Girly Games

Now let’s not get too imaginative. That’s Zapak’s new venture – zapakgirls.com an online gaming portal exclusively for women. Post their successful launch of zapak.com, this gaming portal’s database showed 10% of their users were women. In order to capture a larger chunk of gamers belonging to the fairer sex, they launched zapakgirls.com. Men have always been skeptical of women’s gaming skills and this site is like their echo. In their heads all women are terrible gamers just like they are bad drivers.

No denying, the number of male gamers on the cyber space out number the women, but no serious woman in her right mind would want to play Barbie!!!

When I indulge my sudden sporadic interest in gaming, I would much rather play mind-bending games and loose than help Easter bunny find his eggs. They claim ‘girls play smarter’ then why would any girl be on zapakgirls.com if that statement held any truth! Developing a gaming site entirely for women is as good as equating her talent to that of a nose picker and equating her IQ to that of an ant.

The portal’s main focus is games for girls, and hence the site has employed all the stereo typical (pink logo) and subliminal messaging (Astrology, girly forums etc.) to drive home their point.

Zapakgirls.com is looking at adopting 4 models of advertising - banner advertising, in-game advertising, advergaming and sponsorships. It will be interesting to see who would pay to advertise on this portal. We could probably spot damsels in distress / super woman / candy floss girl sporting pretty branded lingerie or waving their tangle free hair after using the newest serum in the market. And maybe when they pause in between their snowy adventures to catch their breath they could also discuss their boyfriends. How incredibly cute!

On the flip side maybe the website is intended for frivolous gamers who would much rather pelt paint pellets than wonder how to assemble an army and deploy resources and take the enemy by surprise, all this while grappling with various keys on the key board. If it’s a stress buster then I would much rather see cute teddies than gory mutilated dead bodies.

Since there are not too many women obsessed with gaming Zapak did the obvious, added astrology and girl talk. Like every other girl I read my astrology daily and it only makes sense to have it on the site, that way they are assured of footfalls from non-gamers as well.

This definitely is a first of its kind venture and is a battle of wits. The site has hosted its beta version and is yet to get fully operational. Are they flattering or infuriating? Only women with time on their hands to kill can tell.

Triple Action Formula

‘Triple action formula’ Chinmoye read out aloud. I turned around to find him holding my Renu lens solution.

‘You marketing types are obsessed with multi-attribute branding – Single Action doesn’t exist anymore.’ He laughed

‘A Mobile phone that serves as a camera and mp3 player too. Mosquito repellent that also serves as a room freshner. Toothpaste that not only gives you good breadth and great smile but also protects your teeth from decay, gums from bleeding and whole lot of other things, at least so the ad claims! I dread the day I would pick up a toothpaste which also claims to be shaving cream!’ He pointed out.

I can’t disagree with what he said, but I don’t blame marketers for this multi-attribute branding either. Consumers are constantly seeking value and novelty in everything they buy, use or get exposed to. Even if it’s something as trivial as toothpaste.

For instance, if jeans had continued to remain shop floor workers’ clothes (practical clothing), none of us would be interested in them. Levis and its competitors would have long shut shop. Their decision to reinvent themselves time and again for fashion conscientious youth has kept them alive and kicking. So now we have not one but many pairs of jeans that are not only practical but also fashionable, makes you look thin and have oodles of attitude to them.

That’s what they did to our good old toothpaste as well – They decided sparkling white teeth was not good enough, so they converted it into an orahealer – an answer to any problem remotely related to your mouth be it teeth, gums or tongue.

So is there no market for specialty products? You can no longer go to the store and pick up a tape recorder, you get 10 Disc changer, a VCD/DVD player and a home theatre thrown in, all for a few thousands more. Oh yeah! It may or may not have a slot for a tape. Products that didn’t innovate ceased to exist – Pagers were out before they were in, transistors although lasted long went out with a whimper. Sadly no one ever missed it. (Except my grandmother if she counts)

There is a flip side to it. Many strong brands went down under when they tried their hands at multi-attribute branding.

Lifebouy soap, an inexpensive and reliable soap that removed the grime and dust suddenly became the family soap that offered the same protection with a gentler wash and cure for acne. (Really now a new colour and packaging can con very few)

Dettol a germ fighter suddenly went to become a germi-check formula for you body – with their soap and body wash. The thought hardly sounds pampering and that’s what a body wash is supposed to do!

This explains that specialities do exist. iPod for instance, revolutionised the portable music industry. Dettol should continue to be a germ fighter and launch a new line of products accordingly and defend its leadership position from a whole lot of other me too products instead of trying to do a whole more and defeat its sole purpose of existence.

The thought of using 2 different toothpastes to protect my teeth and 3 different solutions to protect my eyes sounds so horribly tedious. I would rather stick to a product that offers me more for less.

So what’s all the gung-ho behind multi-attribute branding? Well for one it addresses the needs of many pockets of consumers and it’s sure to work with a few if not with all. Exclusivity has its own charm so large corporates should think before hastily jumping into the bandwagon of multi-attribute branding even though it might seem to have the promise of green.

Cheaters

In our own discreet lives we are all ‘peeping toms’, there is nothing that gives us more satisfaction that scooping up juicy gossip about our neighbour, colleague or our least favourite relative. We sincerely follow scams and scandals that revolve around film stars, cricketers and anyone else in the limelight. We simply enjoy watching people falter in front of a gazillion cameras.

On the other hand we also feel a sense of self pride when television puts ordinary boys like Abhijeet Sawant in the spotlight, changing their lives, careers, addresses and bank balances forever. Our eyes well up with tears whist watching a small town boy dreaming big and achieving it all despite the odds. Tales of Rags to riches, heroic deeds and heart wrenching stories never fail to move us.

Reality TV has obviously understood this contrast and has reeled out hours of entertainment that floods our television screens, taking up a huge chunk of our viewing time. There have been a zillion reality shows based on despicable, degraded voyeurism. Temptation Island was one such show where 14 couples who have vowed to each other to remain together till death do them apart. The stay on the island lasts longer than the vow.

In the name of reality television channels and shows get away with anything, there have been shows on cheating partners, swapping wives, betraying lovers, and one such show is Cheaters (its not telecast in India yet). Among the huge clutter this show definitely takes the cake. The show follows couples closely till their ugly separation, atleast that’s what the case is most of the times. It’s got every element of a bollywood flick – drama, action, comedy, emotion, and melodrama; it’s even got a villan. The only things missing are probably the typical song and dance sequences. The plot is quite simple, you let loose the cheaters team on your spouse. Cheaters with their hidden cameras monitor their every move. And bang! Guess whose bed you found him/her in? Anyone from his beer buddy, to his secretary. The footage is aired as it is; nothing is edited, right from the humiliation, the deceit, the sadness to the break up! Nothing is removed.

I refuse to accept this show as reality. Who, in their right mind would ever want the whole world to know they are being cheated? And how do we know this whole thing is not being staged. Who would want to watch such a show? Obviously I am wrong, much to my shock and surprise a lot of people watch the show with avid interest. The show has a strong viewership.

Watching cheaters is probably like watching a Saas Bahu saga where the drama unfolds slowly, the tension increases with every passing minute, we edge closer and closer to the seat until it all comes to a nail biting finale. We soak-in every detail and discuss it over the phone, in trains and across balconies.

The debate is endless for what is right or wrong, good or bad is extremely subjective. The censor board in India has been raging a war on what can be aired and what cannot be since time immemorial, and nothing really concrete has ever been churned out.

Is India ready to accept a concept like cheaters? I don’t know. The closest we have come to aping the west is with a show called Big Boss. It’s a replica of a UK based reality show Big Brother, the difference being, we have celebrities.

Only time will tell if we are willing to go any length in the name of entertainment. Until then I guess peeping and creeping can carry on, all in the name of good entertainment.

A Konkan Escapade

I spent a good 5 days discovering Ganpathipule - a virgin beach on the Konkan coast. It was a thrill to discover a beach absolutely unpolluted by tourist traffic. I knew instantly this was going to be one of the best holidays (not that I have been on too many) I have had. The endless stretch of silver sands and sparkling blue water dancing merrily under the warm sun was intoxicating.

Maharashtrians say traveling to Ganapatiphule by road is a vacation by itself. The entire 'Konan' region is a paradise. There is something new to discover in whichever direction you go.

Our trip started out to be a disaster, for thrills we had decided to take the Maharashtra state transport (we obviously weren’t thinking). The driver had some crazy sense of punctuality I suppose, for he refused to stop anywhere on the 12 hour ride up and down the western ghat. Had he looked back or even glanced at his rear view mirror just once, he would have realized half the bus was throwing up.

The creek that that facilitates water sport and one can walk across it during low tide

After the roller-coaster-tummy-turning ride I got off the bus feeling wobbly, a fleeting glimpse of the beach was enough to replenish all my lost excitement. A huge beach blanket, beer and a lovely colourful sarong; I was ready to hit the beach and watch the gallant sunset (this became a ritual of sorts for the next five days).

We where put up at MTDC resort in one of their colourful miniature circus tents. Now I have never stayed in chirpy little tents so for me it was an adventure in itself. These tents were equipped with four beds, a cupboard, and a mirror. The washroom was common, however unlike most public places this was really well maintained and clean.

It is a 400-year old land of the swaymbhu ganpathi, that’s how it got its name Ganpathiphule. There are lots of places to visit in and around the place. We went to the Jaigarh fort, which is on a cliff, at the entrance of the Sangameshwar River about 35kms from Ganapatiphule. Jaigarh served as the naval base for Shivaji, the great king of the Maratha’s. He was the one of the first kings in India to have a naval base with a fleet of 500 ships.

This sun kissed maharashtrian beach sure is a place worth visiting once. I loved the tan I sported for weeks after the trip not only was it a pleasant reminder but also made me look wonderful, like some foreigner put it ‘A bronze statue’.

How to get there:

BY ROAD: Mumbai to Ganapatiphule (via Mahad) is 375 kms. Pune to Ganapatiphule (via satara) is 331 kms. Kohlapur to Ganapatiphule is 144 kms.

BY RAIL: The nearest railhead is Ratnagiri, 50 kms on the Konkan railway.

Pun Intended

Marketers resort to creative routes / puns / things positively gimmicky to out shout competition and here is the proof. This is a hoarding outside Coco Cola’s corporate office on TTK road, Chennai.

This hoarding obviously gives onlookers a reason to smile at Pepsi’s cheek. Most brands today employ reactive advertising ribbing at a particular person or subject that is extremely topical. Amul has been adopting this strategy since time immemorial and it has been very well received by the Indian audience. None have been spared by them, be it Hollywood, politics or Major brands - Amul has an opinion about everything and everyone. Now a lot more brands are adopting the same trend. Think Pepsi blue Billion campaign.

Reactive advertising provides quick relief and catches the eye of the consumer, however its shelf life is limited. When a particular topic looses steam the ad serves no purpose. In my opinion it doesn’t contribute to the brands growth although it creates a high, but temporary, brand recall that may or may not affect sales.

After the recent media attacks on both the cola brands (the pesticide presence issue), it only makes complete sense to rebuild their bond with their customers. What better way to do it than cricket, a sales kicking idea indeed.

Sizing Up The Competition

‘She has no dress sense whatsoever’, I crinkled my nose.

‘I know, to top it all she is carrying such a tacky bag’, Renu nodded in agreement.

‘She’s a mess’ I concluded.

We went into a lengthy discussion about this particular girl’s clothes, her ill fitting bras, the men in her life, etc. Basically we were being super bitchy.

Women complain that men stare at all the wrong places, but women do too; at other women!

We notice and pass our remarks about all women. Nothing misses our eye from a bad haircut to a badly concealed panty line.

Most women in reality dress to impress other women, rather than men. They try hard not to repeat their wardrobe; make up, jewelry, or shoes. Each time they want to look like they just had a makeover.

Just this evening Prabhu and I were having coffee when this really plum woman walks in.

‘Oh, she’s got knockers’, Prabhu was drooling.

‘She carries them very vulgarly, too much cleavage is bad’, I was quick to respond.

‘Excuse me! The more, the merrier. Are you jealous?’ he winked.

‘No way Prabhu! Besides that was a lewd comment. You men are so cheap’, I retorted.

‘Oh me? Cheap? What about you girls? You totally claw other women apart. You could go on endlessly being nasty.

‘Oh she’s got terrible clothes’
‘Her make up looks hideous’
‘God knows what he sees in her’
‘What a bimbette!’…he mimicked my voice.

I was offended but I couldn’t argue with that.

After looking at my stung expression he cracked up laughing.

‘Chill! I had no intentions of picking a fight with you’

That conversation sure got me thinking. Women check out other women! It comes naturally to us. Weddings are a perfect example of this. My mum checks out what jewelry and saris other women are wearing and discusses it for days after the wedding. Even poor news readers on TV are not spared.

Women are under constant scrutiny by other women. It’s funny how we enjoy doing that. Like many other women, my generosity in displaying contempt for something as silly as a bad hairstyle has no bounds.

With men it’s completely different they want to constantly see you in the same attire. In their opinion if something looks phenomenal on you it only makes complete sense to wear it every time you want to look your best, why go through the hassle of finding the perfect attire. This line of thought makes my life far less complicated. Men like to experiment a lot lesser, but dressing up for your girlfriends can be the hardest thing. To get an approving nod from them is almost close to impossible.

Every time I dress to go out for dinner or clubbing, in my head I am thinking what I wore last time or the time before that or 10 times before that and try hard not to repeat. Each time I walk in to a restaurant or club I want heads to turn – not just men’s heads but women’s as well!

‘Ok I’ll try and be less bitchy’, I told Prabhu.

Prabhu looked skeptical ‘We’ll see…’

I cut him short.

‘Yuck! What a strong perfume! It’s too flowery’, I turned around to catch a young woman walking in.

‘Old habits die hard’, Prabhu burst out laughing.

ABSOLUT DESI

Absolut is nothing short of a legend, both the vodka and the ad campaigns. People in the Ad industry swear by it. Absolut’s campaigns have been ranked among the top ten in the twentieth century by the Advertising Age magazine, winning hundreds of awards, and have also been honoured in the American Marketing Association's Hall of Fame.

The brand’s courtship with the ad agency TBWA in New York ignited a spark of creativity which is still burning intensely even after 25 years.

ABSOLUT PERFECTION was the first ad that was released in 1980, and ever since their product centric advertisement recognised a new standard in creativity. Their Campaign is based on the local nuances and flavour of a country.

In India however, the brand hasn’t witnessed its true potential whether through on-ground activities and promotions.

Taking off on India’s top three passions - Bollywood, Cricket and Politics amongst others here are a few idea starters. I agree the execution is rather hurried (half an hour) but I like the thought.

Indians Love the Star power. The industry is attributed to wealth generaeration in the country.

Cricket in India is a religion. We dicuss cricket in great detail and a lot of our emotions are attached with the game.

This is my personal favourite. Politics, its our lifeline and this ad mocks the corruption that prevails

Courtesy: Amrita Sarkar

People Leave People

I once read a very interesting article somewhere which said ‘People leave managers not companies’. I couldn’t agree more.

Companies constantly strive to keep people turnover low through pay raises, perks and training, when in the end turnover is usually a bad boss issue. A bad boss is the worst of workplace stressors. It directly impacts the productivity and enthusiasm of his team. The consequences could be severe when you loose the best talent at higher levels.

Advertising, or for that matter the media industry itself, is constantly starved of talent. One pet complaint for most employees is that they are poor pay masters. This means they attract little or no talent and they make no efforts to retain the existing ones. To top it up, they do not have any employer friendly HR policies to boast of.

It’s my passion (ok I am an enthu cutlet) that keeps me in this industry. Loosing a Management Trainee would hardly leave a dent. I was contemplating a change in job ever since my boss recruited a new manager.

A couple of months back my boss told me a Mr J was joining us. He told me he was moving on to bigger projects and that I would no longer be reporting to him on a day to day bases. To say I was disturbed would be an understatement, the floor had crumbled under my feet.

After the initial teething period for both of us (for me because I was reluctant to welcome a new person on board) I clued Mr J on work, brought him on to the same page as the rest of the team and welcomed him to our organization by introducing him to the rest of the company. My soon to be ex boss clearly identified our distinct purviews of work so that we would take onus of our work and not pass the buck to the other.

As a management trainee it was amply clear to me I was to coordinate the back end and handle all the operational work (it is a grind no fresher is exempted from) while Mr J was to handle client facing. We were a weird duo and it was soon evident to me I was right in being apprehensive.

Right from the first day, he simply refused to take onus or initiative on any projects leaving me accountable for both our duties. I could never go to him with some grief for he would always say it was my look out and refuse to help me.

I was reaching the brink with late nights, material deadlines, artworks and just about anything was my look out. I was dreading each day, all my enthusiasm dried up, deadlines slacked, client complaints was pouring in with a renewed vigor and each time I would be pulled up and told the same thing. The last day of my career was fast approaching, either I was going to put in my papers or I was going to get thrown out.

I was angry and let down because my boss didn’t inspire me to work, didn’t make work fun for anyone and lacked the passion and drive for creativity. I seriously registered on to every possible job portal. I would shamelessly look for jobs while at work!

Eventually Mr J quit and his replacement was brought in almost immediately, a woman! Well it just took her less than 5 minutes to win my respect (not because she was a woman, I am not a sexist). She came in at a time when a wrong artwork had been printed and client had sent a howler. I seemed to be a major cause for it. I was sure this was the final blow, I had received a hundred warnings already. She came in, sorted half our problems, and I didn’t loose my job! I made an effort to spruce up and bring back the old tautness in meeting timelines. We make a great team. She put enthusiasm back in my work and made me change my mind about quitting.

The author said, ‘Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this depends directly on the immediate manager.’

Most of the senior management is too busy traveling the world, signing new deals, and raking in revenues, little do they realize that deep within an organization that otherwise does all the right things, one man could be driving its best people away!

Chivalry

I am mighty pissed, not because I worked till past midnight tonight, but because the world today has forgotten what chivalry is all about. I for one believe in equality of the sexes, I oppose separate queues for women at a ticket reservation counter, I am against gender bias of any form except probably in a Mumbai local train (and everyone knows why).

I am pissed because it was late and this particular colleague of mine didn’t offer to drop me home. I stormed out of office thinking, “what an insensitive being, how un-chivalrous of him”. After all the cussing (in my head of course), I began to think. My house is just five minutes away from office, why was I throwing such a fit and getting all agitated over nothing. That colleague of mine has been anything but un-chivalrous.

Most women have some distorted meaning of the word chivalry, for them it’s this preferential treatment that they have been subjected too.

I don’t need men opening doors or pulling up chairs for me, neither do I want them to drop me home after working till late, but just like every other woman in India I am a hypocrite and I admit I love it when they do all that. I am a big sucker for this preferential treatment that I have been subjected to – tax benefits, shorter queues, lesser crowds, opening doors, holding my chair and millions of other small benefits that I have taken for granted, so much so that I think it’s my birth right.

It has been ingrained so deeply into us that, any accidents on the road we seek to attribute it to the women-are-bad-drivers phenomenon. It allows any woman to walk away scot-free, after having run over any animal / person / thing, without bearing damages (that’s why I am so kicked about driving).

The world has witnessed many waves of feminism that has not just empowered women but has spoilt them as well. How am I ever going to grow up if the men folk flatter me by feeling me up in a public train or if a financial institution honors me with a free credit card? When can I tell myself the world is truly unbiased towards both sexes, for wherever I go there are special fast track queues for women or the woman’s double-discount-dhamaka plasters on every store?

Holding doors or bags etc. are such archaic definitions of chivalry. For me chivalry is in the heart. It’s in the manner of speech. You just know the man is chivalrous when he treats you with respect, he never addresses you condescendingly and his remarks are not derogatory.

When I turn around at my doorway after a long dinner to catch that final smile and wave before he drives off, I know he is truly chivalrous.

Sometimes I think I will make an effort to be this spoilt brat, its totally worth it.

The Name in Flame - Zippo, a Tribute

Until the first time I laid my eyes on it, I never fully fathomed its true worth. I always wondered why the men folk would relentlessly discuss it for hours just like they would analyze in detail a Manchester United - Arsenal match of the UEFA championship.

One evening my eyes caught the glint of shiny metal twirling between my friend’s fingers, which in my opinion he seemed to be quite adroit at. He brought it to a smooth halt and opened his palm to reveal a smart looking burnished case. That was a Zippo and this post is a tribute to it.

An all American cult brand of nearly 75 years is not just an obsession with most smokers but the non-smokers as well.

The Story of the Zippo Manufacturing Company is a remarkable tale. It’s the story of its people, from the founder - George G. Blaisdell, to the many Zippo employees, customers, and collectors who have played a part in its history. Their loyalty to Zippo has made it one of America’s great companies, one with a vivid history which is detailed here.

In 1933 Mr. Blaisdell remodeled a utilitarian Australian lighter and named it Zippo after his liking for the sound of the work ‘zipper’. Little did he realize then that this rectangular case would become iconic.

This rare Town & Country transitional Zippo from 1969 depicts George G. Blaisdell who invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 and who founded the Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford, Pennsylvania. He named the Zippo after the then recently invented zipper.

From the very beginning it was backed by Mr. Blaisdell’s unconditional lifetime guarantee – “It works or we fix it free(TM).”

The Zippo history is an interesting marketing case study. To delve deeper one has to go back to the days of World War II, which had a profound impact on Zippo. Upon America’s entry in the war, Zippo ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military, for which they made a special black ‘crackle’ finish lighter.

Millions of American military personnel carried the lighter into battle which was a significant catalyst in establishing Zippo as an icon of America throughout the world. Stories of the Zippo, nestled in the breast pocket, saving soldiers lives by biting bullets raised its reputation from being an iconic symbol to a religious cult.

Producing Zippos for the military market helped Zippo set up a full fledged manufacturing unit and made it a financially viable company.

Post war the company resumed selling Zippos to peace time America. To fuel this in 1947, the Zippo car was born.

Zippo has been cast in 1500 Broadway shows, movies, television shows over the years. To enhance the collecting experience, Zippo began hosting the Zippo/Case International Swap meet which is held every year at Bradford and Japan alternatively.

Music and Zippo have been a lethal combination since 1960. Theirs is a relationship of mutual respect and admiration. Zippo launched special lighters with music maestros engraved in them while the lighters themselves have been featured on album covers, tattooed on rockers’ skin, and wielded in Rolling Stone photo shoots.

The Zippo slim introduced in 1956, primarily to appeal to the women was another major milestone in the Zippo history. It appealed to both the sexes and a lot of men own Zippo slim.

Zippo Click the official collectors club has registered members from over 60 countries. Zippo has captured the world history in its lighters with special tribute to American presidents, Hollywood, sex icons, Music, countries, science and moments that changed the course of mankind.

1963 slim Zippo commemorating the European Trip of President Kennedy in June 1963, the same year JFK was assassinated.

This beautiful 1948 Zippo commemorates the War Crimes Trials held in Tokyo from 1946 to 1948 in which General Tojo and other Japanese World War II leaders were convicted. The lighter was hand tooled in Japan for Jake Schneider

Companies use Zippo lighters as an advertising medium and Zippo “advertiser” lighters continue to be among collectors’ favorites. This trend was first started in mid thirties by Bradford’s Kendall Refining Company who placed an order for 500 Zippos and branded it.

The official website of Zippo says, ‘The lighter is ingrained in the fabric of both American and global culture. In marketing parlance, the brand enjoys an unaided awareness rate of more than 98 percent. That means 98 out of every 100 people surveyed have knowledge of the Zippo name and lighter without being coached in any manner – an astonishing recognition factor.’

The company is currently owned by the W R Case and Sons Cutlery Company and despite almost 75 years the Zippo is still backed by its famous lifetime guarantee, “It works or we fix it for free.” Since 1933, no one has ever spent cent/paisa/penny on the mechanical repair of a Zippo lighter regardless of the lighter’s age or condition.

The number of antics one could do with the Zippo amazed me. My favourite and the only one that I learnt that night, lighting it by creating friction between your jeans and your Zippo. I dropped it a zillion times in the bargain much to my friend’s disgust, but what the heck, it’s got an unconditional warranty.

Brand Bollywood

Brand Bollywood is witnessing an upsurge thanks to Hollywood.

The Indian film industry is expected to be worth Rs. 100 billion by 2008, says a report released by FICCI recently. Bollywood alone churns out close to thousand films a year (of which only a handful go on to become box office hits) making it the second largest motion picture industry in the world. Ironically an industry with the highest mass appeal in this country has, until recently, hardly paid any attention to marketing. For the longest time, producers have been negligent in the marketing of films to consumers. As a result, a number of good films have failed to pull audiences to theatres. Yet, there have been instances of average films doing well because of the smart marketing strategies employed by its producers and distributors just before the release of films.

With limited options for entertainment available to the public, movies experienced a golden age, at least commercially, with audiences flocking to the halls over long time spans.

Things are not that rosy now. With the liberalisation in the early 90s, we suddenly saw a boom in entertainment options apart from good old cinema. Assuming that consumers have limited time and resources allocated towards leisure activities, Bollywood faces severe competition in the clutter of entertainment options available today. Besides competing with other movies and various avenues of entertainment, new releases have to compete with pre-release sales of pirated VCDs and DVDs.

Bollywood producers have now armed themselves with this new marketing mantra and are reaching out to the masses more effectively. Fast cuts, racy scripts, snazzy costumes, once very exclusive to Hollywood, are now very much a part of most bollywood movies.

Marketing has become very critical for Bollywood movies as the first three days makes or breaks a movie. To make a mark in this phase they create movie websites, mobile downloads and interactive content, place the actors in their characters in TV channels, tie up with brands for cross promotions to reach consumer touch points and get into movie merchandise.

Bollywood today is exploring new avenues to reach out to their target audience. After tapping into print, radio, television and the internet, many advertisers are gravitating towards the mobile phone, PR & events, in serial placements and even buzz marketing campaigns.

Some Bollywood producers are also resorting to desperate measures like negative publicity to promote their films. Sometimes creating hype works well too for example the Karan Razdan directed GirlFriend, which in typically ham-handed fashion "addresses" a lesbian relationship, opened to a 40 per cent collections.

Post-release too Girlfriend continued its rounds in the media. Be it the protests by political parties or the subject being vigorously discussed all over the media. The Rs. 20 million film (approximately) had finished its first week with a 50 per cent extra over the estimated collection.

Movie producers are also looking for online media partners to advocate their films. Films first made their foyer into the WWW with online movie reviews, then moving on to banners, shoskels and popups on web pages, to online contests, free downloads of movie trailers, music, wallpaper and ringtones. The audience could also read exclusive interviews of the cast featured on the internet. Movies are now the vanguard of the blogsphere.

One such famous example is the publicity blitz and marketing activities woven around the Aamir Khan starrer Mangal Pandey — The Rising. Mangal Pandey himself or Aamir Khan posted comments on an exclusive Mangal Pandey - The Rising blog on MSN Spaces and interacted with users as a publicity stint before the release of the film.

The Yash Raj film’s have invested a considerable amount to create online communities and online portals for their films. Their recent blockbuster Hum Tum, Bunty Aur Babli, Salam Namaste and even their average performer Neal ‘N’ Nikki had dedicated websites where one could read descriptions of individual characters and the cast, download the music score, lyrics, film promos, stills, wallpapers, ring tones, etc.

Movie merchandise in India is still very nascent and is restricted to sale of movie VCD / DVD, music CD and cassettes. The Indian Animation movie Hanuman saw movie merchandising go to the extent of sale of toys, gifts, T-shirts and other gift items. And while we’re still on the topic of merchandising, Rajinikanth’s movies in the south experience a lot of merchandising activities months before release. Rajinikanth’s moderate grosser Baba, before release, saw the sale of caps, bandanas, t-shirts, key-chains, etc, all with stills of Rajini holding up his famous Baba hand gesture. And, for the first time ever in South Indian Cinema, the Baba gesture and merchandise were patented. Maybe there’s a marketing lesson that Bollywood can learn from her South Indian sister.

India still has a long way to go to create a complete online experience for its movie goers. Online games engaging bollywood stars will soon catch the eye of big production houses one can then see a wide array of action and adventure games that the audience could select from.

With the advent of satellite television more and more Hindi films are taking a piggyback ride on wide reaching daily soaps to present their case. Weaving the movie character into TV serials allows the film producer to soft sell his film. Unlike other media it does not seem intrusive and forced on the viewer.

Big screen stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherji made their debut on NDTV before the launch of Bunty aur Babli both of them presented the day’s news as Bunty and Babli. This not only assured the movie definite viewership, but it also helped NDTV push their TRPs. It was hence a win-win situation for both the film and the channel.

This tie-up was extremely sensitive since a news channel has the onus of broadcasting the right news to its viewers. Their credibility is built over a period of time and the channel takes extreme measures to safe guard the trust their viewers place on them. Therefore the entire bulletin was marketed, promoted and produced in a way that it was clear that this was a one-off affair.

The lead protagonists Saif Ali Khan & Preity Zinta of Salaam Namaste were seen contending in Star’s popular Show ‘Kaun Banega Crorpati-2’. This show is believed to have been launched with a record breaking TRP of over 19.0 plus. Riding on this success Yash Raj Film’s entered into alliance with KBC-2 to promote their film which went on to become a block buster.

The marketing spends in case of big banner films is big since their pockets run deep and can afford to splurge on marketing and promotion strategies. However even smaller budget movies these days have funds allocated for pre-release hype generation and other on-ground activities as a part of their marketing campaign.

A major challenge faced by filmmakers lies in convincing the distributor. Even though the audience tastes have evolved to some extent, distributors-who take the film to the last mile-are prisoners of eighties mindset and loath any change. Producers are now taking interest in every aspect of the film from visual merchandising to media coverage and not just restricting their imaginations to the storyline.

In a scenario where alternative forms of entertainment are available a dime a dozen, marketing becomes the best weapon in the hands of the producer. Filmmakers can't rely heavily on the story as the industry hasn't been stressing on innovative concepts and quality themes. Bollywood still uses the same old hackneyed formula of boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy gets girl and of course the villan is thrown into the picture somewhere. The audience doesn’t cease to be enthralled by the clichéd bollywood emotion and drama, and that is exactly what the bollywood marketers are doing by keeping the luster on. Its only a question of who does it better.

Thankfully, the picture is changing. The industry’s international profile got a boost through recent films with Indian themes such as "Bend it Like Beckham," "Monsoon Wedding," and "Lagaan" which was nominated for a 2002 Academy Awards. And a number of Bollywood production companies are now taking marketing of their films seriously.

Films both international and Indian are looking at innovation in their marketing strategies to reach their audience at appropriate touch points. Engagement is the new buzz word for all marketers even films have jumped into this shinning bandwagon which holds a lot of promise of green.

Girls Night Out

Don’t be surprised if you see women donned in dancing shoes and dressed to kill thronging ‘The Beach’ on a Wednesday night. For it’s ladies night out and the girls are all out to have fun. What was a revelation for me was that the Beach attracts even more number of men on Wednesdays; one needn’t take an Einsteinish guess to figure out why.

I was there last Wednesday with my girlfriends and boy we sure did have a blast – Bitching, girl talk and dancing.

The ambiance is that of Goa, very chilled out and laid back, and it helps set the mood for the evening. They often spice up the evening by having theme parties like retro, or bohemian. The liquor is on the house for all the ladies till 9.30pm even after which the crowd doesn’t cease drinking neither does it stop more people from flocking to the place.

The evening kick-starts with retro music and later transcends into hip-hop. Early on, one would find couples fresh out of dance classes doing their little jig on the floor. But later the rising crescendo and intoxicating concoctions gets the whole place moving and grooving.

Ladies ought to be prepared to listen to hilarious pick-up lines and to take home a couple of phone numbers for most men seem to readily hand out visiting cards.

I thought the ladies night was a sales kicking idea, besides partying on a Wednesday gave me the much needed break from the daily mundane of work. Come to think of it Wednesday is such a strategic choice for throwing a party. It’s the time of the week when everyone is suffering from the mid-week syndrome. To attend a ladies night out on Wednesday is a real spirit stirring (pun unintended) experience for both sexes.

So girls let your hair down and shake that booty a little harder for the tide is high and the music just couldn’t get better. And oh, don’t mind the boys. They just wanna watch.

Moment of Least Resistance

My knees went weak when Dhruv looked deep into my eyes, I had butterflies in my stomach (the kind of feeling you have when your on top of a gaint wheel) it was magical.

And suddenly Dhruv’s mobile buzzes ‘Win a date with sizzling Mallika Sherawat! Only on Airtel …blah blah’ He hastily hits the delete key. He looked at me with a sheepish grin before I could react he plants a quick goodnight peck on my cheek and he was off. I stood there feeling embarrassed. Now, Mallika had a way with men even without really being around.

Advertisers spend millions of rupees every year trying to out shout competition and to get consumers to notice but little do they realize they are either being intrusive or having no effect on them. It is important to catch them at the right time at the right moment –find out when they are most vulnerable to their communication - Identify their Moment of least resistance. Last night was definitely not Dhuv’s moment of least resistance.

The other day I was lying on my bed, it was a lazy afternoon and I was scanning through the newspaper checking out the films running in the city, the radio was playing in the background. I flipped through Bangalore Times, glossing over page 3. Reams of paper plastered with colourful ads I don’t recall a single one. In the background Radio City was ringing with jingles which didn’t interest me too much either. Suddenly my mobile buzzes, I wonder if it could be any of my friends but most of them wouldn’t have recovered from the hangover last night. ‘Take home a Swift ...blah blah’, (Yeah right!) I delete it even before it starts.

I had just tossed a meticulously conceptualized media plan into the bin.

"What about my reach?" Screams the irate client.
"I think we should increase the number of channels to corner her, maybe we could use pizza delivery boys to get her to listen to us she can’t possibly slam the door on their faces", explains the young incorrigible media planner." You see it was not her moment of least resistance maybe….."

Probably the media planner was right, maybe a Pizza delivery boy would have been able to talk to me and maybe it was not my moment of least resistance.

And how does one determine what is their consumers moment of least resistance?

Moment of least resistance would vary with a product or service. If the product was a glucose drink the target audience is the young wife or mother, her moment of least resistance would be when she opens the door to her tired children who’ve dredged back from school or when she watches her weary husband plop on the couch without giving her a second glance! Is there some way to reach her then? Maybe through on-pack messaging or maybe when she is out shopping for her family, subtly reminding her that glucose will help revive the josh in her family.

If it was a job portal maybe radio spots in the morning and evening when most of the working population is traveling to and fro from their offices. They could either be thinking about their work ahead or examining the days work. The radio spots could be supported by a Pub promo. Most people unwind at pubs after work over a mug of beer talking about work or bitching about their bosses or better still looking for a new job!

Women are hard to please and they don’t like changing their personal care products frequently. Consequences of it could be disastrous – no one wants a bad hair day or burst into a sever rash. So a moisturizer brand should promote itself in a salon, a place women frequent to pamper themselves, to feel good and to relax. Go right ahead and spoil her, sponsor her pedicure, lure her into buying your product by giving her a sample pack. And if you can get her beautician to put in a word for your product, you’ve won half the battle because to her, her beautician's opinions are sacrosanct. When you have her begging for more, you know she’s for keeps. What is the point of putting up danglers in retail stores or tent cards in coffee shops!

Vaseline did something similar with the launch of their new product alovera and cucumber moisturizer last summer. A mall promo where women could take a break from shopping and get a pedicure done. Sunsilk watermelon offered free hair wash during the summer, even men where thronging the stall!

It is crucial to identify appropriate touch points, but it is even more important to map moments of least resistance. Every media planner walks a tight rope and often has to choose between maximizing reach and maximizing impact, all in a shoestring budget. In a world where consumers are bombarded with a plethora of media, it is crucial to identify the optimal mix that would help reduce cost and maximize impact.

It is important to recognize when your consumer is most susceptible to the brand communication. Sometimes something gimmicky works, at other times plain cash offs work, but in either case you have to get them to take notice. One just has to know the when and where of advertising to nail their consumer. Some big budget marketers pointlessly spend millions on newspaper or plastering every available billboard in town, maybe something of lesser magnitude will also work. The key is to know when your consumer is most vulnerable to your communication, then engage them, give them some novelty to hold their attention. The last leg is to drive home the message. And that’s what will net that winning goal for your product.

Desi Blondes

Dumb blonde is a stereotype and an unproven theory. Marilyn Manroe and Jean Harlow were the two notable sex icons of the twentieth century America who helped popularize this image. Both frequently portrayed "classic" dumb blondes in their films, yet were known privately as intelligent people. Now blondes are a category in-jokes column, which are widely read and enjoyed.

Bimbos are a similar stereotype, though bimbos can have any hair color. They are interpreted as a backronymn "Body Impressive, Brain Optional".

Paris Hilton is considered a prominent dumb blonde judging on her many escapades that leak into the tabloids and the media.

Well India has its own league of blondes or equivalent bimbettes. Notable amongst them are Aishwarya Rai, Mallika Sherawat and their cronies from bollywood.

Bimbettes love being cute, coy yet incredibly sexy and use all three to their advantage. There is no dearth of men who won't fall for it. Batting eyelids, giggling for almost anything, twirling their hair all works with men and blondes are incredible at it.

I have met a few Desi blondes in my really short career in advertising and events that has spanned over 8 months. These women give a bad name to account management and I for one work in this department and have to live with the stereotype of being another bimbo. It is extremely difficult to break away for it’s a given women in client servicing cant write briefs to save their lives. What more we use fake smile to get our work done. And the irony of it all - it actually works. Some succumb to their charm grudgingly while the majority do so almost readily!

The new reality show on air 'The beauty and the geek' exemplifies the intelligence of blondes. The men may look goofy but they are all smart and intelligent. Probably with a little makeover they would look good as well. However, they seemed to be smitten by dumb blondes who are endowed with ample natural assets and with intelligence that of an ant.

Its really tough to be dumb and for most bimbettes it comes naturally. It sure pays well to be one most men are at your disposal. I have always wondered why men seem to have a fetish for bimbettes. Either they cant see through them or are simply pretending to be oblivious of their lack of intelligence.

The other day a bimbette just batted her eyelids and looked at our creative director and said

'Oh Pranav! do I have to write a brief? I have already told you what has to be done and I have also forwarded the mail from the client to you which pretty much tells you what they want. Can't you do this for me?'

'Relax sweets! I will do this no sweat.'

Ooch! I had just finished typing out my brief after carefully considering all the parameters.

So I walk up to Pranav and ask him

'Do you want me to write a brief or bat my eyelids?'

He burst out laughing (God bless his sense of humor for I could have been flogged by my creative director for my insolence)

'Don’t push your luck Dhivya, batting eyelids and you? Ha! got to be kidding so the only other option for you is to write the brief. I'll will endure your crappy writing.'

'Oh please its way better than batting eyelids or flashing a fake smile.' I reply over my shoulder as I leave.

As long as men find batting eyelids more impressive than intelligence and pout more flattering than a good creative brief we'll continue to churn out mediocre work.

All the other non-bimbettes may have to consider re working their strategy.

Bitching is Therapeutic

Last couple of days at work have been rough. Petty squabble over copy changes, endless arguments with my studio manager, manpower crunch, verbal lashing from my boss. Unfortunately for most a new campaign was breaking shortly for one of our client and we (the agency) have finally woken up to the realization after a rather long slumber. Tempers are running high and at the slightest agitation my colleagues are flying off their handle readily passing the buck to someone else for not meeting deadlines.

Advertising is extremely chaotic - attrition levels are high, technology fails you when you most need it and even if it doesn't most ad guys are pretty much technologically challenged and I am in the thick of it all and enjoying, cribbing, fighting, evolving, and learning.

I don’t hold anyone responsible, everyone is fighting hard to meet targets and each one is dealing with pressure his own way. Studio is dealing with it by drawing sadistic pleasure by being plain difficult for just about anything. Creatives on the other hand always blame the lack of resources and manpower and at every opportunity they'll reemphasize it. There are still others who do yoga, sweat it out at the gym, shop, quit jobs, change hair styles, do cross country running, or go on a holiday. I for one need a nightlong therapeutic bitching session and beer for instant gratification. It helps me calm my nerves. And heck yesterday specifically was an all nighter.

I have had the most satisfying bitching session. I was actually all charged up to take on more work today! Prashant was an enduring listener.

At the studio 20.45

'What about the artwork for the stickers, Saketh? I have been waiting all day for it. Its 8.45pm now. Besides where are the estimates you said you would give it to me yesterday?'

'I'll give everything tomorrow.'

'Why don’t you give me a time that you can stick too.'

'Dhivya if you want a time, then have it - next month.'

I couldn't stand the smirk on his face.

'Well too bad now you lost that liberty-I need it now or face the flak. I waited whole of last two days for it. You don’t seem to have too much decency to let me know. I will not take responsibility for this goof up on your part.'

'And what do you propose to…..'

I left. I walked out of office. I had had enough of this.

First two of our visualisers are on leave next the only visualiser available is overloaded. I asked him if he could help me with something the other guy had worked on. I also told him I was willing to wait and work whenever he gets free and that the job would not take more than ten minutes of his time. Immediately my copywriter took off on how ten minutes like these eats into their valuable time. And account executives like me only care about our respective clients and how he was doing both his and my work on this particular client who was celebrating his centenary year. I don't blame him he was doing his job and was overloaded with an obscene amount of work and with an unrealistic deadline to achieve.

So many times I have seen them play online games (maybe it was his way of dealing with stress), which obviously didn’t seem to hinder any of their work but ten minutes of my work, would put a grinding halt to whatever they were trying to achieve.

Hey, I was doing my job too, and I really didn't need to take so much of bullshit.

I have never given my studio or my creative team a timeline they cant achieve and I do acknowledge the fact that they work on far more accounts than I do. I have a deadline that’s pressing and clients can be painful sometimes this was really out of my hands.

I walked out that night with tears streaming down my cheeks. I got yelled at because I couldn't meet my deadline, I had to listen to how selfish I could be for trying to meet my commitments with my client. I have to answer a whole lot of people tomorrow - my client, my boss, the vendor. I was feeling slightly feverish at the thought of being pulled up.

Hundred things ran through my mind at that moment. I want to quit advertising - its not worth it - what a thankless profession - all I do is dirty work - I want to drink - I should call someone - why am I crying? - Am I a workaholic? - I don’t want to look incompetent.

At home 21.30

'I have had a horrid day lets drink'

30 minutes later I was seated at Stones along with Prashant - Bitching.

Bitching about everything and everyone. How the world was not fair, how I was just a flunkey in office and how my life was so miserable. I becomes easier to talk once you are three mugs down.

I am not wallowing in self-pity; neither I am I looking for sympathy. The fact is my job has a lot of dependencies - the media, the studio, the creatives, and the client and it is not something I would bring upon myself. Despite knowing this, despite plastering timelines on every available notice board in office, despite preparing everyone for the work in hand, despite anticipating problems we still had to outsource work.

It amazes me how eveyone so readily showers an Acount Executive with profanities. I have fought really hard to avoid being labelled, but today I am defeated. I guess I am going to be just another "servicing" person although in my head I know I wont settle for it.

I am embarrassed. I feel incompetent. I am tired.

Well I do hope it’s a glorious centenary year for a certain client of ours.

Cheers

Dhivya

PS - All characters in my blog are fictional and any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental.

Babudom 24x7

Country's youngest channel - Lok Sabha Television (LSTV) has failed to take on the Indian audience by a storm. Well I am not surprised, a 24-hour channel whose programming content revolves around the Lok Sabha speeches that have a knack of having a somnolent effect pretty much speaks volumes.

The brainchild behind the 10-day-old channel, speaker Somnath Chatterjee said it was aimed at bringing some order into proceedings, which frequently got unruly. If not news worthy this channel will definitely be a source of entertainment - unadulterated altercations the Babudom frequently engages in would be hilarious to watch. I don’t think our politicians care too much, despite the glaring presence of the media they would still go ahead unabashedly and pick their nose or spit on the aisle or hit someone. It would take more than a television channel to bring about some decorum in the proceedings.

How many people are watching? It is early days, television viewers are being tickled by slick options that are now available to them - K sagas, reality drama, music, nature, news, history, action and more. Would something like Lok Sabha squabble that is a standing joke of the country ever be able to rake TRPs?

The channel is wholly owned by the Lok Sabha secretariat, and is available freely on cable networks. Only public sector units are allowed to sponsor programmes or advertise on the channel.

LSTV has not undertaken a rigorous marketing & promotional campaign due to constrained budgets however, when a footage of the proceedings is sold to private channel, they are not allowed to tamper with the contents therefore company logos on the screens will be aired on private stations too.

One could watch what the politician voted by him/her is doing at the Lok Sabha and may want to differ his choice the next time over.

Come to think of it I would rather watch a news channel which will give a comprehensive account of the proceedings of the Lok Sabha amongst others than watch LSTV that is wholly dedicated to Babudom. I could do without watching someone pluck a few hairs off Lalu's ear, which by the way, needs a trim.

Cheers

Dhivya

Madhur Bhandar's Corporate

Last night my roomie and I decided to catch the last show of Corporate at INOX, Garuda. After a trip down tinsel town in Page 3 Madhur Bhandarkar in his next venture Corporate failed to provoke any though what so ever.

It’s a shame a filmmaker of his caliber, who has always treaded a path less traveled by Bollywood, would give a subject like Corporate such a shoddy treatment.

Corporate is a battlefield of power-hungry people (and sex starved professionals). A world filled with deceit and corrupted minds. Where wealth, fame and success are fought over. And rules don't exist.

CORPORATE tells the story of two leading industrialists in the food sector, led by Vinay Sehgal [Rajat Kapoor], Managing Director of Sehgal Group of Industries and Dharmesh Marwah [Raj Babbar], Managing Director of Marwah International P. Ltd. Powerful, ambitious and relentless. This war also extends to the choice of their women.

While there are many diligent people working for these companies, there is also Nishigandha (I wonder why they made her sound like Ranjnigandha). played by Bipasha Basu, a businesswoman with high aspirations and hunger to move to the top. She in the thick of all the action. The overly caked VP of the Sehgal group of industries is the face on every business magazine in the country. Even the most powerful let their guard down once in a way and she did just that - she falls hopelessly in love with Rithesh (KK Menon), CEO and brother-in-law of Vinay Sehgal. A pretty spineless character who has incurred loses that run in corers for the company.

Nishi steals highly confidential launch details of a mint based soft drinks right from under Marwha's nose and passes it on to Sehgal. He then decides to hasten the launch of their own drink (Just Chill), which was originally scheduled to hit the market a year later, and launch it within 45 days! (Some marketing target)

Shit hits the roof when 10 days before the launch traces of pesticides are found in the water that is used to make the drink. To keep his face in the media Vinay still goes ahead and launches the drink. The drink apparently captures 65% market share within a week of the launch (a feat not yet achieved by either of the Cola giants). The Marwah group gets hold of this scoop and plays the media, who very true to their reputation blow it up!

And from then on its turmoil of love, sex, power and money! And the intelligent Nishi is the pawn in the hands of the Sehgal family, who despite her own personal ethics takes the blame for the mishap and gets the Sehgal family the clean chit.

The movie had several good in- film placements. All the laptops used in films were Lenovo - excellent association, corporates and laptops go brilliantly together. Bisleri bottles were featured in all conference rooms. The power blue outfits of Bipasha are from Allen Solly. There are a few shots of the film inside the shops as well, very clearly indicating smart clothes for smart women. Times Now also has good screen presence - they are the media that covers all breaking news in business. Even a pencil brand should have been featured; every desk featured a pen stand with over 100 pencils neatly arranged. Bips is seen drinking Kingfisher strong - I cant really say strong beer for strong women :)

Madhur's Corporate philosophy in a nutshell

-Men obviously think between their legs (Bipasha says so!).
-With every promotion comes more sex!
-Pimping is a lucrative industry
-A woman with a rather colourful social life is tagged public ltd.
-Media is the biggest dog who mulls over anything and everything that comes its way
-Indians have a very short-lived memory
-PR gets one more than just a good media coverage it gets you into the sack!

Cheers

Dhivya

Holiday Helpdesk

Confused about where to go this weekend? Would rather unwind in a tree house buried deep inside Bandhipur forest, or trek up the Himalayas? Visit www.indiaresortssurvey.com and plan your weekend getaways and holidays.

India Resorts Survey (IRS) is first of its kind venture in India for all travel lovers. Here you can find new resorts, weekend getaways and hotels in India, add new ones, rate them on various parameters, join the network of travel lovers, and plan your trips.

One can join IRS by becoming an IRS explorer and enjoy the privileges that come with it. As an explorer you could help someone make their travel plans and earn brownie points by writing about the places you visit. You can also share photographs and experiences (both good and bad) with fellow travelers. You could make your own travel plans based on the reviews and ratings put up by explorers.

IRS allows you to filter your search based on distances from your residing city, tariff rates, type of resort, state, etc. This allows you to zero in on what you're looking for to make your weekend fun and exciting and thus reduces the hassle of having to go through reams of unnecessary data.

Online travel planning is a brand new concept in India but its a well-established business in the west. Most people in the states chalk out their travel plans based on reviews on sites like tripadvisor and igougo. This not only ensures they get their money's worth but also guarantees a fun filled weekend something they have been looking forward to.

From budget hotels to premium luxury resorts there is a destination for all kinds of travelers at IRS all one has to do is pack his bag and hit the roads.

The next time you're basking in the backwaters of Kerala or lying on the sands of virgin beaches along the konkan coast counting stars you know who would want to know. And in any case your trip was a rude surprise you can still log on and write about it.

On a personal note I think the site is user friendly and the navigation is relatively clear. There are a few travel blogs which make an excellent read and are also furbished with a lot of details and funny anecdotes but then again it limits my choice to a very few popular tourists locales. At IRS I can write, read and access information about my preferred (not necessarily popular) holiday destination. The site filters helps me find what I want amongst zillion other things.

The services of this site are more often than not labeled to be another makemytrip.com, who are in the business of getting the best deals for travelers. IRS on the other hand provides a platform for you to connect with other travel lovers and share their experiences and thus helping you plan that perfect vacation.

cheers

Dhivya

The AXE way of Engagement

The work done by Mindshare Fulcrum for AXE was short-listed this year at the Emvies under three different categories: the best integrated campaign, best media innovation—digital and best media innovation—never used before media. This article throws up interesting insights on which the campaign was based on - The Axe way of Engagement

Cheers

Dhivya

Women's Mindspace - Part 2

The new entrant Marie Claire

After a decade we are seeing the entry of another big international name. Marie Claire is known worldwide as a fashion magazine for the thinking woman. So, besides a lot of elegant fashion and beauty they have strong features content. The outlook group claims they have first-person articles, special investigative reports, relationships, photo stories, and hope to develop a lot of bold and beautiful reports that tell people about India and not the rich urban India. They believe in being real. So they will talk about issues in India as they are. Their fashion content is slick and doable – it doesn't come from a dream factory but it shows women possibilities in fashion. And leaves them with many good ideas.

There is no dearth of choice for the Indian woman. With proliferation of foreign player the advertising pie will get redistributed, as will the readership.

In all this rat race to woo the India woman it makes me wonder - do these magazines actually address what a woman wants or do they tell you what a man wants? ‘How to make a man beg for more’ or ‘How to save your marriage?’ all or most of the contents simply explain how to keep the man/men in your life ecstatic about you even the photographic elements are for the men to ogle at. All women’s magazines satiates the Indian man’s appetite – the get a huge chunk of their readership from men.

So what are the contents of the men’s magazine (Maxim, GQ, Debonair, Man’s world)? -Even more number of preposterously dressed women. Although I must admit women’s magazines are far more subdued as compared to the men’s magazine.

I read Cosmopolitan and I would say it’s a lot of fun but besides good entertainment value does it serve any purpose? It has endless amounts of lifestyle ads, there has also been an increase in the number of white goods that advertise in these magazines. (Thank god for small mercies at least they stopped considering women technologically challenged) One could easily spot ads of pink clamshell phone, pink bikes, pink thongs and pink perfume (Oh pink from Lacoste is amazing). I am waiting for pink washing machines and laptops. All the ads adorn the colour of the season be it pink, black or burgandy.

Has this category evolved? They claim to be celebrating the new era of women, glorifying their achievements but the ads carried in them are for damsels in distress, hence we have pretty pink bikes, furry mobile covers and special SIM cards.

Is this category saturated yet? Is there room for more players? This category has still not seen anything innovative, it is predominantly a me too market, there is always room for innovation.

Is the audience mature enough to be able to accept it? Yes, although a very small section of the actual readership base is truly willing to embrace a change. Then again there is the marketing objective do they want volumes or a small loyal customer base? In a world where even the most niche brands are all out to lure the mass market I don’t think a small section really counts.

Cheers

Dhivya