Srishtigyan, a monthly magazine decided to popular science, was started by Prof. Gopal Ramchandra Paranjpe on 1st Jan, 1928. In July 2011, the magazine will published its 1000th issue. The magazine had an uninterrupted 84 years run in the market. The magazine was adopted by Vamanrao Patwardhan of Aryabhushan Mudranalaya in 1933. In 1974, Aryabhushan closed down, and then Srishtigyan was taken over Mahatma Fule Vastusangrahalaya in 1975. In the last 85 years, the magazine has published 40000 pages of science-related material.
Author: Shabbir Chunawalla
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Lambeik, Amsterdam
This is the oldest comic store in the world. It is a shop people visit to reclaim the child in them. It was founded by Kees Kousemaker in 1968 and was named after Lambik, a popular character from Suske and Wiske comics. The earliest customers were those who could not lay their hands on comics due to parental supervision. Slowly a new comic buying audience too emerged. One who runs such a store must have encyclopedic knowledge and an elephantine memory. Kousemaker passed away in 2010 and his son continues his legacy.
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Working of 3D Glasses
3D Glasses feed different images to the eyes. On the screen, two images are displayed. The glasses make one image enter one eye, and the other to the other eye. This is done by two methods. The first is polarization. Here two synchronized projectors project two respective views on the screen. Each view has a different polarization. The polarizaed glasses permit only one of the images enter each eye. The second method is the use of RG or red-green glasses or RB or red-blue glasses. These see two images displayed on the screen — one red and the other blue (or green ). The glasses permit one image enter each eye. This creates a sense of depth.
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Customised Medicines
Medicines are prescribed on the basis of diagnosis and the same medicine is prescribed for all the patients diagnosed of a certain disease. However, the right medicine for the right patient maxim expects the medicines being prescribed keeping the patient in the centre. At the forefront of personalised medicine is the genetic component which exists for many diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis etc.Genetic information of the patient is collected to profile patients and then the suitable drugs are administered. Certain drugs are metabolized in a peculiar manner in certain individuals, e.g. codiene being metabolized to morphine in a lactating mother results into the death of the of an infant. This calls for customised medicine.
Though the human genome is the same, there is a slightly different version of the same gene in individuals. We are genetically similar but not the same as there are genetic variations.One such variation is to have Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP). Some of these SNPs have relevance for the action of the medicine.
Pharmacogenetics is either molecule based or disease based. All medicines do not work in all people because the molecular cause of the disease is not the same. Pharmacogenomics research is based on genotype to phenotype principle. In short, it tries to co-relate genetic information to clinical information. Genetic testing has now become easier. There are laboratories which make this service available to the physicians and patients.The goal is to provide safer and more efficient medicines.The regulatory framework for this research continues to grow.It requires support and investment.Companies fear the loss of blockbusters if this field is encouraged. In course of time, all these objections will fade away.
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Advertising, Sales and Promotion Management – Under Revision
I wrote Advertising, Sales and Promotion Management book for the first time in 2001.Since then it has been revised five times and has seen eleven reprints.I am revising it for the 6th time. It cocers the entire communication mix a company uses — advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, PR. It also details the various media used in advertising. It covers face-to-face personal selling and sales management. It is a popular book and is available on all e coomerce sites in India and abroad and is available at all important book stores.
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Modern Retail : Rocky Route
Though there are big opportunities for modern retail that combines competitively priced goods and pleasant ambiance, there are challenges which organised retailers face, making it a rocky route. The future retailing is a mix of the factory and the theatre elements a combination of robust structures and customer relationship with behind-the-scene operations. The big retailers tout the factory side and ensure that the store team is motivated to provide customer service. The store-owner manager operating locally in the neighbourhood provides theatre element through customer relationship and execution that gives quality goods at fair prices. Modern retail may take any route — consolidation, regionalization or localization. The big foreign retailers with a large market share operating here is an example of consolidation. In the US markets, some retailers have a regional domination. This model has applicability in India. The local retailers tradionally operating can continue to do business.
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Palcohol – Powdered Alcohol
Necessity they say is the mother of invention.Mark Philips in the US found it very inconvenient to carry liquid alcohol bottles with him to relax when he indulged in rigorous outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and camping.He just preferred to carry one liquid and that is water.The solution was to convert alcohol into powder and then carry it. When you want to have it, reconstitute it into a beverage by just adding water.He coined the brand name for this powdered alcohol — Palcohol. He is seeking patent for this product. His website is called Lipsmark.His company is eponymously called Lipsmark. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau (TTB) has approved Palcohol in March, 2015.The company is proposing to set up commercial production facilities for the product.Of course, the individual US states will take a call independently on this issue.There are concerns about its misuse because of easy portability and its potential to spike the other drinks.It can even be snorted.
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Smart Watches from Apple
Apple watch has been launched and it is a smart watch. They expect to sell millions of pieces. It is going to affect the traditional watch making industry of Switzerland. The reason is that Apple puts forward what is called disruptive technology that has the potential to shake the existing industry and create a new industry.Wearable technology is a highly potential area of research. It covers all vital physiological parameters of the body. It has applications in sports and in health care.Besides, the devices can be used to make the payments.Mechanical watches were given a jolt by the quartz watches. Digital watches that are in the market could not dent the traditional industry much.However, smart watches may turn out to be a game changer.
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Jawed Habib — Hairdresser
Jawed Habib runs an institute for hairdressers in Andheri. He propoes to set up a chain of hairdressing salons.He is from the third generation of hairdressers. He uses his fingers and scissors. It is important to teach a good quality basic cut. He runs a skill-based institute. He believes in the franchise model. He charges 15 per cent of the total revenues on a monthly basis. They sell territories to master franchisees. They exercise control on the quality and hygiene factor of the franchise network. Their software is sourced from TCS. In the US, there is a chain called Super Cut. In Europe, every country has its brand. He says that he does not cut hair, he designs it. Hair styling is 10 per cent art, and 90 per cent science. They have now 184 outlets — both franchisee and owned. Their revenues in 2010 were Rs 22 crore. They expect to reach Rs 75 crore by 2015. They have initiated an IPO.
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Re-integration of Communication Function
Media first unbundled from the agency almost a decade ago. We now have separate firms for interactive, direct marketing and PR. All these functions unbundled from the agency compete with each other . There are conflicts among them. There is scope for pull in different directions. There is, however, one brand and brand communication must converge at the delivery end. There is absence of a single brand custodian, a role performed by client service director in a full-service agency. Marketers, therefore, have to perform the role of a brand communicator. There is a need for re-integration and different mechanisms for this are being tried. There should be some central team leader focussing on consumer and brand planning. Instead of direct reporting there should be a matrix covering horizontal and vertical functions. What we should ensure is that the consumer should have one voice instead of separate voices.