Mint, 31 December 2007

Contributory Piece on Internet Trends in 2008

Each year, a few trends gain momentum and reach tipping point. The mobile phone is one such change of recent times. Will 2008 be the year of the Internet? It promises to be an interesting year as a lot of the hype around blogs, consumer-generated media, Web 2.0 settles down; as the lines between the mobile and the Internet blur; as technology seems less overwhelming to the masses. The great thing that 2007 did was take away the fear of technology from many. Thanks to networking websites such as Orkut, people who would never venture beyond their email boxes are “poking” each other on Facebook. So, what to expect in 2008? Here’s my list:

Internet marries the mobile: Affordable handsets allowing EDGE and WLAN connectivity, combined with huge penetration of mobiles, would likely ensure that more and more people are consuming the Internet on the go.

Exchange4Media, 28 December, 2007

Fastrack unveils Dynamic Media Room for greater connect with youth TG

Fastrack, the youth accessories sub-brand from Titan, has launched a ‘Dynamic Media Room’. The online initiative, media.fastrack.in, intends to be a one-stop online destination for media professionals as well as others who follow the brand to get updates on the brand’s latest activities. The website, conceptualised by blogworks, features press releases in text, video and picture embeds, along with other corporate and product information.

Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, 12 December, 2007

Contributory Piece: So, where are you going?

So, where are you going?
A few day ago, I was chatting on the phone with someone from Mumbai, who had called to discuss ‘use of blogs and social media tools for internal knowledge management by organisations’ and the talk swerved “Is a blog is better than a forum or vice-versa?”.
I was reminded of times when – very young – my younger sister and I would often gather available pillows to create a square/ rectangle, which was our ‘car’ and using an imaginary steering wheel, made appropriate driving noises. Only, obviously our car shell was going nowhere, for, it didn’t have wheels or an engine for that matter.

Exchange4Media, 30 November, 2007

FMCC & Cross Border Media Conference

Media, advertising and journalism institute Futuristix Media Communication Centre (FMCC), and Cross Border Media (CBM)’s conference on ‘Monetising your new media platforms’ had its post-lunch session on ‘The Internet becoming the locus around which all media converge, and the growing role of search engines’. The session was moderated by Rajesh Lalwani, Founder, Blogworks, while the toehr speakers were Sanjay Trehan, CEO, NDTV Convergence; Rahul Nanda, CEO, Webchutney; and Parminder Singh, Business Head-Technology, Google India.

Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, 21 November, 2007

Contributory Piece: CEO’s guide to blogging!

How often does a new recruit in a company share transparent feedback with a CEO and get away with it? Well, if the CEO writes a blog, potentially everyday! For, transparency and conversations are the foremost values enshrined in a blog.

1. Engage, youngsters first!
   In fact, depending on whether they are amongst the audience you want reach, you would be urged to actively engage the younger readers first. Talk to them through the blog, address their issues and encourage them to participate.
   It has been my experience that youngsters, who traditionally haven’t had direct access to the top leadership, may sometimes find it a bit daunting to open up to a CEO (or a senior business leader). On the other hand, it is they who are exposed to blogs, social networks and the digital medium most. If you can get them to open up, chances are so will the rest.
2. Tell me some stories…
   Keep your audience engaged – weave a story; embed your message therein. Your blog should reflect you, keep the personal touch. Today’s internet technology allows easy embeds of pictures, audio and video. Embedding a Podcast isn’t very difficult and makes the content even more interesting- Bill Marriott’s blog at features many of them because he, admittedly, doesn’t know how to use a computer and prefers to talk into a dictaphone.

Mint, 20 October, 2007

The 4 Ps of Blog Marketing
PDF File

“Start by asking why you are writing a blog. This will bring clarity on who you are writing for, and this in turn will help you determine what you are writing,” says Rajesh Lalwani, founder of Blogworks, a strategic consulting firm helping brands and corporates with their blog and social media strategy.

Hindustan Times, Mumbai – 18 September, 2007

UR Hired

-The comment should really have read “no one wants update on your company
policy and that ongoing conversations showcase your company culture.” or
something on those lines. Telecons can sometime result in confusion :).

Agencyfaqs.com – 13 September, 2007

Comscore sets up new measure of blog audience

Internet data firm ComScore, in collaboration with Federated Media Publishing in the US, has recently announced that it will track and measure the online behaviour of audiences of blog sites on a worldwide scale. This means that the behaviour of netizens who do not own blogs, but read or comment on various blogging sites, will be monitored and measured. The measure will help marketers know their audience preferences, such as what topics they read and the type of blog sites they visit.

Digit Magazine – September, 2007

Cheapest Trumpet – Page 104

i.t mag – July, 2007
Made in India – The Desi Web.pdf

IMPACT Weekly – 23 – 29 July, 2007
Blog the Talk Edition 4 – Excerpts-Page Cover.pdf
Blog the Talk Edition 4 – Excerpts- Page 1.pdf
Blog the Talk Edition 4 – Excerpts-Page 2.pdf

IMPACT Weekly – 16 – 22 July, 2007
Blog the Talk Edition 3 – Excerpts-Page 1.pdf
Blog the Talk Edition 3 – Excerpts-Page 2.pdf

Mint, 11 July, 2007
Now share videos, music on Rediff’s iShare.

Agencyfaqs, 27 June, 2007
DigiDebate – Have corporate blogs caught on?

The Financial Express, 19 June, 2007
Get a Life (story on online avatars etc.)

Exchange4Media.com
Announcing Brandate 2007 on 30 June, Bangalore

BenefIT Magazine, June, 2007
BenefIT-Blogs-June2007.pdf

Indian Businesses Are Busy Blogging Away to Success: Are You?

Hindustan Times, Delhi- 25 May, 2007
Contributory piece in Tech 4 U – ‘Blogging 101’

By now of course all of us know about blogs – that they are diaries on the web; that they are easy to write and manage; that thanks to thousands of free templates you will never need a designer (only partly correct ? ); that they are the Internet live and ticking; also that they are big and are seemingly here to stay.

IMPACT Weekly – 14-20 May, 2007
BlogtheTalk – Edition 2, Part 2, Page 1.pdf
BlogtheTalk – Edition 2, Part 2, Page 2.pdf

IMPACT Weekly – 7-13 May, 2007
BlogtheTalk – Edition 2, Part 1, Page 1.pdf
BlogtheTalk – Edition 2, Part 1, Page 2.pdf
BlogtheTalk – Edition 2, Part 1, Page 3.pdf
Asia Times Online, 25 April, 2007
Indian firms enter the blogosphere.

“The response to blogging and the use of social media among marketers has started to take off, and they are beginning to understand the need to track what is being said about their companies,” Rajesh Lalwani, a New Delhi-based marketing professional who operates BlogWorks, told Asia Times Online.

Mint, 3 April, 2007
Firms discover the power of you.

Reebok India’s managing director Subhinder Singh was convinced he wanted his company’s commercial, created for the cricket World Cup, up on YouTube. The video-sharing site allows users to upload or view videos, and gets around 12 million viewers a month—from all over the world, but at least a few hundred thousands of that number could originate in India.

The thing about YouTube is that if an advertisement is really good, or has some striking visuals, it will, sooner or later, show up on YouTube, courtesy a viewer who liked the ad enough to grab it and upload it, or the company or any of its representatives.

Exchange 4 Media, 26 March, 2007

Blogworks Social Media Workshop with FMCC & Exchange4Media.com

At a seminar organisd by FMCC and exchange4media, Rajesh Lalwani, Founder, BlogWorks Consulting, spoke on ‘Social Media Concepts and Blogs’. ‘Glimpse into Social Media Technology and Platforms’ was discussed by Kishore Bhargava, CEO, Linkaxis Technologies. The topic on ‘Global Internet Trends’ was analysed by Anurag Batra, Editor-in-chief of exchange4media group.

According to Lalwani, “The blogging trend is catching up fast in India. Unlike in the US, people in India want to know about each other’s family and they love to exchange pictures. In a web log blog, the entries are kept in typically reverse chronological order. There is a commentary on news and other subjects. The web log blog is typically conversational in tone, which is frequently updated.”

Exchange 4 Media
20 March – Blogworks Social Media Workshop

Blogworks Consulting, a specialist communication offering that delivers strategic social media know-how to brands and corporates, is going to conduct its first Social Media Workshop in the Capital on March 23.

Designed for corporate executives, professionals from public relations and advertising agencies, brand managers and HR professionals, the daylong collaborative workshop will facilitate the understanding and impact of blogs and other social media concepts and tools. The workshop is aimed at providing clarity on Web 2.0, blogs, Wikis, podcasts, content communities, social and business networks.

The workshop is being organised in association with Futuristix Media Communication Centre, an advertising, media and communication institute.

Rajesh Lalwani, Founder, BlogWorks said, “No longer is the individual dependent on just the media to be heard. He speaks for himself through blogs and other social media tools. Corporates and brands need not listen solely to what the individual is saying, but also participate in these conversations. It is therefore crucial that we understand these social media concepts and tools to use them to our advantage.”

The Times of India
18 March, 2007 – Blogging hits corporate world.

Contributors include Infosys board members, unit heads and executives. A company spokesperson says, “In this forum, we share our perspectives with our clients and other business professionals. The blog enables us to have a dialogue, instead of simply publishing our perspectives to clients.”

Says Rajesh Lalwani, founder, Blogworks,”Increasingly, corporations too are keeping track of blogs as they want to know what is being said about their company online.” That’s because online search and word of mouth (for product reviews) is becoming the norm every day. “Users wanting to know more about a company need not rely on the company website alone. There are other online sources as well,” explains Lalwani. His company provides strategic solutions to brands and corporations wanting to use this medium effectively.

MSN India
06 March – Personal Media: The next big thing.

NDTV.com & India Clicks – NDTV 24 x7
04 March 2007- New Media Grows in Popularity

Exchange4Media.com
21 Feb 2007 – Panel Discussion Moderation at Gold Sift Launch.

IMPACT Weekly 1-7 Jan 2007 – Blogworks–Blog the Talk Edition 1, Part 2
Edition1, Part 2, Page 1.pdf
Edition1, Part 2, Page 2.pdf
Edition1, Part 2, Page 3.pdf

IMPACT Weekly 25-31 Dec 2006 – Blogworks–Blog the Talk Edition 1, Part 1
Edition1, Part 1, Page 1.pdf
Edition1, Part 1, Page 2.pdf

Exchange4Media.com
16 Oct 2006 – FMCC Talk on ‘Blogs for Marketing’

Speaking on business application of blogs, Rajesh Lalwani, an independent consultant, said, “Blogs could be used for conversatioinal marketing. Many CEOs like Jonathan Schwartz, President, Sun Microsystems, have taken up writing blogs to engage with their stakeholders and others, like Microsoft, have even used their employees’ blogs to give it a human face and soften its image.”

Emphasising on the need of blogs in today’s world for marketing purposes, Lalwani said, “Advertising will continue to drive sales, media relations will drive visibility, however, Blogs bring transparency, a first-hand perspective based on participation both from the company and the consumer.”

Aloo Techie
16 Oct 2006 – Blogs for Marketing

Disclaimer: Views of authors are personal and do not represent the views of Blogworks, or any of its clients.