Pathik Bhatt

Category: Business & Marketing

  • Promoting The Gita

    Last Sunday in a pravachan (discourse/lecture) about the Gita, Dadaji stated how we promote and advertise good movies that we’ve seen, but we don’t do the same for the Gita. It’s true, how often have you seen a trailer on the tv or a giant sized poster marketing the benefits of the Gita? This was one of those recurring moments in pravachan where I felt like he was speaking directly to me. Who else besides a graphic designer was going to bother taking that statement at face value? That statement is what inspired this post and this:

     

    I’m sure many people have seen the original Pass It On ad and this quote before. Have either of them moved you to take action in any sort of way? Apparently, this supposed quote from Einstein has:

    I say “supposed” because there is an on-going debate about whether or not Einstein ever said this, and there don’t appear to be any sources for it. I found it ironic though that someone might have created a false advertisement for the Gita in the 1970’s by fabricating this quote AND that it actually works! This opens up a whole new can of worms though.

    One of the most important lessons from the Gita is that the motive behind an action is paramount, not the actual action itself. With that idea alone the Gita explains how to turn every action – even the routine, mundane ones – into an offering to God. So the dilemma here is that we have a positive result occurring by the creation of false quote – more people  are reading the Gita. Is that okay? Well, that depends…

    • Scenario 1: Bookstore owner has an overstock of Gitas in his inventory, “How do I get rid of these and make some money off of them?!”
    • Scenario 2: Gita devotee who genuinely wants to share its message, “How do I get the Western world to even know that this book exist, much less read it?!”

    Would you feel better about the quote if the person in scenario 2 created it? In the end isn’t it the same result? Why should it matter?

    Perhaps you’re curious about my motives as I write this post and ask you to share the ads below too. That’s fair. Here are my some of them:

    • I saw a design/marketing challenge that related to my interests so I had to accept it
    • I fully believe in the awesomeness of the Gita and want to try a creative approach of promoting it
    • I want to grow my personal brand (that’s why my site is in the corner of each ad)
    • I like messing around with social media
    There may be more, but I guess that’s between me and HIM.
    Now if those motives are alright by you and you share any sort of affection towards the Gita, please humor me and change your Facebook timeline background image to any of the following banners (or pick Einsteins from above).

    In the comments below, please share a quote, lesson, verse or anything you want to about why you think it’s worth sharing the Gita!

    Oh, btw here’s a link to the Gita, go explore!

  • Should My Business be on Pinterest

    Before you decide to start using Pinterest for business, ask yourself the following questions:

    1. Am I trying to reach women with my products or services?

    80% to 90% of Pinterest users are women depending on what reports you check. Men’s shaving product and cologne companies probably won’t benefit as much as home decor and fashion companies (see below for more categories) from being on Pinterest – that is unless those companies find a way to make those images appealing to women. Here’s an example of how men’s products can turn into women’s pins (pay special attention to the name of the board that it’s pinned on): (more…)

  • 6 Ways That Advertising Negatively Affects Us

    Advertising is constantly demanding your attention everywhere you go, unless you live in the ad-free city of Sao Paulo. If you’re like me, you probably haven’t thought about the negative affects of ads that much. Why should you, it’s just a part of life right? Indeed, it is and we’re so used to having it around that it has desensitized us. We as a society barely notice the billboards next to parks, building walls covered with flyers, and the school buses driving by with ads, yup you read that correctly. Here are some reasons why you should be more aware of what advertising can do: (more…)

  • Stop Looking For Happiness on Shaadi dot Com

    The moment I saw this ad from Shaadi.com I couldn’t wait to write this post.shaadi.com ad

    Their ad’s message pretty much sums up what critics dislike (said: hate) about marketing (said: advertising). I got into a mini blog comment argument about why too much advertising was not something worth fighting over. I still stand by that opinion, but I can see the other side now. (more…)

  • Why You Need To Start Using Social Media Marketing

    This is a case study on how I used SEO, Social Media, and a little good fortune to bring thousands of visitors to my blog post about the fake Diwali satellite image of India.

    It is a good example of the power of social media marketing (when it works), and can be used to help convince the doubters. I’m not guaranteeing this kind of success with every attempt you make, but you have to give yourself the opportunity by participating in the conversations out there. Note that “success” for my blog meant:

    • visitors
    • likes
    • shares
    • comments
    • number of backlinks acquired

    The success metrics will change for every person, and it’s important to determine what that end goal is before selecting the marketing channel or channels. It’s not always easy to tie social media to sales, but if you know how to convert all those extra visitors then you should be fine (heh).

    I’d love to here your about your experiences with social media marketing, what worked, what didn’t? Please share in the comments below.

    SEO + Social Case Study | Pathikbhatt.com

  • Failing to Execute Marketing Plans – Mistake 2

    In the last post we covered how to setup a marketing plan and create goals to help you achieve success. That is the crucial first step that is required before any marketing dollars are spent. The next part is executing the plan in a way that enables you to meet your return on investment (ROI) goals. This is not a passive process (“I’ll go start some advertising and then sit back as the sales come rolling in”), you have to stay involved throughout to maximize your budget. (more…)

  • Marketing Mistakes You Might Be Making

    The last two Thanksgivings have sucked for me, both were preceded by job loss. Fortunately another thing that sucks at many companies helped me get back on my feet. I knew I wanted to switch gears & get into marketing after the first loss, so I headed straight to the library to check out some marketing books. One book called out from the shelves louder than all of the others: (more…)

  • Death Is Very Likely The Single Best Invention In Life

    RIP Steve Jobs – I’ve never owned an Apple product, and I’m always going around sharing that fact. But no one can deny how creative, intelligent, and amazing you were. I love Pixar btw, did I mention that? 🙂

    rip steve jobs

    Here is an awesome excerpt from his speech at Stanford: (more…)

  • How Social Media Saved My Wedding

    I know that sounds like a ridiculous statement (b/c it partially is), but my reception may not have been the same without it. We had decided that our theme was going to be “Chicago” early this year, and started thinking of ways to make that come alive in the banquet hall. I kept saying I wanted to make models of the buildings, but didn’t know how that was going to happen. After many Google searches I found my solution: postcards with models of Chicago buildings. It was some local printing press that had no contact form on the site, no phone number, no shopping cart, just a form to print out and mail to them. I don’t think I have ever placed an order this way, at least not in the past 10 years. It’s 2011!   (more…)