Will History mean nothing?

‘History means nothing’.

This was the first time I had ever heard anyone say this. Needless to say it surprised me even further when I looked around me realizing that I was standing in a Church that dates back to 1695!

On our second day in Philadelphia, we chose to take a walking tour through the historic landmarks of the city. It was on this tour that I heard the shocking statement that our guide had made. After a pause of about two minutes (which I suspect was for effect), he told us a beautiful story that really touched my heart!

The Christ Church in Philadelphia was the first to ordain an African-American man — Absalom Jones. He was a slave to a store owner in Philadelphia of the 1800s, who purchased his family’s freedom. However, this story is not about the man or the church. It is about an incident that happened at the church. Almost two hundred and ten years later, Mr. Jones’s granddaughter (of six generations) visited the church with her daughter. At the very same time, an old couple was crossing the block. They were the fifth generation of Mr. Jones’s master- the store owner from Philadelphia. They no longer lived in Pennsylvania and were there on a chance visit. Right there, in a matter of a few minutes the families of the master and slave, crossed paths unknowingly. Our guide narrated this story eloquently and said that at that point he had a choice- whether to introduce the families, or let history lie, undisturbed. He chose the latter.

This story, speaks volumes of what we perceive as our current world. For who would have thought in the early 1800s that the slaves will be freed and a brave new world will come into being which has none of the norms that existed then? It is a compelling thought that all that we are and do today may have no meaning in as little at 50 years. It drives me to believe that transient as our lives may be in the larger scheme of things, there is a choice- do we want to work towards creating a history that our future generations will be proud to talk about? Or do we want to be remembered as a society of low tolerance and one that feared the consequences of rocking the boat?

For surely, it is a humbling thought that the path we choose today will ultimately decide the perception of ‘History’. Will it be one that heralds positive change for the future generations or something that is best left languishing in the obscure recesses of the human mind?

Google: A monopoly that's advertising!

Everyone's talking about it, sharing it and tearing up! Google's new commercial called 'Reunion' for their product 'Google Search' in India, is heartwarming to say the least.  (In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBObRiTsIPM)

Scripted beautifully, it touches the raw nerve of every Indian and Pakistani, reminding us that at the end of it all, what happened during the partition was that friends and family had been brutally torn apart. The ad though, focuses on the fact that even pieces of fabric that have been shredded, can be mended like there never was a tear. Even the product placement in the ad is brilliant- with Google search being used extensively to answer just about any question that one could have!

Beautiful, amazing and heartwarming as this ad maybe, it made me wonder why a company having almost a monopoly in the category was advertising!

Why advertise a product that is not only the leader (for want of a more powerful word) in the category but has almost decimated competition? Why create a three and a half minute video for a product that has replaced the descriptor of the category? (Who, after all, says let's run an internet search for it? Isn't the term 'Google' it?!) Here are some facts on Google India's search product, that make these questions valid.

• Google has a market share of about 97% in the search engine category. It forms the largest part of Google's pie in Asia as of today. 
• Vis-a-vis competition, Google is way ahead in the game, with the likes of Yahoo coming in at a poor second!
• Go to any website, and you will find Google's search product rules the roost in India

http://www.covario.com

These stats almost make Google look like a monopoly player in the search engine category. So why then is a player like Google investing in an ad campaign like this? (The obvious answer of not being complacent doesn't validate the need for an ad campaign)

Here are some of the reasons that, I believe, may have lead to an ad campaign for the geography

• India is the third largest consumer of the internet with 137 million users (after China and USA), yet only 11% of its population is online (compared to 42% and 78% of the first two). Without a doubt, Google is targeting the potential customers coming from the remaining 89% who still remain 'offline' so to speak. Through this ad campaign, Google firmly establishes the fact that there is an answer for every question you have to ask, thus making life easier and saving time. Indeed there have been other campaigns, also communicating this message.
• India alone contributes to almost 10% to Google's site traffic world over. Yet Yahoo India's (though way behind in terms of market share as of today), contribution to the overall Yahoo pie is strong at 9.3%. Bing's traffic from India is about 5.2%, Ask.com overshoots this at 7%. All these numbers reinforce what everyone believes- that India's consumption of the internet is growing exponentially. Ignoring a market with such a growth rate could be disastrous for any player and leaves little room for complacency. 
• Another way of looking at this move to advertise is to look at Google search as the gateway to many of it's other products. Google now gives results that are derived from its own services first, for ex. if you search for a product, as part of the results you also get an option to shop for it on Google itself! So another reason for advertising the search product could be the resulting piggyback ride for other related products from the Google stable!

As much as I enjoyed watching a well crafted advertisement from one of the largest and most admired companies in the world, I am curious as to how this ad is going to benefit Google. Will its market shares go from 97% to 99%? Will the demand for some of its other products rise? Will Google's Top of Mind scores increase (if thats even possible!)? Nonetheless, for an ad buff like me, the ad surely was a treat!

Related article: http://forbesindia.com/article/real-issue/is-google-gobbling-up-the-indian-internet-space/35641/0

The First Snow

At first she appeared, gentle and slow

Looking all around her, at a stilled flow 

Silent scenes and hushed whispers

They seemed almost sleepy, like dull mourners

As she ascended, from the staircase of the heavens

She touched them all with her charming beckons 

Light at first, like a shy young girl

Increasing the intensity, to let her beauty unfurl

None could resist the charm she unleashed

Not the bleary skies, not even the withering leaves

Like a breath of fresh air, she showers them all

With her pure white glow and elegance, she enthralls

Her audience watches, captivated by the luminescence 

As she leaves behind, traces of her pristine presence

She came unexpected, and set the world aglow

Ah the first snow, ah the first snow!

It is marketing!

A few days back, over a dinner conversation, we were discussing exercising options and who does what to keep fit. Unsurprisingly, most of us conceded that we have (or have had in the past) gym memberships and are guilty of not using it. We all cough up a hefty fee to join a gym with amazing equipment, good trainers and what-not, and yet most of us don't last beyond the first week. While there are those who see their memberships used throughly (keep it up you people!), majority end up contributing to the 'drop-out' ratio!

And then I started looking around and realized that there a number of things (be it products or services), that we pay for and never end up using- a gym membership being just one of the countless others! Some of the other things that I could think up of almost immediately were: Home gym equipment (Yes, I'm talking about that treadmill or cycling machine that you purchase believing that your gym membership expired unused because the gym was far away/ inconvenient!), Encyclopedias (If you belong to my generation, you have definitely seen a set of Britannica encyclopedias stacked up beautifully, volume number wise, in that corner shelf. But even before the advent of Encarta and the internet, how many of us have used these marvelous books?!), Extended warranties (This one's a little tricky. In some parts of the world, this has become a norm, while in others it is catching up fast. Yet the truth is that most of us are 'convinced' the additional fee we pay towards the extended warranty will save us a lot of money- yet we almost never use it!), Roti makers (Conceptually, this was a brilliant invention proposing reduction in effort, time and using too many dishes. Yet, most people who did purchase this went back to the traditional way of cooking). 

These are just a few of the things on the top of my mind and the list could be endless! So what is it that really makes us buy into such products/ services? With some reflection, I realized that its these products that are sales and marketing's greatest challenges. Identifying the need for a product/ service aside, one has to pitch these with amazing conviction to influence the consumer into making the purchase! 

1) Perceived need: The salesmen behind these products have nailed it as far as creating a perceived need goes. I recall an episode in friends where an encyclopedia salesman pointedly asks Joey 'Do your friends ever have a conversation, and you just nod along even though you are not sure what they are really talking about? You need these books'. That statement right there, is amongst the most convincing ones that I have ever heard. Think about it- why do you need the gym membership when running or swimming or exercising at home is just as good an option? To 'fit' (pun unintended) in? And what was it that pushed you to make that decision?

2) The concept of improvement: Even if we don't feel the need to possess some of these things, we are constantly reminded that we can be a better version of ourselves, if we did have them! The Roti maker, for example was one which promised 'ease' in the life of the woman (or man as the case maybe) who used it. It seemed utopian to someone who had to use the traditional rolling pin and stone, standing near a hot pan, to make a meal for the family. While this was an interesting invention on its own, the salesmen and marketers made it the answer to all of one's Roti woes (notice how she harps on ease of making, winning the hearts of your family etc.)! 

3) The fear of 'What if': Another amazing insight into the human psyche is to play up the fear of 'what if'. A lot of times, when we don't plan to purchase a product, we are made 'aware' of other people's trials and tribulations that resulted from making a similar decision. Especially true for the electronic items category, I have found more often than not, a salesman would tell me horror stories of another customer who refused to buy the extended warranty and ended up being sorry. The immediate reaction we are geared to have is to capitulate! 

Of course the list could be endless. Yet, what amazes me is that in spite of all the the logic and reasoning we put into our purchases, we succumb to our innate nature and there is always a salesman/ marketer out there who identifies, targets and convinces us! Maybe, it is this deep understanding of the human nature and its correlation to the material world that really intrigues me, for in spite of being a victim to many such attempts, I still hold a grudging admiration for what it really is. It is marketing!

Food for thought

Every now and then you come across a campaign that's adorable. And Chipotle's latest definitely falls into this category.

(Watch it here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE 

From the melancholic expression on the Scarecrow's face to the arrogant crow, everything about this campaign had me going 'aww'. Yet, when you dig deeper, this campaign seems to have layers. One is the obvious fight against large food corporations that mass produced foods- packaged or otherwise and the slow but steady disappearance of the small farmer (which is now gaining significance world over, not just in America). The perennial fight of a small entity against large corporations. 

However, to me it is another angle to this story that is really interesting. The simple insights that the makers of this video have taken into account, has at the end of the day made the campaign what it is (It has 6.8 million views on YouTube as of this day). The end seems to say that if you don't believe in the system that you are entrenched in, leave it. Don't waste your life in feeling morose every single day and instead seek what you really want. Of course this is not a new thought. It has been echoed by many brands over a period of time. Apple for instance praised those who refused to be boxed in their ode to the crazy ones. But what's different about Chipotle's campaign is:

1) The depiction of a 'regular guy': The scarecrow represents just about any one of us. The 'regular person' wound up in a huge system as a small cog in an enormous wheel. His contribution goes unnoticed and he's fairly 'replaceable' in the system. Anyone who's worked in a large company might have felt this way at some point of time or the other. While some of us feel it more acutely, others may feel so, sporadically. This depiction strikes the empathy chord reminding us that the scarecrow could be any one of us!

2) Turning a 'blind eye': A lot of times, in the video, the scarecrow turns a 'blind eye' to things that are 'wrong' on his moral compass. He is unable to protest and 'goes with the flow' despite that nagging little feeling of doing wrong. While this may not be true for everyone, I believe that a lot of us notice that things around as are not really the way they should be and yet we don't protest. It could be the fear of punishment, or simply the fear of gaining the tag of a whistle blower and the ostracization that follows. So this portrayal, is yet another lovely insight from our own lives.

3) Cultivating hope: Of course, the best thing about the campaign is the depiction of the Scarecrow ultimately over coming his reservations and following his heart, but what's special about this is the way he goes about doing what he thinks is right and believing that there is someone out there who sees things the way he does. He cultivates his little farm, sets up his little shop and offers his fresh produce waiting for someone to notice. This may be momentary yet the pause drives home the fact that change cannot be immediate. For those who have dared to break out of the mold, this is a valuable lesson. People may not see you for your worth immediately, yet hang on to hope, for there will come a day when one little boy out there will turn his head towards you!

Though the campaign is not primarily about any of the observations mentioned earlier, I believe that these insights are what make it powerful and empathetic. The use of animations in place of actual people seals the deal. Over all, this most certainly is a campaign that ties in with Chipotle's brand concept- 'Food with integrity'. And adding a video game that one can access through their smartphones- ingenious! 

Steering a generation to the wrong direction?

'Women can't drive for nuts' - if I got a penny for every time I hear that one, I'd be very rich by now! But this statement has never bothered me as much as it did today. The background to this article is the mandatory 8 hours of driving lessons that every driver in the state of Connecticut has to undergo in order to be given permission to appear for a driving test. As was the requirement, I went through the process of sitting through these 8 hours (which in itself makes little sense to me as this 8 hour class is pure theory and absolutely no road experience!). Anyhow, I duly attended the class.

It was during this class that I realized how deeply ingrained the gender stereotypes we face today really are. The instructor was a man from the Indian subcontinent region. He took his job seriously and walked us through these 8 hours with an attitude similar to that of a Kindergarten teacher. The annoyance with his attitude not-withstanding, I still listened to what he had to say. He tried to incorporate examples into the lecture he gave and frequently drew from his experiences.

One section of the class dealt with the instances of teenage texting and driving. Now the rule in the state demands that teenagers who get caught texting while driving are required to pay a fine and attend a re-training class. Our instructor, while making a point of this made the following statement 'I had a re-training class for 9 kids once. Can you tell me how many of them were girls?' At this point people didn't know what to say. Most people muttered random numbers under their breath, while I was still wondering what it had to do with gender. 'All of them were girls. What does that tell you? That women talk a lot more and so they can't even wait to reply to a text. So ladies, please remember not to text or you will get a ticket' At this point everyone in the class (including the 4-5 girls) was laughing. I was the only one balking at the instructor. Then as an after thought, he added 'Of course, you men should also not text while driving'. What on earth was he blabbering? That only women text while driving? That men don't?!  Or that the instances of women texting and getting into an accident are higher? Or was he drawing from the age old belief that 'women are bad drivers'?

And as the class went on, he kept coming up with examples (real or imaginary I'm still not sure) in which most often the protagonist of the piece was of course himself and the 'villain' so to speak was always some woman! What I got out of the class was the underlying message that women are not only bad drivers but also fairly stupid. The feminist side of me wanted to kill him instantly, yet the practical side reigned and he lives to see another day. However, this did get me thinking of all those times that my male friends and relatives have made references to 'women behind the wheel' situations. To all of you, here are some statistics to show how much BS that notion really is. Women, according to many studies, are safer drivers than men owing to their more law abiding nature. The ratio of men driving recklessly compared to women is 3.41 to 1! For every 3 men who drive under the influence of alcohol (or narcotics) you will only find 1 woman guilty of this charge. In the age group of 20-29 years, twice as many men cause accidents that are fatal to them compared to women! And of course, you don't have to take my word for it, here are some links (1, 2, 3, 4) for all you non-believers out there! And for the ladies, please point out that such statements are in fact factually wrong the next time in an argument :)

But it was not just the wrong stating of facts that left me perturbed. It was the fact that we allow stereotyping to determine our views of the male and female gender. Not that this is a new view that is being expressed. But very often we fail to realize that the patriarchal attitudes we are fostering maybe the root cause of far more serious problems such as rape, sexual assault or even the 'milder' euphemism - eve teasing! I read an article recently where the author, the mother of 2 boys, says that she will discourage her sons from making statements like 'don't cry like a girl' or 'women are bad drivers' because these lead them to the perception that women are weak. Such a perception will ultimately result in developing detrimental male chauvinistic attitudes. When are we going to start sensitizing our men?  Or teach our children that men and women are different hemispheres of the same sphere? Can we do a better job of parenting than the generation that believed 'boys will be boys'? Or will we continue to use 'traditions' as the background of bring up a society that makes a habit of questioning the woman first?

In a world that's fighting the complex problem of gender issues, there are those who are constantly talking about the injustices of rape and sexual assault. While I am in no disagreement with the need for raised voices on these issues, I can't help but think that there has to be a sensitization at a grass roots level. Even if it is too late for us to alter the perceptions of the current generation, can we be effective in molding the future generations?

Working Gratis

"If you are good at something, never do it for free" - The Joker from The Dark Knight

Contesting a thought that resonates at various levels for most people is a bit adventurous, and may even be labeled foolish. Yet, of late, I am beginning to feel that there may be some merit in contesting it! And that's precisely the point in this blog.

Having a fairly common (and probably done to death) background of an MBA degree from a good school and a job in the corporate, I am of late learning the value of doing work gratis. As altruistic as I might be sounding right now, I have my reasons for saying so.

It dawned on me when I began volunteering at an animal rescue organization, helping out with some marketing work for the group. Being a not-for-profit venture the organization's funds are solely from donors and largehearted animal lovers. And while I didn't have the 'depth of pocket' that a donor would have, I did happen to possess some skills that the organization finds extremely useful. The nature of work I do for them is one that I quite enjoy and I'm happy to be a part of something that helps achieve a larger objective. And it was at this juncture that I realized the value of working gratis!

1. I realized how much I enjoy my line of work: When you get paid a regular salary, at some point you forget what truly drives you- is it the money? Is it the challenge? Is it the people? Lines begin to merge and you take things for granted. When I volunteered to help out, I realized that for a little bit of my time, I am gaining so much more! In a way, it revitalized my outlook on marketing as a profession!

2. The opportunity to learn: Most of us believe in filling our resumes with our fantastic educational qualifications (for which we pay!), our phenomenal work experience, our superb achievements and other stuff we find great about ourselves. When you get paid, you are expected to deliver a certain value in a prescribed format. I believe this could, at some point, hamper our learning curve. Through my current little engagement, I am constantly learning because of the complete lack of pressure to deliver in a pre-prescribed format. The creative side of me feels challenged and thrilled to have a free space to express myself!

3. Some good Karma: While we all have bills to pay and food to bring to the table, I think investing one's time in doing a little good selflessly, always has its rewards. It may not be apparent immediately, but will definitely pay off in the long run. And if nothing else, you can take heart in the fact that you were the proverbial "friend indeed". For my part, I am happy I associated myself with the 'furry' category of friends :)

4. The faith in a team: Working with a group of people who are in no way connected to you other than the fact that they share the same ideology is in itself a fantastic feeling! Seeing people who are passionate about what they do,  unbridled by monetary outcomes, and achieving unbelievable results, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of happiness. The one you get when you eat a really amazing chocolate cake!

Maybe, you still remain unconvinced on the merits of working gratis. Maybe what the Joker says rings true more often than not. However, to me, an occasional good turn can leave one feeling proud of the fact that it takes a little more than money to drive the individual :)

Righting a wrong; Volkswagen's VW suite

 ‘You’ve got to have a problem that you want to solve; a wrong that you want to right.’

-Steve Jobs

Call it a hangover from the movie ‘Jobs’, or call it a happy coincidence. But when I saw this Volkswagen ad today after last night’s movie, it felt like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle just fit in to complete a seemingly pretty picture. Everyone knows this quote by Jobs and the fact that he has single handedly changed the way we look at marketing, design and product development today. But what struck me as serendipity was this lovely initiative by Volkswagen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTRClbgOAq0

The need was one that other auto players didn’t recognized- drivers preferring to drive sleep deprived than pull up at a highway motel. This initiative by Volkwagen screams the message out loud like no other- ‘There is a problem, a wrong that we want to right’. But what they have also managed to convey subtly, or otherwise are:

1. Their inclination to social responsibility: In a day and age when every brand is trying to communicate their message by joining the ‘Social responsibility’ bandwagon, VW has shown it’s a cut above the rest. VW has chosen to drive home (pardon the punning!) a simple thought- Stop. Rest. Go. And they have focused on addressing a real problem - accidents caused by fatigue, on the highway, with a simple yet powerful insight. Dirty rooms, unclean sheets and beds, filthy bathrooms and no amenities disgust people enough to run the risk of driving fatigued. By redesigning and refurbishing one room in every motel, VW offers an immediate solution to a very real problem. While one room on each major highway seems like an inadequate solution, it definitely marks the starting point of the solution.
2. The membership into an exclusive club: What this ad also does is to discreetly create a VW owners club. 'Free with your Volkswagen key'. By offering free stays for VW owners, the brand clearly suggests that this is a privilege that it wants to offer to its customers. A sort of a payback for their purchase. Very similar in nature to the lounge access offered to frequent flyers by airlines, Volkswagen is creating a clear distinction between those who own VW cars and those who don’t.
3. A ‘wow’ factor -Consumer Delight: To a VW owner who travels down the selected highway fighting fatigue, the VW suite could prove to be nothing short of manna from heaven! In one sweeping initiative, VW could earn the loyalty of a satisfied customer. And to a non VW owner, it could potentially stack up the odds of moving VW into his or her consideration set at the time of the next purchase! 

What’s great about this ad is the fact that it addresses a problem that people know they have, yet don’t have a solution to. And by offering a solution, VW has demonstrated that it’s serious about ‘righting a wrong’.

Reality Check

I always find new and fresh approaches to marketing and advertising stimulating to say the least. And that’s what I love about the VW ad approach. However here’s a reality check to put this initiative into perspective.

VW had a market share of 20% in Argentina (the market in which this ad was released) in 2012 which fell to 18% early this year. The overall fall in the car market could be to blame for this drop, yet, it makes one wonder- will one room on a few highways really affect the key brand and sales metrics? Will the current 18% be bowled over with their membership to the Volkswagen family through the VW suites? Will those who don’t currently constitute the 18% be compelled to consider a VW?

Some of the other questions that linger are if this initiative really addresses the problem of reducing the number of sleep-deprived drivers on the road. And hence reduce accidents. Another statistic that I am curious about is whether this initiative will increase the membership of the Volkawagen family.

Though VW still holds the top position in the Argentinian car market, it remains to be seen if this advertising is going to help boost sales and market shares. To put it bluntly, will this initiative show VW the money, honey?

Reference source: focus2move.com

Obesity: An albatross around the neck for Marketing?

I was reading an article on the internet on how large food and beverage companies that earlier sold high fat, unhealthy food and drinks are today jumping on to the health food bandwagon. The article criticized companies for creating the problem of obesity and profiting from it and now trying to introduce diet products and are profiting from it again.

Reading this article (and many more with similar content) made me wonder- can the entire blame for Obesity be placed squarely on the shoulders of the marketing companies in the corporate world? Have we as a population lost our capability to judge and decide the best course of action for ourselves? Are we so influenced by TV commercials, print ads and other media that we can’t look into the mirror and figure out where we are headed?

This is not to say that marketing does not influence us as a species. Being a marketer myself, I believe it influences us in ways that sometimes are not even apparent. However, while reading a slew of articles on the creation of demand for unhealthy snacks, aerated beverages and sweet delicacies, then creating diet versions of the very same products, I began to wonder.

Marketing’s very premise is need identification. Once the need is identified, a product suitable for that need is created. Then a demand for the product is created, so on and so forth. Every company that invests in this process identifies the need first. The first snack in the world was not created by a corporate giant. Murukkus, Jalabies, Paneer Soda, Samosas, Pastas and Pizzas existed way before they became commercially big. Neither were cakes, pastries, sodas and chips. What corporates did was to identify that people enjoyed snacking on these foods and began commercial production, hence making their availability easier and cutting down the effort involved in making any of these items.

The culpability for consumption can only be placed in the fact that marketers identified ways and means to convince us of their ‘benefits’ – tangible or otherwise. For aerated drinks it was about quenching a thirst with a supremely sweet liquid and for food items it was about satisfying a latent need to ‘munch’ or satisfy a sweet tooth.

However, at the end of the day the fact was that these items became easier to purchase, tasted great and satisfied some latent need in us all. We craved for a refreshing change and let ourselves slip in the process. Every bag of chips, can of soda and pack of desserts comes with a declaration of the calorie per serving. Though this may not have always been the case, it has been a mandatory requirement for at least the last 15 years and in some countries since 1990s. Yet obesity numbers continue to rise.

Yet another angle to this is that these very same companies offer ‘diet’ products. At some level, I find it hard to believe that these companies hatched a grand scheme 30 – 40 years ago to create obese people and now plan to solve it through ‘fat-free’ products. The ‘diet products’ bandwagon basically carries opportunists. When the tide is turning towards healthy eating, these companies are trying to ride the wave. Yet nothing stops us from avoiding these products and settling for homemade snacks or drinks.  

Is it really fair to blame the corporates and marketing companies completely? While the blame for many of the world’s challenges today such as environmental degradation, habitat destruction etc. can be pinned on the corporates, can we really blame the corporates entirely for obesity? Aren’t personal things like weight, looks and lifestyles really in our hands? There is no one pointing a gun at our heads forcing us to purchase products that we know harm us. So to me, blaming corporates completely seems like a shift of responsibility off from our shoulders on to theirs allowing for escapism. After all, we hold our own purse strings.

Gender stereotypes at the work place

In a casual conversation with a friend I heard something that took me by surprise. We were discussing the possible challenges for men and women at the work place, gender inequality etc., when he made a statement. He said ‘What’s the big deal for women. Most of you find it easier to get ahead thanks to your sex appeal.’ This statement not only took me by surprise but also shocked me greatly. My friend is an educated guy who’s worked in multinational companies before. He’s worked with men and women and is not really new to the idea of women working. So to hear a statement of this nature was a revelation to me.

That women use their sex appeal to advance through the ranks, has been a popular ideology for decades now. The gender stereotyping hasn’t helped alleviate this thought either with the classic depictions of hot secretaries, good looking women pouting at their bosses etc. However, these are probably images from the 1980s and early 1990s. To hear such views from educated, well-traveled men in the 2010s alarms me. It leads me to wonder if these men have ever really looked around at their wives, friends and bosses and really observed how hard they work to get ahead.

Work place challenges are as real to women as they are to men. Completing assignments within given deadlines, getting things done at optimal costs, adding value to the work you turn in, and managing client expectations are the same irrespective of whether a man or a woman handles it. And the last time that I checked, promotions are only given to the achievers and are fairly gender neutral in this day and age.

It is not that there aren’t women who achieve things through questionable means, but here are the facts- these women are few and far between. The honest truth is that most women are trying to shed their gender differences and work to achieve accolades for their contributions rather than the fact that they are women. In most corporates, women work towards mingling with their co-workers and make honest attempts at overcoming their obvious sexual difference. The reason for this is quite simple. Women are most guarded about their reputation. We know that once we let slip somewhere and use our sex appeal to get so much as a photocopy, we will get branded into being sluts. One lapse in judgment and every man in the office (and maybe even the courier guys and clients) will talk about the ‘loose character’ that one has. There is nothing more annoying to a woman than being hit on by all the men in her office- and nothing more difficult to overcome than a bad reputation.

I had a colleague who worked in a different department. She wasn’t the most cautious woman I know and was known to flirt with anyone she needed to, to get her work done. Subsequently, I moved on to different companies and so did she yet till date when I catch up with old colleagues, there is always a mention of ‘the slut’. When I talk to other women, I realize that there are so many of us who shudder to be branded the way she was and yet have to hear statements on how most if not all women use sex appeal to get ahead in the world.

As someone who takes pride in what she does, I often hope that men begin to realize and accept that women are looking for pretty much the same things from their career as men are. There are a bunch of women who use their sex appeal to get ahead but there are also a bunch of men who’d suck up to the boss, cheat and employ any means they feel like to get ahead. So before making a shallow statement give it a thought – our options are to continue adhering to regressive gender biases or to look around and realize that changing stereotypes begins with us!

Get it right- Executing a ‘Socially inclined’ campaign

In the recent times there have been a slew of brands that are advertising their products through socially inclined campaigns. One will remember the Lifebouy advertisement during the Kumbh Mela in India where chappati’s were stamped with the lettering Lifebouy se Haath Dhoya Kya (have you washed your hands with Lifebouy?), the recent advertisement by Coke that promises to connect the ancient and sworn enemies India and Pakistan by ‘Sharing a Coke’ and the ‘Real beauty sketches’ campaign by Dove.

Other than the fantastic media attention for each of these campaigns, they have also achieved amazing success in the digital world. The number of Youtube views for the Coke ad was well over 1.3 million, while Dove garnered about 5.4 million views. While the intention behind these campaigns is to strive to achieve something ‘larger’ than the brand itself, the execution of some have left me thinking that it’s all a gimmick at the end of the day.

When a brand starts saying that it cares about something more than profit/ growth in every communication it generates, there is reason to believe otherwise. The social initiative bandwagon is beginning to succumb to the weight of the number of brands getting on to it. So unless the ad is carefully planned and executed, it begins to resemble marketing gimmicks.

To substantiate this thought, here are two campaigns that have the same underlying attempts- to reiterate what the brand stands for. While both incorporate social angles into their ads, to me one clearly wins over the other. And I believe that it’s the execution that sets them apart.

Dove, in its ‘Real beauty sketches’ video, suggested that every woman thinks she’s less beautiful than she actually is. The women chosen for the ‘beauty sketches’ campaign look fairly ordinary and randomly selected. However, I believe that the choice was careful and deliberate- the women looked like ordinary women but from a specific socio-economic class. And it was a well-crafted selection, for after all, Dove does target women of a particular socio-economic class. The message was aimed at the consumers and potential consumer of Dove. Given that it has consistently communicated on the ‘real women’ platform, this ad seemed poignant and yet not pretentious. It was an initiative that aimed at making women re-think their own appearance and believe that they may be worth more than they give themselves credit for. The best part of this campaign was that Dove didn't make claims (in this campaign) of being responsible for ‘beautifying women’. It simply illustrated a notion that existed in the minds of these women. It made these women the heroes (or heroines) of the piece- it was all about the women.

On the other hand we have the recent ads from Lifebouy. One in which the brand burnt, well- a brand (pardon the punning!), into the rotis that were served at the Kumbh Mela in India. They then developed a commercial, in which a man walks on his hands from his house to a temple, because his son turned 5. The underlying social message in both instances was that maintaining hygiene can have a positive effect on health. The message is simple enough, and true. However, what irks me is the brand’s supercilious approach. It seems to me that the brand is trying to say – Lifebouy saves lives, which is a tall claim to make. It is also annoying to see that the brand taps so much into drama and the emotional nature of Indians. It’s not that I don’t know about people offering ‘Angapradakshanam’ or walk on their hands as a ‘thank you’ to the almighty. It’s just that those are not things that I’d imagine are ‘ad-worthy’. What is also interesting is that earlier, Lifebouy’s ads communicated the exact same message – the importance of hygienic practices. Often the ads featured children from the lower middle and middle class, beautifully mixing the social angle with the hygiene aspect. There weren't any histrionics or overly emotional contexts. This, to me is far more effective and far less irksome in nature! Also, the earlier ads made the consumer the protagonist- Lifebouy only enabled the protagonist and was not the hero itself. The recent campaigns focus on making the brand the central character and the consumer becomes just a beneficiary.

Call me old school, but I still hold the belief that ‘Customer is king’. Hence, a brand communication that makes the consumer the hero resonates with me far better than one that proclaims itself the hero! Interestingly enough, both these brands come from the same stable- Unilever.

So my point is, by all means join the ‘social initiative/ angle endorsed by brands’ bandwagon. However, execution is of paramount importance. Over-doing it and harping on the overly sentimental nature of your TG, or making yourself the protagonist of the piece, may not necessarily be appreciated and may in fact make one seem shallow! Ultimately, every consumer knows that the message the brand seeks to communicate is –‘Use me because I have shown you that I can help make you a winner’.

People for start-ups

While doing my research for this article, I was amazed! When you type ‘resources for start-ups’ the most common and top of the line entries focus on financial resourcing, idea resourcing, design resourcing and so on. So little has been said about ‘people resourcing’. Getting the right people is half the battle won, for after all, they are the ones who will take the company forward.

Here are some important things to keep in mind while hiring for your organization.

Sharing the vision:

In this day and age of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Job sites etc. it is easy enough to get applicants to see and apply for a job at your company. However, irrespective of which level you are looking to hire for, an important criteria in the process should be to ensure that the candidate shares your company’s vision and truly believes in your proposition. The candidate should understand the values on which you have established your start-up, the path you chose to expand the business and be able to identify and contribute to these through his or her own skills. Fantastic growth and hence immediate increase in pay, on-the-job perks etc. are things that many candidates look for when they join start-ups. While growth in Start-ups is definitely faster, the expectation of immediate rewards can lead to disillusionment and disappointment in newly hired candidates. So while recruiting for your start up, remember to give a balanced picture and focus on the vision rather than on the compensation.

The Law of Averages:

When recruiting for your start-up you will find a lot of young talent applying for the positions. While it is tempting to hire fresh young candidates to keep the enthusiasm and energy going, it is equally important to have a few seasoned employees on board. Senior team members tend to bring in a practical angle and are great at handling relationships given their years of experience. They discern the possible and the probable and add tremendous value with their insights. The cost of such resources may be higher but well worth the investment. The ultimate goal is to have a good mix of young talent that is enthusiastic and buzzing with ideas and having experienced hands giving direction and shape to the organizations development. Once the balance is achieved, you have a winning workforce!

Equity- A start-up’s best tool!

What happens when you start a company with minimal capital and are keen on hiring talent? Today, the trends are shifting towards offering a part salary and a part equity stake. Many start-ups are extremely successful in attracting the right talent by offering compensation through equity- wholly or partly. The advantage of this set up is that often you will end up attracting those who are genuinely interested in the company’s business model and want to be part of it. “The people you want to attract to your business are the people who want equity”- Bill Harris, founder of Paypal (See what else Harris says here). People come on board for the challenges that the start-up offers and are happy to be compensated for their work through equity. As an owner, you are also sure that your liability is limited to the performance of the business and are not taking on the burden of fully salaried employees.  The flipside to this though maybe, that you relinquish the decision making capacity to some extent. However, if you can find a perfect trade-off, this approach may serve you very well in the long run. You can read up on how to calculate equity here.

Keep looking- even if you are not hiring right away

Almost every guide on hiring for start-ups has this point. And yet I believe it is not emphasized enough! From personal experience, I have seen that keeping your mind and doors open can land you resources you would have missed out on had you believed otherwise. So many hires happen without it being part of the plan. If you meet a like-minded person who you think will fit into your business scheme (maybe not today but sometime in the future), express your desire to have them on board. Even if they do not consider it immediately, they know that there is an opportunity open, for them to consider. And even if they will never consider it, they may know others who will form a good fit for your organization. So stay open to networking, not just for business but also to procure the right talent for your organization.

People contribute directly to the organizations performance, and hence getting the right people and offering them adequate reason to stay will put your company’s growth on the right trajectory!

If you’d like to read up some more on hiring for your start-up, here are some reference links:

http://www.instigatorblog.com/8-things-to-look-for-when-hiring-startup-talent/2010/04/14/

http://www.instigatorblog.com/10-steps-sourcing-startup-talent/2010/04/13/

http://www.instigatorblog.com/startup-recruiting/

LOOKING IN AT CULTURE – MY YARDSTICKS

Here's another blog penned by me for Inception Business Services. This one is on culture and some yardsticks I use to measure the culture of an organization.

           image credit: sidekicking.com

Most organizations boast of having a robust culture. And no one is wrong when they do so, because every organization does have a unique identity and a way its employees perceive that identity. Organizational Culture, as defined on businessdictionary.com, is “the values and behaviours that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization”.

Removing all the jargon from this definition, what it really boils down to are some basic questions. What does the organization believe in? How does it react to employees who may not share the same beliefs? Do the employees feel proud and happy to work for the organization ? Or is it one long dreary engagement between two unlikely entities?

So much has been written on organizational culture and matching the employee and the organization and so on and so forth, yet we find a high number of dissatisfied, disgruntled and positively unhappy employees around us in this corporate world. So here are some of my yardsticks to evaluate or understand an organization’s culture – looking in from the outside. Starting from the first job these yardsticks are valid and have value in every transition made.

1.      The Start

There was once an interview I attended where the interviewer questioned me for about 45 minutes. When I stepped out I felt like I had just committed a felony and had been interrogated instead of being tested for my knowledge on the relevant subjects.

Many companies approach the interviewee with the idea of stressing them out, purportedly to understand the individual’s capability. However, my view on this has always been that jobs in the corporate are not ‘life-endangering’ and ‘constantly under stress’. Compare a job in marketing or finance to one in a hospital- as a surgeon or a nurse. People quite literally perform under stressful conditions there! However in business you have time to evaluate your options to approach a problem in the best way possible, especially jobs at entry and mid-level. So the concept of stress interviews never has made sense to me.

2.      The People

When you walk in through the door, you notice a lot of small little things- the décor of the office, the arrangement of cubicles, a professional air around the place and so on. Yet, to me, the most important and palpable vibe comes from the people. When you sit down and the interviewer asks you if you’d like a glass of water, you know they think a little beyond themselves. Trivial and obvious as it may sound, there are many places where the interviewer may dispense with this or other cursory politeness. This for me is a no-go. The demonstration of care begins from minute one. Because culture is not something that begins when you join or stops when you leave – it is the cumulative effect of many such small behaviours.

3.      Scope to Learn

Unless you are at the point of retirement, every job will have a learning curve. The biggest challenge for most organizations is to keep this curve steep for as long as possible. When evaluating a job, I believe, figuring out the organization’s attitude towards encouraging learning is critical.

If you choose to pursue a course to improve yourself, would the organization support the move? Would the job give you enough time at work to read up and research the latest in your field of work? Would it be viewed as something one should do on one’s own time? Answers to these questions would help in assessing the organization’s attitude towards enhancing your learning experience. And this is for me an integral part of the work culture.

4.      Your Peers

Our experiences at our workspace are largely defined by our peers. How your colleague responds to you will essentially make up how you are going to behave in the organization. When your peers guide you, encourage you, and help you learn the ropes you know you have the right support system. Additionally if you can use them as sounding boards for great ideas and they respond to you, you know you have struck gold! What is important here is the fact that the organization is an eco-system comprising of you as well as others. The better you vibe, the better your experiences in the organization.

5.      Your Boss(es)

This seems like a no-brainer in the organizational culture context. Statistics say that amongst the most common reasons people are looking to quit their jobs is the fact that they are dissatisfied with their bosses. They associate a plethora of problems linked to poor leadership. You can read some instances here. So what is seemingly obvious is for some reason not so obvious. When you join a organization you look for leadership and direction but on a more personal level, you look for challenging tasks, fulfilling work allocations and appreciation- all of which the boss will hand out. So often, organizations invest in building a culture and then fail in maintaining it because of a few bosses who believe otherwise! Culture is as great or weak as it is in the hands of your managers.

To some the above points may seem like the makings of an ideal and perhaps unrealistic work culture. But truly, culture-wise, there are many organizations today that are consciously investing in giving their employees the best they have to offer. Some offer work-life balance, while others offer a great work atmosphere, while still others offer great learning opportunities. When you see the right mix of some of these aspects; you can be sure that the organization has taken efforts to build its culture with great care.  

If you lead an organization, you may want to relook at some of these points to take a reality check on what prospective colleagues read about your culture when they meet you. For after all, culture is among the most important aspects of building a sustainable organization!

image credits: gapingvoid.com

Crowd Sourced funding for New Businesses

Here is something I penned for Inception Business Services, on crowd sourced funding for new businesses.

You can also read other blogs from IBS here.

You wake up one morning and it hits you. The product or service that wants to get created stands in front of you and beckons you. Sure enough every entrepreneur has faced this moment - the moment your idea stares you in the face and awaits your efforts to make it a reality.  And it is here that your journey begins- you hit the drawing board and plan how you want your product or service to take shape, who are the people you want to rope in and what your ultimate goal is going to be about. And that’s when you realize you need a lot more than your idea- you need money.

It’s a common journey for most entrepreneurs. While the ideas and resources required may vary from case to case, the common need for most is the dough (so to speak). A lot of entrepreneurs begin with investing their own savings, mortgaging assets and borrowing from friends and family. Yet there’s that point where one realizes- this just isn’t enough. Additional funding is the only solution to this roadblock. The options available today are numerous ranging from bank loans to Angel investors to Venture Capitalists and so on.

However, the focus of this article is an interesting angle to fundraising. Kickstarter.com is a US based fund raising platform that provides tools to raise funds for creative projects.  Launched in 2009, Kickstarter has had over 96,000 projects that have been launched on their website since their inception. While you can read more about Kickstarter.com here, in this article, I am focusing on what it really stands for and how you as an entrepreneur can fund your project using a similar concept.

The basic model is that of crowd sourcing funds. You have a fabulous idea and not enough monetary resources. Wealth, on the other hand is distributed. This is not about a few big Angel Investors or VCs trying to make money by giving you a boost. It’s about the number of people who believe in your idea and are willing to back you up with their own small contribution.

The core concept of Kickstarter hinges on the idea of connecting likeminded groups of people- when you find a set of people who see value in your proposition, they will (literally) put their money on you. It brings together people who are genuinely interested in seeing ideas through and helping people achieve their fund raising targets. It allows participation of a multitude of people who may not have millions of dollars to throw into a project and yet can be a part of a fabulous, one-in-a-million idea by contributing as little as $5. The rewards offered, give them the feeling of having and owning a badge or a title of an investor and the chance to receive uncommon, project-related merchandise. The promise of an early preview or early benefits in association with the business idea drives individuals to make the contribution and opt into a cause they believe in. And most importantly, it makes this group of investors belong to a community of those who have contributed. In marketing parlance one could say this model attracts the innovators and early adopters. In many cases it even attracts the early majority.

So if you have a fantastic idea waiting to see the light of day and your biggest constraint is money, just look around- you may find that there are many who believe in your idea and are willing to invest in it in their own small ways. Build a fundraising program that is inclusive and accessible to a large group of interested investors and ensure that you make them part of your journey. The quantum of money one can bring in is not necessarily a criterion for an ‘investor’. Ensure that one can donate a minimum amount (based on the tiers you set up) and yet become part of the project. Attract the ‘right kind’ of people to invest in your idea. Design the fundraiser to catch the attention of those with interests similar to your business’s idea. Passion for similar things often leads to heavier investments by individuals.

It definitely beats the other option of doing an Initial public offer hollow ! Without the hassles of regulatory shenanigans, you can get access to a large base of investors. The one thing you must remember is that when you crowd source funds, you owe every investor the courtesy of being accountable to them especially because they don’t have the big regulators protecting their interests. You got to respect that. 

When you begin to look around, figure out the value you can deliver to an investor at various levels of investment. Include them into your grand plans and reward them with exclusive previews, merchandise, access to resources or whatever else you can offer through your business idea. You will be surprised at how many people are actually interested in making things happen for your business! Insignificant as a small contribution may seem to begin with, remember the saying little drops make an ocean!

Taking the plunge

This post is inspired by a particular Calvin & Hobbes Comic strip I saw a while back. They say it takes all sorts to make the world and this one is about those who believe in adrenaline pumping adventure versus the stable calculated-risk taking people.

There are those of us, who move, and take that leap of faith- much like Calvin

We want to make that dangerous, crazy and potentially life changing move. The move to which the outcomes are unknown and untested. The move where we know that if we don’t do it, we will regret it and if we do manage to do it, we have no way of knowing if it will work! And rigor mortis sets in. We can’t move. Can’t look straight and just can’t respond. In many cases, we don’t even believe we are actually going to take that plunge. But it’s a leap of faith. The hope of feeling free- for that instance. The feeling of doing something so exciting that nothing else seems to matter. And we jump right in. Be it extreme sports, roller coaster rides, entrepreneurship, love or just a ride down a snowy hill on a simple sledge! Because some of us are just built that way. The adrenaline overtakes the common sense and we end up believing that taking that plunge is the only way out of a boring existence!

The amazing part of this leap of faith is that in spite falling, bruising ourselves or getting temporarily disoriented, most often, we survive to tell the tale. We learn what we should have done differently and we pick ourselves up to be a better individual. We never regret not trying. And it is in those moments of a free-fall or of rising after we have hit the ground hard and fast, that we feel the adrenaline course through our veins. A feeling that is unparalleled.

And then there are the rest of us who see the senselessness in it all and walk other way- a la Hobbes!

They evaluate the risks. See the dangers and think before acting. They may not necessarily lack the courage but maybe lack the will to test their limits (or luck)! They believe in living to see another day. They may not even feel the need to challenge a status quo. Maybe because they support the status quo and are happy doing it. And to the people falling in this category, the level-headed ones, they are ones who bring stability. They are those who build organizations, set up processes, opt for safer sports, and walk the other way when the risks don’t balance the thrills for them.

Staid as it may sound, I believe that they are the ones who balance the Calvin in us. Who make us stop before we jump time-and-again. They nag us, they hold us back, they talk ‘sense’ and tell us that sometimes it’s better to sit this one out.

The beauty in life is that we co-exist and can’t do without each other! Most of us have a Calvin and a Hobbes within us. Some of us let Calvin outweigh Hobbes while others are vice-versa. But once in a while, shake thing up and let the dormant side take over. Let the explorers be born out of a Hobbes and the Calvin’s take a step back, for what’s life without out a little mix and match!

As for me.. Im off looking for snow and a sledge J

The heart cries for a Young boy..

I heard some very sad news this morning. A friend of my brother's passed away fighting cancer. He was all of 23 years and has had an arduous last few years. I have met him only a few times but know him to be a fantastic person. This poem is in rhetoric, of how fate can play a game like this.

When the heart cries for a Young boy

What did he do to deserve a fate such as this?

Was it his fault or is Karma to be blamed for his life that’s been dismissed

Was it wrong to be happy and joyful?

Or is life the price you pay, for being funny and cheerful

This moment seems to leave me thinking

Feelings of confusion, anger and my heart sinking

Many a soul have walked this earth

Causing pain, burning hearts, destroying homes and hearth

Yet the form of Divine Justice chose to take

A young boy, who fought with a smile and put his everything at stake

I don’t know him all that well

But moments that I have spent with him seem to dwell

  

Divine justice, the least you can do is a favour

Stay with his parents and send them all our prayers

When she spoke..

This an entry for the Indus Ladies blog writing contest, on some given topics.

The one topic that hit hard, was titled- "Empowered Women and Increasing Divorce Rates – Related?". That is the one I picked to write about. This is a reflection on the statement.

1943

She was 16 years old when her destiny was tied down to a man she had met on the day of her wedding. A child, who’s schooling stopped at grade 10 because she had to ‘learn to run a house, to cook and to take care of the children’. She delivered at 17 and yet again at 19. Two more followed at 22 and 25. And her whole life went by looking after the children, family, home and in-laws. Now 86, she reflected what her life had been. She could remember the endless hours in the kitchen- and nothing else that was significant. Her husband had never encouraged her to follow her talent for sewing and crochet. He had never even looked at her with affection. She remembered him completely ignoring her in the presence of a third person and completely discounting her opinions on how their life should be. He never stepped up for her when she was insulted or forced to do things she didn’t want to do. And it was her ‘duty’ to take care of his family. But she kept quiet. She stayed true to her husband and served him and his family life long, because she didn’t have an option and didn’t know to expect any better. She couldn’t ever tell her mother how she felt when her husband chose to ignore her. Or her father that her husband didn’t care what she wanted in life. She could never tell anyone her beliefs, aspirations and motivations in life because she understood that no one really cared and even if they did, they would tell her ‘women are tied to their destiny’. At 86 now, this was all she could remember.

60 years hence

Today we believe in educating the girl child. We want to empower our daughters to be able to stand on their own two feet- to work, earn, live and love. But how many of us realize that education means exposure to the world outside? That it means that your child is going to be equipped to look life in the face and take it head on? Today, a woman’s expectations are different because we (society) have empowered her with thoughts, a sense of right and wrong and most importantly- self respect. So when a girl of today faces the same situation her grandmother of 86 faced, she knows that she deserves better. Whether working or taking care of a house, she deserves the love and respect of her husband and her in-laws. She deserves a say in their future. She deserves the credit of bring up her children and taking care of her in-laws. She knows that her dreams and aspirations need not be kept to herself, but shared with her life partner. She believes that a husband’s role is not just that of a sperm-donor or an ATM. He is her support system- a friend, philosopher and guide. He is the person she will give her entire life for. And the least she deserves is affection, respect and a right to make decisions. And when she doesn’t get any of these, she has the courage to look the other way and part with someone who doesn’t recognize that she’s not a baby producing machine, a nanny, a wage earner and an insurance against the future.

It is hence, not only enough to believe that girls should be empowered and educated. It is critical that those who believe in empowering women also understand that society needs to adapt to this phenomenon. It is we, as society, who are changing the way she thinks and yet it is us who are not prepared to change ourselves. Our society needs to change too. It needs to equip the future generations of men and women to accept this change and understand how the roles of both are becoming increasingly dynamic. It is just not enough to empower women if there isn’t going to be a system that would support and enable everyone to move along with times and reduce the friction caused by change.

So, here’s the question we should be looking at- is it empowerment of women that is leading to an increase in divorce rates? Or is it that society hasn’t yet learned that the women of today are different from those of their grandmother’s generation?