Future is bright.......Future is orange !!!

Last night the legendary Yohann Cruyff would have felt proud, savoring the exploit of Marco Van Basten's armada in Orange. The Holland team made the defending champions Italy looked so ordinary. 3 - 0 thrashing doesn't tell the entire story. The dutch might finally came to the fore and handed the hapless Italians a humiliating defeat.
Barring the opener, which seemed like a clear off-side, by Rudd Van Nisterloy, the remaining two were real gems. There could have been at least two more goals had the dutch managed to find the back of the net. With yesterdays rock - solid display, I guess I'll back the dutch to reach the finals of Euro 2008.
Wow!! what a match. Loved every bit of it. For a change, even FTV Midnight Hot wasn't a lure, big enough to move me away from the game.

Nothing much really !!.........Waiting for some sparks

We all need sparks when the going gets tough. Voice from deep within can do real magic. Listen to your heart, they say when the road ahead is not so easy..... when you are caught up in a rough weather.

Hasn't been an easy ride at work today . Back against the wall......feeling let down by the clients, by the team, by my prowess to challenge and change the status quo. At times, the best is not good enough. When things aren't going your way, it becomes a lonesome ride and the daily crusade becomes a lot bloodier.

I am in need of sparks. A lot of them, to be honest. Hope tomorrow is going to be another day. And not as gloomy as today.

What a day!!!....sporting spectacle all way.

After a long time, I find myself in the midst of a sporting typhoon today. A SUPER SUNDAY in the true sense. Men's singles final at Roland Garros, Euro 2008 and the icing on the cake at Montreal, the Canadian Grand Prix, couldn't have asked for more.

A day tailor made for an ardent sports buff like me. French Open just got over, turned out to be a lackluster, one sided affair. Rafa proved too much for Roger today. Rafa's performance was a tennis master class on red clay. All the past greats in full attendance including the incomparable Bjorn Borg, Roland Garros looked very special today. Matching Bjorn Borg's 4 consecutive French Open wins has catapulted Rafa into a league of his own. Roger will have to wait one more year to try again for that elusive win on the red clay.

Euro 2008, kicked off yesterday. No surprises, fancied team doing what they do best, comfortably nailing the opposition. Czech Republic and Portugal came out triumphant. Today the Germans take on the might of Poland. That's something I am eagerly looking forward to.

Montreal has always been a tricky race, Lewis Hamilton scored his second pole of the season yesterday and starts from the front row of the grid at Canadian Grand Prix. After a great win at Monte Carlo Lewis is looking forward to his second win on the trot here. Let us see if the boy's in the Scarlet car can do something to stop him.

Much Ado About Nothing !!.....gimme the real thing, anyday

Much has been said and written about the mega success of IPL. Right from the start it was hailed as the best thing that has happened to the shorter version of the game. For a purist like me it's a disgrace, a mockery of the real thing. Ever thought how exciting an affair, a 10 over match can be. Yes! just 60 balls a side. Don't you dare call me crazy! I mean it. Imagine four's and sixers raining every over.

Cricket is a mind game. As much as it is about skill and application, it is also about character and mental toughness. For aficionados of the game, test cricket would always be special. This traditional, true form of cricket is like a game of chess. Every move counts. One wrong step can lead to catastrophic consequences.The battle lines are drawn from the moment the coin is tossed. The weather, the track, the ground, the stadium, the crowd, everything tells a story. Cricketing history is littered with great tales of rivalries, of one teams unbridled passion to succeed against all odds. Who doesn't remember the bitter rivalry between eternal foes Australia VS England, India VS Pakistan. Every confrontation a magnum opus.

Wow!! I love this game. I can go on and on, but the truth is 20 - 20, is just a fun thing and not the testing ground of the real character, it is not the abode of supermen.

P.S - Apologies to all the friends who've received small dents in their coffers as proud owners of various teams. Even though IPL ain't my cup of tea, mark my prophecy, the next edition is going to be a even bigger success.

Rocking myself to grave !!

When I was in college, RADIO GA GA used to be one of my favorite tracks. Incomparable Freddie Mercury has belted many great songs during the rein of QUEEN and who can forget the unforgettable Bohemian rhapsody, became an anthem of sorts when it was released. But ga ga for some strange reason, has stuck with me... an eternal favorite? maybe.

Cd's used to be a rich man's buy those days, hence tapes used to be our staple diet. Believe me, on a shoestring pocket money, even buying a tape used to be an expensive affair back then. It's said nothing can stop the passion when it assumes himalayan proportions. Budgetary constraints not withstanding, in no time a small collection of music turned into an ocean. The drill used to be simple. If you like it, you better buy it !!

Lot of water has gone under the bridge since, but the passion hasn't gone down a bit. Though I experiment a lot these days and have dabbled into every genre of music, still rock continues to be the soul curry. Can't imagine my life without my music...MY GREATEST COMPANION, MY BIGGEST STRESS BUSTER.If not for my music, the path I tread would be a long and lonesome one.

Wish I could turn back the clock.......

Slow down the pace a bit........sit down and mull over issues that are important to me, to the world we live in . Just like old times, when there were fewer distractions, life was nice n easy.

The more we work, farther we go away from things we love to do. Time is a real luxury these days.This constant craving for fame and money, the desire to be somebody has left us completely drained, with very little energy to pursue things we always wanted to do.

Earning big bucks seems to be the universal goal today. You are nobody, if dollars are not sticking out of your every pocket. Everyone has succumed to the charm of this green small rectangular piece of paper.

I am also a part of this mad scramble. Family, friends,peers, everyone has played a part in drilling this ultimate goal in my head. IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY DEAR!! is all i hear, all the time. Even I have dreams, beautiful dreams, priceless dreams. But Alas ! WHO WANTS TO KNOW.

Buyer or Pahalwaan !!

What would you call our esteemed media buyers today ?? I am sure at some point, each on of us, especially who are part of the advertising sales, might have faced their wrath and would have been at the receiving end of their strong arm tactics.

I always thought media buying is both, a science as well as an art.With due respect to some, and unfortunately this breed is fast disappearing, most of them believe in wielding the sword and hammering the daylights out of poor media representatives.

I completely understand that the buyers today want to get the best deals for their clients. And why shouldn't they. After all ,getting more bang for the clients investment is the primary objective of all the media agencies.

But the point I am trying to make here is, about the faulty process, the error prone approach when it comes to negotiations. Firstly, every offering, be it a broadsheet, a magazine, a channel, or the new media (on-line) should be treated on merit. To put everything in one basket, and demand rates, which make a mockery of the card rate and challenge the very wisdom behind the offering, is sheer stupidity.

It's time they should realize that, it is very important to evaluate the medium from every aspect. There are so many serious launches happening today, and unless the buyers understand the medium, asks the relevant questions and gives that extra bit of weight age, negotiations will continue to be nothing more than a " Pahalwaan show" .

Let's hear it for the new "P" !!

Marketing has come a long way today. And the original four P's have been stretched and transformed into a huge never ending list . And I presume we aren't finished yet. All the necessary "P's" in place, still success ain't easy to come by. It can't be guaranteed. There are umpteen examples out there. So close, yet so far. The success and failure of a brand today is not just the result of getting all the laid rules right, but taking one extra step. Or is it a giant leap?

P for PASSION is what this giant leap can be termed in today's context. Having a visionary at the helm, an excellent offering, a great set of employees , is a surefire recipe for annihilating the competition in their trenches, we all know this. But, in the long run if this new "P" is not an integral part of the whole mix, it could spell trouble.
Every soul behind the brand,irrespective of the levels and roles, need to be supremely passionate about what they do .
Apple a classic example, a company, a pioneer, always exploring new technological frontiers, fosters a culture where every individual is on fire....so full of passion. i mac, i pod ,i phone and many more such marvellous technological innovations, which are yet to come, are result of unparalleled passion.

Marketing ! Who is doin' it ??

"Marketing is too important an area to be left alone in the hands of the marketing department ". How true Mr. David Packard........how true. Marketing should encompass every function, every department, every individual on the floor. Marketing is the lifeline of modern business. It should permeate right to the core, the very being of an organization.

Unfortunately very few indulge in the real deal. And even lesser number foster a culture where marketing takes the center stage. As long as marketing remains the fiefdom of the upper echelons of the corporate ladder, the real power of this pivotal discipline can never be unleashed.

The need for marketing to become a way of life across the board, has never been stronger. Every individual has to learn the importance of marketing. In these fiercely competitive times, the only thing that will differentiate the winner from an also ran, would be a 360 degree marketing approach. The deft handling of this fabulous ...........Art........or is it Science?? will save the day for any organization.

Hallelujah!! The New Order is here

Everything changes with time. Bygones should be just that, nothing more but bygones. The receipe for success lies in donning the new garb every time situation demands. Breaking the old rules, creating the new ones.... Challenging the conventional wisdom, setting a new agenda in motion. If we look around, there's a whole lot more happening around us today than yesterday.
Clearly we are in the midst of a revolution. This raging fire has engulfed,not just economic and social landscape but has touched every beating heart in some form or the other.

All rise! say hello to the new order.