companies, brands, promises, internet

Two interesting, though seemingly different, links were sent to me in a period of 24 hours.

The first one - Digitally Deficient CMOs

We are moving toward a marketing world that is driven by a direct-marketing opt-in, predictive modeling and tracking approach. Marketing in the future will not be about the masses but about understanding micro-segments of customers and using tools that enable marketing to get more granular and take campaigns to a one-to-one level.

While it is true, and becoming Digitally Savvy to seamlessly understand and market to the ‘Digital Natives’ is of prime importance, these CMOs & their companies continue to remain untrue to the basic promise of the brand or the product. There is a yawning gap between what is promised and what is finally delivered.

Take UniWorldCityGGaon and his video that has been doing the rounds of the Internet for the last 3 weeks, and recently CNBC picked it up & broadcasted it.



The video’s been viewed almost 3000 times on YouTube - It is not a movement yet, but a revolution doesn’t take time. And this is not a stray case. There are enough examples of customer dissatisfaction, poor product quality, non-existent services, all the while we’re pretty much bullied into paying exorbitantly for ‘brand premium’ or for the experience & not just for just the brand. Very often, the experience only turns you off.

Sometimes people come through, sometimes they don’t. I’d like to keep a track of this and see if this changes anything for the building society and its people.

More power to you, people.

PS – I took permission from UniWorldCityGGaon to post the video on my blog. He agreed and I must add that his intentions are not to raise a scandal, but to be able to make a real difference. He mailed me and I quote - Please go ahead. Do keep it polite and factual please. Lets not shout at the darkness, but be a light unto yourself and others. Jai Gandhigiri during the Bapu's birthday year. God bless.

the beast & the beauty

There’s something heartening to write about, and then another one – is simply outré.

The latter first.

It is Ms Shetty again. I know, I know – I shouldn’t be doing this. I should ignore it. But I’m amused. And very cynically so – if it is possible to have such a curry of emotions. Pun very much intended.

An honorary doctorate Leeds Metropolitan University.

For participating in a second rate, commercial, spiced up, ratings crazy, appealing to the lowest-iq-denominator audience television show?

Outstanding contribution to cultural diversity and good relations between the peoples of United Kingdom and India.

Excuse me, while I choke.

Erm…Dr Shetty, honoris causa ad gradum.

A school of thought fears that the number of non-academic Phd holders may surpass academic Phd holders. Imagine – a world where there are more Shilpa Shetties than Amartya Sens. *Shiver*

On a more encouraging observation…

While on a suburban train last evening, I saw a young pretty girl, dressed simply in jeans and a shirt, carrying a large red box that said ‘Kingfisher Cabin Crew Training Manual’. The girl alighted at Kandivli, along with another lady who was probably her mother and they walked away towards home I guess.

Nothing spectacularly unusual, but it was an agreeable sight. This simple girl would soon be flying the skies, confidently addressing people, dressed well, earning good money, firmly and surely on her way towards independence.

It is nice to see middle India become independent, confident and pursuing new and bold careers, creating better lives for themselves.

Like Jacques says, the young (youth) in India today are a good lot. Cheerful, ambitious, positive and assured folks.

This is why it is a great time to be here.