The Literary-Media Committee’s November , 2013
Alt+T
November’Issue 2013
A TAPMIan for Life!! November, 2013
Quotable Quotes:
“You can’t chumma sit in the class and become a Marketer. You need to have a fire in your belly.”
“OBVIOUS”
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at TAPMI Photo Courtesy: Vaibhav Jain (PGP1)
INSIDE STORY Read between the lines
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What the rain tells me
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Pen and Pencil
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We are funny
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Countrymen, Lend me your ears! Breaking News
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I
t has been quite some time, but it still seems to be just a blink of an eye. It was only a few days ago that we were still dribbling with thoughts how MBA life would be, and now suddenly we all are living it!!
back at some of the months that went by. We have come a long way. We have witnessed some lifechanging events and some life-shattering ones. But, in spite of all that something that remained constant was the learning, the growth, the messy food, the night canteen and of course the parties!
The perennial question is are we enjoying it? Well, with constant cribbing about how unfair life is and how we are bombarded with assignments and quizzes, it doesn't seem so. But hey, wait a minute, there's more than what meets the eye. Looking
TAPMI recently saw some colorful times in the form of Inceptum 2013, followed by JoyFest 2013. Then there was our flagship event BrandScan 2013. The annual B-Plan competition Defi 2013 organized by Omega and the festivities of Ganesh
Chaturthi, Onam, Durga Puja, Eid and Diwali. These events have done something that was very much required. It has bonded the students in a single bond, and that is the bond of togetherness, the bond of a common identity, the bond that make us TAPMIans in all true respect. We dedicate this edition to celebrate this bond. HAPPY READING!! HAPPY LEARNING!! - Team Alt+T (LiMe)
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Read between the lines
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ery rarely in life you understand the teachings of the great Baba Kotler, and when that day finally comes, you realize what it means to make sense of chaos. It happened to me last night in my slightly fuzzy dim lit sweet smelling room, when a certain amazing voice in my ears was saying, “we don need no education…” and some other things about bricks and walls. I had an epiphany (I feel cool every time I use this word) of sorts, I finally saw this eraser and very clearly, the lines that separate the theory from practice. I realized how effectively one can combine the valuable teachings of Baba Kotler, and the phenomenal life principles of a certain Mr. Alex Hitchens better known to his kin and loved once as Hitch (referred to as Mr. H from now on: cause I am the writer Bi***!). A trusted friend had once heard Mr. H saying “No matter what, no matter who, no matter when, any man has a chance to sweep any woman off her feet - he just needs the right broom”, this line of thought combined with the very famous philosophy of Baba Kotler: “companies worry too much about the cost of doing something. They should worry about the cost of not doing it”, makes me, ask you, to ask yourself a question: Are you still single? If so is there something you can do about it? And I feel you can, and I feel I can make you understand the problem a little better, in order to answer it yourself. I would like to use the 4Ps of marketing, and let there be some light at this dark side. Product: This is the thing you have least control over as a marketer. The Maker (The actual Maker) has made the product and has given you its complete control. There are very little “No matter what, no changes that you can make in the product. But you can always control the product packagmatter who, no matter ing and presentation. In the dating world you are the product you can also be a sample of a when, any man has a general category like douche, stud, friend types etc., or a new product like weird , strange, different hai yar etc. Now the basic market ethics are to take regular baths, maintain a little chance to sweep any hygiene, keep the fingers and nostrils on the other sides of the compass (there are enough woman off her feet – he loops and nooks for a quick pull/ tug), change your tees regularly, (note here that pants just needs the right have longer cycle life that shirts, as the customer is more aware of your waist up area than waist below) and on one of those bad laundry days use DEO it’s a man’s second best friend broom” ( first is, was and will always be A ROYAL ENFEILD)
Pricing: Now you have to clearly understand the segment that you want to target, a wrong positioning here might kill the product and any future hopes. Identify your customer as high maintenance, Easy going, bill sharing, short life cycle, long term sustainable etc. ( you can have any different segmentation also). Now based on the target segment and keeping the company’s financial power in mind set a metaphoric price on self. These might be thrifty boyfriend, slow but steady treading close to friend zone, happily ever after etc. (again feel free to add more). Spend a little on her because she gives you something that MasterCard can’t buy, she gives you joy and a few skipped heart beats. Now that is something our finance department cannot amortize. Its full value gets added year over year. Place: This one factor is what you can control a lot and cannot afford to ignore. To put it in the words of the great baba “The most important thing is to forecast where the customers are moving and be in front of them” ( I do not mean to say stalk her), but be a little smart and guess where she might be, where there might be a small chance which might allow a small dance, pick places where obvious small talk can happen in an unsuspicious way.
November , 2013
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Read between the lines Bump in to her, like they say every storm starts with a wave; do not forget to wave at her. When she walks with her friends do not be shy to wave and tell her without words that you might be testing waters here. If the customer is willing for a trial, make sure environmental factors are not working against your chances. That is, you have too many internal problems (hormonal and chicken syndrome) trying to bring the black hawk down (for the pop culturally challenged: Hawk= you). Promotion: Have a clear understanding of your value proposition as a boyfriend. Have rough idea of the perception you want your future customer to have about you. To understand this more clearly ask yourself a few questions: Am I funny? , Do have I uncanny resemblance to Hercules? ( a Greek demigod, demi because Greek god at Tapmi sounds too ambitious). Can I listen to her for hours about “how there is this insanely new dress in extremely unfamiliar color called move, and which would make her look a kin to Ms. Kaif better known as Sheila”? Or will I be this cool hunk partying away like the king of good times? Once you have identified the major traits of the most used vowel in the world today — “I”, you design a promotional strategy for self.
Convey the value proposition clearly, be funny if that’s your thing, be sure to vet this trait out, it is almost always misunderstood with a certain lame trait. Always remember, Successful go-to-market strategies require integrating retailers, wholesalers and logistics organizations. Take help, involve people, the bro code works you just have to at times ask and thou shall be given. People love to hook people up. Dating is a magnet that far transcends love in the gravitational pull department. Use special occasions like ended up in Episode same team (Episode: pure awesomeness), opposite table in dollops etc. as successful promotional events. Never forget the golden rule: Our job is to wake up the customer. If we become predictable that’s not waking them up. Be careful of your technique of personal selling also. A mass marketing approach might drive some of you potential high value customers away. No one likes losing market. Marketing teaches you to make customers not lose them. Get used to the term called GAS (you will hear this a lot in Tapmi) because a lot of, people making a lot of straight faces will give these to you in the next 1 year (or 2 if you have just arrived!) and I too will give you one as my parting words. “If you wait until there is another case study in your industry you will be late” and that some thing's are too damn good to feel, too good to take a risk for, too good to make by your self give that one try. So what if u fail? So what if it is never meant to be? At least you would know.
To Junies (lame term but “parampara babuji….parampara”): we are here to make friends not to show our territorial superiority… next time before raising a glare raise a glass….we will always clink and drink). Best wishes
- BF Mr. Anonymous Uno, PGP 2
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Pen and Pencil !!
By Deepanwita Nandi, PGP1
LEAP OF FAITH
WHAT THE RAIN TELLS ME
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he rain greets me on all days; She comes to me and softly says, "You worry about those back home You curse that your fate is to roam.
But listen to me! I see them everyday Don’t worry! Don't let your heart sway. There is a path you willfully chose You should see it through to the close."
By Harshavardhan R, PGP 1
W
hen life throws some hard questions your way And you are trapped between a rock and a hard place, The only thing you really want to do is run away As you are afraid to stare uncertainty in the face.
Your smiling face conceals the storm raging within; A practiced smile, designed to keep your folks at ease. They cannot know, that the ice you are walking on is thin, You know only too well that it will destroy their peace.
You don’t fear the decision, you fear the outcome, You fear the regret that comes with the wrong choice, You fear the uncertainty of the future – what will become Of you, and your folks! This fear now rattles your poise.
Rise above your fears; it serves no purpose to brood. The decision has to be made now, it cannot wait. Just back your instincts, they have always been good, Believe in the universe, and take the leap of faith.
November , 2013
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We Are Funny!
A
ll my life I wanted to become an engineer, and when I started pursuing that dream, I lost interest. All my life I wanted to take care of my expenses, and once I got that independent bank account, I realized what a pain it is. All my life I wanted to move out, and now that I am out, I feel it is not worth it.
Why so many confusions? Why such contradictory wants, at every stage in life? Maybe because I am still getting a hang of this ‘growing up’ drama. But whatever it is, it is not confined to only me. It is a universal thing. It is that peculiar human nature: to want what you cannot have. This is not it; we move a step ahead and compare how things were in the past and how everything changed. Duh! Obviously things change. They will. They should. Aren’t we aware of the whole “change is the only constant thing in life” philosophy? There are many explanations to this fickle mind that we have. We have taken that proverb “grass is always greener on the other side” way too seriously. And also, we get bored very easily. Once we have something, the diminishing utility phenomenon “The need of the hour is comes into play, and before we know it, we are over that initial hype. to simply not think when you are low. Let those Time and again I have tried to accept the newness, I quite appreciate it to an ex- odd moments pass. Once tent, but I end up sulking over how everything was perfect back then. Actually even the sunshine is back, ‘back then’ I was sulking how things were perfect prior to that. Too complicated, isn’t it? What I am trying to say is I have wasted a portion of my life sulking, irre- you can go back to the spective of how small that portion must have been, something wasted is well… chirpiness” something wasted. All of us end up doing the same thing. It is time we put in efforts to make the grass on our side greener. Once we appreciate what we have, we end up filtering out most of the so called ‘problems’ in life. Because once you do not have something to compare your present with, you won’t be disappointed. Yes. Even though I may be sounding all intellectually motivated right now, I know there will be those bad days again, followed by dissatisfaction with what I have. What do we do, given a scenario like this? Maybe try and focus on the ways to handle yourself when you are down. But who thinks rationally when you are down in the gutter? Not me. But then you have to learn. It is difficult, but people get there. We can get there; the need of the hour is to simply not think when you are low. Let those odd moments pass. Once the sunshine is back, you can go back to the chirpiness.
The next time I realize that I am contradicting myself with what I once believed, I will have a smile, think about this article, and realize how funny I am sounding. Comparing past with your present is like comparing apples and oranges. Once we know this, we can simply laugh it off!
By Priyanka Bali, PGP-1
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Countrymen, lend me your ears!
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hey say a good start is half the race won. But what if it isn't? What if the runner is so gratified by the good start that he assumes the proverbial other half is now a mere formality. What if his triumph is, from that point on a foregone conclusion for him? An adage such as this is always lost in translation. It becomes the crown prince of those who dare not push themselves too hard. Of those who set out with the aim of winning gold at the London Olympics but would like nothing better than to pat themselves on the back for booking a flight ticket to get to London. It’s been 3 score and 6 years nearly since we wrested reigns of our great nation from the hands of the oppressors. We’ve been on a mission ever since to step out in to the world of sovereignty with a trailing shadow that is our own. Years later here we are still yearning for daddy’s approval.
“ We’re conformists by choice. It’s convenient.”
We’ve got standards now and benchmarks we’ve set for ourselves as a society. Are they our own? No. But that’s alright, neither was the Gold Standard. But do we understand them in their entirety? I certainly don’t think so. We’re on the verge of becoming a superpower - a very powerful and influential nation, or so we’re told. We have on our hands a nation that’s on the brink of glory but one that still considers fairer skin a mark of supremacy. One that believes no word is worth its weight unless adorned with what is widely believed to be a western accent. One that is still as fragmented as a springbok jigsaw puzzle along the lines of castes few fully understand. This isn’t the freedom in to which our father was expected to “let us awake!” You are a product of your environment. There’s no escaping that. You are either molded by the dark or you grow towards light but either way it’s the environment of your formative years that decides what kind of man you become. What then do we do of our considerably toxic environment? An anecdote please, you ask? Coming right up! I was sat on the terrace of a rickety old building that threatened to collapse at a moment’s notice – not unlike Delhi’s moral code. There I was, all of 15, scribbling down numbers at a furious pace when my tutor walks over from another table and seats herself next to me. Little did I know she had nothing better to do than to gossip. A few unpardonably pointless exchanges later she spoke about a small riot that had occurred a few days earlier in a ghetto in the city. This was a story about a couple of young, petty thieves - pickpockets who happened to be Muslims. It was as harmless a story as any and would most definitely have been brushed aside as a non-issue if it wasn't for their religion. In our blossoming secular democracy picking pockets is a social misdemeanor but being born a Muslim is apparently considered a felony by a fair few rotten apples. Not by everyone of course but there’s no dearth of people who think the way my tutor did. My tutor, if I may remind you was not more than 25 years old at the time. She asked for my attention and poured her heart out – I wish she hadn’t because at that point in my life I had neither the stomach for it nor the maturity to know she isn’t the only one with these twisted ideals. She said she wished someone would just get rid of the entire Muslim ghetto so we could be Muslim free!
This is an educated woman who commands a certain amount of respect in society and these are her priceless thoughts and beliefs. Extremists are everywhere. It’s the ones who are able to execute their diabolical schemes that are branded as extremists for the world to see. For every Osama there’s a George Bush and the rest of the world pays the price. What I’m saying then, if I’m saying anything at all is that decades on from our independence we’re still as supple and pliable as the generation of oppressed conformists except that there’s no one holding a whip. We’re conformists by choice. It’s convenient. Why bother about a law that does not affect us irrespective of whether or not it is just.
November , 2013
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Countrymen, lend me your ears! (cont.) It’s only when an affair heats up to a boiling point that the first cries of protest are heard. Often, they’re too little too late. Exercising the rights afforded by our democracy is quite sadly one of the latter options. First conform. Then adapt. If things don’t work out repeat these two steps until they do. It’s only when all else fails that there is dissent. It’s only then that opinions are thrown across tables for an hour on T.V with no intention of reaching any consensus. This circus show of a sequence is played out on loop across the land until there’s an outbreak of the newest batch of scandalous gossip. We’re back to square one. Conform…adapt….if things don’t wor….zzzz. “As long as the problem doesn’t affect me, I won’t be one to waste time worrying about it.” This reminds me of a poem of sorts penned by a survivor of the Nazi holocaust. One of its several versions reads like this – “First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” But even a nuclear family today is a microcosm of sorts of society at large. We are now a part of a generation born to parents who are educated and are as a result free of dogma and a compulsive need to conform to scripture with no regard for its relevance to our lives. Well not quite. We as a nation are doggedly opposed to change it appears. No matter what the cost. We’re walking talking memes with our ridiculous, at times comical nature of contrasting ideals. I can’t blame all those troll posts online. A man with a Phd in a science stream is as likely as anyone to firmly believe Tuesday is a bad day to start something new. If only we put the incredible intellect and creativity we display in choosing new ways to be religious in to making this a thriving democracy we’d be light years removed from the dogmatic society of yesterday. Religion these days can be customized to suit your comfort. Don’t have the energy to visit a temple on a Sunday? No problem, just download an app and run it whenever you wake up and let it complete all your puja formalities. Not sure exactly how to appease God for all the atrocities you commit on a daily basis? Come up with a combo plan where you promise not to eat non-vegetarian food for 3 days every week. If anything God is so fond of partial compromise and your choice of alternating between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is just what he needed to lighten his mood at a time when there are countless wars, terrorism, genocides, diseases and poverty ruining lives across the globe. We send daughters to school now and educate them as much as they want but how dare any of them fall in love with a man from another caste? How dare they think they have the final say in deciding whom they choose to marry? There’s a sequential checklist that starts with matching religion and caste and drags on all the way down to the ever so scientific and not in the least ridiculous practice of matching kundalis. It’s alright if the pair hate each other's guts as long as the alignment of stars, which are under no one’s control, during their births are complementary. Because letting a girl choose the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with is too mainstream! In a society where an educational qualification is only a means to obtaining a higher amount of an expressly outlawed dowry, there’s no place for the musings of “Plato or the swing of Pleiades”. And here I am on my high throne laughing at the masses without a clue as to how I can help bring about a change. But then again, who said I want things to change? As of now none of these things overtly affect me so why should I bother? ;)
- Mr. Anonymous Due, PGP 2
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Breaking News Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from Test Cricket. This had to have a profound effect on all the cricket fanatics in TAPMI. PGP1 and PGP2 students were ready to delay their entries in classrooms till the last minute, to catch a glimpse of the master hitting his strokes in the cafeteria television (now that is some risk to take!!). However, the “Sachin” wave not only hit the students but also the faculty, where in one of the faculty on campus was ready to offer one mark extra to all students in his course, provided the master hits a century in the last match of his international career. Now that’s some commitment. Long live Sachin!!
Students of TAPMI have created a new record in breaking legs and arms and that too when the mid-terms are around the corner. Every now and then, students are spotted with plasters on some vital parts of their bodies. There were news of people falling on the dance floor and breaking legs. With so much "breaking" news around it is advisable to keep a low profile and stay safe.
The TAPMI fraternity has displayed some extreme respect for traffic rules on campus. In an initiative started by the PGP2 students helmets have become an integral part of life for the students of TAPMI. PGP2 students have been spotted running around in helmets in the hostel corridors. News has been received that people are so attached to their helmets that they even wear it to beds. Kudos to PGP2 for setting an example.
LiMe The Literary-Media Committee lime@tapmi.edu.in
For comments/compliments/feedbacks or just for the heck of it, feel free to contact : The Literary-Media committee of TAPMI P.S : We are accepting articles, trolls, poems, cartoons for the December edition.