Facebook was initially developed for connecting people on a social platform. Long time ago the CEO had said that they will not make it too commercial for businesses and appear like other portals. But that seems like a history now.  I feel Facebook has started monetizing its every branch. Not that I am anti-Fb (I very much like the way it has evolved over the years and built its own nation), but purely from a digital specialist of a brand point of view I have written my observations. Let us look how:

1. Earlier fan count meant that your brand is followed by those many people. So brands thought it was sensible to spend on Stamp ads to raise fan count. //Stamp ads was Monetization #1
2. Now since almost every Tom-Dick-Harry brand has a Facebook page and some good number of followers, Facebook revealed out that your post reaches out to only 16% of your total fans. What should the brands do now? Facebook then came out with three solutions:
• Target your posts – Organic method to reach out to fans by targeting them either by age or location or hobbies.
• Continue Stamp ads – More the fans, more the reach #Monetization #2
• Promote – Have you noticed this word on all the posts these days. It guarantees that your post will reach more people either amongst fans or friends of fans. Monetization #3
3. Suggested Page – One more feature which has been doing rounds is ‘Suggested Page’.  Suddenly a Brand’s page is thrown to me as a suggestion to like it. There has been targeting done by Facebook and I am the Brand’s TG. Brand is paying them to capture the TG. Monetization #4
4. Sponsored Story – My friend has liked the page and that is the reason I am given a suggestion thrown by Facebook to like the page.  Monetization #5
5. App creation will be monetized too. Reason 1 – App developers have taken too many advantages while building brand specific apps which Facebook wants to control now.  Reason 2 – Apps will have to be promoted like posts or page to achieve higher reach. Monetization #6. Reason 3 – Other brands will be free to advertise on Apps on impression basis. And it would be like advertising on Farmville or Criminal Case. Monetization #7.
6. Page Take Over Ads – Whenever I log-out of Facebook, I come across this huge banner ad. It is by a brand and the ad can either land on FB page or outside FB. But it gives lot of impressions/Likes to the brand #Monetization #8

While all these mechanics are pressurizing brands to do more and more FB advertising – to connect with more & ore people – to be social friendly brand – to engage the audience, in a way it is also beneficial for people. They get to participate in different contests, apps and win loads of goodies and have fun! Happy Facebook-ing.

• Market is very dull – Across all the segments be it Consumer Electronics, FMCG, Lifestyle products, there seems to be a slowdown which is impacting every possible brand.
• Adopting the trend from other countries – The stuff which does not sell up- to 5 or more months is considered for selling at lower price along with other fresh stock. This experience is given by stores like Ross and Macy’s in U.S. So even premium brands like CK, Ralph Lauren, and Banana Republic have fresh stock and old stock (which is available at dirt cheap prices). Similarly it is being adopted in India
• Creating a customer experience – Giving a middle class family an experience of luxury brand with a price their pockets can afford. Loyalty points associated with these shopping brings back the customer to shop again and redeem.  And sometime or the other if you get an experience, you stick to it for longer time until the pocket absolutely cannot afford.
• “Sale-u” people – Still lot of people in India have that sale mentality. So if they are in the mall for dinner they will definitely peek-a-boo in the showroom which says “FLAT Discount”. And they contribute a lot by their impulsive shopping.

Virgin Ocean at Maldives

White Sand Beach

Sting Ray (fish) inside the clear ocean

View from the room

Para-sailing

Submarine taking us to the seabed

Islands in Maldives

Sun setting in the sea

Everybody seems to be talking about the recent rape incident recently happened in the city. It continues to haunt every single lady who can ever think of an iron rod inside her genitals damaging her intestines. Are we so desperate for sex as a society that men on the road not only become rapists but also brutal?

1. Lasagne sheets (different companies such as Spigadoro, Baronia)
2. Onions (finely chopped three medium sized)
3. Cloves (Not more than 3)
4. White Flour (3-4 Tablespoons of Maida)
5. Milk (half litre)
6. Cream (optional)
7. Spinach (finely chopped and boiled)
8. Mushrooms (finely chopped)
9. Cheese cube (2 cubes)
10. Butter or oil
11. Italian seasonings (Oregano and Chili Flakes)

1. Adding cloves before onions to the pan makes them saute in clove flavored oil and it is tasty apart from making it digestible for sensitive stomachs
2. Milk can be full cream if you want it to be rich and creamy or toned for keeping it on lighter side.
3. By adding cream, you make it even more rich and tasty. Though it is optional.
4. Finely cut spinach can be boiled in the microwave by adding 1 tablespoon of water to the  spinach and microwaving it for 8 - 10 minutes
5. You can make it with 6 or 8 sheets. Top 3 should be in the center  one above the other. However the rest can be placed to maintain symmetry in the dish.
6. Always cut with pizza cutter in a perfect square and serve it with pie-serving spoon with a little bit of chili sauce on it.

Now that we have seen "Must have perfumes for HER", let me write about some of the top fragrances for males as well. As I mentioned earlier that I am a perfume lover and it does not matter to me whether it is pour homme (for him) or pour femme (for her). And before I start writing about the brands and the products, here goes two tips the users:

• Since guys have too many products to apply which have intense fragrance, they should avoid mixing of each other or use same brand for all the products. Such as talcum, after shave, deodorant and perfume.
• Most of their perfumes are in the tones of musk or aqua, it should be applied moderately and not too much to avoid distraction to others because they are very intense.