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Showing posts from 2004

For whom the bells toll - Tsunami, 26 December, 2004

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." John Donne Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, no. 17 (Meditation) 1624 (published) This poem by Jhon Donne has been ringing in my ears since yesterday when I heard the news that a tsunami had struck the South East Asia and the Sub Continent, leaving a trail of destruction. Tsunami - I had never heard about it before, is derived from the Japanese language and is used by Japanese to describe very long, low seismic sea waves. To know more about tsunami Difficult as they are to write, I want to convey my deepest and heartfelt condolances to all

Pay Per Click Vs. Search Engine Optimization

Hi... couple of weeks back I read a nice article about pay per click vs. search engine optimization. With more and more companies getting cost consious and talking about marketing ROI, i thought it would be a nice article to add to my blog... Wishing you all Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year... Cheers !! Santosh PPC Vs. SEO Be it work at home based business or any other area of internet marketing, There are arguably o­nly two major marketing strategies being employed by companies and webmasters in the market to date: Pay Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search engine marketing is undoubtedly the best source of targetted traffic o­n the Internet currently. As most people use the search engines (up to 80% of surfers use a search engine to find info or products), the battle for search position o­nly heats up from day-to-day. SEO has been there since the beginning of the Internet, while PPC is the "new kid o­n the block". PPC o

Management-ALLY: Part 1

It is a long time since I contributed to my blog. Well, I shall stick to the eternal management excuse - I have been busy. Management-ALLY is going to be a monologue of Office, Work, Corporate, and of course Management. There is a lot of things I want to write about management, for it contains all the recipes for a smashing bestseller - Action, Comedy, Sex, and Intrigue. I wonder what management is all about. It is used in the office premises, business meetings, seminars, colleges, school, and even home is not spared. What is Management? The Webster Dictionary mentions Management as – 1. The act or art of managing things: the conducting or supervising of something (as a business); 2.judicious use of means to accomplish an end. Peter Drucker, says in his book “Managing in a Time of Great Change” that management (here I mean the modern term of business management) found its genesis around the World War I and came to limelight around the World War II. No other function in histo

How Relevant are Banner Ads in Brand Building?

Though a banner space is small it serves multiple purposes for an advertiser — It is the ad message of the company/website, — Allows visual display of the company name, logo and the product — It is the click-through device — it is a concise sales pitch that can trigger customer click-through — It is the key for the affiliate tracking mechanism (if you run an affiliate program) What’s the point of banners if clicks are declining? At the turn of the century it seemed like it was all over for banners when research showed that click-through rates had dropped to 0.5% or less from a level of 2-3% in the 1990’s. Fortunately there was also research that showed that banners play a big role in improving brand awareness on the net. In fact, despite the finding that click-throughs are falling one yardstick that gives us some insight that banners are still effective - is the affiliate program concept. It is well known that affiliates make a significant contribution to the Int

S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L

The World Wide Web (www) is a jungle. If the law of the jungle is to be applied for the Internet, there is a ruthless and unrestrained competition. It is the lean and mean websites that survives. Gone are the glory days of the dotcom boom, when CON-men (people working for Companies-On-Net) thought that this was the future and everything and anything can be done online. Well, that chapter is closed. The-dot-com-guy has changed his name, and many guys disappeared and are now nameless. Many organizations have lost millions, and have burned their fingers, hands and body... For the hundreds of thousands flop stories, there are some blockbusters. by and far they are few. Obituaries are written about why some of the new business did not take off... Broadly speaking, most of them are dead because they had a silly business plan, and sillier model. Like in a jungle... most of them got lost, because they did not stick to basics... I was reading an article on the net.. on how to survive

Search Engine Strategy

Last time around, when I was writing about website promotions, I promised that I would write in detail on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) A lot has been said and written about SEO. There are megabytes of information on the net available on this topic. I am here to add some more on the same J . It is the dream of every website owner to see their site displayed on the first page of any search engine. Also, it is a known fact that an Internet user, looking for information on the web, would first go to one of the popular search engine portal and type the keywords, for which he seeks information. And the chances are that he will NOT browse more than 2-3 pages of the search results. Hence it is important that our site is displayed in the initial 20 results. SEO today has become one of the key online marketing efforts of every website owner to achieve success on the net. Search Engines: An Introduction Archie, Gopher, Veronica and Jughead are three standard "finding" tools on the

It is an ad, ad, ad world

If you wanted to know what was really happening in the 80s, you watched the ads. It was carnival of images, which did not just sell, but also crystallised contemporary aspirations, fantasies, moods and fears. Other day, I was watching the ads coming on the TV, during the ICC cricket tournament being held in UK. The volume of ads and the nature of ads made we wonder (it is another matter that I switched the channel when the ads were on). I was thinking about the good old days during the 80s in India. The television was just on the rise, and having a black and white TV was a prized possession. The neighbors would flock to your house to see their favorite programs. And the television transmission was monopoly of the government. Imagine today, you are knowingly and unknowingly bombarded with ads, inside and outside your home… Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, postal flyers, telephone calls, SMS, internet, hoardings, POPs, emails, faxes, road shows, etc… you name it.. it is branded…

Twenty New Management Styles

hi, thought i would add some "fillers" in my blog.... nothing much happening... wanted to make some new updates in the blog... hence these... guess i'm on my way up into the management... -santosh... Twenty New Management Styles 1) MANAGING BY WALKING FASTER THEN THE EMPLOYEESThese kind of managers you will always see in the corridor, ten steps away. "We'll have to talk" you can hear them say, just as they have disappeared around the corner. 2) MANAGING BY STARING OUT OF THE WINDOWThese managers you usually meet with their backside faced to you with their hands in their pockets. When you talk to them, their thoughts keep staring out of the windows. 3) MANAGING BY POST-IT'SSome managers forget everything. They want to impress you with their 'busy'ness by continuously writing on Post-it's while you are talking. 4) MANAGING BY DELEGATION TO THE SECRETARYThese managers just delegate everything to the secretary. If He is good, He

As I've Matured... (Humor)

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in... I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blanket. I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just jackasses. I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it. I've learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more screwed up than you think. I've learned that depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. I've learned that it is not what you wear; it is how you take it off. I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished. I've learned to not sweat the petty things, and not pet the sweaty things. I've learned age is a very high price to pay for maturity. I've learned that I don't su

Some regular websites I visit

A man is known by the company he keeps. Also, A man is known by the websites he visits frequently. I guess knowing the internet usage pattern of a person, and the site he visits regularly, one can judge or make a calculated profile of the person.. some of my fav sites: Search www.google.com www.yahoo.com www.ask.com www.hotbot.com www.howstuffworks.com Emails: www.www.com www.indiatimes.com www.hotmail.com www.ameinfo.com Internet News: www.wired.com www.internet.com www.searchenginewatch.com www.yahoo.com News www.msn.co.in www.indiatimes.com www.agencyfaqs.com www.nytimes.com www.ameinfo.com www.khaleejtimes.com On branding: www.brandchannel.com www.buildingbrands.com Blogs: www.stopdesign.com www.blogger.com www.blogskins.com http://mycysphere.blogspot.com Cricket www.cricinfo.com Music www.raaga.com www.smashitsusa.com www.live365.com Others www.overture.com www.workinghumor.com www.instantch

The road less traveled, a website less visited

Hi.. Internet is more like the real world. There are some places that many visitors go.. and some places, only a few know about. Most visit a particular place either on business, pleasure, or are related to the place, or maybe just passing by... same is the case with websites...If the place is popular destination, then infrastructure is good (all roads and travel routes lead there :))... and of course a lot of companies like to advertise their product or service in such a place... ...and there are some blogs/sites that are famous, and most that are not so famous... there are web logs/sites that many visit regularly... and there are many that no one ever comes in... What makes a web page popular??... Well, it is a million dollar question... and if i knew the answer.. this page would be popular too :))... and of course, half this page would be immersed in banner ads,... and I too would have millions in my bank account. Lets talk about Internet Marketing Strategies, and on web

What's in a name.....

Hi, Me kind of tied up for the past few days.... and also at the moment nothing much, interesting happening... I'm not sure about the authenticity of the following message... it was fwd. to me by a cousin of mine... I found it an interesting read... hope you too enjoy it...:) Adobe: This came from the name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John Warnock. Apple Computers: It was the favourite fruit of founder Steve Jobbs.He was three months late for filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 0'clock. CISCO: It is not an acronym as popuraily believed.Its short for San Francisco. Compaq: This name was formed by using COMp, for computer and PAQ to denote a small integral object. Google: The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol'

Games people played

Last couple of days, my Net connection was down; I was lazing around and playing some computer games... It reminded me of my early days of introduction to computers. It was late 80's (remember, India was a late- entrant into the IT field) and my college computer courses included intro to DOS environment, BASIC, DBASE, some other stuff like WordStar, AutoCAD, C, and intro to UNIX environment etc.. Programming was kind of bore for me like - cd:\> basic CD\BASIC:\> qb INPUT PRINT DIM FOR...NEXT STEP GOTO....... 80 IF...THEN COLOR 00 LOOP CLS It was during that time I got hooked to computer games - PACMAN was my fav., then came PARATROOPER, there was also game called as SNAKE (or was it Centipede.. it was a game where the snake grows each time you eat)... then was BRICKS... DIGGER, and the then ever-popular DAVE. The graphics of WOLF 3D was amazing for me... and so was PRINCE (DOS version)... I thought that the graphics I saw in games like GOLF, CA

SMS wrks: A shrt 'n swt strategy

While new business will certainly be created in wireless space, under the present arrangements, the most obvious area in which SMS may be useful to a wide range of companies is in marketing and promotion. Studies conducted have discovered a very ready acceptance of advertising and promotion making use of the mobile. Reviewing the findings, found that although advertising in this medium was expected to have the same effect as direct mail, it already has a much higher response rate at a much lower cost per head. This high success rate is due to a combination of attractive qualities that text messaging posseses for its audiences. Immersive: SMS messaging has an interactive quality that younger users find particularly attractive. Personalized SMS messages, particularly those that are delivered in response to a SMS request, involve users in an interactive experience familiar to and desired by those with a knowledge of the online world. Freedom from clutter: For the moment, clutter has not

Brand Valuation - InterBrand

hi, I haven’t been blogging for a while now... been busy...keep it a secret.. I’ve been trying to find the source of energy in the body...i mean there should be something like the CMOS battery in our body.. that would be the source of energy. Well, did not make much leeway.. but I’m sure that very soon I will find out the source.. I was reading the other day, a small essay on brand strength by Interbrand... well, it is not perfect,,, but will give a layman a fair idea on brand value.. Brand Valuation: The seven components of brand strength The Interbrand model of brand strength - part of their valuation methodology - is a useful framework to consider the performance of your own brand. Reflect on these seven points and you should get a better sense of the strength of your own brand, as well as some ideas on how to move forward… The seven components of brand strength in the Interbrand valuation model are: Market : 10% of brand strength. Brands in markets where consumer preferences are mo

Stupid Me.

Hi,   Yesterday was an eventful day. I had a meeting at Deira, Dubai at 12 PM. After the meeting, which went on well, I took a cab to go to Bur Dubai.   I had some small talk with the cab driver, and came to know that he was basically from Fallujah, Iraq. He was saying that his family was in Fallujah, he was trying to bring them to Dubai… but has been unsuccessful so far.   The fare to my destination was 13 Dhirams. I opened my wallet and gave 20 Dhirams, but he mentioned he did not have the change of 7 dhirams. I usually carry some change in my leather bag… and I opened the leather bag and paid 3 dhirams in change.   As soon as I stepped out of the cab, I realized that I had forgot my wallet in the car. Also I did not know number of the car… Stupid me…   I immediately called up the national taxi office and gave a complaint regarding the loss of my wallet. The complaint cell executive mentioned that they can only confirm once the vehicles come back to HO late evening, and, if the driv

Product Launch

Hi..   Yesterday (July 19) evening went to a car launch party... KIA motors was launching its new sedan "Cerato" in the UAE markets...... There was an Audio Video presentation about the car.... and interviews with some current users... the ad 'talked' about the owner's aspirations, and beliefs... and how it is reflected in the purchase of the car... Made me wonder… what is the importance of a Product Launch? …and what are the hallmarks of a good product launch…   Broadly speaking, a product launch is targeted at 3 types of crowd…   The distributors… or the channel-men The prospective buyers The media – for informing the general public    The objective:   The 3 reasons for a launch is   New market – Old product New market – New product Old market – New product     I have heard my professor in my management class giving the example of how advertising is like a bulb in a room, with a pretty girl inside… well, using this analogy for a product launch, I can say that th

message in the blog

Hi,   I'm  interested in Marketing, Advertising and Branding... I had been working in the media and related industry... mostly in Sales and Marketing... Have been involved in online branding too. I’ve spent quite a bit of time, almost my whole “Web” career, in (or working closely with) marketing departments who’ve been focusing on either developing an new brand or revitalizing an existing brand... If any of you guys out there having similar interests can touchbase me...maybe, you could help me in giving your insights on the subject(s)..  The more purpose of this blog is to reach out and "Learn... and... Share" _Santosh

some interesting blogs

Hi,   Just created my own Blog... and abt time I made it...   Thought I could share some cool blogs that gave me some insights into my fav. topics - marketing, advertising, branding etc...     http://mercury.blogs.com/radio/ http://www.adverblog.com/archives/cat_branding_online.htm http://fusionbrand.blogs.com/ http://www.ihaveanidea.org/ _Santosh

My Profile

Santosh E. G.    PH: (+971)065744185 Mobile:: (+971)050-4564197 E Mail: mypostbox@www.com "An endeavor to perform, to improve, and to grow."     Objective   With a Masters degree in Management and about 8 years experience in Media and associated industry, I seek to offer my services in a professional and progressive organization. With a strong inclination towards systems and penchant for taking up bigger challenges, I look towards a performance based career growth.   Areas of Specific Interests   ü        Brand management ü        Marketing