| What I've liked Who among us can resist the allure of a shiny new cell phone? Whether you are at the threshold of an unknown future or just window shopping at a cell phone store, this little gadget has the amazing power of grabbing the undivided attention of its user. This key insight on consumer behaviour has been beautifully portrayed by the new Motorola mobile phone commercial. |
| Even though the story has been dramatised for obvious reasons, it is not hard to disbelieve. Siblings fighting over it, couples discreetly trying to wrest it out of each other's hands and so on. It's a scene that plays itself out to a lesser degree in most homes. But it is only when one watches the comicality of the event so effectively expressed in the commercial that you fully realise how much this little gadget has taken over our lives! |
| As I watched this beautifully produced humorous slice-of-life replaying on my television, I was able to relate to it completely, warming up to the brand with every frame. This is the secret of a good ad. Knowing the pulse of your consumer, being familiar with the events that happen in his or her life, and then slipping your product into that slot. Research helps you arrive at this in a scientific manner but what is more effective is watching and soaking in the wonderful drama of ordinary life that plays daily all around you. Master the art of observation and listening and you have a promising ad person in the making! |
| What I've learned Happiness and the law of averages |
| I think about 60 per cent of people who fly are worried that theirs will be the next plane to crash. They arrive at this conclusion, I presume, because there are reports of planes crashing or someone dying in a plane. So if it can happen to someone else, chances are that it will happen to them. Reasonable though it might seem, I hope to dispel fears of this nature by citing the law of averages which goes by the belief that if something happens often, it will also happen regularly. So if you have been flying safely for many years, don't worry, you will continue to do so! |
| As the head of an organisation ever since I was 38 years old, I have had trial-by-fire experiences with the law of averages and have thankfully discovered that eight out of 10 times, life does not let you down. |
| A small example: I hired someone from my native place who was in dire need of a job. He worked faithfully, was like family for 20 long years. He handled all my personal matters including finances and then in the 21st year, to my utter shock and disbelief, he cheated me very badly. I thought I would never trust anybody again, till something surprising happened to make me change my mind. I had to land in Bombay in the middle of the '93 riots. A colleague heard about it, literally risked his life, drove through the burning streets to pick me up, gave me a hot home-made meal and dropped me back at the airport the next day, when no one dared to step out! It is the most unlikely candidates who either earn your trust, or let you down. That's when I learnt that my one bad experience did not predict the rest. |
| So remember the eight out of 10 principles. Don't let two bad experiences keep you from enjoying the rewards of eight others. |
| For AGKspeak archives, log on to www.agkonline.com |
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