The Selfie Epidemic

The Selfie Epidemic

Everyone seems to be taking and posting one. A selfie orchestrated by 86th Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres during the 2 March 2014 broadcast is the most retweeted image ever. The resulting photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within 40 minutes, and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour;less than 24 hours later, it had been retweeted over 2.8 million times and as of 18 March 2014, it has been retweeted 3,400,395 times beating the previous record, 778,801, which was held by Barack Obama, following his victory in the 2012 presidential election . From Obama to Cameron to Narendra Modi and Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Nargis Fakhri, the epidemic  rages.

Now  more and more people are using the word. And we are  talking more about the word since the Oxford Dictionaries announced on November 18 that selfie is their Word of the Year for 2013. Candidates for word of the year are usually nominated because they capture something, an idea, a movement, a question, which has substantially occupied people over the past year. First, selfie actually restricts its meaning: "A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website" . Not just any self-portrait but one created with a digital device. Not any photo stored anywhere but one uploaded to a social media site such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Tumblr.

And the word's origins may be more local than we think. Australia has proudly laid claim to inventing the term “selfie” from 2002, in a 20-something's photo and report of a drunken party, posted to an ABC Online forum: "Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer [sic] and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps ... And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie."

Odds are the lad was not  inventing a new word but simply using language he and his mates normally used.Now, 12 years after that young man's tumble down the stairs, selfie is part of worldwide English speech for a digitised, media-sharing culture.

President Barack Obama made news headlines during Nelson Mandela's memorial celebration at the Johannesburg's FNB Stadium with various world leaders, as he was snapped taking a selfie and sharing smiles with the Danish and British PMs--  Helle Thorning-Schmidt and David Cameron. Closer home, Narendra Modi's selfie after casting his vote in Gandhinagar, as also a tweet announcing the same, became major trending items on the micro-blogging platform.

mindSHIFT is one of the largest IT outsourcing and cloud services providers. Zafar Rais, founder and CEO sheds some interesting light on the selfie epidemic.

So, why does one need to take selfies?

 Given that social media platforms are breeding grounds for flattery and support from friends in the form of likes and comments, it is  no surprise that the term gained popularity amongst various age groups and audiences alongside the adoption of Instagram. The youth are digitally born and their opinions and decisions are driven by what their friends think of them and what makes them constantly connected.

 How they are  perceived and accepted is defined by the places they go to, the clothes they wear and even the lip shade they have considered for the day. All this, and the company they keep gets covered through a selfie, giving them a boost in the way they see themselves and present themselves in front of others. The youth develop themselves based on societal acceptance and the competitive nature of humans through likes, comments and shares boosts our morale and compare our lives, giving the confidence of being accepted.

What you’re wearing and where you are were the most common selfies until the celebrity selfie at the Oscars was shot by Ellen DeGeneres at the 86^th Academy Awards with 12 celebrities, becoming the most retweeted photograph ever garnering a total of 3 million retweets and receiving total impressions of 32.8 million through Twitter and news sites. Ellen’s group selfies brought about the current trend.

Selfies have no occasion but statistically the popular locations to take a selfie are holidays, homes and night-outs. The top reasons for taking a Selfie are towards remembering a happy moment, capturing a funny one or showing off a brilliant outfit.

So where are selfies being shared?

With 35 Million selfies posted on Instagram, it is responsible for making selfie what it is today. Instagram’s key success factor continues to be the ability to touch up photographs before they go online. As of now Facebook leads the way with 48 per cent usage of selfies coming from it but the ability for tools such as Instagram that sync with Twitter and  Facebook seamlessly to increase outreach will go on to make Instagram a leader in capitalizing upon the selfies phenomenon.

Do selfies have any relevance to brands?

Wherever you look,  you will see people standing with their phones and arms stretched out, ready to click a selfie. This gives rise to a marketers need to tap into this potential audience and get their attention. The keyword here continues towards being the essence of social media – gaining insights about your consumers by listening to them and decoding what they truly want, and how they want it.

 Can you highlight some of these campaigns?

Already  a few  have rightly merged consumer and brand insights to achieve success on digital. In India, Dove launched the #DoveSelfie contest inviting women to take a selfie of their best hairstyle as per the theme of the day and post it across Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Highlighting their Insurance plan targeted at the entire family, and  tapping the Indian sentiment of taking photographs with family members, Max Bupa encouraged Twitter audiences to take a family selfie with their loved ones.

In order to promote the brand’s latest backpack, the Skybags  campaign highlighted how everything is done backwards in today’s times, and included the concept of reverse selfies, where one had to show off their unique style with their backs facing the camera either with the help of a mirror or get it clicked by someone.

As brands tie in with the term and get their hands around it along with a better grasp of visual styling networks like Instagram, the future of selfies seems promising and the word definitely won’t be just a fad.

 Apple has embarked on a mission to allow their users to take the highest quality of selfies from their smartphones, Instagram sees a daily traffic of 7.3 Million users, and an average of 60 Million photos uploaded daily. Being acquired by Facebook makes it more seamless and susceptible of owning and leading the selfie domain for years to come.

Get ready for the “Shelfie”…….

Gmail, in an attempt to be at the forefront of innovation, has recently announced Shelfie, the Shareable Selfie, built on the idea that you shouldn’t be selfish with your selfie. Shelfie enables you to check, read and write emails while seeing your face in the background. The confidence Gmail shows is evident with their claim to make Shelfie the Word of the Year 2014.

International Womens' Day-IV -- Aruna Kumar & Rajashree Nedungadi

Digital Art & All that....

Aruna Kumar- ---A post graduate in marketing, Aruna has over 15 years of experience in animation and visual effects education training business. Besides setting up training centres across the country singlehandedly while handling the operations, logistics and business targets, Aruna has also played a key role in the lives of students who have successfully made the transition from training institutes to animation studios. She has played a significant role in the training process of over 20000 animation and visual effects professionals in the country today.

Maya Digital Studios’ first of its kinds ‘In Studio Training’ initiative for young animation, VFX, & 3D stereoscopy professionals, MIST  was launched in August 2011 and Aruna heads MIST which provides advanced studio ready training modules, with employment at Maya Digital Studios in Mumbai & Goa.

Many of these candidates are successful studio professionals across the leading studios worldwide. Aruna’s in- depth understanding of the need gap in the industry with regards to the advanced training facilities and the studio ready Training Modules offered at MIST will be the important agent of change for the animation and visual effects industry.

“MIST has born out of a critical studio need”, says Aruna .” Recently when Maya was recruiting freshers for its upcoming animation, visual effects and 3D stereoscopy projects the studio interviewed/tested over 2000 candidates from across leading training institutes in the country. However their production skills weren't up to the mark and hence even 200 candidates could not be selected for Maya. Taking a cue from this abject dearth of good quality studio ready talent, Maya decided to launch MIST. “Speaking about her role at MIST Aruna says, “At MIST there will be stringent selection norms and the applicants will go through a meticulous selection process with the various heads of departments at Maya, who will also be mentoring the selected MIST interns. These interns will work on Maya’s current projects including TV shows . This is the first time ever that interns will get to work on live domestic & international projects.”

Rajashree Nedungadi’s story can in many ways qualify for a modern day fairy tale. After pursuing a masters degree from Mumbai university in economics, an early marriage and two kids in quick succession brought to an end what would possibly have been another successful yet predictable professional career in the world of hi-finance. Thanks to her never -say -die attitude her childhood fascination for art and craft quickly became the perfect creative release she needed.

What started as a hobby gradually metamorphosed into a potential career.A born entrepreneur, she however ensured that any money earned from teaching art was reinvested in acquiring new skills. Her deep rooted belief  in giving   back her knowledge to society manifested in numerous vocational training assignments she undertook in Delhi for the under privileged through NGOs. Today Rajashree is widely recognized in professional art and craft circles and her reputation of being a complete professional precedes her--- her credentials include art therapy sessions for leading corporate houses, art and craft training in leading schools, professional institutes, art judge for competitions, among other things..

What kind of art forms do you specialise in?

Traditional paintings, Kerala mural, Varali from Maharashtra, Madhubani from Bihar, Pichwai from Udaipur. Charcoal, pencil sketches, oil paintings, abstract, multiple levels in paper quelling, breadcrafts (artefacts made from bread), lamasa(artefacts out of cornflour), soap craft.

What kind of vocational training programmes did you undertake? Which are the NGOs associated?

I am associated with Swayam Siddha NGO in Powai, Hiranandani and train kids in Shilpakar, Glass paintings etc to better themselves at quality products.

What exactly are art therapy sessions and how do they benefit corporate houses?

Stress is a major issue in corporate houses. Art therapy sessions help them calm down, break-free from their mundane tasks, dirty their hands in clay and colors and engage in an artistic workshop. The end product is substantial and often surprises as they do not have any background training.

Healing the Age-old Way--International Womens' Day-III

Priti Omved---Nutrition Scholar

Priti Mehta is the founder, director and creative force behind Omved, the only one of its kind, a retail chain of stores with the largest range of pure and natural products based on the Vedic traditions of India. Born into a family steeped in this ancient wisdom and natural healing, she was introduced to Yoga and Naturopathy, by her parents at the age of 3. These very lessons she applied to her life when she became an expectant mother with twins. At the age of 11, her children have the wisdom of avoiding salt, sugar, white flour and soda. This has helped them grow up to a healthy and strong foundation.

A scholar of nutrition and healing sciences and a Master of the Vedas, Priti developed the Omved line of products, with renowned Ayurvedic practitioners,experts in the fields of yoga, vastu, jyotish and chakra therapy.

Tell us about you early childhood….

My childhood was a very happy one. The eldest of three siblings, I grew up in a very close knit family. My fathe, a successful businessman, my mother the dedicated home maker, a penthouse in Malabar hill; it was a life of luxury.

My parents were and continue to be role models of humility, integrity and strength. Life was simple, evening meals were always together and lots of RTC’s (round table conferences – a tradition of discussion unique to my family, where everyone had an equal say and the decisions had to be unanimous). There were privileges but they were always bartered with responsibilities, no weekly allowance instead we had to earn that too by doing chores, few gifts but birthdays were always BIG events!

My parents love for nature is something I am glad to have inherited. In spite of living among the cemented buildings in urban Mumbai, we always felt surrounded by nature--my mother’s famous terrace botanical garden and star gazing with my father’s telescope, nature was part of our everyday routine .

My parents were and still are ardent followers of Naturopathy and so our days started and ended in natural decoctions, cleansing routines and natural medical care. For every ache, scrape and wound there was always some leaf, some root, some herb that had to be applied, drunk or chewed. I believe that it was my childhood that did more for my love for natural healing and understanding of the rules of nature than anything I could learn from a school. 

Your educational background

I did my elementary and middle years at a convent, Villa Theresa. High school was at Jai Hind studying Arts. I did my bachelors in Political Science and Psychology and went on to do my Masters in English Literature. When I was 16, I also started working part time at the family’s jewellery factory. After my graduation I went to the United States to graduate in a Jewelry Gemology course at G.I.A – Gemological Institute of America and then to Switzerland to study the Jewelry Retail course at CFH Institute in Lausanne.

In an age when people seek immediate relief for the most simple ailments (through allopathy), what is the role of Ayurveda ?

In Ayurveda, health is termed as swasthya; swa – meaning self + sthaya meaning establishment. Health thus denotes ‘a state of being established in the self’. Quite a detour from the present day world of medicine wouldn’t you say?

The ‘sva’ of a man encompasses the total man –Body : Sharir, Senses : Indriya,Mind : Sattva or Manas and Spirit or Soul : Atma 

Ayurveda thus is not a quick fix and window dressing- patch- up job like most allopathic medicine is, it seeks deeper and looks for healing from the base up. It offers us a deep understanding of the laws of nature and our constitution types, provides us information on lifestyles and diets so we can make choices. It is not only a comprehensive, personalized, holistic, medical science but a way of living.

So when people are opting for immediate relief through popping a pill they must ask themselves if they are seeking temporary relief from the suppression of the symptoms or they are looking for removing the deep-rooted causes and enjoy feeling well, a constant state of Ananda/bliss.

Many people are opting for Ayurvedic and Homeopathic  treatments, but it’s also true that these lines take time to produce results. How can you convince people that these are indeed better and more effective ways of treatment illnesses?

It is a misconception that Ayurveda takes time to produce results. It all boils down to what are the ‘results’ that are we looking for? If we are seeking just temporary relief then modern medical systems offer that. But if on the other hand we want answers to why the disease exists, what are the imbalances that caused the ailment, and if we wish to seek natural solutions to regain the balance, then Ayurveda is the perfect modality.

Do you believe that Ayurveda can also cure chronic diseases…for ex, Kidney failure?

The thing to remember about the Ayurvedic way of healing is that disease is caused by loss of balance. A disease becomes chronic when this balance exists over long periods of time.

Kidney failure or Chronic renal failure (CRF) is an irreversible deterioration in kidney function. This does not happen overnight but develops over a period of years. Ayurveda holds a tridosha imbalance (vata and kapha primarily) responsible for the same.

What are the products that Omved manufactures & markets?

Our products have only one purpose – to make Vedic living practical and easy – to help you live in balance, in accordance with the laws of nature.

The Omved Wheel of Balance reiterates that to be in balance, one needs to achieve harmony in the 6 areas of one’s being: Physical vitality ,Mental awareness,Yoga,Emotional Bliss,External harmony,Cosmic peace and Spiritual awareness.

All of Omved’s offerings are divided into these categories and are based on the scientific teachings of these 6 branches of the Vedic tradition.

So whether you’re searching for 100 per cent natural aromatherapy synergy essential oil blends, non-toxic incense, certified organic bamboo clothing and bath linen, validated safe and effective body, hair and face care cosmeceutical (cosmetic and pharmaceutical) products, authentic Ayurvedic healing herbal blends, pvc-free yoga mats, lead-free terracotta and ceramic mugs, chemical and pesticide-free herbal dyed organic baby wear we are the natural choice.

Is there a market for your products in South East  Asia?

South East Asian countries are heirs of ancient cultures. They are in sync with natural laws and have a deep understanding of the Universe and its working. Omved products definitely have a market here. We have had many interest mails and talks from different countries, from China, Philippines, Japan and Pakistan to name a few.

Your personal experience of motherhood …. specially with avoiding certain foods….what were the benefits  and what would you recommend for expectant mothers?

Motherhood was a life changing time for me, in many ways. By the time I delivered my twin boys I had developed an intense involvement with the safe, non-toxic ‘alternative’ world of natural products; food, skin care and medical care.

I was eating primarily what Ayurveda calls – ‘Sattvic food’- pure, wholesome, nourishing (for me and the babies) vegetarian and easily digested. This included rice, milk and paneer, ghee, fresh vegetables (cooked), sweet seasonal fruits and juices, nuts, raisins and dates, lentils and grains. In the night, I drank a mix of figs (soaked in water for 3 hours), saffron, poppy seeds and milk.

A daily self-massage with oil or a weekly massage is essential to keep the body peaceful, circulation boosted and skin hydrated. Using calming aromatherapy with pregnancy safe essential oils was a part of my daily routine. Yoga, meditation and listening to peaceful music also helped me to connect with my inner self and with my babies. All household cleaning products and all my skincare personal products changed to natural safe options.

Gayathri Smitha----International Womens' Day

Casting Coup—Gayathri Smitha

She is young and one of India's prominent casting directors, worked and contributed to a lot of ad films for various brands that you must have seen on TV such as Frooti, Incredible India and many more. Gayathri Smitha has been applauded and recognised for her work on various ads including the Frooti (the one with Shahrukh Khan and the kids). She has also casted for the Indian leg of AR Rahman's music video. 

Casting for ---ad films/ movies --- what is the criteria?

 Usually, in our country most casting directors including myself have assisted directors for years. This not only helps understand a director's way of thinking but also makes film sensibilities better. If a casting director understands what the film is about then half the job is done.

A casting director is a person that is constantly on the lookout for fresh interesting people and actors. Hence, I think it is very important to have good communication skills along with a keen eye to see somebody as potential cast for a film. 

 Most ad films use young children  --- this is a very calculated trend, are there any particular reasons  for this?

An ad film script is written basis many factors like market research, communication strategy, brand position, brand value, target audience, etc.

Kids in general are instantly likeable and they appeal to practically everybody. A complex subject can easily be put forward to the audience if it were to be represented by kids, for the cuteness factor and longer recall value. 

What are the factors one has to consider while casting?

  Once the director gives the brief of the story and the kind of actors he/she is looking at, we  have to look for actors/models that suit that brief. Every single time the key is to cast extremely interesting actors who are memorable, great performers and are not over -used on TV. They need to be extremely relatable and real. When the audience sees them it needs to pull a string somewhere in them. Another very important factor is the budget. To be able to cast really good actors within a given budget is the key.

What are the challenges that you encounter?

      Nowadays, due to expansion of digital media all the films run everywhere. In advertising specially, once an actor is liked by the audience a lot of other ads also want to cast them. This means that the actor is seen on every third ad you see. So, the challenge everyday is to find new actors to cast in order to make sure that the audience is never bored of seeing the same actors in all ads. This is the biggest challenge because it involves everything from looking for theatre groups to cast from or acting schools or colleges or personal friends to street casting. 

Which was the most challenging assignment & why?

 The most challenging film to cast for was "The Magic of Frooti". This film needed kids and older guys that looked alike. They were needed to be shown as the older counterparts. This meant that everything from the hair texture to face structure to mannerisms needed to be similiar. Another thing was to convince both the kids and the older guys to agree to create funky hair styles on them. This was extremely challenging but we pulled it off and the final product was loved by everybody.

India's Only Liquor Baroness----International Womens' Day-I

 India’s only Liquor Baroness

I Brands Beverages is an international manufacturer and distributor of alcoholic beverages from the U.K. The company was started and headed up by young, dynamic  Lisa Srao,along with an international advisory board of some of the top names in the industry, known to have launched some of the most successful global brands in existence, including the well known Double Dutch Beer, that has enjoyed over 10 years of success in the U.K. Lisa started out with just a dream and a broken glass bottle. Some heady answers from the chic lady who elegantly sports Hermes handbags, sky-high Christian Louboutin heels,  Tom Ford sunglasses, Prada shoes and Diane von Furstenberg Tees  and is completely in charge in the boardroom too!

 Just a dream and a broken glass bottle.....can you elaborate on this?

We identified a gap in the market for affordable luxury whiskies. Determined to launch we tried to gain leverage with the trade by showing them Demi mocked prototypes. We had a vision, but as initial productions costs were high (running just one round of production of dummy bottles, ran into lakhs), we started out with just   4 dummy bottles, some broke during our rounds of presentations, pitches etc. But I was passionate and determined to succeed. We pitched to many who initially did not want to work with us, felt we would fail. Day in and day out we skirted the market looking for distributors for our products........the rest is history I would say, with over 3000 points of sale, today our products are available across 8 states in the country.

What prompted you to venture into the liquor industry?

My family was in the liquor business and I moved to India from the U.K, following my marriage. .Initially I wanted to launch my father's products, but with two years of extensive R&D invested in the Indian market, I realized that each state is quite like a separate country, the palate was different from that of the U.K market, and the liquor industry as a whole was far more complex in India, so I realized that launching U.K -adapted products in this market would not work. I went into extensive development of a fresh and new product created specifically for the Indian market. I knew I could create awe inspiring products at international world class quality standards, and that is exactly what I went about doing.

What were the hurdles you faced as a woman in this male-dominated arena?

No one took me seriously at first, especially being a woman in a male- dominated industry. Many a time, the trade and distributors shut the door in our faces. But my drive and passion, combined with a team of innovative and young individuals spurred me on. With a strong emphasis on quality we powered on, despite the setbacks. Over a period of time, we found consumers picking up our products off the shelf, and coming back for more, a testament to great packaging and a fabulous blend.

Your experiences in Media & Marketing must have been a huge help..?

Yes I feel I was born to be in the liquor business and my past media experiences have definitely aided me on getting our brands into the market successfully. ( Lisa  has worked with Viacom, Vivendi Universal and News Corporation in UK) .We did make errors in some areas, and succeeded in others, but this taught me a lot and helped me a great deal while I set up my company. Understanding consumer behavior and needs was imperative for me.

I

 In the strategic planning of I Brands... do share your high points in setting and making it a success.

Being told that as a woman succeeding in this industry was not possible, having cheques presented to us that bounced was all quite challenging as experiences, but it taught me a great deal about the business, about the wrong and right type of business alliances and other key learnings. Now when I see our products flying off the shelves, to see consumers asking for our products,it  makes me proud and feel like it was all worth it! We constantly aim at producing a fabulous experience for our consumers, ensure that we are better than the competition in every segment that we are present in, honoring all promises and agreements made, and constantly monitoring that we are giving the youth of India (that is above the legal drinking age), a better quality, value for money product.

What is the company's turnover and what are future plans?

We have laid a solid foundation that would take any international player more than five years to achieve. Our turnover in the next five years is estimated at Rs.100 crores. In the next two years we will have a pan India presence, and two state- of- the- art bottling units.

As a jet-setting entrepreneur and a homemaker, what are the factors that have contributed most to your success?

To never believe you have the best product, to constantly work at adapting and making it better. We launched Granton whisky in the market, and found that it required further improving, and are in the process of relaunching the product with an incredible new design aesthetic, and a fabulous new blend. I have also managed my time efficiently, being able to delegate the right amount of time towards my family, and my work schedule. Often after my kids are in bed, I am on the phone, getting  work done. There is no set time off, you need to just keep going, and manage your time effectively. I am also a creative person -an artist at heart as I paint fantasy canvases, and this has contributed extensively to my efforts in product development. Our premium segment whisky - Three Royals Whisky is a beautiful and absolutely stunning product that I have spent a lot of my creativity on, having taken absolutely no shortcuts on it. I am driven by new ideas, and love surrounding myself with a young team that dares to challenge the norms, as this is the only way to succeed.

What would you advise young entrepreneurs -cum-homemakers?

Financial planning is  the  key. Never give up. Dream big. Believe in yourself. Be conscious in living and your thoughts. As Nike says just do it!