Craining in the handis!!

Whats the co-relation with heavy weights and dahi handis this year?
For the all those unfamiliar with dahi handis,handis are broken during the festival of Sri Krishna Janmashtami or Sri Krishna Jayanti.

Along with the usual pitter patterof unruly rains,the scrathes and the bruises Dahi handi bringds with,handis took on a new more suave avatar,avant garde even.As far as i could remember up until about 5-7 years ago dahi handi meant the local building guys dangling precariously on each others shoulders trying their luck at breaking a handi,without breaking a limb.

All thats changed as far as the eye can see,today handis have gotten more elaborate,they've become commercialized and unionized with the always over bearing political baaps lending more than just their good wishes.Psst...prize money for breaking the handis ranging anywhere from 25,000 to 1,00,000.

What caught my eye this year was the over bearing presence of cranes that held up the handis high above the crowds,at first i attributed this to the innovative use of a crane that was probably used for some construction work that was on way in the area,but then i started to spot a crane here,a crane there and a crane almost everywhere!!!

Dahi handis have jumped on the techno savvy wagon with many a CCTV being installed in the all major areas where Dahi handi contests are scheduled to take place.With political baaps leaving no stone unturned to gain mileage from the centuries old festival. This is evident by the fact that this year, the Mumbai Police have received over 3,945 applications from dahi handi organisers, of which over 1,000 are expected to be held in an extravagant manner

For the first time...

As the cold pellets of water leave  their heavenly abode to land ever so delicately on my body.My skin crawls and goose bump make their presence known.Theres a sudden rush of blood to head as reality blurs and gets swept away,cleansing my soul.
When was the last time you go completely drenched in the rain and enjoyed every moment of it?Long gone are the days when we ran with the breathe of live roaring in our lungs!and never go tired.

My splattering in the rain got me thinking about the very many things we've just stopped doing or doing with not half the intensity with which we used to do them.here are a few floaters ive put down please feel free to add to the list.

• Laughed till your stomach hurt
• Screamed without any inhibitions
• Licked the icing off the cake
• Danced like no one was looking
• Made something from scratch
• Stood at the seahore with the rain in your face
• Wriggled your feet into the sand to make feet inpressions deep enough so that the sea wouldnt wash them away
• Made sand castles
• Ran up more than 3 flights of stairs
• Went for a cycle ride
• Held hands with your best friend
• Had ice-cream lollys in the rain
• Had a totally wild late night snack!
• Painted your nails a bright blue
• Ate ice-cream directly from the carton with no qualms                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

‘Sounds of India’

The strumming of an electrical guitar enmeshed with the hollow thundering of the bridhanggam somewhere in the background, the ethereal blowing of the flute. Music today has evolved considerably over the last 5-10 years,be it the way music is consumed,the kind of music people listen to,the role music plays,the availability and exposure to an array of music genres today.

It is said that the beats of the music of a place, open the windows to the soul of the people that reside there. They cull out the cultural nuisances and the detailing that often goes unnoticed.Here are a few nuggets on the evolution of music and the trends in music in India

Trend: 1 Discovery of new sounds

From Main steam bands to indie artisits...

Five years ago main stream bands and artists like Britney Spears, Boyzone, Backstreet boys, Westlife, Madonna etc were the talk of the town with almost every college student humming to their tunes.All that changed with the advent of the internet.

With easy access and exposure to new genres of music the youth today are more open to experimenting with the music they choose to listen to as play lists become more eclectic.This holds true not just with the end consumers of music but International and Indian record labels as well who are on the look out for new sounds.This in turn has given rise to the success of music contests and shows like Hero Honda and Pepsi campus rock idols,Zenzi-Yamaha Roxx,Channel [V]launch pad,Hard Rock Café,Not Just Jazz ,Zenzi and other such places and events.

Today artists and bands get are made or broken at these live gigs and not behind the closed doors of recording studios.Some of the artisits that have rise to fame today are Pentagram,Bruteforce a Pune based thrash metal band,Avial a Kerala based band that plays Indie rock and folk music,Moksha a band from Chennai that plays hard rock music.

Trend: 2 Music is leap frogging with the digital wave

The cold hard fact today is Cds are slowing on their way to becoming obsolete.In the year 2007 digital music sales overtook physical sales in Asia,the key markets being South Korea and India.The prime driver here being the mobile phone and the services they offer like ring tones,caller back tones,caller ID tones,full track audio etc catch on with the youngsters.

In a survey conducted by MTV Networks, India ranked number 1 with 89% of the youth agreeing that the industry do more to help them get more digital music.This is despite the fact that India isn't lagging behind all the much on the digital front with 300,000 down loadable ring tones that are digitally transmitted to handsets every day in India.

In terms of sheer numbers the opportunity is huge,with the country's digital music sales expected to nearly triple, to $911 million, by 2010 from the $322 million level reached mid-decade, and 80% of those sales will be from purchases for handsets. Record companies’ digital music sales are estimated to have nearly doubled in value in 2006, while the number of tracks available online doubled to reach over four million on leading services in the last year.Internationally too digital music is big, today there are 498 online music services available in over 40 countries, offering consumers a wide variety of choice and great value.

Some facts and figure for you to mull over:-

GLOBAL DIGITAL MUSIC MARKET IN FIGURES[MILLIONS]
	2005	2006	CHANGE
BROADLINES	209	280	34%
SONG CATALOGUE ONLINE	2	4	100%
SINGLE TRACK DOWNLOADED	420	795	89%
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE USERS	2.8	3.5	25%
MOBILE SUBSCRIPTIONS	1817	2017	11%
3G MOBILE SUBSCRIPTIONS	90	137	52%
PORTABLE PLAYER SALES	84	120	43%

Trend 3: The mixing and mashing of sounds

The youth today are reshaping the industry,music today is Amateur,Re-invented,Re-mixed and Re-discovered…With the proliferation of music genres music has become a mesh mash of varied styles both at a commercial level as well as at a customer personalization level.there are umpteen number of software available online,as well as mobile phone applications that allows anyone to remix and create their own sounds.

Music today is less normative, whats cool and whats has never been so far from quintessential.Artists are re-inventing themselves and singing out of their cliché styles.Indian festivals hit the nail on the head in terms of expression of this mixing and mashing.When was the last time you heard the hip hop beats of Jay Z remixed with Marathi folk music?I certainly does happen only in India!

Trend 4: Reality bytes

Although reality shows in the west have peaked and showing a downfall in India reality is big.As our voyeuristic inclinations fuel more reality shows, the music industry has also stepped in to the bandwagon. Indian Idol which has been doing the rounds and doing it well I must add took millions of Indians to towering heights of sheer frenzy, propelling them to live their dreams and becoming 'water cooler conversation' across the nation.

Indian Idol experienced viewer engagement as never before, truly cutting across all boundaries of caste, creed, social status and geographies to witness people from every walk of life turn up in full strength, not only to participate and make their dreams come true but also to religiously vote to choose their 'Indian Idol'.

Another Music reality show that brought in the TRPs and went international was ‘The Hero Honda Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa challenge it has participants from Asia, Africa, America and Europe.

Trend 5: Changing music consumption patterns and its role in the live of the youth today

Meet Bianca Chandra,Age: 21yrs, college student. Bianca is your every day teenager. With her new Motorola smart phone she downloads, shares and personalizes caller ring tones for her favorite friends.

Bianca uses online software to rip tracks, remix songs and create her one signature music without even having to be in a band! She gets invites to various music events on her facebook profile, so she's always clued in to when her buddies are playing and where and when her favorite bands are in town. At any given moment, Bianca has a repertoire of 50 songs from various artists (her current passion is Nickelback, Kelly Clarkson downloaded to her handset directly from the Internet.

She also transfers her tunes to her i Pod or cell and carries it with her everywhere when shes waiting for friends at the local coffee shop,at the parlor,on her way home in the train,in the bus or rickshaw,whens shes studying,when shes bored… Bianca love clubbing and eating out, more often than not she frequents places depending on whether they play her kind of music.

To sum it up music is increasing in importance as it sits at the center of youth’s friendship and technology ecosystem.It is more than entertainment, or than tracks to listen to. It is shaping the aspirations of entire generations, particularly in India.Music is the ‘fifth element’ for today’s youth, and it’s their oxygen.

Music today plays the role of a mood changer,a catalyst or icebreaker in a possibly uncomfortable situation, it can change ones state of mind and the following action, it can uplift moods, energize, stands as an identifier of ones personality, a means to self expression.

All in all music today is omnipresent and omnipotent - it has become youth’s digital identity.It is a connective tissue to others - a new form of social networking through content.

My very first write up!!

The Sifter syndrome

Have we finally become sifters in our own lives?Skimming the surface,floating through,letting the ripples take us to wherever they choose to?

Stop for a sec and think about it,its become an integral part of everyones DNA today

• From the insane number of emails we get,we'd probably glance through the subjects and choose to read the few that catch eye

• The calls we choose to take,despite technology supposedly bringing us closer together i really doubt whether it has in the sense of 'meaningful, heartfelt conversations'.More often than not we land up talking more on the phone but the kind of conversations we have are more superficial,"What did you eat for lunch?Whens your doctors appointment?How long will it take for you to get home?"Stop and think when was the last time you spoke at lenght about something that really mattered to someone over the phone and think about how probably5-7 years ago you probably had more heartfelt conversations face to face.

• We sift through out entertainment options as well,from the kind of movies we choose to see,earlier i remember waiting for the Saturday night movie,I'd know which movie was aired on which channel,who were the cast and would have see the promos a zillion times.There was a heightened sense of anticipation for that movie!Today I'd probably surf the TV cable offering,stumble upon something that interests me and watch it for a while.

• The same applies for book reading[for the book worms]today we have so many more options but because of lack of time,lower attention spans,more interruptions etc we land up sifting to more books but not really getting involved in them as we read[think about the last time u laughed out loud at something funny in a book,or smiled even]

• Cooking is no different,i remember when i was young and we'd bake cakes at my grandmums place it was a truly bonding and ritualistic ordeal with three generations coming together to create a wonderful experience.Everyone had their duties and roles to play[from buying the ingredients,measuring them,whipping the batter,butter the bake dish,supervising the oven]Today I'm married and have live separately, i bake in a fashion that lacks the ritual and fan fare,mind you its not the quantity that makes the difference it the role that cake plays in our lives today and the bonding that it lacks.

In this age of information overload,the Attention Deficit Consumer,time shifting that we all are victim to no wonder we sift through the very elements thats make our lives worthwhile.I think that in some way may explain the looming sense of dissatisfaction that has latched on at a subconscious level in our lives.

Some trendspotting

I always seem to be a tad bit later when it comes to the round up of the year gone by or the forecast for the year ahead,nevertheless better late than never!!!

Version 1.0 of trends for the year

1.PERSONALIZATION PERSONALIZATION PERSONALIZATION!!

Believe it or not things can only get more personalized from the products and services we use to our online avtars!With companies going head over heels to make sure that what you want=what you've ordered.On the online front too social networking sites,online communities,blogs etc all are working around the clock to make sure they have an application or widget that reflects the real you.

2.OPEN SOURCE...CO-CREATION

With the internet opening up much more than doors,everyone can do almost everything today!!![well almost]So we as lay men today can create content,get published,create applications,online experiences,be an integral part in the creation and ideation process of many a company's product line,we can have our voice heard!!

3.WEB 2.0 CAN WE EXPECT A 3.0 IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

With the 2nd generation internet technology getting consumed at such a rapid all over the world as in India to we can surely look at the net becoming more and transparent,interactive and interesting!India may have been a little bit on the use of web2.0 effectively[at least from a media and advertising perspective..the youngsters today seem to have masted the latest social networking applications,blogger widgets...and are using the technology full throttle!!]

Physical existence v/s virtual existence

Just a random thought... Technology was built to shrink distances to bring us closer. Second life avatars,chat rooms,g talk... Do these virtual communication devices actually encourage us to live a virtual life or are they pushing us towards seeking face-to-face interactions through the use of these devices

The classic example would be dating sites...I can now connect with like minded individuals but what i am really looking for is the face-to-face meeting with the person. Similarly posting on blogs and having random visitors post on your blog who share their views has a thrill of its own but the real buzz factor lies in the possibility that someday i might just be able to transform this virtual connection into a real one.

Google earth as well as other cafes and restaurants that have online communities have in a way bridged the game between strangers in a particular locality.When add a CCD Khar community to my orkut community listing i am in fact hoping that i will make a virtual connection with someone who also frequently the same place that could maybe translate into an actual physical meeting someday.

The internet in my opinion has somewhere become the 1st screen filter when it come to the kind of friends/acquaintances we hope to have in our lives

It really isnt that miraculous?

Read this article by Madhukar Sabnavis on Shringar rasa, do have a dekho!its a beautifully written article on the co-relation between beauty and love and advertising as a reflection of pop culture.Somewhere to fag end of the article there is mention of the Ponds age miracle campaign,which got e thinking about the latest TVC that doing the rounds on most of the channels.


The TVC is yet another well written,well executed film in the Ogilvy and Mather kitty.The TVC for most of the bit leaves the audience miffed about the product annippet,it has a number of shots of young women[ohhh did i forget to mention YOUNG women] witd product category.Tried to get a youtube link for the same to no avail.Anyways to give you a sh what seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to the Nike swoosh floating above their heads and only in the last couple od frams does one find out this is a product for an anti aging cream.Yes the Ponds age miracle campaing!!Miracles do happen!Of course they do if you're gonna show young girls frolicking around your TVC!!!!!


Coming to think of it no wonder i was a part of the band wagon of the very many other viewers who we miffed!!!Its unnerving to see the lengths to which advertising will go to create false truths!!What hit the nail on the head was when i saw a friend of mine who was modeling for the TVC.Shes my age for crying out loud!!!23-24 years!!she doesn't need an anti-aging cream and the same applies for most of the other young girls in the ad


Yes i work in advertising...please tell me why again!!

So you wanna be creative??

Heres an interesting way to ensure you are more creative,came across these pointers on this site; www.gaping void.com.

Check out the snippets

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

A few good creative men

Came across this hilarious video.
Makes for a good laugh...
Njoy

Video:A few good creative men

beyond the musical note

Yesterday i had the pleasure of listening to one of the most passionate musicians perform at Prithvi cafe.I love music and dance and have often attended many a concert, but the notes that Suhasji a master flute musician created were in a genre of their own.

Pure from the heart love for music.Under dim yellow lights of beautifully decorated lanterns at the Prithvi cafe,in a snug corner of the cafe there comes a very talented musician who plays his flute almost every day for anyone and everyone.Whats beautiful about the experience is the absolute genuineness with which he plays,its not about the fan following for the applause, its about playing because you feel like sharing something with someone,and its this puritan purpose that make Suhasji stand out from the many other musician i've come across.

I've always believed that we in advertising sit in glass cabins heads buried into the monitor when the most creative influences in society sit out in the open in the glare of the public eye.Maybe its time we step out of our cabins and into the real world where pure emotion is felt and chords that move the heart are struck.

Yesterday to me was surreal,the sound of the flute in the background as you sip on a drink and light up a smoke is an experience no band or high funda music equipment could recreate.

Thank you Suhasji for in your own unique way creating a haven for us to escape to!

See,hear,touch,feel...the 360 degree sensory delight!

Todays consumers are all about the experience...
We are innate story tellers and the wilder the experience the greater the story!!We want to try new things,explore,test personal limits and see whats possible!Whether is kayaking down the Ganges,trekking up the Himalayas,taking up kick boxing,learning to pole dance,water yoga...you name it and there are takers for something unusual today!!

The new age customer wants to break out of the shackles of monotony and drudgery!and are more willing than ever before to experiment can create unique experiences for themselves!This quest for experience could be something even as small as learning to use the new PDA.There is a longing to feel alive and to shake up a stale routine.

Theres also a deeper push to engage the sense.Life is often too scripted and it feels great to cook from scratch that Mexican dish or paint that oil painting you've been meaning to do for over a year.In the new playground experience is the currency.Its the more valuable and prized than any material belonging.

Also unusual experiences spark interesting conversations and provide a vehicle for exploring latent passions,talents and desires in the attempt of developing a stronger sense of self.

The search for unusual experience also stems from the feasibility to create your own content.So now on your trip to Egypt you can create your very own video of the pyramids and mix it with your favorite track and upload it on your blog or youtube instead of picking up a souvenier!!

Busy bodies

Dialing a number...
Its ringing...
My call is cut!

Have been noticing something for sometime now,its something that most of my friends have succumbed to and flaunt unabashed!

Call anyone today and they are always busy!!!Ask them what their plans are for the weekend and they are busy with work!!or planning the next weeks workload!!

Its like the whole of India is running on hyper drive!i really got thinking about this so called 'BUSY BEE SYNDROME' over a beer with my fiance and friends the other day when these guys started pulling each others legs about how early the other one got off work and how lazy and not focused they were to do so.Now i personally completely disagree with the whole I've put in 18 hours a days =I'm hardworking,successful and an over achiever, in fact i believe quite the polar opposite!
My funda is work hard!work fast!work efficiently!

Getting back to the point,Gen x seems to have created a new disorder to add to the never ending list that already exists!!Conversations like"I'll call you back am in a meeting","Working over time this week","Cant make it for the movie somethings come up at work!"are daily occurances in the vocabulary of Genx.

So why the devil is everyone pretending to be so freaking busy!!??!!
This Gatorade powered generation caught in a fast paced constantly changing world has created the impression that working longer means working harder.[And if you really don't have that much work you jolly well pretend you do!!]Getting off work early is associated with aimless less,lack of focus in ones career.Parents and society too are to blame for reiterating these perception.Movies,theater,ad commercials all showing the overworked individual as a successful professional makes one believe that this is the way to go.

The end result an over worked,over tired generation of youngsters with little or no social life,with work frustrations that build up often to t he point of exploding,nervous break downs and sorry to say a generation living in the shades of grey devoid of any colour in their lives!

The bendy Indian

Hinduism is marked by two very strong ideologies,the first being,the tolerance injunction ,this basically emphasizes Hinduisms willingness throughout history to negotiate other world views and accept changes without sacrificing an unchanging essential core.

The second being Hinduism's universality,which essential is the belief that for every Hindu the fundamentals of his religious beliefs are the fundamental insights of all religions.The flexible Hindu is generally urban,educated and belongs to the ever expanding middle class.He may be traditional when it comes to religious rituals, he can be a nationalist when it comes to Islamic or Christan conversion activity and a globalist who enthusiastically embraces new religion and spiritual movements.

The bendy Hindu is much more eclectic in his religious attitudes and beliefs than his more traditional counterparts and a lot lest adamant when it comes to ideological beliefs when it comes to ideological beliefs.

The new Hindu prototype is an ever evolving breed who has to deal with the ever increasing pressures of urban life,he often tweaks age of rituals and modernized them to fit his new time shifting life.So from prayers offered to the Siddhi vinayak temple online or virtual donations.

The yearly pilgrimage has also seen a revamp with transportation and accommodation facilities at pilgrimage spots improved by leaps and bounds many a time the family vacation is plannedas such touristy-spiritual locations.

Another major feature of this prototype is the welcoming of new age healing gurus.From the Sri Sri Ravi Shankars of the world to the now very many Aamas and Matas the flexible Hindu shows not aversion to welcoming them with open arms.

This often topped with a modernized yoga and meditative session or weekly sath sang are not an uncommon feature in their lives.The flexible Hindu has no problem integrating New Age practices as they don't really disrupt his existing religious practices and dont alienate him from his core beliefs.

Its not just practices like reiki, pranic healing,lama fera,tarot or feng shui but also Hindu cultural concepts-for instance,the idea of karma-that are being re imported in their Western reincarnations.

The new age flexible Hindu is an enterprising, innovative,level headed individuals not afraid of a changing world in fact pro actively contributing to a changing religious culture!

The bendy India

must clicks!

Heres the first of very many posts on interesting sites i've stumbled upon

Drum roll pleasssssssssseee!!and the first site is!
http://www.mtvindia.com/itsmy/index.php

Its the coolest thing ever!You design your very own logo,you can even put your own pic, get to give it your name,choose the colors and motifs and the best part is it is aired on Mtv!!
How cool is that!!

Nike Just doing it for its consumers!

New York Times carried this interesting article on how Nike is shifting its attention from conventional marketing to doing more for its consumers

Of course size matters!

Noticed that bar of Cadbury's 5 star looking alot less than it used to!or that packet of Fritos Lays having a handful of chips!I'm sure you've noticed this,"YOUR PAYING THE SAME PRICE FOR
IT!!
To beat the rising cost of raw materials, more and more consumer goods companies are taking advantage of the amended Standards of Weights and Measures Rules,1977 to reduce quantity without changing the price.

To make the tale a little more woe filled manufacturers like HUL,ITC Foods and Parle have increased their prices whilst reducing the weight!!so be ready to shell out more for a lot less.With statements from the Godrej consumer products Ltd, COO RK Sinha like,"Our consumers feedback shows they realised the weight is less only after they bought the product home and started using it" and"there is a resistance from consumers to price hikes,especially for low end packs,Pravin Kulkarni,Marketing Manager Parle Products, only goes to show that marketing minds are gettin more devious by the hour!!!

Gettin in the loop!!

When BPL Mobile launched its 'Get in the Loop' campaign as apart of their re branding exercise, i honestly didn't quite like the campaign, it seemed quite cluttered and the all encompassing 'LOOP' managed to get more importance than BPL Mobile.

Just the other day i came across an article on something really interesting that BPL had done, wouldn't really have expected BPL Mobile to be the first few to ride on the digital wave but turns out they did just that.
BPL Mobile launched an innovative online marketing strategy wherein they asked their users to upload their group pics on the site www.getintheloop.in and the winners pics would be put up on a billboard promoting BPL Mobile ‘get in the loop’.

Super duper leveraging of the internet!Who wouldn't want to see themselves on a hoarding!While BPL got the faces they wanted, brand recall, more interactivity than before.Maybe if this online campaign was backed up with more on ground and social networking activity maybe there would have been much more hype around this marketing strategy

No A sale here, not a sale there, not a sale anywhere :(

I love the festive season!More than buzz than surrounds the festive preparations I'm guilty of looking forward to the Mega sales!Dhamaka offers!!the 70% offs!!

This year sadly i cant see too much of that,there are the discounts,sales and offers but nothing that one wouldn't already find anything during the year.It seems like the festive season has lost its sales appeal with marketers.Across sectors,October-December sales are down 7-10% as marketers create events out of Valentine's day,Womans day,Friendship day,Mothers day and others prompting consumers to spend a packet on each of these occasions. Consumer durables a segment that once clocked in record sales during the festive season are the hardest hit.
According to R Zutshi, India deputy MD,"The October-December season now accounts for 25-30% of our annual sales down from 40% three years ago"

The key reasons for this are:

• Globalization

With the dawn of globalization came high disposable incomes,increased consumer awareness and reference for new high quality advanced products.

• Buyers market

No longer is it a sellers market where the customer has little or no choice and is subject to high prices and low quality.Today custmers demand quality prices and with cut throat competition from international players sellers have no way out other than to sell their products at reasonable prices

• Youth driving purchases

The Indian youth today are a techno savvy bunch, well aware not just of Indian trends,products and prices but their international equivalents as well.They constanlty demand better quality, more advanced technology and lower prices for the products they purchased.The chances that a seller could dupe this lad or lass are unlikely