Charity or Sustainability Branding?

In the shallow world that we live in today, nobody really wants to do any good unless it makes them look good too. We as humans function to fulfil our needs, need for food, for love, for recognition and acceptance. The motivation behind doing good for anyone is deeply rooted in the desire to fulfil our own social needs of getting accepted by the rest of the members of the society that we are a part of. Thou shall not boast about thyself as a commandment does not hold much significance anymore and rightly so! Why should after all one not let people know of the good that one is working for? If you are putting in the bucks and hours you might as well be known for it, don't you think? Don't we all hold people who do good for us in high regard, do we not respect them more, would we not stay loyal to people who we know for a fact are good, would we not choose them over someone else if given a choice to be with in the first place? This behaviour after all also derives its existence from the human need of being associated with someone everyone looks up to, grants them the referent power of sorts!

Come to think of it, this very human behaviour applies to corporations and organisations pretty much the same way and to the brands they own. As per Corporate social responsibility provision included in the Companies Act, any company in India that makes a profit of over five crore is required to spend 2% of its average profit (of immediately preceding 3 years) on CSR activities. Even before this inclusion, many responsible corporate giants invested huge chunks of their profits in the betterment and upliftment of the society by constructing schools, local infrastructure, some even went as far as constructing an entire township for betterment of their employees and local residents. While many firms engage in CSR for altruistic reasons, the competitive business environment requires that resource allocation be done based on company's own business needs. The question that now arises is how can the businesses take advantage of such investments and leverage their CSR activities to increase their brand equity. This is where the concept of sustainability branding comes in. Sustainability Branding is the process of creating a brand that gives your customers additional value in terms of environment and social benefits. Sustainability isn't just about the environment. Social, economic and environment are the three interconnected pillars of sustainability and brands need to be aware about all three. The known fact is that the more positive the perceptions and feelings are towards a brand, the higher will be the likelihood of identification and loyalty amongst consumers. People want to associate themselves with a brand that is socially and environmentally responsible not only because it gives them the satisfaction of doing good but because it makes them look good too. Telling people you are a responsible member of the society and you are willing to contribute for its betterment or preservation is now a "cool" thing to do. In a world of online social networking everyone is after all looking for hash tags to use, statuses to share and stories to tell! Which is why it is important that companies should not just communicate their CSR activities to its consumers but also give them a chance to join you in the cause they believe in too.

Many organisations have taken advantage of their CSR activities to communicate the ideologies and personality that their brands are made of. P&G made use of its CSR activities and released multi channel campaign to extensively promote its CSR rather than the product to communicate to its target audience the additional value in terms of the benefit that their purchase would give to the society. However, while formulating the CSR strategy for a company it is imperative that the ideologies and beliefs that are communicated are not just meant for a one-off campaign.The management should be able to walk the talk as well. These strategies should be incorporated in the very DNA of the brand, and inculcated in the entire value chain instead of just the end product.

In. 2013, BBMG (a brand consultancy firm) and GlobeScan (market research firm) released a report of their research that was conducted across twenty one countries and coined the term "Aspirationals"who define themselves by their love for shopping, desire for responsible consumption and their trust in brands to act in the best interests of the society. In India the population strength of such "Aspirationals" was found to be fifty eight percent. With a more educated and sensible consumer base, it is easier to connect and form profitable loyalties by supporting a cause that might be close to your target audience. A strategic step towards making conscious decision about the company's CSR can lead to a powerful shift in the idea of CSR from an obligation to a profitable desire and a means to achieve a much more stronger and greater brand value.

                                   

Experience and Education, a prerequisite of starting up?

When do you think is the right time to start working on something you’re truly passionate about? When you are done with your university education? When you have gained some experience in the industry? Or NOW?

Experience and education are both time consuming processes. What if you have a mind boggling idea that you know in your heart is going to work and the clock is ticking? If you don’t go after it, someone else just might see that gap, that opportunity and go for it. Shattered will be the dreams of you becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg or Elizabeth Holmes (America’s youngest female billionaire). A university degree is minimum 3 years in India and you can never have enough experience, never enough to GUARANTEE success.

So what do you do? Start now?

But that’s just easier said than done, right? Who’s going to invest in a kid with some “stupid” plan? Who’s going to put their faith in somebody who doesn’t even have “proper qualifications”? And then again overcoming the fear of failing miserably just in case you start up is in itself a daunting task! After all, ideas are easy, it’s implementation and execution that’s hard.

I recently read about Nand Kishore Chaudhary, the Chairman of a social enterprise called Jaipur Rugs. A young graduate who started a business of hand knotted rugs in 1978, today he proudly stands over a company that had turnover of Rs. 104 crore in March 2013 supporting over 40,000 weavers and a business network in over 40 countries. N.K. Chaudhary came from a family that ran a traditional business of shoe making, he knew nothing about the art of weaving carpets, all he knew was that he was fascinated with this business idea. He had neither the relevant education nor the experience, yet he succeeded. Close to home, I have another example of my dad who started off with the business of making copper wire at the young age of 20, he had just graduated and had no experience in the field. Is he the number one manufacturer of copper wires and electric equipments today, you ask? NO! That venture didn’t work out for him in fact he had to work free for a long time just to get out of debt. Of course, eventually he found his way in real estate and is doing pretty well today!

So you see, it’s not always wise to just be impulsive and give in the urge to go ahead with the first idea that seems like a good idea. Richard Branson, founder of the virgin group, once said, “You don’t learn to walk by following rules, you learn by doing and falling over”. Experience comes with doing and I personally feel that experience teaches you way more than conventional education. But then of course, when people’s or society’s well being is at stake, adequate education should obviously be given due credit. What I mean is just because you think medical clinics make a lot of money, you can’t open one!

If you have an idea in your head that is not letting you sleep at night or it’s something that you can’t stop thinking about (under normal, sane situations) it’s probably a good idea. Do the required research, don’t necessarily go the traditional way but learn as much as you can about it from where ever you can. Don’t be careless about choosing the right way but don’t be too careful either.

And like Ron Conway, an American angel investor, says, “Any time is a good time to start a company!”

Until next time!

Cheeni kum?

Lately I've been in a weird, no, absolutely bizarre phase of my life. Never do I remember being so confused, so puzzled about what I want, who I want, what do I want from them and most importantly what do I want from myself. Where do I see myself going or where is it that I want to go?..I do sound baffled, Don't I? 

Its not like am sad or upset about something, its more like am standing on a junction with a few roads right in front of me and I don't know which one to take (and the one that am supposed to take, am not sure if I want to). And with this commotion in my head, I find myself in an unfamiliar territory because I had always thought I was the most sorted kid around. You see, I have always been an ambitious kid, who wanted to do great things in life. I still am ambitious, I still want to do great things but I'd really thought I would have figured those "great things" by now and started to work towards them. 

Sometimes, I feel so frustrated I just want to go out and run and run (like actually run) till all of it is out of my body but somehow some part of it just never seems to go away. I don't want to sound off-putting here or come across as a negative person but I really feel like something is missing, and since everything in my head is so muddled up right now, I don't know what that is. Is it some kind of motivation am looking for or just some inspiration? No idea. 

There have been a few events in recent past which have left me feeling sort of vulnerable and I feel like am constantly looking for support from anywhere I could get it (and believe me, it isn't easy for me to actually say it here, because I always have this strong face on) or make excuses for everything that I can't or don't want to do. So, I guess I just need to find back the sense of myself till I become strong enough to actually know what I really want or maybe I already know what I want and I just need to find the strength to get what I know I want and keep going. Am I making any sense? Guess not! 

Lets start again. 

I think all am trying to say here is, right now my life is not perfect (its almost a mess) but whose life is? There's always gonna be something missing! We're always gonna want more or something else. Grass will always be greener (and all sorts of different colours) on the other side. The idea of a happy life, I guess, is to constantly keep adding some sugar, some spice to the dish you've decided to cook. 

Generally when I start writing an entry, I start with a question or an opinion, I try to analyse and explain it, and just brainstorm and reach a conclusion. But, since today there is already an ongoing storm in my brain I don't really think I can possibly reach an outcome here. However, even in this chaotic environment, what I do know is, that it is very important to constantly keep challenging yourself, to keep throwing yourself in situations that require a lot more effort on your part than you can sign up for and to just keep going, perpetually. The idea here is to not tire or exhaust yourself but to just never have the time to even think if you're tired! Its when you stop looking for unnecessary problems with your life would you be able to stop searching for answers that don't really exist. You may have a different opinion or (since perfection might have different meaning for different people) a perfect life. Anyway, what's the fun if you already have all the answers, I mean that way you lose the scope of any further growth, right? Come to think of it, maybe all this is just me growing up. Nothing to worry about. 
Phew! That's a load off!
But I still do feel that it's important to keep wanting more and never completely settling for what you already got. That attitude will always keep you a little more hungry, a little more passionate about life. But that's just me.

So, what do you think is missing? sugar? spice? or a little of both? 

Go figure.

Untill next time!

Be my Girlfriend?

So just the other day I was reading an article that talked about the value of female friendships. It (really) said having your girl-friends around can give you a healthier, longer and stress free life!
Now I don't know how much truth lies in that theory but from what I have learned in recent past few years, does tell me that they really do help you stay happier.
I have basically been a tomboy almost all my growing years and I never really had a lot of girlfriends that I hung out with. I think it had more to do with the fact that I liked hanging out with the boys because, well, they were less bitchier, they mind their businesses and they are always ready to come to your rescue no matter what trouble you put yourself in (also I felt slightly stronger in their company). Not that I never had any girlfriends at all when I was younger, I did and some are still very close, I just didn't spend a lot of time with them. So, I have never been a girly girl per se but I did understand, as I grew up, how important it is for me, as a girl, to have girlfriends around. For one, it taught me how a girl should behave, (and learning is still in process!) for a lady is always more respected and admired than a tomboy.
So anyway, why I think girlfriends are important..
They get you better. A guy no matter how close he is to you, will never understand you like your girlfriends do. Girlfriends always know why you're acting the way you are, why you want pizza or ice cream or golgappas right that moment. If you're feeling emotional because of something they will get why. And they will NEVER ask you if you are pms-ing! You know how boys keep saying it's sooo difficult to understand you girls, well, NEWS FLASH, it isn't! Believe it or not boys, almost all of us react the same way in any given situation.
They compliment (or at least have an opinion). I admit we girls love receiving compliments no matter what we say. Got a new haircut? Your boyfriend might just never even notice, but your girlfriends will be just as excited as you are about your new hairdo. They tell you, you look pretty or to change the dress if it doesn't suit you, they notice things male vision is just ever ignorant of. But basically they have an opinion about things unlike boys who'll say,"Umm, its okay if you like/want it".
They are amazing listeners. Well, unlike boys, whose every solution to every problem lies at the bottom of a beer bottle, girls are always there to listen to whats bothering you. They'd listen to you patiently while you are going on rambling about your new guy, how your boss is torturing you at work, how your family is making you crazy, heartbreaks or whatever it may be. And boys will agree with this one too, they know their girlfriends listen to them, make them nice cups of coffee, after a bad day. They are just always there with their ears and warm warm hugs on offer!
They are more encouraging and supportive. Your girlfriends never tell you how you can't do this or you can't do that. They'd always tell you to go for it. Boys on the other hand will (more often than not) tell you to 'weigh your options before you jump into it, only to realise later that you can't do it because you're a 'girl'. Nothing wrong with analysing the situation and making the decisions but at times all that you need is a little push and knowing that people you love have faith in you.
They are less competitive, they love you selflessly, they don't expect, they make you coffees, go out shopping with you, get you ice creams when you are feeling low, laugh with you (and you don't even have to worry about the snorts!), they go out cock teasing with you, watch rom-coms with you and no matter what, they are always just a phone call away! O also I forgot to mention, they NEVER forget to call you back.
Am not saying boys don't make good friends, I think they are wonderful as friends. In fact few of my closest friends are guys but I honestly feel female friendships are more carefree and comfortable. 
Summing it up, they are sweet, caring, fun, mean, bitchy and I love 'em !
No offence boys, I looooove Transformers but I guess I love Notting hill just a little bit more! ;-)
To all my girls..Cheers!

In the Moment

Moments. Moments of love, moments of laughter, of tears, moments of anxiety and of anticipation, moments of weakness.
How the wisest of all tell us to to live for the moment, in the moment and do what we want to do when we want to. How wise is it though to actually always be impulsive and passionate enough to act impetuously? Well, for one, you would never have to live with ''what-ifs" your whole life if you decide to live like that. Imagine how life would be an adventure trip if you decide to always walk the path your heart directs you to. Every day would actually be a new day because as far as i know human wishing well goes to depths practically unknown and one can never guess whats thrown out of it if allowed. Life would never be monotonous again.
On the other hand, you might end up doing things that leave you regretful for sometime if not for the rest of your life. Moments that rest in your head as memories that make you wish you could go back in time and just be more stronger and wait for that stark urge to act right that minute, to pass. And sometimes you just want to go back wishing you could live those moments again. So, am not here to tell anyone whether you should be impulsive or not. Adventure or ordinary, thats for you to decide. There are these moments that come every once in a while in which how you act may define a significant portion of your life and no body, but you, should get the credit or blame for it to turn out the way it did.
Think about it though, do we actually live our own lives if we don't even do what we want to do. If we stop and think about it before acting, with all the wisdom imparted to us by the world. When we take people's opinions and start doubting our own wishes. Sort of makes us an instruction following dork, don't you think? Not that am telling you to never listen to anyone, all am asking is, how fair are we to our own selves if we lack confidence in our own will. 
I can't tell anyone how wise an idea it is to be impulsive. As far as I know it doesn't bring you all the happiness in the world, gift wrapped. Chances are that you will end up getting your ass kicked more often than not. But the upside is you get to live by your own rules (or may be no rules at all), you will be free to make your own mistakes (and learn from them). Of-course  you'll have times you will wish there was someone on whom you could shift the blames for what happens with you, times that will have you end up with regrets but then again times like these only make you stronger.
For some reason this reminds me of how all of us at some point of time have done some really crazy stuff at parties in that amazing state of drunkenness! Which also reminds me how most mornings after those awesome nights are not that delightful, are they now? Come to think of it, what do you think made those nights that amazing ? When drunk, we let ourselves off the leash and do exactly what we want to. No wisdom, no pretence. Now if only we start living our lives like that everyone's life would be one hell of a party! 
May be impulsive is not the way for all of us here but just for the sake of being fair to your own self don't base your decisions on what others have to say or what they think is right. Believe it or not we all have enough sanity to choose between wrong and not so wrong may be even right.
Ironically, I was not gonna write about how you should be crazy and not listen to anyone else and do what you want to do exactly when you want to do it, but i just remembered this quote i read somewhere that really stuck with me, it said ''We are here and this is now. Further than that all is moonshine". So since we anyway don't know what tomorrow has in store for us we might as well take our chances. Actually, if you are really certain about what it is that you want, never waste a second pondering over whats right and whats not. You know you might as well do it and regret doing it than regret not doing it at all, right?


O btw one of my friends asked me to write about healthy eating, ummmmm.......ya, try baked lays, they are crunchier!


Until next time!

Denials ruling our lives

I know its not fair to blame anyone for what happens with your life but you. But then sometimes we just do that anyway for if we dont we end up hurting people we care for and love. 

How do you give up something that was so dear to you, something that was everything that you ever wanted. How does it one day suddenly go obsolete and you reslise you don’t want it anymore. Is it fair? Guess not. OUR indefinite wishes, wants, our doubts, apprehensions..and onus of these falls on others. It definitely isn’t fair.

You know how they say you can lie to others but not yourself.. yes you can’t but then denial is always an option, isn’t it? How we do terrible things and still manage to look at ourselves in the mirror each day without fail. Because from where i see it, we all live in denial. In denial of our failures, our emotions, our own selves. And since we are so used to tipping everybody and everything a cold shoulder, we somehow end up deciding whats best for others, thinking of ourselves as mighty know-it-alls. How principled is that? Whatever happened to morals and selfless love? Are morals anything more than just cautionary tales that we mold and present the way we want to? Is selfless love not so selfless after all? 

I don’t know. But what i do know is, for as long as I am happy and spirited, i can still spread happiness around me in this godforsaken world! And to accomplish that if may be sometimes you end up blaming somebody else, i think its okay. As long as you don’t end up shattering somebody to pieces its alright to just pull yourself out of the mess you made sometimes at the expense of tears which at times you shed at times others. 

Because yes life goes on, it does. And you my friend have to live it. And how does one do that without looking at him/herself in the mirror, without making sure that you look just perfect for this world, eh? So may be, just may be denial as an option isn’t that evil after all. We can’t all be the nicest human beings we know. But the key my friend is to not be the nastiest you know.

Till next time!