Burnish the Bawa brand

"A lot of issues (concerning the community) could be resolved using the power of communication… The advertising, media and marketing world could contribute to the furtherance of community goals. We should harness their skills,” recommended Sam Balsara of Madison World at the pre-lunch session on "Parsi Contribution to Media, Advertising and Cinema” on the second day (December 28, 2013) of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress (10WZC) in Bombay. Chaired by Congress honorary secretary Maneck Davar of Spenta Multimedia, the other panelists from the media world participating in the discussion were Bachi Karkaria of The Times of India, Farokh Balsara of Ernst and Young, and Neville Taraporewalla of Microsoft Advertising.
"To project the community in the right light, we have to build on its strong heritage and core strengths,” observed Sam Balsara advocating the need for a communications manager for every association whose only job would be to protect and nurture the community image and reputation. "I would be happy to lend skills to build and further the brand image for the community.”
"The President of India came to honor us because... "the branding of the community has worked over the years,” pointed out Davar. Since it has "slackened in recent times, we need to now burnish that image.” Digital technology enabled about 3,000 people to watch the live screening of the President of India’s inaugural address at the Congress, added Davar.

Photographs of the President addressing the Congress were carried on the front page of leading newspapers. Regretting that Parsi males at the Congress did not come dressed in their traditional daglis despite the organizers making a plea, Sam Balsara noted, "What a lovely photo it would have made on the front page… We missed a wonderful opportunity to establish our identity.”
"Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party used digital tools to become a brand,” stated Taraporewalla urging the community "to adopt to digital ways to get the children and grandchildren interested” in community issues. Prime Minister candidate "Narendra Modi has done a fantastic job. Even he realized he needs branding,” said Sam Balsara.
According to Karkaria, "There are two sides to communication: journalism and branding.” Whilst reporting on the glorious past the current realities have also to be portrayed. Bawas on bikes and enjoying a foxtrot are the regular caricatures associated with the community. "We are not a has-been community…
"Proud of the mantle we carry,” Karkaria reminded the audience that the oldest surviving newspaper in Asia is The Bombay Samachar, that the Gujarati periodical Navroz in Calcutta, started by her grandfather, ran for 72 years but had to eventually cease publication, that Russy Karanjia and Dossu Karaka ran "classical red top tabloids (characterized by simple writing style, dominated by pictures and directed at the more sensational end of the market),” that founder of the Afternoon Despatch and Courier, Behram (Busybee) Contractor had developed a style that was appreciated by her generation.
Among the new brood of journalists, there are more females than males in the profession, she stated. "It is not only for editorial writing, even in advertising, we are not getting males,” stated Taraporewalla who believed, "Every one can’t be an entrepreneur. We need to build the next generation of leaders with management excellence. The young talent needs to go out and prove to the world.” The community that is frequently referred to as being "in numbers beneath contempt,” has sufficient representation in the advertising world, commented Sam Balsara.
Happy to share the same name as the singing legend, better known by his stage name Freddy Mercury "who really stands out in media entertainment,” Farokh Balsara took pride in reporting that Sam Balsara "controls one-sixth of all media buying in India.” Ronnie Screwvala who founded UTV was able to spearhead more than one-third of all Bollywood releases last year and Viraf Sarkari of Wizcraft successfully created the "Kingdom of Dreams.” Balsara added, "Parsis need to enter this sector and start such businesses. Unfortunately media entertainment as an industry is somewhat looked down upon.” He referred to infinite possibilities: The lighting at the Washington Botanical Garden created waves on Facebook… advances in animation, VFX, gaming, visual effects… "If the creative youth of the community embrace this sector in a much bigger way, they can excel in this field,” he was sanguine.
"A hundred positive stories are destroyed by one negative story… I would like to urge people, before they do anything, before they get into any act, they should think of the reputation of the community,” requested Davar.
"At the individual level we carry a huge burden of being honest,” corroborated Karkaria. Any negative stories are seized by the general media to remind us ‘You thought you were the greatest since Cyrus the Great? You are not.’ Every time I write a story that I think is objective, I am badgered for showing up the community with its warts.” She considered that an act of shooting the messenger.
Citing an observation by Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy that "I have never met a bad Parsi in my life,” one of the panelists commented, "I hope such a statement can be made 25 years hence.”
"The honest truth is that we in the media create images or augment an already existing reality,” declared Sam Balsara. Sometimes an imagery can change with intensive campaigning, he said, and reiterated "the power of the pen.” Urging "everybody in this room to take responsibility for their actions,” he reminded, "the media picks up bad news with lightning speed but for good news you have to hire a public relations agency to push it. As a community we need to be aware of it.”
"We are a vibrant community. Let’s not get too shirty. Let’s look at both sides… We don’t want to listen to any-thing that is contrary. The more we shut windows and doors, the more we will be left with a community not worth preserving,” opined Karkaria.
Davar though was happy that when Maharashtra advocate general Darius Khambata put forth a contrary viewpoint at the preceding session of the Congress "he was warmly appreciated and his strong views were respected.”
"We need to talk to the youth in the language of the youth,” stressed Karkaria and recommended that children be taught famous stories like the Shah Nameh through animation shots. "I have written Amar Chitra Katha comic books which children today will not even look at,” she commented. "Each one of us is consuming news content through multiple devices,” stated Taraporewalla.
Appreciating Sam Balsara’s efforts to produce a blueprint for the community at the end of the Ninth World Zoroastrian Congress, Davar felt the media baron’s expertise should now be used to create "a brand strategy for the community” to guide "especially those in positions of power… We would like the Congress to not end after four days but to offer some takeaway.”
Even before the panelists could be thanked, the microphones stopped working temporarily, making Davar comment, "It seems we have been timed out.” The chairman of the Congress, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla is "impatient with long speeches,” he remarked.