Information Revolution and Nature

Gone are the days when B-Schools were populated only by the city-bred. Several students from smaller towns in India are now occupying top slots in India’s Ivy League Business Schools. What explains the increase in the number of students, hailing from smaller towns, joining elite B-Schools across India?? Although we are tempted to attribute such encouraging phenomenon to the success of the LPG -Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation- path embraced by India post 1991, they dont really help us find accurate answers.

However, if we begin to distill across the huge impact created by these phenomena in our society, we realize how information revolution has brought about a radical shift in our society from the old world to the wired new world order. The Old world was built over hierarchies which thrived on the asymmetry of information. With passage of time, businesses realized that these hierarchies no longer produced the desired results. Hierarchies had, as Ricardo Semler put it in his best-seller, turned businesses into a traffic jam. The traffic jam became messier with smash-ups and accidents as decision makers climbed up the organizational pyramid. Things however began to change for the better.

With the advent of networked technology, information began to open up a whole world of opportunities. Information was no longer shackled by the dictates of power. Information revolution seeped into the lattices of corporation and severed the hierarchies built within. Companies like Google, Linux, with their democratic genes intact, grew up to inherit the fruits of this information revolution.

Information Revolution: Opportunities unlimited
It often gives us an ineffable feeling when we watch white-collar wish-fulfillment fantasies like ROCK ON. These movies equate happiness with throwing away boring jobs in our career and follow what we are passionate about. Our hearts explode in joy to see hearts ruling the roost in silver screen. In case , if you are one of those who believe that such romantic schmaltz can only happen on screen, then wait for IIMs' placement sessions to get over. You are sure to read news snippets of B-School graduates throwing their MNC offers to become entrepreneurs.
What explains the audacity of such brilliant minds of our country who dare to throw away their coveted high salary jobs and pursue their passion?
Information revolution has made all the difference. It has provided accommodative infrastructure to start business in no time. New ventures are being experimented. The Gen-Y folks, who grew up amidst this technology, are more confident and dare to take such challenges. The growth in such businesses has brought ample cash flow to goad them to explore millions of opportunities lying around.

The World’s best strategist

Who is the best strategist in the world? Ask this question to a manager. He will point out at several management gurus who have created several management abracadabra- powerful magic spells that can intimidate lesser mortals in planet earth and help a manager to throw his weight around. Ask this question to the religious folk. They will point out to their gods in their pantheon. How many of us would look at Nature as the best strategist in the world? Our pavlovian reaction would probably say "How is it possible, with all the mess happening around rising temperatures and depleting natural resources" “Isn’t nature a panaromic picture of chaos, with several mysterious phenomena being reported every day, much to the delight of TV Channels? No wonder, some scientist called it “ The Chaos Theory” , in a futile attempt to theorize nature’s puzzling behavior. 
Is this what nature is all about? Wait, Let us pause for a while to filter these noise signals and look at nature deeply to get right answers.

Although it might seem the opposite at first glance, nature reveals us that chaos isn’t actually chaotic but perfectly strategized to the highest order. It is indeed hard for us to believe that nature, with her benign and soothing presence, could hold infinite intelligence in her bosom. Blame it on our fast track lives, we never pause to be amazed at her intelligence in designing a small seed, fully loaded with all the information necessary to determine the size, shape and colour of the leaf that would emerge and the right timing for the flower that would bloom.

Scientists have tried hard to understand the intricacies of Nature. The more they researched; they realized that they are only going deeper down the rabbit hole. However the truth is simple to fathom. Nature works on instinct. We humans also have access to this powerful tool, as long as we trust it. What really prevents us from using this tool is our conditioned brain which drives us to analyze things. How could we trust such decision which comes from literally nothing? Our mind often doubts the veracity of such decisions. Managers have often been caught in this dilemma between analysis arrived from facts and gut feeling landed from nowhere.

However history has several evidences to showcase the greatness of instincts. **In the 1950s, Ray Kroc decided to buy the Mc.Donalds brand because "my funny bone instinct kept urging me on." The rest, as they say, is history. Against all odds, his company became the icon of fast food across the entire world. Businesses have now begun to appreciate the power of intuition. R.Gopalakrishnan, in his beautiful book” The Case of the Bonsai manager” talks about how leadership, in these changing times, have begun to demand more of intuitive rather than analytical skills.

Pyar and Marketing


All marketeers are romantics. They are out there standing to pamper you. They are out there to serenade you by tempting u to savour all those temptations!! No wonder few puritans, offended by the romantic gooeyness, called all the marketing folks devils!! Infact if I could sum up marketing in one word: it could be "Pyar" Note, Im not using the traditional four letter word, used so casually to downgrade its status to be throw-away slang or rather a semi-colon. Marketing and to be very precise Branding is all about "Pyar". After all, what do lovers/consumers do, so gobsmacked by their beloved brands, they could do anything for her!!
How can you explain long queues of youngsters braving the long night before I-phone could be released, all just to touch and feel the silken smooth skin of the electronic nymphet, showcased to the world by the greatest lover of all ages: Steve Jobs!! Isnt he the pioneer to bring in hot n sleek electronic chicks right from Macintosh to the latest I-phone!! If Marketing is all about Pyar, Steve Jobs is apna Devanand, the king of Indian romance.
If you ever thought branding was so boring, here is a refreshing way to look at it. Here is the evolution of branding through a simple love story!!

· Long long ago, there lived a smart, suave, talkative lover. Lets call him old Brander. He was the only Brander in town. He was a toddler when several invented products like radio, phonograph, car, light bulb had to be brought into the consumer’s life. He informed the consumers about the existence of some new invention and convinced them that their lives would be better if they used light bulb instead of oil lamps. He gradually brought a change in the way people lived their lives. The toddler grew up into a handsome adult with the invention which changed the world: the factory. Old products were given a new lease of life through factories as they acquired new shape. Old brander realized his raison d’etre when markets were being flooded with uniform mass-produced products which were indistinguishable from another. Thus competitive branding became a necessity in the industrial age. He first sought out to bestow proper names on every day goods like sugar, flour & soap which were earlier sold by mom and pop shop keepers. In the 1880s, corporate logos were introduced to mass-produced products like Campbell’s Soup, H.J. Heinz pickles and Quaker Oats cereal. [1]
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· Inspired by the likes of Shakespeare and Keats, poetry flowed from Old Brander's lips to woo pretty consumers He gave amazing promises to all those gullible n naive consumers who were swayed by his charm. He became the familiar personality who could act as an advocate for the products. Advertising wasn’t just his cheesy trick to woo the consumers. It became an inseparable part in every fibre of his being. People believed his promises dearly as they had no other handsome chap to fall for. They bought all those he showed to buy, without any other restraint. Although he faced a personality crisis with the Marlboro Friday when it was announced by Philip Morris that it would slash the price of Marlboro cigarette. Old brander faced an existential crisis for the first time as consumers worried if his Marlboro avatar, an avatar which was carefully groomed with more than billion advertising dollars, was so desperate to compete with any Tom, dick and Harry, then Old Brander had no right to live. He however got out of this depression soon, thanks to his god-father- those big bodied corporations- who realized that he was a sine-qua-non for his avarice. 

As world began to grow, spurred by technological revolution, things began to change and the tribe of Branders grew. Let’s call them New Branders!! These New Branders took themselves too lightly as they were present everywhere, thanks to technology. They began to indulge in amorous activities, desecrating the sacred relationship they had with consumers. They grew up to be philanderers, having multiple affairs with different consumers. They gave different promises to different consumers. They made the cardinal sin of breaking several promises which stood in contradiction to other promises. The naive consumer, perplexed by confusing promises, began to break his relationships quickly with the branders. There were too many breakups. No wonder Brand Equity paper, few weeks ago, screamed the headline, "The Consumer is an infidel"... Pampered by too many choices and powered by technology, consumer has become notorious for his infedility. Although New Branders are discovering new techniques every day( Twitter and Face book are the latest to be added to this list!!) to seduce the consumers, they are struggling to get their relationships right. Gone are the days of rajesh kanna style of romance. The consumer is too busy to spend lot of time with you. She now demands undivided attention on you and expects to u fulfill all the promises given in the limited time she can spare for you. If you fail once, she ll begin flirting with someone else.

Is it still surprising we see relationships breaking down so quickly in brand-space and real world?? What is the way ahead ?? Relationships, be it in the real or brand world, are strung by a beautiful thread called as commitment. It would be a grave assumption for a New Brander to think that commitment doesn’t really matter in this age of consumption. The externalities of relationship may have changed. The soul of relationship will never change. Once marketers understand this kernel truth, relationships would last forever. After all, the rosy celluloid dreams of they lived happily everafter is not just restricted to real world alone!!


[1] Pg.6, No Logo, Naomi Klein., Flamingo Publications

Joy Fest @ Symbiosis - A night to remember


Mortal Happiness often comes in various configurations. Such configurations sink the major chunk of our toxic memories and let us revel in the precious moment for a while, showcasing trailers of what it means to be happy. However, once in a while, we are treated with immortal happiness which defies all those popular configurations of happiness and let us wallow into the most beautiful part of this existence. The students of Symbiosis Infotech Campus were fortunate to have this treat during Joy Fest 2009 on 3rd October 2009.

With few minutes left to start the event, the atmosphere was a heartening picture of chaos all around with kids running across the proscenium with paper-pulp flower petal caps and red ribbons while enthusiastic future managers were using all their precious negotiation skills to rehearse the bhangra steps taught to the kids. The programme began with kids running towards the centre stage to sheepishly flaunt their English language skills. It was a treat to watch their happiness unfurl with innocence while they mumbled their introductions. It was followed by song and dance of invocation to the almighty. It was followed by the eagerly awaited petal dance. While two students danced to welcome the spring, the harbinger of happiness and wonderful days ahead, the kids from Prayatna, with faces painted with joy and gratitude, donning their cutesy paper-pulp flower petal bands rushed in to greet the students eagerly waiting for their arrival. They ran to embrace the goodness of life and the hope which beckoned their lives amidst towering adversity. Life offers us few moments of blissful happiness, which apart from letting us enjoy the moment, makes us feel grateful for all the riches provided by the Divine Providence That divine moment was too sumptuous for my soul to let myself enjoy the rock show and few dance performances which ensued.