April Fools Day !

Given the fact that, there have been “n” number of contests happening on Twitter & Facebook daily.  People who are contest freaks were all set to win a lot of freebies on 1^st April as well.

There are people on Twitter who keep tweeting like a machine & it seems like their only aim in life is to play & win contests. Sometimes I wonder if they have a “LIFE” of their own or they  “LIVE” only to play such contests!

So on April Fools Day as a lot of people were trying to keep themselves safe & not get fooled by their friends and family, little did they know that a Brand which has been making them win big will fool them.

One such Brand which really caught my eye & whose prank I found interesting was “Godrej Aer”. 

These people have definitely been planning the campaign for a while now as they really made the prank look so genuine, not only on their social media platforms but also on their website.

So ! What was the Prank about?

Godrej Aer promised to bring out the World's  #firsteverfragranceapp.They made use of  their website, Facebook & Twitter for their campaign. 

On Twitter :  

They asked people to tweet with the hashtag #firsteverfragranceapp & tag as many friends possible. People tweeted with enthusiasm as to which fragrance they would like from their app & the winners were given prizes like a Sony Cybershot Camera and an IPad Mini.

On the Website:

When you go their website www.godrejaer.com It feels like a robot is welcoming you & asking you to wait & do as he says. The voice of the lady asks you to come closer to the screen in order to be able to smell the fragrance when the green light goes on.

After a couple of seconds you get a notification whether you can smell the fragrance with two options “Yes”  or “No” – Once you click on “YES” it takes you to a page which says “Come on, You can’t be serious, We can’t make fragrance come out of your screen”.

The ones who clicked “NO” were given another  option “Come closer to the screen, Inhale deeply when the green light comes on. Press the spacebar when you’re ready.”

Then again when someone presses a space bar it says “Come on, You can’t be serious, We can’t make fragrance come out of your screen”.

On Facebook:

They also developed an application on Facebook which said “sweet rose fragrance app” – The world’s #firsteverfragranceapp. Download it for free & smell fresh roses on your device”.

When people clicked on Download they got a customized message with their name “Dear _________  aerpril’s fool! “ Along with a message that Godrej Aer can’t make devices fragrant but with their products you could make your car & room fragrant!

Overall I think it was a very well ideated & executed campaign, Something different & creative I have come across in a while.

The best part was, they made it look so real by working on their website, using Facebook + Twitter that made many people actually fall for the Prank! 

People behind those Facebook Pages & Twitter Handles!

Yesterday I came across this Question posted on Social Samosa’s Facebook Page : What do you think should be the ideal first salary for a social media executive?

Being a Social Media Executive, I couldn’t stop myself from commenting on the status! It obviously attracted people from the Digital Field & some Agency Owners. The salary quoted by people ranged from about 5.5k to 30k. It is but obvious that some of the people who quoted salaries in the range of 5.5k – 10k were agency owners!

I have always loved having my own social media space – my own Social identity  – this over a period of time has helped me in many ways!  I have made lot of friends, business relations & one of the reason I am a part of this Digital world today is due to my activity on various social media platforms!

When I often meet new people & tell them about my Profile, some raise their eyebrows but many others seem pretty excited to know what exactly Social Media Marketing is all about.

Many people think Social Media Marketing is all about copying and pasting content from one place to various social media platforms. However, the reality is much different! 

A Social Media Executive’s main job is to create content! That content can’t be picked up from somewhere else. It has to be original. Their minds are constantly working & thinking what’s next!  The content generated by them has to be unique & catchy! Even though you can’t calculate ROI – there are other targets they have to achieve in terms of engagement/ interactions / likes, etc! 

SME’s have to constantly monitor the Brand’s various Social Media Platforms..Come up with creative social campaign ideas, generate content, make sure the content initiates conversations & interactions! Not only that, they are a link between the Client & the Consumers much like a Client Servicing person! That is, A Dual Role!! Oh wait a minute did I forget to mention – he/she should also have basic Photoshop skills – so the work becomes more easier for them than when the creative team is busy with other work?? A SME has to constantly be in touch with the client - understand the client’s requirements & then execute the same in a style which appeals to the audience!

There are times when people are enjoying Holi, Celebrating Christmas, Eid, Diwali & SME’s are busy running contests & campaigns on Social Media - NO they don’t get brownie points for that! No matter where in the world they go, they have to constantly keep checking / working through phone or their laptops, that means, even if you have taken an off – you don’t get a complete OFF day – you still have to make sure you have done your work because you can’t trust someone else with the Brand you handle!

Social Media Executives are very important! Why? Because they are your Brand’s lifeline!! One wrong move & the Brand’s Image is killed!  

 Still think that they don’t deserve being paid a good salary? Then go DIE!

How important is it for a Brand to have an Online Presence?

With the aggressive competition & advanced technology in today’s world it has become very important for Brands to create their online presence.  This isn’t just applicable for the biggies but also for the small well established brands. 

When a prospect meets you & you exchange Business Cards both scan through the Business Cards. The contents of most of the Business Cards these days are - Organization Name, Name of the Person, Designation, Contact no, E-mail Address & a link to their website. People who are highly active on Social Media also share their Twitter handles & links to various profiles.

How does this help? Well, when a prospect meets you he/she wants to see your past work, products, etc. Having a website helps your Brand in many ways. People can check your website anytime as it is available to everyone via Internet. Your website tells about your work – it is like an alter ego – people can go “WOW” or just drop the plan to do Business with you. If you have a website make sure you give it the best look – spend some money & get it made professionally – The quality of your website tells who you are. It doesn’t have to be a Flash website, a basic website which is neatly done can suffice. It will also help in Search Engine Optimization. 

A website is something which can be viewed from anywhere in the world. People abroad can view your website & get information about your Brand. You can not only get clients from your city but your country or another country. Therefore I think it is very important for a Brand to have an Online Presence – a Website is a must have.

Now comes the latter!

Does your Brand really need a Social Media Presence? 

Well Yes & No Both! Depends from Brand to Brand. A Brand which caters directly to the consumers should definitely have a Social Media presence, be it a store down the street or a home-made cup cake’s business.  A lot of people have realised this & are coming ahead & creating a Social Media Presence. However, Some people still think that having a Social Media Presence is not Important for their Brand. They still believe in the principle “Word of Mouth”, But does WOM really help? If your Brand is on Facebook it can grab more eyeballs, When you post something on your page & if someone likes it / shares it – it shows up on their wall, this is then seen by the people in that person’s list & so on.  People may not exactly know who you are but your 1 post can make them want to go to your page & check who you are, what you do, etc.

Social Media is best for the reputation of your Brand. Remember there are many people trying to kill your brand, direct interaction with consumers, catering to their problems, complaints etc can help your brand a lot & also manage its reputation.  

It is not really important for a company dealing into B2B products to have a Social Media Presence but yes having a website will sure help it grow its business.  For such companies LinkedIn is the best bet as it will not only help in Networking but also help in genuine inquiries from serious buyers.

To sum it up, It is important for every brand to have an online presence for higher brand recall.

The world is going the Digital way, Are you ?

An awful start to the day!

The kind of people I have come across in the last few months had made it easier for me to believe that “Humanity doesn’t exist in this world anymore”  However, what happened with me this morning has certainly changed that thought a bit & made me feel positive.


This morning as I walked out of home to catch up with a friend for a quick breakfast before work – I carried a folder which has all my MBA Mark sheets, copies of my Resume &  some other documents. Little did I know that I would lose it by carelessness. YES! I forgot the folder in the rickshaw & didn’t realize it for the next 5 minutes & when I realized it, it was too late. The rickshaw was gone & so did the folder in it. I panicked & didn’t know what to do, I blacked out. It felt like my Life has come to an END!

In a city like Mumbai where there are lakhs of rickshaws & people- where tracking a phone one’s lost becomes impossible, I lost my mark sheets!  I was standing there cursing myself for being so stupid & careless, I still waiting there hoping the rickshaw walla will come back & hand over my folder – I was so sure he will, I kept reciting (إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ) Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un  -  My dad always says, whenever you lose something, forget something, can’t find it, recite this Dua, you will find it. I did & It worked!



Just after a few minutes I got a call on my phone from a college going girl who informed me that the rickshaw walla asked her to go through the folder & contact me if she finds any contact number. The moment I got a call from an unknown number I knew it was for my folder, the heart started beating fast & I was just praying before I picked up the phone that this call shouldn’t be of a telecaller or someone from a recruitment firm regarding a job. The girl then handed over the phone to the rickshaw walla & he promised to come back at the same place he dropped me  & he also gave me his number so I could contact him & know about his whereabouts till he reaches.



At last after waiting for 15-20 minutes, the rickshaw walla finally turned up & gave me the folder. I couldn’t Thank him enough & gave him whatever extra money I had. He wouldn’t take it but I forced & gave him. I was a little surprised when he didn’t want to take the extra money.  God Bless him. This man today actually made me feel that good people actually exist in this world.



A lesson learnt today ! Cross check 10 times before getting off a rickshaw & yes my marksheets are going right into my cupboard this evening as I head back home from work!

BB Z10 - Will it Survive?

So the latest “Talk of the Town” is the New BB Z 10 ! I see Rs. 43,490 Trending on Twitter ! Yes that’s the price for the new Blackberry Z 10! What is more interesting is the tweets done by some of the twitter users!

The only reason according to me why people really bought a BB Phone was due to the craze of Blackberry Messenger – the other reason if at all was there would probably have been due to the instant emails for Professionals. But with the introduction of phones like Samsung Galaxy S3, Nexus, Nokia Lumia, Samsung Galaxy Note & Samsung Galaxy Grand & an app like “Whatsapp” who will spend ridiculously extra money for something which they are getting at a much affordable price with better features & quality?

With the announcement of the price of the new BB Z10, everyone has gone berserk & are questioning the pricing & reasons for the same. What unique feature or extra added advantage does the BB Z10 have to offer?  

 In the past many Android phones have offered better features at lower prices or at the same price range.  The new BB Z10 is said to be competing with the Iphone 5, I am not an Iphone fan but I can never really compare a BB to an Iphone ! Besides the touchscreen for BB phones have always been bad compared to other touch-screen phones. I am very skeptical about this very new phone.

BlackBerry, which faced strong criticism for lack of content on its application store, has revamped it to take on Android's Play Store and Apple's App Store & has also introduced 'BlackBerry Balance' that will allow users separate professional data and applications from music, photographs and other personal items. I don’t think this would really make me want to buy it, Nothing really great that excites me in the phone which will make me want to spend that kind of money !!

I won’t be surprised if the BB sales & revenue drop!

Oh by the way here’s  a glimpse of some of the tweets i liked from Twitter!

Feel Blessed

Every day we crib about not getting what we want. About our mood swings, love life, friends & heartbreaks.  Its so easy for us to keep complaining & cribbing for the wordly things. Ever imagined how life is for those sleeping on the streets, earning their daily bread with the daily wages that they get by doing such extremely difficult life threatening jobs which just sends a shiver within us.

We have been blessed to have been born & brought up in families where we have got everything we wished for. Our parents have worked hard to make sure we get everything  we deserve & taught us the importance of education & being self-independent.

Whenever I see those children on the streets begging or working for their daily bread my heart aches. I just close my eyes & thank God for having given me all that I have.

Here are a few pictures I clicked walking down the street the other day. A child sitting on the street & a woman making Diya’s for Diwali…

Mumbai - driven by panic!

Just a few days back I had written a blog post mentioning how proud I am of being an Indian.  I still stand by my words & I am still proud of being an Indian but there are certain things I don’t agree with or rather say don’t believe in.

A few years back when the terrorists attacked Mumbai on 26-11-2008. The city went quiet & there was panic everywhere. Everyone was praying for those trapped at various places due to the terrorists attacks & for their own lives. The city was so full of panic that even if a door bell rang people were scared to check who it was & predicted it to be a terrorist.

All the people came together to support each other, help each other & made sure everyone reached home safe, but in spite of having caught the terrorist its been years & all we do is wait for justice. Where is it ?

I salute the spirit of Mumbai’s citizen’s! When there were floods a few years back and this year as well everyone helped each other.  I remember when the 26^th July floods happened back in that year, It took me good 45 minutes to reach home from college, when my college was not even at 5 mins distance. On the way back home, I and a girl (stranger) held each other’s hand and walked towards our home (she stayed nearby) as the water on the roads were almost upto our chest & we didn't want to end up in a pothole.  I can never forget that day.

I just happened to remember all of this today as the atmosphere out in Mumbai was filled with panic.  As soon as the news of Bal Thackeray's demise came up, everyone started running here & there as if someone had exploded a bomb. I didn’t really think it would fill the city with so much of tension and panic because he died a natural death. 

I was out with a friend at CCD & we decided we’ll grab something to eat & chit chat for a while then leave. When we went to place an order, the guy at the counter says, “Sorry we can’t take your order we’re closing”, I didn’t blame him as I was already expecting this to happen after the news of the demise of Bal Thackeray.

We finally ended up going to Burgs & grabbed a coke & some fries but we couldn’t stick around there for long as we could literally see people running on the road. The streets were going empty in a matter of seconds, people running to find a transport option to get to their home as soon as possible. My friends flooding my phone with texts and whatsapp msgs as they saw my check-in & were concerned about me as well. 

The worst part was people in jeeps & on bikes roaming around with lathis abusing & threatening people to shut their shops & restaurants off. This is something I witnessed for the first time.  The kind of atmosphere created by these people gave a sense of tension & created panic within people. 

I don’t understand why did everything come to a halt, why were people running here & there. Why were the shops forced to close down? Why were people filled with panic & fear instilled within each and everyone ? Can we ever answer these questions rightly?  Will we ever have an answer to this question WHY?

This experience for sure wasn’t a pleasant one. I just hope & pray such a thing doesn’t happen again. Hope everyone out there is safe :)