Relationship Dilemmas!!!

Disclaimer: Relationships refer to serious future oriented commitment of individuals (Section 377 respected) with a timeline of 6 months and above. Flings/affairs/timepass not considered :)

I happened to see this movie, "Break Ke Baad" a bollywood flick starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone and it makes me wonder, how complex relationships have become! Being ambitious and reaching for the sky is the order of the day and in the past was more of a manly affair! However, the women empowerment in the society of late have thrown open lots of instances which we didn't possibly fathom in the past.

Career and personal life is something each one of us juggles with. Priorities are always towards a career for most part of our lives as we are so programmed to think that getting a good education will destine you a fat salary and a good life. But most of us aren't masters of the trade and hence one of career or personal life take a back seat usually. And no prizes for guessing, which one actually does :)

Precisely where I come back to the movie (SPOILER ALERT!!), where two kids seem to be madly in love with each other but don't necessarily know what they want from life. While one is adventurous and wants to explore passions, the other feels relationship is the centre and everything else should fall by it. Conflict guaranteed!! As one partner feels the other is chocking and viceversa. This situation is so common in the society, two individuals coming together and falling apart due to such differences!

But is Break UP an answer? In most cases it usually becomes! A small research of mine shows that in nearly 3 out of 5 cases, the girl calls it quits! And when the tenure of the relationship is atleast 1 year, the next course becomes painful. And contrary to whats shown in bollywood movies, only a handful ( 2-3 out of 10) end up realizing and get hooked on to a marriage! Sorry state of affairs!

Solutions? Well,

Keeping the relationship in perspective for your career decisions?

Getting your partner on the same plane and discussing the consequences of options?

Compromises if required to keep relationship intact and yet realize career interests to some extent?

A little bit of maturity on career v/s relationship, better handling of shocks/situations (i got a job/admit abroad)?

Or, the tried and tested, get settled in your career and wait for your folks to get you hitched?

My view, well, relationships are built on foundations of trust and togetherness. It takes a moment to break and shatter them like glass! But a hell lot of time to recoup and rebind the bond! So...

"Think before you take a Break, coz Break Ke Baad sirf TV shows/movies wapas aate hain... maybe not Love!"

Some Brands... They become one of us!

As I return to one of my favorite topics, Branding & Marketing after a long time, here's something which has become a part of our lives unknowingly! I am sure most of you would relate to this.

Marketers' biggest objective is to register their brands in the minds of the customers. And I say register it to such a level that it remains on the top of mind (TOM) to an extent that when the customer enters a store, she's strongly influenced to choose the TOM brand. Millions of dollars are spent on this, commercials are repeated on TV/Radio, celebrities are used, events are done and so on.

Needless to say, there have been hits and misses here as well. And some of the brands have reached a level where they command recall of the entire category rather than the product itself. Talk about some iconic brands, just to highlight say Parle Agro's Frooti (mango pulp brand). Do you think, with the urge of drinking mango pulp we just walk up to a shop and say, "Frooti pls!" rather than maybe "Which Mango pulp drink do you have? " Yeah, ofcourse its a clutter today with Maaza, Slice, Real, Tropicana, MAA and what not! But, I presume Frooti shall always remain as a TOM mango pulp brand for most Indians today! And what's more a Frooti Ad of today shows, When it comes to a mango, Frooti is the name!

Frooti is just one of a list of many. I'm sure you will agree with me if I add these names as well to the list...

Maagi for Noodles?

Surf for Washing Detergent?

Thumsup for a Cola?

Cadburys for a choclate or maybe today for a meetha (sweetmeat)?

{Is blog start karne se pehle meetha nahi khaya, i hope the readers like it :D}

Crocin for a Paracetamol?

Vicks for a Cold Suppressant?

BUT! a brand name becoming a generic category name may also spell doom for a marketeer. An instance can be TTK's brand Fryums. Yes, my friends, Fryums is just not a generic name for any ready to eat fried snacks! It has become one. But TTK is no way in the picture! Sad isnt it?

The generic name of Fryums in the TOM of customers was exploited by retailers to push similar unbranded snacks which offered better margins. In the end, Fryums was reduced to a commodity with no differentiation and brand protection. Several attempts of rebranding to Fryums Yummies also failed and finally when liberalization happened, competition (like LAYS) killed the brand.

But the world hardly remembers the brand martyrs. Customers just move on! Ambassador was an iconic brand but customers have moved on to the likes of Honda, Hyundai, Maruti and Toyota. Kelvinator died but the Samsungs and LGs rule HER (customers') mind today!

Convenience matters, value does! Rest is just a footnote. A generic brand name offers a level of communication between the reseller and the customer that some of them still prefer to use them. And a majority of customers change brands with a hell lot of resistance. Invariably brands become household names! Marketers need to accept this, and ultimately as some great has said, "Change or Die!" Brands are no different!

Cheers!!!

Diwali!! Then and Now!

As we are in the middle of another Diwali (for international readers: Festival of Lights & Crackers), I am simply amazed by the way celebrations have changed! This festival which is by far the most popular (for everybody: people, companies, marketers, traders) certainly has seen a huge makeover, from its grand noisy image to a subtle, gracious, quieter one. Here's a (largely influenced by a Marathi Mom:) perspective of how the 3 days of Diwali have morphed:

Colorful cities! :)

Kids enjoying!

Action Replayy! :) The 1980-90s! When Simplicity ruled! When we cared less for Nature? :)

Well, those were the days when we as kids, most of us thought about nothing else other than CRACKERS!! With the pursuit of lighting the first cracker on the first day (Naraka Chaturdashi) asap, (a competition in the neigbhourhood was common, Kaun Banega "PehlaCrackerburster") kids used to line up to finish their oil bath (a ritual) and get on the street whereas the elderly preferred to guide(read reprimand/instruct) them! A pooja was customary, the beneficiary GODs being one or more of these: Ram, Lakshmi, Vishnu and more. (Essentially its the win of good over EVIL). The ladies in the house then had the men and kids seated and an aarti followed along with feeding them with loads of sweets! (mostly homemade, especially the Kajjaya/Kajjya :)

As kids spent rest of the day and night bursting crackers and continuously getting reprimanded (from parents, passersby, people on cars/bikes), the elderly had a time socializing as it was a grand family get-together. And the next three days were more or less similar to the first, with kids emptying one cracker pack after another, the ladies making/getting more sweets and a lot of socializing with exchange of gifts! Ofcourse, not to mention, the diyas/candles all over the home surroundings to make it a wonderful sight in the night! (easily lasted 15 days before and after the festival!)

NOW, 2010? With all the sophistication! With all the scare of harming Mother Nature!

A quiet Diwali??

A stark difference! Diwali maybe is more of a holiday than a festival (??) Kids with all the gyaan about the ill effects of crackers, prefer to stay away from blasting their way to glory. Lesser noise! Nuclear families facilitating more of a community get together rather than a family one!

Well some questions...

Is the intensity of celebration still the same?

Aren't V denying the kids the fun that's totally worth it? (just for 3 days :)

Are V still celebrating the prosperity that we have in our lives and spreading it among others as well?

I hope its a YES! :) Ofcourse with crackers, some responsibility rather than nothing!

As I leave, a thought...

"Lets end this festival (symbolizing Win of Good over Evil) with some win over atleast one EVIL within us!"

I've found mine, have you?