My recontre with the sensuous Skinn…

“Fragrance speaks the loudest on a subliminal level.” 
― Marian Bendeth

The olfactory senses not only complement our gustatory perceptions (you wouldn’t be able to tell apart a potato from an apple, if it weren’t for the smell) but also trigger chemoreceptors of the brain’s limbic system, which in neuroscientific lingo, stimulate the amygdala and hippocampus- structures vital to our behaviour, mood and memory. It would certainly not be an overstatement to assert that the fragrance emanating from your body defines your personality. We Indians please our olfactory senses in numerous ways- flowers, herbs, incense, attars or sandalwood pastes et al. 

I still recall the slippery sensation of the tumaceous Kannuji attar that my mom used to dab charily behind my ears with the squat golden pin-stick. I moved on to deo sprays (dab-ons were never my liking) -Nike Woman being my all-time fav, and colognes-the ostensible milder version of perfumes. Perfumes were reserved for special occasions-be it buying, gifting or using. Today, I proudly showcase Dior, Calvin Klein, Escada and Estee Lauder among other vials in my mirror case-some remnants of  gracious gifts, while others that of my guilty shopaholism! It is not just the whiff that escapes the vial that defines the perfume, it is how the scented oils coalesce with the apocrine sweat glands-that give the human body its unique scent, which can interfere with - or enhance - the scent you wear. Additionally, elemental factors like the intricately sculpted crystal-glass chassis, the translucent shade of the liquid and the grandiose packaging add to the ornamental appeal of your potion. The more intangible elements like the idea of fetching exotic ingredients from pristine untouched natural sources, the apothecial mixing and sanguine testing, and the whole science that goes behind, add to the perfuming legacy. A perfume is much more than a carafe of aromatic contents; it’s a microcosm of senses and sensuality!

I fortuitously chanced upon being part of a perfume launch myself. Titan launched their indigenous Skinn brand of perfumes at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai on Sept 16. Mr. Bhaskar Bhat, MD, Titan spoke of the inherent product concept, positioning strategy, distribution, promotion and customer value proposition of the Skinn range. It was followed by an entrancing performance, by a nimble danseuse, celebrating sensuousness and expression. The who’s-who of the Tata Group and the French perfumery clique delivered their pieces-apprising the enchanted audience of the mysticism and diligence that goes into the craft of making and selling fragrances. What seeped in was not just yet another expansionary venture of a conglomerate into one of the lucrative businesses of the day. It was the pioneering of passion into lifestyle, and moulding of a new legacy. Made in France by celebrated perfumers including Armani and Yves, the Skinn collection of six perfumes bears the hallmark of Titan. Skinn would be the first nationwide perfume brand to be customized to the tastes and likes of the lifestyle savvy Indian consumer.

The Skinn concept caught my eye with their ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ pre-launch campaign-wherein olfactory sensuousness was synonymised with sensual pleasures and sinful indulgences. The Skinn range of perfumes includes three variants for men and women each. My favourite one-the enchanting ‘Celeste’-is a balmy and fruity fragrance, typifying crisp chirpiness. The other la femme variants include ‘Nude’-the subtle rosy flair for the uber-feminine, and the musky, oriental ‘Imera’ for the stilettoed madames. The hommes variants include the woody ‘Steele’ for the knight-in-shining-armour viriles, the spicy, oriental ‘Extreme’ for the charmers, and the lemon-bergamot ‘Raw’ for the dudes.

The fabulous curtain-raiser aside, I also chanced a sneak-peek into the behind-the-curtain show. The Skinn Titan team seems to have done an impeccable job-right from the exhaustive market research into the psyche and lifestyle traits of the target populace, and sourcing the finest ingredients and know-how from the global perfumery cult to dishing out the finest to the discerning Indian consumer. Imagine inaugurating and making available the product in-stores simultaneously, and live-streaming and orchestrating the whole event seamlessly! The herculean efforts that went behind the savoir-faire including the production groove, packaging nitty-gritties, distribution and promotion behemoths can only be expected of a most adroit and diligent team! Kudos!

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. A ‘titan’ is ‘the one of prodigious size, strength, or achievement’. Titan, in India, personifies the allusion both literally and figuratively. Titan, the largest watchmaker in India, is a shoot of the Tata house-a proverbial gigantic, benign banyan tree-that bestows its shade of trust and quality on its consumers. Now, it’s time to experience its ambrosial fragrance too! Skinn is, after all, in!
http://www.skinn.in/

Not so starry-eyed...my rendezvous with Starbucks

On the lines of a true-blue aficionado of fine dining, wining, reading and shopping, I deem that a day of your existentiality (hangover effect of Meursault’s musings in Camus’ Stranger) is wasted, if you haven’t indulged in at least one of these pleasures. I landed up at the next location on my bucket-list - the much hyped (and yes, certainly overrated) Starbucks coffee house - to satiate my curious connoisseur pangs. Of course, my reviews are coloured not only from the single day’s experience, but also against the backdrop of my ostensible ‘association’ with Starbucks through newspapers and HBR case studies.

The backdrop: Hearsay, Howard and HBR

Looking at the American chapter, thus goes the 'Starbucks’ story'. Howard Schultz introduced and sold the concept of specialty coffee in the 80’s to the Americans, who were then used to the regular roaster. Initially positioned as a distinguished premium brand, offering specialty coffee to connoisseurs of the Italian brew, Starbucks ended up elevating the hoi polloi to the Starbucks ‘coffee experience’. The chain of stores thus proliferated in America in the ‘90s, with profits and revenues flying off the charts. Initially viewed as a premium coffee house brand, synonymous with upright product quality, excellent service and cozy ambience, Starbucks slowly became a commonplace joint – the 650% mushrooming growth coming at a price. The brand then led its name to packaged coffees, ice creams, jazz CDs, and extended its menu to non-coffee beverages and snack accompaniments. (Thankfully, it did not sell its name to toothpastes, once famously alluded to by Schultz!) It sold at airports, bookstores and supermarkets through mass distribution channels. Thus it broke the mould of a distinguished label and catered to serving the mass market.

Tete-a-tete with the Tatas:

Starbucks entered into Eurasian markets concurrently. The entry of Starbucks in Asia had been accompanied by huge noise, be it Tokyo in 1996 or Mumbai in 2012. The Asians allegedly suffer from the ‘liability of origin’ syndrome, as one of our candid professors had opined, which among other things, manifests into a vicarious pride as well as awestruck anxiety, on being wooed as a potential market by Western MNCs. Starbucks, in the same context, was envisioned as a status symbol; and the brouhaha surrounding its entry and JV with the giant Tatas, its posh SoBo (South Bombay, for the uninitiated) locations including its prospective vicinity in the Taj Hotel had only fueled the hype and hoopla in our eager minds. Avani Davda had also once stated in an interview that he wishes to exclude targeting the student population, so that Starbucks remains an ‘aspirational’ brand for them!

Encounter at last: Enter me!

I landed up at the Colaba coffee house on a Friday evening. The insides of the coffee house were not any less crowded or noisier than the bustling Colaba Causeway, where I had to bide some time as my company ended up getting delayed. Looking at the beeline of customers waiting in the single-floor crammed area, we ended up relocating to the Fort Starbucks.

The Fort Starbucks is a 2-storeyed coffee house, and we thankfully found a table on the first floor (rushing the occupant couple though :P) A female barista suggested Java chocolate-chip frappuccino, which was seconded by my company, who ended up going all the way to the ground floor to place the order, whereas I ended up ‘catching place’ at our table! He arrived with the Caramel & Java chip frappuccinos in about 20 minutes! So much so for an ambient atmosphere and excellent service!

Biased I may sound, but hunger is the best sauce! Though admittedly, the frappe was rich, creamy, awesome and filling. The same barista asked for feedback amidst the blaring music and swarming voices. We contemplated ordering accompaniments, but the waiting time and the teeming crowd was a huge turn off. The much tried-and-tested Marine Lines ended up being our much sought refuge!

My third, or technically the second, rendezvous with Starbucks was a week later on a Saturday evening when my roomie and I ended up at the Powai Starbucks. The lure of trying ‘The Starbucks’ was too elusive for her, to be weaned by my reviews. I realized that I too was in her shoes the week before! Starbucks, I realized, had ended up becoming a Salman Khan movie, which attracts starstruck one-time watchers, who end up with nothing but disillusionment once the movie has ended! Anyway, we ended up ordering hazelnut flavoured frappe and chicken croissant. The experience was almost the same. I was seated on the corner of a sofa, whereas my roomie perched on a chair – the only space we could locate in the crammed place. The door was not glazed, so the sunlight ruined the lighting ambience. The décor, paintings and furniture were ethnic and classy, but our peace was disturbed by the humming noises. Add to that, the barista at the counter used to yell each customer’s name when his or her order was ready! They could have well taken a leaf out of the neighbouring Dominoes, which discreetly displays order numbers without embarrassing its customers with mispronounced names! The overall experience, as expected, was a dud.

The frappe had cost about 160 bucks. We discussed on our way back, how Starbucks had miserably failed in creating the much fabled ‘coffee experience’ for its customers. Customers, including us, would have readily paid an even greater price premium for it– something that Davda had been recommended too, when he priced the plain latte at Rs. 85.

Today, Starbucks has burgeoned into 11 stores all over India and Davda plans to move into Tier-II cities too. Given this pace, a Starbucks carafe would soon move from the stores of Dolce Vita to your local kirana dukaan! Ironically, I recalled the interview in which he positioned Starbucks as an aspirational brand for young students. Seriously? Did he envisage that students who lap up Rs.99 happy meals could not afford a coffee for Rs.90! Or that the erstwhile argumentative Indian had not turned experimentatively indulgent! Had Starbucks accurately captured the psyche of its target customer and aligned its positioning with the already elevated expectations, the young urban hedonistic bourgeois would have surely poured their hearts into it! (sic)

Marketing WACCed!

I've attended lectures (that’s what I precisely do!)…more enticing ones and a plethora of, uh, well, more lackluster ones. But none have been able to attack my writer’s block or say lazy blogger’s block. Today’s Written Analysis & Communication Course (WACC) lecture, though, was somehow successful in converting my ponderings into a systematic blog post!

The professor quoted an ad. The one in which a little girl of about six is upset because of her ostensibly plain looks and is unable to garner her classmates’ attention. In comes Daddy Dearest and swishes her to school, in a swanky car. All her previously indifferent classmates come wagging along! Our Marketing professors would have gone gaga as to how the ad-maker had successfully adopted the Elaboration Likelihood Model by aiming at the targeted segment of customers through the direct as well as the peripheral/emotional route by tugging at their heartstrings and evoking mushy-mushy paternal feelings! What kind of a stone-heart would ignore a little girl’s puppy eyes? What kind of a father would be oblivious to his darling daughter’s little social dilemma? The ad had perfectly segmented the car buyers’ market, targeted the desired ‘my-daddy-strongest’ group (Another ad jargon! And people think only sugar daddies are in vogue!) and positioned itself in the family man’s heart. A perfect recipe dished straight out of the hallowed bibles of Kotler & Al Ries.

But our lady in command is hardly a marketer’s muse. She knew too much about neuromarketing and psychology to be fooled thus! She strongly reviled the entire context and trashed the concept itself. She literally (communications class, man!) tore the ad into shreds by stating its subtext to not only be male chauvinist by pushing a little girl to be a male-attention seeker and shallow enough to equate looks with beauty; but also sweared that the depiction belittled the male gender for being hollow enough to fall for pulchritude and shows of riches! She went on passionately about how it purports into creating a socio-cultural scenario wherein girls grow up to realise that the only aim of their lives is to attract the male attention and that the only way to achieving that is through made-up looks or daddy’s money! The ad maker should turn in his sleep out of the guilt of compromising on his ethics and fuelling a social evil! Many a feminist would give away her left hand to tune in to her vehement censure of fairness cream ads promising an ugly duckling to swan transformation of not only the skin (authenticity of such claims being quite questionable in itself!), but also of the girl’s career, love and social lives!

Actually the aftermath awaits! The lure of Class Participation has caused disparate and desperate discussions over the same cases (Nirma, Starbucks, Walmart et al) across classes from Marketing to Strategy to HR! Who knows, this ad might earn someone a few more (D)CP points on some D-day!

Why Devout is still not Out...

This blog post is my reflection on Mr. Devdutt Pattanaik's following article:

http://devdutt.com/articles/leadership/everybody-loves-hanuman.html

Admittedly, his musings on mythology and their analogies to contemporary management have captured my rapt attention for long, but this is the first instance when it invigorated the writer in me.  

As usual, an awesome article by Devdutt! Though, I fail to completely affiliate to the line of thought. When I first read the article, I couldn’t help but recall Adiga’s (in the White Tiger) snide at Hanuman and his rebuking of the Hindus for idolising a ‘servant’. Devdutt raises the bar and aligns the Hanuman of mythical folklore with an obedient, brilliant and hardworking employee. Devdutt then goes on to allude, and later elucidate with examples that sheer obedience on Hanuman/Employee’s part is not enough, it must be supplemented by originality and acting on one’s own free will. This is where I draw the lines of diffidence from his viewpoint.

The first case is that Hanuman/Employee is a new entrant into the Ramayana/Company and should assume the role of a learner. He should learn from his job rather than questioning the intentions of Ram or the vision of his Company. He will certainly get the due answers, but at the cost of compromising his learning and performance. Hanuman/Employee, indeed, consistently needs motivation/direction in the forms of Jambavan/Rama/Sita but that does not indicate lack of originality, it shows eagerness to obey and achieve.

Another example is that of Hanuman not rescuing Sita and averting the war, which Devdutt deems to be an opportunity lost. The war was inevitable as it not only involved rescuing Sita, but also signified the upholding of righteousness over evil-which could be achieved only if the going followed its due course. Had Hanuman interfered with his sheer courage, he would have launched a car, not a Nano! (What Nano ended up as is quite similar to what happened to Sita, but that’s a different story altogether!)

Also, most importantly, it was not Hanuman/Employee’s job to rescue Ram’s wife. An employee is not supposed to bypass hierarchical levels and perform his superior’s job. Instead of gaining brownie points, he would end up with a partially baked cake- detrimental to both his personal growth and the Company’s well-being. Instead, he should selflessly and assiduously concentrate on the task at hand, displaying exemplary creativity and sheer brilliance within the respective purview. Doing so, indeed, would catapult an unknown monkey to the rank of a god- much more revered and adored than his divine master himself!

Assertiveness-Then & Now...

As the legend goes, Sudama did not reveal his abject poverty to his friend & lord, but Krishna read his mind & granted him all he had wished for, but not asked! Moral of the Story: God knows what you want, do not be too shameless to demand/beg for it.

All of us have listened to this tale as kids, and somewhere imprinted in our minds that we shall be offered on a plate what we desire, if we pray/wish for the same. No need for asking!

But alas! The real world does not function in the same good ol' fashion. You have to open your mouths, ask, demand, beg and do all what it takes to achieve your coveted goal. No wonder corporates insist on the value of assertiveness. It is the right combination of pleading and fighting (gurus call it negotiating!), a perfect balance of sharp words and silent but sharper gestures. Whether you want a raise from your boss, a selection in an interview, a contract from your client, help from your colleague or even want the office boy to scan your papers first... assert yourself!  Ever felt 'I should have said that', 'he just manipulated me & i couldn't say no', 'how come none of what i want ever happens', 'i couldn't say what i wanted to'... well, there you are!

Assertiveness is different from communication. Communication is merely about conveying your message to the other person (extremely important though), assertiveness is about convincing him of your point.

I'm no management guru, but have learned a few gems in this field during my work stint. Sorry, no college can teach you this, you've got to be working in an hierarchical organisation to even realise its meaning! Here are my key learnings (Disclaimer: Even after loads of tutoring & reprimanding by my boss and despite the n no. of training sessions attended, i've taken long strides, but not perfected the art!) I've employed these (or at least tried to!) during vendor negotiations, client meetings, departmental discussions, and even everyday work to some extent.

• Firstly convince yourself of what you want! This requires a lot of brainstorming before developing a clear picture of what you want. Work out all the nitty-gritties.
• Next, try to gain as much knowledge and information (relevant to the issue) as possible. Knowledge, agreed, can never be complete, but know enough to encompass all possibilities. So, do your homework well!
• Keep the info concrete & handy. Try not to leave any loose strings. Be objective.
• What knowledge can’t, let your words do! Try to think of all the opposing points and prepare your answers accordingly.
• Test the waters first. Listen! The other person too is technically in the same oat as you are. If you know the person well, employ words & tactics that have worked on him before. If you are meeting for the 1st time, study the person, but refrain from judging him.
• Never get personal! Act professional and state only the facts! Keep a check on your tone & volume. At no point in time, get rude or lose you temper.
• Say no. Directly. On the face. And don’t budge.
• It's not necessary to win every argument. You can lose many battles, but concentrate on winning the war!
• Negotiate.
• Let go of arguments that you are losing. Change the topic & come back later if you want. Don't let your opponent do this to you.
• Lastly, remember this is not the end of the world. Even if you lose, your life won't end. This realisation keeps you from getting desperate.

This list is obviously non-exhaustive, but hope it helps!

Chak de Fate!

This is a lesser known sub-plot of the epic of Ramayana. The story goes like this... There was once a very wicked Asura who used to torment saints and commoners. (Have you noticed, by the way, that every second Hindu mythological story begins thus! Sorry, coming back to the story...) One day, he met a wise saint and had a sudden change of heart looking at the serene disposition of the seer. He begged the saint to absolve him of all his sins and grant him salvation. The wise man recalled the Asura's sins and asked him to follow the path of penance. He said that the Asura's sins were so great that they could be cleansed away only if Goddess Laxmi would appear under him and Lord Shiva above! What did it mean? Did it happen? And how?

The Asura was reborn as a tree. In the Ashoka Vatika in Lanka. The one under which Sita was seated. And the salvation point came when Hanuman perched on top of the tree when he found her!

Wow!

Retracing the steps... so it was all predestined. Hanuman finding Sita, Ravan kidnapping her, Ram going to exile... So if it was pre-wriiten, why do you blame Ravan for kidnapping her? Or Sita for crossing the Laxmanrekha? Or Kaikeyi for inciting Dashrath? Or Dashrath for killing Shravankumar? Or worse still, did these characters do what they did by their own thought or choice, or because it was fatalistically predetermined?

Going by the same logic, is everything in our life too predecided? Where do our choices, actions or free will stand in that matter? Are we merely puppets in this play, following the prewritten script with no inputs of our own?

A little brainstorming, and i cleared my perspective. (Disclaimer: My personal opinion, completely. You may agree or disagree.) Life is a series of equations with constants and variables. The constants are events/incidents you cant change-they are pre-imposed on you. The variables are the decisions you take & the choices you make. They are key in determining the future constants of your (& others') equations.The situations that arise are the culmination of each equation.

For example, let us look at the Asura. He had a choice to make: to repent for sins or not. If he chose the latter, he would not have been part of this story. But he chose the former & created a 'constant' for his future-the salvation point. This constant also became manthatory for Laxmi & Shiva to materialise. They could have merely appeared (as Bramha generally does) to bless the Asura, but they chose to be part of a greater plot. Again, going in flasback mode. Had Ravan not kidnapped Sita, had the situation materialised? Why not, he could have simply invited Ram & his consort along with his deity Shiva/Hanuman to bless him & absolve his own sins. He chose otherwise. The constant remained, but the equation changed! Had Dashrath or Kaikeyi made alternative choices, Ram still might have gone to the forest -for expedition, not exile! The plot would not be affected, but their lives would have been considerably different.

Guess it works for us too! Folklores & myths are subject to interpretation after all. And talking about parallel worlds... Well next topic, next time!

What Girls Really Want!

Girls love shopping.
Dresses, jeans, tees, pants, shirts, skirts, sandals, slippers, stilettos, purses, handbags, clutches,
lipsticks,

accessories,

jewellery.

And gossiping.

Light hearted banter.

Every single girl secretly wishes she were born a boy … a secret no one knows!

Girls love being praised. Being called beautiful, not pretty!

They can read your minds, eyes and hearts.

They read between words, more often than they should...

Girls like being protected, but not possessed.

They like if you open the door, move the chair, pay the bill... 

Not because they can’t,

Because they love the feeling that someone's there to take care of everything...

They like walking independently, but secretly wish there was someone who could hold their hand and lead on...

If you compliment the same thing too often it tends to become redundant.

But as I said,

Girls read between the lines and never forget.

They see the intention behind the compliment. They may appreciate it,

But are not very good at expressing it.

Not assertive enough, you really need to coax them or be close enough!

And they are shy... more than you can imagine!

Girls are emotional, emotional fools.

They’re shy, afraid. They laugh at your face, but weep behind your back. They are mean to you, but their heart kills them for that.

They love the male gaze on them… They work hard for that!

They hate it when you praise another girl in front of them. And yes, they are jealous, but won’t admit it.

They don’t care about the dates of birthdays or anniversaries. They care more whether you remember the best moments or not…

Girls bitch. A lot.

They cry. A lot more.

They have weight issues. And hair issues. And girl issues. And guy issues. Always.

The mirror’s their best friend. They want a better one in your eyes.

They drink, smoke, watch porn just like guys. If they don’t, they want to. And not be judged about it.

They wish their guy could say 'I love you' more often. At least one in every ten times they feel it. And that’s pretty many!

Just put his arms around their waist, and gaze into their eyes...

They want their knight, prince, king and Edward Cullens all rolled into one. Just like they want to be Miss World.

Girls are childish, immature, illogical. Actually they’re not. They love your reaction when they act so!

They don’t give a damn about gadgets or cars or sports, but love it when you explain it to them.

They love chatting, flirting, dating.

They love their guy friends. Who understand everything. Especially their limits.

They like being prodded, coaxed. They need it. 

They want someone to keep saying everything's okay. Someone to hold them when they fall.

They like it if someone fights for them, protects them, gives them a coat.

They want a hand to hold, a shoulder to rest their head on and strong arms to hug them tight.

They are not Sita. Nor a slut. And would appreciate if you accepted that too!

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