Audi India - The King in Consumer Marketing

We're living in a world where brands are finding it super tough to keep up with the demands of consumers and that speaks volumes of the high consumer driven age we're in. With consumers being smarter and extremely researched these days, brands are competing at every level to outsmart competition in not only reaching out to, but also providing prospect customers with the experience they are looking for.  Social media presence is no longer the buzz word; practically everybody who's anybody is on there! With Facebook and Twitter bursting out of its seems, advertisers fighting for elbow room and with more and more users accessing social media through apps, it really isn't worth betting all the bucks on.

The latest move most companies are going in for is the user experience.  We've lately seen Nokia do this with their Lumia, where radio campaigns shout that you can go pick up a Lumia and try it out for free for a couple of days and if you don't like it just return it or else purchase it.  Most pure tele-marketing brands have an all-year-round offer to try their products and return them for a full refund within a limited time if consumers are not fully satisfied with them.  For years together automobile and high-end electronic brands have given consumers a touch-feel to their products before making a purchase decision.  But today it seems every product is finally seeing value in enticing their customers by making them believe "we no longer sell; you buy".

The invite to the A4 F1 circuit experience

So, it's about time automobiles changed their approach and set a new benchmark. That's exactly what Audi's doing in India.  Audi set up  its own sales in India in 2007 as a division of Volkswagen Group and has sold between 10,000-12,000 units till date. The brand is known to have a niche customer base and also a very loyal one. So it's no surprise to see Audi go out of their way to please them with more than just service.  Right from VIP passes and invitations to some of the most elite events around the country Audi's customers get it all.  2012 being big for Audi India - with the global launches of their TT Coupe, A4 and Q3 and S4 all set for this year, needless to say, in a country where value for money sells better than premium, Audi has its money on the A4 and Q3 to hit the volumes, and has to find a way to get people to notice it and yet not have their loyalists discard the product for being entry-level.

Michael Perschke, Head Audi India
at the A4 launch

To launch its 8th generation A4 in a big way this month, Audi India hand-picked their chosen clientele and prospects from around the country and decided to blow their minds by creating the 'Audi Experience'!  What's the cover got to do with the book? Everything! These chosen flew were flown down to India's Formula one, Buddh International Circuit in Noida to have the experience of a lifetime.  With this product launch, Audi's gone where no one's gone so far. The entire experience included picking up the chosen one from their home in (of course) an Audi (some got the A6, some the Q7, some the Q5), and then training on circuit with Team Audi India's most promising racers on track driving and handling and finally the adrenaline pumping A4 experience on the track!  Audi also offered hot lap experiences of the R8 and RS5 while on the circuit. I was one among the chosen few and all I can say is this is one experience no one is forgetting soon. More importantly, there was no selling and yet Audi's sales team is now hands full pre-booking either this or the to-be-launched Q3 and S4, and no guesses who were the first to book. What's more is nothing does better than word-of-mouth selling when someone describes an out-of-the-world experience in a product that made it all possible. (see the complete album)

Audi A4 F1 experience at Buddh International Circuit

Of course, social media is key in linking up to promoting and publicizing such marketing. So the key really is in beautifully tying in all of a brand's marketing presence - print, radio and digital (and even the dying and not so relevant) television with everything that's the buzz around your product and see those sales hit the roof!  It doesn't get more real than this - Let's learn the new consumer experience from Audi!!

Being You!

Life's a funny journey. We all begin at pretty much the same origin, but our paths and destinations are carved from the various choices we make and the circumstances we face on the way.  Like a wise man once said...

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Life is a journey. Enjoy each mile!

I guess the question then lies in, how many of us really know what we want and aren't afraid to either seek it or go after it? How may of us truly ever max our potential? What were you built for? What's your true calling? Have you given life all that it's given you?  I've often had these questions bother me in my moments of solitude; each time I'm traveling solo or lying down with my thoughts at the end of the day.  We're born in a cruel, cruel environment - one that demands we conform to our surroundings, become one among the army of soldiers already fighting life's battles.  Our time, fortunately, is a little more accepting of individuality but then this thing called 'a conscience', which is so subtly driven into our little selves before we even discover that individuality, kills us when we're even on the verge of swerving off to a new bend.

Thanks to the highly social nature of all that I do (media, corporate training, modeling, writing, anchoring, travel, adventure sports…..) I've met with and heard stories from numerous individuals from various age groups.  A vast majority of them believed there were different things they wanted to or could do but never had the chance.  My question is "when is your chance?" Do you just sit under a tree and hope to be as lucky as Newton? Does it mean you pull out a calculator and strike out the best calculated risks? Or is every moment, every opportunity your chance?

Growing up I wanted to be a fire fighter (don't ask me why), an astrophysicist, a geologist, a pilot, a model, a movie star, a stunt professional, a social reformer and the list is endless...  I'm sure we pretty much all have a costume carnival of professions we've thought of.  And yes, both circumstance and the choices I've made along the way have helped me achieve some of these dreams and disown a few others. I know I'm still on the route to achieving some more.  But here's what I want to focus on today:  The moment, the right chance, an opportunity - these are all around and waiting to be grabbed! All we need is to truly believe and truly want something; hard-work and determination are good, but can have you go around in circles without direction.  So simply put, imagine life to be a very important wheel. This wheel is only so useful if it's turning and if it's taking the vehicle (YOU) to all its destinations from the routes you need to follow. Some will be winding, some enticing, some long and some pleasurable.  So just like a hub & spoke model to a sturdy wheel; let your vision, your values and your ultimate prophecy or purpose be your hub around which the spokes of growth, energy, hard-work, passion & commitment, responsibility for choices and determination strongly radiate out of.

Remember: There's just one life and you live each moment only once - Life has no replays! So spin on (the wheel of life)!

The Rich Man's Food Dilemma

I've spent a lot of time studying, understanding and experimenting with food, and I don't mean gourmet but food that benefits health, vitality and life expectancy.  Here are some of the things I believed were what any individual can easily do to maintain healthy food habits:

1. 1. The thumb rule is to eat freshly prepared, home-cooked meals with balanced components that meet your daily recommended nutrition needs.  So, no packaged foods, no fast food, no synthetic or processed foods. Tough, but do-able; particularly if you can hire a cook or have a home-maker to take care of it for the family.
2. 2. Colourful meals.  Yup, but not with the help of food dyes and colorants! Adding the dark greens and reds to your meal (spinach, broccoli, radish, beet, berries, carrots) ensure you cover the various essential and much-needed vitamins and minerals into your meals without actually calculating. So, just checking if there's colour in the plate can be an easy way to good health! 
   
3. Cut out the saturated and trans-fats (artificial fats) from your diet completely. While a healthy balance of natural fats is essential to maintain a healthy body and prevent joint troubles, bowel disorders and colon-related complications, we can all do without any LDL (bad) Cholesterol. Fats from virgin oils of olive, coconut, fennel, flax and other seeds are good, while dairy fats should be reduced to skim and low-fat only.  Cow's ghee, however, is the only saturated fat that is not harmful and recommended in daily diets to about a tablespoon a day.  Fish oils too are very healthy and have anti-oxidation properties along with Omega-3.  
4. Fad-diets are more harmful than helpful.  So going on a no-carb, no-fat, no-grain or high-protein diet is only going to have short-term benefits as your intestines, kidneys and other organs work doubly hard to keep up to such diets and cry back in the long run.  So the answer is to balance carbs, proteins, fiber, and fat according to the body's metabolism and daily requirement.
   

Our Paper

A whole year has passed, an unbelievable twelve months that's only gotten better with time. This day last year we walked down the aisle and vowed to stand by each other through thick and through thin. A year later, we celebrate our Paper, first, anniversary and I can definitely say there were the thins and there were the thicks and  through it all I am even more confidence that I'm glad I institutionalized my love with you, my husband.


Three years of knowing you, three years of friendship, three years of crazy, movie-like romance and finally saying 'I do'. A year of knowing you even more and each day you turn dearer and new. Among my weakest moments and my failures you've stood right beside me and picked me up... I ask you today to forgive me my shortcomings and make me stronger in your love, just like you have this past year. May Paper turn to Silver, and Silver to Gold! May our tender affection grow and may we see each other turn old. There's nothing I feel we can't surpass after the biggest achievement we nailed. I look forward to the future because any journey with you for a companion can only be an adventure worth experiencing!


Happy Anniversary, Baby!