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More than words
It is either page 2 or back of the cover page that, at the most, helps in publicizing a book. And reviews by critics... The book redefines the meaning of modern literature, A masterpiece in the genre of thriller, A real trendsetter... are the only things to attract readers, until experimenting begins.
Among the ‘bolder’ experiments, one was in the form of two extra lines mentioned along with the ‘usual’ reviews on the cover page of Delhi Durbar. Hachette India, a publishing firm, dared to write, Publisher’s promise: Love it or take your money back. The second line reads: ‘If you really appreciate the storyline, do send us an entry via mail and get a free book’. And the promotion of sorts was done. KP Singh’s Delhi Durbar sold 11,000 copies and his second book Young Turks over 7,000. The ‘bolder’ attempts are ample as well ranging from merchandising, online games, blogs (now a common option) to even movie tickets as is in the case of Twilight Series. At the time of release of the New Moon, the publisher tied up with PVR cinemas and bought movie tickets in bulk. "The tickets were then distributed with the purchase of Twilight Series novels. It actually helped push the sales of the book," says Pankaj Singh, owner, The Browser. Now, to promote the latest book from the series, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, the fifth book of the Twilight Novella, the publishing firm has introduced merchandise stuff like tea coasters, badges, paper bags and buntings. Arunima Roy, publicity manager, Hachette India, justifies the promotion of books in more ways than just interactive sessions with readers and book launches: "India has always had a niche readership. Also, people here have always preferred classic literature than popcorn or absolute fiction." She, however, believes the trend has changed with more young readers joining in. Plus, who minds something extra coming home with the book. "So, now when the young are taking to reading, we through merchandising are making an effort to reach out to them," she adds. Promotion certainly helps more in the case of children books. "The Big Cat series that targeted kids of one to four years promised fancy bags with the purchase of a set. Car stickers of certain books are also out in the market. Designed in the shape of traffic lights, the stickers read — Stop, look and read," informs Arunima. To make people aware about Kalpana Swaminathan’s book, The Monochrome Madonna, Penguin India launched an online game - Detection. The game is about helping the protagonist, detective Lalli, solve a murder case. "The game aims at advertising and familiarising the reader to the book. Indian fiction needs to be popularised, which is possible only if people are aware of it," Hemali Sodhi, vice-president, marketing, Penguin India. Published by Harper Collins, Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan, which is based on people’s love for cricket in India, had a toy cricket bat as a gift with it. The book on Blackberry phone, titled, Blackberry: The inside story of research on motion provides the reader with the information on how it was conceptualised, designed and the entire story behind its making. Nothing could have promoted the book better than the promise of a Blackberry handset — the publishers announced a contest, which required filling a form and answering questions after reading the book. But despite every publishing house taking up the promotional campaign, the success of these methods is yet to be seen. Says Pankaj, "Promotions make a difference in case of FMCG products but when it comes to books, the content makes the difference." He rightly cites the example of the fifth book of the Twilight Series. "The book isn’t as popular with readers as were the earlier ones in the series. Tea coasters or bags aren’t providing any impetus to the sales if the storyline is weak." Advaita Kala, author of the bestseller Almost Single, believes in the traditional way of promoting a book — word of mouth — instead of ‘business initiatives’. "Distribution is a far significant factor than promotion. The book, if distributed well, will be bought and read more," she adds. Blogs are another popular mode of promoting a book. Ajay Arora of Capitol Book Depot-17 favours blogs to merchandising. "A book worth a read doesn’t need any gimmickry. Still, blogs would suffice the purpose. And as for promotions through merchandising or online games is concerned, the results are yet to be seen," he says. Till the efforts yield some results, the latest on the freebies is - Hachette India will be releasing the book Dad n me on this Father’s Day, and the add-ons will be a drawing and quiz book. Prompt promotion, actually! ashima@tribunemail.com
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Add on
Cellphone technology... it just gets better with time, surprising us each day. From plain Jane messaging, pictorial texts, voice tags, and now Zlango, Wmode and a whole lot of new things. Just when we thought, this is it, Pardeep Gangal, managing director, Cain Technologies, Go Bindas Entertainment Private Ltd, talks about yet another addition gaining momentum - mobile advertising. "It is the new buzzword with the advertising agencies. It is a simple way of advertising through mobiles SMSes or images. For instance, for a car launch you would get the image of the car on the cell phone, which will be carried forward through interactive session," says Pradeep. This is what we call innovation for sure! Says Pradeep, "Go Bindas entertainment provides regional and religious content as well as manages technology services of world's leading platforms and customised services that enables telecom carriers, media companies and enterprises to reach their customers, which is what we call content aggregation." And we thought mobiles work because they are supposed to! He smiles, "This is one aspect of technology that has progressed in leaps and bounds and there is still a long way to go. With 3G coming we can expect a breakthrough in technology." Coming to exciting and much-experimented facet of what he is into - ringtones - the strange, the funny, the weird, the hilarious, the sad, the jazzy. Adds Pradeep, who has also worked as the group CEO of MH One, "Ring tones is another changing trend. It can be divided into two categories - created and the devotional ones. The demand for devotional ring tones has increased greatly. As far as name tones or creative tones are concerned, it has a clientele starting from youngsters to people in the age group of 25. Not to forget, Bollywood ringtones have always had a huge fan following." jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Tata Motors launches a new offering in the Winger range, the Tata Winger Platinum, in Chandigarh. The Tata Winger Platinum is a luxurious 7 seater, designed to provide an enhanced on-road experience with a perfect blend of comfort and space. The Tata Winger Platinum has been specifically designed to fulfill the needs of passengers who look for carriers but have to depend on Utility vehicles. The innovative design of Winger Platinum ensures that for a similar vehicle size, it provides much more space in the passenger seating area. This ensures that passengers are equally comfortable even in the last row making it the most apt vehicle for the segment. With adjustable head rests, soft wide adjustable armrests, best in-class legroom, individual AC vents and wide luggage space, the Tata Winger Platinum ensures every journey is a pleasurable experience. Passenger comfort has been further enhanced with well thought out features like collapsible grab handles, a side foot step for easy entry, coat hooks and two mobile chargers. In addition, a 2-Din music system with 4 in-built speakers and provision for LCD provide sufficient entertainment for long trips. The fully enclosed body, rugged engine sub-frame, anti-roll bars at both front and rear, retractable seat belts and child safety lock enhance safety. The 3-way adjustable driver's seat with power steering and a turning radius of 5.65 metres helps reduce driver fatigue. Motorised headlamps, fog lamps and a demisting unit aid visibility while driving. The aptly designed suspension ensures ride comfort, while the monocoque design minimises NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). The Winger is powered by a proven 2-litre turbo charged inter cooled diesel engine. The versatility of the Tata Winger Platinum allows it to be deployed for both long-distance transportation as well as intra-city needs such as transportation for working executives, holidaying families and other tourist usage. The Tata Winger Platinum comes in two colour options - Pearl White and Cycus Grey. It is backed with a 1.5 lakh km / 18-month warranty. The Tata Winger Platinum would be available at a price of Rs. 6.86 lakhs (ex-showroom, Chandigarh). — TNS
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Bag full
Cotton bags and big canvasses are also in vogue. As the summer is at its peak, college students prefer lightweight bags, which are comfortable as well as fashionable. These are affordable as well and the range begins from Rs 150. Scarf bags have also flooded the market. They are available in satin fabric in different hues of blue and black. The range starts from Rs 325. "Jhola bags, which became a huge hit after the movie Bunty aur Bubli, are still in high demand. They represent Rajasthani culture in its true spirit," says Deepak Sharma, owner of Hello Purse-22. She Walks-11 is offering a sale on various brands such as Eleegance, Esbeda, Calvino, Legacy etc. Basket bags, with tiger prints, leather ones with wooden handles are also in demand, but those with chain handles are out of fashion. Soft leather purses and potli-handbags are also favourites because they last long and are durable. Clutch it
Small, daily use hand purses, ranging from Rs 350 to Rs 4,000 and above, are also available. These clutches are decorated with stones, and are usually embroidered or block painted. |
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"With Cocoberry we bring to India, premium frozen yogurt for the first time. Our customers would have the opportunity to create their own delectable frozen dessert with a variety of toppings. We have designed the Cocoberry store so that it will appeal to the young and the young at heart. We not only strive to delight our guests with the most delicious dessert options in the city, but also healthier choices. " Survina Bhalla, director, Cocoberry Retail Pvt. Ltd. The Cocoberry menu features all-natural frozen yogurt selections with a selection of fresh fruits toppings such as Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Dragon Fruit, Strawberries, Mango, Pineapple, Pomegranate and Kiwi. The dry toppings will include Mini Oreos, Almonds, Gummi Bears, Marshmallows, Captain Crunch, White Choco Chips, Snickers, Chocolate Sprinkles, etc. The highlight is that the guest gets to create his or her selection to their liking. Cocoberry takes great care in developing each of its flavors to the satisfaction of its customers. — TNS
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Manbeer Chaudhary, ex-president FHRAI, briefing the mediapersons, said, "The hospitality industry in India has come to stay. The evergrowing Tourism Industry with its "Incredible India" campaign is all set to act as a Brand Ambassador of the country, showcasing the Traditional & Cultural wealth." The recent survey of the leading Travel Magazine The Conde Naste has listed India as the 4th must see destination of the world, thus, accelerating it from its old ranking of being nineth in year 2003. The International Tourist arrival has shot up to nearly 6 million in the recent times & the craze for the Indian architecture reflecting the Royalty of the by-gone-era has put the Indian Hospitality Industry on a high pedestal. With this in mind The Jewels Group of Hotels took a lead and has announced the launch of ‘Jewel's Noor Mahal', a Palace Hotel at Karnal. The premiere address for business or leisure, the Noor Mahal has the multiple advantage of being convenient to the Delhi International Airport, the city's main business and financial districts, as well as Haryana & Punjab, within near periphery. Spread over 8 acres and 350000 square feet carpet area, Jewel's Noor Mahal is a royal palace hotel with 5-star facilities and state-of-the-art amenities. An architectural landmark, the Jewel's Noor Mahal offers an ideal combination of traditional elegance and modern technology. — TNS
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Act wise
‘If you wish to achieve anything, just watch your dreams and strive hard to translate them into reality. Be a trendsetter, let others emulate you," says theatre artiste Shaina Kapoor. Shaina (23), who is pursuing Masters in Psychology from Punjabi University, has won the best actress award at youth festivals for three years in a row now. And she attributes her success to her mother and mentor Anu Kapoor. Shaina says she had a passion for doing something unique ever since her childhood. "During my studies at Government College for Girls, I worked hard and won the college colours. At the University, without any background I gave audition for a play and later won three awards in a row." Her roles in Pali Bhupinder's play Chandan de Ohle (2008) and Saiyo Nee Mein Ant Heen Tarkalan (2009), staged in zonal youth festivals, were widely appreciated.
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Confused as to which bag to choose among those available in the market this season? Well, here it ends, as we bring to you the latest variety on offer.
Big, trendy bags are the latest craze among shopoholics this season. Says, Inderpreet Kaur, a student of DOEACC-17, "I have a collection of big bags, which can store all my stuff like the
cellphone, charger, wallet, comb, shades, books etc. I have them in sea-green, purple and many other
colours, but I don't like the plain black and brown ones. They are also are no longer in fashion; one must change according to the latest trends."
Cocoberry, opens its first outlet in the Punjab region. The newly opened outlet will offer the ultimate frozen dessert experience and will lead the newest trend towards eating and living healthier in India.