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Journalism of Courage
IT’S one thing to be invited by Ponty Chadha to the opening of his new multiplex-cum-mall. It’s quite another when the invitation comes from Amar Singh. When Centrestage mall housing Wave cinema recently opened in Noida—the happening Delhi suburb—many city socialites sat up with interest. The launch of yet another multiplex is hardly enough to evoke interest in these circles, but when the card says ‘‘Amar Singh invites you …’’, that’s something you don’t ignore.
As it turned out, Singh was not host but the chief guest. But the impression created by the card had done its job. Singh’s name—which always brings with it the promise of film stars in tow—was enough to draw hordes to the event which had Abhishek Bachchan, sister Shweta and brother-in-law Nikhil Nanda in attendance. The star presence meant extensive media coverage, and Chadha managed what he was looking for: instant recall value for Wave.
When Capitol, the new nightclub in Hotel Ashok, was being introduced to Delhiites earlier this year, business partners Parveen Nayyar and Siddharth Singh Chaudhry realised it needed that little extra push. Ashok, with its staid sarkari image, is hardly a place you’d associate with a hip clientele. Was there a Pied Piper who could lure the city’s cool crowd to Capitol? Chaudhry—incidentally, actress Mahima Chaudhry’s brother—zeroed in on perennial party presence Ramona Vadera then Garware née Narang. ‘‘Ramona is Page 3,’’ says Nayyar. ‘‘She moves in the kind of social circles we were hoping to attract to Capitol. So we asked her to host the launch party.’’ Adds Chaudhry, ‘‘I wouldn’t call her a socialite socialite. She’s a trendsetter and knows other people who are trendsetters. It’s not like we set out saying, ‘Who’s the best socialite in the city? Okay, let’s get Ramona.’ I was new to Delhi at the time whereas it had been some months since she moved here from Mumbai, so we were asking her to help us out the way we’d ask any friend.’’
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BE WARNED…
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• Socialites, listen up. If you host a product launch, treat it lightly at your own risk. You may cry yourself blue in the face with denials, but the janta will see you as a brand ambassador. Do you really want that? |
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Why quibble over the nitty-gritty? Fact is, everyone has something to gain here. As Ramona puts it: ‘‘When I invite my friends, they would come for the launch, get a feel of the place and once introduced to it, might become frequent visitors. That’s what Capitol’s owners were hoping for.’’ The party ended up attracting impressive numbers from Delhi and Mumbai, and by that we mean designer Tarun Tahiliani, hotelier Shashank Bhagat, Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri, Chunkey Pandey’s wife Bhavna, John Abraham, Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt and Sushma Reddy among others.
Big question: Ramona was not being paid, so what did she gain? Answer: the chance to throw yet another party for her friends, this one at someone else’s expense. Wonder if Philip Kotler and other marketing gurus had this in mind when they wrote about lofty concepts like ‘‘symbiotic marketing’’? Read: when two or more parties join hands to exploit an emerging marketing opportunity, where each party sees substantial gains from teaming up instead of going it alone.
Or as brand consultant Arjun Sawhney puts it simply, ‘‘The new product needs publicity. The star (in this case a socialite) needs exposure to maintain that star power. So the star gets to throw a party for her guest list without paying a thing, and the product gets a certain image because of those guests.’’
The trend is still taking infant steps. At Mumbai’s barely-three-month-old Provogue Lounge Bar, every Wednesday part of the space is given over to a group of socialites to throw a party for their friends. In a crowded marketplace, Provogue hopes to sustain interest with these evening dos. The society press is unlikely to bother with just another party, but when it’s hosted by the likes of actress Kitu Gidwani, model Namrata Baruwa or designer Shaina NC, then ears perk up. Plus it helps the place attract patrons who want to be seen at a hangout frequented by such celebs.
Who would have thought that socialite-ism would one day transform itself from a frivolous ideology to a handy marketing device? The ‘‘socialite host’’ is a step ahead of the stage (quite passé now!) when every second product launch was accompanied by a fashion show. Now, you spare the designers the trouble of throwing together a clothing line for a show that no one will take seriously anyway. You simply ask them to throw a party for their friends.
That’s what the owners of Ozone did. One of the hottest fitness centres in Delhi now, Ozone created a stir late last year when it opened with a party hosted by designers Manish Arora, Malini Ramani and Aparna Chandra. The three were wisely chosen: they’re relatively young, physically fit and have a funky image. They are also popular. Seven hundred guests turned up, among them hotelier Priya Paul, businessman Sunjay Kapur, designers, veejays, models, in short, everyone. Which means, Ozone was exposed in that single evening to 700 potential clients. ‘‘Today, we have about 30 Page 3 type people like Ravi Bajaj and Rohit Bal, who are our clients,’’ says FJ Singh, president of Ozone. ‘‘Whenever model Rahul Dev comes to Delhi, he works out at Ozone. We are not targeting only celebrities, but ours is certainly an upmarket clientele. Having celebs helps.’’ Ozone has not advertised till date, but has already touched a membership of 600 which is considerable considering that charges stand at Rs 50,000 per year per person.
Not every socialite is willing to jump on to the bandwagon. Mumbai society queen bee Queenie Dhody, for instance, says she’s turned down an offer to host a party ‘‘for someone’’. Does she consider it infra dig? ‘‘Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It serves a purpose for everyone involved,’’ she says politely. ‘‘But I’ve always believed in throwing my own parties at my own venue and paying for it myself. I’d rather entertain with my own food and wine.’’
Those who’ve tried their hand at it, admit that the advantages come with a catch. ‘‘I did Ozone for a lark,’’ says Chandra. ‘‘But I realised later that people see you as a brand ambassador. I wouldn’t do this often, and unless it’s a brand I want my name to be associated with.’’ Looking back at the Capitol experience, Ramona Vadera says: ‘‘I was supposed to invite my friends to the launch, but I didn’t realise that the owners would also invite their friends. The guests were all from different backgrounds, my people did not know their people, and it became a big mess.’’ Still, she’s not shying away from doing it again. Ambassadress Ramona is going strong.
(with inputs from Namrata Sharma Zakaria in Mumbai)
