It’s a sign of how much things have changed. In an age of instant information and online self-publishing, webcomics are fast becoming popular with an increasingly web-savvy audience. I’ve always considered myself a staunch loyalist to the ageless, paperback Marvels comics and not to mention an eternal fan of Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes series. But Matthew Inman’s “The Oatmeal” or Allie Brosh’s “Hyperbole and a Half” are just some examples of a completely new breed of comics that use a strange mix of childish drawings and diabolical dialogs… that are far from the norm, and yet good enough to be right up there with the best comics!

Which brings me to this… Brosh’s and Inman’s successes lie in the fact that they relate to their audience. They have a knack in figuring out what makes them laugh and then provide them with just that. They use their audience’s language, talk about what makes them click and attempt to be one of them. Mostly importantly, they don’t mind trying out new and weird things and they make full use of a new-age internet platform to be seen, heard and go viral.

And so it should be with the corporate world or any organization for that matter.

Relate to your customers, know what they want and need and put yourself in their shoes. And above – be different from the others. Easier said than done, but it’s not always about churning out innovative products and services. Rather what we need to do is to find those little ways to separate our products or service apart from the herd, and entice customers with just that. Because ultimately it’s our customers that have a final say in determining if we’re good enough for them, or not.

There’s a lesson to be learnt here. Who would have thought a webcomic would set me on this train of thought… but there you have it!

Popularity: 35% [?]

Flipkart has long been the darling of the Indian online masses since its inception in 2007. Originally a mere online bookstore, with a pretty big satisfied customer base, Flipkart has off late been expanding quickly. First came the gaming category and that has been quickly followed by electronic gadgets and very recently, a personal and health care category. While still a small range at the moment, I have no doubt that Flipkart will be adding a host of new electronics to its list.

My point here is….in the erstwhile unfriendly environment for e-commerce in India, Flipkart has totally changed the game.  Unlike behemoths like Amazon, Flipkart has had to cope with India’s underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of internet usage and payment gateway issues. Online banking isn’t as widely used either like in the US. And still Flipkart prevailed where other known sites like IndiaPlaza and Indiatimes shopping have failed miserably.

So, what’s Flipkart’s secret besides their discounts?

Customer Service. Yup, awesome customer service at that. For starters, they’re quite obsessed about responding to customers’ queries, keeping them up to date about their purchases, ensuring product quality, timely deliveries, sorting out the odd glitch, and so on.  And they are very, very prompt with their responses be it via their social media channels, emails or real time conversations over the phone! Full brownie points here.  Flipkart also bears the cost of delivery which is a key driver for them to drive efficiency and every point across the supply chain. Another thing is that they have even gone beyond their business realms and even invested in courier services in quite a few locations…all to ensure seamless and timely end to end services. And that translates to happy customers.  What’s especially interesting is that Flipkart is considering introducing credit and debit card swipes for home delivery. Talk about convenience, and this is especially significant in the Indian context where online banking is yet to take off in a big way in the smaller metros and towns. What I love about them is that they don’t try to stick to the mould but are constantly evolving and trying out new things.  And looks like Venture Capitalist love them for this as well seeing the inflow of investments into Flipkart!

An Indian version of Amazon. Who would have thought?

Popularity: 32% [?]

As part of its Rs 300 crores branding makeover, Airtel recently unveiled its new logo and signature tune. Supposedly meant to give Airtel a “youthful and international look” the new logo is uncannily similar to Videocon’s or for that matter, even resembles the Vodafone and MTS logos. Looks like this kind of design is in vogue these days with telecom companies, and looks like Airtel has decided to join the pack rather than stand out from it. A shame if you ask me, I personally liked their old logo and tune!

Now I accept the fact that change is inevitable and even brand logos need to evolve with time. Look at how Apple successfully transitioned to trendier looking version of its rainbow-coloured logo. Similarly Volkswagen and GE have stayed true to their original designs with tweaks here and there, and their logos are amongst the top and most recognized symbols in the world.

On the flip side, GAP’s new logo barely lasted a week and the company was forced to revert to its old logo in the face of an intense social media backlash. The Tropicana and “New Coke” designs were other massive failures that were recalled in the wake of vociferous consumer disapproval.

Changing a brand logo is not just a bold step, but a huge gamble and especially tough in the FMCG segment where you can never predict your loyal customers’ reactions! More so now that we know our consumers take these product logos very, very seriously and don’t react well to changes that don’t represent their trusted brand well enough.

And so I come back to this question – what really makes a new logo click? Is consistency the answer rather than reinvention? Should we even tinker with a tried-and-true logo that has worked well for so long? Why fix it, if it ain’t broken?

What’s your take?

Popularity: 17% [?]

Google never ceases to surprise me. I especially love their custom logo designs on their home page (famously known as Google Doodles) and the entire concept of engaging the general public by inviting suggestions and ideas on a regular basis. Internally, the employees also look at the homepage as a white canvas for an artist’s work to be displayed to the world.

Sure we have had not-so-great and average ideas displayed on the homepage, but there are also those outstanding moments where Google totally outdoes itself! The Pacman animation doodle earlier this year made waves across the world – the first ever interactive doodle that thrilled everybody, old and young, and allowed them to play their favorite arcade game directly on the Google logo! Even more recently was a logo dedicated to John Lennon’s 70^th birthday. On clicking the logo, users were taken to an interactive doodle video playing the famous John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’. How apt. Imagine – who hasn’t ever hummed along with that song? For that matter who hasn’t ever played Pacman at some point in the lives? Who doesn’t ever identify with these doodles? The answer is a rare few.

Google has given creativity and customer engagement a new whole meaning and indeed creativity is a term that is now synonymous with its brand. Even as I settle back in front of my desk every morning and open my browser, I go straight to the Google page to start work (like a million others around the globe)  – a little smile at a cute Google image, and I’m ready to start my day. Such is the power of Google!

Popularity: 11% [?]

Amid an ongoing controversy related to security concerns, a potential ban for its popular corporate email services looming large, and a marked dip in sales, RIM has come up with a new, spunky ad (for the first time ever  in India!) with Vodafone targeting prepaid users.  One that also subtly assures existing BlackBerry and potential customers that all is fine in the BB world.

What really stands out is the transition of the BB from being a corporate entity to a mass segment gadget in a simple and appealing way! Long thought of as high-end, superior business phone for the elite, this ad emphasizes its surfing and social networking capabilities. In a word, a gadget than can be used by all, especially the younger crowd. It’s interesting to see the BB in its new avatar and it’s a great PR move on RIM’s part, and of course it seems to be a win-win situation for both RIM and Vodafone. What remains to be seen is how this move will affect the BB ‘exclusivity’ brand. Only time will tell.

What do you think? Will this bold step help the BB move forward or diminish its image?

Popularity: 10% [?]

Now, I have my own personal opinions about the Israel flotilla fiasco that occurred about a week ago – however that’s not really something I would want get into here. A point worth making though is how the Israeli Government has set off an intensive media campaign across Twitter, Facebook and other key social media platforms to help restore its reputation. Every few hours, there are new videos uploaded to YouTube and a  regular stream of Twitter updates and blog posts – all demonstrating the ‘responsible’ behavior of the troops while portraying the people in the flotilla as hostile attackers. However the Government didn’t really bargain for the live streams and camera phones that have captured the true story – one that had been circulating around the social media platforms long before the ‘edited’ versions were released.  The social media war had been instigated at the outset when the flotilla began its voyage – indeed armed with Facebook and Twitter profiles, and every detail Flickered and You-tubed, the flotilla got their message across to the world and how!

While the Governments efforts seem to have worked at home to some extent, there is no stopping the wave of condemnation pouring in from across the globe. What is really ironic is that Government is now in a much worse position than it was when the flotilla launched.

Ah, the power of technology and social media!

Popularity: 13% [?]