A time to start up?

In 1987, I was asked to open a branch for Mudra Communications, a growing agency of that time. My boss, an outstanding Manager, asked me a question - “What do entrepreneurs do when they start up?” Having been an employee all my life, I waited for him to guide me.

“They are so keen to succeed in business; they will even pawn their wife’s jewels if the need presents itself. I want you to have that attitude even if you are only a Branch Manager.” I took his advice seriously and threw myself into the venture. I ran around looking for office space, getting a telephone connection, finding clients, finding people…. The biggest challenge was getting a telephone connection and I had to move heaven and earth and do stuff that I am ashamed of today.

Things have gotten a lot easier for the entrepreneurs of today. I look at the Start up ecosystem as it exists in Bangalore and the challenges and the eco system that they will deal with today.

I've also talked about startups that I know of personally like this one. You can read the full piece on Money Indices here.

VIP Skybags and their attack on black

You must have noticed the new ad campaign for VIP skybags featuring John Abraham to mark its foray into the Backpack segment. I was asked to weigh in on the campaign and the segment.

The new Skybags campaign

I believe that categories like watches, vehicles, clothes and women's bags have all undergone change and have become products that are used to make a statement, and backpacks are no different, as I mentioned in a campaign profile on Afaqs.

You can read the whole article and my other thoughts on the segment here.  

Brand "Amma" in the run up to the elections

I was interviewed on CNN-IBN on Jayalalitha and how she has built her brand in the run up to the upcoming elections and her PM aspirations on the eve of her 66th birthday.

You can see it here: Jayalalithaa makes her PM aspirations clearer

My opinion on Jayalalitha as shown on NewsX

My opinion on Jayalalitha and the "Amma" brand that she has built with her initiatives as shown on the NewsX channel

MTR vs Maiyas: Bangalore and Beyond

As a true blue Bangalorean, this is a market share battle that is close to my heart (possibly in the stomach region!)

An interesting piece in Business Today, on the Maiya's brand and how it will compete with the MTR foods business that it started and sold. Although the market is big enough to accommodate the two and more, I feel distribution and other factors will play a deciding role.

Datsun In India

India is a "have to be present in" market for most brands and Datsun is now being launched here as well.

Given its global story and the negative perception of its products, my two cents in this Business Standard article on what it will need to do to gain Market Share and consumers in India.

When ads are better than soaps

The advertising industry realizes that the remote control is an even more potent destroyer of poor advertising than clients and is hence pushing the envelope more and more to ensure that we don’t switch channels. 

The Tanishq ad was memorable

For my take on advertisers, television viewing habits and programming you can read the full article at the Indian Television website.

Himalaya bets on Personal Care

When Himalaya entered the market, herbal products were relatively new. In a way, they were early entrants in the space and grew the category to a large extent. More often than not, in such cases, larger players can walk in and reap the fruits of the work of smaller early entrants, by virtue of their muscle. My thoughts on what strategy Himalaya should follow to take on the larger players.

You can read the entire write up here at the Business Standard.

How the cookie crumbles: Oreo's new brand ambassadors

“Celebrity endorsements in India are much more than in any other country, and this is perhaps to my mind another such example of that. Oreo is a widely-advertised brand and is recognised by almost everyone. Its acceptance is more than any other brand, so maybe they want to build on it and distance themselves from everybody else.”

Read more on my assessment of hiring Ranbir Kapoor and Karthi as brand ambassadors for Oreo in this piece on Exchange4media.

Publish Asia 2013

I recently took part in Publish Asia 2013, a three day conference on Print Media. I conducted a session on innovations in print advertising. From Air India and Amul print ads from the vault to implementing techniques like die-cutting, met pad printing, UV printing and other print enhancements. For a summary of the conference, do see the write up in PrintWeek here.