It is the month of 'luvvv', and next week is bound to bring in its share of Good and Bad PR as brands get into a frenzy of "leveraging" and "activations" for Valentine's Day.
Till then, NDTV's Delhi Elections Print Ad, Maha Kumbh and Coldplay make the Good PR list. Clearly, there is good PR in numbers.
Good PR: Upcycled Amazon Box Beds at Maha Kumbha
Little boxes are bringing sound sleep to people at the world's largest event. The authorities, media and your neighbourhood uncle have been delivering you updates from the Maha Kumbh, and the verdict is unanimous—we are witnessing the largest congregation of human beings since, well, human beings.
Good on Amazon India constructing something valuable and impactful. A respectable 1000 beds made from the iconic Amazon box(and maybe more) have been deployed around the Kumbh to help a few get their 40 winks. It is not the first time Amazon has upcycled its delivery boxes, but it is a worthy cause to lend your cardboard.
Bad PR: Apne Desh Ki Hawa
How many billionaires does it take to get a room full of fresh air? More than three! The Kamath brothers sat down with Bryan Johnson of the 'Don't Die' fame (we covered the Blueprint protocol and his peculiar food habits) at a Mumbai 5-star to get his views on human longevity. Ironically, Bryan had to cut short the recording because he couldn't deal with the 130 AQI 'inside' the 5-star. He's since been labelled a 'diva' and a 'drama queen' for being unable to withstand some puny particulate matter in the air.
Doesn't he know we Indians are born with XL lungs and special filters that would make even Captain Planet jealous? If he doesn't like our hawa, he can buzz off to Hawai-stan (or wherever you go when you desire super clean air). To their credit, the Kamath Bros. have sparked intelligent conversation about a serious issue, though there will not be a clear answer on the anvil soon.
Shoeb is the chief innovation officer at Ideosphere Consulting. He loves helping brands and business leaders articulate their value better. If you want to point out examples of good and bad PR message him on LinkedIn
When in India, I did end this podcast early due to the bad air quality. @nikhilkamathcio was a gracious host and we were having a great time. The problem was that the room we were in circulated outside air which made the air purifier I'd brought with me ineffective.
— Bryan Johnson /dd (@bryan_johnson) February 3, 2025
Inside,… https://t.co/xTkpW567Xv
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