Yes indeed, these are exciting times. We are inching towards a fully digitalised world, all thanks to the rapid advancement in technology.  But this comes with its own set of challenges that confront every part of the society and business is no exception. Businesses have had to evolve strategies and embrace new technologies to keep pace with this rapid transformation be it the increasing use of AI  and automation for a variety of purposes,  the use of various software, 3 D printing, collaborative consumption etc. What is the issue ? But one issue that continues to remain steadfastly in the current fast moving digital era, is the issue of talent sharing across domains. Even as the employment landscape and norms are changing with the emergence of the gig economy and businesses themselves are resorting to the contractual method of work on an increasing scale it is pertinent to ask how fair is it to restrict the natural flow of talent possessed by profe...

A leader who thinks and brings his thoughts to reality impacting several people to learn, inspire, create with his innovative ideas, while demonstrating change and replicating success, at a larger scale comes under Thought Leadership. Such people bring about a radical shift in innovation [1] , design and vision by affecting industries and also entire ecosystems. They revolutionize their surroundings to such a large extent, simply by what they do, that they automatically enroll more and more people to join in their efforts. Thought Leaders are learned and informed people, sometimes with years of research and knowledge under their belt as well as experts in their domain. Their stories are covered widely, contributing to the success they are today. By de facto standards, one looks-up to successful people. It is but natural for human beings to ‘Follow the Leader’ but more so, as it is ingrained in our psyche through several systems such as education, psychology, business modalities, semi...

The air was ripe with the fruity flavours of pomegranates and berries, while the sturdy mountains of Teheran were still capped with snowflakes. The flamboyant and modernist ruler of Persia, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi suddenly fled his vast kingdom in the face of emerging opposition from the conservative Islamic cleric Ayatollah Khomeini. Shah’s escape overseas marked the end of 2, 500 years of Persian monarchy in Iran and the beginning of hard-line Islam, and a revolution that was to plunge the nation into the throes of chaos and unrest. Why did the mighty Shah flee so suddenly like a deer encountering a hungry lion? Perhaps he had predicted the tumult his country would undergo thereafter…Perhaps he had gauged his declining popularity…Perhaps he knew he could do nothing to stop the spread of hard-line Islam and that of the Ayatollah. Was it his intuition? Or premonition? Or a vague hint about the conspiracy that was to transpire? Fast-forward 41 years and the winter months of...

Over years marketing adapted well to changing times. From the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers to Gen X and Gen Y, every period in time has heralded its own marketing challenges. Even so, the challenges posed by Gen Z to marketers are incomparable, as it is the first ‘digital native generation,’ a population that has never seen a world without the Internet and digital technology. The denizens of Gen Z have integrated technology seamlessly into their lives.   This necessarily means that any company   wanting to win today must make full use of the Internet and the social media and must be digitally accessible at all times. But why is Gen Z so important for marketers? Well, for starters Gen Z represents USD 44 billion in purchasing power, as reported by the “Uniquely Gen Z” study conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value.  The Gen Z is a market of high but fickle spenders with no strong brand loyalties, the study found. Seventy five per c...

A consumer’s decision to purchase a product or service is dictated by several rational factors like pricing, utility, affordability, reviews and comparisons. But beyond such tangibles there is one factor that every marketer needs to be aware of: EMOTIONS! Why would people otherwise choose expensive branded products over their exact generic equivalents selling at a fraction of their price? Emotions typically operate on a level of irrationality, that is both undefinable and undeniable. The author of Descartes Error Antonio Damasio argues in his book that emotions are an essential ingredient in almost all decisions. He says, whenever we have to take a decision our past related experiences come into play. These emotions create preferences depending on the options we are considering, leading to a decision.   That is why you hate going to a restaurant the second time when your first experience is not good or you prefer to buy a certain kind or brand of shoes, p...

Every business wants to grow fast.  All businesses want to cut costs. But is it possible for businesses to grow fast and at the same time cut marketing costs? Until recently that question was rhetorical with only one possible answer: NO.  But in the digital world of virtual enterprise and agile startups, a whole new business ecosystem has emerged, where every rule is being rewritten every day. Far from the days of monopolies and proprietorial monoliths, in this new business habitat, enterprises grow at mind-boggling speeds by ‘sharing’ not by owning.  From office spaces and data to logistics and key human resources, success in today’s business depends on how smartly you can “share” and “network”. And in this space sure it is absolutely possible for businesses to grow fast and cuts marketing costs both at the same time!  Outsourced CMO is an idea based on sharing that is helping companies scale rapidly at low costs simply by discarding the archaic ...

In today’s world the success of a person is measured through the riches he has accumulated over a period of time. The first step towards riches is an innate desire to succeed. Quoting Napoleon Hill, a famous American journalist: “It is not a wish! It is a keen, pulsating desire, which transcends                                        everything else” . A successful person chooses a definite goal, places all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything, back of that goal. Every person who succeeds in any venture must be willing to wreck his ships and cut all sources of withdrawing back. Only by doing so can he be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as burning desire to win, essential for success. When the going gets tough and the future looks terrible, successful people pull up their spirits and fuel their desire further to reach up to the point of succes...

  All entrepreneurs start with an idea and a belief that their vision can have a massive impact. The vision is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by the entrepreneur. The impulse, the desire, is given shape, form and action through the vision and mission statement derived from the imaginative faculty of the mind. Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes. Ideas are the product of imagination. Whoever you are, wherever you may live, whatever occupation you may be engaged in, just remember in the future that any vast empire of wealth and influence grew out of a single idea mixed with the ingredient of a vision. If you are one of those who believe that hard work and honesty, alone, will bring riches, forget this thought! It is not true! Riches, when they come in huge quantities are never the result of hard work alone! Riches come in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck. Al...