Who is John Galt?

When I heard that song the first time, people around me told me it was “Kickass”. The youth of today say – It’s the Shit man!… The purists would say all of these words including the song title gives a negative connotation. But in today’s world the meaning and the concepts are totally different. You don’t need to understand anything including the Lyrics. Well, that’s besides the point. But ofcourse, I can never understand “It’s the Shit” business..

Having heard this again and again(though not out of choice), in the radio, Internet, Social Networks etc and the hundreds of different versions and flavours of it, there arrives a new formula of Viral Marketing.

Ok first it was the song that hit the media. Now it is the main player himself. Yes, he has given a few hits. A rustic & a good actor and this song has really created waves. Does this make him eligible for a host of other things? For example – The song has been adjudged the Top song of year by CNN worldwide. Bollywood’s greatest hero says he is humbled to receive an award from our Hero, India’s Biggest Business Man, openly expressing that he had a wonderful and a refreshing meeting with our Hero and now as a special guest for the dinner with Premiers of two of the largest economies of the world, to name a few.

As a Marketeer, I have now started to wonder after the Viral Marketing success what is THIS phenomenon called? I had a casual chat about it with a friend of mine who told me that we should give due credit to the devil. And after all he has given many hits, won a national award and entertained many. Agreed, he may be deserving all the laurels. But my friend doesn’t stop at that. He also told me, all this is due to the effect or the brunt of our Liberalisation. Exaggerate Everything. Market it. Exploit General Public and Make Money. This made me think. Is this what we Marketeers do or what Marketing is all about?

Anyways, I am now curious to know what will happen later. Will this song be actually picturized? Will it figure in the movie? Will these out-perform the original spinner? What kind of new Marketing formulae do these lead to?

Above all, is “Why this Kolaveri Di” an answer to “ Who is John Galt”??

The Mumbaikar and the Campaign

Too many things have been written in the last few days by various journos, thinkers, analysts et al about Anna’s Anti Corruption Campaign and the Government’s take on it. Some Pro Team- Anna and some, against it now. When the Mumbai fiasco happened everybody wrote that it didn’t work this time around and Team Anna said they would review their strategy. There were lots of debates if Anna is losing the zing or is the Government winning?

I thought of penning down my views as a Mumbaikar. One of the most abused terminologies about Mumbai – The Spirit of the Mumbaikar, I thought of revisiting it. That morning of Mumbai Agitation at MMRDA grounds, I had a quick chat with my colleague. I am no astrologer or a soothsayer. But I predicted that this may not work in Mumbai. How? Why? The first reaction in every Mumbaikar’s mind was - what will happen to the traffic in Mumbai? We already have enough problems. Once again Thanks to MMRDA for digging up the different roads in Mumbai and keeping things pending to add to the Traffic woes. Apart from the traffic – there was nothing that worried me. But then will it work in Mumbai? The Mumbaikar is a different breed altogether. He knows the System in and out. He is still living with the same problems of road digging & traffic day in and day out. He is not able to do anything about it. Will Anna Hazare’s presence or my presence in the Anna Hazare camp help? Will it change anything in this wonderful city? Perhaps not.

Secretly in my mind, I still have the hope that things will change. And saying so, I get out to work like the millions of Mumbaikars and with a hope that Traffic doesn’t get worse.

What else was there in the Mumbaikar’s mind that day?