U, I and the Metro

The first Delhi Metro – the Red line – was started on 24 Dec, 2002, covering 21 stations from Dilshad Garden to Rithala. Since then 5 other lines have been added. Who would have thought that one day our life would revolve around the metro!

High accessibility, ease of mobility, improved infrastructure for daily commuting are some obvious benefits. But, let’s look microscopically at the more sensitive sociological effects of the metro. These effects are not so apparent and visible yet they may have touched our lives in some minute way or another.

The metro is not just a small good looking train. It is a sense of speed and punctuality. With well defined timelines and designated routes. A certain sense of discipline crept into our daily life. If you knew the route and timelines you invariably “reached on time”. Alternately you quietly waited till the train came.

Everyone appeared suddenly more disciplined with respect to time, speed and cleanliness. Hunger may strike at any time and lights may go off, even then the waiting was well worth it. No one spat anywhere and there was no littering, no bribing for entry or exit! You could not use your passage for a longer route. Everything was controlled & checked. Wow! “aisa bhi hota hai”.
Inside the metro the rich and the poor were classed together. Religion had no place in this closed space. Class, caste were nowhere. There were no special treatments meted out to anyone. Like ‘hamara – bajaj’ some could say ‘hamara-metro’… a sense of belongingness and togetherness. A corporate director found a seat and either opened up his laptop to do some work or read the newspaper quietly as a labourer sat right next to him silently. Each person carried his own luggage-burden as he boards and gets off the metro. “There is no Coolie to do our work”. One was no longer hassled about the car driver who came late or stressed by getting stuck in traffic jams.

You shared & inhaled the same air. Everyone was suddenly “equal”. Discrimination went out the window!People were more helpful especially in allowing the elders and the disabled to sit. Women feel safer in the crowd, somehow.

To pass time you even attempted to make polite conversation with your neighbour. Somehow, breaking–the–ice. You made travel friends on the same route. You shared special smiles with somehow in the same compartments daily, quietly in your mind’s eye!

Yes the metro has affected and effected our life by creating multifaceted scenarios and incidents bringing us in some way, maybe somehow, closer to humanness in this passage of time and space.

Cheers to the metro, you & I!

Job Oriented Short Term Course In India

In today’s world where stiff competition is the norm, having just a graduate or a post-graduate degree isn’t enough to land into a job. In such a scenario, job-oriented short- term courses bridge the gap between formal education and meaningful employment. India is fast evolving as a major economic hub with increasing entrepreneurial activities, augmenting enterprises and global acquisitions. To keep up the existing level of growth, India requires copious amount of better trained professional workforce. To meet this demand numerous Job Oriented Short-Term Courses are being introduced in the country through recognized universities and private institutions. These Short-Term Courses are meant to train a person within a short duration to manage specific requirements of a company. Most of the short-term courses in India are part-time and some of them even pay a stipend for the field assignments. Eligibility and selection criteria for these courses are not very strict, as there is a general consensus that only interested students apply for a specific course. The best part of these programs is their low fees coupled with very high chances of gaining employment soon after the successful completion of the course. Short-term Workshop helps an individual to gain the required practical knowledge.

The increased probability of securing a substantial job is due to the fine tuning of the course curriculum according to the market demand. Non-recognition of job-oriented programs by A.I.C.T.E or UGC doesn’t impediment the employment opportunities because of the industry recognition of such courses. The success of many short- term courses like multimedia, computing and hotel management have encouraged the opening of many more innovative and industry based courses like jewelry designing, disaster management and fire and safety. The commencement of a large number of industry- sponsored short-term courses have become a boon for the younger generation as they are now exempted from the tedious task of job-hunting. These days, state sponsored universities are also taking the initiative to include employment acclimatized programs like accounting and multimedia as a part of their graduate and post-graduate curriculum. To put into nutshell, job oriented short-term courses are the way to go in this era of competition to acquire quick and meaningful employment which provides not only a handsome pay package but also a sense of contentment.

The main reasons for the popularity of such courses are the fine tuning of the course curriculum according to the market demand and the recognition given by commercial enterprises to the pass-outs. These courses are a gateway for students to enter into the world of commercial industry with a lot of prospects to rise above all.

DSC Newsletter June 2010

  

The Role of Culture and Leadership in Strategic Decision Making

(Excerpts from a paper by Professor Ramola Kumar)

Strategic Decision Making (SDM)–stems from the core ideology of an organization’s corporate culture, it’s very soul – the raison d’être of being. Visionary corporate thinking and planning moves the  organization at every stage and is extremely pivotal when integrated with guiding principles ingrained through intense training. SDM has generally been defined as the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross functional decisions that enable an organization to achievement objectives. This implies that SDM integrates management, marketing, finance, production, R & D, and computer information systems to achieve organizational systems. The purpose of SDM is to exploit & create new & different opportunities for tomorrow.

 

A strong corporate culture and a strong leadership will hold and carry forward the organization through its life. Business ethics play a critical role in SDM, irrespective of the game plan. Relationships among a firm’s various functional activities can be better understood when we focus on the culture of the organization. Organizational culture can best be defined as a pattern of behaviour developed by an organization as it learns to adapt to the external environment integrating internal variables – resources for its evolvement. It captures the subtle, unconscious forces that shape a workplace. Corporate culture can prove to be a major strength or weakness for the organization. An organization’s culture must support the collective commitment of its people to a common purpose by fostering competence towards attaining corporate plans.

Strong ownership of one’s work acts as a driving force, the energy guiding all action towards evolvement, especially towards long term benefits, unlike when it is an external business and when it looks at short term goals only. It almost develops a cult-like culture for the organization and its product. A core ideology which rests upon change as key element builds for stronger SDM, since change is the only constant factor. In the same vein, an organization that may be seen to be conservative may also take bold steps for e.g. in launching into an unrelated venture and remain strong therefrom. 

A corporate culture that encourages operational autonomy also encourages good leadership. Whatever a firm’s goal is, be it profiteering as in a private firm or wealth creation and its management (as in family enterprise), corporate culture needs to be preserved through the firms core ideology and evolved, involved leadership.

Culture, therefore becomes the most critical variable that encompasses sub cultures and classes that characterize a group of people in an organization.

The three  key elements that are passed on from generation to generation by learning along:

• Values
• Norms
• Institutions

The afore stated discussion clearly points to the fact that core essence of beliefs, religious and spiritual directives passed down to generations affect-effect each one’s thinking in totality, somewhere, and so too in an organization.

In addition to the strong cultural reference in the Indian context, our ethos suggests that work is worship.  Indian culture rests upon three yogic philosophies, namely  – Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Gyan yoga. That Karma is our Dharma  appears to dictate our life’s path – the daily ritual is pre-prepared and given to us based on past deeds. Present deeds lay the foundation of future destiny.

The principles that prove to be our anchor include truth, trust, respect towards one’s various connectivities, transparency, being a benevolent elder. These core values form the basis of life’s progression to some extent, in accordance with the rules of nature.

In family businesses, the place of each member in the family hierarchy, his/her performance, and attitude – aptitude all play a critical role in defining and deciding their position in the family business.

Whatever the offshoots of strong business families, to follow the family enterprise or to work elsewhere, leadership qualities evolve from this powerful anchor. The entrepreneurial spirit guides us not only through futuristic visioning, but it also provides an anchor to fall back on during trying periods.

95% of Indian firms are family businesses yet GenNext has shown keen interest to take off into alternative, unrelated ventures for many or any one of the reasons listed below:

• Faster returns in new and upcoming fields of business
• Keenness to take up their interests as careers
• An urge to be a lesser burden on existing corporate resources
• Desire to have their own way and make a contribution
• The existence of too many inheritors, and
• Breaking free from the tag of inheritance of familial wealth

…To be continued

 

 

Dreams Do Come True

Ms. Priyanka Gandhi

Student Executive, PGDC XV

Intern at Lowe Lintas

Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go – James Cook

With each passing day, I visualize this thought with more intensity!

Advertising has always been a passion for me. As a career, it is now my          lifeline. This summer, DSC provided me with a wonderful opportunity to call ‘Lowe Lintas’ an integral part of my life. Founded in 1939 as a part of Hindustan Lever, Lowe Lintas is one of India’s largest communication groups.

It was the 3^rd of May, 2010, while the sun was relishing its power, the birds were chirping joyfully and I was  getting ready for my first day at work. A bit excited, a little confused, with a thousand concerns I stepped into my office cab. I joined the Client Servicing Department. As I realised , the job of a Client Servicing  person is one of the most challenging  in an Agency, as he/she has to co-ordinate with not only the Client, but also the Creative Team, the Media Department and of course colleagues. This calls for a really proactive personality and gradually I managed to establish good contacts with everyone . Contributing  in my own small way, in building brands such as Woodland, Nestle Polo, Fever 104FM is indeed a priviledge. I’ve got some of the most exciting accounts to work on, quite different from one another, but truly adventurous.

Each day is a new day here. And as they rightly say ‘Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door’, I work hard to get  more responsibilities and efforts, so as to figure out every small prospect that there could be, waiting to be unleashed.

When People Turn WILD!

Ms. Rashi Walia

Student Executive, PGDPC XV

Intern at City Plus, Dainik Jagran

 This is not a post on travel, but a post on travelling. My tolerance is rather low and I blame it largely on the new breed of tourists who follow me wherever I go.

I have nothing against tourists in particular, but I seem to find a huge disconnect in the way they travel. I often travel to escape from the maddening crowd of the sprawling cities, to merge with the silence of the valleys. I choose monuments and forests that are off the tourist track and many a time, a New Year’s Eve has been spent in a silent jungle resort, especially one which is not yet on a tourist map. But then, of late, travelling has become a fad and travel stories have become conversational currencies.

I understand that most tourists believe in letting their hair down when they travel and holidaying is all about relaxing and having fun. But I wonder if it is at the expense of a  fellow traveller’s peace and quiet! “Notice me” says the brand of these new tourists. However, I wish to tell them that their behavior is literally like an assault on me and my senses! They speak loudly, dress loudly (and inappropriately), listen to loud music and crave for attention when they travel. Why can’t they let a nondescript traveller like me enjoy my anonymity?

Some time ago, I went to Kabini (a wildlife destination in Karnataka) and I couldn’t recognize it when I landed. It seemed to have become a national park and a zoo rolled into one. Almost a hundred people and the bulk of them were noisy, loud children throwing tantrums with their parents screaming louder than the kids to be heard. One hip young mother told her son that she would throw a hot cup of coffee on the child if he didn’t drink his milk. Another hyperactive kid was gargling water at the tap and spitting all over. The mother looked at me and mumbled a ‘sorry’ when I walked away in disgust.

That’s not all folks! Tourists of late, have hugely misunderstood the word “adventure”. In a trip to Bhadra, in Karnataka, a bold young mother forgot that her eleven- month old baby would be hungry at 5 pm in the  evening. So when the winds were making it difficult for the boat man to veer his vehicle and the boat was rocking in the waters, wetting our feet inside, her daughter let out a loud wail announcing she was hungry. The adventurous mother didn’t mind that the boat was extremely shaky, but went on to mix the formula in the bottle and started silencing the baby by walking on the boat (which still seemed to be shaking grumpily) and feeding her, a scene we watched with more rapt attention than looking at the elephants on the opposite bank.

And there is more… Food has always been the most important aspect in any trip. We all gorge on every delicious morsel and of course not just live to eat, but also travel to eat. However there are some who only eat! While we were at a home stay in Masinagudi in Tamil Nadu, a couple of families with teenaged kids dropped in as well. They made sure they didn’t move beyond the dining room. They stood around the table attacking every dish with more vigour and patting their stomach after every meal. In fact they were least concerned that there were other guests at the property – after all, they had paid for the meal. While the kids protested after eating a dozen puris and an equal number of bread and other delicacies, the mother stacked away a few more for the journey, but not before coaxing her daughter to eat more of the bananas… “You will feel hungry and we will not stop on the way… After all, we have paid …”

In the end, I am now tired of running away from such people. I am also tired of tolerating them. All I am hoping is that these families would enjoy travelling as much as I do. After all, like the mother said, they have ‘paid’ for it, but it would not hurt anyone if they became just a little sensitive, a little inconspicuous and non intrusive. This way, they won’t bother anyone, and also will have had the pleasure of enjoying their sojourn. Am I asking for too much?

Cartoons! What Serious Fun!

Ms. Megha Gupta

Student Executive, PGDPC XV

Intern at McCan Erickson

Cartoons have become the extremely colourful and fun-filled threads woven through the fabric of our lives. They are such an integral part of each day that we perhaps don’t appreciate their artistic value. We hurriedly seek cartoons out in the morning papers to start the day with a chuckle, or to confirm our thoughts on politics. Knowingly or unknowingly, cartoons have trespassed the bar of age that was put to limit it to the domain of children. Sarcasm or comment on any social issue blooms best in the form of a cartoon strip. But we forget that making cartoons is a serious business; and making someone laugh is not at all easy. Very often, politicians find themselves the subject of a cartoon. In the hands of a talented artist, the editorial cartoon can be a powerful weapon, because the point it is making can be quickly absorbed and transmitted. Nevertheless, cartoons are frequently overlooked as a form of political communication and opinionating. This, however, is just one small topic in the ambit about which cartoons are made which make us laugh. However, these are essentially nothing but human follies stripped naked.  Cartoons hold the mirror against us and, well,  truth had never before seemed so amusing!

What we must not forget is, however, to see them as they truly are: Works of art.

 Each panel, comic strip or caricature is carefully planned. It is painstakingly drawn, inked and coloured. Cartoons range from simple yet enticing line drawings, to the intricately detailed. The story behind those strokes and lines is as interesting as the cartoon itself. The artists develop an inclination at an early age and their doodling finds space in the back pages of notebook. And it leaves a legacy of textbooks with imaginative cartoons scribbled on the pages and covers. Cartoons give us perspectives in kindness, religion and philosophy. They teach us life lessons in single panel jabs and four-panel bytes. They urge us to think about the world around us, to laugh, and sometimes, to cry.

Isn’t that what art is all about?

DSC Newsletter May 2010 

PGDPC XIV’s ‘Commencement Exercise’ 

PGDPC XIV

 

The Awardees of PGDPC XIV

There is a good reason they call these ceremonies “commencement  exercises.” Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. 

-Orrin Hatch  

The Convocation  ceremony of the  PGDPC XIVth batch of The Delhi School of Communication was recently held at the PHD Chamber of Commerce. The Chief Guest, Mr Nikhil Dey, Vice President, PR, Genesis Burston-Marstellar along with leading members of the industry such as  Mr Murad Ali Baig, author and consultant, Dr S P Aggarwal, Principal, Deshbandhu College and Dr N K Gupta, Reader, Delhi University graced the occasion with their presence.

 Delivering the Convocation Address to the students, Mr Nikhil Dey urged the young minds, who are looking to make a mark in this highly competitive professional world, to focus on the ‘RSS feed’- which stands for Reliable, Simple and Solution-oriented! These, he stressed, are important in a world where one can get easily enamoured with style over substance. He stated that these three traits need to be at the core of every individual’s professional reputation; reliable defining character, simple showcasing the skill and solution-oriented defining the attitude, and help take one far in the path towards success.

On this stage, students were also given away awards for their achievements. The Dr J M Sengupta Memorial Award for International Marketing went to Ms Nupur Sinha while the Sanat Lahiri Memorial Award for Public Relations went to Ms Priyanka Pani. The Surojit Lahiri Award for Excellence in Cultural Studies was won by Ms Shivangi Rajendran, the award for the Most Creative Writer went to Ms Richa Tandon, while the Anjali Devi Memorial Award for the Most Outstanding Thesis was won by Mr Himanshu Joshi. The B R Jassal Memorial Award for Excellence in Strategic Management went to Ms Nikita Shah while the Himani Devi Award for the Complete Woman went to Ms Rashmi Ritu. The Gold Medal was won by Miss Nikita Shah, while Mr. Deepak Kumar and Mr. Himanshu Joshi won the silver and bronze medals respectively. The joy of seeing their children in convocation attire was evident in the eyes of the parents present there in the hall. Prof. Ramola Kumar, overwhelmed with emotions wished the graduating batch a very bright and successful future.

The occasion was also marked by the launch of Professor Ramola Kumar’s fifth poetry book, The Sacred Urn, released by Mr Nikhil Dey. The much awaited Surojit Lahiri Memorial award, the most prestigious accolade of all, has been awarded to Mr. Himanshu Joshi, for holistic excellence. 

We wish the outgoing batch every personal and professional success!  

 

 

कूड़ा क्रांति

मूँगफली खा के मि. फ़ोकट जी ने पोलीथीन बैग को हवा में ऐसे उछाला मानो ग्रेज़ुएशन करके डिग्री उछाली हो… वाह! मज़ा आ गया!!! मैंने दो पल को सोचा ये मज़ा मूँगफली खाने का था या पोलीथीन उछाल के गंद मचाने का. वास्तव में  कूड़ा फैलाना हमारा राष्ट्रीय अधिकार है. उसी तरह जैसे भ्रष्टाचार करना, वोट देना, चुनाव लड़ना, क्रिकेट देखना, ट्रैफिक नियम तोडना, क्लास बंक करना, सरकार को गालियाँ देना इत्यादि| कई बार तो मुझे लगता है कि हमने अंग्रेजो से आज़ादी कूड़ा फैलाने के लिए ही ली थी; वास्तव में कूड़ा फैलाते समय ही आपको असली आजादी का अहसास होता है|

 

अब आप को कुछ रोचक बात बताता हूँ कि कुछ लोग पान क्यों खाते है?  अरे…बचपन से इनको रंगों से खेलने का बहुत शौक था, लोगों ने तो कभी इनके इस हुनर को पहचाना नहीं ,तो इन्होंने जिद करके दुनिया बदलने कि ठानी और आज कल वो  पान की पीक से दीवार  पे चित्रकारियाँ करते हैं और क्या चित्रकारी  जनाब कि एम एफ हुसैन दांतों में उंगलियाँ दबा ले! उनका गीता के इस वाक्य में परम विश्वास हैं कि सारी दुनिया ही उनकी कार्यशाला है ,वो कला को कैद करके नहीं रखते, मरने के बाद कोई इन्हें याद रखे न रखे, उनकी  शख्सियत इस  पूंजी  के जरिये पूरी दुनिया में झलकती रहेगी| 

 वैसे हर व्यक्ति इस देश में अपने अपने तरीके से इस महा-यज्ञ में योगदान दे रहा है.,कभी किसी बात की टेंशन नहीं जब दिल किया बगल वाली दीवार पे शु शु कर दिया तो कभी पिज्जा-बर्गर के खाली पैकेज बगीचों में छोड़ देते हैं;  हम तो दो मिनट भी हाथ में कचरा ले के नहीं चल सकते| कुछ लोग तो घर का सारा कचरा समेट के सड़क पर फेंक देते हैं,  ये सोच के, अब ये उड़ उड़  कर घर घर पहुँच सके..अरे भाई गन्दा रहने का हक सिर्फ हमारा नहीं है और लोग भी इंसान है उन्हें भी इस गंद से नवाजा जाए…| 

कचरे के  महत्त्व से आमिर खान भी प्रभावित हुए बिना न रह सके कि उन्होंने अपनी पिक्चर लगान के एक चरित्र का नाम ही कचरा रख दिया वैसे मेरे विचार से, ये किरदार कुछ और प्रासंगिक हो जाता यदि इतना महत्वपूर्ण चरित्र वो खुद निभाते|कुछ दोस्त मेरे घर बैठ के सिगरेट फूँक रहे थे तो मैंने एश ट्रे सरकाते हुए इशारा किया,दोस्तों  ने मुझे ऐसे घूरा मानो मैंने उनके मानव अधिकार का हनन कर दिया हो, दो पल को ऐसा लगा मानो कि वो बुद बुदा रहे हो… बताईये हम दो चुटकी राख भी आजादी से नहीं फेंक सकते| जरा किसी व्यक्ति को कचरा फेंकते समय टोकिये उसका आत्म-सम्मान आहत हो जाता है कई बार मुझे लगता है की कुछ लोगों  का आत्म सम्मान आहत होने के लिए ही  होता है इसीलिए सब लोग एक दूसरे के आत्म-सम्मान की हिफाजत करते हैं और किसी को कचरा फेंकने से नहीं रोकते| 

यह सब बातें सोचने पर मजबूर करती हैं कि हमने अपनी तरक्की तो कर ली लेकिन इस जहाँ कि खूबसूरती को महफूज़ रखने के लिए क्या किया, आज जरूरत है एक नये जज्बे की हम हर रोज कुछ वादे करते हैं अपने आप से अपनी तरक्की के लिए, तो आईये क्यूँ न एक वादा करे इस जन्नत से, इस वतन से कि इसे और खूबसूरत जहाँ बनायेंगे एक जिम्मेदार शख्सियत बन कर | 

 Mr. Sijin Varghese

Student Executive, PGDPC XV 

 

  

‘Cool’ Summers 

 The Learning Curve Mr. Parakram Hazarika, Student Executive, PGDPC XV

Intern at Lexicon PR

Just finished two exciting and interesting semesters at DSC, a whole academic year. It has been quite a journey from Marketing to PR, from Branding to Culture and from Advertising to Finance. So after having learnt so much, what could be was next I thought?  Little did I known that I’d soon be taking another  giant leap towards my dream career!

For this is the second time that I take first hand experience of the real world. Having studied all about Public Relations, it was time to apply all that I had learnt, working at Lexicon PR. At the moment, the team that I am working with handles clients such as Domino’s, the Egyptian Tourist Authority,  TOCKLAI Tea Research Association and Attero, among others. 

In three weeks, we have already organised a press conference for one of our clients, and I had to invite and interact with the media for the event,  and have also penned a few press releases. It feels great to receive such responsibilities and to experience how to manage an event first-hand. It has been a good opportunity to learn about crisis management and also to follow up on any good work done. Of course, another important lesson has been that one needs to be well read and well informed, specifically about the clients and their competitors. And this makes the scope of the work that I am doing much more profound. 

 Experience Change 

 Ms. Madhulika Atri, Student Executive, PGDPC XV

Intern at McCann Erickson

 The summer of 2010 is quite different from all the rest that I have had till date. For one my own enthusiasm seems to be soaring higher and higher, much like Delhi’s temperature! McCann World Group is the reason behind this new innings! With Videocon as my client; everyday I ‘Experiencing Change’, both figuratively and literally. 

The work culture is nice. Professionalism, is expected, maintained and appreciated when it comes to  work. Although it has just been two weeks since we began, the vast difference between the confines of the classroom and the real world was evident from day one!  One realizes that there is so much to learn, if only we wish to see it. That, coupled with the fact that now we are almost on our own, gives us a lot of responsibility. The right blend of classroom learning and the application of it during my internship will immensely help me in stretching ourselves towards a more fulfilled growth.

Newsletter Updates: April 2010

Be Your Own Motivational Speaker!

Do you ever wake up in the morning full of good intentions for the day ahead and find, that by the time that you get to work you’re no longer motivated? Or maybe, you get off to a flying start but when the first minor distraction or interruption occurs, you go off the track? Do you ever find that, despite your best efforts, the little voices in your head keep dragging you down, questioning either your own ability or the prospects for success? In other words, how easy is it for you to run out of steam?

What you need is a little motivation – or a lot! Or,  you need to become your own motivational speaker – so to speak! The one thing over which you have absolute control in your entire life is your very own state of mind. Don’t let anyone else in there – I know plenty of people who, at one stage or another in their lives, became dependent on their self-help “guru” – but, at the same time, don’t abdicate responsibility yourself. Your state of mind is a lethal weapon. It is capable of killing off all the de-motivating thoughts and feelings that you harbour. Left to its own devices, it is capable of as good as killing you – squeezing the motivation and drive out of you by languishing in its default negative state of mind.
So what is to be done? You need to get in touch with your inner self – in other words, your subconscious mind – the part of you that controls your emotions, your behaviour and, as a result, ultimately  your life. You don’t need to give your subconscious direction because, deep down, as both psychology and quantum physics explain, it has its own in-built compass, pointed in the direction that is best for you.

What you do need to do is simply get in touch with yourself, slow down, smell the roses and experience the utter joy of living in the present moment. For when you are in the present moment, you have presence – the hallmark of highly motivated and successful people. When you are present, you are more effective, more efficient, more productive and less likely to be derailed by whatever latest bit of nonsense that comes your way. When you are present, you are clear, calm, cool and collected – nothing can ruffle you. And the great news is that this is the one area of your life over which you have absolute and total control– if you want to!

So take the first small steps that lead to life changing leaps – slow down, make space for yourself to really smell those roses. Give yourself space and time to experience the odd moment of no thought – whether that is sitting on a park bench watching the world go by, taking the time to do a little habitual task differently, making the time to do a little something that you really enjoy or meditating – the time and space you need to clear your mind is the most important investment of time that you can make in your daily life. Without the need for bombastic pseudo-religious fervour, you can motivate yourself by being  in the present moment.

By: Ambika Mehrotra

Student Executive, PGDPC XV

Drive home a ‘Ritz’, reading an ‘Outlook’ after lunch at Nirula’s

A Brand is…
Economically- one of the biggest value generators in the modern business world
Socially- a unit of social currency
Ethically- more than promise, it’s a responsibility
Geographically- a portal to a world
Technically- a zip file of meaning!

Definitions are plenty, but the essence remains intact. Keeping the essence it its shape and form, PGDPC XV showcased their brands, Nirula’s, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Outlook . Knitting the brand concepts with critical consumer insights and important research findings, the groups portrayed the true market state of cut throat competition. The whole campus was painted in the colours of the respective brands. Lord Ganesha’s new savari came in the form of a Ritz and a new Nirula’s cafe with an altogether different ‘Outlook’ came into existence under the promotional time period!

The presentations were closely scrutinised by a respected panel of judges, which included Mr. Pradeep Aeri (Director, Aeri Communications); Mr. Sanjeev Mishra (Media Planner, Madison), Mr. Kunal Anand (Director, Client Servicing, Iris Advertising),  Ms. Ela Shankar (Film Consultant) & Prof. Ramola Kumar (Dean, DSC). DSC was also happy and honoured to receive the Manager from Nirula’s Saket wing and a representative from the Maruti Suzuki office; their presence made the event all the more successful.

Farewell- The Goan Way…

It was that time of the year again when one group of students got ready to enter the real world, leaving the  student’s life behind. On the verge of this transition, they were reminded of the fun that they had as students when their juniors bade farewell to them, and how!

“Go Goa: 365 days on a holiday!”… Goa has an innate charm that captivates every heart…

And when the same charm was brought to the DSC college campus, none could stop feeling those vibes. It was during the farewell to PGDPC XIV that the air had a ‘Goan’ feel with flowers, colours, sights and sounds reflecting a festive spirit. A farewell, a time that makes one nostalgic and often filled with overwhelming emotions, was made fun for the outgoing batch .

The theme paraded a few villagers’ escapades to Goa. Their whole experience was exhibited in a comic tone which also included some diverse performances, including salsa, village nautanki, a parody of yesteryears’ superstars and a ‘seriously’ funny dance. Dr N K Gupta and Dr Kusum Gupta were also there to grace the occasion and bless the seniors.

Prof Ramola Kumar gave the outgoing students a farewell address and numerous academic and extra-academic awards to the students. The students also shared a few anecdotes and showed their gratitude to all.

The farewell could not be complete without the prayer which ritually is called upon by Ma’am. It was indeed, an experience filled with memorable moments that will be close to every student of PGDPC XIV and so too, PGDPC XV, for years to come.

GLOBALIZING INDIA VS INDIANIZING THE GLOBE

The effects of globalization on India is one thing but Indianizing the Globe is quite another. Mr. Himanshu Joshi’s Thesis presentation delves on the latter more critical issue of Indian taste, culture and business across the world. Taking Indian IT, films, yoga, business acumen and Indian Dharma Gurus as some of the variables Himanshu brought to light a 4 factor model including these variables as strategic inputs for Indianizing the globe. Creating an attraction in our offerings, educating the world about India’s golden heritage, strengthening relationships across political boundaries near and far and setting global objectives and delivering potentially on promises are consideration when country stakes are involved.

Himanshu proposes a Four-Sight model

The Economic Sight implies looking at the equity side, and a continuous development and enhancing GDP growth. The Active Sight suggests active participation at internal and global level, visible decision making ensuring global leader image. Intellectual sight implies continuing with its competitive advantage of knowledge economy, and advancement and supremacy in the service sector. Lastly, Liberal Sight already in sync with India’s identity, a world leader of global peace and a weapon free world. Also suggesting more liberal relations with neighboring countries.

Additionally for all of this to become relevant, India needs:

• to cut red tape
• first Indianize itself
• young India, to also become more Experienced India

and lastly be a good ‘Talent Manager’ have an eye for the right kind of talent and a method to build it and retain it on international lines.

Mr. Himanshu Joshi, Student Executive, PGDPC XIV

Excerpts from his Thesis on ‘Globalizing India VS Indianizing The Globe’

POWER OF OUTDOOR

Outdoor is said to be the oldest form of advertising. Debatable maybe, but I do stand by the statement!

The point is that though it is the oldest form of advertising but surely not the primary mode of advertising for most of the media planners. Print and television still remain the favorite advertising medium for the media planners. Ironically, outdoor is still considered to be only a ‘reminder medium’.

In fact most of the conventional media planners leave it in the hands of outdoor specialists to plan, execute and monitor this medium. More so maybe because as the name ‘outdoor’ suggests that one has to be constantly on the move to:

–  visit and select the site

–  then execute the plan and

–  finally monitor each and every outdoor vehicle

The major breakthrough which happened in the outdoor industry more than a decade ago was switching over to digital prints from the conventional hand painted ones. This technological breakthrough saw lot of excitement in the corporate world as well – to see their ‘perfect’ Logos and Brands on larger-than-life size hoardings. Around the same time, considering out-door advertising to be a potential business, most of the advertising agencies launched their own O-O-H (Out-Of-Home) agencies, either by headhunting outdoor specialists or setting-up an alliance with the premium outdoor suppliers.

The trend continued and today almost every major advertising agency has its own outdoor wing. I would take this opportunity to mention that currently most of the advertising agencies also include BTL activities in their portfolios, in a similar fashion.

Considering the power of the outdoor medium, big media houses like TOI, Big FM, Dainik Jagaran and others have also forayed into the business of outdoor advertising. Technologically we have also witnessed developments like unipoles, digital screens across the cities. And not to mention the swanky looking all-steel bus shelters on the Delhi roads. This phenomenon may have been possible because of some major international players like Clear Channel, J C Decaux and others who have started their operations in India.

Finally I would like to add that outdoor media planning is not only a specialized field but also a rewarding one for the deserving professionals. Aspiring MBAs and Mass Communication students may like consider it as a career option. Considering the nature of the outdoor industry, it surely welcomes new talented professionals.

Three cheers to the power of outdoor!!

Mr. Dharam Arora – Director, The Source

The 2 C’s Of My Life

Anyone remotely interested in things creative will tell you about their innate aesthetic sense. On a personal front however, for me it allreally started on long family road trips as a child; seeing the worldthrough a natural frame as I stared for hours out of the car window.This drive can be best understood by two C’s… my need to:COLLECT and CREATE

My penchant for collecting things has taken many forms –stamps, coins, rocks, shells, stickers, teddy bears, trinket boxes,bookmarks, pencil shavings, feathers, postcards, glass bottles,antique books. With the advent of the camera in my life, Idiscovered a new way to collect, but this time, to collect thoseintangible things which are most significant to me: images and thepresence of people, memories of places or events. I love thatin making an image, I get to make a copy of the scene at hand,leaving it unaltered, and yet taking a memento of it home with me,to be enjoyed over and over long after the circumstance itself has passed.

Another force driving my passion for photography is my need for creation. As created beings, I believe we all have a subconscious urge to create — it may take the form of writing or performing a pieceof music, preparing a meal, repairing a car. For me, it takes shapethrough the act of re-creation afforded by photography, whereby I getto collaborate with creation — both people and nature — tocreate something new out of capturing what already is.

Photography has a unique ability to contain entire stories in a single image, and I am passionate about using this communicative toolto share and further meaningful work that leaves this world alittle better than we encounter it…

– Rashi Walia, Student Executive, PGDPC XV