Did you know Poonam Pandey before the
World Cup 2011? Not me, and am sure there are many who'll share my reaction.
Yet as per today's Google
Zeitgeist 2011 results , she lies 4th in the 'Top Searched People' list,
topping Justin
Bieber, Aishwarya Rai, Sachin Tendulkar, Kareena Kapoor and
even Steve Jobs! What changed? How did she did that?
Her rise to fame and rise to the top searched
people list is a case study for all the startups who're eager to secure similar
visibility.
How is that?
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| Climbing the ladder of the Top Searched People |
Just like there is no shortage of the Poonam
Pandey's of the world, there isn't a shortage of promising startups. A simple glance
at the cluttered Indian e-commerce segment is proof to the umpteen 'me-too'
startups out there. But then if you were such a startup, wouldn't you like your
visibility just like Poonam Pandey's? Of course you would! After all, we all
know about the number of startups who're internally nurturing the dream of
being bought over and hence need visibility, hence PR.
So what are these 3 lessons?
1. Get clarity on what you want; that is the first
step to figuring how you will get it!
An average Joe is never covered in the papers. The
way i see it, Poonam Pandey wanted opportunities and she worked her way towards
it.
2. Once you know what you want, the first ball
needs to be hit for a six!
"If the Indian team wins the semi-final i will
strip naked in the stadium" If that wasn't a first ball six, what is! If
you're a 'me-too' startup with a few differentiators, then say "We’re just
like x, only we're better!'
3. Be consistent while playing on the edge
No need to be apologetic about believing you're
better than any brand or person. Continue to play on the edge, with the tone of
your voice and sharpness of your moves remaining the same. At every instance
Poonam Pandey talks about stripping nude. Has she done is as yet, nopes! But do
people get excited every time they hear about it? Hell yeah!
In the brand game, people don't know why they buy
Apple. Some obviously do, but most just buy it for no reason at all. [This isn't too hard to figure out. Just
spend a day in the mall and no sooner that you spot make-up coated fat jewelry
clad aunties with high heels carrying iPhone’s, will you realize that.] The
point is, when you reiterate a similar message hundred times, it registers in
the minds of some people and you don't need a source for that news then.
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| Screenshot of the last few news on Poonam Pandey |
There are obviously exceptions to each statement/ perspective,
like to this post you may react saying that a good startup only needs to focus on
its product. To that I'll say, fair enough, but how many good startups are
there anyway?
I look forward to comments on this post. By the
way, do you have any PR lessons startups can draw from Poonam Pandey's rise to
fame?
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