Dense commentary on social media, PR, marketing, advertising and branding.
One of the most persistent questions I get from the participants of my corporate personal branding workshops is, “What if something I say online becomes controversial and I get trolled?”. There are variations to this question, like “What if I get into…
Let me start by confessing that I am a HUGE fan of McDonald’s. Not just the food there, but also the overall marketing of the brand, across the world. There is impeccable consistency in both, the kind and quality of offerings—food and…
The new Air India inflight safety video is a wonderful idea, blending India’s cultural heritage—through the showcase of classical dance forms of India—and airline safety! The perfect mix of heritage and modernity! No. This is NOT my view. This seems like the…
If you say ‘G mane…’, chances are, someone around you may complete the sentence with ‘…genius!’. Parle G’s ‘G mane genius’ slogan made its pitch for the first time in 2004, thanks to the brand’s agency Everest Brand Solutions. The idea wasn’t…
While a lot of people have faked their own deaths, Poonam Pandey may be the first person in the history of humanity to have faked her own death as part of an organized (marketing) campaign. The agency behind this initiative —Schbang, along…
There are broadly 3 kinds of toothpaste advertisements in India: ones that primarily pitch strong and healthy teeth, ones that mainly sell sensitive teeth protection, and ones that primarily promise fresh breath. Colgate’s MaxFresh variant is the third kind. The product competes…
I have a confession to make: I have never—ever—eaten a full large or medium-sized pack of chocolate in one go. No, not the 5-star kind of bar. I’m referring to the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk kind of chocolate bar that has indentations on…