More than a little birdie

     Watching a crocodile at close quarters with powerful binoculars has a spine chilling effect. It is a surreal feeling, seeing a crocodile like you are next to it, as it suns itself amidst cool green glades, oblivious to the rare boat that travels in the water around it. And yet, the feeling was not one of fear as I sat in a boat in the Rangnathitu bird sanctuary. It was one of peace and tranquility as we traveled through the sylvan surroundings in which birds of different species contentedly nested, ate or flew around.

       Shivanna, our boatman, had the uncanny ability to spot from a distance rare species of birds hiding in the bushes. We also spotted a lot of not-so-rare species as well of course. Not being a great connoisseur of birds, I was not really qualified to tell the difference between the two. Among the birds we spotted were the painted stork, the purple heron, the stone plover, the wagtail, the snake bird, the night heron, the egret, the thick knee and the pied kingfisher, to name a few. Not to put a too fine point on it, this is a haven for photography enthusiasts, bird watchers, ornithologists and amateur wildlife lovers. The serene surroundings with breathtaking natural beauty make it time well spent even if you are none of the above. A caveat however is to hit the place early in the morning before the crowds start coming in. The danger in going late is twofold - crowds scare the birds away. Anyway, even in the absence of crowds, the later it gets the fewer birds you are likely to see. The other danger is that you are likely to miss out on the serenity of the sylvan surroundings if you go late. After all, the later it gets the less sylvan it becomes. And the teeming crowds are unlikely to enhance the serenity of the sanctuary.
         Located in Karnataka, the Rangnathitu bird sanctuary is 16 Km from Mysore and only 3 Km from Srirangapatna. Though it provides lodging, one can also stay in Mysore and drive down early in the morning. It is not a very large sanctuary, being 67 square kilometers in area. It consists of 6 islets which were formed when a dam was built across the Kaveri river. Dr. Salim Ali, the world renowned ornithologist, observed that these islets formed an important nesting place for birds. In 1940, he asked the Wodeyar kings of Mysore to declare the place as a wildlife sanctuary.The sanctuary has a Dr. Salim Ali interpretation center, in memory of the great ornithologist. Other interesting places include a watch point, which provides a good view of the islets.
         The months between June and November are the best to visit the sanctuary. However, December is the best time for those looking to spot migratory birds. Irrespective of when you go, make sure to hit the place early in the day, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your wonderful experience at the Rangnathitu Bird Sanctuary.

Songs of Blood and Sword

       Songs of Blood and Sword – a Daughter’s memoir is aptly named, if not anything else. The violence and bloodshed that haunts the Bhutto family is the leitmotif of the book, and the only theme that seems stronger is the tribute Fatima Ali Bhutto pays to her dead father, Murtaza Ali Bhutto.

      The book provides an interesting insight into Pakistani politics. An unbiased account this may be not, what with the author being the granddaughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto. However, to the uninformed reader, it provides a passing acquaintance with Pakistani politics, right from the times of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The content seems well researched, drawing on letters and interviews with close confidants and party workers of the PPP (Pakistani People’s Party).

        The book starts off by tracing the history of the Bhutto family. It briefly runs through a highlight of the lives of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s forefathers. It then moves on to describe the childhood and early adult years of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, how he went abroad to study at the University of South California and later on, the University of California, Berkeley. It describes his experiences there, and how these experiences molded his perceptions, his thinking and hence, his policies. The book talks about the deep commitment that Zulfikar had towards socialism. It traces his career as he came back to Pakistan, became foreign minister in the Ayub Khan government, resigned over differences of opinion regarding foreign policy, launched his own party, and became president and later on prime minister.

         The focus of the book then shifts to Murtaza Ali Bhutto, and traces his early years. The narrative moves between the arrest of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by Zia-ul-Haq and the efforts of the brothers Murtaza and Shahnawaz to raise awareness about his plight and garner sympathy and support from world leaders, while staying in exile in Afghanistan and later, Syria. Here’s where the bloodshed begins. The tale of the twists and turns in the lives of the Bhutto family and Pakistani politics as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shahnawaz Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and finally Benazir Bhutto are killed is told passionately, if not with great detail or precision.

           At the end of the day, what remains with you on reading the book is deep sense of empathy for the author for the entire trauma that she has undergone. The writing is extremely passionate, and makes for interesting reading. Any daughter will be moved by the manner in which the author looks up to her father, how close she was to him, and eventually, her sense of loss. 

Storybranding: The power of Story in creating enduring brands

       The purpose of every advertiser has always been to cut through all the clutter in order to garner the attention of his/her audience. However, studies have shown that amongst the claims of doctors, teachers, lawyers, journalists, stockbrokers and advertisers, those of advertisers are least likely to be believed by people. This is primarily because advertising is seen as an activity that is primarily driven by self-interest, which seeks to sell a product by making certain claims about it no matter what the actuality of the product is. This eventually results in companies spending a great deal on advertising, but the corresponding advertising not being successful as people have tuned themselves to ignoring or disbelieving everything they hear about a product in its ads.

        Enter Storybranding. Storybranding is an approach to creating powerful brands which involves selling a story that deeply resonates with people such as “Think Different”, “Umeed wali asha, sunshine wali dhoop” or “Don’t be evil” in contrast to selling the product itself. When you learn to tell a story that the audience deeply identifies with, there is no need to sell the product. Says Scott Bedbury, Chief Marketing Officer, Nike and Starbucks, “A brand is a story that connects with something very deep. Companies that manifest this sensibility invoke something very powerful.”

    A story has been defined as a character attempting to overcome an obstacle, by Jim Signorelli, author of Storybranding: Creating stand out brands by the Power of Story. Research has shown that our brains are hard wired to better accept messages delivered through stories as opposed to other mediums of delivering a message.   

        Most marketing consists about telling the end consumer what the product is all about and how it can affect their lives in a positive manner. But look into the greatest success stories of all times, and you see that people don’t really buy in to what you do or how you do it, but into why you do it. When an organization builds a brand, it builds a thread of integrity and consistency which is reflected in each and every one of its actions. Take for example Apple, which is renowned for its culture of innovation. People buy into this idea of innovation, of thinking different, which is why Apple is the organization with the largest market cap today. There were computers, MP3 players and tablets before Apple came into the picture, but these never attained mass appeal. In the classic marketing theory of the diffusion of innovation, the early adopters are the ones who initially try out a product but for it to attain mass appeal the early majority (34%) and late majority (34%) need to buy in to the product. And in order for the product to attain mass appeal, people need to buy in to its brand. A brand story is the fundamental expression of what your brand is all about, it is the reason behind the company’s various actions.

      The buy in to a brand story extends beyond customers buying the product of an organization. It also engenders employee loyalty, with employees genuinely being engaged with the company. As a result of this, they are far more motivated and productive. This is something clearly manifested in the example of Google, which has built a brand of powerful ethics with its “Don’t be Evil” story. When it was faced with the option of continuing in China (which represented a huge market) and giving in to the censorship demands of the government, it chose instead to stick to its ideals and withdraw from China. This is an example of remarkable consistency in the actions of an organization, by which it adheres to its brand values.  

     Of course, the brand story need not necessarily be one of exemplary virtue or radical innovation either. It can be anything your audience identifies with. For example, Kraft has launched its granola bar MilkBite with a mascot named Mel, who suffers from low self-esteem. The mascot has an identity crisis as to whether he is a milk bar or a granola bar. And through the journey of Mel, the product story is told. An emotional connect is developed by the compassion that onlookers feel for Mel.

      Dove’s campaign on Real Beauty is another campaign which seeks to have consumers identify with the brand story about diverse types of beauty, which is why it was a runaway success. The campaign was not really about shampoo or moisturizing soap, it was about celebrating the diversity of beauty in women and freeing them from stereotypes.

       Storybranding is also perhaps the reason why more companies than ever before indulge in Corporate Social Responsibility today. As competition increases, it becomes more and more important for organizations to have positive associations in the minds of people. And a positive association such as contributing to environmental sustainability by recycling old phones can send out a better message than several spots of ad spend.

      As product advertising becomes passé, it is time for marketers to look at new ways of engaging and connecting with the audience, in this case the entire gamut of people surrounding the organization, including employees, customers and suppliers. Storybranding could just prove to be an extremely effective way of doing so.    

The Hitchhiker’s guide to Kolkata

The Hitchhiker’s guide to Kolkata

            Going through Rajarhat on the way to the airport with the wind whipping through my hair, the lovely effect that the early morning showers had had on the weather was evident. I could not remember a time when Kolkata had been more beautiful. It was almost as if the city was bidding me good bye, with perfect memories of it on the last day.

                 Kolkata: the city of Joy, a city with a distinct ethos, you either love it or you hate it. Most people hate it. And yet, the city has an old world charm that’s quite unparalleled.

                  In no other metro have I witnessed the concept of a share auto, where 5 people are literally hanging out of the auto as the auto driver goes down the road at breakneck speeds, in utter disregard of anything known as traffic rules or even, respect for human life. The humidity of the city is unbeaten, often reaching 90%. The infrastructure leaves much to be desired, as the roads are clogged the minute it rains. The central part of town is incredibly crowded with buildings which are ancient and crumbling (they could almost be classified as historical).

                   So where is the charm in all of this, you ask? For starters, the average Kolkatan is extremely intelligent and well read. The bookshops in the city are an absolute delight, as they have a wide range and are well stocked. The Oxford Bookstore on Park Street, the StarMark in South City – these are perhaps the best bookstores in the country. For those who don’t want to visit the mainstream bookshops, there is College Street, the road where there are thousands of tiny bookshops selling all genres of books under the sun.

                                             Apart from that, the city is well known for its food. There are 3 large Haldiram’s across the city – one at Exide, one at Ballygunge Phadi and the third near the airport. With multi story buildings that are extremely popular amongst the local junta, Haldiram’s has some of the tastiest chaat I have ever eaten. Apart from that, the city is famous for its Chinese as well with joints such as  Peter Cat, Mocambo and Bar-B-Q on Park Street. And of course, one should not miss the legendary Flury’s, one of the oldest and best confectioners in India. With nearly 100 years of heritage, Flury’s is a quaint tea shop which quite simply personifies the term old world charm. While the general milieu is old-worldly, the place also has a contemporary vibrancy to it. Most importantly, it happens to serve the yummiest cakes and pastries. Talk of food in Kolkata is incomplete without the mention of mishti. Although not a great fan of sweets myself, there are some great places here for those with a sweet tooth, the most notable of which is K C Das. The Dases have for generations been indulging the sweet tooth of Kolkata, starting with Nobin Chandra Das ( father of K C Das) who is credited with having invented the famous roshagolla. Apart from that, puchka shops dot every nook and cranny of the city. The charm of having puchkas in the evening along with tea from the nearby adda served in a matka, is again something that I’ll always remember about Kolkata.

                             For the tourist, the places of note in Kolkata are the Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Dakshineshwar Temple, The Science City and Kali temple. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about the Memorial in the evening, with its large expanses of well kept lawns, and the shimmering water in its still lake. The architecture is also quite simply, mind blowing. The Science City is worth one visit, primarily for the space theatre which is quite a unique concept. It has a huge screen spanning the ceiling, front and sides of the theatre which showcases an extremely well made documentary on the Amazon. The Dakshineshwar temple and Belur Math are interesting places to visit for people with a spiritual bent of mind.

                                                    Perhaps what give a city character are its quirks, and Kolkata has a truckload of them.  Be it the black-and-yellow taxis who contemptuously refuse to go to a nearby location, or the ubiquitous sight of people of all hues and genders walking about with an umbrella, the long queues for the share autos, the paanwallahs on every road surrounded by office goers stealing a smoke, the cycle rickshaws carrying college goers and Bengali aunties, the sight of scores of bespectacled, kurta clad intellectuals, the tea addas – these are the some of the things that go into making Kolkata the distinctive place it is. And of course, the denizens of the city come with their own set of quirks. The Kolkatan is always willing to get into debate and discussion, especially when it comes to political matters. Kolkatans also have a profound respect for education. More often than not, most of them have strong opinions over which they easily get excited. They love their macher jol, and are by and large a gentle and kindly set of people with a healthy sense of contempt for the world in general.      

                   Visiting a college in Ballygunge, I was amused to see a large poster of Ernesto Che Guevra with the words Socialism, Democracy and Fraternity on it even before I got wind of the name of the college. It is not often, nay never, in a metro that you get to see so much leftist activism. It is living proof of the statement that India is the only country in which communism still lives on. But that is really the thing about Kolkata, it is the only place where so many things live on, where people see no reason to change, where things stay the same forever.  Call me soft if you will, but I sense an old world charm in it.