmatgars who managed to get a burial were not carrying the mere corpse of a Khidmatgar but the corpse of a dream and a world of possibilities that will now never come to be. The ideals of spiritual non-violence and moral courage have been replaced by gun toting religious bigotry in the region. A land and a people that had once been a fountain of hope and inspiration has now become a cesspool of violence, oppression and despair.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/death-of-dream.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BLACK BANKS
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BLACK BANKS:
All in all, thousands of such cases of fraud accounts and irrational bank loans (to real estate dealers) in exchange of a fixed percentage by bank officials are overlooked and most of the time never gets unearthed! Bank loans against and for bogus property and assets are the fastest and most convenient way of swindling money. In such case neither the money received by the bank officials nor money received by the recipient are accountable. And above all, this money is not of anyone else but millions of middle class families who keep their money as savings in banks. If one goes by the sheer intensity if such cases one can easily find a mini Swiss Bank in each city of India!
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/black-banks.html
All in all, thousands of such cases of fraud accounts and irrational bank loans (to real estate dealers) in exchange of a fixed percentage by bank officials are overlooked and most of the time never gets unearthed! Bank loans against and for bogus property and assets are the fastest and most convenient way of swindling money. In such case neither the money received by the bank officials nor money received by the recipient are accountable. And above all, this money is not of anyone else but millions of middle class families who keep their money as savings in banks. If one goes by the sheer intensity if such cases one can easily find a mini Swiss Bank in each city of India!
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/black-banks.html
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Typos: A STORY FROM THE MARKET OF STORY-TELLERS
Typos: A STORY FROM THE MARKET OF STORY-TELLERS:
This is the tragic story of their greatest glory. The story begins with the arrest of Khan Abdul Ghaff ar Khan, the tall soldier of peace and pacifism on April 23rd,1930. Ghaff ar Khan, a Pashtun (Pathan) leader whose spiritual integrity and commitment to non-violence and the cause of Undivided India’s independence had won him the devotion of thousands of his countrymen, especially Pathans, had started a social reform movement with his band of 100,000 followers, a non-violent army called the Khudai Khidmatgars (servants of God).
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/story-from-market-of-story-tellers.html
This is the tragic story of their greatest glory. The story begins with the arrest of Khan Abdul Ghaff ar Khan, the tall soldier of peace and pacifism on April 23rd,1930. Ghaff ar Khan, a Pashtun (Pathan) leader whose spiritual integrity and commitment to non-violence and the cause of Undivided India’s independence had won him the devotion of thousands of his countrymen, especially Pathans, had started a social reform movement with his band of 100,000 followers, a non-violent army called the Khudai Khidmatgars (servants of God).
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/story-from-market-of-story-tellers.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: THE ELECTION BAZAAR
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: THE ELECTION BAZAAR:
The era of booth capturing and road blocking has gone. Today, a huge amount of illicit money has been channelised through election campaigning, lobbying, cash distribution, bribes and above all in scandals in the lines of ‘cash-for-vote.’ Over 80 countries today follow the concept of state-funded elections to dodge such malpractices during elections.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/election-bazaar.html
The era of booth capturing and road blocking has gone. Today, a huge amount of illicit money has been channelised through election campaigning, lobbying, cash distribution, bribes and above all in scandals in the lines of ‘cash-for-vote.’ Over 80 countries today follow the concept of state-funded elections to dodge such malpractices during elections.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/election-bazaar.html
Passionate About India: Between the Indian customs department and the Chin...
Passionate About India: Between the Indian customs department and the Chin...:
Consider the case of Manish Rewari. He has been doing business in exactly the same town of China for years now. And swears by the advantages that China gives him in his business as he shows off a fascinating watch that he is wearing while narrating his story! He had first seen the same watch in a wholesale outlet in Karol Bagh (a shoppers’ paradise near Central Delhi). The shopkeeper quoted Rs.22k as the best price for the watch to Manish. Not be outdone like normal customers, this China believer – in his next trip to Yiwu – went around various shops and found out exactly the same watch. And the price for a single piece was Rs.2.5k; and for bulk order of more than a hundred pieces, Rs.1.2k per piece. A watch enthusiast, he picked up only one watch for his consumption.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/between-indian-customs-department-and.html
Consider the case of Manish Rewari. He has been doing business in exactly the same town of China for years now. And swears by the advantages that China gives him in his business as he shows off a fascinating watch that he is wearing while narrating his story! He had first seen the same watch in a wholesale outlet in Karol Bagh (a shoppers’ paradise near Central Delhi). The shopkeeper quoted Rs.22k as the best price for the watch to Manish. Not be outdone like normal customers, this China believer – in his next trip to Yiwu – went around various shops and found out exactly the same watch. And the price for a single piece was Rs.2.5k; and for bulk order of more than a hundred pieces, Rs.1.2k per piece. A watch enthusiast, he picked up only one watch for his consumption.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/between-indian-customs-department-and.html
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Advertising - Big Idea: LETTER VERSUS SPIRIT
Advertising - Big Idea: LETTER VERSUS SPIRIT:
The gurus of advertising have repeatedly said that underpromise, overdeliver. At least don't promise what you can't deliver. Given the killing effects of competition, is Coca Cola slowly but surely revoking the voluntary decision they had taken on a global scale? I don't have the answer to that. All I can tell is that I love the song, but won't let my kids have the drink. Over to you, gentle reader...!
Read more: http://monojitlahiri.blogspot.in/2012/02/letter-versus-spirit.html
The gurus of advertising have repeatedly said that underpromise, overdeliver. At least don't promise what you can't deliver. Given the killing effects of competition, is Coca Cola slowly but surely revoking the voluntary decision they had taken on a global scale? I don't have the answer to that. All I can tell is that I love the song, but won't let my kids have the drink. Over to you, gentle reader...!
Read more: http://monojitlahiri.blogspot.in/2012/02/letter-versus-spirit.html
Thursday, 9 February 2012
The Fascinating World of Marketing: THE ENIGMATIC INDIAN (MALE) CONSUMER
The Fascinating World of Marketing: THE ENIGMATIC INDIAN (MALE) CONSUMER:
Purchases are decided and made jointly. He rarely buys on impulse and plans a lot. Naturally he is game for household gadgets, family oriented consumption items, and, when single, productivity enhancing devices. He is driven by quality and buys rationally. He truly epitomizes the Raymond’s complete man. He would like to drive a diesel sedan which is neither too flashy nor too dowdy.
Read more: http://kk-srivastava.blogspot.in/2012/02/enigmatic-indian-male-consumer.html
Business is Marketing: SUPER ADS, AT THE SUPER BOWL
Business is Marketing: SUPER ADS, AT THE SUPER BOWL:
Sunday, February 5, was a big day for advertisers in America. The Super Bowl, the most watched show on TV, was aired that day. For the third year in a row, Super Bowl has set the record as the most watched television show in US history. Not just the game, the Super Bowl has become a showcase of some of the most remarkable advertisements, and people wait to see the commercials aired during this time as much as the game. After all, some of the most iconic ads have made their debut here. This year also witnessed some of the best ads and taught us a thing or two about what good ads are made of.
Read more: http://rajitachaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/super-ads-at-super-bowl.html
Sunday, February 5, was a big day for advertisers in America. The Super Bowl, the most watched show on TV, was aired that day. For the third year in a row, Super Bowl has set the record as the most watched television show in US history. Not just the game, the Super Bowl has become a showcase of some of the most remarkable advertisements, and people wait to see the commercials aired during this time as much as the game. After all, some of the most iconic ads have made their debut here. This year also witnessed some of the best ads and taught us a thing or two about what good ads are made of.
Read more: http://rajitachaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/super-ads-at-super-bowl.html
Passionate About India: The 99.97% man and the lessons we can learn from h...
Passionate About India: The 99.97% man and the lessons we can learn from h...:
Ever since the American economy went bust and the European economy has been going down, it’s sad to see my favorite magazine, The Economist, frantically trying to defend the wrong and go wrong by criticising the right. Time and again. Just a handful of weeks ago, in their frantic effort to criticize everything Chinese and everything non-market oriented, The Economist did a cover story called The Rise of State Capitalism (January 21-27, 2012). Basically, the story talked about how economies like China and even India are becoming more dependent on large public sector units and how this is bad blah blah. The obvious supposed scare is that public sector corporations are inefficient, have time overruns, invariably have cost overruns, have ingrained corruption and so on! The real scare is the growing might of China, of course!
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/9997pc-man-and-lessons-we-can-learn.html
Ever since the American economy went bust and the European economy has been going down, it’s sad to see my favorite magazine, The Economist, frantically trying to defend the wrong and go wrong by criticising the right. Time and again. Just a handful of weeks ago, in their frantic effort to criticize everything Chinese and everything non-market oriented, The Economist did a cover story called The Rise of State Capitalism (January 21-27, 2012). Basically, the story talked about how economies like China and even India are becoming more dependent on large public sector units and how this is bad blah blah. The obvious supposed scare is that public sector corporations are inefficient, have time overruns, invariably have cost overruns, have ingrained corruption and so on! The real scare is the growing might of China, of course!
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/02/9997pc-man-and-lessons-we-can-learn.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: TAINTED TENDER
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: TAINTED TENDER:
Most of the scams that creep in governmental projects are through tenders and more because as our system is completely opaque and perfectly designed to suit the convenience of the current tendering process. The process of tendering should be urgently made transparent and automated. It’s imperative to eliminate human interference and allow technology to choose the eligible bidders. Moreover, no contractors should be allowed extra time and extra money post bidding and in case of such demand, a heavy fine should be imposed. This would keep non-genuine bidders at bay and the tenders would make meaningful impact on the economy.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/tainted-tender.html
Most of the scams that creep in governmental projects are through tenders and more because as our system is completely opaque and perfectly designed to suit the convenience of the current tendering process. The process of tendering should be urgently made transparent and automated. It’s imperative to eliminate human interference and allow technology to choose the eligible bidders. Moreover, no contractors should be allowed extra time and extra money post bidding and in case of such demand, a heavy fine should be imposed. This would keep non-genuine bidders at bay and the tenders would make meaningful impact on the economy.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/tainted-tender.html
Typos: BETWEEN KILLER CELLS AND A YELLOW SEAT
Typos: BETWEEN KILLER CELLS AND A YELLOW SEAT:
Right now, while you are reading these words, Yuvraj Singh would be sitting in bed with a copy of Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About The Bike, reading through his favourite passages, trying to prepare himself for the arduous months ahead. Indeed, Armstrong’s account of his battle with testicular cancer, a condition so severe that doctors gave him less than 40% chance of survival, and subsequent Tour de France triumph is one of the most inspiring stories in the history of man.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/between-killer-cells-and-yellow-seat.html
Right now, while you are reading these words, Yuvraj Singh would be sitting in bed with a copy of Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About The Bike, reading through his favourite passages, trying to prepare himself for the arduous months ahead. Indeed, Armstrong’s account of his battle with testicular cancer, a condition so severe that doctors gave him less than 40% chance of survival, and subsequent Tour de France triumph is one of the most inspiring stories in the history of man.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/between-killer-cells-and-yellow-seat.html
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Passionate About India: Why Chinese students come out at the top while Ind...
Passionate About India: Why Chinese students come out at the top while Ind...:
A handful of weeks back, in the ACER PISA test – the OECD's annual global assessment of students' skills (for South and South East Asia) – India came second from the bottom defeating Kyrgyzstan while China topped the list. This acts as the final nail in the coffin of India’s dented education system. In spite of arrays of pan-Indian educational programs, India still has not been able to make education inclusive for all. On the contrary, China since the last four decades has been rolling out ambitious plans to revamp their education system, which is evident from the way they are storming into global rankings.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Typos: MALICE IN WONDERLAND
Typos: MALICE IN WONDERLAND:
Pertinent questions all, and I’m going to spend the week to come searching for answers in the offices of the Central Zoo Authority, in the placards and slogans of animal rights activists, in eyes that peer at us from behind bars that hold the innocent, and in the corridors of my own heart. And whatever the answers may be, once I find them, I will come running to you, so that together we can change the world… one more time!
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/malice-in-wonderland.html
Pertinent questions all, and I’m going to spend the week to come searching for answers in the offices of the Central Zoo Authority, in the placards and slogans of animal rights activists, in eyes that peer at us from behind bars that hold the innocent, and in the corridors of my own heart. And whatever the answers may be, once I find them, I will come running to you, so that together we can change the world… one more time!
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/02/malice-in-wonderland.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: THE BIG C
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: THE BIG C:
Higher denominations attract higher amount of fake currencies which are being pumped into the economy. The financial channels of India have recorded a massive 400 per cent increase in counterfeit transactions, according to a report by Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Union Finance Ministry compiled for 2010-11. FIU further revealed that majority of these fake currencies is in 500 rupee denominations consisting of 60.74 per cent of the total amount. The number of fake 1,000 rupee notes is also rising rapidly. In June 2011, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized fake currency (with a face value) of Rs.1.54 crore in which the counterfeit currency was in the denomination of Rs.500. As per a white paper prepared Research and Analysis Wing and the Central Bureau of Investigation, very shockingly, one in every four 1000 rupees notes is fake.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/big-c.html
Higher denominations attract higher amount of fake currencies which are being pumped into the economy. The financial channels of India have recorded a massive 400 per cent increase in counterfeit transactions, according to a report by Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Union Finance Ministry compiled for 2010-11. FIU further revealed that majority of these fake currencies is in 500 rupee denominations consisting of 60.74 per cent of the total amount. The number of fake 1,000 rupee notes is also rising rapidly. In June 2011, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized fake currency (with a face value) of Rs.1.54 crore in which the counterfeit currency was in the denomination of Rs.500. As per a white paper prepared Research and Analysis Wing and the Central Bureau of Investigation, very shockingly, one in every four 1000 rupees notes is fake.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/02/big-c.html
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