Distilled, actionable insights on branding, innovation, creativity, leadership, soul enhancement, marketing, advertising and design thinking
The future happens slowly..and then all of a sudden. In his fabulous 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway famously wrote that bankruptcy happens in two ways: “gradually and then suddenly”. Some years back Andy Grove( ex-CEO, Intel) had introduced the concept of strategic inflection points in his seminal book Only the Paranoid Survive … Continue reading “Present Forward or Future Back: Strategy or Vision?”
Hello Brand: If you don’t know my name even, don’t expect my money ! Netflix knows you better than your therapist. Amazon predicts your needs before you do. Spotify curates your mood swings with surgical precision. And yet, 73% of businesses are still sending “Dear Valued Customer” emails like it’s 1995 and we’re … Continue reading “The Future Is Personal: and Brands Please Take This Personally”
As dusk is settling in, a man walks into a fancy restaurant in Milan and promptly spills red wine on a pristine white table cloth. Rather than apologising, he shouted “MAGNIFICO!” with such genuine enthusiasm that the entire restaurant—waitstaff included—burst into applause. Onlookers watched in awe as this linguistic judo move transformed what should … Continue reading “Hello:Your Vocabulary Called; it wants Control of Your Future!”
Its been a while since we saw the homepage of Google which has remained as is- it has remained starkly minimal for decades—a single search bar against a white background. This minimalism perfectly communicates their purpose: to be the fastest, most efficient gateway to information. The simplicity creates a frictionless user experience that reinforces … Continue reading “The future of branding: Why minimalism is here to stay”
There is no greater fear than the fear of the unknown. Strategic foresight and future thinking exist to help tame the imaginary line connecting now and then. Competence alone is not enough; character and perspective are also required in equal doses. This means that working with the future needs a lot more than hype cycle analyses and predictions about the future of this and that from self-anointed guru-ninja-hackers without any … Continue reading “Pierce The Future Through The Present”
Vision: the ability to “think about or plan for the future, using intelligence and imagination”, an “idea or hope of how something should be done, or how it will be in the future” and simply the “ability to see”- MacMillan Dictionary. The pandemic has taught that foreseeing can be more useful than forecasting. Hindsight is literally … Continue reading “The future is plural, unpredictable and rarely a linear path from the present!”
A crystal ball gazing into what marketers and marketing should/could be doing in the coming times! The future is an asset, not a guess. As such, using it rather than predicting it, is the only way to create the conditions for a tomorrow that is better than today. Few industries will have more … Continue reading “The future is an asset, not a guess!”
The Future of Advertising: A Sneak Peek! What could/should “advertising” look like in 2020 and beyond? What should we do now for that future? Some questions that crowd our every day artery. Restless consumers and fast changing technology are creating unheralded disruption. Advertising has always been a combination of art and science. Technology is now becoming … Continue reading “The future of advertising: a sneak peek!”
When you look back at life, do you pat yourself on the back or turn your back on life? We never forget the postal address of our past. Where we often mail metaphorical letters. Mostly letters of beration. Admonishment. Of the mistakes we made. Of the wrong decisions we took. Regretting the missed opportunities. … Continue reading “How about changing your ‘ mailing address ‘ ?”
Reality has a knack for RSVPing to your life’s party just as you’re about to sip your victory champagne. You could be in a boardroom in Bengaluru, a café in Brooklyn, or a virtual meeting on Mars—reality doesn’t care. It barges in, unannounced, and says, “Mind if I crash your narrative?” Welcome to … Continue reading “Reality Doesn’t Mind Showing Up When We Least Want It To”