Ideas We Believe

Two recent campaigns deserve attention from marketing enthusiasts, one of Campa Cola (reenergised by the Reliance Group) and of Tata Sampann's species. The challenges these two brands face are too distinct from one another. Campa, on the one hand, aims to fight the global brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola, whereas Sampann looks to create a market in indian spices that has been dominated by local players like MDH and Everest. However, their strategies have something in common: getting the distributors to stock more of their products on the shelves. Campa is offering the distributors twice the margins, while Sampann is leveraging its vast portfolio to make stocking only Tata products a win for the distributors. Image credit: Economic Times To understand why this is happening, and what makes this interesting, one has to look back on the history of marketing, more specifically the shift from a push to a pull-based marketing, where the focus of the brands shifted from pushing their produc...

The unfolding of the Indian election might have come as a surprise to many, for one is the BJP who steamrolled the campaign seasons with slogans of "400 par". While it remains 240 seats popular in a house of 520 members, a few stories should not go unnoticed. First, the BJP's popularity and the win for a third term is no ordinary feat. Only a few leaders of the past have managed such an elusive feat. This, indeed, is the trust that the brand Modi has built over the years. In politics, we often get acclimatized to the situations, in certain aspects too critical of it. When the young generation looked at Indira Gandhi's cabinet, they vowed never to again let such a solid mandate to a single party that its chief could declare an emergency, and no structures would be able to prevent that. This, however, ended up in fragmented colours in the Lok Sabha, the era of coalitions and surprise prime ministers. Needless to say, the horse-trading of MPs and the mindless corruption ...

It's often perplexing to note how violent human existence has been. Until the end of world wars, it was common for armies to be raised and sent to die. Only when institutions like trading, finance and learning, which do not occur optimally in turmoil, spread worldwide, there was an incentive to keep peace. This leaves us with a question as to why peace wasn't pursued over the early years of human civilisation. The answer to that would be science or, to be more specific, maths. Before maths, most languages were subjective and interpretive rather than definite and logical. With that power of subjectivity, it was easy to evade having to answer. How big is the earth, you ask? While under maths, you will have to put units, and then under physics, estimate and verify it; in any other language, you can just have a word for it. Subjectivity gives an illusion of an answer, preventing one from digging further and, in this case, striving to learn more. That leaves us with a vacuum, which ...

India's latest parliament building was done within 2 years, which is remarkable in a country where large projects are known to be marred with corruption and bureaucratic blockades, ultimately shooting the estimates. The parliament like most of the other Delhi architectures, was a reminiscence of the colonial era, which the rulers of the day found symbolic in taking over. It has to do with the fact that Indian independence was mostly seen as a peaceful transfer of power rather than a violent outing of the colonizers, as with many other Asian countries. The claim for peace in the process was somewhat lost in the massive riots that followed the partition of the erstwhile British India Colony. But the establishments of the British era were carried on, and sometimes even the legislation still needed to be changed. This, if one would agree, does manifest the Indian idolisation of the Western culture, or at least the veneration of the West among its ruling elite. It was, therefore, impera...

 Prashant Kishor has been the most enigmatic discovery of the new Indian politics. While the BJP, in true merit, can boast of being a poll crusader with the margins and amount of states they have swept, PK remains the undoubted champion for electoral success. The man behind Modi, to the man behind any opposition leaders that one may list in 2023, be it Kejriwal, Mamta, Statin or even Jagan Reddy, all have at least once sought the professional services of India's Ballot John Wick. With his scientific approach to electorate data, straightforward representation of the facts, and ingenious formulations, parties today mick several of his strategies and mantras. The greatest challenge for PK is to retain his reputation; he has to be constantly innovating in the electoral marketing landscape. That is why he did announce his retirement after the victory in Bengal. However, He today is on a different mission, one that looks like something Congress tried to pull off with their bharat jodo ya...

 Martin Seligman noticed that much present-day psychology concerned diseases and their redressal. This prompted him to look at wellness and mindfulness as a psychological study, ushering in a new age of positive psychology. In the later years, even corporates noticed that employees' mental health was much more closely related to their productivity than many other factors, including competence. This begs a profound question about the importance of positive social reinforcement in its role towards a developing society.  India celebrates multiple public holidays compared to most other places, which relish a vacation during Easter and Christmas break. However, Indian holidays are mostly a day or two, but much more frequent. To look at the positives, these are primarily social celebrations, so instead of a day off from work, it is dedicated to family, friends and community. A rejuvenated mind works much better. Secondly, it is essential to note that the holiday season, as it is cal...

KM Munshi, a revered drafting committee member, wanted a uniform civil code; otherwise, he believed it would be impossible to reform the attitude of Hindu society towards women. However, the case for a uniform civil code would lose out to a 5:4 vote split in the same and has remained a controversial page ever since. Today, the call for UCC is pressing in the Islamic corners of Indian society, as the supreme court noted in its landmark Shah Bano case of 1985. The then-incumbent prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was already worried about his northeast and south pursuits and did not want to mettle with the turbulent religious politics. Ever since BJP has made it a part of the manifesto. There are a few merits to the UCC case, such as the ambiguous nature of marriages in multiple committees and the growing disparity in the civil laws between the Hindu and Muslim communities. one of the most cited examples is the provision of polygamy in the Muslim community and the triple lakh law. Present-day...

Throughout human existence, expression has changed forms. The journey has been long and seldom rewarding, from cave paintings to ballads, journals, and memes. Because most often, the authority ascertained to a particular medium of information tends to discredit its predecessor. There is little complaint against this since newer technology promises truth. Ballads, as we know, were changed over time to appease patrons, something that books couldn't do. But what happens when we look at a civilisation's history through the lens of writers who were perhaps biased. There is little doubt about their calibre, but to rule out all bias would be folly. With more intro, let's examine the Indo-Aryan Theory, predicaments and preconceptions. The Harappan Mohenjodaro civilization has long been clouded under an unclear end, without a good theory as to why or where the inhabitants of these well-planned city-states migrated. Given the trade and craftsmanship of the Indus valley civilization, ...

The Bengal elections have ratified that despite massive inputs and involvements, raising a regional party against an incumbent govt. It is not one of the most straightforward tasks. This highlights the dynamics of regional and national politics in India, especially regarding geographic specifications and whether the BJP expansionist strategy needs a sanity check. The earliest signs of this defiance were spotted when the state of Odishavoted simultaneously fore MLA and MP candidates. It was the first time people were choosing candidates from two different ( and conflicting ) parties, clearly portraying a choice concerning the role, not allegiance.  To start with, BJP had its prominence in the Hindi heartland of UP, MP and Rajasthan before it became a national alternative. The first few stints, which came from the NDA, saw active partners like Shiv Sena, JDU, BJD, AIDMK and, ironically, TMC. In this stage, the opportunity for a right-aligning Hindu-biased vote bank developed, which t...

The preamble of Indian Constitution does a good job of describing how people of India welcomed this land in the mid 20th century. Except it's a mouthful for s-worded adjectives, something every writer despises. But in its defence, it was only sometimes the case. As the early snaps would agree, there were days when the only adjective was 'sovereign'. The other, secular and socialist, were added using several amendments culminating in 1975. And needless to say, these terms have guided the political compass throughout the later part of the century.  Now that we are as old to the amendments as they were to the constitution, a question on its impact remains. The Idea of secularity, which commands a independence of the state and the religion, seems a streched affair in India. We are a country where even the minority hold pious beliefs close to their heart. So, in India the, unbiasedness is maintained by an equal involvement of the state in all religions. And, thus has there been ...

While speaking about the ideal path for the saffron party, Dr S. Swamy casually mentioned the unspoken truth. The 2019 elections could be won just on the lines of communal conservatism, striking an image of glorified India and the role of Hindus in it. But, putting his political acumen into context, he added that 2024 candidates, however, will have to account for the promised economy, governance and development. And so did the cards unfold; the BJP manifesto, which fueled the long-standing demands of and unified Hindu Rastra, seemed to land the party in a landslide majority. But, as incumbency keeps knocking on the door, leaders must find new successes to celebrate. And here we come to another famous slogan "Jai jawan, Jai Kisan". Military mavericks and agriculture agendas have the potential to persuade public opinion in favour of the party when put rightly. Therefore reforms must be more appealing than revolutionising. That brings into the picture primarily non-liberalised a...

Yes, I am proudly a Hindu and also a Nationalist. But its a risk today, the risk being targeted as an Islamophobic and an intolerant. And to a large extent, the fear is genuine, just misdirected. Well, I may have sounded judgemental in the past few lines, so, I would love to present my case. Hinduism is, arguably, one of the most complicated religions, because of the lack of a single discourse, multiple narratives and the argumentative nature of the texts. This, however, has made things simple for the people of the subcontinent, allowing for customisations to rituals and traditions. An excellent example of this is the cultural influence on the religious practises, or even better the inclusion of Jains and Buddhists to the mass umbrella of Hindu dwellers. However, the story has an ugly face over the last decades, namely the partition of India. This has exposed so many fault lines over the years and needless to mention the crooked politics that exploits these frontiers. The appease...

To be fair, its a hard time for mass media these days; especially for broadcasted media. The print media, as of now, caters to a class of people, who have the patience and intent to scroll through, roughly ten pages of small letters (thanks to the need for advertisement and page 3 models). But thankfully its market is not dead yet. There are people who value opinions and literature of these old pioneers of information. The cable/satellite TV does not so. It faces a herculean task of getting the smartphone-addicted adolescents and office weary adults to the tv screen, and hold them together with a story both fascinating and useful. And this is where the fall begins, in the battle for fascinating and useful; useful is generally the suitable bride, but the difficult one to chase. And when the facebook and google clicks are reducing the viewers of the TV media with every new click, Fascinating is the easy optionṣ. The script for the death of TV news was written the day fancy stories ab...

The entertainment industry in India is waiting for yet another disruptive innovation, with millions of young users equipped with gigabytes of data every day, there is a new untapped customer base. Not particularly untapped since it makes do with pirated movies and free web series. But, there is an apparent lack of entertainment streamed towards them. Also, the shift from television sets to mobile devices, sets the stage clear for a change in content. the spikes in porn consumption and adult web series do speak of this unattended guest. The popularity of two platforms, mostly youtube and TikTok, have also helped in developing a new class of actors. To name a few Sumeet Vyas, Jitendra, Bhuvan Bam and much more. It has become apparent that the arduous task of going from one to another production house seeking a side role in a daily soap or movie, is on a decline. Not that, people won't get their debut at soaps and movies, but it seems easier to get a web series and keep working tha...

Plunged into the darkness, the golden valley of India has no routes of communication with the rest of the world. J&K is experiencing the worst curfew of all times, as we celebrate the independence day. With leaders promising of the changes that the move will usher in, and opposition dazzled by the sudden turn of events, the common media has no means to breach the incommunicado.  I feel I can bet with some certainty about how the world looks at the Kashmir issue. Much similar to how we see the Rohingya issue of Myanmar, or Palestine in Israel (I know I have just pulled in ears of FBI). But yes, Kashmir is the Achilles heel for India's global image. And probably the biggest burden of the Indian army. However, a mother cannot just cut-off a child just because, it is in trouble. Primarily because of two reasons; one that we have a responsibility to help people of the valley and second that if such fate draws upon another state of our country, we would do the same, help them recov...

The Notre Dame de Paris, vibrant and unique as it is, also boasts of millions, given in donation for the supposed rebuilding of the ancient architecture. Most of this amount can be traced back to the wealthy, the sophisticated, the luxury-seeking, just a handful of families around the world. To me, the question is not if this money could have been used in the welfare of the needy, because I stand by their right and discretion to spend their own wealth. But the critical question is, even to the creamiest strata of the society, religion does have a significant impact. Now, heading back to India. Although the ruling party made no apparent movement to suggest their affiliation to any religious body, the intellectuals (and somehow many of them liberals) did cry out loud that the politicians were using religion as their weapon of mass mobilisation. What they supposedly thought, was that such aggressive revelation would make people morally conscious of their choice and chose the otherwise...

To treat one human different from other just for his birth right is a crime. To force someone to do a job he does not will to o is a violation of human rights. But then it is important to note,  how we see freedom as an essential part of the human existence.  We are so attached to our privacy… So our society has become an open race, with stiff competition … Everyone dreaming to reach pinnacles of glory. We must appreciate if some people thought that,  freedom could be given up, to bring in organisation into society.  They felt freedom would lead to a lot of chaos… So t hey made a division of jobs and society, so that everyone does his own part and passes on the knowledge to next generation. However, it failed because : some jobs became coveted and others were looked down . This brought the Varna system, which was draconian and unfair. as  new jobs emerged ,  people wanted to break free  of these restrictions. competition showed a more pr...