Marketing 'Love'

William Shakespeare wrote - "But Love is Blind, and Lovers cannot see. The pretty follies that they themselves commit". I am sometimes forced to wonder whether Love actually exists these days or is it just satisfying one's Needs, Wants & Desires.

The Marketing concept of a person's 'Needs' and 'Wants' sometimes over-ride a person's feeling of love and emotional connects with the opposite sex. No doubt, Love, for sure would have been blind, deaf or maybe dumb too, but that was a few years, or probably a decade ago. Talk about the present, Love also has 'Class'.

The Blindness and Stupidity in 'Love' once for all seems to have vanished as people have started having preconceived notions about their would-be partners with a certain set of parameters. One who fits the bill, takes the catch. Just when you thought I would be finished, there's another word termed 'Expectations' which is worth pondering more than a thought.

Guess, Love being Blind as per Shakespeare’s quote is nothing more than a thing of the past. Does love happen in today’s world or is it planned? This is one question that is still a riddle. A riddle that one hopes to solve but not very sure if others will be happy with the answer. Dare I talk about committing follies in Love today. Wink Wink.

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Political Gimmickry

Our politicians, when their fortunes are on the decline, say something outrageous about a celebrity so that they can be back on the front pages of newspapers. No one resorts to this trick more than Bal Thackeray of the Shiv Sena and his nephew Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The elder Thackeray, clad in saffron with a rudraksh mala around his neck, should have taken sanyas many years ago.

But his ego stood in his way and he wanted to see his name and photographs appear in papers other than his own Saamana, which not many people bother to read. He was also smarting under the slap his ungrateful nephew Raj gave him by winning 13 seats to Marashtra Legislative Assembly. So the old Balasaheb hit on the bright idea which would both steal the thunder from his upstart nephew and get everyone in the country talking about him. He chose his target well.

The cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has become hero number one of the entire country including those who take little interest in cricket. He also happens to be a Mumbaikar and a Marathi Manoos. What he said is what anyone in his position would have said — that he is, above all other things, an Indian, plays for India and is proud of being an Indian.

Read on.

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Quote -

For a business not to advertise is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but no one else does.

~ Stuart H. Britt, US advertising consultant

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The Media & You.

I am often asked if I think that our media - TV, newspapers, magazines, blogs (like this one) - are becoming increasingly frivolous, and exhibiting a lamentable lack of what is called 'Social Responsibility'. Instead of reporting and commenting on serious issues - such as, say, farmers' suicides, gender discrimination, man-made climate change which threatens to wreak environmental havoc on the entire planet - the media focuses more and more on what are referred to as Page 3 events and personalities: who was - and who wasn't - invited to Vijay Mallya's last birthday bash, and what the guests were wearing; which Bollywood starlet is supposedly having/not having an affair with which six-pack hunk of a male model; and so on. In short, bling on the glamour and glitz, and to hell with social responsibility.

So, are the media, by and large, guilty as charged? Are they indeed shortchanging serious issues and social responsibility in favour of Page 3 frippery and frivolity?

In a democracy, people get the government they deserve. Similarly, in free market media - as opposed to government-controlled propagandist media - consumers get the media they want.

So, is Indian media becoming all froth and no social responsibility? Yes, it probably is. And the reason for this is not far to seek. Look in the mirror and you'll see it.

The reason is YOU.

To read more, click here.

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Sachin Tendulkar at 20-20

Already so much has been written about Sachin Tendulkar, that I can't better it in any way. Here, I present Excerpts from the HT article -

Just when the Berlin Wall was being broken down 20 years ago, the cricketing world started talking about a boy wonder who would rise to be a cricketing colossus. Two decades in sport is more than a generation and Sachin Tendulkar carries on and on - not wanting to think about the day he would have to stop playing the game. Tendulkar's greatest quality is -- whatever he might say about his pre-match nervous energy -- that he has an air of deliberate confidence before he goes in to bat that he is going to make runs. And make runs he did with regularity.

He continues to make politically correct statements, though, for once, he did not mince words on "Marathi Manoos", saying that he was a proud Maharashtrian, but an Indian first, and that Mumbai belongs to India.

Perhaps, Tendulkar from now on will be taken seriously when he speaks on subjects other than cricket.

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Why the Great Indian Companies will Fail on the Internet ?

So, Why are the Indian Media Giants failing on the Internet???

1. Top Down Management
2. Taking Technology for Granted
3. Lack of Innovation
4. Belief that Brand is Everything
5. Belief that Content is Everything
6. Big Budget, Big Plans, but Lack of Execution
7. Too much focus on Eyeball time and Ads as opposed to creating valuable transact
8. Lack of Audience Intelligence

To read more about this amazing post, click here.
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New B School Rankings in India

Centre for Forecasting & Research recently crowned IIM-A as the Numero Uno in Business School Rankings in India. The Complete Report is here.

The surprising findings from the survey were -

1. Many business schools could not even place half their class.

2. Average salaries for graduates have come down by more than 30% on most campuses.

3. In 88% of the B-schools surveyed, not a single faculty member was sent to participate in an international conference.

4. In 68% of the schools, the faculty development expenditure did not exceed 10 lakh rupees.

5. In 91% of the schools surveyed, not a single paper has been published in any international journal by their permanent faculty in the last academic year.

The above findings definitely shows the "hidden issues" in the education system in our country. The B-Schools apparently seems so are raking in fabulous moolah as tution fees at a time when the problem lies somewhere else, which is actually worth pondering more than a thought.

So, What do You & I do ? Answer - Wait to criticise the next year's survey.

Because, we can't make a difference in the system. Can we ? I Bet - NO !!

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Is a Weak Dollar Beneficial ?

From a full post at Marginal Revolution -

The critics charge - Why not just let the dollar fall close to zero or at least hope for such? A few points:

1. I'm not asking for a specific weak dollar policy (we've already done enough on that front!). The point is that if the market brings a falling dollar, this outcome can be part of the equilibrating process.

2. You don't have to approve of all the policies, or private sector practices (e.g., a low savings rate) that produced the weak dollar. A weak dollar is still a healthy response, given those constraints.

3. Never forget the difference between real and nominal exchange rates. That answers the conundrum about wishing for a dollar of near-zero value.

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A is for APPLE

One of the Classiest Print Ads Ever !!
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Marketers - Should You Empathize ?

Have you ever been empathetic ? I guess, No One can ever be sincerely empathetic for anyone. I admit, I have never been. After all, You, Me & Everyone is Selfish to a point that we do empathize, but are seriously not deep down within. To express Sympathy in simpler terms, it is "more than feeling compassion or sympathy for another person, empathy puts you in their shoes to feel with them or as one with them."

For Marketers, the ball-game is a bit different. Ray states "Empathy is critical to any marketer. In fact successful Marketing is steeped in the ability to empathise. With consumers. The ability to see things from their perspective. Take any service encounter. The best way to to manage this dynamic scenario is by being empathetic. The customer at your store comes in with a perspective that's his own. His queries arise from his personal 'store-view'. He sees and interprets your store based on a psyche that's uniquely his. Sure, he may turn out to be like an earlier customer, yet what he sees, is his own world. Managing him requires a marketer to walk that world".

And so does Seth say, "Empathy is a hugely powerful marketing tool if we use it gently, being sure to leave lots of room for error. When we say - Oh, you did that to make a quick buck or you did that because you hate that guy or you did that because you're a man...; we've closed the door to actually allowing people to write their own story and you make it difficult to learn what actually makes them tick".

Sure, you are right, if you say Empathetic Marketing is what would sell and woo your customers, more so because it is still recession. I have always believed that Empathy is Marketing has always been the under-appreciated element in sustaining Customer Loyalty. The overall approach in addressing the current consumer reality has in verity become an old trick of the trade; and for the present, it should be given a pause.

It would actually excite me to observe when and whether the marketplace awakens to the new consumer reality, and by what means of communique which would demonstrate to a beleaguered consumer that someone is "with them or as one with them." As goes the saying, "They say people use only 10% of their brains. I think a bigger problem is that most people use only 10% of their hearts."

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Diwali, Marketers, Consumption & More ...

The Diwali Season is ON and the marketers are the ones who are not relaxing at all.

It is the few seasons in India which is a barometer to consumer sentiment. If consumers let go some moolah from their pockets, it would result in a rejoice of Marketers and a cheer for future consumption. If consumers resist, the doom might just be laying in the corner. And, believe me, it is one of those Diwali seasons which comes in a decade or probably more, that the 'Business is Down'. Credos to the Global Crisis, Exchange4Media reports, "Assocham data shows a 25 per cent drop in spendings, while according to ZenithOptimedia, ad spends in the festive season has gone down by 40.9 per cent. A recent R3 research also shows a 20-plus per cent cut down on marketing ad spends by top 100 Asian brands from the initial FY09 budget".

Remember, Advertising in these recessionary times should be focussed on Consumer Engagement and NOT on Awareness and Trial. The Engagement now would result in a sale in the future, this is what is deemed to happen with most consumers adopting a ‘wait and watch’ policy.

Coming back to the main question, i.e. Why Consumers splurge during Festive seasons ? I tell you, it is because Festival times are a perfect fertile base for consumers sentiment. Companies also enforce the same, explains Outlook-India, "It takes two to tango as far as shaping consumption behaviour is concerned. Brightly lit seductive displays, lots of festival offers and discounts, heavy advertising—all work together with the consumer’s desire and habitual plan to spend at this time and reinforce each other. It’s hard not to feel the electricity in the air, and it’s hard not to give in to a little bit of indulgence, whichever way you choose to define it".

And, then these are times to when Corporate Gifting is at its peak. The reasons of which are attributed to -

1. Expressing gratitude and appreciation.
2. Building Relationship.
3. Strengthening Goodwill.
4. Perfect way to keep in touch.

Now, you understand why we buy and why are there so many marketing efforts during the Diwali seasons.

I say, You better Note.

Wishing you all readers a Happy & Safe Diwali. Cheers !!
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Obama & Nobel. Should I Smile ?

I thought, it would be Osama for peace. Why ? Simply because, he does not have any major terrorist attacks in the last year to his credit. Jokes apart.

Official it is, Obama for Nobel Peace Prize.

Michael Binyon comments, "Rarely has an award had such an obvious political and partisan intent. It was clearly seen by the Norwegian Nobel committee as a way of expressing European gratitude for an end to the Bush Administration, approval for the election of America’s first black president and hope that Washington will honour its promise to re-engage with the world. Instead, the prize risks looking preposterous in its claims, patronising in its intentions and demeaning in its attempt to build up a man who has barely begun his period in office, let alone achieved any tangible outcome for peace".

I sometimes wonder - Is it the Individual Obama or the Brand Obama that has won the Nobel ?

If it was the Brand, then Mahatma Gandhi was a Bigger & off course Better Brand. Ever wondered why The Mahatma didn't bring home the Nobel Peace Prize. Youthpad has an answer - "Well the Nobel Prize committee has its set of explanation. They claim that, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 forced the Nobel Prize committee, who had ‘unanimously’ decided to confer him with the top honour after short-listing the Indian leader for the five times, to abandon the plan. Nobody was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948, the website of the committee shows". Hold on, it doesn't sound convincing to me.

For a moment, let's come back to the Present.

So many articles on the web are going around that say Obama wins Nobel for not being Bush. Whatever, be the case, I am disappointed. And, here are more reasons why others are supporting me.

You know, what would I do if I would have been Obama. I would have turned down the Nobel. Atleast, all the hatred would go away, if nothing else happens.

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Personified Rambling Perspectives

Sometimes, I do apprehend that whatever I think is not of any mega sagacity, but it eventually turns out to be good to read. Why ? Because the intellect experiences a rambling which in verity becomes ‘nice to read’ types.

Blogs, I am convinced are for articulating opinions. I would not rock the boat here by playing it as safe as a diplomat. I am supposed to be unbiased here.

I like Portugese nameplates. The cream of the crop should shut up for an alter. “Vivenda” never had an English utterance.

Respect is Important. And, it sometimes becomes the most significant fixation. When ? Ask the populace who are in Long-term relationships; they last only when there is long-term respect.

True !! At times, the elongated the wait, the tastier the fruit.

To reach your aspiration, you need to struggle. You wrestle with the biggest mêlée of your existence, and it is not versus anyone else, but you. I prefer to be un-sure about ambition, but I am persuaded that I need visibility.

Living Life is not about sketching personalities I want to Be, not about compiling quotes that I would want to Say, it is about …… Not Ending at the so many Virtual Full-Stops you face day in and day out. Guess, I said it all.

Things are so un-complicated when you have a muse. Worse, I haven’t had one for the last few months. But, I don’t know whether regret I should.

Should Everything have Sense for you? I think NOT.

End! End!

Ohh !! Was the post supposed to have Marketing & It's Environment. Ahh!! Missed It :)

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Gandhi Jayanti

My Pick - Best 5 Lines said by The Great Soul - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (The Mahatma).

1. An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

2. An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

3. Action expresses priorities.

4. A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.

5. Be the change that you want to see in the world.

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Absolute, Gibberish !!!

Before going through this post, let me request you to not expect the contents of this post to be in continuum as they just somehow will seem to be irrelevantly unorganized. Why ? Because, this is Gibberish, in Absolute terms.

I was wondering that I should write such a post on my blog wherein I should de-attach myself from the status of a "Some-Body" who is quite nicely known by the Indian Blogging Fraternity. Somehow, I want myself to be no holds barred while writing this post. Why ? Because, I have understood that the switch from being a Professional Blogger before I started working, to just another Casual Bloke on the Blogosphere has taken a toll on my writing skills. Guess, the look of my Blog says that so, if you noticed it. I am admitting it on a public forum, I think I have lost the writing skills (Okay, I called myself a Writer; Delusions you see) that were appreciated by a few people some months back. Another reason could be that I just don't take blogging a bit seriously these days; just because I have a pretty good job which I am enjoying to the core of it. Seriously, I really don't know how long I would keep blogging, may be that depends on you - the readers, till the day I keep getting visits, I might; but, nothing in life is certain.

Things happen and Time does fly. We slip, but then we learn to stand better. We waste resources on issues and aspects not even worth a cuss. We make absolute weird friends and do moronic investments (not in the literal sense of it), and then realise that other's confusions engulfs our state of mind where-in we start expect things which might seem mundane now. Sometimes it might be due to our not being 'rational’ buyers as in economic terms and many a time due to our insatiable need to learn things the hard way. But learn we do and learn we must. And, that is how Life is led. After every end, there's a new beginning, where-in Life plays its own admirable role similar to that of a Cardiogram.

Sometimes, I do think - Where would I be after 5 years ? And, to be honest, I don't have the minutest of idea about it. Anything is Possible - right ? After pondering over this thought for long and discussing this with my family and friends, I have actually come to an appropriate conclusion that it is better if we live life in the present, because this is what we are more sure about.

I am Living MY STORY, hoping that it would become a Blockbuster and get an Oscar :) :)

Well, to be factually correct, it has been more than a month that I have penned down anything worthwhile on my blog, and my thirst of writing has been fulfilled by Twitter and FaceBook. I have always been this way, I don't make a compromise whether it is a public forum or a corner of my house in saying things I feel I should. I have always preferred speaking my heart out, no matter if people have raised fingers or eyebrows on me accusing me to be less direct on what I have posted on Twitter and FaceBook. Public Opinion about me Doesn't Excite me at all, has never did; because at a very young age I have realised that 'Public' has a free time to gossip about everyone. Today it is me and tomorrow it will be You. But, at the end, You & Me will earn our own lunch, the Public won't do it for us.

I have been travelling a lot in the recent past, mostly due to my commitments at my work place. Ports in Karnataka are so different from the Port of Calcutta. Practices are so different when I compare Goa with Orissa. Places such as Bhubaneshwar, Udaipur, Delhi & Mumbai are so diverse in nature. The thought that caught me was - are the people same, or are they different like cities too ? I don't know, the similar thing is that all are concerned about their future. Same with me, I am waiting for a numerous things to happen qucikly, but I do realise that "Nothing happens Overnight".

I am not a flailing human who has surrendered to the present, I am a human who wishes that the future should be utopian and all hunky dory as those angelic stories that we all heard in our kindergarten days. I know, but still a bit confused, that I am going to find my inspiration in the end. Actually, dont want the End to be in verity be The End. The treasure hunt for the window from where I could foresee Life in the future would make my daily struggle (read as Life) be more convenient.

All I say at the end is - IF wishes were horses ........

And, For sure, Something will change sooner than later. It Cannot NOT !!

Because, Change is Inevitable, Nothing is Permanent and Everything is "ad-hoc" (the last line is Courtesy - Silent J)

It indeed was - Absolute, Gibberish !!!
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Happy Dussehra

Wishing all of you a Shubho Bijoya :)
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Is Marketing an Inherent Evil ?

To be true, sometimes I do think that why is Marketing of almost everything in today's world necessary. Be it marketing yourself at your workplace, or be it the marketing of products and services. Why can't people stand up and take notice of things which are good and bad themselves ? Why do marketers exist ? All these are questions that would raise quite a big debate, but somewhere deep within you, I am sure that I have raised a few questions.

A popularist anti-marketing stance commonly discussed on the blogosphere, the web and popular literature is that any kind of marketing is inherently evil. This stance is based on the argument that marketing necessarily commits at least one of three wrongs :

1. Damaging personal autonomy. The victim of marketing someway or the other always turns out to be the intended buyer whose right to self-determination is infringed.
2. Causing harm to competitors. Excessively fierce competition and unethical marketing tactics are especially associated with saturated markets. Nowadays, it stretches beyond saturated markets.
3. Manipulating social values. The victim in this case is society as a whole, or the environment as well. The argument is that marketing promotes consumerism and waste.

Sure, if 'Marketing' wouldn't have been there, we would have been devoid of so many things.

But, then worth a thought to ponder over - How would Life be without Marketing ?

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Collective Success & Individual Failure

From Buyer Behaviour,

Deeptaman: I have a question and that is a bit different from the context you wrote about; but it revolves around individualism and teamwork. This happens especially in the corporate world - Why is it that praises come for the entire team and failures are blamed on the individual ?

Ray: Note the saying, ‘Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan’,

There are many claimants to success because inherently it’s part of a need hierarchy that’s deeply embedded within us. Winning brings with it acknowledgement and recognition from others. That’s fulfilling our need for esteem. Are most people starved for esteem from the outside world? You bet. Should it then be surprising to see many clamoring for ‘praises’? Or is it again surprising if management passes the praise around to a team knowing well that it’s a tool they can wield to motivate?

Failure is unacceptable to most, not because of failure per se, but for its fallouts. Failure brings it with judgments. Judgments of incompetence. Now, who’s a willing taker to such judgments? Almost none. In fact such judgments drop you like a stone on any social or organizational hierarchy. You’re seen as a loser. How nice is that?

For more on success and failure and its effects on us, watch what Alian De Botton has to say, here.

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It's all about 'Consumer Perception'

I was wondering about what is the most important thing for a marketer. Of all things such as strategies, packaging, visual merchandising and more; the most important thing is Consumer Perception towards a product which is placed on the shelf of a retail store. This, to me, is the single most important criteria which converts into a sale.

Most of the time, it is the children who are targeted by marketers to create perceptions about their brands and products just because the overtones and relationships a product creates in the mind of the children are as much a part of the product's broader marketing decisions. The fact is simple, Consumer Perception is the only thing that counts in today's world and marketers who ignore or discount this reality do so at their own peril.

Most often, Perceptions are like weather systems and the trick lies in correct forecasting, understanding and preparing for them ahead of time and competitors to deal with them in a better way. Perceptions are like dynamisms that eventually have to occur no matter what. It can be either from a social or ethical back drop which has direct relation in influencing the acceptance of the product.

Perceptions which are once formed are often tough, though not impossible, to change. They become guiding beliefs that turn rigid and tend to last. It doesn't take long for people to judge that a product is good, bad or ugly. And when somebody makes up his or her mind that a product belongs in one of these categories, that judgment can be incredibly difficult to change.

The fact of the matter for marketers is to nurture the correct Consumer Perception about their product to excel in the market and make the moolah.

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Facts are Good. But, Value is Better

I as a consumer always emphasize more on value than on facts while buying a commodity. Why ? Because, I rely more on value and advantage that a brand gives me.

In a B2B space, it becomes a bit important to prove that Facts are better and deliver more value. It can also turn out to be more cheaper, durable and efficient. But, tell you something; it doesn't always result in the close of a sale.

Sounds strange ? It actually is not. Ask yourself whether you end up buying the thing you want, and not necessarily the thing you need.

As a seller, should you always rely on facts ? The answer is - No. Because, over-dependence on facts will not make you reach anywhere; and when the facts are few and far in between, then God would not come and help you.

Better remember, Value VALUE and not Facts.
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A View from Ravish

I wrote yesterday about World Economy - U, V or W Recovery and this is what Ravish - The Future Financier had to comment on it -

Being hopeful of a better future is a defalut human setting. We can site optimistic numbers of GDP growth, lower unemployment figures to claim a fading recession but my comprehension of the data and underlying facts suggest a different story. Yes, it may be the beggining of the end of recession but please take note - once bitten twice shy. Expecting that the growth engine will be back on track, people will be consuming the same way as they did before the Lehman collapse is a littie audacious forecast. True, change is inevitable. The current scene will change in a year's time, but please give time some time. For any growth to materialize, following parties must act and in togetherness -

> the bourgeoise,

> the private businesses,

> the lenders, and

> the government.

The consumers are too scared to come out of their homes and start spending. A lot of them dont have a job, others who have managed to stick to their jobs have to worry about looming debt and depleted purchasing power, factories are not increasing their production and cutting manpower as they fear oversupply. Banks are not lending because they fear bad-debts. The government can not coerce these people to act in nation's economic interest. The remedy is not minting money out of thin air and funding misersably failed businesses but to mend the fear psychosis and take the above mentioned parties in confidence and tell them to get back to work while the government lends a helping hand to the needy. What the governments are doing will only act as a painkiller and the talk about a U, V or W recovery or green shoots will remain a rhetoric.

Does any one has to say anything on that ?

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Are you a Friend ? Or, Stranger ?

It is not about "A Friend in need is a Friend indeed". A "Friend" is some one for whom you care, want to meet up, want to have a drink or two, is some one who is dear to you, is some one who markets you :) or your blog for that matter too. You can type 'friend' on google and know more definitions and things that a friend can do. My point here is a bit different.

Do you market to strangers ? Or, do strangers market you ?

One thing sure about Strangers is that they are justifiably suspicious. The one thing sure about Friends is that you give them the benfit of doubt. No, it is not funny as it sounds.

In an era of 'Social Networking' wherein you have more friends than any one ever had in the history of mankind is a testimony to the fact that one needs to protect, nurture and care about both Friends and Strangers. Yes, it is an obligation and it builds your market at the same time too.

After all, I know that WE all are marketed at some point of time or the other. Who markets us ? Are they Friends or Strangers ?

The point here is - Take good care of both your Friends & Strangers.

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World Economy - U, V or W for Recovery

The world economy has stopped shrinking. That’s the end of the good news.

It has been deep and nasty. But the worst global recession since the 1930s may be over. Led by China, Asia’s emerging economies have revived fastest, with several expanding at annualised rates of more than 10% in the second quarter. A few big rich economies also returned to growth, albeit far more modestly, between April and June. Japan’s output rose at an annualised pace of 3.7%, and both Germany and France notched up annualised growth rates of just over 1%. In America the housing market has shown signs of stabilising, the pace of job losses is slowing and the vast majority of forecasters expect output to expand between July and September. Most economies are still a lot smaller than they were a year ago. On a quarterly basis, though, they are turning the corner.

This is good news. The first step in any recovery is for output to stop shrinking. But the more interesting question is what shape the recovery will take. The debate centres around three scenarios: “V”, “U” and “W”. A V-shaped recovery would be vigorous, as pent-up demand is unleashed. A U-shaped one would be feebler and flatter. And in a W-shape, growth would return for a few quarters, only to peter out once more.

Continue reading here.

I would request some comments on this to know some of your views. Are you listening Future Financier ?

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Keep Them in the Fold

Ever wondered what is the best solution for Cost Cutting and Improving Employee Performance in a crisis ?

I can tell you about a person who has the answer to the above question. He has also helped me a lot during my MBA days by always listening to my view about an issue and then giving his suggestions which has always worked wonders for me. Truly, I remain indebted to him for quite a few things in my life. Read on about this brilliant Human Resource practitioner, a Scholar, a Researcher, an Author and above all a Wonderful Human Being.

Dr. Debashish Sengupta, Area Chair - HR at Alliance writes an article titled "Keep them in the Fold" wherein he mentions that a lay-off can be avoided by -
1. Re-deploying and Optimizing the work-force
2. Streamlining Salaries
3. Nurturing Talents
4. Communicating and Building Trust

Read the complete article here.

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Online Brand Jacking

Brand jacking or the process of stealing content/identity of a website (or any specific brand) to make the spammer's site appear more legitimate and mislead the consumer, is becoming a popular way of stealing information and passwords. Financial sites that are associated with online banking, brokerage, lending and financial services or sites that directly support such a brand, comprise around 84 per cent of the spoofed brands.

Analysts caution that these attacks have some resemblance to phishing, except that instead of having a malicious link delivered via email, the link is "presented" on a well known (and even reputable) website. Users need to be careful, especially those who share a common username and password for other sites like their online banking or brokerage accounts.

Read more.
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