When Parenting Goes Viral
Janell Burley Hofmann was an unknown name till a few days back. Not surprisingly, because she was a cute mother & blogger somewhere in the US who wrote her experiences randomly. What changed her...
View ArticleThe Long and Short of Copy
Print ads stuck on the wall in markets usually catch my eyes, especially the ones that are creatively done; not the typical ‘vazan ghatao’ ones . Two days ago an ad stuck on a wall in Hauz Khas Village...
View ArticleThe Age of 1+1
Remember the days when the common question at a kirana store used to be “is pe koi scheme hai kya?” (what’s the scheme/offer on this product?). The good-old 80s and 90s were the decades of 1+1, when...
View ArticleThe Curse of Sourced Content
What is upsetting about most Facebook brand pages (in Indian social media landscape) is the sheer number of wall content that is either sourced from YouTube, ageing (not vintage) quotations that have...
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In the Face with Pan Bahar Crystal and Lifebuoy
It’s never been done before, at least in my memory that a brand has come out stating quite unabashedly that they are not most expensive in their league. Yes, not the most premium, but the most...
View ArticleBrand Face-shift on Facebook
Whenever I see a newsfeed post from Cricinfo on Facebook, it gives me shudders. There’s a reason for that. I have been a cricket devotee all my life. For the past decade or so, since the Internet...
View ArticleClicking Online PR
While I may have attended less than a handful blogger events/meets, I have no speck of doubt that bloggers run the online PR like no one else can. Its disorganized, right, but no brand today can ignore...
View ArticlePitchers Don’t Preach
Pitchers (those who pitch to prospective clients) wear many hats. They are the ones who go ahead and create accounts, generate leads, and rake the moolah. In my career span of 10 years, I have...
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I Do, I Apologize
Well, Benetton did it last year when it had political leaders of different countries (with some differences), kissing each other (on the lip). If that was controversial, this should be controversially...
View ArticleAamir, the Godrej-Woman
There’s something that’s become so clichéd about Aamir Khan donning newer hats and avatars (Is there any persona left?). In his career span of 20+ years, Aamir’s proved that he is as versatile as an...
View ArticleGentleman, PSY Style
Now ‘Gentleman’ video is hardly a one that would make gentlemen sit up, or make women applaud the unassuming non-chivalry. For met the video is a shoddy successor to Gangham Style and one that...
View ArticleTracking Fastrack
In the annals of Indian advertising, Fastrack is a brand that has done almost everything right, speaking from brand viewpoint. They’ve been clear about their TG, targeted them smartly & creatively...
View ArticleThe Unbranded Brand
Where I stay in Delhi, a few kilometers away, is a popular fish joint called Paramjeet Machiwala. He does not have a logo, no proper signage, forget about a website, and marketing is not his forte....
View ArticleHomemade Marketing for Small Businesses
When I was about 6 or 7, my mother started a tuition center in a small town called Alwar (She was an English lecturer with focus on teaching in her spare time, and of course make a few bucks) So, one...
View ArticleIPL’s (the brand) Road to Perdition
Kochi sacked, SRK banned, Modi fired, Spot-fixing emerges. Barring spot-fixing accusations in IPL6, IPL has remained as a premium brand – Pepsi paid Rs 400 Crores for five years’ rights if that is some...
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The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
It is quite safe to say that Malcolm Gladwell is the godfather of research – both intellectually and analytically. If I may add, he also possesses the charisma and style of a master storyteller. How...
View ArticleFor the Restless and Young…
A few moons back, I was having a quiet dinner with my cousin (who happens to be a marketer as well) at a Chinese restaurant in Gurgaon, when we happened to talk about something on Facebook. As it...
View ArticleThe Thin Red Line…
Before the heading drives you towards the unassuming Hollywood film (not a pleasant memory for those who have watched the film) let me clarify that I am referring (at the risk of being vague and...
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Yes Sir, Yes Sir, All Shitbags Full!
Dear Client, I hear all that you said That I am the board, you are the dart That I am to take a deep breath Even when you blow that fiercest fart And yes, did you feel I did not get your joke?...
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What to make of Omnicom-Publicis Merger?
The ancient world, in the times of Greeks and Romans, had a way of working. They used to make offer to other kingdoms either to merge with them, or be battle-ready, in other words, be defeated and get...
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