Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Digital Marketing from a Sales Guy

Digital Marketing, a sales view. The last six months I have been working on digital marketing. This is my first such experience of thinking like a marketer and selling solutions to a marketing professional. Just a few months ago I was debating on a post for Sales Vs marketing. Irony that I get to experience the debate. The realty of Sales is my salary and the realty of marketing is that I will get my salary. I don't think that there can be a better definition then that. This role has certainly led to respect marketing challenges a lot more than my past. In the last few months I have been working on various aspects of digital marketing, studying different sites, medias, mediums in the digital space to find the perfect solution for my customers. While the gamut of what one can offer is limited the scope for creativity is enormous. You almost begin living in a story telling world from creating those concepts which will attract the next 100k people on your website to creating that virtual experience that's better than real or close to real. Digital Marketing is an evolving field with a promise to reduce marketing spends and get more predictable and accurate results for every rupee one puts in it. What do I see in this crowded place is too many specialist with no real credibility. A lot that is seen on the internet is make believe and not real. Reviews are monitored and mostly controlled. Authenticity, trust & standardization will be the future. A lot of marketers have already started demanding performance based pricing, no learning on my cost. To their credit they have been getting results at much faster and better rates. For some they are still reeling between performance and variable pricing and are able to get creative. Like all solutions currently this space lacks someone like an Oracle, SAP, etc. To lead and define the industry practices. Also, since this is very similar to any IT service you would take the pricing is very similar to what you see in consulting & system integration. I spend x and I need y so the price is x+y. Is this the best pricing out there for such services? I particularly like the idea of a combination of performance and setup based pricing where there is a definite arrogance (arrogance in a positive way) with what I believe in my service and I am willing to bet on it. Nothing is left to chance. It is a win win for the customer as well as he can appreciate the effort and the small investment can keep the partner motivated.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Being "Mr." Khushi

Today, we complete two years of being married. And it just seems like it was yesterday except that sometimes I take her for granted as a wife. And I am not proud of anything that I write. Take today for instance, what could have been planned and beautiful spent, thanks to me it was just another day. Khushi, just showed me how small things that she did made it such a big difference. She bought some flowers put in my cupboard with a new shirt. Hid a planner with our snaps new and old and boy was delighted or what. This also meant that I on the other hand had not planned even an evening dinner for her such a shame. Well that's me these days. Not sure if I have grown older than I am or I am just becoming insensitive. Well I am not here to write about that. Today is special, indeed I screwed up but this is it. This ain't happening again. To begin with this is what I plan. Tomorrow I plan to surprise her with some special cooking specially for her. Take her out in the evening for a nice drive bring a nice bouquet of Red Roses. Finish the day with a dinner and movie. Hopefully she will be forgive me for not making what truly is a very significant day in our lives. I often forget that significance of each day is in what we make of it. I have made this mistake more than once to be asking for forgiveness. Q. So what is it like being Mr. Khushi? A. Honestly, this is the easiest question she is the most understanding and supporting wife I could have ever asked. Often I wake up surprised with a feeling what did I do to deserve a wife like her. Truly she is the pillar of strength in my life. She breathes sensibility and balance to my life. Often is the voice in my head. My go to person for literally everything. Q. What makes you say all of this? A. Well, she is a very reasonable person. Everything goes with logic, for her the life line is her family. She manage not only her family but the relations that come with much better than I could ever have. She handles situation with reason and patiently deals with every situation. Q. What is her biggest dream? A. She is often says she wants her own house, a big house with a garden and trees.But honestly I think her biggest dream is to be the best mother, the best friend to her daughter that she can be. I am sure that she will be a great friend and mentor. This is life as I experience it is a blessing in the form of Gia, Khushi, friends like Sophie, Mani, yogi, Pooja. Loving brothers like Mayank, Chintu. Loving sister in Sonal and so many other people that make life worth it.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Gia!! I love you

Honey, On the 7th of Jan a beautiful gift from God came to our house in the form of you. When I first lay my eyes on you outside that hospital room I cannot tell you the emotions I was dealing with it. Like every first in one's life you were the Golden first that means to me a whole load more than any of my other first's. Its a feeling that you will understand only when you grow up to be a mom.
From that first time that you saw me to the first time that you smiled when you saw me, I can say that the joy has only multiplied with each passing day. From this tiny little baby just a few months ago you are now an adorable cutiepie blabbering the whole day and sometimes trying to crawl, sometimes crawling to walk..Oh,its such a feeling. Today you have 3 cute little teeth in your mouth and I so adore it every time I look at you. You are growing and growing fast. Its so surprising honey just the other day when you were born I was saying i can wait to see you crawl up to me when i come home from work today I say to myself I can't wait to start talking to you yet I feel that you are growing fast. Never thought a contradiction could be so beautiful. Okay, on a more serious note, you are now soon going to be 1. Your first birthday, I am sure that you won't remember much of it when you grow up but I want you to know that this birthday is a very significant day in our life. This marks the celebration of your being with us, how the past one year has been so much more than just work and home. This has meant a start of a new relationship in my life. A life as a father. Honestly I am still coming to terms with the meaning of being a father. Hopefully I would be able to do justice to the way I feel and the way I should be for you as a father. Today I want to begin by Thanking God for the way He has looked after you and given you good health and everything that one can ask for. I want to Thank my parents, khushi, Khushi's parents for blessing you and giving you the love that you truly truly deserve. I want to thank people who have been looking after you daily with such dedication and devotion. I want to thank those friends (sophie, mani) and so many others that I haven't named today for being the guardian angel in our lives and including us in their prayers. I Thank you all for being there. I know you would want to do the same thing and I as a father on your behalf Thank everyone out there for their love for you. Love you loads my sweet little angel. Like i call you Chinni ka bora..(Sugar sack) Forever yours Papa

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Sand in my head

An outburst of ignored expectations, misunderstanding, lack of attention, call it whatever you may. For a few times now, there have been moments when dignity and respect has taken a back seat and the devil getting the better of you. Not being able to bridge the gap of communication is such a helpless feeling. Probably this frustration  fills our outburst with senseless tongue hurling and hurtful sentences. Often these mindless lashing result in to serious conflicts and a reason for many more fights. What does one do to ease such a situation? Is there a way you can express your views without being vengeful in action or words?

Labor of love is respect, understanding and companionship. While love itself is seemingly open to anyone's definition, and often beyond simple articulation. It's an experience. That interestingly makes it very very subjective. So, when there is disrespect, misunderstanding or feeling of loneliness it creates a furor; as the most sensitive harmony in one's life is disturbed. This love is not necessarily indicative of a love for someone or something but love that is always around in any/many forms that it exists. To simply, a mother feels lonely when her child decides to move to a new city in search of a new world/self. A person feels disrespected when his work goes unnoticed. All these situations create a change but only in its interpretation and not necessarily in its true sense of emotion. A child can never stop loving his mother who feels left alone, the man does not loose his passion or love for what he has been doing so well.

To be able to dive deep into the ocean or climb the highest mountains haven't really poised a big enough challenge but conquering this feeling in a sense that reflects the true state of being has been mysterious and yet to be achieved feat. No wonder than that people seek the path often called Godliness.

Sand in my head, unable to hold your criticism,
Not to say I am insensitive but sincerely to understand,
To explain the furor, for criticism are many,
But none more hurtful than the one that came from you.

Sand in my head, unable to support your ignorance,
Not to say I can understand but sincerely to be there,
To explain the furor, I am nothing to many,
But with you I am complete.

Sand in my head, unable to support you anger,
Not to say I am there but sincerely to hear,
To explain the furor, For many shout and cry,
None more painful than to see you cry.

Sand in my head craving to be the sponge,
To soak up everything you say,
To explain the furor I hear from many,
But none more meaningful than the one that came from you.

Sand in my head craving for the sea,
Of love that comes only from you.



Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Wilderness

Who would have imagined the thrill of a 4X4 Gypsy ride in the middle of the night in the thick of a Jungle at the start of this trip? This was one day trip to Masinagudi, a place about 250 Kms from bangalore. Our journey began at 7 AM with all the three cars meeting in koramangala and then heading out on to Mysore Road towards Ooty. Our first stop was at Bidadi for the famous Thatte idli and to my surprise it was the first for a lot of my friends.

The journey took us through the Bandipur-Mudamali Tiger Reserve before reaching Masangudi. The resort or home stay wilds was located some 6 kms from Masangudi in the thick of a jungle. The hotel guys were supposed to meet us at a check gate to take up to the hotel in a Jeep. This was the moment of a thrilling ride. We started down a slope in to the woods. No roads all slurry and rocks through a dense coffee estate of Rafiq Sait. The driver showed us Tiger Pug marks and pop on the way to the hotel. We also were lucky to see the giant malabar Squirrel sitting on top of a hill. This wasn't our first animal siting though, it had started much earlier just as we entered Bandipur, we were lucky to catch a herd of elephants in their playful best. Loads of spotted dear, Sambar dear and Biasons had already made their presence felt. I am not very educated on birds but we did spot a lot of parrots, peacocks, wood peckers and many other birds.

Finally, we reached our hotel after all the stops and camera shoots around 1 PM. Wilds, the place was very neat with beautiful, Spacious rooms tastefully decorated.  Among other things, there were these Tree houses and some huts, rather expensive huts. The place was serene and comfortable for stay however not too many options for food. And whatever was being offered was very expensive for the price one pays. After settling in our rooms and a hearty meal, all guys gathered to have a game of Cricket. This indeed was fun playing in the jungle and making all the noise, amply encouraged by our Monkey and langur audience around the play area. Our team won 2-1 in a 3 game series. Wat a start!! However, the most exciting leg of the journey was still to come, in the form of a nigh safari. Until then we all had time to catch up light up some fire, catch up some old jokes and sit around. I got my cooking hat on and this time it was not just potatoes but onions too cooked in the wood fire. I was so happy with the cooking and how everyone really enjoyed it or so I assume.

Here comes the show stopper, a journey in to the dark, in an open gypsy. What seemed to have been almost cancelled a while ago because of the rain was now a reality. Totally unaware of what to expect, we started on our way in to the jungle. We spotted a mice first thing we entered and I said to myself, certainly a good omen. Just as I said that started the thrilling ride, the roads where slippery and tricky, with large rocks and the car almost floating. Our driver had incredible control and even in that darkness very aware of the way around. I remember an instance when one of the cars following us just took a wrong turn, to catch the other guy, our driver had to speed up and he did just that, the accuracy of his turns and his speed was breath taking. This was certainly worth the ride even if we didnt spot any animals.

After riding in the jungle for a good hour or so we spotted some rabbits, deer and finally a herd of elephants. Now, this was the most exciting wild animal experience I have had. The driver of our car and his seeker seemed to be preety good at what they were doing. We saw a baby elephant and her mother on the right side of the car seemingly calm, what we didn't realise was that on a left was probably a giant elephant getting ready to charge in case we did anything to the mother or the child I guess. The ranting and charging of the elephant was simply amaging. Never heard a sound that loud this close. The elephant would charge a little but then we stood our ground and made some elephant noise ourselves, the  elephant backed off in the jungle, or at least it seemed so. But that was not to be, he came charging once again and this time from behind us. A loud Grant, wowwww, it was awesome. We stood our ground and kept at it for sometime. We didnt mean to hurt the animal to enrage him more so we moved on, just as we moved a few 100 meters away from the elephants, the elephants crossed the road and was back into the group. It was an amaging sight. We were heading back to the hotel and almost in the final leg of our journey, just as we took a turn, I heard a feeble but a definite roar. Our seeker moved the light in the direction of the roar and there it was staring at us from a distance, a tiger. It made another one of its rumble. It was such an incredible feeling. The trip was such a success. The ride was simply awesome, but couple of hours of the ride was certainly exhausting, I wonder what would have been the case with the driver. The whole sequence of things and the ride was something I will cherish for a long long time..........As we go in to our beds, our minds are filled with some really good thoughts.

The next morning, some of our friends wanted to feel the jungle one more time before we leave. The rest of us choose to laze around and enjoy the nature walk around the coffee estate.  A stream of water trickly down, fresh air, chill in the wind  and chirping birds were such soothing sounds. It was so worth it. After our breakfast we were all set to return to the wilderness where we all belong, Bangalore calling bangalore.

A trip that will remain as an experience I shall remember for some time to come. Thanks to all the friends and Vivek who did all the hard work to search and finalise on the place.








Monday, September 5, 2011

1500 Kms of Destress road therapy

Though I have driven well over 1500 Kms in the last few days through probably the worst possible roads in God's Own Country Kerela, but the sights and sounds of all the places made it all worth it. A much needed break, I call it a search, search for nothing yet you get all that you can ask for.

My body is tired but the mind relaxed. A Journey that was planned at the nth moment. The idea was to spend 4 days in Munnar and back but fate had some other plans. I did some route search and chalked out a plan to drive through hosur-Krishnagiri-Salem-Iddupadi-Thippur-palladam-Munnar. The first leg of the journey for about 150kms was all tranquil as you drive on NH7 on to NH47. But the first turn on to Mutter road was the start of getting lost. My sincere advice to all those driving in Tamil Nadu state highways please learn reading and speaking in Tamil before you venture in any of these highways. The stretch which was intended to save us 50 Km costed us additional 50 Km. There are absolutely no signage in any other language other than Tamil. The roads a narrow with two many cuts and directions. One wrong turn and you are lost in villages. We finally found our way back onto NH47 and then on to Palladam. The place was amagingly windy with tons of wind-farms good 40-50 km with good roads, and then you enter Kerela through the Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary. This is a single road with tons of pot holes. Which is true for most part of kerela. (A Sad thing considering so many tourist visit this Blissful place). We were driving through the jungle with no tools (We forgot the Wheel Wrench and other tool kit at home, luckily we didn't need any). As we made our way through the hills,(Munnar was still approximately 50 Km) we were soon approaching nightfall. The winds picking up every km we drove into the woods. Suddenly out of no where we are greeted with some very beautiful birds, none that I have seen before and then a playful elephant very close to our car. We almost ran into a herd of elephants but were lucky to have just passed them without troubling them. The winding roads were only getting more regular and bumpier with more and more pot holes, there it was our first waterfall of the journey from a distance the sound of the water crashing down on the ground below was simply beautiful. The splendor only grew as the rains started and we climbed up the hills. Presenting ever changing view of the Blue hills. The water falls presented a very good break everytime we passed one falling on the road and passing under it. It was almost 9 PM when we reached our resort near the perinakal fall. Another majestic fall. The resort was on the NH49 and I must say that the roads are pathetic for a good part of the journey in Kerela. The lockhart estates presenting breath taking view of the hills. I remember driving through a tea factory I guess when a whiff of tea being blended greeted us. I must say that though I am not a tea drinker, the aroma was simply awesome. We had traveled our first 500 Km today. After dinner we all crashed.

The next day when we woke up near the pandavas rock, a view out of the window presented Blues Hills and the Fog almost hugging all the rocks. The wind and the drizzle was simply beautiful to watch. This being said, it never is very nice when you have plans to go sight seeing. After our breakfast we started for the Top Station some 50 Kms from the resort. There were many sights that were simply superb. I am skipping all to reach straight to Top Station. This ironically falls in Tamil nadu. What is the top station, it a walk on a cliff taking you to the edge of a hill providing a 360 degree view of the hills around you. The Cliff almost fills you with awe of its splendor and might. The only thing is you really need strong legs and powerful lungs to trek down the cliff to the vantage point. The walk back is steep and really tests your stamina. I strongly recommending spending time on this hill. After shopping in the local bazar and food in Munnar, we returned on time back to the hotel. Our Little angel Gia getting her first cold. The weather the whole day had been raining. The flooring in our cottage was super cold for our baby to play anywhere other than the bed.

The next morning, there was strong winds and thick fogs. The weather a huge deterent when you have a small 8 month old who doesn't like to just sit in a car or a room. How in-different they are to the changing environment. She didn't seem to mind the cold at all but running nose a little warm body was good enough for us to escape the cold hills into something more bearable. We then drove to thekkady, through the winding hills and ever increasing pot holes to reach thekkady. Another wild life sanctuary around a lake. We were again greeted with tons of rain and waterfalls on our way. After spending a few hours here we started for Kumarakom. The back waters. The roads are such a deterent to anything that you want to do here. The distance, rain, bad roads only made the travel a very painful experience to an otherwise awesome trip. After checking in our hotel for the night we retired after the tiring road trip. We had traveled good 800 Kms by now. What to say about the back waters and house boat. I think its an experience and only an experience can define it.

The last leg of the journey was to the historical city of kochi and its heritage sites. After spending a day in kochi we headed home. I never imagined the roads would be this bed. What should have been just 8 hrs drive turns out to be 11 hrs ride. Thanks to very bad roads. Good 120kms of non motor-able roads.

Though we traveled 1500 kms, this trip with my parents was one that will be long engraved in our memories. Personally this trip for me was a much a needed break from the monotony of life and the tired feeling.

I will definitely recommend driving down to kerela inspite of bad roads. Only thing you need may be an SUV instead of a small car.