If you haven’t already ordered it then go ahead and pick up “Havells: The untold story of Qimat Rai Gupta”.

Are you angry? In fact, do you remember when you were last, not angry? Doesn’t it seem like everywhere you look there is evidence of the very things that outrage you? The news is full of shouting heads and social media has so many people sharing so many articles that confirm all your worst suspicions –whatever those suspicions may be. It only serves to add to the Entropy- the chaos and disorder- that we, as individuals, organizations, and brands are perpetually consumed by. And that’s where the rub lies.

There’s no denying that life is hard for everyone. Most people are involved in a daily struggle and every day, they confront a sense of barely being in control of their own situation. In some ways “worrying” about more distant things – that movie, that historical slight – is a welcome distraction from the challenges of the here and now. The truth is media companies and brands know that too. Their all-knowing algorithms know that outraged, high Entropy viewers are more likely to “engage” with their content than placid or peaceful viewers. It is in the interest of these megabrands to serve that Entropy, and indeed to feed it.

But doesn’t this also present an opportunity for a brand to reduce the Entropy in the system? In a sea of negativity – if you represent a ray of hope isn’t that a wonderful way to shine out? Most brands see themselves as being good and positive – if that is so, isn’t it time for them to disperse all the doom and gloom with their own Positive Valence? It’s time to get out of the business of Entropy!

Where do we report a missing month or two? 2017 seems to have been shorter than one would expect, right? Did it feel like the year just whizzed past? Did you get a chance to execute all that you had planned for your brand when the year started? Or did you get sidetracked? If you’re like most brands (and brand managers) then it’s likely you’re nodding along. But is it time to think why?

Consider, were your actions driven by external factors? Was it you, or your competition, or the much-maligned market that made you do the things you ended up doing? Were you consumed by the chaos surrounding you, the entropy in the system? If so here’s a suggestion. Make your 2018 New Year resolution to focus inwards, not outwards. Take a conscious step back from the confusion and look inside. Identify what makes your brand tick, what are the core values you represent, who you are, and to whom. Then base all your actions on that Core. Look to communicate that effectively to the audience that shares those values. Do that, and possibly when you end 2018, you will be able to look back at a less reactive, more planned year gone by.

Happy New Year!

Take a look at your social media feeds. Did you notice that Christmas Trees are in full bloom, albeit made of steel and synthetic ferns? This is the time of the year when that full-bearded guy, dressed in red and sporting a gigantic smile is not Baba Ramdev but Santa Claus. But is the Christmas cheer real? Or is it as fake as the stockings lined with cotton wool bought from a vagrant at a street intersection?

Worldwide, Christmas is peak-season for brands and marketers and India is now no different. And the consumers seem to be enthusiastically joining the game. As “Merry Christmas” gifs clog up the Whatsapp-ruled airwaves it’s time to wonder though about the version of Christmas that is being embraced. Is it all about consumption, and not about compassion. Is it about having, rather than giving? Should the focus be on Christmas story, rather than on the stores?

Admittedly, this is hard. Even the West has, sometimes unconsciously, gone this way and it’s been that way for ages. Remember that the universally-accepted jolly, red-clad image of Santa was actually a Coca-Cola creation. So maybe the right question to ask is, what should the responsibility of the brand be? Perhaps, it should be to tap into its own inner consciousness and be the best version of itself that it can be. These are the brands that serve a larger, more impelling Purpose by fulfilling the fundamental needs of their customers. They collaborate to enhance life – and isn’t that the true spirit of Christmas?

Have you seen the latest Fall ‘17 Collection from that international fashion brand? What about that new Winter-special selection? When you think of winter in India do you think of snowmen and sled runs or mustard oil to apply and Saag and Roti to eat? Winter in the USA is a very different feel from winter in UP. In most places in India, Fall is an accident that happens not a season. Clearly, when it comes to seasons and the emotions and linkages they evoke in people, not all places are the same. International brands follow worldwide templates – especially the templates that work well, but is there a case to abandon them based on where they have to be applied?

If the messaging of brands and the sales-focused promotions they roll out have to resonate with the target audience (and they must), then it is critical for them to allow for the customer’s frame of reference being different in different places. This is of course, true of all the communications the brand sends out. So, while mention of a bright sunny day brings with it memories of picnics in meadows in the UK, in India the instant emotional reaction may be to think of sweat and dust. Your brand may be global – but remember that the customer is almost always local. And that doesn’t change from season to season!

Pune is on the move, literally as well as figuratively. Early morning, late evening, and for the more battle-hardened Punekar, even afternoons are all great times to hit the streets. Pune has voted with its feet and the winner of the fitness race is- drumroll please- Running! Punekars are more conscious of their fitness than ever before. Across all ages, genders, demographics, and economic persuasions, running is their chosen way to become and stay fit. On the eve of the Pune Running Beyond Myself (PRBM) Marathon, it’s worth considering what makes the Punekar run.

Could it be that running is a metaphor for life itself -a promise that if you put in the hard yards you will reach your destination? At the most elemental level, every human is born to run. Here it’s the sincere effort that counts, and crossing the finish line is one big reward. Then, there is also the sense of enjoying every step of the journey. An event like this is a chance to run for the fun of running and to be a part of a community- family, friends, office colleagues- all doing the same thing together. PRBM’s exhortation to #OutrunYourself, only takes this to the next level. A call to all Punekar’s to push themselves to the limit and achieve more than they thought possible from themselves. This is a race with only 1 competitor – yourself. This is an opportunity for each runner to tap the fullest extent of their own inner potential, not worry about beating the others running the course, and to then win – over oneself, of course! It’s time to lace up those shoes and join the start line on 19^th November!

It’s been a year since Indians were given the shock-treatment. Our cash-flush monetary system suddenly turned cash-deprived and despite public chest-beating by some political figures, the public by and large, enthusiastically embraced the move and the personal hardship it brought with it. Now, a year later, it’s still hard to separate the fact from fiction. Politicians and economists call demonetization either the biggest blunder in the history of India’s polity or the most ambitious masterstroke in its political history – and some call it both! With all that, despite dire predictions of economic doldrums and chaos in life as we know it, it’s fair to say the people still largely view the move positively. What chord did the note-ban strike to evoke this response?

In the face of what is seen as a largely corrupt ruling class, we Indians had come to expect, at worst complicity, and at best inaction. Even the few actions that were taken were seen as powerless and targeted at the small-fry. Demonetization flew in the face of all these categorizations – the people saw it as a big, bold, and extremely public step that seemed to hit those with the most to lose the hardest. Right or not – here at last was action. Well considered or not – here at least was intent. At the heart of the move the people identified the desire to do something! And in a long history of doing nothing – doing something, even if the economists don’t agree, was still a response they could get behind!

To quote Michael Jackson slightly out of context – grisly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. But don’t be alarmed by all the witches and zombies crawling all over your social media timelines – it’s only India’s PDA for Halloween. Kids trick or treating, parties with adults in risqué costumes, and even corporates having scary make-up days have all become par for the course over the last couple of years. But don’t we have enough festivals of our own – why this enthusiastic embrace of something with no resonance in our own culture?

Perhaps, the answer is in us rather than in the festivals we choose to celebrate. Life has become complicated, rushed, and stressed. We yearn for warm connections and meaningful moments with others. We long for more human contact and for a feeling of belonging to a community. We do not want to be alone but to be a part of something. The version of Halloween that we have chosen to adopt has at its core the sense of “coming together as a community to do fun things”. On this day every one bends the rules and dress codes just that little bit – but all together. And it is this sense of coming together that we are probably celebrating.

So, as long as we seek that human connection in an increasingly disconnected world we will be only more attracted to occasions like these. The festival itself is just the vehicle – so get ready for Thanksgiving. With Tandoori Chicken and Cranberry Sauce perhaps!

In the design limelight these days is the cheetah-inspired logo of the bullet train created by a 2^nd year National Institute of Design student Chakradhar Aalla. The logo works on multiple levels but what of the bullet train itself?

After the project was launched with much fanfare it has seen more than it’s fair share of criticism. In a nutshell, the campaigns have been along the lines of “Does India really need a bullet train.” For a polity that is somewhat obsessed with development, questioning whether development is going too far is somewhat unusual. Design may have an answer to offer though.

At heart the Indian Railways is a people’s movement. The Railways is all about the big numbers- carrying more than the population of the entire world in a year. This is a vast and complex enterprise at the backend but the visible parts are all about simplicity – a place to stand, a seat to occupy, or a simple berth to lie down in. The Railways has always been about getting the common people the places they go to over the course of their common lives. Trains that fly, that cost untold crores to action, and that will (probably) ferry the high and mighty is a story that is far removed from the simplicity at the heart of everything the Indian Railways represents – and this is why the story is easy to sell.

To tackle the blowback the Bullet Train has to be framed in terms that matter to the common man. How will the coming of the Bullet Train help them, make their ride better, safer, and smoother? Or how this may be something for them to be proud of? Everyone must get a ticket to ride – and that’s when the green signal will really click on.

It’s that time of the year again. Time for lights, sounds, celebrations, sweets, and families. Despite being under a bit of a legal and meteorological cloud this year, chances are the fervor will be higher than ever. What is it about Diwali that attracts us so?

Legend has it that the festival celebrates the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after a long exile and after having vanquished a formidable foe. At the time the “diyas” probably served a decorative purpose, but these have now come to symbolize the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, clarity over obscurity et al. These are all elevated concepts though – more spiritual than physical – so why the enthusiasm for the festival?

Could it be that this is a festival that is rooted in celebration – even at the heart of the legend itself? The occasion shines a light on reasons to be happy and makes them the focus of the festival. Making your home beautiful, eating good food, and wearing your festive best are the substance of the occasion – not the byproduct. Even the presiding deity of the primary “Pooja” on the occasion is the deity of material wealth – Mahalaxmi.

Man must aspire to a higher purpose but it is true that all of us respond to simpler, more instinctive needs. It is this sense of celebrating the real and the worldly at the heart of Diwali that attracts us. Happy Diwali!