Could a “co-director” help us infuse local culture into our global brands?

I was invited to speak at the Asia Brand Congress 2008 which allowed me to visit the magnificent city of Mumbai, India-- so when the movie Slumdog Millionaire was released, I was excited to see it. And I loved it. Obviously, I am not the only one. Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, has won five Critic’s Choice awards and four Golden Globes.

Slumdog Millionaire is a love story that springs from the chaotic streets of Mumbai when the main character’s life is followed from street orphan to TV quiz-show contestant.

Director Danny Boyle was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and credited his co-director Loveleen Tandan for the success of the movie.

Tandan infused the movie with authentic Indian culture. She did this by urging the incorporation of key artistic and cultural cues into the movie largely by translating a third of the dialogue into Hindi. It successfully connected the experiences of this young Indian boy to an American audience while eliminating any cultural barriers.

“As soon as she did it, the scenes just transformed,” says Mr. Boyle. “A good decision follows a good decision, and our first good decision was hiring Loveleen.”

While reading this, I am reminded of the issues we here at STINSON work to overcome when going global. What could we do even better to “transform” our brand message to relate to global companies and global audiences in a more effective way? I feel STINSON has the potential to take global brands to a greater level, but our first step is to communicate that in the most connected way possible. I would like to hear your suggestions or thoughts on global communications between companies. What co-direction should STINSON seek when expanding our brands globally?

#1 hotel in the world -- and now a symbol of hope

I shared with you last September my experiences in Mumbai, India, when I traveled there to speak at the 2008 Asia Brand Congress. While there I was fortunate to have some time to take in the culture, meet some great people and explore the beautiful city. My stay included a visit to the iconic Taj Palace & Tower Hotel. It is hard to believe that I took pictures at the very place such tragedy would unfold months later.

I came across a couple striking advertisements for the Taj (pictured below) in Conde Nast Traveler magazine and The Wall Street Journal the other day. There are plans to rebuild the damaged section of the hotel, and the undamaged sections were able to reopen a couple of weeks ago.

My hope is that the Taj, as well as the people of Mumbai, will fully recover from this event and that I will have the opportunity to make it back again soon.

3 aspects of confidence that challenge us working globally

I was asked by PharmaVoice magazine to provide a preview of 2009 issues facing medical brand marketers.

Specifically, editor Taren Grom asked “As the life-sciences world continues to expand beyond traditional borders, all stakeholders will need to adopt processes to do business differently. What are the biggest challenges to working in a global environment?”

Here’s my reply:

The main issue is confidence.

Based on our experience with clients in the US, Europe, and Asia – as well as partner agencies in Istanbul, Turkey and Mumbai, India – we see tremendous positive growth. And because of this, the teams we work with are taking actions to take advantage of the opportunities.

Three aspects of a lack of confidence however, could limit us -- transparency, risk aversion and creative bias. Therefore, working across borders and corporate entities requires –

1. Communication and trust in setting goals,
2. Energy and guts to try new ways,
3. Openness to explore branding commonalities that still embraces cultural differences.

Personal reflections on the attacks in Mumbai

I wanted to share just a brief message about the seige of the past week in Mumbai, India.

On Wednesday night, I sent a message to our friends, partners, and even the Taj Hotel staff who treated us so well. I said, “We have been seeing the news of the terrible events overnight in South Mumbai. Everyone here is sending you and all our friends there our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Because Jenny and I were on that very spot at the Taj Palace just a few weeks ago, it makes the tragedy even more personal.”

I received responses like this:

“Thank you very much for your heart-felt message. There is a unique thing about the people of Mumbai - their spirit. They bounce back to normalcy very fast.”

“Its such a tragedy and such shock. We thank you for your prayers. We are praying too for the affected people and their families.”

“These are difficult times.... but Mumbai has a resilient spirit. All your good wishes will help keep that high. Thanks to you and all your friends.”


So it was in this time of soul-searching and reflection that I read these words of Suketu Mehta, a professor of journalism at New York University and the author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found.

In reaction to the seige, he wrote of his hometown –

“Mumbai is a ‘soft target,’ the terrorism analysts say. Anybody can walk into the hotels, the hospitals, the train stations, and start spraying with a machine gun. Where are the metal detectors, the random bag checks? In Mumbai, it’s impossible to control the crowd. In other cities, if there’s an explosion, people run away from it. In Mumbai, people run toward it — to help. Greater Mumbai takes in a million new residents a year. This is the problem, say the nativists. The city is just too hospitable. You let them in, and they break your heart.

“But the best answer to the terrorists is to dream bigger, make even more money, and visit Mumbai more than ever. Dream of making a good home for all Mumbaikars, not just the denizens of $500-a-night hotel rooms. Dream not just of Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai or Shah Rukh Khan, but of clean running water, humane mass transit, better toilets, a responsive government. Make a killing not in God’s name but in the stock market, and then turn up the forbidden music and dance; work hard and party harder.

“If the rest of the world wants to help, it should run toward the explosion. It should fly to Mumbai, and spend money. Where else are you going to be safe? New York? London? Madrid?

“So I’m booking flights to Mumbai. I’m going to go get a beer at the Leopold, stroll over to the Taj for samosas at the Sea Lounge, and watch a Bollywood movie at the Metro. Stimulus doesn’t have to be just economic.”


I’m sure that is the spirit that has attracted so many to the city. And why I won’t stop exploring the world and its people. I already have commitments for travel to Asia in the spring, an interesting speaking opportunity in South Africa late summer, and an innovation conference in Europe next fall.

On the weekend as we were giving thanks, I know I felt even more thankful.

Mumbai’s laundry gets done here at Dhobit Ghat

In just our first hour of touring the city, we were shown a place beyond your wildest imagination. The Dhobit Ghat is the place where hundreds and hundreds of pieces of laundry are done each day. The Dhobi men wash the clothes by hand on concrete sinks and then dry them in the sun. And to keep it all straight, they use a generations-old system of markings on the clothes to make sure each piece is returned to its owner.

The photos only begin to describe the chaos, color, activity, and sounds that mixed together in this amazing place.

Lots of ways to get around Mumbai – but don’t drive!

A look at Mumbai healthcare

In our discussion with Rashmi and Joyti from BrandCare, we learned a lot about the pharma marketing models at work in India. And while the patient-physician-pharmacy flow may at first appear similar that of the U.S., there are some practical differences. For example, an average GP sees about 100-120 patients a day. And about 20 medical representatives a day, too!

Here are photos of major hospitals and pharmacies.

We also were reminded of a public health matter – the risk of TB – in the frequent messages “Do not spit.”

Our afternoon on Mumbai Fashion Street

This street bazaar went on for what seemed like blocks and blocks. It is the place to buy fabrics and inexpensive clothing – open 365 days a year ‘til 10 p.m.

If you enjoy a little bargaining (like Jenny and our friend Joyti did), you can get some excellent deals. If you're not in the mood to buy (like me), the people-watching is quite entertaining.