While the smart city project has its heart and mind in the right place, one can’t help but wonder if it is a pipe dream, Mala Bhargava writes
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Addressing the red-tape issues that still choke businesses in India would go a long way in extensive TPP involvement, writes Nayan Chanda
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The ability to bounce back is one of the most underrated characteristics of strong brands, Ramesh Jude Thomas writes IN THE MIDDLE of last week, my immediate team had pulled out a couple of big rabbits. So we went down to this favourite little Bengali snack joint in Domlur for a chhota celebration. They have a menu which is plastered on the wall. What caught my eye was the status of the much-maligned Maggi on that menu. It didn’t have a cross against it, nor an apology for non-availability. It just said, “Back Soon.” Personally, I dislike the stuff, and I couldn’t care less whether it was banned or banished. But that menu did provoke my working instincts. In the many years I have been involved with, or taught brands, I have seldom seen more powerful but quiet evidence of resilience. One of the most underrated elements of strong brands is their ability to bounce back. The owner of that shack was no Philip Kotler, I’m certain. But he knew two important things: first, the faithful who gathered every evening at his shop would not accept the absolute demise of their favourite snack, and second, it is too early to write off equity of this history and geography. Imagine walking into a mobile store and finding a notice about Apple phones being banned for high radiation or some such thing. The shop will be boycotted. People don’t want to hear that. I’m not a fan of Cadbury’s either. But most of the faithful will not even remember the last crisis it went through. However, when the worm controversy broke a few years ago, surely the management and staff of the company must have had a bad scare. Finally, they roped in the mighty Bachhan to let people know that they are basically good guys who would never mess with your favourite chocolate. Did they need to?Singapore Airlines experienced one of their worst nightmares in October 2000 when a 747-400 crashed soon after take off killing almost a 100 people. According to reports, it was a clear case of flouting weather safety norms. But most regular global travelers will not be able to recall an SQ crash. Singapore Airlines crash? Really? One of the brands that would stick out of any CV I could write would be ABB. After having worked on that brand for many years we were suddenly faced with a public interest litigation accusing the company of having worked the system to get a big government order. My view even then was to avoid a prolonged battle with the press. Soon enough, the centre of gravity of that crisis shifted to the folk who were managing the deal, veering away from a company with a spotless reputation for cutting-edge capability in electrical engineering. Tata Finance (TFL) faced and conquered a similar crisis in 2002. TFL was accused of a cover-up job with the active collusion of their very reputed audit firm. The public just refused to swallow it. Here’s the deal: these are names that have earned a special place in people’s consciousness over a long time. It is then inconceivable to them that these entities are fallible. Why would Maggi deliberately put lead in my snack? How can SQ ever crash? Tata and financial impropriety? Now, I am not arguing the veracity of any of these possibilities. Just pointing out their incredulity to the vote banks. Unfortunately, it is only in a crisis that we really recognize this invaluable dimension of brand strength. And that too only after it has blown over. With a sigh of relief we recall the depth of that reputation. For my money, brand resilience is one dimension of a business that truly reflects its long-term value. It is something that deserves our ongoing attention in terms of nurturing and measurement. Like a good insurance policy, it not only pays off when required, it also reminds us with every premium that this is something really precious we are protecting. The author is president and CKO, EQUiTOR Value Advisory (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 27-07-2015)
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The home ministry cannot force 33 channels off air based on a few criminal charges faced by the promoters, writes Gurbir Singh THE HAWKS IN the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have created a serious crisis for the media and entertainment industry. Around the first week of June, the MHA turned down ‘security clearance’ for the Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun Group. This could lead to the south-based broadcaster losing its licence issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and its 33 channels going off air. The MHA’s case is that there are serious criminal cases pending against the Maran brothers —Kalanithi and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran — including the Aircel-Maxis investigation and an Enforcement Directorate case of money laundering. On the same grounds, earlier in March, the Sun Group’s 48 FM radio channels were denied security clearance. This has held up the much-awaited auction for the third phase of radio licences, as the I&B ministry has gone into a huddle with the MHA to decide on the status of the Sun Group as radio licence bidders. The radio industry is in a tizzy as the auction for 839 stations for over 200 cities has again gone into cold storage. The MHA has refused to budge despite the I&B ministry, and Arun Jaitley, the I&B minister, clearing the Sun Group. Even attorney general Mukul Rohtagi’s legal opinion in favour of the Sun Network has not moved Rajnath Singh. Worse, till date there is no official communication to the company on the denial of ‘security’ clearance, making it difficult for Sun to go to court. Meanwhile, Sun Network has been battered on the stock market with its stock plummeting from Rs 450 in April to its current Rs 280-285 range. The Sun Group is no fly-by-night operation that started yesterday. Founded in 1993, it is a Rs 2,230 crore company by revenue, and notched up net profits of Rs 750 crore last fiscal. It employs 2,000 people, and is part of the cultural life, especially in the southern states, where its offering on more than 30 channels has become part of the daily fare. There is no denying that there are serious charges, especially against Dayanidhi Maran, who used his baton as telecom minister to force business contracts in exchange for sweet deals for himself and his brother’s business. And punishment should be meted out if the charges are proved. In law, individual promoters and the corporate entity they preside over are separate. The corporation is an amalgam of a wider body of investors serving an even larger community of consumers. Business operations developed over two decades cannot be shut down on account of the illegal actions of one or two persons at the helm. We are witnessing a public display of a divided government. While the I&B ministry has given a go-ahead, the MHA is not moved. Logically, if the licensing authority for broadcasting is the I&B ministry, should not issues of safety and security be also decided by it? Such instances of the left hand working at cross-purposes with the right has put India at the bottom of the ‘ease-of-doing-business’ index. Then there is this whole paranoia about ‘security’ and micro-managing all communication operations. For broadcasting, while channel licenses are given for 10 years by the I&B ministry, the licensing rules require a security clearance from the MHA every three years. This also means submitting and getting the green signal from the MHA for all directors of the broadcasting company’s board. How are companies supposed to run entertainment and news operations under this ‘Big-Brother-is-watching-you’ dispensation? The latest insistence of the home ministry on having the credentials of journalists vetted every year before according ‘accreditation’ is another example of a police-state paranoia. Rajnath Singh is relying on a dusty rule that was not implemented earlier; but perhaps the reason for applying it now is to teach a lesson to the ‘uncontrollable’ news media. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 27-07-2015)
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A combination of right nutrients and supplements can help keep your brain always active and agile, Rachna Chhachhi writes Ever wondered why some people are happy, composed or patient while the others are crabby, snappy and irritable? All of us need our brains so that we can think of new ideas, listen to people (patience), put up with irritants (good mood) and stay alert (to work). So how do you ensure that your workday is seamless and your mood swings don’t cost you your appraisal? The human brain is a funny chap. It needs nutrients and specific exercises to function well, sharpen memory and stay calm. Follow these steps to achieve your nirvana status and everyone will be wondering if you took a calming course! Give it the memory vitamin: Vitamin B is the nerve vitamin. Messages are transmitted efficiently from the nerves to the brain if there is an abundance of B vitamins in our diet. Many studies have shown that in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s, the key missing link was deficiency of B vitamins, specifically B12 and folic acid. And when they were added, an increase in memory power resulted. However, taking B vitamins in isolation doesn’t work. You have to consume it in combination with other B vitamins for better absorption. Good sources are marmite on whole wheat toast, chicken, fresh soy beans, brown rice, eggs and shellfish. You can also pop a pill, but ensure it’s a wholesome B vitamins pill with folic acid and is consumed after breakfast. Give it the calming effect. The brain needs good fats to function well and stay calm. And the king amongst good fats is fish oil, a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in brain function. People with depression have been shown to have low blood levels of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are in abundance in fish oil. Even patients with severe mood swings, women with PMS and those suffering from anxiety disorders have shown to benefit from fish oil as it calms the brain. Good sources are oily fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon and rawas. For vegetarians, a fish oil capsule along with a fruit does the job. Give it some spike. A coffee at 3 pm usually gives a memory boost to a slumping afternoon. Research has shown that 2-3 cups of coffee have been linked to reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It also temporarily boosts your brain power and makes you more alert. So if you don’t suffer from hypertension or palpitations, go for that cuppa caffeine.Give it some nirvana. Just before you sleep at night, try this: a hot cup of chamomile tea with honey, and 5 min of anulomvilom. A combination of these practiced every night will unwind and calm your brain and take away the edginess of the day. This will help you sleep better, which is absolutely essential to rejuvenate the brain so that you can solve the world’s problems the next day. Follow these and see yourself being transformed in just two weeks. Question Of The FortnightSend in your questions to askrachnachhachhi@gmail.com I’ve just been short listed for a dream job, but the company is hesitating to take me because I’m obese. Isn’t that unfair? How will it affect my work? Should I sue them? — Rishabh Khosla, Gurgaon Dear Rishabh,I must say this company is advanced and thoughtful! More organisations should be doing this. Being unhealthy means they’re investing in an unstable resource. Due to your obesity, you can be laid up in bed due to sudden hypertension, a spike in blood sugar or gout pain. This will make them lose man-days. Get your act together, reassure them that you will lose weight and take it up as a career advancement opportunity. The author is a certified nutritional therapist and WHO certified in nutrition. She is the writer of Restore, a book on how to fight diseases for working professionals (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 27-07-2015)
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BW Businessworld launched its 11th edition of the BW Books Marketing Whitebook (MWB) in New Delhi on 1 July 2015. The event was witnessed by the who's who of marketing industry and their gracious presence made the launch a grand success. The magazine's editor-in-chief and chairman Annurag Batra and executive editor Gurbir Singh, along with Nielsen India president Piyush Mathur, Reckitt Benckiser south Asia regional director Nitish Kapoor, and other distinguished guests shared the gospels of marketing.
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The co-director of the World Development Report 2015 says that the success of a programme like the Swachh Bharat Mission depends on changing behaviour and people’s lifelong habits, which is a challenging task.
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Co-working is a solution to most of the issues faced by lean teams today, says Monika MisraIt is no longer a secret that contented workers are more productive, creative, better team-players and open to positive collaboration. Having established that, some of the challenges that companies face is engaging their workforce methodically and meaningfully and in improving satisfaction, thereby performance.In large teams employee engagement is elaborately planned and managed with custom events, workshops and outdoor activities. However, in smaller teams comprising branch offices of multinationals, local businesses, professional consultants and startups, it becomes difficult to replicate the same ideas. Secondly, it doesn't always make monetary sense to invest into a resource for employee engagement for lean teams.From the employee standpoint too, engagement initiatives at this level, seldom reflect an opportunity to build a professional network or share expertise. Small companies therefore face the recurrent challenge of detachment and de-motivation within teams, with not too many tried and tested solutions to implement. Monika MisraEnter… 'Co-working'Conceptualised to make small team environments lively, 'co-working' spaces harbor collaboration and openness, and connect like-minded people in a business eco-system. Regardless of the strength of your workforce, co-working delivers several perks, which are otherwise a privilege of large enterprises alone.1. Community: A sense of community and belongingness is essential to ensure cutting-edge work. Employees perform better, when they look forward to coming to work. Co-working spaces are great at cultivating and nurturing this. There are fun activities, interactive games, and knowledge sharing initiatives etc. that bind people within teams and with other teams outside of their comfort zone.2. Collaboration: Co-working offers several opportunities for collaboration. Teams can discover vendors and potential clients at the workplace. Meeting people from varied interests and expertise areas opens up avenues for co-creation and collaboration. With almost every professional skill available at one place, one doesn't have to go far to find partners to complete work on time.3. Diversity: Small teams - whether in MNCs or startups, face the challenge of limited interaction, and hardly have access to outside opinion. Further, hanging out with the same set of individuals with likely restrain their social life too. 'Co-working' opens doors, and encourages employees to go out and engage with other individuals in the industry.4. Employer Branding: Employees are typically conscious of where they work from. Employer branding is a critical advantage of a co-working space that replicates a professionally designed and comfortable workspace. Further, employee engagement, which is usually a challenge for small teams, is easily planned and managed in a co-working space. Engaged employees create better work. Better work, indicate better profits.5. Discovery: The opportunity to discover and seek potential customers or vendors for a timely project, through easy means such as posting requirements on the board in the common areas, is a possibility unique to the co-working space. Besides this, you could also find potential hires and professional consultants within the same four walls.6. Managed infrastructure and maintenance: Quality real-estate and infrastructure are the primary requirements for an office set-up. With the advent of co-working, large MNCs are now assured that their remote branch offices enjoy the same quality work-space as their larger offices. Startups and freelancers enjoy access to superior working space for a considerably low cost.7. Shared facilities: Creating a seamless workspace with facilities such as a gym, pantry or a relaxing zone might not be financially feasible, if your team size is very small. Further, employing resources for non-core functions like telephone operation, reception, cleaning and maintenance, security etc., might result in high overheads too. A co-working space comes to your aid, by introducing shared resources and common areas, without even stepping out of your office premise.8. Collective Buying Power: Teams working out of co-working spaces enjoy group benefits that are otherwise only available to large teams. While they are still a small team, they become part of a larger collective, which can demand corporate benefits, representing their higher strength.These benefits are then translated to the small teams. Also, when teams start something anew, they need the right set of vendors and service providers who can add their credible experience and knowledge to the project. Vetted references can bring down the search time and expedite implementation process in several instances.Co-working is a solution to most of the issues faced by lean teams today. In addition to solving all their obvious challenges, co-working spaces also offer value-add that makes work-life efficient and enjoyable to each team that is part of the ecosystem, no matter who you are - a small branch of a large MNC, or a core-team of a small startup. Co-working, surely, is for all!The author is founder and general manager of iKeva
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