[First published in The Economic Times Brand Equity, April 2024] In the year 2005, Andrew Fischer, then a 20-year old web designer and product photographer went viral across all media, globally. This was a time when viral had not become mainstream. Fischer offered his forehead for advertising on eBay to the highest bidder. A snoring…
(First published in The Economic Times Brand Equity, August 2022) On July 27, Google announced that it will delay the deprecation of third party cookies to the year 2024, saying that it needs more time to test the tools for privacy “while giving businesses the tools to succeed online.” A few days later, on August…
(Originally published in Impact magazine issue dated 04th February 2017) In early 2000, a bunch of marketing, media, and technology folks kicked the grave of John Wanamaker and woke him up from his long sleep. John Wanamaker, who had died 78 years earlier, suddenly became the brand ambassador for digital advertising. For it was he…
(First published in September 2016, in Maxus/WPP internal publications) The dynamic tension between two conflicting states and the need for an ideal balance is often considered a requirement for a system to move forward. For instance, the tension between change and stability; freedom and order; and innovation and efficiency and so on. So what do…
(First published in 2016) In the 1500s, the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes landed at Aztec empire in Mexico with a team of just 550 people. In just 4 years, the Aztec empire was ravaged. A mere 550 people subjugated an empire of millions, making Mexico a Spanish colony. Within the next 10 years, another Spaniard,…
Google recently said that it is investing on creative side of the business and will also work closely with the creative advertising agencies. It is merely validating the belief that in digital it is a thin line between creative and media. Modern gadgets are now bringing together communication, entertainment consumption and utility applications together making…
(This was first written and published in 2008) Have you heard of Social Technographics? Social what? Or have you read the research paper ‘Sources and Consequences of Embeddedness of the Economic Performance of the Organizations: The Social Network effect’. Huh! I still haven’t understood the title itself. But then if you are in the online…
Marketing initiatives by religious groups sounds funny (even God needs the 4Ps) and therefore continues to interest me. Following the Eastpoint church’s path (see the earlier story in this blog ‘And God said: In Digital I trust’), www.preachingtoday.com from Christianity Today International discovers that digital initiatives pay when it comes to achieving marketing objectives. The new case study…
I have always believed that it is only a matter of time before the temples, churches and mosques in the country (and the world) become full fledged business institutions, with targets, P&L, Balance sheet and listing on stock exchanges. In a fast moving, commercialized world, peace of mind, stress-relief etc. comes with a cost and…