Fred Says

7 Cinderellas of Urban India

2011-11-16T03:59:00.001-06:00

The female population of Urban India is 181 million or 18.13 crores. The urban women’s contribution to per capita income or household income has doubled in the last decade. One third of the estimated 480 million jobs in the country are being performed by women. 4 out of top 10 brands solely address the need of the female consumer. Where as for other brands, the ‘Women of the

The Fine Print

2011-10-03T06:44:00.000-05:00

‘The products shown in the advertisement are only for representation. The actual products might differ.’ ‘Investments in mutual funds are subject to market risk. Please read the offer document carefully before investing.’ ‘Get 10% Discount on Food and Beverages on billing above Rs.300*. *Terms and conditions apply.’ There would have been many instances where you would have come across such

Social Media 'ADVOCATES'

2011-06-11T21:24:00.001-05:00

My friend who also works for an ad agency on a telcom brand was quite happy to have 1 million fan registerd on his client’s FB page. As the discussion steered towards the kind of dialogues that’s being exchanged on social media, his excitement started dripping down. Now this brings us to a fundamental objective of social media marketing, is it just a branding opportunity or is it a platform to

LOVE ZONE

2011-02-13T01:26:00.001-06:00

Color of love has sparkled the town red. The beautiful manequines are dressed in red, inflated heart balloons fill the flooring, roses are in demand in the florist shop......Valentine's Day is here again. The retail shops have adorned the robe of love. The ambience of love gives the perfect setting for you to hop shops till you get the perfect gift for your love. It’s a wonderful feeling

MY DREAMS

2010-09-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

‘I dream of my painting and then, I paint my dreams.’ Most of us grow up listening to such ‘words of wisdom’ which develop within us the qualities that help us achieve our dreams. Our dreams signify the purpose of our existence, our dreams motivate us to spring up from bed everyday morning with enthusiasm and our dreams give us our ‘GOAL’ for life. But within our immediate many dreams that draw

Sweet Dreams

2010-03-03T13:57:00.003-06:00

‘May sweet dreams kiss your eyes and leave a smile when you rise.’Tomorrow is going to be a new day. Today’s hard work will reap fruits tomorrow. It’s all hope that makes us look forward for tomorrow. It’s the curiosity to explore, to discover. In fact sometimes we try and interpret the meanings to our dreams. Because its faith that drives us to make our dreams come true.And then there are

CHANGING TRACKS

2009-11-18T13:37:00.002-06:00

Before you read on, pause for couple of minutes and reflect on ‘how has life changed in the past 10 years or 5 years?’ …….Does it makes you laugh? Surprised on how life has shaped up? Don’t pick up any regrets in the trail, chuck it out we don’t need it. I am sure however eventful life would have been the journey at the end does leaves a smile.We always try to plan our life at every stage.

Diwali - Festival of Light

2009-10-16T14:02:00.004-05:00

Today one of my friend from US wanted to know more on Diwali and she didn’t want it from Google but more of a first hand experience. For me Diwali has been very special just like Christmas since my school days. 18 days of vacation, mummy getting leave, enjoying the sweets and snacks prepared by my neighbor aunties and as I grew up was lucky enough to have girlfriends whose mom can make really

ROAD TO HAPPINESS

2009-09-03T08:03:00.005-05:00

While writing this blog, I had two subjects in mind ‘Road to Happiness’ or ‘In search of happiness’. Somehow I was more convinced about the former.At times when responsibilities just pile up on your shoulders even the silliest outcome of a smallest task gets you freak out and reminds you about the daunting advices that you keep on getting from your mom, dad, elder siblings (even younger), uncle,

The Interrogative Engagement

2009-06-30T05:08:00.000-05:00

There are times when we try and justify our actions, our proposal. Sometimes that hard selling doesn’t work and over the period of time we loose the audience. And we start questioning again. The audience could be your girlfriend, mom, colleague and in professional arena the consumer of your brand. Your personal and professional audiences are not different, they are same. Treat them equally. And I

Interruption Vs Seduction

2009-06-12T02:02:00.002-05:00

I had a choice – progressive career in Advertising or holistic development in marketing communication. A year ago I had to choose between digital or mainline advertising. I chose the former because I was keen to learn the opportunities & effectiveness of digital marketing. It was tough because Indian consumers are still driven by TV commercial and after 5 years in mainline advertising which

is it hot outside?: Phone with a 6th Sense

2009-03-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

is it hot outside?: Phone with a 6th Sense

2009-03-01T01:05:00.003-06:00

India seeks Liberation

2009-01-27T02:12:00.001-06:00

We hail Mahatma Gandhi but we don’t follow his foot steps.We hate British Raj but we practice their acts.India stands DIVIDED!That’s what is happening currently in our country. The love for the state is more than the love for the country. True religious beliefs are getting masked with the fake political agendas. The leaders of the country are trying to win hearts by bifurcating the nation on

Don't Quit

2009-01-27T01:46:00.003-06:00

When things were not going my way, there was something that kept my hope alive. I was not getting answers to my questions, I was wondering where is it going wrong when my efforts seemed to be the best, the challenges were only for few days but at that difficult time it seemed months and I was afraid of heading downwards.But efforts always pays, your friends (true friends and not acquaintances)

The Truth

2008-06-10T06:42:00.005-05:00

I don't think I have anything to add, this image reveals the miserable life of the people whom we've forgotten and as if they don't even exsist. Somehow I am not able to write whats going on in my mind fluently cos I am getting a very guilty feeling. We are so choosy on brands, quality conscious, cirbbing if things are not as per our expectation, impatient if things dont happen fast. And. After

2008-05-26T05:44:00.000-05:00

Mobile Internet in IndiaThe penetration of internet on mobile in India is still at the nascent stage. Even though the growth of mobile penetration is higher compared to the PC’s & PC’s with internet. Only small proportion of mobile handsets support or are compatible for internet usage. And even if one has the facility they prefer to connect to the internet by using the workspace portal or the

2007-06-04T05:40:00.000-05:00

ADVERTISING – The perfect CareerOur job helps us create our identity. It’s the place where we sharpen our skills, spend 80% of our day at our workstation. And the least you expect is the place to have a friendly working environment. The spirit to wake up everyday and head towards your workplace with enthusiasm and energy; to prove your abilites.But, there are times when things don’t take place as

2007-05-04T05:47:00.000-05:00

The Indian sports industryIndia’s booming economy (growing at close to 8% every year), a young and massive population (over a billion people, with a staggering 70% below the age of 35) and a vast middle class with higher disposable incomes, all make India a very large market for sport and entertainment. India’s sport industry is overwhelmingly lopsided towards one major sport – cricket. Whilst

2007-04-24T01:09:00.000-05:00

Changing SEC paradigmDefining ‘TG - Target Audience’ is the key to any marketing / advertising brief. The marketing managers, brand planners, product developers etc. bang their head to get their TG correct. While we try and set our communication to a set / group / socio economic categories; we realize that in this evolving economy psychographic profiling is more important than mere

2007-03-28T05:15:00.000-05:00

ATHLETE MANAGEMENTShould Sachin endorse so many brands?...I think the Indian cricketers should start concentrating on the game rather and not endorsement?So and so forth, but the debate, critic, acquisition etc. will continue until they don’t grab a major win. Whether its Home or away, against Aussie or Bangladesh won’t matter. And the fan hood and craze will start growing once again. There is no

2006-11-01T02:41:00.000-06:00

What is Growth?I'm just off the phone with a person whom I can't name. But for the sake of this blog, let's call him Joe. Joe is a real guy working at a real company. This year, his company's growth target is to increase income by ten percent. That's a nice, easy-to-understand goal, isn't it?I get it. Goals can motivate people. Goals can make you feel committed, even passionate. But why a ten

2006-10-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

Drive your instinctsListen to your inner voice. Some times you might question yourself,Am I happy?Is this what I want to be?Is this what I want to do?Some might, say YES but there conscience knows that it’s just a mere mask for the outer materialistic world. The noble souls will try to get the smiling curve by saying “It gives me utter satisfaction, when I sacrifice my happiness for my loved ones

2006-04-25T03:10:00.000-05:00

Change of HeartIt all started last year, when I was still trying to overcome the frustration of not living life as I had expected. The comparison of life style during college days and present used to outrage my emotions. The mere thought of surviving for another 20 years till retirement used to drive me insane. My resume was as impatient as me, as I hopped from one agency to another with the hope

2006-03-31T04:45:00.000-06:00

PLATFORM NO.5Its 8.26 am and I am still trying to cross the crowded bridge. Anyhow I have to sneak through and manage to catch the 8.28 CST Fast. If I miss this train, I will be late for work which means I will be late for my meeting (and I am still not ready with my presentation…) and if I am late for this meeting then it’s a serious problem.The first deadline of the day for 6 million Mumbaikars