Maaya: The Mystery is good!

Maya: The Mystery is good

I heard this name 'Maya' in the movie 'Dil to Paagal hai', I loved this name then as it described 'Mystery' to me, something uncertain, something imaginary, someone who exists or may be not.

Then one fine day, i saw this name on my whatsapp screen 'Maya', i didn't know what to say, The artist in me wanted to explore this word since long, i wanted to hug this word as i totally believed in it, I wanted to solve the mystery, I loved this word from my soul ,

Maya could be loved by all, Maya could be a dream, Maya was beautiful, Maya was a fantasy, Maya was a feeling. Maya was a mystery and i loved the word 'Mystery'.

Maya always reminded me of sea, that something is there beneath its surface, something happens in night under the water of this turbulent and calm sea.

I kept on thinking about word 'Maya' and its mystery. A thought crossed my mind:

Is mystery, a good thing or a bad thing?

There was a fight between Head & Heart, Head said, its bad thing, Heart said, its a good thing!

Head said, it is a bad thing because mystery brings fear, fear of unknown, it destroys planning.What will happen to me in future, will i get a good job? Will i get love of my life? till what age i will be alive? there is a mystery to all above questions & many more, Uncertainty which is termed not good for people.

Heart argued, it is the mystery which keeps us alive, just imagine for a minute its absence, you know everything, there is no uncertainty, You know when you will die, You will know when you will get married, you will know what salary you will be getting at every stage of your career.

Now think for a minute, everyone in the world knows their fate, there will be no life, no passion, there will not be any sense of commitment because you know what will happen to you in advance.

Heart said, the world will cease to exist if there is no mystery.

Heart continued, in absence of mystery:

1.There will be no efforts from anyone for anything
2. There will be no love.
3.There will be no imaginations.
4.There will be no expressions.
5.There will be no fear, no greed

Mystery forces people to live, make efforts to create their own path, it keeps the world going.

Let the mystery of our life guide us, who knows what can happen tomorrow, something unexpected, you may be billionaire, you may find love,

Lets believe in the power of unpredictability, power of imagination, power of uncertainty.Lets not think whatever we are today, will be same tomorrow.


Lets be busy in solving Mystery, lets indulge in Maya.


Vikas Sachdeva

Comedy Nights with Kapil- A Phenomenon

Comedy Nights with Kapil- A Phenomenon

I have carefully chosen the word, Phenomenon, isn't that true for this show?

The show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil' is a chart-buster and is snatching the TRPs from all other comedy programs single handedly inspite of showtime ,10 pm on weekends.

I have seen people from all age groups talking about the show and even laughing on the next day on some of the anecdotes from the show. After one year of the show ( it started on 22nd June, 2013), there is still a magic in Kapil Sharma's spontaneity.

Basically from Punjab, this talented gentleman Kapil Sharma is a comedian, singer, actor and what not. He truly knows what connects. Here are few pointers ,why his show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil' is such a rage on Television:

Content is the hero

A well thought out content is the hero of the show, then comes dialogue delivery of Kapil, Kapil and his team have done a extensive research on human behavior , how people react to situations, Characteristics of people in northern india, understanding of changes in the personality types with age and income. The straightforward rawness of content makes it adorable. Also recency factor in the content helps people connect more.Without well thought content, this show would have been like any other show. Kudos to the content!

Sections in the show

Dividing the show in parts makes it more interesting, As a part of  well executed plan. Compartmentalizing the contents in:

1. Intial introduction within first 10 minutes of the show sets the tone.
2. Entries and exits of Daadi, Bua, Sumona and their servant keep the flow of the show alive,keeping the interest levels high.

Celebrities add the Tadka

Celebrities also come on other shows , but here they come with a purpose. Purpose to feel free , without judging anyone, they do their job of promoting any film or sharing their experiences. Their involvement levels spices up the show.


Physical Energy - the catalyst

Have you seen celebrities and public moving so much around the stage in any show? Daadi played by Ali Asgar is awesome example of physical energy on the stage. The way artists run around, move around the set is what makes the show more real.

Siddhu- The real laughing buddha

Just imagine, nobody is laughing when you crack a joke, how will you feel?, now consider, someone is constantly laughing at all the jokes/sentences without caring what people think , will you not feel tempted to laugh? it is contagious.With immense knowledge and being a eloquent speaker , Siddhu acts as the spine of the show, whenever camera rolls over him , he is seen laughing thus making you believe the content is worth a laugh.

Interactions with the crowd

This section of the show is liked by many people. When Kapil interacts with people, there is always a element of mystery of his response. he speaks to all age groups, since people like to see others teased, he exploits this emotional need in humans very well..

Frequency of the show

Show comes just twice a week, unlike the other saas bahu serials which dominate the house 5 day a week. So less supply ,more demand.

Kapil Sharma- The hero

His spontaneity, sense of timing increases the impact of the humor. He is balanced in the show, He plays many roles in the show

1. Show starter
2. Family member
3. Host of the magazine interview
4. Singer

In the end, Kapil and his show is liked because he makes people laugh, in today's life where everyone is time pressed, his show entertains people and bring smiles to their families.

By the way, I am also from Punjab!


Keep laughing!

Vikas Sachdeva

Whom are we speaking to?

Scene- My desk, on Phone

Me: Hello, I am Vikas Sachdeva, I am in Marketing Team, Can you please help me with the sub categories of awards for the entry - Advertising, Events, Print ads, TV ads,Communication collaterals, any research insights, concept innovation etc?  I have sent all the entries for the awards.

Other side: Yes, I will mail you all the details.

Scene 2, A glass cabin mixed with few walls 

Me: Sir, I will be getting the details of sub categories of awards

Other side: whom did you speak to?

Me: Some representative from awards, but i don't know the name.

Other side: Its always good to know who is the person we are speaking to, at least the name.

Though this conversation has become the pretext of the thought , I have been thinking for last 6-7 months about

Whom brands/marketers speak to promoting their products/services/brands/companies/offerings.


I read somewhere "Marketing for prospective customers needs to be different than Marketing for already acquired customers"

So whom are we speaking to?

Only communication perspective

Prospect 

Brands speak very nicely to him/her, he/she is the most pampered person on this earth, he is approached/influenced on everything, Which car he should buy, which phone is best for his/her needs etc , Brands make him believe that they are the only best choice available to him if he wants to redeem himself.

If we are speaking to prospect, In our communication, We should be

• Giving him knowledge about the product/service than pushing it 
• Giving him experience of our brand/product service first than telling him its advantages over others
• Lucrative incentives to try  

As a prospect, i may not know what to buy, it is the trials with the different brands which will help me choose. Better is the experience , better are the chances of getting picked.

Through deal sites like Snap-deal/group on, what they do is, they discount the full time service/product to trial mode, customer pays say Rs 599 for a spa treatment where he/she experiences services and then choose full time packages.

 If a toothpaste or a cream continuously speak about how it is better than others, beyond a point people start mistrusting the same.

Customer

It is the most misunderstood word, There is a distinct difference between customer and a user. I may be a customer of a hypermarket when i buy detergent but i am not the end user. The requirements of end user may be different than a customer. While I may choose X brand based on availability/location of the hypermarket/convenience while end user may think of price/quality of the product.

If we are speaking to a end user

• Focusing on targeting/communication based on quality of the product/durability/tangible aspects. He/she always looks for functional aspects first
• Comparisons with other brands/services, challenging his rational mind to think, giving him reasons to choose your product/service rather than you pushing it
• Offers/discounting

In the end , I should be proud of my decision in choosing the brand/product/service. If i as a end user have not got kick of purchase, if my rational mind is not happy, all in vain.

If we are speaking to a customer

• Focusing on targeting his triggers of choosing the products/service, We need to involve the customer into our journey, how this product/service is made, how it started, engaging him more through story telling.
• Giving him more reasons to be loyal, family outings in the plant where we manufacture the products, making him feel special, making him feel important and valued
• Involvement of his friends/family in your business
• Involvement of his in new product/service design
• Understand his/her emotional needs

Today thanks to tight budgets over variety of media options available, same communication is released for all types ( prospects/customer/end user), then we wait and wait for the results. 

We need to craft tailor made programs for each type we are targeting and administer each program effectively.  

At the end, i would like all of us to think " Communication/Marketing for Prospect/Customer/End user is distinctively different from each other, we need to think differently for each set" 

By the way, Just 20 days left , we will have new government at the center.

Keep smiling!

Vikas Sachdeva