Can we please have some sensible ads..

Traffic is on a rise, not just on the road but on the television as well. Yes, I am referring to the advertisement traffic that leads to reduction in the programming content of the TV Network.

Just the other day we decided to watch a movie on one of the entertainment channels. A ninety minute programming was converted into a two hour long movie thanks to some really irritating ads on the network. One of those happened to be a mobile phone ad from spice Mobile.

Well, one does click a lot of photographs at a wedding and some people do prefer to click low quality ones using a mobile phone. There is certainly no comparison in the picture quality of the ones taken on a digital camera, the same argument applies for a video too.

My complaint is not about the camera quality or the features on mobile handset. I have a problem with the storyline of the advertisement. The ad begins with a newly wedded couple in a warm hug, and the next line follows "and it records video too". Sorry, where did the phone appear from? Was it a part of the story line in the first place? Well, it may have been, I mite have missed it.

We are still trying to make a sense of the ad, then comes another twist in the tale. In walks a lady with a 10 -12 year old kid who looks like the groom..... oh, wait a minute, the kid looks exactly like the the groom, only that his face has been super imposed on a smaller body frame. A 10 year old kid? are you kidding me.. what was the other lady doing till now, waiting for the right time to tell the world about their affair?

Please, give us a break. We do understand the need to design new advertising content to ensure that the communication remains fresh and appealing at all times. Kindly do so but please ensure that the story line makes sense not just to you, but also the individual watching it on his television screen.

New Communication Platform

It took me a really long time to find an opportunity in Bangalore. Must say, I was sick of staying away from family, to add to the misery... Delhi NCR is a not a very hospitable place to live in. Well, here I am, with a start up in Bangalore trying to sell mobile apps to cellular providers and mobile manufacturers.  

Like normal boring people, I used my cellular  phone to make and receive calls and send the odd SMS to my wife. The GPRS was activated to enable me track my mails when away from my laptop, but that didn't really make life simpler. Its only in the last one year that I have truly experienced the telecommunications industry. From network maintenance of cellular networks to sales of mobile phone apps, boy this industry has a lot to offer. Apps and app stores have now become a part of my professional life.

Well, rite now am trying to sell a communication platform app called Cardzcreator. Yes, you can call it a greeting card app but it is more than just a greeting card. You communicate on the move, through your mobile handset and in 3D, the best part is that the communication in not limited to the mobile handset but also cascade to email and social networking sites. If someone were to ask me if this would really work in India, I would say not just in India but globally. One million download of the app do speak volumes, target of five million is reasonable for the year  but the icing on the cake is not the number of downloads... its the number of cellular partners. 

Following the right path

Media attention can make or break a sportsman's career, the latter happens on most of the occasions. So how does a "star" manage to hog the limelight and still focus on the game.

Having played sport at a competitive level definitely provide insights into a sportsman's thought process. The only  uncertainty is the reaction that follows at an individual level. I have seen some promising sportsmen, especially from the college cricket team and peers from my basketball playing days suddenly disappear from the sporting radar. Some have turned professionals, but can barely see the hunger that existed a few years ago.

So what makes people like Saina Nehwal and Somdev Devvarman so special? The only answer I can think of, is to be flamboyant in the right place at the right time. Very rarely will one come across non sports related newspaper articles and television news on these individuals. Yes, there are several others who can be included in the list, but the three stand out.

The wonder girl of Indian Tennis, Sania Mirza.... who remembers her for sporting accolades? Its the media and the attention that caused her downfall, and the same can be said about several talented sportsmen in our country.

All I wish and pray, is that people who I really admire as professional sports person continue their quest for glory in the same manner as earlier. The true stars of Indian sports, continue their good run without being bogged down by the pressure of media and expectations of a hundred million people.