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75th Episode. One of the proudest moments in Dainik Bhaskar history has been the Orbit Shifting Innovative Launch of Jaipur Edition on 19th December 1996. It in many ways defined how newspaper titles reevaluated their launch strategies and geographical boundaries.
Cut to 2006, Dainik Bhaskar was celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the successful launch. As it was a big occasion, a lot of activities were 
planned at the local level. The marketing team at Mumbai was supporting them in few of the endeavors. One of these was designing of a press ad that would be carried in Dainik Bhaskar (Rajasthan) and in B2B media like Impact, AFAQS etc.
EURO RSCG was the agency on the job. A senior person in client servicing Sinith and junior team member Aasnir ( names changed) were in-charge of the job. If I recall correctly there was enough time given to the agency. One important element of the brief was a constraint imposed on visual that could be considered. The team at Bhaskar under guidelines from Girish Agarwal (Director Marketing- and one of the promoters of the Group) was clear that no visual depicting Hawa Mahel or Sand Dunes or camel or Mustache or the Banjaran vibrant colored attire would be used to cue Rajasthan.
The ad finally was presented on 15th (Friday) December. Not much to panic about. Still time for it to be e carried on 19th in Dainik Bhaskar and in trade media (material deadline. Friday) that would hit desk around Tuesday. Perfect timing.
Pratibha was the new person in my team who ad had joined in September showed me the ad. The ad was nothing great but was doing the job. As time was of essence some compromise solution was fund and the ad was approved subject to few changes. The material deadline for B2B was the same evening. All set to print.
The twist in the tail came on Tuesday. Dainik Bhaskar office at that time was at Mahim. Girish’s came in the morning at Mahim. It was his main office but post DNA launch in Delhi his time spent at Mahim had decreased a lot. He went directly to the Puja corner. The way to Puja corner was a small passage. On one side was my cabin and on the other side outside Pratibha and rest of my team members would be sitting.
Post Puja, Girish asked for Impact copy from Pratibha. The moment he saw Dainik Bhaskar ad, he had to just take a turn and stepped into my Cabin. His face said it all. There was something drastically wrong. He shared his observation with me. I walked out and heard myself saying loudly ‘We will sue the agency if this is true’
Here is what has happened. The Dainik Bhaskar 10th anniversary ad in Impact published as per scheduled actually carried the picture of old office of Rajasthan Patrika. The schedule for the day went haywire. There was chaos as we tried to unravel the mystery of how did this happen. There was questioning and retracing of stages of approval. Agency has picked an image of Rajasthan and was within the brief in their interpretation. There is no way for them to know that it was an office of Rajasthan Patrika. The saving grace was that it was an old office of Patrika, that they had abandoned long time back.
By evening tempers had cooled down. We were the understanding clients who accepted the flaw in our processes and accepted agency’s point of view. This brought in tighter controls within the system.
—- Contribution shared by an ex-team member—- Details as per her version — Every week, every agency gives the client at least one reason to sack but before acting the client must consider if the reason is big enough to sack. ……………………………………..
HERE ARE SOME OTHER EPISODES IN MEDIA, ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
MUDRA – ● The unforgettable morning at naukuchital ● UNNAMED SPIRIT- A SPOOKY EXPERIENCE at Mcleodganj ● THE LOST HAUNTING MUSIC– An experience ● UNDERGROUND – Printing fake currency could have led to jail ● APPETITE – It does not matter where you get the appetite till you eat at home ● SHOOT REPORT – junior saving the issue by innovative process ●KAALI PEELI PICTURE – what do you do you’re your model is featured in Debonair ● SHOOT AT MUD ISLAND – shooting with Denzil ● SARDAR KHUSH HOGA – the agency reaction to a demand
HTA– ● THE ACRONYM – How while branding one must do the acronym test ● THE CHASE that could have got us killed ● CAN YOU MAKE SOMEONE AN ENGLISHMAN OVERNIGHT ● THE WATCH: How do you know what your client is signalling ● IRRATIONAL DEMAND – how clients expect agencies to do things ● DELAYED LAUNCH – Why HT Delhi Colour supplement launch was delayed ● I AM SANKAR – soft ragging of new trainee ● OUT – let game be game ● BUFFERED –delivery at airport ● JUHI EFFECT– there is something called lady luck in gambling ● ELEVEN MINUTES – client tackles late agency ● CONTINUE WITH CLIENT – The management supports a high pitched battle with client ● THE GHOST OF 35 RANI JHANSI ROAD JHANDEWALAON – The unsiad stories ● UPGRADE – Bangalore ITC ● TWO MORE – how not to pay for the drinks ● BANYAN TREE AGENCY – Agency tackles cost issue on unapproved estimates ● ASSET – how a famous Indian model was rejected ● INTRODUCTION ● LETHAL COMBINATION ● THE COUNT ● THE PROBLEM – Agency tackling a no-brief from client
LINTAS – ● SHARING IS CARING The coded message by a PSU client ● The other semi-final –How beer has answer to everything ● RUMBLING – amplifying the peace ● PUNJABI LINTAS – Amrit Puri takes over Lintas ● RAIN CLAUSE – I – The fight with Whitelight film over Maruti film ● THE CHERRY WIN –Team plays a prank ● ONE LESS DECISION – a campaign thought represented umpteen times ● BLACK GOLD – A lesson on TVC presentation ● POWER OF PUNJAB ● Puncture – how not to get caught ● THE PRESENTATION – junior takes revenge for last minute changes ● IMPORTED ART CARD – a quick retort to finiky client ● THANK YOU
DAINIK BHASKAR – ● FORMULA 1- better watched on small screen ● NEGOTIATOR– how the media publisher decied to teach negotiation to the media buyers that only bargained with it. ● 248KB – How a simple mail fired to save the honour ● REJECT AD– Why the brand created an Ad that it wanted Publication to reject ● REVESRE SELLING– how the hunter becomes hunted ● OVERDOSE – What happened with a good B2B initiative at holi● DING DONG EXCITEMENT AT MACAU – the addiction to casino ● DOUBLE SURPRISE– Never walkin a party not knowing the occassion ● HIGH SEA GAMBLING – the merry making in international waters ● The Jump – a team of 7 go skyjumping during annual conclave at Pattaya ● KOTI ANGLES: Gambeling in Goa ● Equal Opportunity to Indulge: How HR finds itself ina spot in Pattaya ● STRATEGIC RAIN BREAK – How ZID KARO DHONI film was shot ● HIGH JACKING THE GOAFEST DELEGATES – a ground event that took Goafest by surprise
OTHER EPISODES INCIDENTS AND STORIES — ● The ZenTangle Meditation – try it it works ● TRIMING THE BILL OF BEER FAT – how the bill at a 5 star hotel in Mumbai was inflated with beer fat that needed triming ● THREATENING TO DANCE WITH TWO LEFT FEET – just to get the party going ● SLEEP How Swaraj Mazda account was won by Anil Maitre● THE WALK : How we discovered the culture at Macau COWARD – A sad smiling face had lot of unanswered questions . ● HOT RIDE AT PUSHKAR – adventure ● The Trap: How the AE searching for adventure got duped ● MISSING LIPS : How friendship develops to create different expectations ● ADULTERY- THE MOMENT – Its all for you to decide how far you would go ● TIME BOMB – How to avoid embarrassing situation ● NOT FIRED – just in time action by agency ● SMALL TILE – eye for detail
