Drizzlin Media Blog

Times I feel some brands suffer from stage fright..no kidding….though virtually, talking on a social network or forum is like addressing a public gathering!

And like it happens with some of us, the numbing effect (post the realisation that you are infact audible to many many people out there) comes in and you wonder…’Gosh what am I going to say?’ You stutter, mumble or strike a conversation with a completely irrelevant context and the uneasiness is on wide display.

This is a phenomenon actively demonstrated across some brand pages as well! Think of a prestigious bank and a leading electronics company both relaying movie songs (with the brand connect vague or entirely missing)?!

Honestly, there is ample reason for paranoia. Unlike other mediums, this one can potentially give you a degree of responsiveness from users you never pre-empted, which could be problematic if your vague about your own branding attributes.

This is the rational behind the existence of ‘me-too’ branding approaches that are any day safer but far from being distinctive and fuel a widening perception gap between who you believe you are and who you actually are.

But the end to this ordeal really is in believing you do have a story worth sharing and only you can narrate it best. And to do that you need to know your attributes and build on them, it’s worth the effort as they define you distinctly, make the connect more relatable and this alone is your most engaging proposition.

So for e.g. If customer service is your story, harp about it, if it isn’t think talk about another USP. Either way build a conversation that is rational and relevant enough to be sustainable! Even though movies may seem more popular as conversation starters, why would I as an end user trust or be remotely interested in your taste for movies if they are not what you make or sell?

- Megha

I am not the most active soul on Facebook, it’s not that I am anti social but somehow  find the idea of constant updates from my friends not the most appealing thing to spend time on. In fact, the web is already redefining relationships which could include people we’ve just met, once met and even the ones we’ve never met; I was talking to this friend of mine who told me that most of his real friends were actually not his Facebook friends and I started thinking how true it is for me…

I log on to my Facebook page and come across a barrage of updates that scroll on and on featuring each little detail of what we’ve all become used to sharing on the platform. On checking with some friends I realized that they no longer even care about those updates … I thought of checking if we were already seeing a trend here?

I typed “facebook popularity” on google and here’s what I see…

FB users in the US have reduced from 155.2m to 149.4m in the month of May, there are similar figures in Canada, Norway and the platform is now known to wane across the western world. Facebook’s growth that averages at about 20m a month worldwide reduced to 13.9m in April and 11.8 in May this year. Quite a contrast from the 2007 Time’s article that portrayed Facebook to be exceeding Porn as the most prominent activity online.

Meanwhile Mexico, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines and many other emerging markets have registered strong growth. But we understand from our work across markets that the web is creating a homogenous psychographic across the world and feels like there is already a “Facebook Fatigue” with its early movers anywhere in the world. Trendy Marketers, beware – we might just be round the corner for a new trend on the web?

Data Source: PC World, Al Jazeera

-Deepak

The only enthusiasts for making a weekend getaway a reality: Deepak, Sabir, Madhu, me with my wife.

I am usually a stickler when it comes to planning for trips; especially trips to the unknown. In a rare unguarded moment, not sure how but I decided to say yes to a trip to Vasota.

Yeah, Vasota. It’s a place nestled in the Western Ghats, not too far from Mumbai, with ample trekking opportunities through an evergreen Jungle. It lies amidst a declared tiger sanctuary and has been known to have leopards, bison & civets among the larger animals.

Saturday morning saw us zooming on the Pune expressway in a hired Toyota Innova with our ‘able’ driver, Ali ‘Schumacher’. Ali is an interesting character and I feel his role in making our trip memorable cannot be ignored. His ability to skid at low speeds, overtake from the left and take turns at high speeds is a talent that I have rarely seen. His constant endeavour to show who’s boss saw us overtaking many mighty vehicles. In one of these episodes, when Sabir, my colleague asked him to drive ‘aaram se’ (relax), his response was that he felt quite relaxed while driving the way he was. Overall, his ability to make us feel uncomfortable even in a car as sturdy as the Innova was commendable.

Vasota and its surrounding areas have immense unexploited beauty which is a treat to the eyes. Owing to editorial intervention, I am forced to cut short the details and focus on the highlights of the trip. So much freedom of expression!

Well, towards the evening on our first day we experienced a few things, some of which were exciting, some not as much –

-      We spotted an orange coloured ‘fox’ with pointed ears in the vegetation which actually was only a local dog.

-      While we continued to explore the jungle, we thought of picking up some wild mangoes to eat from the grounds which turn out to be sour. Only later we realised were to pick the tender ones and not the firm ones.

-      Our search for food didn’t stop there; we came across a lot of wild mushrooms in all shapes and sizes. Eventually, better sense prevails and we decide against including them for dinner

-      We passed through the thick underbrush on one of our treks, we suddenly hear the purr of a large animal. While there is an initial discussion on whether it was a purr or a roar, we later realize that it was the sound of a passing car. The ‘purr’, however, did manage to weaken our resolve.

On day two,

-      We took the 1.5 hour ferry ride to and fro from the main forest:  Majestic hills with mist covered tops and dense evergreen forests greeted us all along the way. The swelling waters of the Koyna, up to 150 feet deep and the periodic monsoon showers added to the experience.

-      After which we went trekking along the river bank with the forest on one side and the river on the other. The views are scenic…

-      At a point during our adventure, Sabir got stuck in loose sand and in his quench to find firm ground he moved away from the boat. Though in some form we managed to guide him back

-      When we got back at base camp, we were forced to bid adieu to our shoes covered in mud.

-      Sabir being the victim to most things, Madhu spotted something black and slimy on Sabir’s leg…to much disappointment turned out to be just a leech. A smattering of salt later the leech was dead on the ground.

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Well, those were just some highlights of what happened with us over the weekend and the trip back home was interspersed with naps, near collisions and lots of banter.

We spotted no tigers!

- Robin

We once spoke about how the web makes a great marketing tool for small businesses. Here’s Woodside Inn‘s story of how the internet has impacted its business…

- Drizzlin Production Team

Nikhil, one of Drizzlin’s employees…it’s his last day at office today. He is going to study further and get a masters degree.

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Few things we wanted to do for his last day at Drizzlin -

a) Team lunch at PopTates

b) A farewell cake

c) A goodie bag with a bunch of gifts and messages [You know that's just a lie... :p] We actually got him a pendrive loaded with fun videos ahem…

@Nikhil, may you have great experiences to share when we see you next. All the best!