My Life Song

Emily Bronte put it beautifully and the poem has always echoed in my heart...

"Often rebuked, yet always back returning

    To those first feelings that were born with me,

And leaving busy chase of wealth and learning

    For idle dreams of things which cannot be:

To-day, I will seek not the shadowy region;

    Its unsustaining vastness waxes drear;

And visions rising, legion after legion,

    Bring the unreal world too strangely near.

I’ll walk, but not in old heroic traces,

    And not in paths of high morality,

And not among the half-distinguished faces,

    The clouded forms of long-past history.

I’ll walk where my own nature would be leading:

    It vexes me to choose another guide:

Where the gray flocks in ferny glens are feeding;

    Where the wild wind blows on the mountain side.

What have those lonely mountains worth revealing?

    More glory and more grief than I can tell:

The earth that wakes one human heart to feeling

    Can centre both the worlds of Heaven and Hell."
Emily Bronte

Moving on from the “F” words…Indian Advertising.

Moving on from the “F” words…Indian Advertising.

If Indian advertising has been trending recently, it has been for the Ford Figo Fiasco. And F words have since been used liberally around it.

Festering at GoaFest.

Controversies still continue around Goa Fest, India’s answer to the Cannes. Leo Burnett and BBDO followed JWT on the scam trail. Leo Burnett ‘s radio spots for Tata Salt Lite  were not paid for by its client and BBDO’s entry for DHL couriers was found to be very similar to work done in Singapore by Ogilvy for Allied Pickford. Both ended up having to return their awards. It is likely that many more  agencies may also join that club, including the likes of DDB Mudra, McCann Erickson, JWT, et al, if plagiarism is proved. Goa Fest therefore, has every likelihood of festering into a Goa Farce.

Finding the Fountainhead

There is indeed a need for the Indian advertising industry to introspect and meditate on where it is headed and what it needs to do.

Marketing companies need advertising agencies, simply because agencies can do something which they cannot , even if they had the spare time.  That “something”, is the talent to unleash the drama in the given product, in a memorable manner, through mass media. The agency therefore has to have a DNA pool , that produces ideas which can be monetized both by the agency and the client. Awards ,to an extent, build credibility for this claim, since they represent an endorsement by the peer group. This is the only rational reason for awards and for Agencies to go hunting for them.

In an interview, the head of a network mentioned that awards actually translated into the agency being able to make better margins for the services rendered. The awards providing credibility to the claim of superior creative firepower within the agency.

Agency heads have therefore been pushing for metals to be won and showcased.  While this is perfectly a valid ambition, the means adopted to meet this requirement have been suspect at times.

Frauds and Followers .

Talent spotting and nurturing the right talent possibly has been a casualty in agencies. Allegations of recruitment interviews becoming “idea shopping festivals” are rife. Creative Directors are alleged to move jobs with their own cliques in tandem. These cliques reportedly include “preferred” vendors for film making, model coordination, photography and even printing! Cabals emerge as power centers, driving away those who are not party to the “setting”. These often include talented, but upright professionals. Plagiarism of ideas within the agency and names being excluded from creative ownership lists are also refrains heard often. Absence of genuine talent could very well be a consequence in the agency. As an Indian saying goes, “you cannot grow mangoes from jackfruit seeds”. Scams, plagiarized work and work done by freelancers, find their way into award shows. 

Filmi Fever

Celebrity endorsements in India have been the norm recently with astronomical sums being paid to “brand ambassadors”. Rather than ideas that are rooted in the product truth, it is the “celebrity fit” that seems to guide creative ideas. The brand differentiation is therefore linked to the celebrity endorser. Apart from the risk and implications for long term brand health, what is worrisome is the questionable nexus between the celebrities and the Creative Directors. Brand ambassadors end up endorsing film scripts written by the CD’s and finally starring in it.  Ads done to curry favor with movie stars are not exactly award winning stuff. Scams therefore suddenly find life around the awards season.

Fooling the Client

Random viewing of commercials and ads in recent times leaves most people perplexed. Even basic comprehension can sometimes be an issue.  In a majority of the work released, the “consumers’ voice” is clearly not heard and the “consumer insight” is therefore conspicuous by its absence. The work therefore, has body and craft, but no soul. It would not provoke the consumer to move even a muscle. It is something that alienates clients and results in scam entries at awards. With the economy sliding into stagflation, advertising spends have begun to diminish. Patience with the Agency’s non-performance at the market place would probably have worn thin. Celebrity endorsements have been fatalities in many brand plans. Plagiarism for many clients is tantamount to counterfeiting and faking of intellectual property ownership. Releasing of brand communication without due approval would mean violation of copyright and the contract itself. Quod erat demonstrandum, agencies putting priority to awards over market share, and indulging in scams and plagiarism, may soon discover that an irate Client has put paid to the relationship.

False  Favors

Given their self- absorbed life styles, one would be forgiven for claiming that Corporate Social Responsibility is something that is preached, but never practiced by agencies and people who populate them. However it has been a happy hunting ground for most creative agencies. Many sneer that these campaigns are akin to the devil quoting the scriptures.  But the scriptures have somehow been used well enough to win awards in this category. It is, however, a big question mark whether the target audience ever saw this campaign and if it was given sufficient media weights to cross the threshold level. A tea brand recently did a highly rated campaign for encouraging people to vote. The voting percentage however dropped drastically in the following elections in Mumbai, the capital of Indian advertising.  

There is also lax follow up when it comes to these causes. Adoption campaigns have been created, but not a single soul has continued with the effort to see where this issue has progressed to. Gender discrimination and domestic violence have been cause célèbre in the advertising world, but people accused of sexual harassment still find favor and patronage in these circles. It is as if even charitable causes are being plundered for personal glory.

Finally, the way Forward

It is clear that lust for awards without the consumer connect would only lead to a rape of the brand. Something that is clearly unwanted in India. To free itself from the shackles of the ills plaguing it, the Indian advertising fraternity needs to move towards genuine passion for “the work” and nothing but “the work”.  Then would come the greater glory and the good.

God be with us.

ENDS.( 1040 words)

VINOD NATESAN

Mayan Consultants International.

QUICK PROFILE:

Mr. Vinod Natesan, runs a boutique brand and marketing consultancy  Mayan Consultants  International, In the 21 years in the industry, he has been associated with agencies like JWT, Lowe Lintas, Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson and has been responsible to clients such as UniLever, Procter &Gamble, Kelloggs, De Beers, Merrill Lynch, Diageo, Samsung, Bayer, Reliance,Tata ,Mahindra and HDFC. Awards and recognitions include a Clio (bronze), an Effie and numerous nominations at the London, and New York Festivals. He has had international exposure having done stints in East Africa (Nairobi) and the Middle East. The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE was ranked by the Oxford Business Group as one of the fastest rising FDI destinations in the region during his tenure as the Head of Operations at the RAK Investment Authority in 2006.He has also been a visiting faculty in most of the management institutes in Mumbai University since 1996.

ENDS…

Guest Column in MXM India. Moving on from F words..by Vinod Natesan 

 Related links.

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2009/10/plagiarism-imitation-or-mere.html

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2010/12/creative-coincidence-or-plagiarism.html

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2010/10/creative-coincidence-plagiarism.html

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2010/03/coca-cola-road-to-olympics-2008.html 

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2010/01/hari-sadus-in-media.html

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.in/2008/04/in-which-hari-sadu-strikes-back.html

Fr Zacharias, Society of Jesus

Fr Zacharias, Society of Jesus

When I visited my parents this time, my mother handed over a few things to me, which she considered valuable. Among them was a letter from Fr Zacharias ( Fr Zach) who taught English at the Loyola English School in the late seventies and which meant that I his student in the 8th and 9th grades.

Fr Zach was quite popular in class, simply because he was affectionate to us all and had a great sense of humor. He was hospitalized for sometime and during a surgery, was pronounced “ clinically dead” . He survived and recovered. He returned to the class and continued to teach us.

Children tend to do better on subjects handled by teachers they like and respect. It was the same with Fr Zacharias. I did well in English that year and also learned to love books. A trait that has continued lifelong.

This letter from him was in response to a query my father sent him from Lagos inquiring about my performance in school. The reply is typical of a man who took up service to humanity as a lifelong vocation. There is affection and genuine concern for all kids irrespective of their religious faith and the ability to see good in everything. I quote “ My only ambition is to do some good to children like Vinod. I tell you they are a wonderful set of kids, the whole lot of them and I love them. I love them well Mr Nateshan and that is the secret of my success with these kids.”

Fr Zach once told me to keep smiling and said that it would take me far. I never knew the background of this letter or that what he thought of me. It however gave my parents a lot of solace and it explained why my mother thought it “valuable”.

I also never saw myself as “docile but receptive” or that I had in me “the makings of greatness “ and that I will “become great” one day, but I do now bow my head in reverence to a Jesuit priest who wrote that about a Hindu student from a middle class family in an elite school. I guess you have to have it in you to see it in others.

Lost touch with him and with some great teachers there, but wherever they are, I always will wish them the very best.

Amen

August 2012 Mumbai

P.S. This article was carried by the School Magazine in its 51st issue, Loyolite 2013.I was given a copy of it by the LOBA representative, Mr.Alex Ajith Philip. Here are the pictures

Education Watch: Higher Studies in the United States.

Unless you are a masochist, or are into S&M games, like wearing dog collars around your neck or ankles, or generally like being treated without dignity and self respect, you are strongly advised to read this article. More so, if you or your wards are planning to travel to the United States for higher education.
Lessons from the Tristar University scam

Related Links
Are Indian Students at Trivalley University guilty?
Visa Relief for the TriValley University Students
 Indian Students trapped in the United States

Some useful links on education 

HDFC Standard Life Insurance: Sar Udhake Jiyo! Hold Your Head High!

I am perhaps the only one in my family, who is not in the  "playing with widows money" industry, or, as it is officially known,  the life insurance industry!. My parents were LIC employees and my sister is now employed with them. I am by exception, an advertising professional and my only exposure to the insurance industry as a professional was in 2004, when I handled the HDFC Standard Life Insurance account as an advertising agency representative.
Deepak Satwalekar the head of HDFC Standard Life Insurance, was a man I had immense respect for and someone I knew through his son Abhijit, who trained under me at PSLMcCann Erickson in the late nineties. Deepak was one of the key leaders behind the success of HDFC, a housing finance institution, which made the dreams of many Indians for a home they could call their own,come true. HDFC was very rooted and humane, a trait which probably was a reflection of its top management and I was therefore keen  on working on the HDFC Standard Life business. Deepak had got on board a very grounded but aggressive and clear headed marketing head by the name of Sanjay Tripathy. We hit it off from the word go and I was happy to learn that we were both IRMA Alumni!
I left the agency after a very short stint, since I did not share their view of life and means of doing business, but the relationship with Deepak and Sanjay continued. During my stint, Sanjay and Deepak approved the proposition of "self -respect" as an emotional payoff  that came with financial independence.The tag line, "sar udhake jiyo", which was coined by Harish, a writer who worked with the Delhi branch of the agency, came into being. The first film was directed by Nikhil Advani and the print was photographed by Suresh Natarajan.
I had an issue with the film, in that it focused on the "physical" aspect rather than the "fiscal" aspect, but I had to bow down to the team decision:) Sanjay, however, thought the same and with Leo Burnett as his agency, he came out with campaigns which were bang on target!
Under his stewardship the brand became one of the most salient in the category.Though it never won awards, it is one of the most respected brands in the country today and I am told, it appears in popular choices, very often.
Sanjay Tripathy has also been savvy in terms of media planning and media buying. The brand has been visible and has maintained salience which explains the high recall scores it has got. The sponsorship with Rajasthan Royals is a case in point. The Shane Warne and Yousuf Pathan commercials stayed true to the brand which is a hallmark of a clear headed strategy and Sanjay Tripathy deserves full credit for it, along with the team at Leo Burnett,  which is headed by K.V.Sridhar (Pops) and Arvind Sharma.

Given below is the showreel of commercials.

The launch commercial - 2004 December.- Pension Plans



The bicycle commercial- Pension Plans

This incidentally is among my favourite TVC's! From the physical and filmi to the fiscal and grounded!! Perfect!



Childrens Plans - Father and Daughter - US Scholarship

Another favourite! The brand retains its identity in this category also which is where mature and savvy marketing minds score!



Childrens Plans- Child and Father- Astronaut




HDFC Unit Linked Savings Plans- Father's car!

Interesting how the brand promise has been extended into other sub-categories! There is no confusion in terms of brand character and the proposition is crystal clear. I think it is also a case of client and agency working well together!



Back to Pension Plans - Singapore sling!



Recent posts and links

The logo has undergone a change and the association with HDFC is being strengthened. Standard Life is no longer part of the identity.

Business Standard Article on Rebranding of HDFC Life

The new commercial: 2010 December





 


Wishing Sanjay and his team...Boniface, Salil and the people at Leo Burnett- Arvind, Pops .. the very best!

RACE AND PREJUDICE: A short story by Vinod Natesan

OF RACE & PREJUDICE

A short story:

The sound of breaking glass woke me from my light slumber. The sound was familiar. When students demonstrations used to go out of control, this was what would start off the spiral. The sound of granite stones aimed at public transport buses and the splintering of glass. Lathi charges used to follow and students would get beaten up for what was instigated by hoodlums, on directions from vested interests. Here too, there was an unease that I felt, a sixth sense that told me something was amiss. I had learned not to ignore this feeling in the pit of the stomach, this tightness that always foretold of lurking danger. It had stood me in good stead, in the cut and thrust of Kerala University student activism.

I got out of the bus, making sure I was carrying my bags and walked out onto the driver’s side. The driver was missing. Luckily, I soon found him perched on the roof of the bus, looking at a long line of buses that were parked in a line a little ahead. He mumbled something about some people stopping and checking buses.  I immediately recalled a newspaper boy yelling “Rajiv Gandhi out “ as he sold the evening tabloid earlier that night, when the bus had stopped for refreshments. It was almost mid-night and on the highway that connected Bangalore to Hyderabad. However no one paid him any attention.. I had marveled at the ingenuity of the kid, knowing that the election results would definitely not be out that night. However, I somehow  felt now, that what the boy had used as a sales pitch last night, had some bearing on what was happening this morning. I walked forward to a group clustered on one side of the road talking animatedly amongst themselves.My hunch turned out to be true. Rajiv Gandhi  the Congress leader, had been murdered by some LTTE terrorists, the previous night . There was therefore a bandh and buses were being stopped.

My name is Vinod Natesan and my surname is very common in Tamil Nadu. However my parents are both Malayali’s. My dad is actually a Pillai from Cochin and there was no linkage to anything Tamil that he had mentioned. My mother was a mix of a Tulu Brahmin and a Malayali Nair. On her side too, there were no Tamil connections. Well, lineage and pedigree had never bothered me till now and I always thought of myself as Vinod. My caste, religion and mother tongue had never become part of my self concept. But I was uneasy when I heard about the LTTE involvement in the unfortunate incident. Going by what happened in Delhi after the murder of Mrs Gandhi, I was pretty sure that there would be a backlash against Tamils, whether they were LTTE sympathizers or not. My anxiety was not misplaced. I soon saw a family scampering away, looking terror stricken. When stopped by the group next to me, they confirmed my worst fears. Mobs were stopping and burning vehicles with Tamil Nadu registration and Tamil names. People with Tamil names were being beaten up.


Survival instinct is something that was well honed in me.  I realized immediately that given my surname and its coincidental connotations, there was a  distinct possibility of being lynched, if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Returning to Bangalore did not make sense, since the risks would be the same whether it was Bangalore or Hyderabad. More importantly, I also had to join the Hyderabad branch of an advertising agency that had offered me a much needed job. There was  therefore no turning back for me..

 Having decided to brave it to Hyderabad, I then started my preparations. I removed all documents which indicated my name and kept it in my socks and other places where I felt no one would suspect .
My wallet was emptied, except for a hundred rupees and I spread the money in different places of my clothing and baggage to reduce the risk of a total wipe out in case of looting . I then wrote V. Nath on a card and kept it in my baggage name tag with my Kerala address clearly visible. It helped that I had the initials  V.N, labeled on my luggage:)

I then started my trek to Hyderabad. Now, this was my first trip to that city and I had no clue as to where  where exactly  my agency had booked a room for me. All I had was the name Hotel Golconda @Lakdi ka Pul.  I told myself that I would first reach Hyderabad and then find out where this Hotel Golkonda was.

As I reached the crowd at the beginning of the line of buses, I could see a drunken group with the Congress party colors and black powder marks on their forehead shouting “Rajiv Gandhi amar rahe”. As I reached them, I too raised the slogan “Rajiv Gandhi amar rahe” looking very solemn and angry. The crowd joined in chorus. One of them came up and smeared some of the powder on my forehead as if I was a war hero returning home. He asked me something in Telugu and I said “Malayali”, Malayali” in my eagerness to establish my linguistic roots. He replied in Hindi, asking me where I was headed and in my nervousness I said “ladki ka pool”.(For those of you who do not follow Hindi. Lakdi Ka Pul means a wooden bridge.Ladki Ka Pool means a bridge of girls) He and his cohorts had a hearty laugh. They then asked  "Pehli baar Hyderabad aa raha he? ( Are you coming to Hyderabad for the first time?) . I replied that I had to report for work at my new office in Hyderabad. That seemed to somehow appease them  and one of them grinned and said to his pals "Naya he re" ( He is new). I was careful not to wipe the sweat forming on my forehead for fear of wiping away the tilak which they had smeared on it. They gave me vague directions. I thanked them and shouted another “Rajiv Gandhi amar rahe” for good measure.

The trek continued for a couple of hours until I reached a small market place. I soon chanced upon a shop with its shutters half –open. I went in and pleaded with the reluctant shop owner who let me make a call to my parents in Kerala in rerun of a hefty sum of a 100 rupees (in those days). I gave the contact number of the shop, so that relatives in the city could be informed to send help. My parents were relieved to hear my voice as was my cousin in Bangalore, who gave me the contact details of a relative in Hyderabad. I quickly managed to call this relative before the irritated shop keeper kicked me out. I luckily managed to get through. His advice was however to stay put where I was, since even Hyderabad was not safe and he was himself not stirring out for fear of life!!

At this point , the shop keeper  heard a truck drive up and hurriedly downed the shutters. I slipped out of the back door and on peeping onto the front of the market, saw looting of shops in broad daylight. Soft drinks were consumed, food items taken and there was no hint of anything being paid for. Some of those on board had sticks and some had sickle like knives. After this party left, shouting slogans with a drunken fervor, I crept out into the open and continued my journey.

After a  few miles, my stomach registered its protest with some loud rumbles, but there was not a single restaurant or hotel to be seen on the highway. I  had no other option but to stop at the wayside water taps and quench my thirst, hoping that the hunger pangs would subside. Some more reception committees and trucks were encountered on the road, but I had my password for survival in place.“Rajiv Gandhi amar rahe”. I probably was a good actor, and the black mark on my forehead probably helped, because it seemed to convince most of the goons.

As the day wore on, my bags became heavier, time seemed to move at a crawl and the road  seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon.  I was also a little worried of some lumpen elements waylaying me for commercial reasons, not related to the bereavement over the tragedy in the Gandhi family. It was then that as I started  praying, promising  limitless offerings to all the Gods in the Hindu pantheon to whom I had made such entreaties often. The only difference was that until now, my entreaties were for better marks,success in examinations and  favorable responses from the girls that I used to be infatuated by at various points in my life. ( Yes, they were in large numbers :)  Right now however, on a hot dusty road to Hyderbad with my bags on my head, it was for my life. And yes,to be allowed to join this agency in Hyderabad. Not that it was a great agency, but it was the only one that had made me an offer in a while.

About an hour into praying and walking, thought I heard the sound of a car. My mother had once told me that as a baby, I was dedicated to Lord Guruvayoorappan.and that he would always take care of me. I thumbed a lift and as the car stopped, I wondered if  my Mother's faith was possibly not misplaced.

It was a family of four and the man who was in his forties asked me where I was headed. I gave him the hotel address and he invited me to ride with him. His wife obligingly went to the back seat and I got in next to him after depositing my bags in the boot of the car.

The lady provided me with lemonade in a glass and offered a sandwich, which I gleefully ate. They let me rest for a while before the man asked me what brought me to the city. He listened, smiled and said “Welcome to Hyderabad”. The discussion veered around to the Charminar, the Hussain Sagar and the famed Biriyani ( a rice based dish). When he dropped me off at the hotel, I remembered to give him my name and asked him his. He offered me his card. It said Haroon Siddiqui ( name changed). He was an agent for the Life Insurance Corporation.of India.

I joined the Agency and was in Hyderabad for 6 to 8 months. In that period, he never called up to sell his policies. That gesture  of helping a stranger on the road was purely from the heart. I marveled at his generosity and compassion. The irony of the situation also did not escape me. Where people were being targeted, because they happened to speak the same tongue as a bunch of murderers, or had names that were similar to them, here was a man who risked his family’s life to help someone he did not even know.

I learned a lot that day. And the most important one was a person is defined by his actions and not by his name, race, religion or linguistic origins. The worst that you could do to someone is to stereotype him and kill his individuality and rob him of a fair chance in life. I could NEVER become someone’s sworn enemy, because of something trivial as his name, or even because he or she spoke a language or was born in a particular place!

Amen

ADOPTION AD - EDGAR ALLAN POE

Click on visual to enlarge.

Related links:

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.com/2010/01/adoption-ad-kabir.html

Adoption Ad - Steve Jobs

click on visual to enlarge.

Pro-bono work : Art and Copy - Vinod Natesan

JUST DON'T DO IT- An ad for promoting Mayan Consultants

Blind Man Writing

BLIND MAN WRITING:
I brush my teeth, shave and have a bath everyday,I visit my barber once a month. My clothes are washed and ironed. I do not have tattoos and am not and do not appear to be a sexual deviant or someone who uses narcotics and psychotropic substances extensively. All these personality traits, according to many, makes me completely ill suited to the task of a "Creative Director"!
However in the pursuit of a legitimate livelihood which does not involve sale of ones self- respect and soul, I have often written messages to induce the reader to visit a destination, take up a cause, or try a product.
I am therefore the Account Planner cum Creative cum Business Head :) However, there is a catch. In the creative function, you need an At Director and a Writer working together. They always hunt in pairs. When you are a Planner, you sometimes find the Muse knocking and pen down a few ideas. However, it needs a skilled Art director to do the mid-wife's bit and get the baby out.The assignments here where like a blind man writing. The Art Director did his bit a lot later.The Art Director in question and my partner in crime here is a mysterious and secretive bloke who answers to the name of SG.

The campaigns written include
http://vinodnatesansportfolio.blogspot.com/2009/10/mayan-consultants-international-2009_12.html

http://vinodnatesansportfolio.blogspot.com/2009/10/mayan-consultants-international-2009.html

http://vinodnatesansportfolio.blogspot.com/2009/10/mayan-consultantsfreelance-work-2009.html

http://vinodnatesansportfolio.blogspot.com/2008/04/2002-2005-mayan-consultants.html

http://vinodnatesansportfolio.blogspot.com/2008/04/1998-2000-mayan-consultants.html

Terms of Encouragement- The "I Liked This" Letters

"One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary"

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists"

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

Reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own."

A forward received from one of my ex-bosses. I liked it very much and found it relevant because I have a habit of keeping all these appreciation letters and positive feedback,in fact, I have a blog where all these are updated and stored.

You can click on the link below:
http://vnreferences.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-dozen-people-say-about-me.html

Reading it has been a great tonic and a confidence booster for me:). A practice therefore that I strongly recommend.

TWENTY THINGS SAID ABOUT ME

TWENTY THINGS SAID ABOUT ME

Source: Linkedin Connections
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Head of Operations/COO at RAK Investment Authority
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Vinod was of great support to us when we visited the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah and was instrumental in us setting up business there. He was thorough in terms of procedure and knowledge of all aspects of the Emirate and its laws and also was able to grasp the requirements of our business based in Hamburg quickly. He was very warm, friendly and went out of his way to make us feel at home which we reciprocate heartily. He continues to remain a well wisher and a friend. We will stay in contact because of his variety of well established business contacts all over the world but esp. in India. He is of great help to establish our business opportunities in India.” March 2, 2009

Markus Wagner , Owner , Middle East Marketing and Investment Group
was with another company when working with Vinod at RAK Investment Authority
______________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod is an intelligent and versatile man. I had the good fortune of working with him during our assignment for RAK Dept of Civil Aviation. His sound knowledge and business acumen puts him in good stead with whichever organisation he works with. I wish Vinod the very best in all his future endeavours. Hoshi Siganporia” February 20, 2009

Hoshi Siganporia , Managing Director , The Big Idea Advertising
was a consultant or contractor to Vinod at RAK Investment Authority
______________________________________________________________________________________
Associate General Manager at McCann Erickson Mumbai (PSL)
______________________________________________________________________________________

“Early in my career, Vinod was my boss for a brief period of one year. Many years and many many colleagues later, I haven’t met too many who combine Vinod’s passion, conviction, intellectual curiosity and fierce commitment towards his job and his people. Am reassured to see that he retains the same hunger even today. For an organization looking to turbo charge its work culture, I can’t think of too many better prospects than Vinod Natesan.” March 9, 2009
Amit Kumar
Executive Planning Director, McCann Erickson (colleague)reported to you at Leo Burnett in 1993 and was with PSLMcCann Delhi in 1996-98.
______________________________________________________________________________________


“Vinod is straight and honest at what he wants to achieve. His approach to work is very clinical and analytical, which I've respected much. He grew from being an accounts executive to the position of a General manager in and advertising agency in a very short time, and out did past performances and set records in the agency in terms of new business. Which he has been able to repeat in further careers. He's a hard nut., and a maverick., and any serious business house deserves him.” March 13, 2009
Ara A,, Owner, The Fix (colleague) worked with you at Leo Burnett in 1992-93 and was in touch right through.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Proprietor at Mayan Consultants International
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod looked after the marketing activities of the Landmark group for a while and I found him very knowledgeable in all aspects of the function. He was very data driven and collaborated with me in doing a quantitative survey on media consumption habits of regular customers and members of the loyalty club. He came out with very innovative campaigns to promote the Food Court at the Oasis Centre in Jumeirah and the CYBORG entertainment centre. His campaign "what women want" which ran during the Valentines and the Id season in February 2002 was a big success. I was also happy to see him replicate his success with the promotion of Emirate of Ras al Khaimah as an investment destination” March 13, 2009

P.K Faisal, GROUP CRM MANAGER, LANDMARK RETAIL GROUP (colleague)
worked directly with you in 2002 and is now with Bin Hendi UAE.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod is a peoples person and is excellent in motivating employees , I met Vinod in chennai and found him extermely sharp , focussed , motivated and always being in control of things I wish him all the best in his career” February 25, 2009

Viney Bhatia , General Manager- Finance at Rediffusion DYR Pvt Ltd was Commercial Manager , Rediffusion DYR Pvt Limited when he worked with Vinod at Mayan Consultants International in 2005.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod taught us Advertising at VESIMSR and it was one of my best classes through the MBA course. He is an excellent communicator and extremely organized. I also had the privelege to do a small assignment under his guidance, that brought out his systematic approach to problem handling and positive mentoring approach. He is always there for any discussion and is a great listener.” March 4, 2009

Shubha Chadaga , Merchandise Planner , BCBG Max Azria
was with another company when working with Vinod at Mayan Consultants International
___________________________________________________________________________________________

“Professor Natesan was one of the best professors we had at VES. His intellect, professionalism and vast knowledge on the Advertising Industry certainly had us students begging for more. I can vividly recall some of the examples he would use to depict successful brands (so you can imagine how good he is!). I can certainly vouch for his Marketing and Advertising strategies and would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to make their brand BIG! :) God bless, Sir!” February 25, 2009.Top qualities: Great Results , Expert , Creative.

Nandita Saggu, Specialist-Learning Solutions at Astrum Consulting.
Was a student of Vinod when he was a Visiting Faculty at VESASC and running Mayan Consultants in 2001
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I know Mr. Natesan from 2001, he was a visiting faculty for us at my BMM Course. Mr. Natesan has a great indepth & intellectual knowledge of the the advertising & media industry. He has worked with the leading Ad Agencies in India and hence, has the upto date knowledge & understanding of his field. I can easily term him as the 'expert'! Would recommend him to anyone looking for a strategist, planner, out-of-the-box thinker. Wishing him the very best in all he does!” February 23, 2009

Sahil Jatana , Asst. Manager - Digital Media at NDTV Imagine
Was a student , VES College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Chembur
when Vinod was Visiting Faculty and running Mayan Consultants International
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Executive at FCB Ulka (91-92) to Visiting Faculty at Management Institutes
In Mumbai (96-08)-SIMSR,VESIMSR, NLDIMSR, SIES .

Vinod Natesan spent some of his formative years with Ulka Advertising in Bangalore and Hyderabad. He has been in touch over the last 15 years as his career has progressed. An MBA from one of the better schools of management, he has kept himself alive and alert with the latest happenings and trends in marketing and advertising. It is laudable that he has taken a lot of interest in education and training. He also has a keen planning orientation, having worked on major campaigns and brands. I wish him all the best.

Ambi M.G.Parameswaran, Executive Director & CEO – Mumbai
Draftfcb + Ulka, Nirmal, Nariman Point. Mumbai 400021
_________________________________________________________________________________________

LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS – Institute of Rural Management Anand & CUSAT(1 semester) - Masters (MBA/PGDRM) Teachers and fellow students.
______________________________________________________________________________________


“Mr. Vinod Natesan was a student of mine at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India. I remember him distinctly because of the keen interest he showed in the behavioural science courses I taught there. He used to be relatively quiet and yet quite communicative. Vinod’s recent messages and articles in the alumni pages tell me that his observational and analytical skills, which were visible years ago at IRMA, have become much sharper, along with a well developed sensitivity to social phenomena. I remember Vinod as a genuine, hardworking, reliable and a warm person. With his abilities and well-placed concerns, I am confident that Vinod, wherever he is, will definitely go that extra effective mile to be useful to society.” March 4, 2009

M.J. Arul , Director at Presidency B-School, Presidency College, Bangalore was Professor , Institute of Rural Management, Anand and taught Vinod there .
______________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod is my senior and a very prominent alumni. I have known him as an advertising professional and an intellectual. He has helped his clients through his firm Mayan Consultants through many years now. I know from his dedication and intellectual curiousity that he is a person who puts in more than 100% in his work. I wish him a lot of luck in his future endeavors!” March 12, 2009

Desh Kapoor,, Engagement Leader at Infosys Consulting was Student, Institute of Rural Management
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I have known Vinod for a long time, from IRMA days. Over the years he has worked in the Advertising/Public Relations field and has executed successfully many campaigns. He has a lot of experience in the industry, grasps things easily, and is a person who gives more than 100% at work. He is a very good person to know and have as a friend, and his sense of humor always tends to make me smile.” February 20, 2009

Manesh Modi , Market Research Analyst at MGT Information studied with Vinod at Institute of Rural Management Anand
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Student at University of Kerala and Loyola School Trivandrum
_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Owner of a very strong personality. Very critical and thourough in analysis and quick in decision. Jobs are seen to its completion. A joyous and lovable person, with wide and varied interests in life. A good friend to have with.” February 20, 2009

Santhu Santosh , Chief Manager , SBT advised Vinod at University of Kerala
______________________________________________________________________________________

“I have known Vinod since childhood. Vinod is a person of high integrity, honor and compassion. Vinod is very passionate about his interests and is very committed to the success of his work.” March 11, 2009

Anil Mukundan, Co Founder and Chief Technology Officer at CodeObjects, Inc. USA.
______________________________________________________________________________________

“I known Vinod since my school days. He is sincere and hard working and quite passionate at work.In his career he has been able to achieve quite a lot due to his great energy and enthusiasm.” February 25, 2009

Sweth Raghunath , Regional Sales Manager - GCC at Strategic Food International Company LLC .studied with Vinod at Loyola School, University of Kerala and CUSAT (1 sem)
________________________________________________________________________________________

“I have studied with Vinod for brief period before he moved to IRM at Anand and have been impressed by his passion to excel in everything he does. Unbound enthusiasm, openness to ideas, attention to detail and analytical approach to problem solving are some of his obvious strengths.” February 20, 2009

Sathya Nair , Senior Channel Manager at Motorola - Enterprise Mobility Business Studied with Vinod at Cochin University of Science and Technology
______________________________________________________________________________________

“Vinod Natesan is an individual with a forceful personality and excellent domain knowledge in his chosen field of advertising. He has notable abilities as a teacher and maintains exceptional tenacity and commitment to perfection, in the projects which he takes up. With his varied experience in the country and abroad and diverse interests transcending the confines of his profession he should be an asset to any progressive organisation.” March 14, 2009

Aananthakrishnan S , Government of India Official
studied with Vinod at University of Kerala_
__________________________________________________________________________

IPL 2008. A Businessman's Guide

The IPL
A Few Frequently Asked Questions

By

Mr. Vinod Natesan

Mayan Consultants International

June 2008

Purpose and Scope

The “IPL” has been on the agenda and discussion summaries of most agencies, media executives and marketing heads.

Since it came into everyone’s radar early this year, it has raised many questions and a plethora of opinions, numbers, estimates, guesses, rumors have been thrown up. With the closure of the first season this month, analysis of what heights were reached and prognosis on what is to come is also being hazarded by every correspondent and cricketer worth his byline.

This article attempts to make sense of all that has been written and to collate, classify and present the ‘facts of the case’ for both the tyro and the virtuoso media buyer/planner/ investor and why not, the observer.

Q. What is the IPL all about?

Not a likely question, I admit, unless the questioner is Rip Van Winkle, or has just landed in India from the Artics, or has some similarly justifiable reason. However, like Indian feature films, we will pitch for the lowest common denominator and hope for the patience and indulgence of those who are more knowledgeable.

The Indian Premier League consists right now of 8 cricket teams who are owned by ‘franchisees’ of IPL.

They play 20 over cricket matches with each match lasting approximately 4 hours. Therefore, it is also referred to as ‘T20’.

They play twice against each other. Once at ‘home’ ground and the second, ‘away’ at the opponents home ground.

Therefore, there will be 7 matches in each of the 8 venues in the league phase. At the end of the 56 matches, the top four teams in terms of number of wins, will go into the semi-finals and finals. The IPL was scheduled over 45 days from 18th April to 1st June. The telecast was from 19.30 hrs to 23.30 hrs in most cases and on weekends when two matches were played in different venues, from 16.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs and from 20.30 to 00.30 hrs the next day.

Q. What explains the big bucks in this event and how is it viable?

The eight teams were given to investors who submitted the highest bids. The franchise fees were to be paid over a 10 year period. The franchise ‘brand’ was an asset and remained with the franchisee, without time limit. The fees paid by franchisees ranged from $111.9 mln (Rs 469.9crores) for the Mumbai Indians which was paid by Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries to the lowest fee of $67million (Rs281.4 crores) paid by Emerging Media which is owned by Manoj Badale and Lachlan Murdoch along with a few others. A total of $723.6 mln (Rs 3039crores) was committed as franchise fee to the BCCI over a ten year period by all the eight franchisees. It does not stop there, each franchisee had to put in a minimum of $3.3 mln (Rs13.8crores) and a maximum of $5 mln (Rs 21crores) per year on player fees. This was apart from other expenses incurred in insurance, coaching staff, training facilities, accommodation, travel etc.

In return, the franchisee’s were entitled to revenue streams which helped them recover their investments and generate handsome dividends. The IPL/BCCI passed on 72% of all central television broadcasting rights and 8% in the form of prizes to the franchisees. This share was to reduce by 10% every two years. Each franchise would get its share on the basis of TRP’s generated by it, except in the first year, when it would be equally shared.

The central television rights were sold to Sony WSG for US$ 1.026 billion. US$ 918 million was to be paid for 10 year global rights and US$108 million was to be spend in promoting the event over the same period. Sony had a 5 year deal for $316 million and a right to renew it for the next 5 years at $ 608 million. Revenues from central sponsored rights were also given to franchisees to the extent of 54% and 6% were allotted for prizes. The title sponsorship from DLF was for Rs 210 crores for 5 years and Rs 102.5 crores came from the associate sponsors which included CitiBank, Vodafone, Hero Honda, Kingfisher.

Franchisees retained 80% of all gate collections generated by it in its home ground, 87.5 % of all merchandising income, 100% of all team sponsorship and hospitality revenues. The gate collections from the 8 venues which includes the largest Eden Gardens with 100,000 seats to the smallest Wankhede with 35,000 seats, came to roughly Rs 167 crores . Sponsors were signed on by various franchisees with a fair degree of success, estimated at Rs 160 crores per anum across the 8 franchisees.

The final arithmetic indicates that revenues justified the fees paid by the franchisees with the central pool in itself generating nearly Rs 44 crores per franchisee, leaving them to generate gate collections and team sponsorships to cover their operating expenses and player fees. Some franchisees generated profits too in the first year due to astute selection of the team like the Rajasthan Royals, while Kolkotta Knight Riders marketed their strengths in celebrity owners and players to garner lucrative endorsement deals and to ensure full houses and better gate collections. For others like Chennai Super Kings, led by M.S.Dhoni, it was a mixture of all this. For details of the financial performance of each franchisee please see the table below.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW, TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.. 

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.com/2008/06/ipl-2008-businessmans-guide_8909.html

Responses to the Article on India Rising

 The published article can be accessed by clicking on this link:
http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=17427_%3CFONT+COLOR=

or from here:
http://mayanmuse.blogspot.com/2007/03/india-rising-copyrighted-media-article.html


1)Response from Manish Sinha, National Head of Planning at David

From : Manish Sinha
Sent : Saturday, February 17, 2007 5:05 PM
To : "vinod natesan" Subject : Re: Brand India
hey vinod
very nicely penned...
cheers
Manish Sinha

2) From: Praveen Morchhale To: vinodnatesan Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 10:57:33 PMSubject: Re:Brand India
hi.
I read your very well analysed and written article.
I agree with your views. Hope the Brand India benefits reach to all Indians ( poor, farmers and uneducated and change their life in meaningful ways)
I recently visited china and was having breakfast in the morning. One unknown person walked to me and said ( through his assistant) "I love India. Its culture is great and people are real hard working and intelligent. It will rule world some day"
I was moved by his words.
( Later he told me he is chief of Aircarft Design Institute of China).
So BRAND INDIA is realy shining...
Regards
Praveen Morchhale
Bombay

3) From: Rajesh Kumar To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 10:42:12 PM
Subject: Re: [irmaalumni] Brand India
dear sir,
This was a very interesting reading... really enjoyed it..
Rajesh IRMA Alumni


4) From: "Satwalekar, Abhijit (GIS-Operational Risk)" To: vinodnatesan
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:56:42 PM
Subject: Re: Brand India

Very very interesting...there seems to be a wave of articles on india in the media the last couple of weeks.
Thanks again
New York
Morgan Stanley

5From: maneshmodi
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 7:38:04 PM
Subject: Re: Guest Column in media

Dear Vinod: A nice article with a lot of perspectives distilled into it. India seems to be on every on'e mind, and the next 15 years is going to be India's story!
Manesh Modi
Florida, USA

6) From: Priya Chetty-Rajagopal
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 6:13:41 PM
Subject: Re: Brand India

excellent.
you've captured the mood perfectly
Priya
Stanton Chase Bangalore

7) From: AG Krishnamurthy
To: vinod natesan
Subject: Re: Guest Column

A good piece Mr Natesan.

I wish there is are no two Indias - the one you are talking about which covers about 10 crore people and the other India which is still in dark ages, untouched by any optimism for tomorrow simply because its citizens are still struggling to make a living every day of their lives.

Unless brand India stands for the same values to all its constituents, its a mirage we are chasing..

These are my personal views. Your piece however is good if you are referring to the 10% of India which is shining undoubtedly..

regards...and all the best.....agk, 16-2-07
AGK Consulting and previously head of Mudra Communications

8) From: Ashwini Shirodkar
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 10:38:26 AM
Subject: RE: Brand India

Dear Vinod
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful article. It was very nice reminder to boost once self esteem and motivate to do better and contribute to this successful change.
Have a great day
Regards
Ashwini Shirodkar
ABC Consultants Pvt. Ltd


9>From: "aloke pradhan"
To: natesanvinod
>Subject: RE: Brand India
>Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 04:43:13 +0000
>Hi Vinod,
Congratulations on writing this really inspiring article ! It feels so good to read...
>Where has it been published ?
Have a nice day.
With best regards,
Aloke
Head of Bayer Corporate Communications in India

10) From: Sanjay Tripathy
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 1:08:42 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Brand India

Very good article. I just came back from Brazil (went on a personal trip).
Brand India is definitely shining and people are happy to meet someone from
India and they speak about India with lot of respect. Will share more when
we meet..

Regards
Sanjay
Head of Marketing at HDFC Standard Life Insurance

11)From: Madhu
To: natesanvinod
Subject: That was truely inspiring!!!
Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:10:07 IST
Dear Vinod,

I am from the 17th batch and have been reading your posts on the alumni network for many years now; this is the first time I am typing a reply to any discussion on the IRMA Alumni Groups!
I have just read that aricle of yours on Brand India and must admit it was amazing piece of writing!
Am going to use this article to talk to few of my India bashing friends and of course make my team read it; its truely an inspirational piece!
warm regards
madhu IRMA 17th Batch


12) SUNIL GUPTA
Hi Vinod:Good to hear from you.Read your article.I get the point you're making, and making well.However, (as usual!), I have a somewhat different point of view.I do not believe that an outcry over a juvenile TV show, in which Madam Shetty went with eyes (and wallet) open, defines us as a mature or confident nation, or a people who will not take insults lying down. I believe that a truly mature and confident people are way above such insignificant and puerile happenstances. In fact, our shrill remonstrances actually indicate an easily bruised ego and a penchant for the trivial.Neither of these qualify us for proclaiming ourselves as an arrived race.Anyway, all the best for your future writings!CheersSunil(SUNIL GUPTA)Regional Director, South West Asia,APRAIS Worldwide

13) Vide SMS Mr Gangadhar Menon, Creative Director, Octane Communications, Mumbai
" You have set out the perspective by mentioning your stint in the Middle East and Europe.It is very well written and it deserves a wider platform. I will certainly pass it on to my friends"

India Rising a copyrighted media article by Vinod Natesan

 To view the article in published form, click here
http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=17427_%3CFONT+COLOR=





India Rising…



When the Big B talked about an India poised for glory, there was a feeling that this was another “feel good” self-congratulatory commercial aimed at establishing a media brand as a mirror of the nation and its times. However, a reality check seems to indicate otherwise: Brand India certainly is poised for greater glory and powering it is a groundswell of self- belief and pride in being Indian. A trend, which practitioners of the marketing craft, will well do to take heed of.

As an Indian passport holder in the Middle East and Europe, I have been affected by perceptions of Brand India more than I would have thought possible. And now back home, I am more cognizant of this national identity and the discernible shift in its nature.

The most striking fact that comes through among us, especially the under-40 generation, is the sense of self esteem and pride in our culture and in our race. The uncertain diffidence and a meek acceptance of “western superiority” seem to be almost absent now.

The recent uproar and public response to Ms. Shilpa Shetty and the Big Brother goes beyond reactions to the programme per se. It is indicative of the unwillingness of the Indian to accept second rung status and the willingness to stand up and demand to be treated as equals. To dismiss the whole episode as an issue of hype around a “voyeuristic game show of washed-up celebrities”, would be to miss an underlying truth. Support to Ms. Shetty was a statement of support and pride in our way of life, be it “chicken curry”, “eating with hands”, “staying with parents” , “wearing salwar’s and sarees”, et al. Very clearly these “defining” characteristics were nothing to be defensive about. Jade Goody found order’s for her perfume packs returned in India and her brand off her shelves in the UK. Indian’s are clearly not in the mood to taking insults lying down, never mind that it is from the “gora sahibs and memsahibs”.

It is not a phenomenon that is happening only among Indian’s overseas. Back home, there are similar shifts. I have been visiting universities since the last decade to do deliver the occasional guest lectures. Till recently, university canteens (where most students mark their attendance even now) used to be split between the “UBI’s” (unfortunately born in India) and “Vernacs” (vernacular speaking, behenjis, locals, etc.). In fact, Bihari students in Delhi University were referred to as “Hep Hari” and “Bi Hari” depending on how “westernised’ they were!





Things have changed now. Give the credit to the reach of the unifying national media or the Internet, cultural differences are fast vanishing. Hep Hari’s and Behenji’s boogie to Indian remixes and wear jeans with their kurta’s. “Hinglish” is accepted and Sidhuism’s are popular. There are lucky pens and auspicious colours for important days. Astrology, talismans and special deals with the Almighty are very much in vogue. Ubiquitous mobile phones keep pace with their counterparts elsewhere in the world, but ring tones are distinctively Himesh Reshamiya or the latest Indian filmi hit. In some cases it is the “Gayatri Mantra” from the Times Music stable.

Cricket, which is the national passion, has also witnessed shifts. While winning the World Cup may be dismissed by cynics as a historical aberration of 1983, the attitude and approach to the way the game has played have clearly undergone a sea change. The recent tour to South Africa, the last-to-fall bastion of racial discrimination, is illustrative. When a slightly built but fiery Sreeshant was taunted and sledged by the big, white bully, Andre Nel, the response from the former was something that shocked most, since it was never expected from the “faint hearted and mentally weak” players of the sub-continent. The reply was not verbal abuse, but a demonstration of technical prowess followed up with a difficult to categorize Indian “war dance” and celebration, clearly telegraphing the new, “Indian” approach to gamesmanship. That the “Sreeshant war dance” was a highly popular download on the net and has now become part of the body language lexicon in “street cricket”, seems to play out this script of a new found national pride. In the same vein, I believe that the Bengal Tiger’s popularity has more to do with the “shirt swirl” and aggressive gamesmanship, than his prowess on the off side.

The difference is even more telling in the world of business. At the turn of the millennium, the Vice President of a luggage company gave an agency this brief: “When my customer keeps his luggage next to a ‘foreign’ luggage brand, he should not feel ashamed”. This was prompted by the loss of market share to a “foreign label”. Never mind, that the Indian luggage brand was almost endemic to the Indian psyche and very durable, almost a Hamara Bajaj in this sector. The trade feedback echoed the consumer sentiment “foreign is better”. Things have changed now, it seems. Transfer of technology and better product semiotics from the indigenous brand has resulted in a level perceptual field and the battle is now on product rather than on pedigree. “International” or “Made in XYZ” is now rarely a selling point. The roles are actually being reversed, with Indian brands beginning to make their presence on overseas markets. The euphoria in India when the Corus deal happened and when the Mittals managed to clinch the Arcelor deal in spite of unsavoury comparisons in the European media of “eau de colognes” buying into “perfumes” are well documented.





In IT, Brand India is now firmly established. The Indian service industry (BPO) has made inroads in the US and EU markets by not just chasing up on credit cards or medical transcriptions or preparing financial statements, but even tutoring “foreign” children online. It’s not just the English advantage, but the work ethics and the basic educational grounding that is the cutting edge. A leading Lebanese industrialist insists on hiring Indian teaching talent for an IB school in the Middle East. He informed us that he has experienced a dramatic difference with his children: “Straight ‘A’s after I shifted to Indian teachers”. IIT’s and IIM’s are highly valued brands overseas and that explains the increase in overseas applications to these institutions and also why these brands have been invited to open campuses in the Middle East. Salaries offered to IIM graduates are also on par with their US educated peers.

Indian healthcare talent continues to be highly valued in Europe and the US. While the Indian affluent and the “powerful” are used to going abroad for treatment, it is now vice versa for an increasing majority of Americans and Europeans, who find India value for money, even for highly specialized treatment options. The scaling-up of perceptions regarding Brand India and its human resources are therefore based on reality.

Ms. Indra Nooyi becoming the head of a largely American firm, a Ms. Sunita Williams making it big in NASA, a Mr. Manoj Shyamalan and Mr. Shekhar Kapur gaining recognition in Hollywood, are all causes for celebration back home. They simply seem to confirm to us that we are indeed world beaters. When Mr. Jeev Milkha Singh makes the cut or Mr. Vishwanathan Anand proves his prowess at a world chess event, it simply reiterates what we would like to believe: that we are second to none. As the ruler of an Emirate in the UAE put it, “Indians are highly motivated and willing to prove themselves when given an opportunity .The English language based educational system that they have gives them a great foundation and a cutting edge”

The journey from the remnants of a colonial rule, where self-esteem was the biggest casualty, to a genuinely independent self-assured nation has just about happened and we clearly are poised for greater glory.

Self-concept is not just about race or nationality. No longer are we willing to curse our fate and accept things. A Jessica Lal case is not allowed to be manipulated, but is brought for redressal, as is a Priyadarshini Matoo case, and in both cases, by women who were affected albeit with the help of a society with an awakened sense of fair play and justice.






Across board we find that the status quo is being questioned. We need a better quality life and not in the next birth. There is also a self-belief and confidence in trying to change things. “Khosla ka Ghosla” a recent film, charmingly captures this new-found ethos. Faced with a “Goliath” the “Davids” use guile and their wits to “beat the system” and get what is their due. Dreams did not die here, but lived happily ever after. Khosla ka Ghosla is a more intelligent rendition of “Gandhigiri” than the popular Lage Raho Munna Bhai and more plausible story of retribution than the rebellious “Rang de Basanti”.

This pursuit of a better quality of life and justice finds it way in myriad ways. Divorce rates and second marriages are higher since we are not wedded to conventions and we give ourselves a second chance. Fitness clubs and beauty saloons have mushroomed, since we now want to look good and feel good. Plastic surgery and cosmetic “treatments” find greater usage now because we are eager to make the best of what we have. No one wants to be a wall flower; we need to be in the middle of the action. Several reality-based talent shows and games find high participation and viewer ship. It is a passport to instant success and fame. It is likely that the drama about the girl or boy next door changing his own life and future with his/her talent is what people find compelling. Be it Lil Champs, the Indian Idol or Fame Gurukul, it is probably the stakes involved, that drive eyeballs.

The general belief is that the “media” played a role in the cases mentioned above. But it would be more accurate to say that the “role of the media” seems to have been redefined by the new crop of journalists who have come into the newsrooms of the much larger fourth estate. While Arun Shourie bringing down the A.R. Antulay regime and Russy Karanjia’s expose’ s may be part of Indian media folklore, we find that with this new bunch , it is now almost a norm. What started with Tehelka and the cricket controversy, is now oft repeated by most of the mainstream, media establishments. Barkha Dutt at the Kargill war front, Arnab Goswami with his belligerent and almost courtroom prosecutor style of interviews, Rajdeep Sardesai at CNN IBN doing whatever it takes, have all made sure that the media watchdog was barking and in fact, could bite when required. Be it the race for ratings and reach, the Indian media is as much a transformed as the polity that it writes about. Any doubts about whether the Indian fourth estate is world class would be put to rest if one were to look at Raju Narisseti’s track record in the Big Apple and Europe. Wall Street Journal winning business journalism awards may not be news, but an Indian born with a post graduation from the Institute of Rural Management Anand who completed a further stint in the US winning it for them is certainly headline material. Raju is incidentally back in the country with the promise of “greater clarity” in business reporting.

The search for something better has also changed the career profile of most professionals. Job shifts are now more frequent than before and company loyalty is passé. An average stint seems to be of 3 to 5 years duration. Upward mobility seems to be accelerated by shifting at the right time. Web-based headhunt sites seem to ride this trend and with good results. Predictably, a horrible boss, poor pay, etc. are used as a bait by brands. What struck me as interesting was the proposition that a better job may pass you by if you stay content with your job. Apparently, many Happy Kumars have been sold on the premise, according to the web site. Very clearly, we demand better and now!!!

I think what is interesting about the Indian market is that apart from the fact that it is young (majority is less than 30 years old), it is a new India that believes in itself, has pride and is willing to take risks while trying out better options. For those of us who are crafting and designing stimulus for the market, there seem to be plenty of signs to read.

It is not surprising, that one of the most popular commercials in the last year was the HDFC Standard Life commercial with its “sar udhake jiyo” appeal. From the retired grandpa to the young lady who is going “abroad” for higher studies, it is pride that is not negotiable.

A rather liked commercial for Maruti Esteem uses the payoff that “Esteem means BIG”. And then the sign off “my daddy’s BIIIIG car”. Self-Esteem very clearly is a high valence brand attribute

A financial product uses a very cute situation and has termed it the “kal roshan karega plan”. The academic qualifications of the dad spelt out on his cabin door are matched by his toddler who makes his intentions very clear “ I have more alphabets than you” , a proud papa agrees. The commercial has high recall with quite a few young fathers.

The Cadbury commercial where a bovine Miss Radha who makes it to Miss Palanpur was a lovely spoof on our craze for contests and their expected benefits. As was a commercial for a “world cup jao contest” which featured a likely winner who is clueless about the game.
An ad for a “durable ply wood” which spoofed the rebirth angle with a sardar kid in a typically Madrasi house was equally hilarious. Enjoyable commercials that conveyed the product story but stayed true to our cultural context.
Branding ideas seem to be plenty within the rapidly shifting cultural context in India and we certainly seem to have the human talent to recognize it and harness it. The way forward is not in Black Books or expatriate talent but to capture the charm of our culture and ride the resurgence that is happening here. Oscars and greater number of Clios and Lions will come our way as our brands become global. Not very far away I think.
Ends

Dated 15th February 200
Written by Mr. Vinod Natesan, Proprietor of Mayan Consultants International Contact: natesanvinod@rediffmail.com
Mr. Vinod Natesan is a post graduate of the Institute of Rural Management Anand. In the 19 years in the industry, he has been associated as a marketing consultant with the World Bank and NDDB, has serviced ITC, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Telco accounts while working for FCB, Lowe and Leo Burnett. He headed the Mumbai of PSL McCann Erickson winning numerous creative awards like the Clio for work done on the Guestline Hotels and the Mahindra brands. In 2000, he joined JWT as Assoc Vice President &Strategy Planning Director on the De Beers account and was part of the team that won the Effies and the Subash Ghoshal trophy for the Nakshatra launch. In 2002, he shifted to the Middle East and has been handling marketing assignments with retail groups like the Landmark Group, with Tourism promotion bodies inTunisia and with tourism related authorities in Kerala. His last stint was with the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah where he set up the Tourism Office and the Media City and left it as the Head of Operations, RAK Investment Authority. He has also been a visiting faculty in most of the management institutes in Mumbai since 1996.

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