EK DO TEEN GURGAON TECHIES FLASH HOT MOVE - YES THIS IS GREAT CONTENT CREATION BY A PR TEAM

The headlines in Gurgaon Times (Times of India supplement the most desired paper for all companies). Days of brainstorming, questioning what will be the return on investment the Opera PR team (at 2020 and the client) closed on a flash mob to announce the landmark : 50 million users for Opera in India. This became the core message to be delivered for the campaign and the flash mob was a tool used for creating compelling content


 On a Sunday evening at the center of Ambience Mall, Gurgaon came alive with a group of dancers moving to the popular bollywood number Rang De Basanti. Very soon the Opera team including the global CEO Lars Boilesen arrived in a rickshaw, disembarked, and hit it with crazy moves to Rang De Basanti. While the crowds bend over from the balcony a banner announcing 50 million users rolled down with confetti celebrating the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATA2CmvBqM0&feature=youtu.be

The Ahha moment came when Gurgaon Times Reported it on the front page







C-net besides other publication picked up this news, and what a headline "OPERA CEO GOES BOLYWOOD DANCING TO CELEBRATE 50 MILLION USERS IN INDIA" There could not have been a more apt headline to build #50 million users # India # Celebration indian style.

Videos and photos from  this event were shared over FB, Instagram and Twitter. While I pen this down the impact is still being measured

This was followed by press interviews talking about Opera's 50 million milestone in India, strategy for a mobile first market.  Newspapers like The Economic Times, Asian Wall Street Journal,
The Washington Post, Indian Express and NDTV and others wrote compelling pieces on Opera's growth in India.

The evening after the flash mob the PR team hosted a users meet up to talk about ......

So all elements of creating an event, amplification in social media and press and engaging with users

All PR folks who read this blog please go out talk to your clients and break away from the shackles of column  centimeter only and create content that engages the real audience, has the potential to go beyond media visibility.

18 Years You Worked in One company...Wow how did you do that?

 Yes that is the reaction that I always get when I am asked the usual social questions about work. Today 15th July 2014 as I celebrate 18 years of my association with 2020 MSL, I tell myself, "Well done girl....you just reached the ripe age of new age companies." Since data shows In 1935, the average lifetime for an S&P 500 company was 90 years, today, it is about 18 years (source McKinsey).  So from here I could go extinct or continue for another many more years.....of course I can do that.  If Zohra Sehgal had a acting careers spanning 70 years why can't I do that.

As I introspect and think what led to this 18 years of a beautiful partnership, I want to share my mantra, specially with all the millennials who want to change jobs very frequently as their life is going by and they must experiment with new jobs, new colleagues and blah blah blah. The one magic mantra is partnership with your organisation and communication.


0-5 Years: The beginning of your career, are operational heavy years, you are caught doing a lot of drudge work and hence you get disillusioned. But these are also years of establishing strong relationships with your colleagues and clients. Set a personal goal to do one kick ass assignment, partner your client and say let us achieve this. When you achieve the goal CELEBRATE with the client. Some strongest relationships are established in this phase of your life.

5-10 Years: Make a pledge to yourself to sign up for a self development program every year. Partner your organisation and communicate that you would like to be nominated for a course, and if not just do it yourself. You are so worth it, invest in self development. I did that every year so much so that I made it a ritual to gift myself a course or sign up for a personal coach every birthday.

10-15 years: Partner and grow people who are smarter than you. Watch them, observe them and instead of being critical, notice them and pick up their good traits. Every person has some positive trait, imbibe those. This network of mentees will always be there for you. This is the best network you can ever have. This is also the phase when work life balance becomes a necessity and remember you set your work life balance, not the company. A book I will always remember that helped me understand that was "Winning by Jack and Suzy Welch".

15-20 years: Set an industry agenda and lead it, you are a asset to the organisation. Take a leadership stance and drive the agenda. Have a conversation with the organisation and get a buy in that you want to spend 10 percent of your time, doing this.

And, one more thing, express gratitude with a good attitude every single day.

A toast to 20:20 MSL, I could not have partnered with a more dynamic organisation.

Thankyou Sheryl Sandberg for telling me I am not aggressive : Just a a good leader

My afternoon with the LEAN IN author : Sheryl Sandberg : thank you for telling me it is OK to be called a aggressive woman : you are just a good leader.


My morning started with me checking my FB newsfeed and the article that all my girlfriends seem to have tagged me on was

Why Pepsi - CEO, Indra Nooyi Can't  Have It All

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/07/why-pepsico-ceo-indra-k-nooyi-cant-have-it-all/373750/


One simple conversation how a woman is always struggling to be mother, wife, daughter and then CEO...so what if Indra Nooyi was on the Board of Quaker Oats, a iconic American brand, all her mom cared for was that there was no milk in the house, so Indra better go fetch milk.

Phew I so identified with this article early morning as my son, husband announced they have to be at work early so please make sure that the machinery at home functions for them to be at work on time. This is when I have been leaving home before them for years for work and no one bothered how I made it. Anyway, I was all set to meet Sheryl Sandberg and that was my BIG DAY, but no I have to silently get along with my tasks and get the whole household to rush that husband and son make it on time.

Nothing new for me to deal with these issues and get to work, finish your tasks and I finally make it to hear Sheryl Sandberg. Here are her three simple messages for all of us

a. It is ok to be called aggressive. When a little girl is leading she is called bossy but when a boy leads he is appreciated for great leadership skills.
Phew, I so identify with that women are aggressive because they are in a rush to get things done and are intuitive when things are going to drop. Thank you Sheryl you just reiterated my faith that it is ok to be aggressive....we are just good leaders.


b.  All of you with little girls go nurture them they will grow up to be good leaders one day. As Sheryl said when she got married her siblings said they were her employee #1 and employee #2 as Sheryl was always organising play dates for them, but never got to play herself.

c. Women at work form "lean in" circles which is women with same issues. Talk about these as a circle and not as a individual but as a circle, you will get heard . And help one women to Lean In at work and be at the forefront.

While we all do this, let us celebrate that India has 11 percent women CEOs against a global average of 3 percent. And 7 of the top banks in India are led by women CEOs.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/11/18/which-has-more-female-ceos-india-inc-or-fortune-500/