How to advertise a Supercar?

via youtube.com

*drools*

Therefore I am

via reflectionof.me

It is that time of the life again

Right now, all the 300 students of my batch are filling away Google Spreadsheets which are supposed to be our yearbooks. Trying to sum up the best they can, their experience of knowing everyone they did – one cell at a time.

This reminds me that it will soon be time to move on. It will be time to live our lives away from the people you have been meeting everyday for the last two years. And for some, living with for the last two years. 

It will soon be time when you would subconsciously choose the people you still want to be in touch with. The people who have touched your life the most in the two years and left a mark forever. No one will hate you for that. The feeling will be mutual. 

It is that time of the life again, when we will say good bye to everyone and hope that you would bump into them some day when you least expect it. So that there is the wide smile across your face when you need it the most. 

It is that time of the life again, when I wish I had interacted more with some people when I had the chance to. 

I do not mean for this to be a good bye post. There is still a lot of time for that. This is just something that crossed my mind when I was filling those cells.

Do your job the best you can

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well'.

– Martin Luther King Jr. 

I Ran

I ran in the dark.

I ran in Bandra.

I ran on The Linker.

I ran with the rising sun.

I ran in Worli.

I ran along Worli Sea Face.

I ran looking at Ducatis, Rolls Royces, Land Rovers and Jaguars.

I ran alongside Mahalaxmi Race Course.

I ran near Haji Ali.

I ran on Peddar Road.

I ran on Marine Drive.

I ran in Churchgate.

I ran in CST.

It was an experience that everyone should go through. Running on the streets of Bombay. Will not happen otherwise. Saw Bombay like I have never seen it before.

The best sight for me however was watching the African contingent running in sync with each other at sprint pace while we were jogging along. It was like watching horses galloping down the road, all in matching yellow shoes. Absolutely beautiful!

Run Mumbai Run!

I finally got my running number (14330) bib from WTC today. Yes, I am still running the half marathon. Although I did not write anything in terms of updates on my preparation for race day after the first post, I have somewhat done some training in the past week and more (ya, I know it is not enough). Anyway, the bib collection counter was at WTC (Cuffe Parade) at the Get Activ Expo. I had no clue what this was going to be. 

I went there half expecting to see just a few counters handing out the bib and my goodie bag :). However, it was a whole marketing machine at work there. The Expo was an entire hall at the WTC and all the sponsors had their own stall. The bib collection stall was at the absolute corner to make sure you pass each and every stall on your way to collect your bib. The bib collection itself took a couple of minutes and then later I was directed to get my time chip verified and collect my goodie bag. I did not stop at any of the stalls as all of them were a bit crowded. There were quite a few deals on running equipment by Nike, Reebok and the event sponsor Basic.

Coming to the goodie bag. Every year SCMM gives away goodie bags to all the participants when they collect their bibs. This goodie bag contains all sorts of stuff that a health conscious or a self conscious person would require for their daily needs. This year, the goodie bag is bigger than ever with goodies worth Rs. 450! So, effectively, you can pay Rs. 300 as entry fee for the Dream Run and get goodies worth 450! I however have paid Rs. 500 for my half marathon.

This is a very nice way of giving away free samples. You as a marketer are assured that the person getting your sample is someone who can spend a minimum of Rs. 300 on what is basically a pleasure activity. In a country like India, I doubt there is a better way of distributing free samples. Also, you are assured that a minimum of at least 75% of the participants are those who care about their health. The target is acquired. Apparently, Marico and HUL have spent around Rs. 14 and Rs. 27 lakh each with Piramal Healthcare spending a massive Rs. 50 lakhs on free samples. Only time will tell if it is really worth the money spent for the brands. My money spent however is totally worth it 🙂

The following are the items that I found in my goodie bag:

1 Packet of Aliva Crackers (Classic Salted) worth Rs. 12

1 Water Bottle sponsored by Kingfisher

1 Trial-pack of Sugar-Free Gold

1 30 gm trial-pack of Quaker Oats (Strawberry)

1 20 gm pack of Kuber namkeen worth Rs. 5

2 Nasal strips from Breathe Right

1 15 gm pack of Hippo chips (thai chilli) worth Rs. 5

1 20 gm pack of Bingo Mad Angles (Achaari Masti) worth Rs. 5

2 Sample sachets of Volini Gel

1 100 ml bottle of Clear Anti-dandruff shampoo worth Rs. 69

1 400 ml bottle of Minute Maid worth Rs. 20 (with a free Kitkat worth Rs. 5)

5 Mint-o Gol Mint Chew worth Rs. 2.50

1 Sunfeast Marielite worth Rs. 5

1 bar of Nature Valley's Cruncy Granola (Oats and Honey) worth Rs. 15

1 RitBite nutrition bar (Merry Berry) worth Rs. 15

1 Parachute Advansed aftershower gel worth Rs. 35

1 Lacto Calamine Classic worth Rs. 11

1 Lacto Calamine Aloe Moisturiser worth Rs. 32

1 Sample sachet of Nivea for Men Moisturiser

1 Dabur Gulabari gulab jal worth Rs. 12

1 Pack (8 capsules) of Supractive Complete energy supplements from Piramal Healthcare

1 Fridge magnet from Standard Chartered telling me to get my eyes checked

4 Information leaflets. One each from Quaker Oats, Lacto Calamine, RiteBite and Nature Valley

So, on to tomorrow when I attempt to complete my 21 KMs. Yes, that is all that I am trying to do, complete it.

Is this how you catch a bus too?

This is so uncannily true! I used to do this almost everyday when I used to travel by bus!

25 Creative Business Cards

A business card can be something which is very simple and just has your contact details. But if you really want to get noticed and want people to remember you for a long time. You have got to get your card made like one of these 25. They are really eye catching and it you will surely remember the person who gives you one of these.

Most creative logos from 2009

We have learnt a lot in theory about what a logo is and how it is important. One can go into further detail of designing a logo and what aspects of a logo are important and vital to attract maximum attention. 

Below are a few of the most creative logos from 2009 compiled by CreativeFan. You have to view their full list of 20 logos! Just click here.

The new mother of invention

Everyone knows that necessity is the mother of invention. We have been told this since the time we were in school.

But, I think this has changed in the past few decades. Necessity no more is the mother of invention. Invention has been adopted by none other than good old curiosity. So at present, Ms. C is the mother of invention. Or if we go by what Jason Mraz says, then it is Mr. Curiosity; but then it would be the father.

Moving on, till the time that all the now basic things were being invented, it was necessity that drove the wheels of invention. We needed electricity, we needed faster means of transportation, we needed the gas stove, we needed the safety match-stick and many many more things. But did the guy who designed the iPod or the color printer or even the cordless phone need any of those. He was just curious about what the possibilities of stretching the use of a certain technology beyond what was envisioned for it by others are.

Curiosity to find out how much the boundaries of possibilities can be pushed. Curiosity to find out what happens when the supposed wrong buttons are pushed. Even the curiosity to google something just because it is bothering you too much. Being insanely curious is a gift I believe. 

In a knowledge economy, curiosity is going to be the most important driver of growth. The country, the organisation, the department, or even the team with the most number of curious individuals is going to succeed.

Albert Einstein once said:

I do not have any special talents, I am just passionately curious

How curious are you?