‘Gaga knows her biz’

‘Gaga knows her biz’... and there are marketing lessons to be learnt from her, says Arindam Chaudhuri...
Here is a couple who believes that marketing is something we do every minute of our lives — whether knowingly or unknowingly. Arindam Chaudhuri, the founder of Planman Group, and his wife Rajita Chaudhuri got talking after the launch of their book, Thorns To Competition, which was released by Shah Rukh Khan recently.“Sometimes, we need people who tell us clearly how success can happen. I’ve never been able to figure it out. But many people might, after reading this book,” said SRK, about the book, which takes an irreverent look at competition and winning in the marketplace.
You compared Gandhiji and Lady Gaga. But they aren’t selling anything.
Arindam: It’s not comparing. What I mean is Gandhiji is a blast from the past, and the future way of doing business is Lady Gaga. There are lessons to be learnt from both.
Rajita: Each person is selling his/her ideas and concepts all the time, everyday. If your idea is strong, you can convince everyone. Similarly, Gandhi and Lady Gaga had ideas that they marketed well, gave everyone thoughts to ponder over, and so, they are successful.
What is your book all about?
Arindam: The book is for corporates and how they can market their products. So it is about selling with a very aggressive tone to it. To exist, to win, as they say, even to stay at the same place these days, you’ve got to run faster than ever before. And to be ahead of everybody else —that is a completely different game. It also talks about the other side — about the consumer who needs to know how to balance and how much he falls for the marketers’ punch lines?
But it is to curb the ‘aggressiveness’ that we have regulatory bodies and censors?
Arindam: Actually, ‘aggressiveness’ is the sexual content and the censor boards in India try to tone it down. Laws are pretty strict about competitive advertising. You’ve got to be very careful in India as compared to the US, where such laws are very relaxed and you can actually name the product. Of course, you will be taken to the court, but then you better be right with your claims — that’s the law there. In India, people don’t do that. But times are going to change.
Rajita: As far as the sexual content is concerned, they go overboard. At times, you’re watching TV with kids, certain messages are presented in a manner that is not conducive to them. I think they should be more flexible now, as kids nowadays are exposed to such content.
How good were you guys together as co-authors?
Rajita: The most surprising part was that we didn’t fight, we agreed on everything. Our philosophy is the same. He started with advertising, and I was his student, so I have just taken forward his thoughts and philosophies. That is why we were such good co-authors.
Arindam: Our study rooms are on different floors. We’d discuss and go back and forth. It was absolutely fantastic.