Unforgettable Northpoint

Northpoint has brought us memories enough to cherish and jubilate. A small art piece to express the unsaid. A time to recollect those beautiful memories. PGPAMC i miss you all.

Amit Bisani

Dark side of the Muse!

A sedan, a cola, a movie, a clothing store and a fast food chain... What could these possibly have in common! The answer is one that glaringly hits the eye every single day. Kids in Ads. Yes each of these has kids in the ads. It doesn't seem to matter to advertisers when they harness the pester power to their own ends that it could do untold harm. Any ad with a kid sells. It’s industry gospel now. It is hard pressed to surf the idiot box for two minutes without seeing some kid in an ad. Never mind if it’s even an ad for switches. Irrelevance to the product is simply not considered a barrier. And we are so used it, that we wouldn't be surprised on seeing a pre-pubescent kid in a condom ad!

But little thought goes in the fallout of this on the kids themselves. Among the admiration, there are various accusations of abuse and neglect directed at kids in ads face. Simply because of their age, they are vulnerable to exploitation. Even when they don't recognise it as such. A recent incident on the sets of the Sushmita Sen starer 'Bhoot' illustrates. Children, the unmined fuel of our society, are perhaps most vulnerable to their 'near and dear' ones.

A bird feeds its young. A tigress hunts for her cubs. Parents take care of the children. A natural order of things in our society. But today we see kids looking at acting in ads, serials and movies as a profession. And it is not just any other profession. It is one that by its nature requires kids to adopt the role, mindset and mannerisms of another person. When this affects grown, stable people, how it affect kids who have not yet realised their full potential and personality? Is it not reasonable to suppose that the 'cool, hip, brats' that they portray on the silver screen impact their own behaviour and thoughts. What identity and behaviour problems would a kid playing a totally opposite role face? And that is apart from the peer pressure and image problems that kids today are beset with. If seeing Shaktiman on TV can make a kid jump off the terrace, how much worse can playing a super hero affect a kid.

And then there is the stark role reversal that occurs as kids become the CWEs of a Household. Innocuous enough term. But its implications are immense. Kids are supposed to be cared for. Not given the responsibility of fending for others and themselves. The impact of having, at very young ages, such responsibilities thrust on them would stunt their natural growth. Self confidence, esteem and image come in question when they see such potrayals.

Also, these portrayals by kids set the tone, language and mindset for other kids. These kids set the template for their social interactions and behavior. It is disconcerting to see them take for real the exaggeration of a copywriter for a brand.

Poornima...

In 2007...

Branding Predictions
"Many consumer segments have become numb to messages that smack of traditional advertising. Marketers and branders will need to understand how to integrate their brands into this type of experience, building entertainment and viral value in more grassroots approaches surrounding less overt sales messaging."Josh Kelly, PrincipalFINE Design Group

"We will see more product placement in films, TV, and on the bodies/lips of celebrities as advertisers scramble to find alternative ways to influence consumers in this fast-forward-through-ads, TiVo generation.

"Celebrities are 'influencers,' which is why brands will be dishing out more bucks to get celebrities to wear, drink, eat, and be photographed with their product brand. We will also see a rise in 'experiential' advertising, marketing, and public relations as brands try alternative ways to reach consumers."Rita Tateel, President

"[I] predict 2007 will be a year in which companies will break away from traditional forms of marketing and advertising to promote their brand and venture into the technology-driven world of mobile advertising (iPods, mp3 players, cellphones) and the Internet. Although print, TV, and radio still will play a crucial role in a company's brand, much of the younger population will experience new brands in the form of modern technology.

"For example, if Crate & Barrel were to partner with Sprint, you will be walking down the street, and as you pass a Crate & Barrel store, your phone's Sprint GPS will recognize your location and send you an electronic coupon for Crate & Barrel." Dave Seidler, DesignerBaer Design Group

"Traditional advertising strategies have fallen short of reaching the goal of engaging consumers, due to continued fragmentation of the media landscape and a major shift in the consumer mindset. Consumers have become far too skeptical of branded messages. In 2007, I see marketers dialing up the use of sponsorship platforms to engage their target consumers through the things they love and the way they live. Tapping into their passions—via entertainment, sports, or cultural platforms—will allow consumers to experience the brand on their own terms."Tony Signore, CEOAlan Taylor Communications

The Inundated Consumer
"I believe that brands in 2007 will begin to experience an increasingly hostile resistance to the relentless invasion of privacy that marketers are unleashing on their unsuspecting audiences. I'm not talking about 'privacy' as in identity theft; I'm talking about privacy as in the need to live through a solitary moment when we're not battered with unwanted commercial messaging. There's a limit to the unsolicited marketing messages that audiences can handle, and we're going to see that limit come into plain sight, beginning in 2007."Lynn UpshawPrincipal, Upshaw Consulting Member, Marketing Faculty, Haas School of Business, UC-Berkeley

"Consumers are presented with ever more choice and ever more information. It's a mistake to assume the same rules of loyalty apply anymore. It's also a mistake to assume old-fashioned concepts surrounding brand and product lifecycles. Brands need to be very attuned to their customer relationships and not be afraid to evolve and reinvent."Josh Kelly, PrincipalFINE Design

"Advertising budgets will continue to be slashed because credibility and trust are not built with advertising like they were in the past. Today's customers, investors, and other key audiences are more skeptical than ever before."Mike Paul, President and Senior CounselorMGP & Associates PR

"It is no longer enough for consumers to believe that brands are sincere in their communications; that has become cost of entry. To succeed in 2007, brand communications must not only be transparent, but offer some additional value before the audience will even tune in." Hayes Roth, Chief Marketing OfficerLandor Associates

Power to the People

"Gen X-ers need independence and interdependence in products and services. In the time-pressed, faceless world, they seek to be heard. America Idol and YouTube are brands that provide opportunities for these consumers to be heard.
Shelley Rosen, CEO Airlift Ideas

"From MySpace to blogs to message boards, consumers are now listening to the voice of fellow consumers more than that of the marketer. Forty-four percent of the US online population publishes their thoughts and experiences they have with brands every day, positive or negative.
"With that said, the trend for brands is, and will be, complete accountability—period. The brands that walk the walk with their promise, and become an active part in the customer conversation, will flourish. The brands that don't will suffer."Roy De Young, Brand StrategistTemel Inc.

"Smart brands will learn to empower the consumer. Today's consumers know that they hold most of the power in their relationships with brands. Be it by sharing relevant learning with consumers, creating environments that foster customer communities, or offering relevant product or service benefits that improve people's lives, the brands that not only engage but also empower will be the brands that break away from the competition this year."Hayes Roth, Chief Marketing Officer Landor Associates

Design Redefined
"Design economy is about the convergence of value and design. Today's consumer is demanding both in their product offering. Brands like Target, Apple, and JetBlue intimately understand what the customer deserves both with their service and product offering." Shelley Rosen, CEO Airlift Ideas

"One interesting shift in how we develop the visual piece of the brand is how important digital presence is now. It, in many cases, is driving what we [design]. This means more color, more transparent overlapping. The old adage about how will it look in the Wall Street Journal is just that: old."Jeffrey Marcus, PrincipalMarcus Associates

"We have been tempted for some time to issue our staff black turtlenecks outfitted with pocket protectors. Increasingly, branding and design considerations are overlapping with technological ones and there is more than ever a need for this improbable pairing of analytical and creative minds. It could be argued that at some point in the future, branding will be more a function of technological savvy than design sensibility."
Josh Kelly, Principal FINE Design Group

A Brave New (Entertaining) World
"Avatars are becoming more popular in marketing. Recently, stars like Ludacris and corporate mascots such as Tony the Tiger of Kellogg's have been utilized as a form of brand promotion. Much like a pop-up window, a singer such as Ludacris will appear on your desktop and walk you through various tasks on your computer (shopping, web browsing, etc.). He even will sing and dance based on voice-activated or keystroke commands. For many, this makes the online experience much more user-friendly and simple. It also provides entertainment and brand strength."Dave Seidler, DesignerBaer Design Group

"The sports industry is booming like never before. A multi-billion dollar global business on the cutting-edge of entertainment, new media technology, and marketing synergies, the sports industry will continue to boom. However, amid the prosperity, the consumer of sport—the fan—has never been harder to reach…. To date, fantasy sports have changed the way major sports are viewed. A multi-billion dollar industry [in its own right], it has yet to be fully embraced by blue-chip marketers…. I expect that to change as the industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds, not to mention the prime demographic [comprising] influencers."
John Meindl, President/CEOSports Branded Media Inc.

Some Things Don't Change
"I believe we will see more and more brand extensions over the coming years. An example of this would be World Gym creating its own line of energy drinks. (This is strictly a hypothetical example.) While World Gym does not have a core competency in energy drinks or nutritional supplements, it could leverage its brand as experts in the physical fitness industry to create relevance and credibility for extending the brand into other niche markets. As companies with established brands gain more awareness in the marketplace, the brands become a commodity that can be used to leverage new products into new markets with a reduced amount of risk and a reduced barrier to entry."David P. Smith, PresidentEnvision Creative Group

"Brand identity is more important in 2007 than ever before for small and midsized companies, which need to establish some recognition before they go out and try to sell their unknown products and services. Integrated marketing communications and brand consistency across functions and divisions are imperative."Todd Baer, Creative DirectorBaer Design Group

Think Good and Green
"As we look to the future of branding, my thoughts have moved toward inspiring and guiding our clients to create new ideas, products, and experiences that make our world a better place. The tipping point of 'green thinking' has arrived and more and more people will search for ways to participate or choose brands that are actively making a difference. I believe—and I am optimistic—that we are moving toward something new: an era of new opportunity."
John Creson, Executive Creative DirectorAddis Creson

"Sustainability will be a theme that resonates with consumers as it becomes better understood; and it will be a focus for companies looking to do well, while doing good."Peter Dixon, Creative Director, Retail Design PracticeLippincott Mercer

"More and more celebrities are supporting environmental causes and 'going green' with emphasis on supporting alternative energy sources…. Cause-related marketing and PR will continue to rise among brands as an effective tool to 'achieve success by doing good.' Socially conscious baby boomers—who are now in the decision-making roles in corporate America—are driving this trend, as are consumers who are much more likely to buy products from companies they perceive as socially responsible and supportive of causes."Rita Tateel, PresidentThe Celebrity Source

The Corporate Landscape
"[Worldwide,] 2006 saw some of the most heightened activity in mergers and acquisitions, across all sectors of the healthcare industry. As pharma and biotech converge to form potential powerhouses of the future, companies are going to have to look hard and fast at the role of the corporate brand as never before.

"Recent levels of attrition in both pipelines and the rate of new drug approvals coupled with some substantial patent expiries looming on the horizon, will continue to challenge the way in which companies approach both the development and management of their product brands. The watchword for the industry in 2007 will be how to make brands work smarter."
Rebecca Robins, Global Marketing DirectorInterbrand Wood Healthcare

"[In Europe] I predict a shift from companies focusing on building their brand experiences to building their customer experiences. With good clothes you notice how good the clothes look, with great clothes you notice how great the person looks: so [it goes] with great brands—customers shouldn't notice the branding, but the great experience."David Hensley, Senior PartnerLippincott Mercer London

"[In Eastern Europe] there is a certain surge of the demand of branding jobs, mainly in the product branding and packaging areas. The shelf has been rather dull until now, and the EU accession brings also a tide of better-designed Western products, which put the local brands at a disadvantage in front of the consumer. Rapid change of consumer lifestyles is another factor to accelerate this trend."Aneta Bogdan, Managing PartnerBrandient

"[In Asia,] even as media gets fragmented with more customer touch-points than ever, the importance of brand building cannot be overstated. To a large extent, the customer still buys with his heart rather than his head, and so it's imperative that clients and advertising agencies continue to project the right brand image for a product or service by investing in brand building."Suresh Kumar, Creative Group HeadGosh Advertising Pte Ltd Singapore

"[In the US,] corporate fraud, misdeeds, and lies will continue to be major problems for global and national corporate brands. Most corporations are still not walking the talk to become more honest, transparent, accountable, humble, and consistent to build long-term excellent reputations. As a result, a growing trend with corporation brands continues to be corporations with reputations in crisis.

"Ironically, fraud and corruption in the corporate world is so bad that simply doing the right thing has become a major differentiator." Mike Paul, President and Senior CounselorMGP & Associates PR

Siva

Early to Bed, Early to Rise, Work like Hell and Advertise

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Northpoint, the centre of ‘unlearning’. “Unlearn!!” we were told - unlearn all the rigid mathematical rights and wrongs of life. 1 and 1 is not just 2 anymore, it could be an eleven. (The mathematical part of me begs to differ)

It’s been an interesting ride. I’ve met people I’m sure I would never have met in my life through this course and now, work. It’s been early mornings, seven day class room sessions, and a lot of adjustments, a lot of growing up and a whole lot of learning! It’s been a defining process.

Advertising: The field for dreamers. The neurotic, coffee drinking, music loving, nocturnal dwelling, money grabbing, gibberish spouting ‘unlearners’.

Aaah it’s good to be home fellow dreamers!

Northpoint pushes your limits, coaxes you to step out from your comfort zone and grow, and challenges you to be better than you are.

I think the purpose of Northpoint is best described by this:
"Das Beste oder Nichts" meaning "the best or nothing”
-Mercedes Benz logo

Rashmi

To Northpoint, with Love!

How do you think you can learn to play Cricket?

There are 2 ways, one is you read a book on cricket and the other is you actually get on to the field and play cricket.
In the same way there are 2 ways of learning, one is where you read theory from books, never mind that theory hardly ever applies to practical life and the other where you learn by doing things. And that's what Northpoint stands for, 'Learning by Doing'.
And obviously since Northpoint is associated with Lintas India, one of the best in the industry.... it definitely has to be a great experience.

So, this is how my journey at Northpoint started.

On May 27th ’05, I entered the gates of Northpoint for the first time. A sense of pride filled up in me when I saw the spectacular architecture. For a few seconds I stood awestruck wondering if this was my institution or one of the luxury hotels by Taj. But the feeling subsided as time passed by and we were introduced to our course.

PGPAMC Batch One

All the 30 of us looked at each other with inhibitions & eagerness, but for a new bonding.
The enthusiasm, excitement, anxiety, doubts, the so called 1st impressions gave their way off once all of us introduced ourselves to each other.
After acquainting ourselves with everyone it took us good 4 hours to explore the massive architecture which had 2 blocks; executive & the students block. Obviously, the students block was the place where we had to spend the forthcoming days.

My Northpoint has everything which no other institution would ever have.
The lobby where we watched TV, the gym where the boys build muscles & the girls toned their body, the squash court where we had our matches, the tennis court, the swimming pool & Jacuzzi, the gardens, ‘Gossip’ where we filled our tummies with the delicacies, ‘Discuss’ where we got involved in small discussions with the lecturers & 'Discover' where we tried to discover the ways we could learn more & more, the library where we got almost all the bookish Gyaan we could ask for, the admin block where we charged our laptops & surfed net.

We were fortunate enough to have been taught by all the biggies in the industry. People who have seen advertising, felt advertising & done advertising, came all the way to Northpoint to share with us everything they could. No jargons, no books... only live case studies is what we came across.

The 360 degree communication, the ATL & BTL activities were words unheard to me, but when I finished my course I crossed the finish line of advertising. Only because Northpoint is a part of Lintas, we were exposed to Lintas IMAG i.e. Integrated Marketing Action Group. In the 2 months of our IMAG stint, we got an opportunity to experience outdoor, rural, in film, healthcare advertising, the event management bit, the designing bit & public relations. I mean which other course would actually allow you to work with an agency of a stature as big as Lintas. But, honestly the amount I learnt there is phenomenal. No other course or no other institute could make a course as interesting as PGPAMC.

And now let me introduce to you Countryside Inn, our home in Lonavala. The beautiful inn which is located in the isolated parts of Lonavala, an 8 km drive from Northpoint.
The nice, clean rooms, the small pool, the garden, the swings, the shade, the different kinds of experimental cuisines, the morning breakfast, the late night projects, celebrating birthdays at midnight by throwing people in the pool, celebrating every small festival with the whole gang. It was fun to live there.

Today when I sit & think, I realize that these 18 months have passed like 18 minutes. Every day, every minute & every single second whether we sulked or laughed, it taught us new things. But as they say that life moves on, I also moved ahead & today I am placed as a copywriter in Linterland, the rural marketing wing of Lintas IMAG.

If Northpoint wouldn't have been there, I wouldn't have been where I am today.

Apeksha ‘appy’