Name:  Shrenik Gandhi

Company: White Rivers Digital

Designation: Business Head

Questions:

1. Tell us something about your company – White Rivers Digital

White Rivers Digital is a Mobile, Social Media, Web & Creative consultancy. The company believes that brands need smart, quick-paced, nifty and creatively crafted solutions to effectively reach out to the target audience online, to stand out from the clutter and to grow.

2. Why did you decide to get into the digital industry given how competition-intensive it is?

To answer this question in a word: Passion.

Passion for Digital is what got me onto this space. This field gives us an opportunity to learn, unlearn & re-learn. Also, it is dynamic enough to keep people like me, who get bored with the same job regularly, stick to it. Speaking about competition, its too big a pie for the existing market to eat. India, as a country, is yet to see the real potential of the digital market & hence there is still a lot of space for existing players to grow as well as new players to flourish.

We, at White Rivers Digital believe that the real competition for any company is what it was yesterday! Always try to get better than what you were & then the real world competition shall not be as relevant.

3. What prompted you to start your own business as opposed to sticking to a job?

Starting up the business was always in mind. Picture this: The first time you wanted to learn swimming, everyone would have taken a round of the pool you were about to jump into, with zillions of questions in your mind, regarding fear, depth etc. You cannot understand or face the same till the time you jump into it. Even in real life, it is the same case. You have to stop constantly thinking around it & jump into it as soon as you have a sustainable plan. Simple. Be an entrepreneur, Face it!

4. What does entrepreneurship mean to you? Define it.

Entrepreneurship is dreaming about an idea, living it, sticking by it, standing up against the world & yet enjoy every second of it.

“Its about taking chances now, to tell stories on it when old!”

5. Who is the entrepreneur you look up to?

Kishore Biyani.

For his simplicity, believing in the concept of Indianness & for being a first generation entrepreneur.

6. What are the perks and pitfalls of owning/running a business?

Perks: When you start building your team for your dream, it is indeed a euphoric moment to see people working with you towards your dream & you get motivated to work all the more harder.

Pitfalls can be compromise on short term monetary gains, stabilised salary, time you cannot spend with your close ones, as you are working on ideas to get your business better & time you cant give yourself.

You may have to spend long hours on weekend working, but at the end of the day if it brings a smile on your face, it is definitely worth it.

7. What are the tips you’ll share with budding entrepreneurs/people who want to start their own business?

Believe in a better tomorrow, always. No matter what the world says, if you believe in an idea, live by it. Also, I have seen a lot of people waiting for that right idea to strike. You shouldn’t. There are millions of businesses already existing in the world. Pick up one & make it better. Simple.

Name: Daniel Fernandes

Profession: Stand-Up Comic

Company: Microphone Entertainment

Daniel Fernandes

Questions:

1. Did you plan on becoming a stand-up comedian or did stand-up comedy just happen along the way?

It happened by chance while I was studying for an MBA. I was asked to perform for a college event but I didn’t want to do the same old song/dance routine, so thought of giving Stand-Up a shot. It went well. Then I moved to Mumbai and as the scene was steadily growing I joined the bandwagon, while I still held on to my regular day job.

2. How do you come up with your jokes/material? Real events, observations, experiences, etc.?

Stand-Up is a very personal art form. All of my material is based on a life experience or an observation. You first jot down an idea and start writing about it. You run it by an audience, see how they respond, get back and keep editing till you get the order and delivery of the words just right and then you have a joke, gag or a bit that becomes part of your set-list. The entire process to get a single joke right can take anywhere from 9 months to years, depending on how deep you go with it.

3. What are the qualities required to be a stand-up comedian? A funny bone, discipline, diplomacy, etc.

A unique sense of humour, a never say die attitude, ability to write, quick wit on stage, honesty, discipline and a sound understanding of business.

4. Where do you see the stand-up industry in the next couple of years?

The industry is growing slowly and steadily but it is still a long way off from being established. We need more youngsters to look at Stand-Up as a viable career option (which it can be) and as more comics join the fray, supply will meet demand. The future is bright for sure.

5. The venue you love performing at is? The venue you aspire to perform at is?

The venue I love performing at is The Comedy Store Mumbai. There are many venues I hope to play some day like the The Comedy Cellar (New York), The Apollo Theatre (London) and stages at Comedy festivals across the world. All of this of course is many years down the line.

6. How easy/difficult is it for new artists to get a chance early on to perform? One piece of advice you’d like to give them would be?

Getting spots to try out Stand-Up for the first time is easy. Sticking it out and doing it till you get really good and are able to make a living out of it is the hard part. There are lots of open mic nights around the city where newbies can test the waters. My advice is to have a goal in mind when you start out and keep adding to it.  If you’re doing it for the money or fame you’re not going to get very far, but if it’s for the sheer joy of the art form there is so much you can do with it. There are many elements of Stand-Up that must be developed. The best advice I could give is to get on stage as often as you can and watch as much live comedy as possible. Eventually you will get the hang of it and if you’re smart about it, you might be able to make a decent living out of it.

Have some questions for the interviewee above? Wish to get some of your doubts cleared? Or want to just say a simple ‘Hi?’ Feel free to add your thoughts and questions as comments and we will try and have them answered for you!

Name: Mitesh Kothari

Designation: Social Media Consultant

Questions:

Q. Since when have you been in the digital/social media field?

A. I have been professionally practising in the industry for 3 years now. Even before I took it up as vocation I was helping my family and friends understand and leverage the emerging media.

Q. What entails a successful social media campaign?

A. Social media campaign – like mainline campaigns are executed to achieve a particular goal. Goals can be anything from brand awareness, increasing sales, promoting an offer to launching the brand. So on the micro level, social media activity that achieved the before set goals is successful. On the macro level a successful social media campaign is one which breaks the clutter through creative use of the medium, viral content and ability to engage audience with the brand on one-to-one level.

Q. How does one acquire the skills required to be a successful social media manager?

A. Social media managers are a different breed in themselves unlike run of the mill advertising. Since social media is not a short term activity a SM is most likely to be a Brand Manager on social media. So to be a successful SM one needs to have a knack of understanding the brand, objectives of the brand, target audience, consumption habits and psychology of the audience, innate client servicing skills and a knack for understanding numbers and creative work. Such skills can be acquired during the BMM coursework through various projects, working with people and most of all be up-to-date with ever changing social media world through industry leading blogs.

Q. How can a fresher land a job in the digital field?

A. Industry itself is in a very nascent stage and has a huge potential for growth. It is a tectonic shift in way how brands will market their goods and services to customers. So if you think that the field is for you, walk into a digital agency with your reason for joining them along with projects you have done during your coursework and sighting your current social and digital presence.

Q. Is it important for an individual to be active on social media if she/he wishes to be a social media manager? Why?

A. It is very important. We don’t expect someone to create a path breaking viral campaign or even run of the mill ones if they themselves don’t understand the nitty-gritty of the medium. For example one will never understand their target audience’s YouTube consumption pattern if they themselves are not on YouTube almost every day. Insightful knowledge of the medium comes from heavy usage of the medium itself, so if you don’t see yourself attracted by Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram or Pinterest then surely you can’t use them to successfully market your client’s products.

Q. What are the trends for 2013 in the digital media space in India?

A. 2013 is a very exciting year for digital space, it’s a year when 1/4^th of the marketer are awaking to the possibility that it won’t be Digital Marketing anymore it will be just Marketing; in short Digital will be the centre space of almost every marketing activity, be it through use of the medium or use of the technology. Some of the emerging trends are –

Moving beyond likes – It will no more be the number of people I have on my fanpage, it will be more about the number of people interacting with me, giving me input about my products and evangelising my brand.

Mobile – Future of digital space, social space and marketing space is mobile. People cannot live without their mobiles and if marketers reap it intelligently they will have first mover’s advantage.

Analytics – Analytics tools will become more and more essential for marketers to understand and leverage. These tools will aid understand consumers activities and consumption and will drive the future campaigns.

Your Mother Is On Facebook – No more can it be argued that social and digital space can cater to a limited audience. We help brands to reach audience up to age of 40 with through Fcaebook. Marketers will have to wake-up and break the traditional mind-set.

Experiential Marketing – Everything will be virtual and it will be quite essential for marketers to mix digital and real world marketing coupes to impact their audience. May it be Coke Australia’s Coke fairy vending machine or closer to home Foodhall’s  Christmas campaign to merge digital and real world. It’s the future and its inevitable, come on terms and create.

General Gyaan

5 Must-Do tips/activities that future social media managers can follow:

1. Learn what the core identity of your client’s brand. Understand what it stands for and translate it to digital and social.
2. Read articles and reports, learn what your target audience wants, what are their touch points and use the knowledge wisely.
3. Use social media extensively, if you don’t know what the medium is all about you can hardly make it profitable for your client.
4. Think out of the box, there is huge clutter on digital due to lack of entry barriers. So be creative think as absurd as you can and then go back and link it with the brand you have to work on.
5. Never let anyone tell you that digital and social are just fad and they will go away. Like TV, Newspaper and Internet, Digital and Social are tectonic shift and they will remain and grow exponentially for decades to come.

Some top blogs to follow are –

1. www.mashable.com
2. www.techcrunch.com
3. www.lighthouseinsights.com
4. www.socialmediaexaminer.com
5. www.digitalbuzzblog.com

Top 3 digital media companies (in India), according to you are:

Hunagama

WebChutney

iContract

PS: Never forget to read Marketing White book for the current year

Food! Food! Food! No one can get enough of food and all conversations invariably lead to food. So much is the craze around all things culinary that food blogs are in fact the flavour of the season. Given the attention that this field is garnering now-a-days, to get into the Food Blogging profession seems like a great idea after all!

Keeping this in mind and with the view of letting you in on what it takes to be a food blogger, we interviewed Prachi Joshi – a food (and travel) writer/blogger par excellence. Read her thoughts and opinions on what it takes to do well in this field. And yes, your diet plans may go for a toss after all!

Name: Prachi Joshi
Company: Deliciously Directionless (personal website) + Freelance writer
Designation: Food & Travel Writer

Prachi Joshi

Q1. When and why did you take the decision to start your journey as a food blogger?

I have always wanted to write. In fact, I quit my corporate marketing job of 9 years to write! I decided to start with a blog, to test the waters, so to speak. Food and Travel are two topics that are close to my heart and I thought I’d start writing about that. So one lazy Sunday in June 2012, I put pen to paper (figuratively) and created my blog – Deliciously Directionless – on Blogger.com. My very first post was a recipe for a Bread Pudding, which I could make with one hand tied behind my back! My blog chronicles my experiments in the kitchen, reviews of restaurants, travel notes as well as interviews and guest posts by prominent people in the food industry. It’s been just 9 months since I’ve been blogging, but the experiences that I have had and the opportunities that have come my way are truly mind boggling.

Q2. What is a day like in your life as a food blogger?

Let me describe a week in my life, instead – I do at least one post on my blog every week, sometimes two. So, some of my time is taken up in writing the post, researching a bit (if required), editing pictures etc. I also work at having a pipeline of posts in place – this is especially useful when I’m travelling and I cannot devote time to writing on the road. But the blog has to keep going, right? So I keep draft posts ready that I can publish from the road.
I’m quite active on social media. Social Media (SM) is a great way of keeping the conversation going with readers and peers in the industry. The food blogging community is very active on these platforms and it’s great to read what others have been writing about, sharing my own posts, thoughts and comments. Being a part of the community means you always have someone to turn to when you need any information or advice; help is usually a tweet away. Also many food magazines, restaurants and brands are on SM and it helps to keep abreast with what’s happening in the food world – both in India and over the world. So some of my time is spent reading – online and offline. Since I’m also a freelance writer, I stay in touch with what food & travel magazines / papers / writers / editors put out in SM – you never know where your next story idea or a media connection is going to come from. SM is a brilliant way of building and maintaining a relationship with your clients and community. I also use SM as a marketing tool, but I do not solely put out my content out there; I share other bloggers’ posts, interesting (but relevant) articles, upcoming events, deals etc.
A significant part of my time also goes into attending food-related events – bloggers’ meets, restaurant openings, chef’s tables, trade shows, cook-ups, potlucks etc. Some of these lead to blog posts, some are for networking and some are purely for fun. But all are a platform for meeting like-minded people and exchanging ideas (and sometimes, food!).

Why Not Start A Food Blog!?

Q3. How does one avoid the trap of turning into a restaurant’s mouthpiece? (Or how does one stay true to the blog?)

Be clear right from the beginning – when you get an invite to attend a bloggers’ meet, tell the PR company that you’ll be giving an honest review – the good, the bad & the ugly. Even if you’re reviewing a restaurant anonymously, you owe it the readers to give a correct picture. Having said that, I usually avoid visiting a restaurant in its first couple of weeks since that’s the time the place is finding its feet and ironing out the wrinkles. Chances of hiccups (minor or major) cannot be overruled and it isn’t fair to pronounce judgment prematurely.

Are You 'Deliciously Directionless', too?!

Q4. What are the tips you’d share with young food enthusiasts who wish to pursue a career in food blogging?

Have a genuine interest in food. Food blogging is not merely about going to restaurants and doing reviews. Learn how to cook. This will help you to understand ingredients and what works together and it’ll help refine your palette.
Experiment with photography – light, angles, close-ups. Make your images draw in your readers to your content. At the same time, don’t clutter your entire post with pictures, unless you’re doing a photo-essay!
Tell a story – even if you’re posting a recipe, give a short background; maybe the origin of the dish, or why you like to cook it, or where you learned it from, anything that adds a personal touch to your post.
Be a part of the food bloggers’ networks. There are several established ones online (Foodista, Foodie Blogroll, Foodblogs, Indiblogger etc.) and they are a good way of forming networks and interact with fellow bloggers. Many of them also run contests regularly, which are a good way of getting out of your comfort zone and writing to a brief, instead of just what you want to write.

Q5. What are the cardinal rules a food blogger must live by?

Be yourself – find your own voice and do not try to imitate anyone’s writing style. It’ll never sound real.
Be honest – without being disrespectful. This one is really important. Even if you have negative things to say, be objective about it and don’t get personal. Be courteous to your readers, your clients, your blogging community. Always respond to messages, comments and tweets (except when you’re being trolled). Being nice never killed anyone!
Never ever plagiarise – if you’re referencing someone’s work, always give due credit. Ask for permission before you use anyone’s images.
Content is king – yes, this is a cliche, but true! If you’re not offering good, relevant content why would a reader be back? Value your reader’s time by providing quality recipes and honest opinion pieces. And while we’re on the subject of content, please ensure that your piece is well written, without grammatical mistakes and glaring typos.
Write, write, write – the more you write, the better your writing will be. This also means putting up posts on a regular basis, preferably a fixed day of the week. Maintain your focus and let food be the star of your blog, even when you’re doing a travel story or an interview.
Read, read, read – find out the good food writers, bloggers, magazines etc. This will help you identify trends and be at the forefront of it. That’s how you’ll offer value to your readers. And when you really like a post, leave a comment. Build a relationship, without an agenda. Provide links to other blogs in your posts (where relevant) and share the writing of others with your readers.

Say Cheese!

Q6. Are there some food blogger myths you’d like to break?!

You don’t need to understand technology – this is myth number 1. Even if you are hosting your blog on a platform such as Blogger or WordPress, understanding how they work will help you tweak the blog to suit your requirements. And if you don’t know something, help is a Google search away. Learn the basics of search engine optimisation (SEO) – how to use keywords to ensure that your blog comes up higher in the list of search results. There are plenty of online resources to help you with this.
You don’t need to market yourself – let’s face it; you’re writing so that people read you. Do not rely on just your friend network to increase traffic to your blog (doesn’t work anyway). Make use of SM – Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and what have you. I find that Twitter works really well in connecting you with people – readers, clients, other food bloggers, brands etc. So make sure you have an online presence and use it judiciously.
You know everything – it’s just not possible! Be open to learning from others and keep improving – your writing, photography, blog design. Attend workshops; and go there to listen, not to show off your knowledge.

Bon Appetit

I hope this has been helpful! Good luck to all the aspiring food bloggers. And bon appetit!

Denzil Lewis

Name: Denzil Lewis

Company: WATMedia
Designation: Editor @WATBlog

Questions:
Since when have you been in the field of journalism/reporting?
I have been blogging for more than a year now. I used to work in social media as a content writer and then I took to blogging because of my love for technology and the web. Since, WATMedia already had a blog which deal with these topic, I took up blogging for it. I became the blog’s Editor last year in March/April.

What are the skills required to be a responsible journalist?
Strong Ethics and clear writing – A journalist owes it to the world to deliver truthful information to their readers. A blogger is no different. You have to take particular care to produce bias-free written material and not be taken in by emotion while writing. If you have a strong emotional connect with the piece you are writing, then you should make it an opinion piece and clearly mark it as such. Besides ethics, the way you explain things to your readers is of paramount importance. If you are writing about technology like a particularly complex mechanism, you have make sure that your audience gets it. People are very busy these days and in all probability they will not like it when things are not clear. Hence, you should pay special attention to your communication skill, both written and vocal. Writing is not about using fancy words buts breaking down fancy concepts into simple understandable language which can be read by all.

What are the various fields in journalism that a student can consider? (For example, positions in blogs, newspapers, magazines, etc.)
Blogging is the easiest way to get into the thick of things. Start blogging about anything that interests even if you do that on a personal blog. If you keep it up, you will slowly get the hang of writing. Then using this experience, you can apply to any blog, newspaper or magazine you like. If you have been writing well and have been getting an increasing amount of readers, chances are that these publications will come to you. What you write about and how you do it is most of the battle. Stick with it and things will happen.

How does one cross the bridge from journalist to editor?
By writing ceaselessly about things that I care about. I established my expertise in a particular segment and since I wrote so much, I was asked to look over all the content that WATBlog generates. Of course, there are additional responsibilities when you become an editor. You are in charge of running the publication from a content perspective and making sure that everything conforms to the publication’s standards and rules. You can only handle that after you get some good writing experience under your belt.

You think active, current blogs are the future of journalism? (perhaps, even replacing newspapers)
I love blogs! Blogs democratize the entire journalism process. I don’t read newspapers anymore because I get more information (in technology) from global blogs. In fact, I think blogs should be given the same recognition as that of established newspapers since they make sure that information is doled out to everyone who wants it. In most cases, bloggers don’t even do it to make money. They do it because they have a compulsive itch to write and inform. Personally, I think newspapers are a dated concept. Everyone is switching to a blog format because blogs are the real analogue to physical newspapers on the web. As technology grows and becomes pervasive, I see no need to go ahead and read newspapers as long you have a smartphone with which youwhich you can access an online blog/publication. Save paper!

How can a fresher land a job in a publication/media agency?
Curiosity and willingness to take risks without thinking too much of the consequences beforehand. I have a degree in Earth Sciences! There is no real need for a background if you have the interest and willingness to do the job at hand. If you are passionate about something and actually go ahead and do something about it, I am sure you will get whatever you want.
Publications want to know how you write. Instead of taking tests and writing samples in the interview, I suggest that you maintain a blog beforehand (like a I said before). Write and develop your style and when you approach any publication/agency, just show your blog to them. If it is good, you will get in. I didn’t do any of this since I had no clue but things worked in my favor. It might not always happen to everyone.

What skills must a student hone if he/she wishes to be a journalist?

• Journalistic ethics
• Humanism
• Simple, clear writing
• The ability to identify a story
• Removal of personal and societal bias
• Being connected to your environment (in this case the sector you are writing about)
• Devour as much good writing as you can
• Just start writing

Ryan Pereira

Name:  Ryan Pereira

Company: Bling Global Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Designation: Celebrity Manager/Agent

Q. Tell us something about the field of Celebrity Management:

A. Celebrity Management is one of the fastest growing industries in the mass media sector  – be it films, modelling, sports or even talent. Celebrity management has become an inseparable part of our society with MNC’s and even small business entrepreneurs rushing to sign celebrities/talent to endorse their brand/campaign so as to lure the masses towards their brand/entity.

Q. What does Celebrity Management entail?

A. Celebrity management involves managing a celebrity’s endorsements contracts, movie contracts, brand tie ups, appearances and any commerce related activity that could help in financial gains as well as help him/her build a brand image that could help them connect with their audiences.

Q. What are the skills required to be a responsible/good celebrity manager?

A. The skills mainly required to be a good celebrity manager are as follows:

• Presence of Mind
• Being street smart
• Integrity
• Good communication skills
• NO EGO
• Good temperament
• Crisis management skills

Q. What is a routine day like in the life of a celebrity manager?

A. The routine of a celebrity manager would vary from day to day. On some days you’d be at your desk from 10 am to 6 pm and on other days it could stretch from 10 am to 6 pm in the office and from 6pm  to perhaps 12 am on the set of a shoot/appearance. The schedule of a celebrity manager is not fixed, but you do get the weekends off. However, in case there is a shoot or an appearance the celebrity is expected to be present at, the manager has to follow suit and accompany the celebrity for the same.

Q. How can a fresher land a job in a celebrity management agency?

A. Any fresher could drop in his/her CV at any of the Celebrity Management agencies at any given point of time. However the month of March is ideal to do so as many agencies undergo a change in personnel with many moving out due to better pay offers from competitive agencies.

Q. The top 3 celebrity management agencies in the country, according to you, are:

• BLING Global Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
• KWAN Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
• MATRIX Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Jerry Maguire

Q. Five tips you’d like to share with BMM students aspiring to be celebrity managers:

1         Hone patience. It’s a virtue and you will inevitably need it in an industry that requires you to deal with ego’s the size of King Kong.

2         Being a go getter is very important in this industry. How to pitch your celebrity, when to pitch them, who to pitch them to, are important questions that need to be answered by a celebrity manager.

3         Strike a deal when the iron is hot. Don’t sit back thinking brands will call you inquiring after the celebrity you manage. Make the world know you’re managing a celebrity. Pitches need to be made almost every day for your celebrity to maximise their business propositions. Remember money is all that rules their world and like Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire) tells his friend/agent Jerry Maguire (played by Tom Cruise) “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” is the motto you must live by.

4         Knowledge of the entertainment/sports/talent industry is essential. The knowledge that you’ll have will bring wealth to your clients. Period!

5         WATCH JERRY MAGUIRE