KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY

Ramina Haorokcham is Group Head, Maxus (Group M). Ramina is a 2005-06 Ad-PR pass out. Intrigued by the world of “Brands”, Ramina has been setting the strategic objectives of the brand in the media and communication platforms. She has worked in some relevant Brands like Mother Dairy, GSK (Glaxo Smith Kline) products, Uninor, Future-Groups and currently working in Dabur.

The IIMC Entrance exam was really one of the best written exams I have given in my life because I was writing everything what I was watching and reading every day. On the exam day, I was smiling and writing about my favorite novel “Erich Sehgal’s Love Story “and was narrating how a lead female character in the daily Soap inspired me. It was fun...

No Doubt, Cracking Ad& PR Exam of IIMC is not rocket science project but you still can’t ignore it. It involves lots of reading (newspaper, Mag, Fiction and Non Fiction Books), watching TV (From news channel to GEC to niche channels), listening to radio and of course internet (now in this scenario).
*GEC channels: Star Plus, Colors, and ZEE TV etc...
*Niche channels: Discovery, TLC, NDTV Good times etc...)

Luckily I was preparing for MBA entrance exam so for me no new additional preparation was needed for IIMC. I was reading 3 Dailies (Hindu, HT, TOI), Business Mag ( Business world, Business Today), News Channel, Business Channels (NDTV Profit and CNBC TV 18) and yah radio was for music when I get bored but it really helped ‘cos there was a question on “Describe an ad you like most in radio, and ad script for radio?”

So anything and everything can be useful when you know how to use and portray it.(And of course you can’t ignore all the print ads, TV ads ,Internet ads, radio ads ,outdoor ads ..Welcome to the world of advertising)

Bottom-line: Keep yourself updated (through any mediums- TV, Print, Radio, and Internet) in Socio-economic Related topics, Politics, IT, Entertainment, Current scenario etc... And express your thoughts in simple and creative way.

Suggestion:
Newspapers: HT/TOI/Hindu (Read all the editorials, and especially HT Sunday – I used to love Face off by Vir Sanghvi and Sunday sentiments by Karan ThaparJ) And don’t forget to see ads on First Page right hand side, 3rd page, Back page. Observe the Brands and build your opinion or how the ads can be more interesting be if you have to recreate the ads. It works.

Magazines: Business World/Outlook Business/ Business Today (Case study and In Depth Sections in Business World is really useful)

TV: Watch Soaps, Documentary, Non Fictions (Don’t forget to notice ads in between the breaks and tagline and proposition of the Brands)

Books: Fiction/ Non Fiction (Better to start an exercise of writing a 1page summary of what actually you feel and your thoughts, opinions after reading a book .It helps)

Online: http://businesstoday.intoday.in, http://www.businessworld.in, www.afaqs.com, www.exchange4media.com

For any queries contact me: rhaorokcham@gmail.com


Best Wishes: Welcome to the world of advertising….
Ramina Haorokcham