I’ve been toying with the idea of giving back to the industry that’s given me so much (and continues to do so).
And one of those ways that I’ve been thinking of is with my time. (1/n)
To designate a certain number of hours each month to give to anyone (particularly those who’re just starting out in advertising / marketing) who may find an interaction or a conversation with me useful. (2/n)
1/12
The distinguished academic Russell Belk, a pioneer in exploring the cross-connections between the components of consumption and the social fabric, had written about the sacred and the profane in consumer behavior as far back as 1989.
2/12
As with most seminal work, the concepts he proposed are relevant 30 years later too because they tap into very primeval ways in which people organize their social lives. Brands frequently look wistfully at the faith and fervor of the followers of religion and sport.
Jun 29, 2019 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
After five years as a copywriter at the beginning of my #advertising career, I switched to planning, thanks mostly to some classes I took at UW-Madison in anthropology, sociology and psychology, after which I realized that you can actually be paid for people watching. 1/
My favorite site for people watching on a regular basis is the Delhi Metro that I ride as much as I can for my work commute. I’ve had fun people watching all over the world, but one place that gave me some good guiding principles for the activity was Maastricht. 2/
Jun 24, 2019 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
The Interwebs of Amritsar: A Sales Masterclass
The story starts with Kartar di Hatti. It is in lane opozit to Rmaada hotel. Ask anyone. It is world famous in Amritsar. Rmaada hotel and Kartar di Hatti both. 1/
In Rmaada, you'll find golden and silver and platinum upholstered sofas. You can't miss them. In lane opozit, you'll find lots of shops selling juttis and phulkari dupattas. But there is only one Kartar di Hatti. 2/
Jun 15, 2019 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
Ethnographic research gives you some of the best stories.
About 11 years ago, for over a month, I hung out on college campuses across Delhi. I learnt about K-Nags, g-jams. And c-bats. (Nobody publicly admits to calling them that, but the name hangs around like a bat at dusk. (1)
Technically, my project involved understanding the music sensibilities of the young people of the day. What I actually did was make friends with college kids, haunt their canteens and hangouts with them, using the six degrees of separation strategy to talk to more people. (2)
Jun 3, 2019 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
< Story thread >
Back in 1993, I was in the throes of an MBA and found myself in a summer internship at a leading ad agency in Bangalore, hoping for release and redemption.
I fancied, with no real reason for such confidence, that I would be good at advertising.
The internship taught me many things.
- I roamed many corners of Bangalore on foot and by autorickshaw, into many electronics retailers, talking to them about which brands of audio systems (they weren’t called music players back then) they carried, and what they felt about them.
