Spam beyond inbox!!

Although I have joined the facebook group- “I don’t read newspapers anymore” my MINT subscription still continues. The Wall Street Journal articles are my favorites.
The first tab that I open after checking my mail , is my feed reader followed by twitter and facebook.
When it comes to TV, which is a rare phenomenon, I prefer sticking to Discovery and TimesNow.

Whatever medium I may choose to update myself and the world, my immunity towards the Ads is one thing that has increased exponentially.
Not that I don’t see ads or I use Flash Ad Block, but the fact that the Purple Cow is nowhere to be seen. The last time when I actually clicked on an ad it was a friend’s birthday who still believes that Google Ads on his blog would fetch him dollars.

But then a couple of days back I decided to contribute to google’s earnings. I actually clicked on a couple of ads, noticed the ads on Mint, actually watched a movie on TV wtih a gazillion of breaks (this one was the worst of all). And then I concluded that

• I wish the TV had google ads, they can be actually more effective.
• The ad placement and targeting in the print media is nothing but pathetic.The internet still did fairly better since google new my search patterns so I was given highly targeted ads.
• Customizing ads on newspaper according to reader’s interest might actually result in a better ROI for the Adverstisers, which although is immeasurable for the moment.
• Last but not the least, if you compare the amount of spam we are literally exposed to, courtesy the offline print media, the gmail spam folder would take ages to catch up
  

The fact that while a advertiser
would invest in getting the prime spot hoarding, airtime during the matinee hours , grab the front page for advertising , I or for that matter intellectually mature people would simply ignore it very genuinely. I guess it’s time for CMO’s to read Purple Cow.

Information Explosion...

These are the best of times,these are the worst of times.For today we live in a era where almost each one of has access to an unimaginable breadth and depth of information.
But then the era of Information Explosion has more and more air blown into the Bubble.

Thanx to the information explosion.
SPAMMING ,although being the last thing that a marketer would ever like to do , seems to be on a high .
Filtering content is another challenge that people are now getting used to.
And to add to that the hyped Talks ,workshops,Sessions,Lectures are getting monotonous

The podcasts have replaced the interviews.
Slideshare has replaced powerpoint presentaions.
Youtube has better talks or workshops .
Add to that blogs .
To be precise , now you can actually choose to stay out of a event ,since you know for sure, the Internet has better alternatives.

As far as my experience goes ,yes i was a die hard fan of GYAN.
I craved for it.
I used to read almost over 100 blogs a day on social media,SEM-SEO,Blogging,Internet Marketing......
I loved the sessions at Barcamps.
I enjoyed being a part of this ecosystem that was evolving like never before.


But then , i guess what looked like the driving force for joining such communities, turned against itself. And the obvious reason being perhaps the INFORMATION OVERLOAD on the internet
Add to this -the general story telling .

"THE MOST CLICHED STORY"

I was a common man. I had a idea--but had no idea how to implement that. Then we thought over it .
But then we had no money. Then we bootstrapped Then we hunted for VC's. After n iterations in the product plan,
and 2n meeting's we got funded. n now ,I am THE ENTREPRENEUR.

With all due respect to the ecosystem and the entrepreneurs .Nobody would or even can/ever raise a question over your credibility as a entrepreneur or the amount of efforts you have put in.
But then,
As the audience we get this story everytime..in Livemint, on Radio,Podcasts,Blogs n everywhere.
If you can present the entire journey as a casestudy , it might add more value to the story.
Telling the general story,i guess really wont attract ME.

So today i think twice before i enter a session on Startup's or VC's speaking, or rules of blogging,tips on Internet Marketing,or for that matter even technology.
And even if i enter it ,the repetition of topics, drives me out.

The freshness quotient ,i guess has been lost or atleast decreasing.
Everytime i see a mailer/poster about a session by XYZ , i think !!!

DO WE REALLY NEED TO GO AND LISTEN TO THEM ?
WHY CANT WE LISTEN TO THEM ON A PODCAST
OR SIMPLY READ ABOUT THE RULES OF .........
WHY DO WE NEED THE SAME THING OVER N OVER N OVER?
DONT U FEEL saturated ALREADY?

I guess i need a break,BADLY. SO I shall logoff from the Community for a while.

Hmmmm .....

Hmmmm is something many of us relate to.
When i asked my friends what comes to their mind when they see/hear/type/speak Hmmmm
Tried to aggregate some of the weird thoughts ..

Disclaimer---Some ,if not all the thoughts are definitely mine .lol

• How Milan/Mudra Met Mudra/Milan's Mother/Maid/Maa'm/Madame Master.......
• you are busy or pretending to be busy
• Ignoring somebody or manybody's
• Thinking !!! pretending to be thinking
• on Thought provoking questions ..just before before the answers..
• when your conversation reaches the "What's Up" syndrome.
• when do u dont have a answer like Joey
• when you answer diplomatically
• When u agree to somebody
• Even when u disagree but still to agree..
• While u try to show that u really have grey matter
• When u r really serious.
• agreeing Unanimously
• last but not the least--If u r into Marketing :D

Looking forward to update the list..
keep waiting :P

The 20 Something who is "OFF CONSUMPTION"

Inspired by Gauravonomics where the marketer goes off consumption in

"quests of find the formula to turn consumerism-caused ennui into happiness, and my quest as a marketer to learn how to apply that formula to convert our collective ennui from consumption into a yelp of enthusiasm for consuming even more."

However I am writing this post would reflect the genuine 20 year someone ,a person who has to Unwillingly ,unintentionally has accepted to live with the rules that throw him off consumption every second day when he struggles with his canteen bill , Vodafone Easy recharges and what not.

For "the guy next door " life at 20 as u wud think is really not a bed of roses ,its more then going to college ,hanging out in the cafetaria while thinking about gathering resume points and make adjustments/compromises/sacrifices which are referred to as CHOICES .

The "shituation" is the fact that this 20 year old guy who is badly struggling with

"CHARLES DARWIN's THEORY OF SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST"

is forced to go into a OFF CONSUMTION MODE for reasons better known to u and me .

Denial they say is the most predictable action of human race ,
still against all odds i still believe somewhere deep in your heart you would be able to relate to the list of reasons and mite help in adding too.

• Girlfriend in the neighboring state,
• Pending STD bills,
• A banned canteen account,
• Loans @ not so rich friends
• Another bday,nother party...
• The odd dinner with the old school friend
• Add to this inflation @ Pchidambaram and :P
• just about average grades,
• The Million $ project ..where u end up investing and the college never feels like reimbursing

SO our guy next door at times feels like the perfect loser.
The dilemma comes in when he starts planning for the Call Center in Bandra but then is this the" RIGHT AGE" and with Bill Gates quoting -

"Money is not everything but make sure u have made loads of it before u talk such nonsense"

the dilemma increases exponentially.

So when Mr Avg decided to fight against all odds ,hoping against hope he THROWS HIMSELF OFF CONSUMPTION and Launches a campaign unknown to everybody The rules of this campaign are not only strangely unique but can set example for Indian Economy

• traveling in buses and not Autos. (Notion given ---Go Green)
  
• takes the special WT train(without ticket) (Its overcrowded..so do they really care bout one just 1 Ticket!!!)
  
• Avoids CCD hangouts (Staff Canteen's Coffee is much better)
• Development of a strange liking for Mess food (Rice Dal rocks..)
  
• Starts enjoying window shopping.(Inspired by girls)
  
• Avoids malls just enough to curb that extra desire for that Blazer.(Got loads of things to do..eg. Project Report,LAB manual etc etc )

The amount and extent of adjustments our friend would be making sets examples for height for Imagination
The point to be noted was the fact that everywhere and everytime he tries to save his cents..thus he is unintentionally thrown out of Consumption.

Somewhere sometime ,all of us have faced such a phase which we would never want to repeat,but again as another firend of mine sees the "brighter part" of the situation..

"We learn living on the EDGE..the entire concept of balancing the equation is funny
and interesting but do we really have options.No we DONOT "

Personally i have been thrown out of the consumers section many a times and that too for long periods but again life @ Room no 368 should never be boring and monotonous..
Wat say u...

Marketing .. Layman Version 1.

Marketing .



I don't want to sound like a marketing guru,but believe you me ,I plan to be one ,some day ,one day.

Follow this track,as this one would have yours truly turning into a Marketing Guru.