Every kid is a banker

Dipen is in Class V now; just migrated this July. He belongs to the single-kid category like many of his generation. While he has the advantage of being the singly pampered kid of his doting housewife mother and a slightly well-off banker father, he has the distinct pressure of being on top of each activity he indulges in. Besides, he is also expected to be smart and street smart depending on the scenario in which he is or his parents are with him. He has to be something extra for being a point of discussion in every discussion which his parents have amongst their acquaintances.

Though still young and having touched double digits in age, Dipen has been delivering to his best (we can compare him with our employees). He delves in guitar, swimming and tennis besides pursuing his academics at schools and perusing tuition classes at home. (Can we not compare this to our cross-sell activities and core area(s) of working).

The entire schedule of activities changes when he has to take 15 days leave from to attend his thread ceremony (something close to facing an unwarranted problem or a technical glitch in our work lives). While he had just joined the new class, nothing much had started (striking close to the April phenomenon of reduced work and lower achievements); but while he went on leave, many-a-lessons were covered and huge assignments handed over (Murphy’s law acting overtime as is the case with most of us). The resultant of the same is that he is not able to cope up with all the homework and has reduced playtime. He has already spoken a couple of lies to his mother with regards to the progress (something similar to excuses made by us for bad performances).

However there is a silver lining to the entire episode. While Dipen being a genuinely hard-working and not a dishonest kid genuinely feels that he was wrong in lying to his mother, he has started confessing many things to his father. His father, who was not the best guide or talking partner till now, has suddenly turned his best pal (similar to our organisation where seniors guide and counsel the performing employees who due to some reason miss out on performance temporarily).

How close modern day kids are to a banker…



Abridged from a true story; name has been changed from the actual one.

Brand Building

Brand buiding has been treated as a very sophisticated exercise (read campaign / activity lest I derogate many a brand mangers). As they say, the same has to be nurtured as on nurtures one’s own baby, it has got a lifetime, an identity of its own (which has to be created), its siblings come with time, nannies may change but it goes on to be treated as a human being. Its possible to see certain brands take birth and then die in one life time. There remains however certain iconic brands which have seen the tests of the time; surviving tall and strong even after decades and some for centuries. The best names in the later categories are global ones viz, Tatas in India and Citi abroad.


My novice knowledge on marketing, the science (or the art) may be excused but I have a somewhat simple version of the entire game (game plan). I treat it as an enviable identity built over time (often years) by sheer hard work of few people who take their responsibility as their only reason of existence on earth; money may be the motivation at the beginning but surely not over time. The creation of brands was earlier aided by publicity of non-business indulgence, books and university lectures and now it is primarily rounded up by media, academic cases and social-networking (not marketing). I showcase simple cases of brand building this simple way.

St. Pauls School, Rourkela: Started in 1964, it has carved out a niche for its own across decades. All who have passed on or prior to 2000, their respective guardians and the teachers who have been through the corridors today will all agree that the institution too much to a person called Joseph Mannamparambil popular as Fr. Joe to one and all; students, ex-students, govt. officials, guardians, teachers, fellow principals and priests of his order. Discipline and dedication can be expected from people who come in contact with you only when the self practices that also. This was probably the only mantra because of which the school has borne a name for itself not only in the tiny industrial town or the state but on a national level too. Imagine being associated with one and only one institution for 36 years; laying the bricks, arranging them to perfection, binding them with the education & infusion of values and creating a rock solid wall for all others to see with envy.

Lingaraj Lassi, Bhubaneswar: This shop has been selling just one eatable item i.e. lassi for the past 16 years. It started up like many roadside stall sans one thing i.e. the owner of the shop toyed with everything in the beginning to try out a taste which generated the maximum good-response. The formula arrived, he set on maintaining that exact formulae for the next decade. Now the shop continues to be a road-side shop but it has grown dramatically in size. Telecom companies pay and vie for the best possible front vision of the shop. The same formulae continues and the crowd it pulls can make any sophisticated retailer manager of any of the many branded retail management companies turn shy in shame. Its sheer hard work day in and out which has put sheen to the initial idea. The result is the creation of an enviable brand not only in the city of Bhubaneswar; it is famous atleast in the state of Odisha also.