Best of the marketing lessons 2011.

By Non Marketing springs......

The following is an article from The Hindu Business Line.

Harish Bhat, chief operating officer – watches and accessories, Titan Industries, writes that non-marketers have taught some of the best marketing lessons this year.

Excellent marketing lessons normally come to us from the pioneering work done by brands, consumer companies, advertising agencies and academics. The year 2011 has however been quite different in this regard, because some of the best lessons in branding and marketing this year have emerged from people and institutions which have no direct connect with selling products or services to consumers. Instead, diverse groups such as social organisations, people's movements, movies and quiz shows have, either by design or by impulse, delivered powerful and relevant learnings that marketers would do well to take heed of.

So read on, for an overview of the really hot marketing gurus of 2011, and the lessons they have taught us.

Anna Hazare – a remarkably consistent and iconic brand

At the start of 2011, Anna Hazare was little known outside his home state of Maharashtra. At the end of the year, he has emerged as one of the country's most iconic people brands. If a national consumer survey were to be conducted today, the top-of-mind awareness of Brand Anna Hazare would perhaps be far ahead of leading consumer brands such as Colgate, Dettol, Samsung and Titan.

There are many branding lessons here. First, Brand Anna Hazare has a simple proposition which can be instantly understood by every Indian: a Lokpal, who serves as a strong anti-corruption agency. Second, this proposition taps into a deep consumer insight, which is the average Indian's mounting anger against corruption. Third, the brand has remained absolutely true to this simple proposition throughout its life-cycle, not budging even an inch despite various temptations to do so.

Even the marketing methodology being adopted by the brand – an elderly Anna fasting in public, and using these fasts to generate wide awareness, appeal and urgency - has been remarkably consistent. How many marketers possess the wisdom and discipline to keep the propositions of their brands so simple, and so consistent?

Kaun Banega Crorepati – reach out to the heartland

The latest season of the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), screened on television in 2011, has achieved unparalleled success.

An amazing number of 25 million people watched the final episodes of KBC Season 5 screened in November 2011, which is an all-time record. KBC reinvented itself this year, with the theme Koi Insaan Chhota Nahin Hota (No one is unimportant or small). In doing so, it reached out magnificently to the heartland of India, with a power which became unstoppable. Contestants were specifically chosen from the hinterland of India, from sections of society not normally associated with the intellectual pastime of quizzing.

The winner of the grand prize of Rs 5 crore, Sushil Kumar, is a lower middle-class computer operator from Motihari, a small town in the Champaran district of Bihar. Other notable winners included Aparna Malikar, a 27-year-old widow from Vara Kawatha in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Watching these ordinary Indians (aam aadmi) become really special (khaas aadmi) in the able and graceful presence of quizmaster Amitabh Bachchan transformed a quiz show into an intensely emotional and empowering voyage for millions of viewers across the country. The phenomenal success of KBC this year holds two essential lessons for Indian marketers. First, if you want to build a really big and iconic brand in India, you have to necessarily reach out to millions of consumers who live in the heartland and interiors of our country, because that is where the massive population and purchasing power resides. Second, to achieve phenomenal success in India, brands need to develop strong emotive appeal. Indian consumers, fed on a staple diet of Bollywood and Tellywood tearjerkers, are always moved by relevant emotion and rarely by rational appeal alone.

Arab Spring – unleash the power of digital media

Arab Spring, the umbrella name given to people protest movements which swept through Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in West Asia during 2011, has brought home to marketing professionals a lesson which is becoming exponentially important with every passing year: the huge power of digital media. These revolutions, which successfully dislodged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Tunisian leader Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, relied almost entirely on the Internet, social media and technologies such as Twitter, Twitpic, Facebook and YouTube to rapidly garner public acceptance and accelerate the pace of social protest. Calls to rally, and appeals for dissension and protest, went out on Facebook and Twitter.

Organisers used Twitter to provide minute-by-minute instructions on where to gather, in large cities such as Cairo and Alexandria, effectively outmanoeuvring the police and intelligence agencies. Digital media also served an entirely different purpose in the Arab Spring, helping information and visual evidence of the mass demonstrations to escape these countries through YouTube and Twitter.

As a result, the western world, including the US, could not downplay the impact of these protests, and had to eventually shift its stance and accept the change of regimes in these countries.

If social movements in West Asia can use digital media so well, why should Indian brands lag behind, particularly when the population of consumers addicted to such new-age media is growing so dramatically? India now has more than 100 million Internet users and 40 million mobile Internet users. By 2013, just two years from today, India will have the third largest online population in the world. The simple marketing lesson from this year's Arab Spring: Digital media is far more powerful than we thought it to be, and brands which find the best ways to leverage it will be big winners in the future.

ZNMD – get rid of your brand's deepest fears

For me, this year's best Bollywood movie was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD), starring Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan. The theme of this delicious movie, which centres on challenging your deepest fears and getting rid of them, holds a strong and relevant lesson for marketing professionals.

Successful marketers and companies have become too fearful of change, and hesitate to undertake bold reinventions of their brands and offerings. A deep-rooted fear whispers to us: Why touch a cash cow when it is yielding a good harvest of milk, and the Indian market is growing as well? Therefore, iconic brands remain stuck in the past, with the same old themes, products, packaging, communication, media choices and overall identity, or at best some incremental variations in these elements.

To illustrate this point, when did you last see a dramatic or compelling change from the status quo in your favourite brand of toothpaste, soap or biscuits? Indian consumers are changing fast, society and its mores are changing faster, and several well-known brands are, therefore, sadly ageing and falling well behind.

Marketers should pick up a lesson from ZNMD, cast their fears and conservatism aside, and plan to inject fresh bold breakthroughs and ideas into their brands, in the new year.

Great brands build strong appeal by being at the vanguard of consumer and social change, rather than playing a slow or patchy catch-up game.

As we move into a new and challenging season in 2012, here's a toast to all of us who are engaged in the business of marketing. May the really hot lessons from the marketing gurus of 2011 be fresh in our minds, may our creative juices flow, may we seize all the opportunities ahead of us, and may our brands succeed beyond our wildest dreams!

(Harish Bhat is Chief Operating Officer – Watches and Accessories, Titan Industries. These are his personal views.)

Courtesy: The Hindu Business Line

Live the game - Key to overcome provenance paradox

Last afternoon I heard something. Something that went like "Rave in Customers". Yeah, now I'm getting it back. I was in my class listening to my faculty and he was talking about the present concept that is being used to retain customers. Interesting one right? Retaining them by letting them be a fan of your brand. This is probably the concept available to the world and this is what is used by many to retain their catch.

I've always felt that it wasn't enough. Fan, Big Fan.... true, all these work as long as your products are good. What if there is a shift in expectations. What about the next generation? What would we do about the other people who are yet to like our product. Employ another strategy? No...

This is good, but not enough. Remember reading my post...

"k-NO-w Marketing. "Let the world market your product" ;)"

Seeding with customer evangelism is the way forward.

The world is fast evolving and people expect brands to be exiting. Even a small slip on top could peel once reputation down at a pace faster than one could ever imagine. Peoples perception about brands and the fan culture is like a paper cup filled will water boiling by its brim. They are exiting, bubbling, they make a lot of noise, but by the end of the day if the water is not special, they get wet, soaked and let go the brand. Of course there are a few brand loyalists who stick on to the brand for ever. No denial of that fact. But, that isn't enough.

Seeding with customer evangelism lets the brand loyalist to get connected to the brand, the organizations work, culture, dynamics and helps them to not just to believe but also to relate and have a strong faith in the brand. They are the assets of the organization, in future corporate brands will no longer go on valuing companies by their tangible assets or work force. It would be on the basis of the customer evangelists who will love to brand and grand with them.

Love is unconditional, Like the love for the game, so is the love for a product. It so happens that, despite the loss of one favorite team, one enjoys the game throughly "If" the GAME was interesting. Here the love for the game gift wraps the love for the team. This is an essential attribute of a brand. As the Customer evangelists are in line with the makers of the product and the brand, this characteristic of the brand would leave no void in the minds of all who could relate to it. The number of people who would relate to it and be a part of branding it will increase with time. This will help brands overcome the provenance paradox. This is not just a solution to the champagne effect, but the way to ensure that ones product becomes the worlds favorite brand. Keep thinking, until next time :)

The brand called LIFE - Happy New Year !!!

Oh she was great. I had a wonderful time with her when she was around the last time, the year before and the year before. She has always made sure that there was something unique and nice for me to be busy with all through the years.

Thinking about the goodies that I have received from her makes me wonder if I had returned her due by the least, utilizing them to my fullest. There it is, in one little corner of my heart, trying to hide the shiny nameplate hung around its neck embossed "Guilt". In a few hours she'll be here to meet me, greet me, and shower me with all the beautiful things in life.

What am I going to tell her? Is it right on my part to let the best things that life has to offer us go in vain? So what are the best things in life? Is it the brands that we look out for?

For all the brand loyal pals. Have we been loyal enough to get the best out of the brand that has been around us since the time of our first and fondest of memories? The Brand "ME". Your Personal brand called "Life". Isn't it the best brand one could sport? The brand we could proudly own. For a brand to sell, one has to truly believe in the brand. The interesting thing about this brand is its close integration with one's self that we truly forget to appreciate the very existence of it as a brand. Every person whom we look up to in life, even if it is the one who stares at you every time you look at a mirror, have grown to stunning heights only because they paid due care and attention to their true brand - Life. We are not who we are but what others perceive us to be is one school of thought. I am what I think what I am, is another. The seed I have recognized and have decided to gift my readers is "embrace life - Live, love and care for your brand called life".

I suppose we know what to look out for when we want the best of the things.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention more about the beautiful one. I hope I'll make the best out of everything she gifts. With arms wide open and lots to share I look forward to her.

She is the New Year. I wish all a very happy new year. We may talk resolutions and sometimes even thing about it, a week into the year. But, Lets us remember these words "The Brand called Life". Wishing all again, a very happy and prosperous new year!!! :)

The Brand Forward - Harvard Ad

The power of words backed by a green maze;

The reach of its light leaves aspirants in amaze...

Flipping the pages of HBR I kept asking myself "What Next". It took a few moments for me to realize that I was no longer doing that act. My finger wasn't even willing to point towards the corner of this page. I was gazing at this picture as the stocks would graze the pastures.

I just liked the way the sentence is smoothened to funnel out the brand.

You face increasingly critical challenges

in an unprecedented global economy.

You convene with powers

from around the world.

Your network grows.

Management becomes leadership.

You return ready to take your

organization where it needs to go.

The Next Level

Harvard

A short ode that address the present need of an aspirant, takes him through his dreams, the ones that he had imagines, the way he had imagined, and seeds the urge in the soil of desires and sprinkles it with belief that the fruit of his peach tree could be a tasty orange if he dreams for it.

The use of the words "Next level" is a hammering addition to wanting mind.

A clear demarcation of the dreams from the present and a strengthening assurance that the best key to the door is within reach. The Enlarged font illudes the mind of its closeness and best fit among the rest. I'm not sure if I liked the ad for the love of the brand or for the simple beauty that the ad manages to flaunt to the captivated eyes.

k-NO-w Marketing. "Let the world market your product" ;)

Inception... Is it possible ? - Yes.

It is not the movie that I'm talking about. It is life. Everything, that one claims to be his own, in terms of the choices, desires, aspirations are all seeds. Seeds that were sown knowingly or accidentally by another set of individuals. Are you the one to decide the colour of your clothes?the brands that you sport? Do you really think that you make all your choices? Are your decisions really yours? Think...

Isn't that the one your pal or may be your envy next door took. Or is it, the decision of a wise guy who sits behind a glass plate enjoying the interesting patterns that get created as his 'At Pars' derive pleasure by claiming the crown of "Ignorance" spelt "Self Driven". Seth Godin say that for a product to win, it should be remarkable. It simply means that the product must be worth making a remark. A remark that drives a story. A story that you want to hear and tail that tale to your friends and them to their friends.

When you buy a woodland shoe, is it just to sole your need for a shoe. No. You need a story, a story to talk and a story that you want your friends to talk about even without initiating it. You don't use it. You Flaunt It.

Why bore(dom) me ?

Before a product is marketed, the marketer must focus on its need. Is the customer ever going to think about it? For a product to stay in the market, it must have a pressing need and must be reinvented to a better present. People long for special things. So, make your offering special. Gift them a chance to talk about it. They will be glad to market it on your behalf, one after another.

Love to see it be loved.

For your product to be marketed that way, you must love your product. If you don't believe in your product, and love it, why would they?

Love your product, but don't be blinded by its functional beauty, for all this beauty is admired only if the customer really cares about it. Only if there is a need.

Inception...

Choose people who are already interested.

If the product is great and if it has a story that aids me to relate, emote and talk about. I love it.

If the story allows the listener to heart the need in its simple essence, an inception has been made. Now, you know what the listener longs to hear. Decipher why the customer will like your product. Find the missing link. Showcase it bright in the light that he likes. You haven't marketed your product to the world. But, you have created your customer evangelists, or even better.

Watch the words spread faster than ever, be amazed by the way the world lives by your product. Do pitch in at calculated intervals; after all you are the marketer. Soon everyone will love and rhyme your story.

Oh my god... Did you see that? That product is so cool. I saw my friend using it yesterday and I bought it and it is very very good. Did you know that... ;)

The Passing Cloud

It was a fine afternoon that gave me a memory that will stay with me far better than I had ever imagined. I remember walking past an auto with divided opinions over hiring one. I had finally made my choice and that proved to be a worthy one. I had decided to be on my own, walking down the street on foot. Despite me taking the decision to walk, I had a constant urge to turn around and look for an auto coming by my way. But I continued marching.

And soon I was able to hear a subtle noise of continual taps and hushes from behind. To my surprise I could see the sky pouring down only a few meters away (10-15m). I couldn't believe the beauty that I was unfolding right in front of me. I looked around my feet and then up the sky only to find what the weather man would say a clear sky. I looked back at the marvel and I could see people running towards me like they were chased by the magnified toys of Steven Spielberg Inc.

I could hear a few hailing "Hey, the rain is chasing us". I was amused by the happenings of the minute, if i could say, it was fast. Just when the realization struck that I was the next in line to be greeted by the goddess of the sky. A shop and its more essential front shade caught my attention. As I took my first step towards it, I was blessed. In another few seconds the path was clear, and she had travelled the distance that I see and perhaps a lot more.

It was "The perfect passing cloud". I hired an auto for my way back home wondering "could this be the reason why I didn't hire the first auto?"... An experience that was worth it all... :)

Diwali Day - Sweets, Celebrations and Happiness

On the 8th of november I type these into my laptop as the bottom right corner on my screen reads 05:07. I've just reached my room and the climate here is soothing me to bed with every minute.

But this time, I believe that I'd win over my laziness.

Today also happen to be the 115th anniversary of the discovery of X-rays. This must be a happening month. 5th of this month was diwali, one of the most important festival of the Hindus. Diwali or deepavali (Row of lamps), the festival of lights, according to Hindu belief is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya from his exile after vanquishing demon king Ravana. It is celebrated on the new moon day of the tamil month "Ipassi".

Its strong association with crackers has taken it to the next level where everyone celebrates and light up the night sky with beautiful colours. I was at my home to celebrate diwali with my parents. With sweets and celebration the day turned out to be a memorable one. It was made all the more memorable when my enthusiastic self forced everyone to wait and watch me taking photographs of the sweet box at various angles, just to get the perfect picture for my blog :P . Finally I managed to put the compilation for display as a single picture. I'm glad if it did make a few mouths water. Talking about water, I've noticed that most of the diwali days come in line with showers from the kind sky. A time when people are badly in need of a dry weather to enjoy the fireworks to the fullest.I wonder what exactly the reason behind this is. Does the excessive cracker dust play a role in the weather change along with the usual participants? Another interesting part is the fact that TV channels air special shows and movies on the day of diwali. When 3/4th of the festive community is out busy turning crackers to smoke, dust and papers and of course "awesome fireworks and colours" the rest are lured towards the television only to enjoy the brilliantly picturised specials that are aired, along with a monotonous 'crac brac pat tap bang' noise of the crackers. The patience of the viewers is tested to the highest possible extent.

Ah, I've finally managed to brush aside the "later" factor and have blogged. Cheers. Have a great day!!! :)

The day's Toast ;) Life @ BIM and the Marwar Rolling Shield

So fast, so slow i really don’t know...

But, one thing that remains unchanged is the fact that two months have been pushed to the past since the time I last blogged.

Interestingly this is my first post since the start of my post graduate studies. Masters in Business Administration is what I was told I’d be provided with upon successful completion of the program. With yet another last minute decision, I’m here blogging from Bharathidasan Institute of Management – Trichy (BIM). Life does have its fair amount of twists and turns and mine seems to be no exception. Interestingly, mine seems to be living its share to the fullest. Isn’t it exiting, you having to keep playing the guessing game then, to peek and know what’s in store the next minute? The best part is, every time we take a look into the future, it changes because you’ve seen it.

Life @ BIM...

A page from the recent past...

It was a marketing fest that the whole of BIM had been engulfed in. Officially addressed as “MARWAR”, an event filled with fun, learning and work... let me rephrase it... LOTS of WORK. Teams have to come up with an innovative product or service, something that hasn’t been tasted by the global market. In 4 days the product and the business model are supposed to be developed. On the final day the selected teams will be left to present and promote the product with the necessary financial projections. The Jingles and ad creating parts were something that I was involved in for the first time, and the best part of all this that the video did turn out to be good.

We titled our self as the “MAFIA” – An acronym for MArketing Freaks In Action. We owe a lot to our guides (2+3).With two official guides and three more well wishers increasing the count in that list, guidance was in abundance and the so called redundancy never brushed us the wrong side. All of us had one common goal – “The Marwar rolling trophy”. I’m glad to have been in the team which was perfectly happy in working relentlessly and strived to give their best every time there was a need. The air was chill and the dusts were drenched. From dusk to dawn we worked as a guided team only to be watched over by the painted leaves of the tree that guarded the wooden window. The same was the case in every room that had their lights pleading to be set to rest, only to be bushed by, by some chill night’s breeze. Time lived as the air faded and smoothened, then brightened only to fade again to live again and on and on. To our delight there was another painting that to be brushed on the final day. As the events unfolded, there rolled out a leaf that had our team holding the Marwar rolling trophy as the winners of Marwar 2010. Despite all the turbulence, life still is beautiful... :)

"Theme based experiences for life - At your home"

A concept where we serve experiences at your very home !!!

LIVE LIFE !!! :) Experience "Ratatouille"

Unicef - Award winning advertisements

Ads that speak for themselves. Pictures that'll sell it all.

No wonder our ancestors preferred depictions than a million words.

Many languages have come to existence and many have been ceased from existence.

In

7 Continents

193 Countries

6700 Languages

There is

1 Common language...

The means of communication that has stood the test of time...

"Depiction" --- Pictures perfect and imperfect...

Here are a few ads that will hopefully leave everyone thinking and responding...

.....................................Think !!!

Pictures-Courtesy : Internet

Good evenings !!! The day that wasn't... ;)

So much has been happening over the week that I've hardly found time to blog all that I wanted to.

Leaving aside the fact that I've wasted a lot of time too... Nevertheless, here are the sparkles at your visions offer.

It had been an uneventful day as I sat on my couch killing time in front of the television Oblivious and unbothered of what they next minute had in store for me. Little did I know about the turn of events that evening, until it happened. Enlightenment was the word. Enlightenment struck me.... Enlightenment struck???

There was no tree... only a TV (With Bloomberg tuned in - watching the channel blank) ... hmmm, I guess I'll have to rephrase it. I'll call it an Idea, The Idea for an awesome start-up which would feed the market needs in near future. Creativity, Innovation, Management and entrepreneurship. These are the elements that I'd love to mould my future with. So there was a want... a void that needed a well materialistic thought. It was this thought that I was in search off. I also realized that, there were many of the similar sorts available all around us. But then, picking the one that gives you the satisfaction and the feeling of fullness is a task way more than mere words. It was this evening that eureka content that struck me. This idea that came from nowhere was too good to be "now here". It connected all the dots that till that very moment were vague and pathless on the whole.

The next day, as I discussed this idea with my friend and we came up with another one & once again in no time I was brimming with start-up ideas in umpteen quantities. It was the research and analysis that were to be done. On the whole the next day proved to be a refreshingly resourceful one.

The evening prior to the day of the " enlightenment :P " I had met an entrepreneur who is presently based in Sydney.

A person who's venture now helps a lot of people to find the right colleges to study abroad and the vice versa. The evening turned out to be one which i wouldn't forget in the years to come.

I still couldn't figure out the reason why he chose me. It could probably be that, of all people, I was the one who needed his advice and guidance the most. And so was the wish granted even before I could voice it. He chose to give me personal guidance and advice, something that wouldn't have been possible if not for a seminar. I was glad to have attended the seminar in which he addressed the students in common. A seminar which I wasn't even aware of and thus had no plans attending. The only thing that I did was to be at The Park hotel on a day which eventually turned out to be an eventful one.

Life is full of experiences and every moment has something to teach us. I strongly believe that it is in this ability of a person to perceive, understand & learn from every moment that time has at offer that the value of true experiences are gained.

A Story to tell... :)

I really wonder how to describe the situation am in... A time when am obviously supposed to be free, I've managed to keep myself occupied to make sure that I don't miss my under graduation days at college and a lot more... I realized that it had been a long while since I'd got off my blogging spree and I intend to change that. After all, what good is a man if he is incapable of managing his very own time?

Every day begins and ends with share of surprises and the day before yesterday was one such day with a different pattern. I got myself to be the events coordinator of "Wordsworth International Spelling Bee - National level Finals". To coordinate events in a totally new environment for a very diverse class of students ranging from grade 3 to 12 was an experience worth the time spent. As this busy day mellowed out with a satisfaction of a job well done, it was time for me to be a part of the Chennai road traffic. Awesome sight with lights close to each other all over the roads, everything bright and beautiful yet so silent. All this beauty and splendor for one to enjoy is all there, only from a bird's eye view. As we move closer things become clear with dust, sharper with horns so profound that their tiding decibel levels are a musical treat to the Deaf. With every ticking minute the vehicles move from start to start to start. They are very much there in the same place where they were minutes before. With no space to walk and a long way to go, I sat in the car amidst the tiring city traffic. Laughter... oh, I almost forgot to mention. It was the driver who sat behind the wheels and the only thing that bothered me was the time that was being wasted on the journey back home after a long day. Traffic has been this way for a very long time and by now I'm very much used to it ;). In company of various franchise partners & directors the journey back home was full of laughter over various issues and impromptu cracks. Although i had planned to blog about the day that night, as I reached home an interesting article in McKinsey Quarterly caught my attention. I'll be blogging about this article tomorrow. And after that article, it was a good a good nights' rest and the rest is assured to be the same for a good few hours... :)

The day's Toast ;) Feeling tired... Take a dark bite!

It sure has been a long time since my last post... With lots of interesting things happening and lots to share, I confine myself to one post. Time sure is on a very high demand, and I'm on a spree to chase it down. A tiresome job rite ;) ?...

Well, here is an interesting piece of information that I brushed past.

It's dark, delicious and definitely health...

And now, their makers sure seem to have become a happier bunch, with have another feather to play their market.

It's the "DARK CHOCOLATE"

Researchers have it as follows...

"Dark Chocolate fights Fatigue."

To be precise, a daily dose of dark chocolate may help patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

It has been found that dark chocolates lower the level of serotonin when consumed.

Serotonin is believed to play a major role in the regulation of one anger, aggression, mood, sleep, body temperature and appetite.

A cautionary note-

Anything over your bin could leave with a dirty spin. Like the famous saying goes, too much of anything is good for nothing... Dark chocolates are no exceptions.

Over consumption could lead to over stimulation of the nervous system.

Consuming two cubes is good enough to get one a fresh start.

For all those who count the calories with a menu card by their side, here is an excuse to dare a bite ;)

And for the rest... enjoy your day :)

!!! Lighter side !!! laugh your heart out !!! # 8

You should be worried !!!

Problems caused by deforestation!!!

Laugh !!! But, give it a thought...

If not grow, at the least... Help SAVE Trees... !!!

Teaching the world to change

An article on Social Entrepreneurship by Dan Viederman

Teaching the world to change

An estimated 200 million children work in developing countries. Another 25 million people are enslaved in factories, farms, mines, and homes. Hundreds of millions more are cheated out of wages that are rightfully theirs and have no choice but to work in conditions that put them at risk of injury and even death.

It is easy to be numbed by these figures. So let’s consider the story of Rani, a girl we met in India in late 2009. Rani is now 14 and has worked at a spinning mill in Tirupur, a textile city located in the southern part of the country, since she was 11, bleaching cloth and using chemicals to wash garments. Her family sent her to the factory, which produces clothes for export, under the sumangali scheme, in which underage girls work far from home for three years, in return for a lump sum payment of around $750. Rani’s family had no other way to make enough money to pay her dowry. But after repeatedly burning herself with chemicals and suffering under the risk of sexual abuse from her employers, Rani ran away—returning home injured, poorer, and in conflict with her parents because she had forfeited the payment due to her.

Verite can resolve the specific problems Rani faces by intervening at that factory in India to improve its management, and by ensuring that Rani has the support she needs to stand up for herself. But our only chance of reaching the tens of millions of vulnerable people around the world—to achieve large-scale change—is to change the practices of others. Our primary approach to scaled change is to ensure that businesses around the world integrate the interests and needs of their most vulnerable participants. Our best chance to improve the rights and livelihoods of the many is if others replicate our intervention.

Here’s an example. One of our initial innovations was finding a way to elevate workers to the status of full stakeholders in the factories and farms where they work. We make sure that workers’ knowledge about the places that employ them becomes part of the picture we develop about working conditions. We do this in a deceptively simple way—by talking to them. But this conversation can be difficult to come by. On a recent assessment visit to a farm in the western United States we were told by the owners that work started at 10am, and that we should arrive at the field then. Instead of taking the owner at his word, our auditors showed up at 6:45am, to find two buses of migrant workers just arriving for work. We spent the next two hours hearing their stories, learning about their experiences and discussing their problems. Our findings from workers then become part of the facts we present to factory or farm management, and to the companies that buy their goods.

Too often this sort of investigation ignores the perspectives of workers. We set out to change this. After a year of multi-stakeholder conversations around the world we promulgated a standard for the conduct of social audits. This standard has now been adopted by a coalition of the world’s largest companies. We have simultaneously begun to train others outside Verite to conduct social audits according to this standard. As a result, our approach will be implemented by thousands of people around the world undertaking investigations at the behest of those companies. We leverage the information they provide to guide change in standards and management. Last year, our approach was formally adopted as an emerging standard by a coalition of the world’s largest companies. It will be implemented by thousands of people around the world undertaking investigations at the behest of those companies into the daily operations of factories and farms.

It’s important to note that this replication-oriented approach to entrepreneurial innovation may present some challenges. Sometimes investigators will undertake worker engagement effectively, but sometimes they will fail to follow the standards that we have promulgated. Some companies may decide to adopt and apply the standard completely, while others may choose portions of it or implement it halfheartedly in certain circumstances. In scaling this innovation, our recruitment of implementation partners necessitates that we give up control. The result may be some “implementations” that we don’t entirely endorse. But when companies take a first step towards responsibility, they have at least started walking forward.

This approach to scaling implies two challenges to the typical understanding of social entrepreneurship. First, entrepreneurship is often seen as a solitary pursuit, one that glorifies the individual (or her institution). At Verité, however, we believe that collaboration is an essential part of scaling social impact; our efforts require partners—both businesses and governments—at every step of the way. As with any partnership, we may in some cases lose control over the intervention. But we embrace the trade-off between control and expansion, believing that the problems we’re trying to address are so dire that it is imperative to reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Our work with the world’s largest companies leverages billions of dollars of spending, vast but intangible corporate reputations, and thousands of daily business transactions into better working conditions for millions of people. At the same time, we recognize the limits of business “responsibility.” Social entrepreneurship can often overemphasize the role of private-sector frameworks. However, we believe that market mechanisms can make the achievement of human rights less costly. They can ensure, for example, ensure that Rani is more likely to prosper than face danger and disgrace in the workplace——but they can’t guarantee rights.

Only governments can guarantee rights for individuals and only governments can ensure that rights are respected wherever people are at risk. As social entrepreneurs we have to be clear on the limits of our own models—in particular, that markets are neither more nor less effective for delivering social goods than they are for delivering private goods. Our work with business, then, aims to create an environment that is conducive rather than hostile to government action. Over the past ten years, for example, multinational businesses have opened space in China for an explicit conversation about labor rights that the Chinese government may not have begun. Our work with international business lays the groundwork for changes in the acceptance of social regulation.

The question of scale for Verité is how we can reach tens of millions of people whose rights are constrained. We ourselves are about fifty people worldwide, a number small enough to be quite at odds with our aspirations. Like Archimedes, we seek a lever long enough to move the world. For us, this is the business world, which we hope to inspire with the feasibility of doing things better.

Courtesy : Internet.

Aqua Night ~ Wednesday delight ;)

It's been a long time since I blogged... And a lot has happened...

Well, what do I start with... The Aqua Night >>>

Yeah, one of my really close buddies had decided to treat me and a few other friends at

The Park hotel.

Restaurant Aqua situated on the eight floor opens out to a blue jelly textured rectangular pool

surrounded by fount white fabric draped cabanas, arc tables, luxurious beds under the night sky,

live music, beautiful lighting and a lot more.

This is one perfect place to unwind with friends.

Wednesday nights are a must check ones. The flower power barbeques on Wednesday nights add a smoky touch to the place.

The Azure pool and the night sky with a good view of the city and natural breeze give this restaurant the flavours it needs to justify the name "AQUA".

I had a great time with friends. We were enjoying the evening to the fullest that we never realized the ticking time until it was just an hour before the next day.

I'm running short of words to explain the !!! FUN !!! part. I guess it's well understood without words. :)

It was an awesome night. A few beautiful memories are to be cherished for a long time. This is one such occasion. Hoping to have many more of these awesome memories :) :) :)

Anise - The taj touch ;)

ANISE’, is a stylish, innovative, high energy international all day dining hub at Taj Coromandel that emphasizes elegance, vibrance and epicurean passion by showcasing its World cuisine in addition to Oriental and North Western Frontier specialties.

Well... If you happen to begin wondering why I'm blogging about this restaurant, let me stop you there. This is where I dined with ma buddies. This restaurant is unparalleled in its offering. With shear luxury in a semi-formal environment and the most expressive buffet in town one could hardly anything the otherwise about this place.

As an icing on the cake, I was in company of two of my really close buddies.

It sure turned out to be a fun filled afternoon and the desserts were at its best leaving us tasting it long after we left the hotel.Oh, I almost forgot to mention Big B, who had checked in while we were enjoying the spread.

The highlight of dining at ANISE is the chef-driven interactive meal experience. It sure makes one feel good.The restaurant boasts a new beverage menu that includes seasonal fresh fruit shakes, exotic fruit smoothies, single origin coffees, speciality coffees, selection of teas and naughty martinis.

This bright and cheerful restaurant overlooks the picturesque swimming pool with its uni-columned tables and well carved chairs with elegance written all over it.The delicate upholstery soothes in a warm feeling of relaxed comfort.

We enter the restaurant with four tables occupied. I could easily relate this to any best selling paper spread- novels. To the immediate right of the entrance was an empty chair adjoining which was a family seated in three. On the table beside ours was a man in staggering hard pressed whites, whom we supposed to be a Capitan. On the next table were two men supposedly having their luncheon and having a casual talk with the captain who had eased himself with his cap on the right end of the table which had escaped my attention until it kissed the carpet as he stood up :P... On the other side of the room inline with the wall mounted LCD TV was a man who appeared to be in his mid 40's working on a brain child of Steve Jobs- An APPLE Lappy. Time brushes past as the restaurant gets busy, then really busy and guess what... We still happen to be treating ourselves with the exquisites in front of us. It was well past the closing time and people simply couldn't resist themselves from taking their sweet own time to pride delight...

Almost three hours in the restaurant and we were still at the table talking and talking and of course eating !!! :P We weren't totally jobless... Actually, we were very busy doing things we were doing at our very best. Enjoying the day !!!

I almost missed typing this... This was a part of my b'day bash ;) :P :)

Many Thanks to ma Parents and ma buddies, the day turned out to be a memorable one. :)

Hope I get to enjoy many such memorable occasions in the days to come :) :)

More about the restaurant...

The interiors are designed by renowned architect and interior design firm, Chhada Siembieda and Associates Ltd., based out of Hong Kong.

The swanky international restaurant serving world cuisine will play specially selected music by in-house DJ Eddy ranging from Hip Hop, Blues, Soul, Retro, Rock and Pop. The collection of music, which changes by the season, sets the mood according to the meal period.

Fuel your fire !!! Inspirations in the day's cup !!! # 7

Inspiring one !!!

"The Dream is not what you see in sleep ! .... Dream is the thing which does not let you sleep .!!!




Excellence...

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...

Courtesy : Internet