Coffee House

Coffee with Michele Peluso

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:24:00 +0000

After much deliberation and efforts to make 'Coffee with Ash' a 10 minute video session, I have, for the moment settled for a quick coffee bite. On my debut, I invite Michelle Peluso , CEO Travelocity, for an exciting espresso shot. And remember, no questions on the impact of oil prices on the airline industry.

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We have always known her as the woman transformed Travelocity into the happy global brand it is today. Michelle Peluso is one of the most powerful and influential women in Texas and she hates soft beds...

Alternate Career
Well...if not for the travel business, may be I would have been in politics.

Biggest 'Kick' from being powerful and influential
I don’t think I am! But working with the Travelocity team each day is tremendously inspiring to me. We have some real rock stars here, and it’s a privilege to work alongside of them.

Hotel fetish
I hate polyester comforters and soft beds!

Blog’ you do wouldn’t miss for anything
Amy Ziff’s travel blog

DVD/book you are devouring
I’m always reading – but right now I’m just about done with Team of Rivals about Abe Lincoln – it’s fantastic

Travel wish
I’d love to spend more time in Africa

Secret ingredient that makes you the best in the business
I know how to surround myself with exceptionally talented people – and to put them first.

Comment on “Americans are insensitive to the culture of their destination (during trips)”
This is certainly not true for most Americans. But I do think we all have an opportunity to travel more, see more countries, and respect the great diversity of this wonderful world.

Your travel tip
When you go on vacation, take a day or two out of your trip to volunteer, especially if you are in a foreign country. You can learn about opportunities through Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. It’s a great way to feel good about yourself, to spend time with your family, and to experience your destination more richly.

Random question: If you were a wrestler, what would be your finishing move?
Hmm . . . I’ve never been one for sports, but if you throw me a question about going to a spa, I’m sure I can answer it!

Colors of Saltillo

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:49:00 +0000

Hola from Mexico!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:49:00 +0000

After a claustrophobic 'international' journey on American Eagle, we made it across the border to Monterrey, Mexico. Half our class is here on a 'Foreign Studies' trip and honestly it is refreshing. Well, lets say the sultry weather is not exactly my idea of 'refreshing'...but the fact that we are chilling out in a quaint hotel in Mexico and not sitting in a classroom lecture is.

And in a weird way this country reminds me of home, of India. The lazy bus ride, the authentic smell of oppressively hot air, the Delhi-like air terminal, the Mexican Peso that resembles our own 20 ruppee note, the smudge from car leaks at parking lots..Oh this is so close to home.

Initially ofcourse I had my own doubts about this being an 'foreign' studies trip. Well, it is Mexico and it took us less time to reach here than it took me to fly to Jersey. But the more I think of it, I realize how this could be an intenrational trip in so many ways. First, given the fact that Mexico is emerging as one of the most favoured destinations after China and India in outsourcing, it will be interesting to visit businesses here and see what Mexico is going to be offer to the rest of the world. And second, I am convinced that the company of my 'multi-ethnic' colleagues in a non-class room setting, a group that is stuck here in its own company for the next 7 days is going to be very interesting...Atleast it already has been...

From trying to find some traces of vegetarian food, buying an international calling card that actually works, watching Shrek II in Spanish and communicating with people who look sympathetically and helplessly at my franctic expressions, it has been a thouroughly enjoyable sultry day. I feel like how 'Lin Baba' felt on his first day in Bombay...at home with a country that he was visting. And sure thing, I am looking forward to the week ahead!

The path less traveled...

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:29:00 +0000

"Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who knew that one so small could endure so much pain? And he did, Gandalf, he did..."

I wore them when I first learned how to make chawal in Pune, when I made lasting friends in Bangalore, lazed around in the happy terrace at my home in Madras...and wandered without company in the unfamiliar Dallas roads. In a very strange way they represent the decisions I have made, the paths that I have chosen in the last four years...

I now look (sadly)at the way one of them is fractured. This means that I must throw them away. Get rid of an innocent pair of footwear that traveled with me...Get rid of the scents of a colorful past...How the heck did Robert Frost decide take the path less traveled?

Dear God

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:07:00 +0000

What if God was following us on Twitter...May be blogging his own story ? Would he have entered 'The Coolest Person Contest' in Facebook? I don't have answers myself but I found this very cool website. Dear-God is from the guys who created my most favorite web destination The Cool Hunter. My favorite one of course is 'The Crucifix...' sent by Ieon Stellar in the humor category...only not sure if God will take it in a lighter vein!

No Child's Play This

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:40:00 +0000

Recently during my spring break, when I was done with indulging in the pleasures of the beautiful Miami beach and riding monster coasters, I jumped into the bottomless pit of indoor games.

Some friends and I literally relived primary school days playing Monopoly, Rummy, Ace of Spades, Snap, Pictionary and Scrabble. And if that weren't enough to drown one in the memories of an innocent childhood, we indulged in the traditional version of Snakes and Ladders. The game board read Parama Pada Sopanam (translated to mean a step to the highest place) and the play was endless! We wrapped up the show with a game of Pallankuzhi (another traditional board game played with shells).

But the fun did not end there...There is something that I noticed throughout the week's play. I believe that the games we played are fine examples of the game theory concept of an iterated prisoners' dilemma where the players, based on the memory of at least one previous encounter, choose to either 'betray' or 'mutually cooperate'.

In a strategic context Putnam and Holmer 1992, explain this as 'Framing' where "bargainers conceive of ongoing sets of events in light of past experiences". It was interesting how after some rounds of different games, a couple of us began to unintentionally frame each other. Our cold postures, sharp verbal exchanges and not-so-subtle comments directed at each other only further triggered memories of outcomes of previous games and the emotions that ran alongside!

These might be straightforward truths of the games we play, but it was amazing to notice the pattern, observe the language cues and handle the candidness when it struck us...

A concert in air

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:54:00 +0000

Watched Anne Bunker and co.'s dance performance at the university theater last evening. A truly mesmerizing concert, I have to admit...for it is not in every recital that dancers cut like a knife through air, sharp and soft at the same time... And although I watched novel foot movements and listened to unfamiliar music, in my mind I somehow followed the story...As I watched her in a solo act, I couldn't help thinking how Bunker transformed into a bird - graceful, in air and flying...suggesting a rather curious explanation to the story she was narrating...While pairing with her male partner Charles Thompson the ethereal aura was almost unmistakable...And then of course there were students from the university who made the ensemble vibrant and entertaining. Although the costumes were way too simple, there was an unexplained grandeur to the entire show...As they say, everyone has a story to tell, a story they call their own ... only this one was told in air...

Strings attached

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:47:00 +0000

Yesterday, I was lucky to attend the 'Mozart: Piano Concerto No.15' and the 'Dvorak Symphony' at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (recognized as one of the world's finest concert halls). It was then for the first time, I realized why a symphony (meaning - sounding together) is called that. For, although I could not recognize the music, I sat there hypnotized by the alchemy of the performance. The concert was so finely put together that it seemed like the players were engaged in some kind of a vibrant and meaningful prayer.

The prize of course was pianist Andreas Haefliger who performed Mozart as if he was solving a very basic math equation. He played and explored with such elegance that it made me wonder if I were sophisticated enough to witness the artiste. I felt like Charlie in the chocolate factory, excited and over whelmed about his first-in-a-lifetime experience. (So much that at some point I was scared to breathe loudly at the fear of disturbing my neighbour's concert experience!) But as the show progressed I fit more comfortably and began to relax, taking in the moment, second by second.

For someone like me who could not name more than half the instruments at the ensemble, the experience was certainly an unparalleled learning experience. In my mind, the repertoire of synthesized hand movements that produced the music was more like a dance (something I can relate better to), may be a static dance that I will cherish and wish to revisit over and over again.

Super Bowl - Show me the money!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:44:00 +0000

Have a $2.7 million and don’t know what to do with it? Buy a Superbowl 30 seconds spot this year.

It seems like neither the number of zeros or the fear of recession, will desist the Pepsis and Unilevers of the world from spending a few million dollars during the game.

But at this point, the argument has gone much beyond the biggest bang for the buck theory. It is less about a massive reach and more about brand ego and engagement. It is not the marketers fault that a lot is now dependent on the concept, production and execution of the ad. Catchy jingles, unforgettable characters and feel good stories are becoming redundant already. Our expectations are higher. And we are much smarter. We want a celebrity driven, highly-digitally modified and living-upto-the-hype campaigns. That will make us brand the commercials the favourite part of the game. That only bottomless purses can ensure.

This is not wholly unrealistic either. Insurance company Nationwide announced its decision to stay out of Super Bowl. It was not a financial decision they claim, but more of the lack of a concept/idea that will match consumer expectations.

And the battle doesn’t end here. Brands need to sustain the campaign thread. The ideas must be full enough to spill-over. To bill boards and home pages. The campaign must connect at all levels and on all platforms. Surely when you are spending a $2.7 million you must have a clear idea about the form and rate at which the reach can be multiplied.

While it is not surprising that Victoria Secret is making a come back or that Dell will makes its debut on the commercials game, I am wondering what will be this years turn-on? Pepsi has managed (as always) to create a hype with its 1 minute silent ad before the game…Will there be another halftime scandal? Who will be the victor in the battle of the brands?

Only the sundae party will decide.

24 carats of Shantaram

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I am only half way into Shataram...but I realize that there hasn't been another novel that is so true to its places and people.

My favourite reasons why Shantaram is such a bona fide Indian's novel.

"She wore a salwar kameez-the most flattering garment in the world, after the sari.."

"'Hey, I love this song yaar!' Vikram cried out. 'Turn it up, baba! Arre full karo!'"

"...And any Indian man will tell you that although love might not have been invented in India, it was certainly perfected there."

" We ate chicken biriyani, malai kofta, vegetable korma, rice...dhal, papadams and green mango chutney. It was a feast..."

Coffee with Ash

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:53:00 +0000

As a part of the new year initiatives, I am planning to launch a chat show on Coffee House. 'Coffee with Ash' (forgive me for the lack of originality) will be a series where I invite and interview some of my 'celebrity' friends.

A popular IT consultant who is an independent film maker, a famous lawyer who runs her own international NGO or a well-known radio jockey, model, theatre personality all rolled into one... 'Coffee with Ash' is where they will express their 'other' self, share their life-changing moments and answer trick questions over a virtual cup of coffee...

I am still fine tuning the format, and connecting with people you enjoy meeting. It will be great if you can share your ideas/expectations/recipes for the coffee session...

In 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:33:00 +0000

I am not going to climb mountains or follow every stream
But I am going to fool around, until I find a dream
Then I am going to take tomorrow and dip it in the dream...
Separate all the sorrow and collect up all the cream!
May be if I have the time, I will mix it with my love
If you like I can pass it on, only tell me how...
Heres to an incredibly mad 2008!

A day on Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:28:00 +0000

Casting, production, hits, musicals, favorites, opening nights, performances and reviews. I have always only read about Broadway's shows...until 'Mamma Mia' happened yesterday! And my first reaction was My My Does it show again?

Sitting inside a theater amidst a thousand odd people, laughing, clapping and singing along with the characters, admiring the fluent choreography, mind-blown by the handiness of the sets and props, I finally understand what they mean by 'The Broadway frenzy'. After all, it is not everyday that one gets to watch the mesmerizing Broadway favorite Judy Mclane (One more look and I forget everything)!

Mamma Mia is the story of a 20 year old bride-to-be who invites 3 men (that could potentially be her father) to her wedding. The musical is based on the celebrated numbers of the 80's pop sensation ABBA. 'Money Money Money', 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', 'Dancing Queen' and I sing along, feeling a rush of sentiment and excitement inside my head!

Notwithstanding the fact that this is my first Broadway experience, I think it is the feel-good story of Mamma Mia and the delightful performance of the actors that quite literally held me spellbound! I can't think of any more adjectives to describe the most engrossing theatrical show I have ever witnessed...

Marketing 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:45:00 +0000

In today's web 2.0 world, the scope of digital marketing cannot but stretch beyond internet advertising and online sales. And for those brands that target the internet savvy youth, the opportunity to leverage the medium has never been brighter. So the rush to capitalize on the 'interactiveness' of the internet is not surprising!

From an Indian market perspective, Sunsilk's sunsilkgangofgirls.com combined the power of social networking, blogs, photo and video sharing. With online makeovers, fashion tips and information on hot jobs etc., sunsilkgangofgirls continues to be an active online community.

Although the long-term sustainability of interest in this medium for mainstream brands is still to be established, more of them continue to join the bandwagon. However, only few of these manage to generate the much needed online buzz. P&G that launched Being Girl in India, as an answer to Unilever's 'Gang of Girls', remains an embarrassing experiment yet to embrace the strength of social media. On the other hand a more successful and recent example is that of 'youth' brand Fastrack that is going the digital way. Their innovative and interactive 'virtual campus' website engages the young audience well. From forums, polls, contests to online catalogs the interaction is holistic.

And it doesn't stop there. Fastrack has stepped further into the world of social networks. With a "Fastrack-How many you have?" fan club on Facebook, the brand seems to have got the art of engagement and online relationships going right.

A user poll in a community 'Fastrack Rocks!!!' asks what the brand stands for? I am confident its brand manager is logging in every day to find out what Fastrack fans are saying. From the way things stand it seems like for youth-fashion brands like Fastrack, the digital effort will not only help sharp target their audience base and be proactive, but also remain relevant and futuristic in a market that is becoming increasingly driven by online search, technologies and virtual customer experience.

A or B?

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:11:00 +0000

So this semester has come to an end and the grades are out. I stare at them and wonder if they reflect how I am going to apply this knowledge in business. I have never wondered this way because at least in the last 7 years of my education I have always been in the top-tier of the class if not the first ranker.

Then I join an institution where everyone else has been the best in their own professions. All of them high-achievers, some of them with decades of work experience and some others with the knack of managing spouse, children, assignments and tests.

Like this MBA Journal Writer (Business Week), Nathan Kolmodin says "What takes time to get accustomed to is that being among the best makes the perspective of being average change dramatically". With a semester behind, the grade-passionate inner self is unwilling to accept the recent sacrifice and be convinced about statements like 'when it comes to work place grades don't matter'. May be they don't. May be I will be a billionaire soon...

Videocon print ad

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:59:00 +0000

A print ad for Videocon by Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai. I loved the apt and clever imagery. I am not sure in which publications it has appeared, but the ad is a 'nice and quiet' reminder of a household name like Videocon.

Wufoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:57:00 +0000

I came across Wufoo while responding to a survey. I figured that the site is a fast and easy way of creating forms online. It requires no more than a fair understanding of how to create surveys. Certainly no coding! So I went ahead and quickly put together a survey. Then with the help of the invite button on their home page, I invited some relevant people to take the survey.

I am still receiving answers on the site and may be I will be able to generate a report out of it. It is not just the live updates (as and when the survey has been taken) but also the fact that Wufoo is so user-friendly that makes it a great tool for students/managers and research groups.

Peppermints by Victoria Secret?

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:10:00 +0000

Peppermints by Victoria Secret?
Beginning with designer jewelery, luxury apparel, exclusive dadada to personalized gifts, premium peppermints have come to permeate our lives. Increasing economic power or increasing fashion consciousness, Victoria Secret, Swiss Navy and other such brands seem to have exploited the opportunity. So much that it is becoming seemingly impossible to fix price points even for 'low involvement' categories like peppermint.

What is interesting is that while high-value commodities like airline travel are gearing to offer a low cost-no frill service, low-value products like peppermints and chewing gums are wearing the designer label.

While questions like does an extension of this sort negate the premium tag of the original brand or what role can a designer label play in driving utility in a category like peppermints remain to be answered, we can sure pop a D&G mint and live the luxury of branded fresh breath!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:14:00 +0000

I am currently reading 'The Kamasutra' and it is certainly entertaining.
Vatsyayana is clearly talking to the men, ain't he? When he says "In love, men are the actors and women the acted upon..." I can only give an amused smile.

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:49:00 +0000

The path is a wooden slide. Falling. And rising each time it falls.
So far from the 'circle of trust' of a pony cart...
So easy to get lost in the joy of these rides;
That the hand seeks someone to hold...And I sing
"Polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on, Lets all have tea!"

Social Notworking

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:24:00 +0000

'The days when Robinson Crusoe lived on an unknown island with his man Friday are over'.

Linkedin, Orkut, Facebook, Myspace, Gazzag, Wayn, hi5, Shelfari, Yaari, Stumbleupon, Twitter have taken over the world. Today, it is a new one. I received an invitation to join 'Quechup.com' which is allegedly the next social networking site that is sweeping the world.

While I personally have discovered Linkedin and Orkut to be fantastic professional and social networking tools, I find the redundancy creep in when you sign up on multiple platforms. Everywhere, you meet new people, make a circle of friends, socialize, track friends, share photos, spend several hours on the internet and eventually go to hell!

I wonder if there is any correlation between the increasing depression rates and the increasing social utility sites across the globe. The more people want to connect with me on these domains, the more I wish to run away and find myself a Man Friday. To someone who believes in the cause of web2.0, the last thing I want to say is - "Honey, I registered in one more of them today!" Unchecked social Networking, for me is certainly, Notworking.

Free Hugs today!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:22:00 +0000

I had always heard about the Free Hugs Campaign. Most of us must have caught the Desi version of the magical hug in either 'Munna Bhai MBBS' or its remake 'Vasool Raja' in Tamil. But I was excited to see it on campus today.

After two years in Symbiosis where students hugged more than they made power-point presentations (which was infinite), the sudden loneliness is killing. People here are so friendly yet so distant; that I would have paid to get a hug. Free Hug certainly was a better bargain!

Maya Ravan in Dallas

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 02:07:00 +0000

It didn't look any different from a Saturday evening at The Music Academy in Chennai. Padmashree Shobana and her troupe performed 'Maya Ravan', a Bharathnatyam theaterical ballet that I had earlier spoken about here.

The show was organized by the Dallas Chapter of Association for India's Development and impeccably at that. The programme commenced on time and ran as per schedule. The time the dancers needed to change their costumes was well compensated with videos dedicated to dancer, actor and Shobana's aunt, the renowned Padmini Ramachandran.

Since I was watching the show for the second time, I could appreciate the scenes much better. I thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural pieces that were dedicated to Lord Krishna's tantrums and the spirit of free India. It was also amazing to see how Shobana managed to retain the essence of the ballet despite more than half her troupe not traveling to the US. Costumes and co-ordination were as engaging. Overall some great and flavorful entertainment!

With samosas to munch on and maamis all around, it was certainly an evening to remember!

What's in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:49:00 +0000

I recently came across this article What's in a name?

It is very interesting how brand names stick to our lives. On being asked for my opinion on the name CIRAKA for an online product, my immediate connect was with the established toothpaste brand CIBACA.

A market research report that I came across back in India stated that, some of the 80's brands like Nirma, Ujala, Goldspot, Rin, Dinesh, Lux, LML Vespa, Mysore Sandal, Ind-Suzuki, Vicco, Sundrop and Limca scored very high on brand recall. 'Washing Powder Nirma', 'Naa Ujalavuku maariten', 'Take the world in your stride..Dinesh' are jingles that almost defined a decade of booming consumerism.

Apart from once occupying much of ad space on television, these names were short and easily pronounceable across the country. This can explain why the brands enjoy such a high recall despite leaving little allowance for easy associations. And in a country like India, where every quarter speaks a different language, brand naming and writing must have certainly been (and may be to a certain extent still is) a challenge.

Some of the other brands that hounded screens just before the cable TV entry, I think, are White Giant detergent, Moov, Ariel, Chandrika, Real Value containers, Dhara oil and Cadbury. And it seems like the brands that came earlier had and less and less to do with obvious associations.

However, today brands like Hamam, Lijjat and Idhayam compete with the likes of Schwarzkopf and L'oreal. I guess it is less fuss when the audience has access to an array of information. Who knows, soon 'Lady-Killer' might be the next kid on the block!

noreply@blogger.com (Aishwarya Rao) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:09:00 +0000

'None of us are as smart as all of us.'
- Japanese Proverb

From an exciting teamwork session during leadership camp.