My Happy Weekend

Family and friends are the two big sources of happiness to a person.I am one of those gifted ones who is surrounded with loved ones.

We , the marketing batch of  (PGPM 2007-09) celebrated  our last  Saturday together in a simple yet fun filled manner. We clicked photos like crazy as this is our last day of our lives. If only I had a bionic eye I would have captured every moment of it.

But some people were not interested to be part of it  and some  others were worried about how they looked in the pics. I want to tell them they are missing the whole point.Its not about eating cakes or posing for pics,its about cherishing the moments of having good people around you.And photos ensure that those golden moments are preserved in print and not there looks.

After many years if they look back their lives these are the moments which come rushing to the mind and believe me, you will not feel sad about your looks or the fact you did not get cake.

My 2nd brother just left  to Chennai.He is leaving for UK later this and it will be a long time before I see him again. We three, along with his friends had a good time shopping ,eating out.Though we did not take any pics, this weekend will be etched in my mind forever.

Just then I realised that if you are surrounded by your loved ones then you are gifted.Too bad many realize it once they lose someone.One should learn to cherish every moment of their life,I know its is hard to practice when faced with "realities of life " but atleast one should cherish every moment they spend with their family & friends

I wish if every weekend was  like this.........

PS: I know my regular readers will be wondering why all of a sudden my "intellectual" blog has become sentimental.Well its Feb 1 so I thought I will try something new after all its a De Novo :)

Call Rates R.I.P.

As Rakesh wanted to buy a new mobile of the smartphone breed ,Dhiru and I were discussing about different mobiles and the new age mobile applications with him.Just then occurred to me that in the near future there will be no more call rates as such.

Let me explain .Almost every smartphone is equipped with 3g, Wi-Fi & other such wireless connectivity solutions. Wi Max and 3g networks have already been launched in some areas of India.Suppose I have a Smartphone ,so does my friend and we both have a WiMax connection, then I don't have to call or text through the GSM or CDMA connection but I will be using the Gtalk to IM or Skype to call.I will be charged for the data usage only which will be much lesser than call rates.

That means with Internet access everywhere, mobile users can stay connected through the internet itself and not necessarily through traditional networks like GSM .So there will be no more Mobile operators but only Internet service providers.

Yes it will be long time for the entire change but it will surely disrupt the telecom business model and entirely change the rules of the industry.This type of scenario is referred as a strategic inflection point,only the companies which will accept this and adapt future technologies will sustain in the future.

With telecom operators rolling out more networks and smartphones becoming more cheaper, its just a matter of time and it will happen...eventually .

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

First Stock it ..then Sell it

Me and my brother were shopping in SPAR and there was Suguna Chicken stall promoting their ready to cook chicken range by offering fried chicken  for tasting . As bachelors, we thrive on ready to cook ,ready to eat foods.So obviously we were lured towards it [ plus free chicken 65 :)]

We tasted all three variants ,the chk-65 was so good,that we instantly added to our list. The chk manchurian was ok and the chk kofta...well its not worth eating even if its free . So we asked them for a pack of chk 65 and they directed us to the frozen foods section were they were stocked,atleast we thought so... Sadly the section was filled with the koftas and other boring stuffs but not the good  ones. When I told the counter guy, he looked surprised , and went to the section and checked personally.Then he checked with the another guy and said "Sorry sir, we are out of stock ,you can buy the kofta if you want".I said "I don't want that..but why are you selling what you don't have?  "                   When I crossed the section sometime later, only the kofta was on display with no people around .

Communication gap between the stocking staff and selling staff , has resulted in loss of sale for the chk company(I guess many would have been disappointed like me).                                                    A smart idea would have been to give out only the chk65 for tasting and sell a pack of all three variants at a special prize . I am sure many would have bought into it and later find the kofta is real awful. Atleast I would have ... :) 

GOOGLE GOLA

 

Neha sent me this pic, which shows the influence of Google among common public.It's actually a name board of cart selling Golas (Kala Khatta), a type of Indian snow cone . Until recently GOOGLE never advertised ,  atleast not in India.Only after the introduction of sms search,I could see heavy outdoor advertisements because its not just netizens anymore ,but it even wants to tap mobizens (my term for heavy mobile users) who are a growing segment-(mobile downloads are the  latest rage) .

After seeing these pic,I think  Google will become a familiar name among masses(or is it already??).How many web portals can achieve this?? Yes Yahoo! also has started putting ads in city busses,but to what extent it has reached the masses?? I guess very little.  

Obama mania is another example of this type of buzz, I mean even regional magazines had pictures,jokes,trivia,etc about him  and it was one of the hot topics discussed even in tea stalls,lunch breaks etc.  But atleast in that the mass media were hyping about it.

But in this case , I guess it just spawned ... way to go Google!!

IPHONE @ RS 1000 /day

Dhiru ,one of the mobile fanatics in my class,changed his cell phone again.As a new year change he shifted from HTC models to the still hot Iphone..so what's the big deal??

The Iphone was 7 days old and so he got it for Rs7000 less. So why did the user sell this in the first place?? He was not finding the touch interface simple and it was too complicated for him to perform basic tasks like making calls, sms, etc. So he decided to sell and every day the phone stays in his hand reduced the selling price as the original price may come down at any time. Just imagine,that guy has spent like Rs1000/day for using the Iphone.

So was it a impulse purchase ? I guess so.I think that guy was clueless about Apple & Iphone.He just bought it to show off.But then he could not use it for even normal usage so he had to sell it. And so Dhiru got a good deal.But even Dhiru will sell it probably in a couple of months [he gets bored soon I guess :)..],when some other "not so smart "guy struggling with his new smartphone offers a good deal or if HTC G1 comes to India.

I am just wondering what will be the price of a Iphone one year from one....any guesses???

Brand BJP and its Ambassador Advaniji

Disclaimer : I am not endorsing Mr.Advani,BJP or their ideas & views .

The Bharathiya Janata Party has embraced the world wide web in order to cover the netizens as well.Shri L.K. Advani-Prime Ministerial Candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has setup a web site with a specific objective of connecting with youth and a global audience .

Neatly designed with a intro voice message from Mr.Advani himself,the web site features everything about him the party,the achievements, the promises and get this.....a blog too.

Even though I am averse to all Indian Political Parties ,as a marketer I am impressed. Take a look at the new logo and the web site , it has a clear message.BJP is connecting with netizens,while others are still lagging behind.Also this will give the party a global visibility. Think about the perception that corporates,Govt Officials & others in foreign countries will have about Indian Political parties.

Now that's brand building in the internet age...