-
If everyone treated us like our mobile operators
TataDoCoMos recent ad campaigns have been very powerful, to say the least. Kudos to the agency and the marketing teams who could communicate and highlight the pain-points so well. I saw the ad recently and it brought back some recent experiences with the biggest brand of them all – Airtel. I have done my share…
-
Where’s the Cupid in our Education System
I was reading this incredible story yday and Dandu bhai’s one line stuck a chord with me – I realized for the first time what it meant to understand concepts and solve problems using first principles (and not by memorizing) I was immediately back in 1993 when I was getting introduced to the concepts of…
-
Offline to online
Offline + online connect, was and remains an interesting area for internet innovation – simply because in our real-lives we consume most brands, products and services (remove information from this list for a moment) in an offline heavy way. The real challenge that most brands face is that while these “offline consumers” are heavy consumers…
-
The Digital Insurer
Going Digital is no longer a choice that insurers have, its something they need to do and now. What insurers need to understand is how to embrace digital in their individual markets and what goals to strive for in each phase of the roll-out. Given below is a collection of articles & essays I have…
-
T42 says hello, in his style
Tiger census has gained a lot of public attention thanks to the Aircel Campaigns sharing that there were exactly 1411 tigers left in India. Many in India, have questioned the authenticity and the reliability of the census figures and maybe even the methodology. Even an ignorant like me, had a point of view. Mounting pressure…
-
Next phase of digital marketplaces
Internet adoption has seen the evolution of some usual suspects across most geographies and one of the key category is that of Digital Marketplaces. A portal which successfully brings together the supply and demand side forces together. In India we have seen the growth of such marketplaces for jobs (Naukri, Monster etc) , marriages (Bharatmatrimony),…
-
Corporate Culture Localization
Many global companies have adopted an approach of customizing their products to suit the local needs. McDonalds came up with some Indian burgers to suit the desi palate, Suvidha was Citibank’s experiment at serving the unique Indian market, General Motors shifted the driving wheel from left to right (and forgot to move the wiper and…
-
Celebrity Endorsements Work
Had a very interesting chat with the guy who runs the sports-shop at the Sports Complex where I go for my regular squash. I noticed that Nadal and Federer were no longer there on his wall and all one could see were Djokovic posters with his Head racquets. One would be tempted to ask whether…
-
Loss making airlines and profitable aggregators
The Indian skies are witnessing a strange situation. Most of the carriers who form the backbone of Indian aviation industry are suffering from huge operating losses – from a combined effect of lower ticket pricing and increasing fuel costs – or so they claim. The ticket selling sites like MakeMyTrip,Yatra etc on the other hand…
-
Education Industry – next set of challenges
Private sector, higher education in India has probably seen a complete cycle of sorts in the last 8-10 years. What started as a gold rush with students willing to pay super premium amounts to get a MBA/Engg/Medical degree, now seems to have hit a major reality check. Institutes are now finding it difficult to get…
-
Going the last mile in integrated advertising
Just came back from a Mahindra showroom here in NOIDA. Its a mess out there with the much hyped launch of XUV 500. There were almost 6 guys trying to check out each of the 3 pieces of this new toy that Mahindra claims will put them in a truely global league. And looking at…
-
Change and how we react to it
Its an oft repeated statement that an optimist see opportunities where others see challenges. It can not be truer in a business scenario esp when something changes drastically in the overall environment. One such change has been the TRAI’s gag over SMS- the true bane of India’s mobile growth. We used to get 20 SMS…
-
The real eCommerce revolution
Had an interesting conversation with an investor friend yesterday, who is really active in the start-up/seed stage. We were talking about the many niche plays that are coming up with the well funded steep growth we are witnessing in the ecommerce industry. While there is no doubt, that Indians have started buying/shopping/ordering online and in…
-
India’s Most Trusted Brands 2011
The today’s list of Most Trusted Brands presents an interesting change. Nokia is the only hardware/electronic brand in the top 10. Surprising because it has been steadily losing market share to Samsung/MicroMax/Android phones and all the chinese brands. 7 out of 10 are CPG brands – Colgate, Luz, Lifebuoy, Dettol, Brittania, Maggi, CloseUp No financial…
-
Enterprise solutions – designing around the customer
A recent experience with a telecom co. brought back memories from my Credit Card days. A customer issue is raised and gets escalated to the corporate team. The corporate team looks at the data (across systems) and decides to waive certain charges or settle the “issue”. Customer gets a promise from the manager at the…
-
Feedback, suggestions and views on Indian Armed Forces Coffee Table Book
I have been thinking of working on a coffee table book which brings a closer look into the lives of our soldiers and officers. And before I start taking steps towards this goal, I wanted to get your insights and feedback. Background: I had almost joined the NDA after my class 12th but destiny had…
-
Exciting future for payments
Had an interesting conversation over the weekend with the office caretaker- a young late 20’s chap who has his wife and kids back home in Nepal. He told me very excitedly how he managed to send across money to them in Nepal through a new option wherein the credit was showing in his Nepalese account…
-
Government housing Vs Low Cost Housing
The recent budget announcements to provide rebate for low-cost or nano housing started an interesting debate . Some of the people were skeptical of the way such policy measures would be abused. Their key submissions were In most metros one cannot get a “decent” house for under Rs 10L. This itself was very debatable as…