Karthik S | beastoftraal.com

Usha’s ‘better batter’ Mithali Raj campaign

July 12, 2022October 17, 2022 by Karthik S

Shorter version on audio: YouTube: Spotify: Full post: The first time I saw the new co-branded promo by Usha grinders for the upcoming biopic of Indian cricketer Mithali Raj, Shabash Mitthu, I quite liked the wordplay and thought. ‘Better batter’ was perhaps…

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Advertising music streaming in India

July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 by Karthik S

I have been writing about music for a very long time. I started writing music reviews in the late 1990s/early 2000s period for The Music Magazine, a Bangalore-based online music website (now defunct). I then started writing 100-word music reviews on my…

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“I disagree with my company’s stand. What do I do?”

July 6, 2022July 6, 2022 by Karthik S

Since I interact with a lot of senior corporate leaders during my workshops on personal branding (via social media), one of the questions that get asked very, very often is this: “What if I have an opinion that is at crossroads with…

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About bringing your ‘whole self’ to work

July 5, 2022July 6, 2022 by Karthik S

William Kahn conceived the concept of ‘bringing your whole self to work’ as part of his 1990 paper titled, ‘Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work‘ (from The Academy of Management Journal). In it, he writes,“People occupy roles at work;…

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Swiggy’s Gulab Jamun Uncle universe takes off

July 4, 2022October 17, 2022 by Karthik S

Shorter version on audio: YouTube: Spotify: Full post: Way back in August 2010, Mondelez India, when they were still called Cadbury India, launched the Shubh Aarambh campaign for the first time. But unlike the conventional, traditional imagery of Shubh Aarambh, this one…

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PR/corporate communications deserve better marketing. Here’s a start.

July 1, 2022July 1, 2022 by Karthik S

I have spent more time handling corporate communications and public relations than any other function (related to social media, digital marketing, and advertising) in my 2 decades+ career in the communications space. When I first joined a PR firm after spending considerable…

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Your retweets ARE endorsements, unless…

June 30, 2022June 30, 2022 by Karthik S

Delhi Police’s DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) KPS Malhotra (who was awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2021), who is now part of the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit within Delhi Police, was recently quoted saying…

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