This is exactly how the Webchutney’s Servicing^ trip can be described best as… No one had any clue what to expect; as our Exec. Creative Director had shared this Art of Servicing book just a week before. Freshers suspected a viva.. well there was something else in store.. something more fun – THE FUZZY DUCK!!

So what is this Fuzzy Duck? Fuzzy Duck is what we would name this trip where all the different avatars of Chutneyites came oozing out!

The trip started with the happiest looking faces on the 5^th floor^& of Webchutney Bombay** office. The happiness could easily be compared to the ones you see on POW’s faces when they are released after years of relentless torture. It definitely was the most enthralling experience for them seeing us out by 5pm. So there we go. Nishi Kant – our Executive Creative Director – The man responsible for stuffing me with all the ladies on our way to lonavala(not that I am complaining ) – it actually made onlookers wonder what a player I was when we got out of the car for a leak-break. I’m loving it!!

This is what i was talking about!

The Ladieezzzz

As we were about to reach, came in the news that the last lot – Punkaj Saini^$ & boys were still in office as he was stuck in some big-ass meeting, getting in some moolah. The first lot had already reached and were 3 down by the time me & ladies(I am so loving it as I type) reached. Freshers believed he’s gonna ask some questions based on the book. Well the questions did come in.. but not really by the book –

“Kya peeyega Behen@#$%??”

“Saaley sirf juice maarega, daru nahi??”

Before we go any further I would like to highlight a personal achievement here – a nice 20m reverse on an effing national highway! OK now we can go ahead..

As soon as we reached all we had to do was change into our night suits, pick up a glass, pour a drink and CHILL! As we spoke like we knew everything and anything on this planet Earth there was someone who reached before the last lot – the very cool Black Cat! She was the one who never gave up and kept a very watchful eye on us – making sure no one drinks more than the other’s capacity

3 down!

Then finally comes in the last lot. We were all very sure Samir made Vijay make a proposal on their way to lonavala^^. The new boy made a killer entry – changed to his shorts, came in with glass filled with transparent liquid looked more like “poor guy is so tired, finally a glass of water for him”. With Nishi asking him “Saaley sirf paani piyega?” he smiles and replies “Vodka hai, neat!” Nishi’s eyes pops out; so does the word “NICEEEEE!!!!”

While the new guy was busy gulping down neat shots; Samir came up with the Eureka moment of the trip. 5 magic words set the mood “Let’s play Fuzzy Duck game”! Well with everyone struggling to keep up with the fuzzy duck game, Punkaj was happy-high with 2 red-bulls cans emptied.

Men!

The man everyone's talking about!

Everyone gradually started crashing post some awesome dinner; we decided otherwise. Cards it was & flash was the game. Everyone checks in with tokens worth 20 bucks and that was the last time all of us saw some money in our hands. Came in the devil – Yash; the solitudinarian that he is when it comes to making money was a complete one-man-show winning everything that was there on offer. Finally we decided it call it a day after some immoderate laughter during the ghost stories session which ended at about 5 am.

Gone in a flash!

Money gulper

Then the next big thing happened on a lovely Saturday morning. PAINT-BALL! The intensity on the field was nothing less than one could experience on an actual field. My team with Gautam leading the pack and big players like Nishi & Punkaj was the clear favorite. However, some high-energy action from Samir, Vijay, Yash very well complimented with Neha & Vidhi were anything but underdogs. Though we won the capture the flag contest; they very well made sure we run out of bullets to emerge victorious in the Last Man Standing Contest. Prime highlights can be seen in the pictures with some really good head-shots courtesy Samir & Vijay^%.

Timeout then majorly comprised of chilled beer, good food again and some hard-core art of chilling. The evening was well spent as we drove around passing a million maganlal chikki marts to find the one, only and infamous COOPER CHIKKI. After which we drove up to Tiger Point, where it was chilly cold and there were more than a million stars (A sight all Bombayites would truly appreciate). As we reached, Chotta Sandeep, followed us till we got a parking spot and sorted us out with Chai and chairs as we chilled, froze literally as we took in the sight, it was beautiful and so peaceful. All we had to do “CHOTTTAAA SANDEEPPPP!!”and that light footed guy was up there with his top-notch service.

The night was very well complimented with smooth vodka, whisky whatever we could lay our hands on and of course the chilled weather which made sure that even the macho-est of us had to grab a blanket. Multiple games of rummy were played we here everyone’s ”Integrity”*** remained intact. Following which the most scrumptious meal of the trip was eaten. Nishi’s special chicken curry which we had with Dal Chawal, it was hot, spicy and flavorful – just how we like it.

There couldn’t have been a better end to the trip, with the garma garam chicken curry, sipping on our drinks and playing cards under the stars. The house was perfect, it wasn’t too crowded, the balcony area was perfect for are evening chilling scenes, but most of all the people made this trip. Whether it was Samir’s integrity or Thana’s Cooper Chikki or Simreen’s hazaar pictures or crazy team versus team paint-ball it was the entire servicing team coming together, kicking back, and chilling the weekend away.

DISCLAIMERS

* No duck was hurt, killed or fucked during this trip. The phrase FUCK the DUCK is completely fictional and Webchutney does not endorse any sexual assaults on the ducks

^ Rare species which are hated on the 5^th floor of Webchutney. They normally believe the conference room on their requires an IQ more than 120.

& Consists of people who really don’t really love the rare species we just talked. Though they have extremely high creative quotient; still are quite apprehensive to come on the 4^th floor as they believe servicing a blood sucking species.

** I personally like calling it Bombay. Anyone who finds that offending – “Kiss my ASS”!

$ the man known for his crazy-ass driving. It is a known fact that he can park 2 cars in a mere 50sq.ft space. His love for Axure^# spread like a viral in chutney.

# Killer software which everyone from the species mentioned above tried their hands on. In fact Tushar went a step ahead a created a beta site on it to know the client was just playing around with little ass.

^^ I am sure Vijay just nodded.

% We did give them back; with Samir going home with a bleeding finger and Ramprasad(name changed) getting one right besides his balls.

@ Word hot clearly signifies the temperature at which it was cooked

*** A rare quality assumed to be lacking in Agencies

Every once a while, a hero emerges… who gets trapped smack-in-the-middle of crazy whacky stuff @Webchutney. Enter Kima, a.k.a our Creative Trailblazer who’s inspired the ‘Keme’ contest. Yep, he’s the  ‘Flying One’ in all the photographs. Incidentally, he’s a hero back home. Read all about him here.

When Vishnu and Nihal (both Copywriters) struck gold with one of Kima’s old photographs caught in an awkward pose, they went beserk. What else would you expect?! And here’s the result of wild untamed creative ingenuity thrown open at you.

You may be the king of wit or the queen of badass, who knows. But can you live up to our challenge? And oh! Kima’s also participating. There you go, we just raised the bar, higher!

That’s okay dude, but Wtf is ‘Keme’?

Haha, pretty simple actually.

Kima + Meme = KEME (cedit goes to Abbas for cracking it!)

For the uninitiated, a meme’s an idea or phenomena that goes viral and becomes insanely popular on the web, like viral videos, images, catchphrases, celebs etc. Like Kolaveri or the Success Kid. Dig up other popular memes here.

Cut the crap, how do i win this?

Just follow the lead:

- Pick your favourite from the seven photographs below.
- Think of an original ‘Kill-er’ punchline to go with the pic.
- Submit the photograph with your punchline on our Facebook Page (also shower your louuve and Like it!)
- Repeat with another picture if you want!

Rules:

- Contest open to ALL, excluding the judges ofcourse.
- Last date for entry submission is January 15, 2012.
- Duplicate entries not allowed i.e. you can’t pick the same photo twice to submit. But you can submit any or all of the seven individually.
- Winners will be announced on January 30, 2012.

Win exclusive Webchutney merchandise! Yeah, aint nuffin like anything you’ve seen before. Even if you’ve heard that before… We’ll keep you hooked, don’t worry

Here’s your creative canvas:

‘Keme’ Contest Photo 1

Keme Contest Photo 2

Keme Contest Photo 3

Keme Contest Photo 4

Keme Contest Photo 5

Keme Contest Photo 6

Keme Contest Pic 7

The minute that counted: A unique way to break the ice and get started with introductions, the one-minute match up was the corporate version of speed dating. The room was abuzz with energy and people were milling about with visiting cards and notepads. We even spied someone dragging along a Powerpoint presentation to each table. Hope springs eternal and all that.

Can digital build brands: The opening keynote panel on Day 1 set the agenda straight with this thought-provoking question. Opinions were tossed around the hall, some said digital alone cannot build brands, others disagreed.  The question that remained to be answered by the industry and marketers alike: are we there yet? Have we reached that tipping point with digital wherein marketers can begin to treat it at par with other mediums? Has digital matured enough for communication and content to be tailor-made for this vehicle? Arguments were put forth during the course of the panel discussion as well as the subsequent sessions in the Summit to support and contest this crucial question.

Bulls**t versus authenticity: Haresh Khoobchandani’s keynote session brought forward the transparent facet of evolving media. He deliberated upon how digital marketing and evolving technologies have helped users feel good, rather than making brands look good. An interesting point he made was that technology is horizontal, not vertical; it can’t be treated in isolation but must be integrated across functions, roles and objectives. Look how Best Buy made it work for them!

Where’s the big idea: Advertising is still about that one elusive idea, which, when executed well echoes with target consumers, irrespective of medium, reach, frequency and interface. Alan Schulman brought us back to the basics with his keynote on seamlessly merging both technology and creative while brainstorming on the “central idea”. And how do we know if an idea works? The communication via an interface should form a bond with the user and result in anticipated interactions like playing, sharing, participating etc.

The mobile challenge: Day 3 witnessed many discussions on the scope of mobile technologies for brands in India. Google and InMobi , in their respective sessions presented the possibilities in the mobile marketing space, considering mobile internet in India would overtake desktop internet anywhere between the next 12 to 24 months. Nevertheless, what the mobile space also needs to overcome is its challenge in terms of connectivity, devices and quality of content available.

Beyond the campaign: Meghana Bhat, our Creative Director took center stage and spoke about looking at leveraging digital beyond mere brand promotion. She presented her views on how brands need to be more interesting to consumers and deliver true value/ utility to them. You can check out her awesome 10 minute innovation deck here

And the fun stuff: While the highlights cover mostly that, the team at NetworkPlay ensured that the Summit wasn’t just about heavy-duty digital innovations. There were cocktail evenings (which we loved!) preceded by music and dance performances, recreational activities like the relaxing pool party, wine and cheese tasting and a whole lot of heady conversations that ran on till the wee hours.

While this was the debut year for the  iMedia Summit’s India Chapter, we are sure it will become an annual event that the delegates will mark in their calendars. As for those of you who didn’t quite make it this time, you can swing by and pick our brains for now!

Cheers!

Over a decade ago, we became pirates instead of joining the navy. Along the way we’ve gotten lost at sea, sunk ships, lost fellow swashbucklers, and almost drowned. But still, we’re having more fun. And still, we’re trying to make dents in the universe.

Thank you for inspiring us to believe, to keep chasing our crazy dreams and remain misfits. We’ll miss you greatly.

- Webchutney.

Being a Community Manager, I promote a lot of brands, campaigns and properties (online—not real estate) on Social Media Platforms. I also perform a lot of celebrated acts everyday such as promoting tweets, urls, videos (feeding them in social bookmarking site), write blogs (and force people to read it)….and the list is long (although people think I do nothing all day and get paid for having fun). But if you want details I can send you the dump via ‘sendspace’.

So, one day while munching my apple I wondered instead of promoting everybody else’s super  work why not promote the work I do by scripting what a day in my working life looks like (rest assured this article will not take you to an immortal PowerPoint presentation or a self-promotion portfolio). So, ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts as I take flight into my fantasy world, tapping away an illusionary tete-a-tete with Webchutney’s Community Manager (that’s me #hehe).

Person-of-the-world (POW): What do you like most about being a Community Manager?

Me: The fun part of being a community manager is that every day is different, and you never quite know what to expect. This constant uncertainty is what makes it such a fun job — assuming you like surprises (briefing sessions at midnight, voila!) jumping in and out of your chair, run errands and can type even with your toes (if need be), which I do.

POW: What’s a typical day like for you?

Me: A usual day starts with Coffee (I try to avoid responding before I am fully caffeinated), checking emails (hoping there won’t have been some major catastrophe overnight), and breakfast while gliding over comments on Twitter and Facebook and crafting politically correct responses. The rest of the day (i.e from 9 to err….midnight) make content plans, have lunch at the desk (you didn’t expect to get out did you?), check more mails, manage community tools, upload photos, start new discussions and take part in existing ones in the forums. But amidst all the craziness, sometimes I have a warm glow inside when someone takes the time to thank me or complement the team-work [happened just once in 365 days, more accolades invited ].

POW: Do you think any particular skill sets are important for Community Managers in general?

Me: Yes, 4 very important skills which make you perfect for the role:

Stylist: No, you won’t get paid for turning up like a diva but for turning shabby content to chic.

Santa Claus: Whether you believe they exist or not, you’re expected to don the role of a Santa and always delight and surprise all with your ideas (ho ho ho!).

Emergency Traffic Cop: Iron out online traffic issues, even when you’re stuck in traffic snarl yourself (%#$&%^! @ Blackberry).

Agony Aunt: Absorb the emotional temperature of the community and counsel irate users.

POW: Is there anything that you like about the job?

Me: No matter how much I whine and whinge about crazy timelines, frenzied multi-tasking or overwhelming expectations, what keeps me motivated is seeing the change in a community and its people. Also, as you learn to be on your toes 24*7 (like a ballerina), you start appreciating all the small things in life, whether it’s 5 extra minutes with your family or a surprise holiday in a week. I guess, ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles’.

Hope you liked the diary of a Community Manager. If there’s anything more that you wanna know, send us your suggestions in cash and kind and we’ll bring you an exclusive expose with all the juicy details from our rumor-mill!

‘Scene ho gaya’

If you frequent the second floor of our Delhi office, you’ll hear ‘Bhai scene ho gaya’ a lot of times. Now, ‘Scene ho gaya’ assumes different meanings depending on the person saying it and situations. If there a ‘bhasad’ that has happened (both small and big mistakes qualify as bhasad—it rarely happens though considering we are ace at our work), then it’s a servicing guy saying it. If we see a good viral video, cool app (that spreads like wildfire across desktops) or a good looking client has landed in office, you’ll hear the boys saying ‘yeh to scene hai’ (filled with glee). So the next time you get a ‘scene hai’ in response, rest assured you’ve done something worth noticing.

‘Fight hai’

I remember overhearing a client-servicing and a tech guy’s conversation once where the tech guy repeatedly said ‘isme fight ho jaayega’. I got scared and inched back thinking that these two will don their boxing attire any-minute and punch the guts out of each other and there’ll be tables and chairs flying astray. But contrary to my over-analytical-theatrical brain, he only meant that there were issues with finishing the task in 2 days as he was hard-pressed for time. So, ‘fight hai’ is used in place of ‘issue’, ‘problem’ ‘concern’ and other kind of hindrances.

‘Je baat’

Another hero word is ‘Je baat’. When used in a sentence, that becomes a very important statement. Whenever we hear it, we wait for an interesting story to be told. Most of the times, ‘Je baat’ is synonymous with ‘touché’ and the rest of the times it is used when we are dazzled by an act or have bedazzled someone by ours. A recent ‘je baat’ moment was when our very own Creative Director brought down someone on earth with his valiant speech at an award function—if you want details, join the gang!

Coming back to us (we love attention you see), when you meet us or bump into us and say ‘hi’, please don’t accept a regular ‘hi’ back. We are unpredictably charming—and are the first ones to break the ice. You’ll usually get a ‘wassup’ in response, and it’s on you whether you want to tell us what’s actually happening in your life or not. If you tell us, we’ll be happy to hear your story, and if you don’t, we’ll delight you with ours. No complaints, no demands!

That’s the beauty of our language; it can be funny, downright sarcastic or plain cute. But the truth is folks ‘what happens in Webchutney, makes headlines!’

We hope you liked the skinny on Webchutney lingo and would love to hear your suggestions and feedback. You could also tell us if there’s anything more you’d like to know about the Webchutney life. If that’s not enough, well then shoot us a mail at careers@webchutney.net and join the brand…errr bandwagon!

Next up, ‘A day in the life of a community manager’! Don’t go anywhere, brb!

12th April 2011
My bag consisted of a green file, a comb and my wallet apart from two sheets of paper which were most relevant for the day-My CV. It was my first interview. I was late.

I reached at 4.30 in the evening and was made to wait for about 15 minutes. I was done by 4.55 PM. You can imagine what must have happened. I was late for an interview when I was applying for the post of an intern. But they think beyond your imagination. That’s what makes Webchutney the ideal place for me.

The initial period of that 15 minutes’ time lag was spent looking at the several desktop print screens of amazing websites printed on the wall. Then I suddenly spotted a door. It was merging so well with the wall that it was difficult to crack. But it really intrigued me for some reason. [I later found out that it led to the T.T Table. I have a knack for finding amazing stuff. It also led to Sidharth Sir and Sudesh sir’s room btw. You’re never supposed to be there, apparently.]

During the interview, I was asked a few basic questions by their Senior Copywriter, Sattvik. I couldn’t get over the fact that he was the senior copywriter! He’s in his 20’s! Anyway, I love how he never wastes time. 10 minutes, and the interview was over and I had with me—two months of learning experience at Webchutney. If your taste buds crave for creativity, I’d suggest that you try them out. They definitely got their recipes right.

For more on things that I learnt at Webchutney, Stay tuned to your mixer grinder.

P.S. Kindly do not blame me for any consequences that you might have to face for being late. I’m an original admirer of the concept of sleep and hence get away with it. Also, I’m only 19.