Love 2014

Everyone has a take on what love is. Overused and abused in Bollywood. Time may have passed, expressions may have changed, but the word pretty much means the same. Damsels in distress are still being rescued in the name of love, superheros are still flying about to break their lady love's fall from tall buildings, running around tress is still pretty much in vogue.

So, is love 2014 any different from love 2004 or love 1984. You ask me, I say yes! Besides my personal take on it, a lot has. The world has found new ways to spread love, reach out to loved ones and stay connected with loving hearts.

Its the time of Diwali and electronics biggies are unabashedly desplaying ways to overcome boundaries and shorten distances. Parents staying in different town are not neglected anymore as they are just a webcam and a skype connection away. Girlfriend is easily reachable because now your pocket allows you to do so. Display of emotions have gone from flaunting your love letters to sharing mushy love messages on your dear one's FB wall. I recently saw a college senior's FB wall, where she shared her new borns' pictures. In a different time, I would in all probability never know she has stepped into motherhood. In a different time that wouldn matter. But this is 2014. Keeping in touch is in. And arent we loving it.

My father absolutely despises facebook. We constantly goad him into joining the brigade [I have often wondered if he is the only soul left on the face of earth not to give into the temptations]. He maintains that his phone is enough to keep in touch with the ones he would like to. He staunchly believes that tools like fb is the reason why so many of us are drifting apart. I disgaree.

Man is a social being. Mediums like fb, twitter prove it. The agenda, at the end of the day is to stay connected. We may be moving to mars very soon, but our mobile phones, electronic gadgets are still made, keeping the 'human-touch' in mind

The latest DSLR will know how to take the best of pictures, day or night, so we dont miss out on the special moments with our loved ones, share them, pin them, re-live them.

The latest Bose speakers will ensure the music we play touches our heart and that of our family and friends. Dance to them, sing along and live life a little more fully.

The modern DTH coonections make sure you dont miss out on your favourite programmes, so you can share a laugh with your husband, go through that Masterchef recipe yet again to impress your wife, replay that fun number for your son and see him imitate the Hrithik moves.

Love in modern timees, will be all about sharing with - and caring for - the ones you love and adore. Why should the coming year, or the one after that be any different? Kudos to the digital world for bridging the gap and keeping the spirit of love alive.

Being Batman

I have always believed that the baap of all Superheroes is the Batman. I have had this discussion, rather an argument, umpteen number of times on various occasion, with varied Superhero fans. Majority tend to believe its the Superman or Spiderman because they have real 'power'. Poor Batman, on the other hand has to take the support of his gadgets. He also, unlike most other Superhero's, isn't a nobody. In fact he is extremely well known for his rich inheritance, swanky cars and the women! To top this, he is portrayed as a spoilt brat, With old Albert at his beck and call.

 

However, I am still awed by him. Think of it like this -

he has the money, he has the women, and he has the looks and he has Albert. So why bother? He wasn't bitten by bats, his parents didn't come from mars, he wasn't exposed to RADIOACTIVE radiation. So where does the superhero itch come from? I believe it was the strength of his character. The willingness to help, to reach out, to do good, combined with his gallant nature, is what makes him push the boundaries, what makes him the Batman.

 

In a more day to day scenario, I believe dear Batman would fair better than his counterparts. In fact thrown him into a mundane setting and see him emerge as the winner.
 

I, for example, believe he can be an exemplary martketeer!

Imagine all the Superhero's assigned a task to promote themselves to attract investors, Whom do you think will command the maximum moolah? Hands down, Batman. The supercool gadgets is just the beginning. The underground research laboratory. The Batman suit. The Bat beacon. The Bat signal. The husky voice. And he is smart. Sometimes he is smarter than his man- Friday, Dr.Fox. He is a walking - talking - sleeping marketing dream. He can, one fine day, decide to give all the fortune up and still manage the same lavish lifestyle based on the wealth he amasses from his pure marketing acumen!

A marketing man should be able to tell his story so convincingly that the prospect forgets to differentiate between 'his needs' and 'his desires'.

 

We know that only one batman is enough for Gotham. But we also want that one batman to be us. We want to ride his cool vehicles and we want the bad guys to be afraid, be very afraid of us.

 

Many of us can claim to be the ultimate marketing Guru, but how many of us can tell a story convincingly to the person in front of us? It is time we go back to our roots, learn from Superheroes', who in my case is definitely the BATMAN!