How different things work
Anand Mahindra's tweet supporting Anna Hazare's campaign has been much
discussed. It can be a useful platform for companies to build brand
image, talk about its CSR activities and support social causes.
Facebooking for Profit
Anand Mahindra's tweet supporting Anna Hazare's campaign has been much discussed. It can be a useful platform for companies to build brand image, talk about its CSR activities and support social causes. Here are some tips on starting out.
WHY? Companies should be very clear about why they are going on social networking sites. Whether it is simply to seek publicity without spending more on advertising, or to start interactive communication with consumers, it is important to state the reasons.
WHAT FOR? The goal defines what the company should do on the site, whether it is scouting for fresh talent, looking to market new products, or networking with like-minded businesses.
FOR WHOM? A good strategy can go wrong if a company does not know its target audience. It should identify the social networking web site that caters to the largest percentage of its target group and get on board.
JUST WONDERING
80 years too late
Narkhed and Amravati towns in Maharashtra's orange belt have waited for more than 80 years to be linked by rail. The 140-km track was first sanctioned in 1928 under the British, but stayed on the backburner. The project was revived only in 1993/94 and a budget of Rs 284 crore approved. The then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao laid the foundation stone. But protests by the Shiv Sena, which opposed the displacement of people, stalled the project for many more years. In September 2008, when President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the new Amravati model railway station, it seemed as if the project would be completed soon. Far from it. In November 2009, the Railway Ministry announced the link would be inaugurated in December 2010. But in January 2011, the deadline was pushed to October. Initially trains on this route will have to run on diesel locomotives as the link is yet to be electrified. Wonder how long that will take?
QUIRKY
Image conscious
Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy recently said one of the key lessons he learnt about business was the importance of creating an image for one's company. This led him to invest in setting up "sprawling, world-class campuses". The aim, he said, was to build one's headquarters bigger than that of any other company's in India, so that it conveyed a sense of perceived achievement that would make global customers feel they were in a global office.
SNOOT CORNER
Bottoms Up
What sort of receptacle should you drink your beer out of? Some bars take pride in providing a range of them, with glassware from Germany being the most popular. The Bierkrug, the ordinary 'beer mug', has indents on it, which were made to hold it easily before some genius thought of adding a handle. The beer stein has gained popularity thanks to Oktoberfest souvenirs. There are also 'pony glasses' with a capacity of only 140 ml.
Compiled by Anamika Butalia
Anand Mahindra's tweet supporting Anna Hazare's campaign has been much discussed. It can be a useful platform for companies to build brand image, talk about its CSR activities and support social causes. Here are some tips on starting out.
WHY? Companies should be very clear about why they are going on social networking sites. Whether it is simply to seek publicity without spending more on advertising, or to start interactive communication with consumers, it is important to state the reasons.
WHAT FOR? The goal defines what the company should do on the site, whether it is scouting for fresh talent, looking to market new products, or networking with like-minded businesses.
FOR WHOM? A good strategy can go wrong if a company does not know its target audience. It should identify the social networking web site that caters to the largest percentage of its target group and get on board.
JUST WONDERING
80 years too late
Narkhed and Amravati towns in Maharashtra's orange belt have waited for more than 80 years to be linked by rail. The 140-km track was first sanctioned in 1928 under the British, but stayed on the backburner. The project was revived only in 1993/94 and a budget of Rs 284 crore approved. The then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao laid the foundation stone. But protests by the Shiv Sena, which opposed the displacement of people, stalled the project for many more years. In September 2008, when President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the new Amravati model railway station, it seemed as if the project would be completed soon. Far from it. In November 2009, the Railway Ministry announced the link would be inaugurated in December 2010. But in January 2011, the deadline was pushed to October. Initially trains on this route will have to run on diesel locomotives as the link is yet to be electrified. Wonder how long that will take?
QUIRKY
Image conscious
Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy recently said one of the key lessons he learnt about business was the importance of creating an image for one's company. This led him to invest in setting up "sprawling, world-class campuses". The aim, he said, was to build one's headquarters bigger than that of any other company's in India, so that it conveyed a sense of perceived achievement that would make global customers feel they were in a global office.
SNOOT CORNER
Bottoms Up
What sort of receptacle should you drink your beer out of? Some bars take pride in providing a range of them, with glassware from Germany being the most popular. The Bierkrug, the ordinary 'beer mug', has indents on it, which were made to hold it easily before some genius thought of adding a handle. The beer stein has gained popularity thanks to Oktoberfest souvenirs. There are also 'pony glasses' with a capacity of only 140 ml.
Compiled by Anamika Butalia
