Sightings

ADVERTISING guru, Professor Philip Jones, who was in the Capital recently to attend a seminar on marketing, debunked almost all the theories that Indian advertisers and marketing men would have us believe. This soft-spoken man, who teaches public communication at Syracuse University and has been in the field for over three decades, demolished all the brouhaha on globalisation.

According to him it is a "myth" and the world instead of becoming a global village, as we are told everyday, is actually splintering into smaller tribes.

To make sure that their products reach the target, advertisers will therefore have to look at localising their products and advertisements. Jones went another step and demolished myth number two that consumers share brand loyalty. If he is to be believed "only couples are loyal to each other."

Consumers, said he, move on, experiment and today they don't even care much for the advertisements that are being thrown their way. He said in a place like India, advertising commends a very tiny part of the budget.

He also does not believe in the idea that the Net has its advantages for advertising because of its low level of penetration. He is not being gloomy, just realistic and would rather see advertisers and marketing types open their eyes to take stock of the current situation.

"The only way to stay on is to build a priceless brand" and if these are maintained properly then they become ageless.

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IT was three generations of music that performed for the audience. Ustad Bismillah Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and his son Rahul Sharma, enthralled audiences when they performed together in the capital to pay tribute to those who had laid down their lives for the country.

Of course the old timers like Ustad Bismillah Khan believe nothing is more important than the traditional riyaz. And with the right amount just about anybody who is good can make it. Both Pandit Shiv Kumar and his son Rahul said that fusion in music was inevitable and that music that lacks depth and melody will die an early death.

While both are composing music for popular films they felt that film music was situational and hence popular unlike classical music which had a timeless appeal.

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HE might seem as an unlikely candidate for such a post, but with the appointment of Kiran Karnik, ex-CEO of Discovery Channel, NASSCOM has finally found the man to fill in the sudden void created by the death of Dewang Mehta.

Insiders feel that the two personalities could not have been more far apart but if one established NASSCOM with his presence, the other is sure to bring to it a huge measure of stability, something that co-workers have always credited him with. For Karnik, too this is a challenge ahead, one that he takes on with great pride.

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THERE is a whiff of nostaligia as she talks about her community. She isn't talking about creating any great waves, but for Sooni Taraporevala, these photographs mean a retracing of her own roots and as she says, "It was more a personal quest for me than anything else." Her exhibition of 40 photographs of the Parsis gives a wonderful look into this community and its people and traditions. Taraporevala said that the photographs, part of her book, Parsis: A Photographic Journey, was all about roots. "I haven't let anything alienate me from that," said she sighing that her greatest regret perhaps is that her two kids do not speak their mother tongue. Known for her acclaimed scripts for "Salaam Bombay," "Such a Long Journey" and "My Own Country," the book was an aberration, but one that she feels reflects her desire to freeze in time something that she has always held precious. Interestingly what began as a personal journey soon grew in encompassing a world larger than her immediate family.

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HE sees his new role as a natural extension of his new-old looks. "With my grey hair and beard, I can be an apt ambassador for an NGO," joked actor Naseerudin Shah launching greeting cards and gifts for Helpage India as part of his duties as goodwill ambassador for Helpage. At a press conference, Shah said that one of the main reasons for his accepting this post was the "guilt" that he could not do enough for his mother who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Even in his new role, Shah was keen to maintain a low profile and seemed ill at ease with the attention that was being showered on him. Interacting with the elderly people in the home near Delhi, Shah promised to visit them as often as he could. "I know it is tough," said he "but I'm game for it."

SUCHITRA BEHAL

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