Communicate 2
Kyoorius Design
Sunday 22 November 2009
More unassuming entrances... and an Ad agency
Pinstorm - the only one that looked like an ad agency!
Chandrankat Gharat - Jewellery Seller Elephanta Island
After having to buy an extra 10 tickets between 3 of us to get the boat to move anywhere, we finally set off to Elephanta Island from the Gateway to India in Mumbai.
Arriving at the jetty after 45 minutes, we stocked up on sugary drinks and snacks not knowing what was at the end of the long pier (so long there's a train on it to take you to the top). In the searing sun, we walked.
Chandrankat approached us, his arm laden with typical Indian tourist jewellery. 'No thank you, No thank you' we kept repeating. Then he just started to chat - was I married, did I have children, where was my husband, where did I live. Understanding my reticence, feeling like I was going to be guilted in to buying something, the communication was friendly, but not exactly 2 way. Then Chandrankat said 'Don't worry, you don't buy, we just talk'. And talk we did, all the way to the end of the jetty.
Arriving at the jetty after 45 minutes, we stocked up on sugary drinks and snacks not knowing what was at the end of the long pier (so long there's a train on it to take you to the top). In the searing sun, we walked.
Chandrankat approached us, his arm laden with typical Indian tourist jewellery. 'No thank you, No thank you' we kept repeating. Then he just started to chat - was I married, did I have children, where was my husband, where did I live. Understanding my reticence, feeling like I was going to be guilted in to buying something, the communication was friendly, but not exactly 2 way. Then Chandrankat said 'Don't worry, you don't buy, we just talk'. And talk we did, all the way to the end of the jetty.
He lived in the village, had been born there. His wife lived in Mumbai with his 3 daughters. He made the jewellery out of stones he bougt in the markets around Mumbai and sold them to tourists coming to Elephanta. We had a good old chat. When we got to the end, he pulled one of the necklaces off his arm 'Matches your dress, present from me, I like to talk, no one ever talks'.
Despite feeling I couldn't take his hard work, he absolutely insisted. And so I made a friend, Chandrankat. He came back on the boat to us in Bombay, it turns out he speaks Russian and Italian too. We chatted about the price of education, his family, my family... and when we docked, he went off for a beer, and I went off for my interview with Impact magazine.
He says if any of my friends or family need a guide on Elephanta, he would be glad to take you for R 250 (£3.50). He's always on the jetty, dressed all in white, selling his necklaces.
Mahesh Murthy - Pinstorm
Mahesh Murthy is one of those blokes that has made lots of money by thinking big and can’t seem to just sit still. Mahesh made his money in the heady days of mid 90’s Silicon Valley.
He didn’t just retire to the beach, he returned to India to launch and run Channel V, a rival to MTV until it was sold to News corp. Like Dilip Cherian, he seems to have an aversion to staying with the big companies, preferring instead to help start ups with investment and advice. He launched Pinstorm in 2004 with the express aim of making good money out of digital advertising.
What is unique about Pinstorm, is that they are remunerated purely on performance – something Mahesh feels you can only do with digital media. Working across search, display and social media, his team include search experts, media buyers, creatives and technology whizzes.
Working for clients from P&G to Hindustan Times, everything Pinstorm do includes a response – an e-mail address, a social media interaction, a form filled in… and you only ever pay for the end results. As an ex-creative director, Mahesh has a creative team to create ads that hit objectives, but the subjective view of creative is removed from the equation – clients have to go with what works.
From an integrated planner’s point of view I initially had lots of objections about the validity of e-mail addresses, value of those leads etc but it seems that this approach could enhance a brand building or awareness activity by providing tangible leads at the required cost per acquisition.
I wonder whether advertisers in the UK would be prepared to relinquish full control over creative approvals.
Mahesh’s team are totally transparent about where leads come from, just don’t ask them about their margin – it would put us all to shame! If they’re hitting the targets – what’s the problem?
He didn’t just retire to the beach, he returned to India to launch and run Channel V, a rival to MTV until it was sold to News corp. Like Dilip Cherian, he seems to have an aversion to staying with the big companies, preferring instead to help start ups with investment and advice. He launched Pinstorm in 2004 with the express aim of making good money out of digital advertising.
What is unique about Pinstorm, is that they are remunerated purely on performance – something Mahesh feels you can only do with digital media. Working across search, display and social media, his team include search experts, media buyers, creatives and technology whizzes.
Working for clients from P&G to Hindustan Times, everything Pinstorm do includes a response – an e-mail address, a social media interaction, a form filled in… and you only ever pay for the end results. As an ex-creative director, Mahesh has a creative team to create ads that hit objectives, but the subjective view of creative is removed from the equation – clients have to go with what works.
From an integrated planner’s point of view I initially had lots of objections about the validity of e-mail addresses, value of those leads etc but it seems that this approach could enhance a brand building or awareness activity by providing tangible leads at the required cost per acquisition.
I wonder whether advertisers in the UK would be prepared to relinquish full control over creative approvals.
Mahesh’s team are totally transparent about where leads come from, just don’t ask them about their margin – it would put us all to shame! If they’re hitting the targets – what’s the problem?
Vivek Bharga - Communicate 2
Vivek runs one of the largest search marketing businesses in India. He’s got over 150 employees, 95 of whom are Google GAP qualified. He works for Indian companies and the big media and search specialists around the world, who get his team to ‘do the do’ out in India.
What was interesting about Vivek is that he is the 3rd son in an affluent family of musical instrument manufacturers. Having spent from the age of 14 travelling the world at international music trade fairs, his entrepreneurial eyes were opened – search engine marketing wasn’t quite what the family had in mind, but he has made a real success of it
Communicate 2 works with 70% of the banks in India as well as non Indian clients like Ealing and Croydon Councils! Communicate 2 are able to provide cost effective search solutions, ad copy management and have developed their own bid management software to make the process highly efficient, as well as being skilled in the usual suspects in the UK, from Dart to Kenshoo.
Search in India differs to the UK as with only the top 5% of the country regularly accessing the internet, search advertising automatically provides a filter for targeting. From an e-commerce point of view, search can deliver a positive ROI, even on more lateral terms like using ‘buy laptop’ as a way to sell loans. In the UK, there is simply too much competition and the searcher is too remote from the point of purchase to make this approach feasible.
Working across multiple markets Vivkek’s team see these national nuances, which are predominantly driven by how sophisticated consumers have become in their search habits.
What was interesting about Vivek is that he is the 3rd son in an affluent family of musical instrument manufacturers. Having spent from the age of 14 travelling the world at international music trade fairs, his entrepreneurial eyes were opened – search engine marketing wasn’t quite what the family had in mind, but he has made a real success of it
Communicate 2 works with 70% of the banks in India as well as non Indian clients like Ealing and Croydon Councils! Communicate 2 are able to provide cost effective search solutions, ad copy management and have developed their own bid management software to make the process highly efficient, as well as being skilled in the usual suspects in the UK, from Dart to Kenshoo.
Search in India differs to the UK as with only the top 5% of the country regularly accessing the internet, search advertising automatically provides a filter for targeting. From an e-commerce point of view, search can deliver a positive ROI, even on more lateral terms like using ‘buy laptop’ as a way to sell loans. In the UK, there is simply too much competition and the searcher is too remote from the point of purchase to make this approach feasible.
Working across multiple markets Vivkek’s team see these national nuances, which are predominantly driven by how sophisticated consumers have become in their search habits.
Rajesh Kjriwal - Kyoorius Exchange
We met Rajesh at his offices over looking the railway workers’ playground in Mumbai. One of the rare green spaces in Mumbai, dedicated for railway workers and their families.
Since we’ve been in India, we have met entrepreneurs and communications practitioners, Rajesh however, is a paper distributer. Back in 1999, he took on the contract for selling conqueror paper in India. It was by doing this that he realised how important design was to paper, and paper to design – how certain inks respond to different papers, colour reactions, foil inlays and embossing. As a media planner, this is something I have never considered.
Seeing the burgeoning Indian graphic design industry unfurl in front of his eyes, Rajesh realised there was not a single organisation that could get designers together for networking and sharing, so in 2006 he launched Kyoorius Exchange. A combination of the Indian word Kyoo, meaning ‘why’ and ‘curious’ in English; the platform launched to create a community of Indian designers.
http://www.kyoorius.com/
As a marketing tool for Rajesh, this has been fantastic – his name is now synonymous with the foremost design network in India, opening doors for conversations about paper. Genius! It’s not all about marketing though. He takes the profit from his paper business and funds Kyoorius himself which runs as a not-for profit organisation. He publishes a trade magazine Kyoorius Design Mgazine, runs exhibitions, awards and networking events, sponsoring students to come to conferences around the country to exhibit and network.
There’s definitely something in this as a responsible marketing strategy for his business, but he is also obviously passionate about graphic design and has a lot of fun working in the design industry, as well as the financial benefits of distributing paper.
Since we’ve been in India, we have met entrepreneurs and communications practitioners, Rajesh however, is a paper distributer. Back in 1999, he took on the contract for selling conqueror paper in India. It was by doing this that he realised how important design was to paper, and paper to design – how certain inks respond to different papers, colour reactions, foil inlays and embossing. As a media planner, this is something I have never considered.
Seeing the burgeoning Indian graphic design industry unfurl in front of his eyes, Rajesh realised there was not a single organisation that could get designers together for networking and sharing, so in 2006 he launched Kyoorius Exchange. A combination of the Indian word Kyoo, meaning ‘why’ and ‘curious’ in English; the platform launched to create a community of Indian designers.
http://www.kyoorius.com/
As a marketing tool for Rajesh, this has been fantastic – his name is now synonymous with the foremost design network in India, opening doors for conversations about paper. Genius! It’s not all about marketing though. He takes the profit from his paper business and funds Kyoorius himself which runs as a not-for profit organisation. He publishes a trade magazine Kyoorius Design Mgazine, runs exhibitions, awards and networking events, sponsoring students to come to conferences around the country to exhibit and network.
There’s definitely something in this as a responsible marketing strategy for his business, but he is also obviously passionate about graphic design and has a lot of fun working in the design industry, as well as the financial benefits of distributing paper.
Friday 20 November 2009
Second impressions of Mumbai
There is no doubt that Mumbai, with it's bumper to bumper taxis, heat, colonial architecture and high rise buildings, is an assault on the the senses. As I settled in to my hotel, looking out of the window from my pristine room, with enormous bed, the hotel with its fantastic facilities, pool, spa, garden retreat ablaze with torches, the serene sound of water features accompanying the beeps of Bombay behind the high walls; the contrast of wealth to poverty is astounding, but an accepted part of the city's landscape.
The slums and chawls as seen from the 7th floor window of the luxurious Mumbai Four Season
Above: sea view from the 30th floor, skyscrapers and slum area
The slums and chawls as seen from the 7th floor window of the luxurious Mumbai Four Season
Above: sea view from the 30th floor, skyscrapers and slum areaBelow: The swimming pool with view of chawl block (left)
First impressions of Mumbai
A wall of heat hit me as I stepped off the plane, accompanied with a smell that I had expected an Indian city to smell like. Heat, people, rubbish, fumes merged to create an ‘aroma’ that was quite different to Delhi.
But Mumbai is a much neater city. It has a prettiness that Delhi doesn’t. I thought, having read City of Djinns, that Delhi would shock me with the conditions people lived in, but it really wasn’t apparent, a few roadside tents, but nothing that I felt extreme from what I have seen in Saigon, Caracas or Bangkok.
I thought the initial impact of Mumbai would be of shanty towns in my face, but it was more like approaching Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.
But Mumbai is a much neater city. It has a prettiness that Delhi doesn’t. I thought, having read City of Djinns, that Delhi would shock me with the conditions people lived in, but it really wasn’t apparent, a few roadside tents, but nothing that I felt extreme from what I have seen in Saigon, Caracas or Bangkok.
I thought the initial impact of Mumbai would be of shanty towns in my face, but it was more like approaching Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.
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