If I am asked to select the top two theories of all the theories that I have learnt, I would select the theory of "survival of the fittest" and Maslow's “theory of hierarchy”, because one could easily analyze the behavior of humans and organization from the prism of these two theories.
Let us take the example of the survival of paid news service in the digital/print world. With the emergence of 24 hour news services on the net as well as on the television, the need to pay for this service is going down. I came across an article "Google Settles Book-Search Suits" on Wall Street Journal's website. This article was only for premium customers who subscribe to WSJ's online service. Big deal! I go to Google's news service and read the same news on a different website absolutely free of cost. One could give many more examples.
The dot com bubble 'exploded' in 2001-02 since a viable business case was not built around the internet. It has been 7 years and still a perfect internet business model has not emerged, though one could see the Googles and Amazons of the world succeeding. But, what is their core competence?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
In search of a solution!
My fascination with the financial market continues……
The stock markets around the world have been touching new lows every other day; obviously the news channels are the net beneficiaries to keep ‘breaking’ some news or the other….and when there is absolutely nothing to ‘break’, then the natural choice – whether the ‘Fab 4’ of Indian cricket team should retire, should we provide legal aid to the terror suspects blah blah…
But, how do we solve this financial mess that we have got into, thanks to the ever increasing ‘greed’? Should we consult Alan Greespan? Comon, are we not blaming him for his policies? Should we make Bill Clinton the next prez? Comon, he is too busy ‘licking’ Hillary’s debacle wounds in the primaries. Then who can give us an answer? Mebbe God, but are we following “ceiling on desires”, which is the only long-term solution?
Hmmm, being confused and helpless, I turned on the TV and wow, I got an answer. Can you guess? Yea, I am sure our ‘captain’ Vijaykanth, who has eliminated so many terrorists, who can kill his enemies by catching and throwing back the bullets fired at him and who can do many such marvels; I guess he will have some solution to this problem. Only if George W Bush listened to him, instead of being too busy in doing nothing worthwhile. ;-) :-P
The stock markets around the world have been touching new lows every other day; obviously the news channels are the net beneficiaries to keep ‘breaking’ some news or the other….and when there is absolutely nothing to ‘break’, then the natural choice – whether the ‘Fab 4’ of Indian cricket team should retire, should we provide legal aid to the terror suspects blah blah…
But, how do we solve this financial mess that we have got into, thanks to the ever increasing ‘greed’? Should we consult Alan Greespan? Comon, are we not blaming him for his policies? Should we make Bill Clinton the next prez? Comon, he is too busy ‘licking’ Hillary’s debacle wounds in the primaries. Then who can give us an answer? Mebbe God, but are we following “ceiling on desires”, which is the only long-term solution?
Hmmm, being confused and helpless, I turned on the TV and wow, I got an answer. Can you guess? Yea, I am sure our ‘captain’ Vijaykanth, who has eliminated so many terrorists, who can kill his enemies by catching and throwing back the bullets fired at him and who can do many such marvels; I guess he will have some solution to this problem. Only if George W Bush listened to him, instead of being too busy in doing nothing worthwhile. ;-) :-P
Monday, September 29, 2008
Why will the current Australia tour be a super hit?
Date: Sept 30, 2008. Time: 1.17 AM.
Latest news indicates that the US financial bailout plan has been voted out by the house in USA. I am sure that there is going to be mayhem in Asian stock markets when they open in the day. This is going to have ripple effect across the Indian economy and the picture of "gloom" is cast all over.
And the only thing that brings cheer to the nation is Cricket! People are going to switch off their minds from this 'fear psychosis' to have good time pass and obviously the Australian tour has a perfect timing. Thank gosh, pakis aren't touring now :-)
An investor myself, I hope the day is better tomorrow. God bless us!
Latest news indicates that the US financial bailout plan has been voted out by the house in USA. I am sure that there is going to be mayhem in Asian stock markets when they open in the day. This is going to have ripple effect across the Indian economy and the picture of "gloom" is cast all over.
And the only thing that brings cheer to the nation is Cricket! People are going to switch off their minds from this 'fear psychosis' to have good time pass and obviously the Australian tour has a perfect timing. Thank gosh, pakis aren't touring now :-)
An investor myself, I hope the day is better tomorrow. God bless us!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Jesse Owens story
I am sure many of us know this famous Jesse Owens story in Berlin Olympics. In fact, we had this story as one of the chapters in high school English. Here is the truth:
http://www.rediff.com/sports/2008/aug/19flip.htm
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Relating Mythology and Management
Here is a good article on relating mythology and management.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2431831.cms
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2431831.cms
Monday, August 11, 2008
Francois Gautier talks about the recent events
Article #1 http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/28franc.htm
Article # 2
Francois GautierHumiliation has caused the rage we see in JammuInstead of calling an all-party meeting to resolve the Jammu crisis, the Government would have done well to try to understand the fury of Hindus and not to limit the scope of the introspection to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board land transfer issue only. Are Hindus angry only about the hypocrisy of the Government on the land transfer issue? Are there no other issues that make them furious?
Hindus are peace-loving people. The average Hindu that you meet is an easy-going and accepts you and your diversity, whether you are Christian, Muslim or Parsi, Arab, French or Chinese. He goes about his business and usually does not interfere in yours.
In fact, Hindus take it a little further: They hate trouble and go out of their way to avoid it. Have you noticed how every time there is a possibility of a strike or trouble, Hindus stay home? Or how - forget about rioting - Hindus never speak-up, complain or protest in a united manner?
Despite this, everywhere in the world Hindus are hounded and humiliated - be it in Fiji where an elected democratic Government was twice deposed in an Army coup, or in Pakistan and Bangladesh where Muslims indulge in pogroms against Hindus every time they want to vent their anger against India (read Taslima Nasreen's book Lajja). There were one million Hindus in the Kashmir Valley, but there are only a few hundred today. In Assam, Tripura, or Nagaland, Hindus are being outnumbered by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and terrorised by pro-Christian separatist groups, such as the Bodos or the Mizos, while local Governments often turn a blind eye. Their temples are being taken over in many States and the donations appropriated by the State Governments.
Yet, in 3,500 years of their known existence, Hindus have never invaded another country, never tried to impose their religion upon others by force or by induced conversions. It has rather been through peaceful invasions that Hinduism has stormed the world whether in the East - witness Angkor Vat -- or in the West, where the by-products of Hinduism, yoga, meditation, ayurved and pranayam have been adopted by millions.
Hindus also gave refuge to all persecuted minorities of the world -- the Parsis, the Jews (India is the only country in the world where Jews have not been persecuted), the Armenians and the Tibetans. The first Christian community of the world, the Syrian Christians, flourished in Kerala, thanks to Hindu tolerance. Arab merchants were welcomed by Hindu rulers to live in India while freely practising their religion, from very early times. It's a pity that these two communities turned against Hindus - the former by way of conversions and the latter with bloody invasions.
Thus Hindus, who accept everybody and welcome all religions, do not receive in return any gratitude and the same respect. On the contrary, they get mocked at, bombs are planted in their markets, their trains; their temples are attacked, they are chased out of their homeland; the media makes fun of them, their own politicians ostracise them.
Sometimes enough is enough. After years or even centuries of submission, Hindus, the most peace-loving people in the world, erupt in uncontrolled fury. And it hurts. It hurts badly. It happened in Gujarat. It is happening now in Jammu. It may happen again elsewhere, as Hindus are reaching boiling point.
Hindus never complain about their Government giving billions of rupees in subsidies to Indian Muslims so that they can visit their most holy place, Mecca. But when Hindus need shelters, toilets and basic facilities at the height of 15,000 feet to worship at the Amarnath shrine, these are denied to them by the same Government. So they erupt in fury against ignominy and injustice.
Instead of appealing for calm and communal harmony and giving us all this hogwash about Kashmiriyat, political leaders, journalists, as well as spiritual leaders would do well to look at the root cause of Hindu fury and try to address their demands and frustrations.
Article # 2
Francois GautierHumiliation has caused the rage we see in JammuInstead of calling an all-party meeting to resolve the Jammu crisis, the Government would have done well to try to understand the fury of Hindus and not to limit the scope of the introspection to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board land transfer issue only. Are Hindus angry only about the hypocrisy of the Government on the land transfer issue? Are there no other issues that make them furious?
Hindus are peace-loving people. The average Hindu that you meet is an easy-going and accepts you and your diversity, whether you are Christian, Muslim or Parsi, Arab, French or Chinese. He goes about his business and usually does not interfere in yours.
In fact, Hindus take it a little further: They hate trouble and go out of their way to avoid it. Have you noticed how every time there is a possibility of a strike or trouble, Hindus stay home? Or how - forget about rioting - Hindus never speak-up, complain or protest in a united manner?
Despite this, everywhere in the world Hindus are hounded and humiliated - be it in Fiji where an elected democratic Government was twice deposed in an Army coup, or in Pakistan and Bangladesh where Muslims indulge in pogroms against Hindus every time they want to vent their anger against India (read Taslima Nasreen's book Lajja). There were one million Hindus in the Kashmir Valley, but there are only a few hundred today. In Assam, Tripura, or Nagaland, Hindus are being outnumbered by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and terrorised by pro-Christian separatist groups, such as the Bodos or the Mizos, while local Governments often turn a blind eye. Their temples are being taken over in many States and the donations appropriated by the State Governments.
Yet, in 3,500 years of their known existence, Hindus have never invaded another country, never tried to impose their religion upon others by force or by induced conversions. It has rather been through peaceful invasions that Hinduism has stormed the world whether in the East - witness Angkor Vat -- or in the West, where the by-products of Hinduism, yoga, meditation, ayurved and pranayam have been adopted by millions.
Hindus also gave refuge to all persecuted minorities of the world -- the Parsis, the Jews (India is the only country in the world where Jews have not been persecuted), the Armenians and the Tibetans. The first Christian community of the world, the Syrian Christians, flourished in Kerala, thanks to Hindu tolerance. Arab merchants were welcomed by Hindu rulers to live in India while freely practising their religion, from very early times. It's a pity that these two communities turned against Hindus - the former by way of conversions and the latter with bloody invasions.
Thus Hindus, who accept everybody and welcome all religions, do not receive in return any gratitude and the same respect. On the contrary, they get mocked at, bombs are planted in their markets, their trains; their temples are attacked, they are chased out of their homeland; the media makes fun of them, their own politicians ostracise them.
Sometimes enough is enough. After years or even centuries of submission, Hindus, the most peace-loving people in the world, erupt in uncontrolled fury. And it hurts. It hurts badly. It happened in Gujarat. It is happening now in Jammu. It may happen again elsewhere, as Hindus are reaching boiling point.
Hindus never complain about their Government giving billions of rupees in subsidies to Indian Muslims so that they can visit their most holy place, Mecca. But when Hindus need shelters, toilets and basic facilities at the height of 15,000 feet to worship at the Amarnath shrine, these are denied to them by the same Government. So they erupt in fury against ignominy and injustice.
Instead of appealing for calm and communal harmony and giving us all this hogwash about Kashmiriyat, political leaders, journalists, as well as spiritual leaders would do well to look at the root cause of Hindu fury and try to address their demands and frustrations.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Search Engine War.....
Cuil is cooooool.....well, the buzz has been created in the market with decent success....last few days, I have been trying to get some pointers on MS Project. Google has not helped me so far. So, when I read this mail about Cuil, I gave it a try. The result: I was quite disappointed with Cuil!!! But going by Cuil's team, they are the 'best'. So, I have done a very very simple test....(please note that this does not indicate the actual performance, but just a pointer).
First, I just typed "India". Here, is the screenshot from Google, Cuil and Live
First, I just typed "India". Here, is the screenshot from Google, Cuil and Live
Google lists the official website of Indian govt. (this is what I wanted)
Cuil is nowhere there..in fact...on the panel in the right,if you expand the states, it justs lists some 8 odd states!!!! My gosh!!!
Live....jus made it ;-)
Let us give another try..this time, I am searching for Indian railways...
Google is PERFECT!
Cuil stumbles ;-)
well....Live lists one of the sites....the main reservation page isnt there..
Chalo...let us try something interesting..why not the recent SRK-Salman issues..
Google again scores over the rest
Cuil and Live fail this search again...
Though this is not representative of the search abilites....for a common man like me....Google is way ahead of competition...afterall...accumulated knowledge over years is anyday better.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
A Must Read for all Indians!!!!
I am not with Congress or with BJP or any other party. As an Indian, I salute our Prime Minister for this fantastic speech, which we could never hear in the Parliament because of the childish behavior of some people.
Read the speech: http://www.pmindia.nic.in/lspeech.asp?id=695
Read the speech: http://www.pmindia.nic.in/lspeech.asp?id=695
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
A look at BSE 30 on June 4, 2008
After a gap of over 2 years, I am inspired by our economy to write this blog. Check out the attached image....
There was an announcement on hike in fuel and LPG prices and there was bloodbath in the stock market. But notice this peculiar case...where 29 companies go south bound while jus one managed to go north!!!! =))
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Good marketing or people's craziness????
Here in Chennai, it is the time for the Metro Life Style exhibition. It is an annual affair that happens in the Chennai Trade Center (of course, not an imitation of WTC). This year's response has been phenomenal with an increase in the number of visitors by almost 70%.....oh man! that is amazing by any standards. But, what factors could we attribute this increase to? The very first thing that comes to our mind is marketing. But have we not seen some superb marketing fundas going down the drains because of consumer's lack of enthu? Or could we attribute the reason to the person who inaugurated the show (fyi it was actress Asin who inaugurated)? As we scratch our head for variety of reasons, I conclude that people have GONE CRAZY. How else should I put it when people are ready to throng the place even though the temperature goes beyond 38 degrees, add it to high humidity. The cynosure is the samsung outlet that has been organizing games and selling their products at huge discounts. And seem people have balancing on one of their toes inside this outlet......this description by one of the visitors made me conclude that people are really crazy...and and of course, I have better work to do than to go all the way in the Chennai Summer.....!
Friday, May 12, 2006
Post Elections 2006 - What did HE say?
Elections are over, one set of people are partying while the others are hiding their humiliation. In Tamil, there is a saying "Ooru rendu pattaa kuthaadiku thaan kondaattam". Who could be kuthaadi in this case? Any guesses? I feel it is the news channel. Most of the news channels brought the charismatic leaders of both the winning and the losing parties to analyze the results. While the winning side could speak anything, even nonsense, which would not be scrutinized, the losing side has to find the best words because the show anchor as well as the winning parties are going to pass comments if they blabbered. Thus, the entire day passed with no boredom.
But one interesting comment that I heard was from a leader, who is also a very eminent economist. He said that the results were a victory to the secular forces. I was left wondering as to what he meant exactly. Look at this scenario: In West Bengal, the Communist party won the election against Congress, which came second. In Kerala also, it was the victory for the communists over the Congress party. Assam was an exception where Congress emerged as the single largest party. In Tamil Nadu, the DPA coalition won against AIADMK's coalition. In all the states, there was absolutely no talk about secularism or communalism. In West Bengal and Kerala, if one were to interpret our leader's statement, could we say that the Left party is secular and Congress is communal? In Tamil Nadu, no one could term AIADMK as communal. So, what prompted our leader to say those words. Well, I do not have an answer to it. But all I could say is that the minds of certain section of people in this country is strongly affected by the agenda of the parties affiliated to hindutva. If the perceived agenda is real or imagined is for people to think!
But one interesting comment that I heard was from a leader, who is also a very eminent economist. He said that the results were a victory to the secular forces. I was left wondering as to what he meant exactly. Look at this scenario: In West Bengal, the Communist party won the election against Congress, which came second. In Kerala also, it was the victory for the communists over the Congress party. Assam was an exception where Congress emerged as the single largest party. In Tamil Nadu, the DPA coalition won against AIADMK's coalition. In all the states, there was absolutely no talk about secularism or communalism. In West Bengal and Kerala, if one were to interpret our leader's statement, could we say that the Left party is secular and Congress is communal? In Tamil Nadu, no one could term AIADMK as communal. So, what prompted our leader to say those words. Well, I do not have an answer to it. But all I could say is that the minds of certain section of people in this country is strongly affected by the agenda of the parties affiliated to hindutva. If the perceived agenda is real or imagined is for people to think!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Elections 2006!
Election results are out and it is in sync with the expectations. In Kerela, Congress loses; Tamil Nadu - DPA wins; West Bengal - Left SWEEPS and in Assam - Congress combine wins!But the most talked about elections were those of Tamil Nadu's. People never thought that the DPA would sweep elections even though the exit polls predicted a majority for DPA. This proves the changing political scenario in the country. From a single major national party to coalitions, India has come a long way. The state of Tamil Nadu now has to come to terms with the realities.
But the results make me ponder over the reasons for the defeat of the incumbent government. Many people I have interacted with narrated the merits of the government and yet they lost! The same happened in the case of NDA government. This shows that the benefits enjoyed by the urban voters are not getting down to the lowest possible levels. This reasoning is supported by the fact that the AIADMK has won about 8 out of the 12 seats from Chennai, a traditional DMK bastion.
Now that the verdit is out, one needs to watch the moves of the new government. According to me, much needs to be done on the infrastructure side. Also, the poilicies should get more friendly in order attract investements. At the same time, let there be enough concern for the needy. Let one not hear stories about starvation deaths, stories about farmer suicides, stories about robberies, stories about fraud.
Best wishes to the winning party to propel Tamil Nadu into a higher level. And also to the opposition for having given a brave fight!
But the results make me ponder over the reasons for the defeat of the incumbent government. Many people I have interacted with narrated the merits of the government and yet they lost! The same happened in the case of NDA government. This shows that the benefits enjoyed by the urban voters are not getting down to the lowest possible levels. This reasoning is supported by the fact that the AIADMK has won about 8 out of the 12 seats from Chennai, a traditional DMK bastion.
Now that the verdit is out, one needs to watch the moves of the new government. According to me, much needs to be done on the infrastructure side. Also, the poilicies should get more friendly in order attract investements. At the same time, let there be enough concern for the needy. Let one not hear stories about starvation deaths, stories about farmer suicides, stories about robberies, stories about fraud.
Best wishes to the winning party to propel Tamil Nadu into a higher level. And also to the opposition for having given a brave fight!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Unsustainable Urbanisation
While man runs after money, scriptures prescribe a ceiling on desires. How great would it be if each and every Indian desired just for one house, one vehicle, abundant greenery, temperate consumption of food and a continuous flow of money to charities. Our country would have progressed faster and the Sensex would have touched 15000 in 1995 itself. Unfortunately, the state of affairs is pathetic.
Today, as I parked my bike in a narrow lane in Chennai, I glanced around the place. How crowded the place was. The lane is filled with multi storeyed apartments on either side. The apartments clearly are not constructed as per the guidelines which necessitates ample parking and recreation space. As a result, a road which is about 14 feet wide gets narrower because of parking space and pedestrians. And children do not have any place to play outdoor games. This forces them to watch TV or play video games. As a result, the young talent is getting wasted......I do not say that watching TV or playing games are too bad but I definitely believe that playing outdoor games increases one's creativity, mental strength and physical strength. It is not surprising that many children wear spectacle even before they reach their 10 the standard.
Who is accountable for this? Not one person or organization but the entire society at large.
When I was a kid, I watched a science fiction where the earth's natural resources are totally exhausted. As a result, men live underground and they roam around wearing a safety jacket. I feel such a scenario is very much likely unless we change our path.
Today, as I parked my bike in a narrow lane in Chennai, I glanced around the place. How crowded the place was. The lane is filled with multi storeyed apartments on either side. The apartments clearly are not constructed as per the guidelines which necessitates ample parking and recreation space. As a result, a road which is about 14 feet wide gets narrower because of parking space and pedestrians. And children do not have any place to play outdoor games. This forces them to watch TV or play video games. As a result, the young talent is getting wasted......I do not say that watching TV or playing games are too bad but I definitely believe that playing outdoor games increases one's creativity, mental strength and physical strength. It is not surprising that many children wear spectacle even before they reach their 10 the standard.
Who is accountable for this? Not one person or organization but the entire society at large.
When I was a kid, I watched a science fiction where the earth's natural resources are totally exhausted. As a result, men live underground and they roam around wearing a safety jacket. I feel such a scenario is very much likely unless we change our path.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Indian in a foreign land!
Going by some statistics, we wonder if India still has a long way to go to become a developed nation. That may be true. But, I feel that the disposable income has tremendously increased among Indians. As a result, one finds an exploding traffic, burgeoning real estate market and increasing service sector market. There is one more interesting point about Indians. Indians are increasingly exploring the lands outside India. I have seen this myself. Go to any place in Europe and you would find a sizeable population of Indian tourists. Once, when I had been to Swiss, I was surprised to see about 400 Indians on a very famous mountain peak. The point to be noted is that there was an Indian restaurant there, at a height of about 10000 feet....tennnn thousand feet !!!!!!
While this is a good indicator about India's success story, there is one more interesting aspect about Indians visiting other countries. You know how an Indian plans a trip?First he gets his ticket booked with a tourist operator who would take him through out Europe for the least price. Remember, it is important for him to increase the number countries that he has visited irrespective of whether he gets time to explore each and every place. Next he would take great pains to find an Indian restaurant where he would be ready to pay 12 euros for a dosa. Remember, he has prioritised this over a meal in Mc D... where he would get a Mac, fries and a doughnut for 5 euros! Once energised, he gets hold of a map and spots the most important places that he could visit. Take for example a place like Rome. Rome is a place where one needs to walk a lot to visit places. So, our guy takes great pains to cover as many places as possible....but what does he do once he gets to the destination....he searches for a strategic place..for what??? of course to take a pic...and once it is done..he heads off to the next place. Siginificance of Spanish steps (Rome) or Colosseum does not really matter to him...all he needs is a pic there. Thus, he finishes a wonderful trip and heads back home. Once at home it is a head ache for others...why??? Obviously, our hero has taken more than 500 pics on his newly bought Canon digicam.....and its the duty of others to patiently browse through the photos. I am fine with browsing through the 500 fotos..but please..let our hero not sit beside me to explain the PHOTO!!!
Someone refuting my story?????
While this is a good indicator about India's success story, there is one more interesting aspect about Indians visiting other countries. You know how an Indian plans a trip?First he gets his ticket booked with a tourist operator who would take him through out Europe for the least price. Remember, it is important for him to increase the number countries that he has visited irrespective of whether he gets time to explore each and every place. Next he would take great pains to find an Indian restaurant where he would be ready to pay 12 euros for a dosa. Remember, he has prioritised this over a meal in Mc D... where he would get a Mac, fries and a doughnut for 5 euros! Once energised, he gets hold of a map and spots the most important places that he could visit. Take for example a place like Rome. Rome is a place where one needs to walk a lot to visit places. So, our guy takes great pains to cover as many places as possible....but what does he do once he gets to the destination....he searches for a strategic place..for what??? of course to take a pic...and once it is done..he heads off to the next place. Siginificance of Spanish steps (Rome) or Colosseum does not really matter to him...all he needs is a pic there. Thus, he finishes a wonderful trip and heads back home. Once at home it is a head ache for others...why??? Obviously, our hero has taken more than 500 pics on his newly bought Canon digicam.....and its the duty of others to patiently browse through the photos. I am fine with browsing through the 500 fotos..but please..let our hero not sit beside me to explain the PHOTO!!!
Someone refuting my story?????
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Can politicians make good Marketing Managers?
It is election time in Tamil Nadu. And the limelight has switched to Madras. I am quit surprised to see some special shows being aired in some of the leading news channels. The topic ranges from the poll survey to the conservatism of Tamil Nadu. But the main question is whether the population is getting allured by the freebies being offered by the parties. So far not a single poll has been conducted to record the response of the public with regard to the freebies on offer.
But going by my interactions with the people I know, it looks like the real issue has been missed. When it comes to voting, many people think about factors like - safety of people, economic and infrastructue growth, basic amenties and a good standard of living.
How come the expectations of the people and the attractions projected by the parties are not in sync? The answer the parties give is that only a part of their manifesto is being talked about while the rest is ignored. Even though I do not buy this argument, I feel politicians can definitely become better brand managers than marketing managers going by the way their words find the headlines!
But going by my interactions with the people I know, it looks like the real issue has been missed. When it comes to voting, many people think about factors like - safety of people, economic and infrastructue growth, basic amenties and a good standard of living.
How come the expectations of the people and the attractions projected by the parties are not in sync? The answer the parties give is that only a part of their manifesto is being talked about while the rest is ignored. Even though I do not buy this argument, I feel politicians can definitely become better brand managers than marketing managers going by the way their words find the headlines!
Sunday, December 18, 2005
HLL and India
HLL and its products
For consumers of FMCG, India is THE PLACE where some of the most competitive fights are fought to capture even a miniscule market of 1% or 2%. The Indian arm of Unilever, HLL, offers the best fight to the world leader P and G.Last year saw HLL stripping its product lines and lined their products with a tag line "Shakthi Brands". HLL identified the best selling brands among its product lines and enhanced the selling of these brands, which has given a positive outlook for the company.
Among its latest moves is to introduce a small cover for its detergents. I have always felt that HLL's detergents turn to fluid state with usage. To check this problem, while maintaining the composition, HLL has to come up with this novel idea. All that one has to do is to put the detergent into the bag, that comes with every purchase. The cover is very handy and should go down well with the consumers. But, there is a minor rethinking that ought to go into this new design. HLL has perhaps not read the mind of an Indian consumer. The Indian consumer typically wants the detergent to be spread all over with lot of foam and this is restricted with the usage of the cover.
HLL should quickly move in to check this flaw, before the novel design is discarded by the consumer.
Sami
For consumers of FMCG, India is THE PLACE where some of the most competitive fights are fought to capture even a miniscule market of 1% or 2%. The Indian arm of Unilever, HLL, offers the best fight to the world leader P and G.Last year saw HLL stripping its product lines and lined their products with a tag line "Shakthi Brands". HLL identified the best selling brands among its product lines and enhanced the selling of these brands, which has given a positive outlook for the company.
Among its latest moves is to introduce a small cover for its detergents. I have always felt that HLL's detergents turn to fluid state with usage. To check this problem, while maintaining the composition, HLL has to come up with this novel idea. All that one has to do is to put the detergent into the bag, that comes with every purchase. The cover is very handy and should go down well with the consumers. But, there is a minor rethinking that ought to go into this new design. HLL has perhaps not read the mind of an Indian consumer. The Indian consumer typically wants the detergent to be spread all over with lot of foam and this is restricted with the usage of the cover.
HLL should quickly move in to check this flaw, before the novel design is discarded by the consumer.
Sami
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Back to bloggin!
Well, what a difference. It has been over 5 months since I last posted my blog. And since then, so many things have happened. I moved to India, to Austria and now back in India. And in this period, the world has witnessed some dramatic changes. London bombings, Katrina, declining approvals for Bush and Tony Blair, the Volcker Committee report and the Indian political drama...what not? It has been a very eventful 5 months. And on my personal front, well....so many things have happened. Right from my career to friendships to.... EVENTFUL INDEED!
Emerging from my shell,
-- I find the Apple mania is very fast catching up in India, one of the largest market for any damn product in the world. Apple is all set to rule!!!
-- Bill Gates plans to invest over 1.2 Billion (you heard it?) in India
-- The Big Five are ramping up their India operations
-- Jobs are pouring in Indian B Schools
-- TCS has been in news for bagging big orders in the past quarter
-- Indian Stock market has breached the 9000 mark
-- A record 1.5 lakhs aspirants took CAT 2005 out of 1.7 lakhs applicants
-- Indian B-Schools toe the ISB line; start one year programs for experienced professionals with simpler entry route
Well, so much more to say but less time. Catch u soon!!!
Sami
Emerging from my shell,
-- I find the Apple mania is very fast catching up in India, one of the largest market for any damn product in the world. Apple is all set to rule!!!
-- Bill Gates plans to invest over 1.2 Billion (you heard it?) in India
-- The Big Five are ramping up their India operations
-- Jobs are pouring in Indian B Schools
-- TCS has been in news for bagging big orders in the past quarter
-- Indian Stock market has breached the 9000 mark
-- A record 1.5 lakhs aspirants took CAT 2005 out of 1.7 lakhs applicants
-- Indian B-Schools toe the ISB line; start one year programs for experienced professionals with simpler entry route
Well, so much more to say but less time. Catch u soon!!!
Sami
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Sony on Apple's Footsteps!
Call it fixation on Apple products, I do not mind. But, Apple has emerged a clear winner in the competition for the product of tomorrow. Yes, I am talking about MP3 player.
Not long before, Sony was very popular for its invention of the walkman. In fact, Sony was called one of the companies that produced products with very novel features. But Sony could not keep up with times and now it stands in a peculiar position.The reason could be many. But some of the striking reasons are the business decisions of Sony. It has a culture of supporting their custom technology, while the rest of the world followed a seperate trend. For example, some of the Sony MP3 players support music in ATRAC formats only. To make it compatible with MP3, an additional sum has to be spent. All this makes it difficult for the consumer to percieve.
While all these has been happening, Apple has emerged a clear winner with its iPod range of products. The advantage is that the iPod has brought in more brand recognition for Apple that even its iBooks sales are increasing. The high end iPods are very convenient to use. I would rather call it a feature packed product with the best ease of use.
Recently, I found that Sony has redesigned one of its MP3 players to look like iPods. Looks are almost similar to iPOds. The only difference seem to be the control.
It shows that Sony is desperately trying to catch up with the trends and as a result following the footsteps of Apple!
Not long before, Sony was very popular for its invention of the walkman. In fact, Sony was called one of the companies that produced products with very novel features. But Sony could not keep up with times and now it stands in a peculiar position.The reason could be many. But some of the striking reasons are the business decisions of Sony. It has a culture of supporting their custom technology, while the rest of the world followed a seperate trend. For example, some of the Sony MP3 players support music in ATRAC formats only. To make it compatible with MP3, an additional sum has to be spent. All this makes it difficult for the consumer to percieve.
While all these has been happening, Apple has emerged a clear winner with its iPod range of products. The advantage is that the iPod has brought in more brand recognition for Apple that even its iBooks sales are increasing. The high end iPods are very convenient to use. I would rather call it a feature packed product with the best ease of use.
Recently, I found that Sony has redesigned one of its MP3 players to look like iPods. Looks are almost similar to iPOds. The only difference seem to be the control.
It shows that Sony is desperately trying to catch up with the trends and as a result following the footsteps of Apple!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
The changes I would love to see.....
It has been a refreshing experience to be outside India for a good part of the year. That too when one gets to stay in a place like Stockholm, I bet people fall in love with its practices!
Based on whatever I have been experiencing in Stockholm, these are some of the constructive changes that I would like to see in our Indian society:
1. School kids carry less than 1 KG with them to the school. The school provides lockers for the children. The lavatories have the best facilities so that the kids drop in for a shower after a "wild" games period. There is an outstanding amount of individual attention given for each kid, meaning the strength in each class is optimal. The kids are taught to be flexible. The kids are made to play outdoor games for 1 hour each day, irrespective of the weather.
2. People are made to imbibe the culture of queuing at public places.
3. Public utility services are offered with the best interests of the people. A bus driver and a conductor is responsible for the vehicle they drive when they are in duty. Responsibility should span a variety of chores like cleaning the bus, reporting any problems in time and being hospitable.
4. Any hoardings that distract the attention of drivers are removed. No posters in public places.
5. When the public transportation runs late or breaks down, the authorities should provide the people using the system with allowance to use any alternative mode of transport.
6. Have the infrastructure to meet the challenges of extreme weather like floods.
7. The newspapers are flashed with progressive and constructive stories. There are more advertisements about the latest products and services, signifying the fact that the economy is healthy.
8. There is a timetable available for the public transportation and the time is maintained with less than 5% delta. The government should provide a public transport access point to any location at maximum of 200 metres walk.
9. Working hours do not extend beyond 5 pm. Five days work should be emphasised across all industries and sectors.
10. The government provides sufficient social security for even people working in private companies. This could be (a) a legislation that gives an insurance policy for all the working professionals, insulating them from job insecurities (b) a legislation that gives the spouses a long vacation during maternity periods (c) A subsidised health care for at least the underprivileged. This should be a foolproof system!
11. Each Indian has a unique identification number. This should make him identifiable for all purposes, be it passport, driving license, ration card, health care and public libraries.
12. A single taxation system. One should be able to drive peacefully from Kanyakumari to Kashmir without the hassles of check post!
13. Promotion of waterways as viable passenger transportation. This could also be used from an entertainment perspective. For example, there could be a ferry plying between Vizag and Mumbai on weekends that provides superior weekend holiday.
14. Make the place tourist friendly! When I say friendly, I want the real implementation of the meaning of the word "FRIENDLY"
ummmmm....what a wonderful society I am talking about. If I were to talk about these to a common man in India, one could expect a standard reply saying such a thing is possible only in an ideal world and is simply not practical. But I am talking about something that is happening thousands of miles from India!
And yes, it is not a dream but a practical approach to an ideal society.
Based on whatever I have been experiencing in Stockholm, these are some of the constructive changes that I would like to see in our Indian society:
1. School kids carry less than 1 KG with them to the school. The school provides lockers for the children. The lavatories have the best facilities so that the kids drop in for a shower after a "wild" games period. There is an outstanding amount of individual attention given for each kid, meaning the strength in each class is optimal. The kids are taught to be flexible. The kids are made to play outdoor games for 1 hour each day, irrespective of the weather.
2. People are made to imbibe the culture of queuing at public places.
3. Public utility services are offered with the best interests of the people. A bus driver and a conductor is responsible for the vehicle they drive when they are in duty. Responsibility should span a variety of chores like cleaning the bus, reporting any problems in time and being hospitable.
4. Any hoardings that distract the attention of drivers are removed. No posters in public places.
5. When the public transportation runs late or breaks down, the authorities should provide the people using the system with allowance to use any alternative mode of transport.
6. Have the infrastructure to meet the challenges of extreme weather like floods.
7. The newspapers are flashed with progressive and constructive stories. There are more advertisements about the latest products and services, signifying the fact that the economy is healthy.
8. There is a timetable available for the public transportation and the time is maintained with less than 5% delta. The government should provide a public transport access point to any location at maximum of 200 metres walk.
9. Working hours do not extend beyond 5 pm. Five days work should be emphasised across all industries and sectors.
10. The government provides sufficient social security for even people working in private companies. This could be (a) a legislation that gives an insurance policy for all the working professionals, insulating them from job insecurities (b) a legislation that gives the spouses a long vacation during maternity periods (c) A subsidised health care for at least the underprivileged. This should be a foolproof system!
11. Each Indian has a unique identification number. This should make him identifiable for all purposes, be it passport, driving license, ration card, health care and public libraries.
12. A single taxation system. One should be able to drive peacefully from Kanyakumari to Kashmir without the hassles of check post!
13. Promotion of waterways as viable passenger transportation. This could also be used from an entertainment perspective. For example, there could be a ferry plying between Vizag and Mumbai on weekends that provides superior weekend holiday.
14. Make the place tourist friendly! When I say friendly, I want the real implementation of the meaning of the word "FRIENDLY"
ummmmm....what a wonderful society I am talking about. If I were to talk about these to a common man in India, one could expect a standard reply saying such a thing is possible only in an ideal world and is simply not practical. But I am talking about something that is happening thousands of miles from India!
And yes, it is not a dream but a practical approach to an ideal society.
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