DesiReflections

My friend Anurag Batra has shared an interesting write up with me : The growth of smartphones has undoubtedly put new power into the hands of consumers, which can create newer ways for advertisers to communicate with these consumers. However, mobile has not proved to be an easy medium to crack for advertising. Marketers are still grappling with how to study mobile usage behaviour in order to identify ways in which the new age consumer can be engaged, and successful mobile advertising can be seen. IPG Mediabrands’ agency Initiative attempted to answer some of these questions in its recently released ‘Mobile Experience Study’. The study identifies four native mobile experiences that the agency believes are building blocks for successful mobile advertising strategies. These four native behaviours, which the study believes is consistent across markets, included connecting, socialising, entertaining and shopping. Phone is  more than a Phone  Connectivity remains a...

Recently I drove to Crater Lake from Seattle. The entire journey was around 8 hours but the route is so picturesque passing through a number of falls, lakes, rivers that we completed the journey in five days.   The lake has inspired people for thousands of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past. It is a place of immeasurable beauty, and an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom. The depth of this lake is 1,943 feet, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, and the ninth deepest in the world. Its fresh water is some of the clearest found anywhere in the world. No wonder that the local Klamath tribe worship the lake and its water. The interaction of Klamath tribe people with this place is traceable at least as far back as the eruption of Mount Mazama.   Crater Lake National Park was form...

इस बार के अमरीका प्रवास  में हमारे  कई अमरीकी  मित्रों  ने सलाह दी थी कि क्रेटर लेक जरुर देख कर जाएँ , समझ नहीं आ रहा था कि आखिर एक झील के बारे में इतना इसरार क्यों .  हम तो ख़ास नैनीताल के करीब के हैं जिसके आसपास एक नहीं कई खूबसूरत झीलें हैं. फिर सोचा जब इतनी तारीफ़ की जा रही है तो  चलो चल कर देख ही लें. हमारा सफ़र सिएटल से कार से शुरू हुआ. कुल मिला कर 1100 किमी का रास्ता था, जंगल, नदियाँ, झीलें, जल प्रपात,  पैसिफिक सागर और पहाडी रास्ता  पार करते करते जब क्रेटर लेक पहुंचे तो लगा जैसे किसी अलग ही दुनिया में पहुँच गए हों . 16 किमी लम्बी और 8 किमी चौड़ी  यह झील अपने आप में कई अजूबे समेटे हुए है . इसकी गहराई 595 मीटर है . इस का रंग आकाश से भी पारदर्शी नीला है . इसका उद्भव  आज से कोई 7700 वर्ष  हुआ था जब  मजामा  पर्वत के भीतर से ज्वालामुखी फटा.  लावा बह जाने के बाद   रिक्त हुआ  स्थान  आस पास के बर्फीले पहाड़ों से  हर...

The mix available to the digital medium is not just websites anymore. There are websites, blogs, videos, virals, social, search, rich media, mobile, etc., which together offer an unprecedented, connected media of consumer conversations, whether it is brand to consumer or consumer to consumer. And sometimes, these conversations can be self-perpetuating, offering opportunities for elongated brand stories. The clients in India continue to remain price conscious, though now willing to put more dollars behind digital than before. But it is still a very small percentage as compared to the percentage that digital spends command in overseas clients’ marketing plans. And while the Indian brand manager comfortably spends crores of Rupees on TV commercials and print advertising, she remains circumspect on digital and expects immediate ROI. In international markets, customers are willing to invest in their digital assets, ‘farm’ them th...

Of late school education in India has become very costly.  There is three kind of education now, one for uber rich children who go to  international schools with world class curriculam, where the cost ranges from Rs 250000  to Rs1000000 per year, then come middle class children who go to desi private schools which are commonly known in India as Public Schools, the fees ranges somewhere between Rs.50000 to Rs250000. Lastly, the lower middle class and lower strata children, there fate is to  go to   government run  Municipal schools where  the fees is negligible, the medium of instruction is regional language, buildings are in pathetic state, teachers come and go as per their sweet wishes . Clearly it has created a vast divide in the society, pass out from  international schools go abroad for higher education and after coming back grab the top jobs in MNCs and  big corporate houses or join their family run business. The pass out of private...