Qr or quick responsive codes are the cousins of the bar code. They are mostly black-and-white and can be decoded by the camera-equipped smart phones.In fact the smart phone scans the message. The phone’s browser directs the user to the web sites, videos, text, geographic coordinates and ad campaigns. This is an additional tool in the hands of the marketers.It is an engagement tool. QR codes are put on the product packs. They can also be put on the hoardings. They are used in the ads in print mediaIt is a message driver. They are used in in-store promotions. It is a fascinating way to engage with the young and tech savvy customers. Mint, Ford India, J&J, RIM have used QR codes. It is a cost-effective way of promotion of the brands. The content at the other end of the QR code must be captivating. There should be a QR code reader downloaded on the smart phone.Mostly high end phones have this software installed. QR codes are mostly used by high-end brands such as Dee Beers, Mercedes or BMW. It is not a mass market phenomenon.These codes can be incorporated in the design of a shop window to enable shoppers to pull up a whole host of product information.
Author: Shabbir Chunawalla
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Blue Ocean Strategy
It is a business strategy of creating uncontested, virgin market space. The metaphor of red and blue oceans describes the market — blue oceans denote the industries not in existence today, where demand is created rather than fought over Red oceans are industries existing today — boundaries are defined and competitive rules are known. There is cut-throat competition and it turns the ocean bloody red. Blue Ocean Strategy is a book written by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.
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The Best Age for Modelling
Kaia, Ciny Crawford’s daughter, made her modelling debut at the age of 10 for Young Versace. Betty Lowe, daughter of designer Pearl has been modelling for her mother’s range of Peacocks from the age of five. Anais, 11 year old, is compared to Kate Moss’s early pictures. Several fashion houses in New York and Milan have started using girls aged 13 or 14 to do ad campaigns or the ramp modelling. They are in search of a fresh face. Younger models provide a model agency a lead-in period to build the relationship. The younger models influence the aesthetic. The younger she is, the more likely it is for her to be skinny and boyish. How young is then too young for fashion ? What is too old ? Sixteen is a good age to start, though seventeen is perfect. Eighteen is good as the schooling is out of the way. A girl starting at 20 would find it difficult to get work, and her agent would lie about her age, making her a year or two younger.
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Peanuts Gang Rights
The late Charles Schulz ( expired in February, 2000 ) created Peanuts. The unit that holds the licesing rights to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang is United Media Licensing. They also hold licensing rights to Dilbert and Fancy Nancy. E W Scripps owns United Media Licensing. Scripps has decided to sell this unit to Joe Boxer owner Iconix Brand Group Inc. and the family of cartoonist Charles Schulz.Iconix acquires an 80 per cent share and the Schulz 20 per cent. The unit’s licensed merchandise rights have been sold, but Scripps still owns syndication comic strips. The comic strip celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2010.Charlie Brown and Snoopy were introduced in October, 1950. Peanuts is considered one of the most influencial comic strips of all times.
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Strategic Intent
Strategy can be considered in two ways. According to the late C. K. Prahalad, the traditional view says that companies should match current resources with external opportunities. C. K. Prahalad’s view is that the companies should set their ambition first and then expand the resource-base to reach that ambition. Strategy, to C. K. Prahalad, is innovation. The starting point for developing innovation is to have a huge ambition. The essence of strategic intent or vision is that it works in an opportunity-backward manner, not a constraint-forward manner. In other words, the act of strategic intent disregards the scarcity of resources in the present. The style of thinking changes from a budgeting orientation to an innovation’ orientation. A compelling strategic intent like producing a $2000 car or putting the man on the moon provokes an innovative response because people are drawn to challenging goals. Anyone would like to climb a mountain, and not a molehill.
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Making A Scent
Perfume making stands at the crossroads of art and apothecary. Perfumes have alcoholic base, and if perfumer’s alcohol is unavailable, a substitute like Smirnoff’s vodka can be used. The essential oils can be sourced locally or through Internet. Essential oils are used as base notes, middle notes and top notes. Cedar wood, cinnamon, patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla constitute base notes. Clove, lemon grass, germanium, nutmeg, ylang-yland are the middle notes. Bergamot, lemon grass, lavender, lime and jasmine are the top notes. Vanilla and lavender also serve as bridge notes. We have to take at least 25 drops of essential oils divided evenly between base, middle and top notes. These drops are poured into 15 ml of a base oil e.g. jojoba or almond oil in a glass bottle. The essential oils are added in the order, first the base, then the middle and then the top. Then add to this mixture 75 mil of alcohol. Shake for a few minutes and let it stand undisturbed for 48 hours. Then add 2 tablespoons of distilled water. Let it stand at least for three weeks in a cool, dark place. Filter it through muslin cloth or coffee filter to remove the oil sediments. Bottle it.
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Event Management
An event is any type of gathering. It could be a ceremony, conference, convention, contest, competition, happening or festival. Events are media events, sorts events or parties. Event management is concerned with the planning, organising and execution of an event. It is like managing a project or an activity. Event mangers must have an eye for detail and a flair for organising. Event management includes wedding management, managing corporate events, managing awards functions, managing beauty peagents and fashion shows and sports management. The work of an event manager starts much before an event and ends when the lights go off the stage. Event management requires client servicing, event planning, and conceptualisation, creative and design of an event, production team. An event manger is expected to have exceptional organising ability and undiluted energy.
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Balgandharva — A Film by Nitin Chandrakant Desai (2011)
Balgandharva is a biographical movie — a biopic. Balgandharva was a great man at the beginning of the 20th century.He was a stage artiste who unshackled the Marathi theatre from the domination of the Parsi theare. He brought a new vision to the Marathi theatre. He was the first trensetter in India. He was the youth icon between the two generations. He was a musician par excellence. He was a legend who espoused the values of magnanimity, grandeur, honesty and humanism.
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Internet — Viagra of Big Business (Jack Welch)
Internet is not owned by one single individual or a group of individuals or a corporate. It is based on mutual cooperation. There is Network Information Centre (NIC) under the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to register the domain names and addresses. Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) maintains a registry of all the website names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. A new non-profit organisation called Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has been formed to take over the IP address space allocation and domain name system (DNS) from IANA. Internet Activity Board (IAB) defines the overall architecture of the Internet. Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) run at MIT develops standards for worldwide web (www).
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Music Arranger — Anthony Gonsalves
Anthony Gonsalves happens to be the Indian cinema’s first music arranger. In the 1930s and 1940s, music directors composed a tune around the lyrics, and musicians used to play the entire melody on their instruments. It was a crude method of recording music. Gonsalves initiated a mathematical system of creating music. It came to be known as arranging music. Here the composer composed a basic tune. The arranger then would create the interlude music (the music pieces between the paragraphs ). Staff notations were provided to the musicians. Arranging is a western concept. It was unheard of in India during those days. Gonsalves, a Goan Christian, knew the system due to Portuguese influence. Gonsalves worked with all the well-known music directors of those times.The song was first rehearsed on harmonium. Thereafter, there was rehearsal with the musicians. Gonsalves started his career with a Dholak (1951). he had a 20-year career, arranging music for almost 1000 films. Technology today has changed the job description of the arranger. He just sequences the music pieces and vocals on the audio software.
These days music pieces and vocals are recorded separately and merged later. The musicians too play the pieces in parts. There is copypasting rather than the repeating of the same piece.Singers also sing the whole song in parts. Autotune option removes the shortcomings in the singer’s voice.
Gonsalves left for the US on the invitation of Syracuse University (1965). He returned after 10 years, and retired.Gonsalves stays in Goa and is 85 in 2011.Anthony Gonsalves expired in Goa on 19th February, 2012.