Kudos Airtel!

Off late, I have been surprisingly pleased with the service that I have received from Airtel over the past month. Personally, I have never used Airtel. Been more conservative. My agency, FoxyMoron, however has vowed to use Airtel for its various ventures.

1. To start off with, my work cell phone number was interimly moved to Airtel. Not like I really used the phone a lot before my peon lovingly stole my mobile phone. All the same, like any god fearing citizen, I had the number cancelled. Unbelievavbly, after confirming cancellation of the same, Airtel sent me an interesting letter offering me a refund off the overpaid amount that I had with Airtel. Not even that I was aware of the same but I can't deny that I was bowled over by the honesty and integrity that a private telecom company puts to face in this hard core cut throat corporate excuse of a world.

2. Inciedent number 2: We bought an Samsung LCD TV in the office for which. we expectedly needed a cable connection. Not only was the technician punctual, but overtly effecient and creative at the same time, making use of the limited resources that Kulkarni Patil Bhuvan had to offer him. Deliccately balancing on the frame of the rusty 37 year old door, stealing light from the neighbour's half cracked bulb that hung precariously from the 7 foot tall ceiling were few amongst his plethora of dynamic traits. Paritosh was very impressed with his skill, not to mention his ability to hold conversation in English and his oh-so-cool mobile phone. Out of the love and generousity of his big heart, Pari went on to offer the boys a token of our appreciation. But they politely declined and told him that if he was happy with their service, he should wirte an email to their boss informing him of the same. Wow! Shock number 2!

3. This afternoon, my telephone line at the office stopped working. As it turned out, the wire was broken resulting in not only the stoppage of the use of the phone, but also out official lifeline - the internet. And our man Pari was sure to register a complaint at that moment. In less than 2 hours, we had a fat man clad in blue and blue barge in to our office, replace some wires, reconnect some settings and fly out like he was never there. Problem rectified in T-10 minutes. I ran outside once again, to extend our warm gratitude for his overt punctuality and effeciency. Not only did he not take a personal service fee, but he didn't charge us for the replacement of the wires as well!

Just got me thinking, that in this hard core cut throat competion seized corporate world that we live in, the only thing that will allow one to survive in the market, is customer service and satisfaction. I was really impressed with Airtel today and hence took a few moments to extend my gratitudes towards them in this small and meaningless ode.

Well done Airtel!

The Singing Monkey

Ever walked down Colaba Causeway and passed an interesting book at a book stall? Even been swayed by some road side sales talk conning you into buying some nick-nack of the streets of Mumbai? Recently, a friend of mine, Arjava, was walking down Colaba glancing over Mukesh-bhai's newest collection of the papyrus that took the stalls by storm. Books of all shapes and sizes, saying the same thing, carrying the same message. The message from Rajasthani princess and princesses; of their poses in interesting paintings and the explanations and intentions of the same likewise.

After browsing through one such denim covered pocket edition of the pictorial artifice, Arjava scratched his head. This was something interesting that he had come across. The Singing Monkey.

What do you think the singing monkey is? Comment. Now!

Dont Look Now

Play: Don't Look Now
Presented by: Akvarious Productions
Directed by: Trishla Patel
Starring: Akarsh Khurana, Ananya Kaul and others...
Rating:

Dramatic performances, exaggerated light and sound effects and a singing, stoned, sadhu serenading the audience with Bengali stotras are only the beginning of the persona that Don't Look now emits.

With hasty romance, psychic gypsies and masked murdering student-come waiters, the play tried to vaguely smell the supernatural aromas of Indian theater. With a blend of English, Hindi and Bengali attempts at humour, Sanjay Ahuja, shona and his high school sweet heart return to Shantiniketan in remorse of their recently deceased daughter who passed away on account of menegitis. Whilst in Shantiniketan, the couple frequently runs into a pair of gypsy twin sisterns, of whom, the blind one claims to be psychic, seeing visions of the deceased young girl.

The bad omen calls for Ahuja and his wife to leave Shantiniketan at the earliest as his presence is a threat to his own life. However, a series of unexplained murders leaves Ahuja in an unavoidable situational tryst with the police, in which he is compelled to loiter in the town for a little more.

At the same time, his wife rushes off the Panchgini, to console their son Jr. Anhuja who is scheduled to undergo an appendix surgery.But mysteriously, the

Global Sindhi

Global Sindhi">Global Sindhi

Facebook, Orkut, Big Adda, hi5, Ringo, MySpace, and the list goes on. A new social network for a new month. The social network boom has by all means taken Social Media and the internet usage to new heights. With the demographics of internet users strikingly widening its horizons to encompass more and more of the younger generation, housewives and other non-users of the internet to hook themselves onto this additive craze, Social Networks are largely responsible for this exponential growth.

Younger generations, housewives, and other non-users now struggle to drag themselves away from the computer screen, busy as they are browsing through the photos of Karan’s birthday party last evening. Platforms such as Ning have now given the lay man too, an opportunity to go social via digital mediums. The integration of various social media are now allowing the common man to not only create his own personal social network, but also populate the same and monetize it via the means of culitvating ‘cult’ networks via the same. The only challange, is conceptualizing a business model that will sell. One that can self-populate and hence, serve to be not just a social network, but a self-sustainable, lucritive financial platform for the host.

Recently, I was followed by a GlobalSindhi on twitter. How they found out I was a Sindhi, I have no idea. How they found me, have no idea. How they followed me, I have no idea. What was their objective? Do get me to click on thier URL: http://www.globalsindhi.com

User Interface for the sign in of the new Social Networking Platform

And it did!

Global Sindhi is a community based Social Networking model deviced and developed in order to unite Sindhis globally.

GlobalSindhi.com is a Social Network Dedicated to SINDHI’s

It’s an initiative to unite Sindhi’s globally

“Find the who’s who of the Sindhi community and interact with them, Take your business to new heights globally, Make Sindhi friends, have fun and interact with likeminded Sindhi people. There is something in here for every Proud Sindhi.”
However, noble as it may seem, the cause to untie the world’s Sindhi’s, this makers aim is obviously commercial. Notice the slutty use of advertisments on even the home page, stooping to the level of incorporating google ads into the footer of the home page:

Google ads on Footer

Further, the integrated ads from the Google ads box on the home page can do enough to scare many Sindhis away from joining the social network all together!!

Check Related Links!!

Sindhi Matrimoney?

Scary as it seems, one begins to conclude that the network was created either by or for the pupose of:

1. An old Sindhi aunty who wants to hook all the Sindhi boys and girls up in the world
2. Some one looking to monetize community marketing with the Sindhis (scoring on first movers advantage here). Just need to capture the right markets.
3. Desperate to commercialize the business venture as ratings don’t prove the network as a web based platform is doing too well at all!! (Don’t miss the inclusion of both Share tabs)

YP now has competition baby!

Grappo Fizz!!

“So grappo, what’s your story?” “Well, you guys evolved from apes. I evolved from grapes!!” Appy Fizz and Grappo Fizz - Two cool dinks to hang out with.

The Brand Extension of Parle Agro’s Appy Fizz to launch Grappo Fizz has created a new segment in the aerated fruit beverages market with the introduction of a fizzy grape drink labeled Grappo Fizz. At the moment, no such product segment exists in the market, giving Parle a formidable first mover advantage in the segment.

The product launch advertisment campaign is defintiely eye catching as it manages to pick up from exactly where Appy Fizz left off with its ‘A cool drink ti have out with’ campaign. The Grappo Fizz ads take coolness to a new level with a strategic continuation of the Appy Fizz TVCs. Grappo Fizz, positioned as Appy’s cooler cousin from the fridge, takes a dig at his evolution. The lame humour creates a direct association with its TG, the urban youth, that is more than familiar with and accustomed to getting entertained by such PJs.

The ad has managed to target and appeal directly to its TG with charismatic creativity, consistency, humour, and wit. Creativeland Asia has continued the campaign through a second TVC that re-emphasizes Grappo’s coolness and gives you more reasons why you would want to hang out with him.

The creation of Appy Fizz and Grappo Fizz is a classic example of personification of brand personas depicted via ad mediums. Although this is a theoretical concept, the ‘Cool Drink to hang out with’ campaign has set the standards in brand personification in the TVC space. Correctly possitioned, Fizz has created an instantaneous and effective connect with its audience. Grappo, the UK call center returned, rapper cousin of Appy, emerges from a fridge, reming us again, how cool he is.

OMD doesn’t stop at creating awareness at the TVC level. They are shortly scheuduled to indulge in BTL activation through mass sampling activites at colleges and other ‘cool places to hang out at’. Along with the traditional activity, OMD goes a step ahead in investing in a microsite for the brands to further the interaction it has with its TG. With the summer sweating down our necks, Agro can be bound to see a new dovoted cult of consumers who swear by the Fizz brand for more than just one reason.

With an interesting campaig, it will be fun to see how Grappo accalmaitizes to the Mumbai heat after his return from the UK call centers and whether of not Mumbai is in the mood for his UK rap!!

Peter ka Panga

Peter ka Panga

Spiderman 3 - Toby Maguire - Peter Parker
Heroes Season 3 - Milo Ventimiglia - Peter Petrelli

Notice any similarities? Both males, lost in their time, trying hard to find themselves in the midst of big cities with hectic lives and puny jobs. With sober, effeminate looks, meager bodies and an excuse for a life, Peter is torn between trying to find his identity and making a mark for himself in this cruel world.

The constant need for selfless heroism doesn't hold the reins on this young superhero as flirts with danger and flies through the air from building top to building top. A battle to find love that lasts only makes the battle of life a wee bit more edgy.

And finally, the icing on the cake when the power of power goes to his head. Doesn't evil overtake us all sometime. Don't we all brood? With flaky, greased black hair, combed painstakingly in a sheepish side parting, one wonders where the real Peter has disappeared (in the future maybe, or on some stony building top?)


Trying hard as he might, to build some family ties, relationships just don't seem to last more than a fever as losses of loved ones to foes only helps mould Peter into a more resilient man.

But through the trials and tribulations of life and the journey that Peter is taken through from the genesis of his character as a superhero to being shadowed by darkness, only to resurrect from beneath the pages of time, one still scratches his chin and wonders, which Peter am I talking about? Peter Parker? Or Peter Petrelli?

Uncanny, isn't it??

Advanced Digital Network

Advanced Digital Network - TATA Indicom

Tata Indicom's new Advanced Digital Network campaign with its 'Hello, hello ' range of ads is making waves in the telecom advertising sphere. With a simplistic yet so effective campaign that focuses on its USP, Advanced Digital Coverage, Indicom couldn't have better captured the common man's discomfort with its Hello hello strategy. With a simple, everyday problem that man faces in communication India, Indicom has harped how its network frees you from yet another additional stress that burdens our already tired shoulders.

India is a nation that makes use of its telecommunication. With reports stating that India could well be on its way of creating records with the highest ever recorded percentage of urban cell phone penentration in the world, Asians are just generally obsessed with 'keeping in touch'. The same is reflected in cell phone rates which have exponentially crashed over the last 10 years. From an alarming 16 Rs. a mintue for an incoming calls, users now get paid 10p per minute via Virgin's new 'Get paid for receiving' Pricing strategy.

Mike Zoozoo and Chika took O&M and Nirvana Film's advertising for Vodafone to a new lever. Yet, Indicom, with its simplicity and straightforwardness has managed to boast of its USP with a simple, real-life ad that the common man indetifies with. No usage of animation, figurines or mascots has overshadowed the brand core for Indicom with its life-like everday setting, related characters and realisitc situations.

A defintie eye-catcher with its simple communication strategy communication beautifully through a simplistic, yet witty ad.