December Diaries

It has been a December to remember!
I'll tell you why,

Hardwork -  It started with a lot of Hardwork. Tons of final submissions, presentations, last few group meetings, all-nighters, some incredibly satisfying and some marginally disappointing. Last few classes in the classrooms. Not realizing that it's the end of school. Suddenly being overwhelmed that it's the end of school.

Achievement - Hey! I graduated. After the intense 15 months of sharpening strengths, discovering new strengths and facing weaknesses it does feel like an achievement!

Finish point - Life is full of start points and Finish points. This one was a very memorable finish point. When I looked back I saw my growth, the places I'd been, the people I'd met and the great times that went by.

Celebration -   I came back home! Attended Big Fat Indian weddings, had a birthday party, celebrated my graduation and celebrated my time away from home!

23 - I turned 23. I'd say it's a milestone year for me and if you ask why: My entire blog enlists my journey through 23!

Under the covers - Too much of a good thing is bad. This time it was 11 days worth of wedding food. A bout of fever was troublesome but the rest helped me think, the sleepless nights helped me plot and plan my next year and the pain I was in reminded me of the value of good health :)

Well, that's just a summary.

All in all, it's been a great year folks!

A little something I wrote in the new year spirit:

Happy 2016 to all you lovely people! Thank you for reading and thank you for being with me through my journey as a New Girl in the City! I promise to keep you  entertained, a little enthralled, sometimes inspired but mostly smiling :)

Love and snowflakes,
Juie

Tad Bit of Panic

pan·ic¹

ˈpanik/

noun

1. 1.

   sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior.

^

Well, the oxford is on point.

This post is written in pure panic caused due to sudden transition.

Reasons: 

1) I haven't posted all November. The minute I realized it was November 30 (Also, a very special day) I jumped wondering about how unfortunate my blog calendar will end up looking if it says November(0). However, Panic is irrational so it followed a million other thoughts. 

2) I'm graduating in 12 days. That's right! What happens next? I have it all figured out. 

JUST KIDDING. 

I have NO idea. Apart from the fact that I'm going home to a bunch of happy faces, I don't know. I may be teaching English in a part of India I can't pronounce (That would be nice) or I could have a fancy job in the Bay area (That would be ideal) 

3) Unknown gives peace. Half known gives stress and full known means trouble. I am hanging in the half known. After 22 years (I'm not letting it sink in that I'm very close to turning 23) I know what I really like to do. And I really really like to do it.  But its half known because even though I know what I want to do and I'm pretty damn good at it, I haven't quite figured out how to get there.

4) Financial Independence: That means something. I have suddenly reached this point in my life when I want to be responsible for everything I do and I want to take care of myself. (Mom and Dad, gifts are ALWAYS welcome) but I want to pay my bills on my own and I want to at least try saving something substantial.

5) The Job Hunt: There I said it! I was skeptical because at this point you could be a future employer reading it but hey! What’s there to hide? I have applied for tons of jobs, had several interviews but I just know about 3 that I would actually LOVE. Of course, this is what I think right now but December is a tough time because everyone is in the mood to be jolllaaaay and budgets are tight as the financial year is ending. Cherry on the cake? 97.8 % of Online resumes don't reach a human being. So, I am good, really good at what I do. But this wait is making me crazy, and the fact that a lot of my resumes don't reach a human being makes me hysterical. The known means trouble though because I know that I'm going to find a job, at a place that I love, and add immense value to where I am working. 

So yes those are my reasons to panic ^ Writing helps, Also November is not (0) anymore!

^That was a monologue. No judging  :) 

Miles to go before I sleep,

Juie

Social Media

This is rather controversial for me to speak about,

Considering:
1) I am from the field of Marketing
2) I am such an active social media user

















However, since a few days I have been dwelling about the repercussions of social media, the usage of social media in current times and the impact it has on our lives, and it's got me thinking.

Let's start with a couple of confessions:

1) I am always connected
2) I find it hard to stay away from my phone for more than 30 minutes
3) My life involves a lot of sharing
4) I only share the highlights of my life (Read: The talk-worthy moments)
5) I do not share how down I typically feel on Sunday afternoons (Read: Sunday blues)
6) I share the relationships I want to celebrate
7) I do not celebrate the relationships I am not proud of being in
8) I only upload my nicest looking pictures on facebook (probably 2 out of 100)
9) My facebook life is a  strategically selected facade of the highlights of my real life

That was difficult to accept... but that makes me think.

I wonder whether we're currently living 2 lives at one time.
One,which is raw vulnerable, real and imperfect and the other that is glossy, triumphant and picture perfect?

 Our popularity is based on the number of likes our pictures receive.
Let's face the fact, if we do not cross the 11-like mark on instagram, or the 100-like mark on our facebook profile picture  most of us feel like shit. The whole point of sharing is to get people to know. We also don't remember most birthdays anymore. Why would we? We have Social Media to remind us.

I was speaking to a friend today and I told him that I am away from home and so I find a lot of happiness in writing wall posts for close friends on my social media platform. I think it makes them feel special. He asked why? I couldn't help thinking that it was so that the whole world knew how special they were. He said, don't you think they'll feel even more special if you sent them a personal message telling them how special they were. I thought he was right but I wasn't sure whether that was the reality in society.

While it's difficult to admit, research shows that 87% of social media users (irrespective of their sharing habits) base their idea of an ideal body image, skin tone, dressing sense, personality and humor based on social media influencers in their circle. That is why "stalking" is so prevalent. We stalk those who we aspire to be, envy, want to be friends with, want to be romantically linked to, want to get to know better -  just to know the highlights of their life.

Ideal Self vs Actual Self

In my consumer insight class earlier this year, we learned about "Ideal self" and "Actual self" and this gets me thinking about Social Media. Maybe Social media is just an extension of our ideal self, the self we want to be but not necessarily are, the self we want to show the world, the humor we want to project, the contouring that pumps up the high cheek bones, the wine drinking habits and the super social group of friends.

AND THIS

immediately got me thinking about the success of Humans of New York. They were real stories from real people! Such a breath of fresh air because  they involved so many real emotions. We suddenly realized there was a world beyond our own that involved struggle, joys, relationships and meaningful sharing. There were refugees losing their children, there were people who never gave up on their dreams but still didn't succeed, there were daughters reuniting with their fathers at the age of 50 and children protecting the goat their father brought to slaughter. Suddenly we were seeing reality. These posts went viral. There was empathy, sympathy and relatability coming from every corner of the world in the form of 35000 shares per post.


This leaves me with a parting thought: I am not a cynic and I certainly do not disapprove of social media. But maybe it's time to step back and regroup our energies. Maybe it's time to use social media not to be insecure or spread insecurity, to judge your popularity or body image but to use its potential to provide a greater good to our social circle. A platform to boost egos, better body images, celebrate triumphs and obviously be in touch. I haven't figured that out yet but when I put my marketing cap back on I know the power of Social Media and I know its possible. And while we do all of that, maybe live a real life without being consumed by social media, without being connected all the time and without feeling the urge to check our phones all the time (Read: Guilty) 

Maybe live a life where we are consumed in the real present and not the digital present, where we click pictures to save memories and not see if it's share worthy and where life does not depend on what others think about it.



I am still confused about how I feel about this phenomenon. But I do feel something strong and I know it has to do with a  huge change in the way we use this platform.

Tonight, I will sleep without worrying about the number of likes/views/comments this post receives but about the amount of lives it affects.

I'm going home

Someday I'll have something to say, and it shall be simple. Today feels like one of those days.

Today, I booked my flight to go back to Mumbai.

For the first time, I know what it feels like to go home. 

On 28th August, 2014, as I sat in the car on my way to the airport there was a whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. 

Today, when I think back to that day, I remember convincing myself to not go back for 15 months. I told myself that in every vacation that I have I will travel to places I have never been, meet people who I've never seen, learn skills that make me a better version of myself, discover tastes that my taste buds don't recognize and spend every minute of my 15 months trying to discover myself. I can say that I pretty much stuck to the plan. 

It's fifth quarter, and when I think back so much has changed. 

I'm not a New Girl in the City anymore. I can go from Quartino to Big Bowl without using Google Maps, I know the entire sequence of 18 stops from my house to downtown and I can tell you exactly what you should eat at my favorite 19 restaurants in Chicago. Also, I can call a cab and come back home fearlessly at 4 AM (My mother isn't too happy about this one). It feels familiar today, it feels like home. 

I survived the winter, the snowstorm, the terrible pangs of homesickness, the silly roommate troubles, softwares that scare the living hell out of me, a stalker, a 911 phone call, being stranded on top of a mountain in a mountain lion area. Basically, I survived this whole new life. 

And after all that, I thoroughly enjoyed the people, the food, the road trips, the mountains, the lake, my school, the drunken nights. 

Today, I cherish the new friends I've made, a couple that I will cherish for life, I cherish my house that I've made efforts to decorate, I cherish the food I make after a long day working, I cherish the long Facetime calls with people back home. When I look back, I cherish the sense of achievement I feel. 

And so, as December is approaching and I am getting ready for my one and a half month long vacation, I feel an intense sense of belonging. 

Today, I feel like I belong to two places: 

 A place with my favorite black and yellow Rikshaws and a place with the most interesting conversations with Cab drivers. A place where I was served hot food on the dining table three times a day and a place where I heated food that I made three days ago. A place where my mother took care of me and a place where I realized how important it was to take care of myself. A place where my best friends are, a place where I made new friends for life. A place where I'm most comfortable and a place where I created my sense of comfort.

A place where I grew up and the place that helped me grow up.

And like I said, I didn't know what it feels like to be going home. Today I do, and it feels beautiful. 

TOMS #withoutshoes

Between May 5 and May 21, 2015, TOMS a California based footwear and eyewear company did something pretty legendary on Instagram. They had an initiative called “One day without shoes” where they encouraged instagrammers to upload a picture of themselves barefoot with the hashtag #withoutshoes. With each picture uploaded they would donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. Their goal was to give out a Million Shoes.

Tom’s is a company that is known for its philanthropy as every pair of shoes that the company sells, a new pair of shoes is given to a child in need. A portion of the profit in their eyewear sales is also given towards restoration of eyesight among people in developing countries. What was unique about this campaign was that TOMS was not asking their customers to purchase their shoes. It was not just a campaign, they had launched a collective movement. By the end of the period TOMS had a path breaking 296,243 entries for the initiative with each entry having a unique individual touch about each individuals support towards children’s health and educations. This big story comprised of 3 million stories.

This particular event was of interest to me because of how they harnessed Instagram as a media platform to encourage stories by tapping into a human need.  Human beings always seek identification. In this case everybody involved in the initiative identified with the larger cause that also made them feel good about themselves as well as the company. This resulted in a lot of earned media for the company as most entries also congratulated TOMS for their initiative, which resulted in a lot of positive publicity. It was a clear case of “Do good by doing good”

Link: http://www.toms.com/one-day-without-shoes

Personally TOMS, You took my heart away!

#withoutshoes: Rocking ugly feet since 1992.

I was interviewed on a Ferris Wheel!

This one deserves a blog post!
So, the graduation date is coming close and the job hunt has begun!

Today was my first interview of the season and it was on A FERRIS WHEEL! 



HAVAS, a fabulous agency and also one of my dream companies (known to have made some of the best campaigns such as Cracker Barrel, Hefty and Dish) had its recruiting event at Chicago's iconic Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier. This was special for 2 reasons:
One, because advertising agencies are known to be innovative, cutting edge and quirky in their approach and Havas definitely tops this recruiting game, and two, because this beautiful classic wheel is retiring on September 27 and is going to be replaced with a brand new, bigger, modernized temperature controlled wheel!

I have obviously been on a blogging sabbatical for a while but this Summer I interned with the 4A's through which I spent a week at 9 of Chicago's best agencies!
One of these was HAVAS and my entire team absolutely loved the culture, pace and people of the agency in our week there. This is what motivated me to interview for this company but what would be better than interviewing on top of the world looking at Chicago's skyline? The cherry on the cake was that I had the opportunity to be interviewed by HAVAS' CEO Paul Marobella one of the warmest and most passionate people I met in the summer quarter! He was so humble, appreciative and really ensured that I felt comfortable up there.

Being an IMC student, I took an IMC approach for the interview. I took a paper powerpoint presentation (who needs technology on a Ferris wheel?), a pack of personality cards where he could pick a card and I'd speak about it and a 14 minute elevator pitch and then asked my interviewer to take his pick! Afterall, today's consumer wants options and customization and it's up to the marketer to ensure the best consumer experience!

Speaking about the experience, I think the experience of being on a Ferris Wheel and the experience of an interview really go together because both are so stimulating and generate the right kind of excitement to bring out one's creativity and enthusiasm. As I was interviewing for a strategy position it was better as it brought out all my best experiences and creativity.

This leaves me with a thought, the new age company has to constantly strive to do something bigger, better and crazier to attract people that resonate with its values! This resonated with mine :)

Fingers crossed for what happens next but whatever the outcome may be, I'm pretty sure I'm never going to interview on a Ferris Wheel again!

Next blog post about a campaign really close to my heart!

xo

Thoughts on Branding

Growing up, I loved expressing - in the form of stories, spoken word poetry or music. When I tied my passion to its main objective I realized that telling stories is what I really enjoy. Identifying things, relating them, connecting dots and creating experiences. A love for human nature and all of the above brought me to the field of Marketing Communications. I am no expert and not even close to accomplished but as I probe deeper into a subject I am so passionate about, it continues to fascinate me. After taking a few brand classes at school and learning from some very insightful teachers and mentors, I kept noting down what really speaks to me. Here are a few things that  I learned and I believe in:

• Stop & Stare: In today's time, wherein you and I have such strong opinions and the media landscape is so intensified, It's so difficult to come across brand communication that actually makes you stop and stare. Be that! Make them wonder and give them a feeling they can't name. Make it a piece of art that means something in their lives.

• Be human: People want to talk, feel, react and actually relate to these messages. They want it to feel like they are having a real conversation which makes it even more important to personify the brand. Be something more than just the product for someone. Be a friend, a lover, a mentor and perhaps even an enemy? Let people visualize it as skin and bones with real thoughts, real opinions and real beliefs. Sparkling eyes and a witty tongue and a personality you'd want to be stuck with at a bar. Don't be just a name! 

• Be simple: Don't make them think too hard and don't make it seem like rocket science. Let them think only till the extent that when they figure it out they feel a sense of accomplishment. Articulate clearly and in a way that is easy to register and remember, only then will the brand be memorable. Keep it simple, silly!

• Ongoing Process: Today, brands aren't a one step product. A great logo, some great packaging and a great color scheme - Voila! It's done! NO! Its much more than that: It's an ongoing process, being shaped by every step you take, every move you make, every breath you take, every bond you break, they'll be watching you! (Yes, I feel particularly musical)

• Relentlessly Relevant: That is why it's  key for brands to be relentlessly relevant. Everyone who wants to see great brand communication should see "Amul" advertisements. Amul is an Indian dairy brand and in my opinion it is the best example of relentlessly relevant advertising. They started in 1967 and today in 2015 they are still going strong which makes them relentless They create spoofs of current affairs and tie it strongly with their butter brand using wit and sarcasm which makes it so relevant. They speak culture and they speak a language that everyone knows. It's flawless and fabulous!

• Surprise-surprise: People want to be surprised! They want to laugh and cry, be agitated and get excited. They hate predictability because that's how life is anyway. They want an experience that isn't like their daily life. Why do you think movies work? Romance works and so do thrillers, only because you're taking them into a life so different than their own and for those 400 pages or 3 hours they feel like they're a part of that life!

•  Innovate: Innovate! Show them something they've never seen before. . We did an assignment in our brand content course which is called : "An orange is an orange except that it isn't!" We had to sell an  idea of  oranges as not-oranges. Make them think about something in a way that they have never thought about before  This drives away predictability and brings in freshness in the way a consumer perceives your idea.

• Adapt:  Watch culture, watch trends and observe the building and breaking of opinions. Be politically correct and don't be controversial. If there's something raging in culture, make it a statement of your brand. Pop culture is your best friend, always use it to your advantage. Adapt to technology and adapt to user experience. Make it simpler as the world becomes simpler. Adapt before you're extinct.

• Don't be fluff! Consumers see through it. They know when you're selling the idea of the whole world being a beautiful place, collective love and lots of feathers and teddy bears because they know that IT'S NOT!  Tell them something they believe in. Don't manipulate them. Make them feel what you feel, make them think what you think. Be genuine! Manipulation will bring in one purchase and then a lifetime of a negative fixed opinion but ingenuity will build trust for a lifetime

• The past is the future: This one is my favorite! Look back in the past. These are things nobody does anymore. There's a reason why people like classic and vintage and the same goes for branding. Throw in hand written notes, use a colloquial tone, design cards with felt pens, use classic fonts and pastel colors, use classic music and old jingles. Nothing strikes a deeper chord than history! 

Be passionate, persuasive and observant of people!