Adobe's Killing move: CS to CC.

Creative Cloud Illustrator

1. Too quick, maybe

While customers are still stuck to CS, Adobe is serving them a different dish all together, theCreative Cloud (CC).

Adobe says since its inception, CC has seen 500,000 subscriptions. They see a changing, responsive market and early adoption is one smart thing to embrace.

2. One big elephant

Working on two very different platforms was cumbersome for Adobe.

Leaving aside multiple platforms and gradually moving onto one big elephant, CC, will make it harder for Adobe to maintain. Maybe it will require intense focus, energy and resources butfighting on one front is better than fighting on multiple fronts.

3. Faster iteration

The cloud version will have better iterations at better turnaround times and at a much faster rate. This model makes sense considering the adoption time of the boxed software is much more.

4. Value Driven

Faster iterations and adoption will lead to better value for customers. They will pay for what they use, which is bang for the buck.

This will help Adobe in attaining valued place in the market with respect to new upcoming technologies and collaboration with different platforms.

5. Piracy up-selling

As quoted by Adobe’s product marketing Director, “This isn’t to reduce piracy, they know how to crack, and they will”.

So instead of wasting their effort on reducing piracy, they went the other way, with a much agile, quicker and sensible subscription based model. Making it affordable for everyone.

Pricing

CC membership for individuals is Rs 2,700 a month based on annual membership

Existing customers who own CS3 (CS) to CS 5.5 can get their first year of CC at Rs 1,600 p.m. Promotional pricing for teams – Rs 2,885 p.m.

Bingo!! Two birds one stone and a burdgeoning customer base. For me, Kudos to Adobe!!

Picture Courtesy: Himanshu Khanna

Big data and Bollywood - Lethal combo!!

While I was hovering over the internet with no purpose whatsoever as I usually do, I stumbled upon an article about how Big Data can change the success rates of Hollywood flicks. It seemed like quite an interesting avenue for making money to me (just incase you are wondering, I’m a Business Major, Masters). Going by the article I felt our latka-jhatka industry which releases around 900 jhatkas (movies) a year at an average and entertains 3 billion audiences and more worldwide. Anyone with half a brain realizes that  there lies a plethora of opportunity for directors and advertisers to sell more and more.

Leveraging Big Data

Big Data has been used quite effectively by various industries like Retail, Digital and Telecom; and considering the gains with targeted and focused approach, it isn’t such a bad idea to use this in our latka-jhatka Bollywood too. It has the potential to really shake up the way marketing and advertising has been approached all along in our country.

Big Data can actually work as a bridge between the producers and viewers where data analysts and advertisers can reap greater benefits. Just imagine Sanjeev Kapoor walking up to you and serving a recipe for success. What more does a director/producer (with an aim to commercially succeed) want?

From consumer behavior to script making to the insights from demographic and geographical aspects, just like Hollywood, Bollywood too can tailor their service (I would call it a service, considering the whole experience of watching a movie is vital and sacrosanct in some regards) and cast actors and actresses according to the demands of the viewer; maybe that is asking for a bit too much but  its true, customer is the King.

More accessible options, more data

We are tech-savvy now. We’ve got options… phones, internet; mobile phones and web technology have have made everything accessible, eliminating the risks of no tickets, saving time and getting the seats of our liking. OUR CHOICE!

These devices can be of greater value to marketers and advertisers; with the help of data based on demographics, behavioral characteristics, geographical location and other key insights, they can actually pinpoint and laser paint the target. A focused approach with quantifiable take-aways which wasn’t available earlier and this approach can be of great value as the script writers will know what clicks, what works and what does not. With each passing moment more and more platforms are explored, and new methods adopted and perfected and data is produced and collected at an exponential rate. What remains to be figured is what we do with all the collected data.

Another avenue for advertisers

The data collected and exploited will help advertisers chip-in their advertisements at the just the right time at the right place. Interval time is the most boring one (if you talk about advertisements). Advertising restaurants and eating joints in the interval where you get to see different cuisines options at nearest locations might actually work for restaurants owners, theatre hall owners and customers alike with one caveat in todays world it has to be targeted advertising not just generic advertising.

Regional markets

India has got tremendous potential in regional markets and data can actually reap wonders for these small budget regional movies. By understanding the people, what they want, whom they want, when they want, the movie makers can actually plan for box-office hits. Hollywood has been going that way with a company doing exclusive research for script writers and producers for sometime and i think its time we do the same too.

Creativity on the peril

Sure, it will benefit the commercial success hungry producers, but does that mean – it will kill creativity. In fact many directors won’t agree on this. The only way to gauge if the movie is good, would turn it into an exercise as to who can mould data more effectively. Movies like“Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Dev D” are like the real, genuine creative work. Anurag Kashyap didn’t do any research instead went by his love for cinema, his instinct and his knowledge. But directors like Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty who make films to enter into100-crore club, would agree on this for sure after all its all about earnings for them.

There are sets of people who would see this in two different ways. First, the ones who would undoubtedly go for Big Data and enter the 100-crore plus club. On the hand, would be those creative types who would not mess with creativity come what may or only be judged by the moolahs that their movie rakes in.

It’s tough to take a stand on a subject where per week earnings are the parameters by which a movie is judged. Which side are you on? To big data or no?

Dance & Design: Let's find similarities

Dance & Design – what’s similar?

• Email

Dance & Design – what’s similar?

Dance & Design – what’s similar?

Being a mechanical engineer and a dancer/choreographer it was very difficult to gulp down the basics of Design. Design to me is as alien as acting for a geek; No relation absolutely whatsoever.

Being here in this lovely office at Sparklin, where you can listen to Music of your choice, surrounded by passionate, self driven, creative folks and admiring the historical debilitated tomb the moment you turn your head, Design does get a bit easier.  Dance has always been in my DNA. But Design???
Okay, let’s just find out.

The basics

I feel Design and Dance have a long rooted connection in their basics and aspects. The purpose of design is to visually communicate the intended message and so is Dance, which is a visual art form too. Both are Art forms indeed. They both carry a purpose; both bear visual elements and yes, offer joy.

In terms of elements, they overlap quite a bit. Just like a choreographer, a designer needs to carry a vision with him as to what s/he wants to convey, what elements (lines, point, color and texture) would accentuate the message further and initiate the cognitive process of the audience. Design and Dance, both must have that hook that catches people, keeps them tied, enthrall them and pass on the intended message. They both cannot be direct; both have to be abstract and succinct at a level, not boring the audience. Both have to be attended to with minute details, yet be of easy understanding to the audience.

The feedback

Just like a dancer who is quite worried about his feedback that he gets from his/her audience, a designer has the same worries too. Design has to perform well, get its functionality right.

If it is unable to convey the intended message, bores the audience and wears unmatched, dirty costumes, the results are quite evident.

Designers have to think like Dancers and Dancers have to think like Designers. Connect, visualize, imagine and execute the ideas.

Do you also find any similarities between Dance & Design??

Lamborghini Egoista – Flopped on anniversary to the core!!

Lamborghini Egoista – Anniversary Special Hot Wheels

• Email

Lamborghini Egoista

1 seater monster Lamborghini Egoista, Anniversary special – You beast

Never would you imagine Lamborghini’s 50^th birthday to be such chaotic and wild. Launched at a private event this real top gun was 50^th Anniversary to present. Carrying forward its wildness spree from Lamborghini Veneno, now you got “Lego inspired”Lamborghini Egoista. Such monster I tell you. Conjuring the appearance of an Apache helicopter, Egoista is a 1 seater powerhouse.
Bearing more lines , angles, edges and Formula 1-like nose, Egoista is sure to make some heads turn with bewilderment.

Talk to Design guys and they wouldn’t want to opine on this 600 hp, 5.2 ltr, V-10, orange-hued Hot Wheels. This is the same engine that spurs Audi R8 and Gallardo. Body is crafted of aluminum and carbon-fiber elements, part of which says “no walk-zones”.

Step here

You got to hire pilots for this. With hell lot of joy you would want to enter, but this is a cumbersome job.

• Remove the steering wheel
• Pop the canopy
• Stand up on the seat
• Climb to rest on car’s bodywork
• Prowl to the ground

Sure to say, the Brand sends a troubling message to the Lamborghini Design and its future. Veneno being a disaster for the company (which I’m sure they would try to forget) was the lowest tipping point in the Brand’s history.

Such subversive approach towards Design would actually lead them to nothing more than one more nightmare.

And yeah, you would find it difficult to locate on roads

Mercedes: Brilliant Brand Experience.

A friend in need is a friend Indeed. Old adage for sure, but still holds true. More and more brands are trying to be your friend, being there when you need them the most.

Moscow, Russia, where people are obsessed about big cars and owning a small car is not socially appreciated, parking problem has escalated. On weekends, it goes bad to worse leaving people with no choice but to park illegally. Vehicles get towed and people running after the authorities are often the visuals on Russian streets.

Big cars + Parking problem = Chaos + frustration.

 Super cars to the rescue

Following Chevrolet’s “Rescue Drive” and MINI’s “cars turned stores” intelligent test drive campaigns, Mercedes’ isn’t behind too. Making them understand the importance of smaller cars with their new Rescue Smart cars, Mercedes acted as a Superhero for them,  who comes to the rescue of people in their times of misery (when vehicles get towed and people are left in the lurch) and drops them to their destination. This campaign drew out accolades on Social Media, followed by bloggers and news portals who further accentuated the brand’s positive move

In less than 3 days, 623 people were rescued. Test drives increased by 10% and Sales went up by 300% in just two weeks. Mercedes’ move created a positive Brand image which reflected reliability, care and empathy for people and indirectly advocating the use of smaller cars (Rescue cars) in a big car obsessed country.

Indian case

Do you envision this kind of service in India? Will people actually appreciate the move and post their good experiences on Social Media? Will the companies want to shell out bucks for this kind of campaign where they want to be a more as a friend rather than just a car company?
Growing traffic and hence parking problems are indeed creating mess all around. Though, small cars have the largest number of buyers but growing number of cars and less space for parking is definitely the concern leading to cars getting towed every now and then. Many a brands are trying to tap on the positive side of life and helping people in achieving their dreams. This way, they get associated with good deeds for society and simultaneously push their brand.

       

Indians do spread a word if they like something. It’s been a long tradition that Indians are too close to even the shops where they buy grocery stuff from, they talk to each other, and they suggest to their peers (especially ladies and lady drivers are increasing too).

Cracking markets is a tedious job but cracking the mindset of customers…. Hell tough. More and more brands are trying to be friendly with their customers, being there when they need them the most. But what if you have to change customers thinking process and decide as to what they should buy. Personally no one likes radical change.

Some dissonance will be there for sure. Dissonance for you?