नागरिक...!

"स्वत:च्या सोयीनं सत्य मांडणं म्हणजे तुम्हा लोकांच राजकारण, पण समाजाच्या भल्यासाठी सत्य सांगणं म्हणजे आमची पत्रकारिता…!"

Friends Forever...!

Four families that have been best friends for 20 years decided to build a tiny town just for themselves to enjoy the environment and grow old together. They pooled their money and commissioned architect Matt Garcia to build them a ranch, that would feature 4 tiny houses facing the Llano river outside of Austin, Texas. Their project is called... 

'Llano Exit Strategy’

Connect...!

It’s not a trade secret or high-level boardroom strategy anymore that the business is obsessed with ‘rating’. Take the television for instance. All those good-for-nothing trash that is thrashed out of the idiot box on daily basis and aptly called serial (killer is implicit!), irrespective of the language, culture, region or demography why, even social status; wholly and solely depends on the magic figure of its TRP – Television Rating Point. Moreover, even the reality shows (at least they claim to be so) bring in the emotional and sentimental stuff that is nothing less than artificially organic, just to make their audience involved and engaged.

The sport events have become entertaining opportunities all around the globe and IPL Cricket that is in full swing at the moment in India is the biggest and best (however despicable it gets at times!) example of it. The contemporary literature has long ago derailed on the path of entertaining the audience at any cost and got rid of any classic, decent, worthwhile or profound stuff that will bore the audience, so has the Movies! Everything is designed, developed and delivered around the WIIFM! What's in it for me are without a doubt, the most important five letters in today’s business success.

So what am I trying to prove and you must me wondering the same concern here WIIFM, won’t you? Relax; I am coming to that in a minute. Before that, I would like to offer just a little trivia for your consideration that might set the tone of my hypothesis.

• Consumers are exposed to more than 5,000 advertising messages a day, according to Razorfish’s 2015 Digital Marketing Report. 
• Sixty-nine percent of online consumers agree that the quality, timing, or relevance of a company’s message influences their perception of a brand.  
• A viral tweet may gain the interest of millions, does it lead a consumer to think differently or connect with a brand?

So where all this is leading to and what’s the relevance? Well, actually everything! The consumer experience has evolved rapidly in the new millennium and business has managed to offer as individualistic experience as possible, remember one of the banks is offering account no. of your choice? And to advertise it well, they weaved it in a story of all the personal life experiences to make that connect with their prospective customer. It definitely triggered the empathy, offered a WOW moment, appealed to the sentiments and facilitated the action.

‘Connect’ is the key! It could be a Business Idea, it could be an Entertainment Package, it could be a lucrative offer or it could be a sympathetic gesture… anything that succeeds in creating a connect can do the trick and win over.

Wouldn’t it be true for CSR Policy or any Social Business Project for that matter? Think it over and I will be back with some more provocative ideas.

Till then… Stay Tuned and Be Aware...!

सर्वे सन्तु निरामया...?

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

William Wordsworth (1807)