Marketing is what you do when your product is no good
Read a senseless article the other day – you know the articles that get printed because of freedom of speech? The ones that have no data to support them, no statistical evidence or facts? The ones that get printed to spark some kind of controversy or help sell something (newspapers, magazines etc)? The ones that get printed in the gossip papers lined up next to the check out lines at the grocery stores? Is Angelina Jolie secretly married to the Sheikh of Uzbekistan? You get the point… So according to this article apparently SRT’s fan club is dwindling and only the loyal fanatics remain (I am in the latter group).
So Tendulkar is not at his best right now (in tests. He struck back with a ferocious century against WI last week and followed up with a century in the Ranji final). Every player goes through a lean trot. But since all eyes are always on SRT, a couple of tests without a century is a calamity of gigantic proportions. And this is a guy with 35 test centuries, carrying Team India on his shoulders for the past 17 years.
A smart friend of mine made an interesting comment the other day. “After Mark Mascarenhas’s death, Tendulkar’s career hasn’t been the same”. Got me thinking, what the hell has that got to do with SRT’s game? Well granted, he was more than a friend to SRT, but what’s that got to do with his game??
“Well” my friend said, “he did market him as the best. It was only Tendulkar back then, but now you have other cricketers endorsing reputed brands and are just as popular.”
Interesting point. SRT is the best in the business. He does not have to “market” himself as the best player in the world. But marketing is important. I remembered a quote from ‘American Beauty’ - “In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.” Think about it. Its so true!
And if SRT has to market himself, then so do we. In everything we do. Its not important whether you are good, its important that everybody else thinks you are good.
Its true at work. Let’s face it: Its not important whether you work hard, its important that your boss thinks you work hard.That’s true in friendship and in relationships. Girls like to hear “I-love-yous” and guys think “If I love you and you know it, why do I have to say it?” I know a guy who was not into public display of affection (PDA). But his girlfriend made him hug and kiss her in public so his friends know that he is serious about her! They loved each other, but it was important for her that other people know that too. Maybe in order to be happy, one must project an image of being happy all the time?
I can go on and on, but the fact remains – whether you like it or not, you have to market yourself in every thing you do.
So Tendulkar is not at his best right now (in tests. He struck back with a ferocious century against WI last week and followed up with a century in the Ranji final). Every player goes through a lean trot. But since all eyes are always on SRT, a couple of tests without a century is a calamity of gigantic proportions. And this is a guy with 35 test centuries, carrying Team India on his shoulders for the past 17 years.
A smart friend of mine made an interesting comment the other day. “After Mark Mascarenhas’s death, Tendulkar’s career hasn’t been the same”. Got me thinking, what the hell has that got to do with SRT’s game? Well granted, he was more than a friend to SRT, but what’s that got to do with his game??
“Well” my friend said, “he did market him as the best. It was only Tendulkar back then, but now you have other cricketers endorsing reputed brands and are just as popular.”
Interesting point. SRT is the best in the business. He does not have to “market” himself as the best player in the world. But marketing is important. I remembered a quote from ‘American Beauty’ - “In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.” Think about it. Its so true!
And if SRT has to market himself, then so do we. In everything we do. Its not important whether you are good, its important that everybody else thinks you are good.
Its true at work. Let’s face it: Its not important whether you work hard, its important that your boss thinks you work hard.That’s true in friendship and in relationships. Girls like to hear “I-love-yous” and guys think “If I love you and you know it, why do I have to say it?” I know a guy who was not into public display of affection (PDA). But his girlfriend made him hug and kiss her in public so his friends know that he is serious about her! They loved each other, but it was important for her that other people know that too. Maybe in order to be happy, one must project an image of being happy all the time?
I can go on and on, but the fact remains – whether you like it or not, you have to market yourself in every thing you do.
