Tom and Jerry
Was just flipping channels when I came across Cartoon Network, the channel that has been highly neglected ever since I entered my teens. But it looked just the same as far as I could remember and Tom and Jerry was on - Tom still chasing Jerry and Jerry trying to outwit Tom- nothing had changed from the looks of it. At the end of the episode when Jerry frustrated Tom to the point when Tom decided to leave the place, Jerry too realized that he would not enjoy without Tom and left.
As a child, I would have taken all this with a pinch of salt. But, now I started drawing analogies with real people. There are some people whom we love to hate and it almost becomes a passion for us. I read Kane and Abel, a long time back in which both were arch nemesis and whose life's only aim was to destroy each other. In the end, you'll realise that they actually had deep care, affection and respect for each other- but they chose to show it in different ways. Sometimes your rival is all you have and lends purpose to your life.
Some say you are known by the company you keep. But I believe that it is the rivals, competitors, nemesis that you have that speak a lot about you. Even in the corporate world, there are some well known pairs, not because they are very good as a team but because they compete tooth and nail. Pepsi and Coca Cola, HUL and P&G - these are a few examples. They have come out with brilliant advertising campaigns, focused greatly on consumer perception and created such strong brands that others fear to enter the industry as they don't stand a chance. All this wouldn't have happened if they didn't have to constantly protect their territory from someone constantly watching every move they make and waiting for them to make a single mistake. This is what drives companies to excellence- it also makes the journey thrilling and exciting for the managers and employees involved.
Who can forget the landmark ad in which HUL for the first time in Indian advertising history directly compared Rin with Tide, a higher end brand of P&G. It made for an interesting watch.
Who knows, without competitors, you might just fade into oblivion. So keep your friends close and your enemies closer!
As a child, I would have taken all this with a pinch of salt. But, now I started drawing analogies with real people. There are some people whom we love to hate and it almost becomes a passion for us. I read Kane and Abel, a long time back in which both were arch nemesis and whose life's only aim was to destroy each other. In the end, you'll realise that they actually had deep care, affection and respect for each other- but they chose to show it in different ways. Sometimes your rival is all you have and lends purpose to your life.
Some say you are known by the company you keep. But I believe that it is the rivals, competitors, nemesis that you have that speak a lot about you. Even in the corporate world, there are some well known pairs, not because they are very good as a team but because they compete tooth and nail. Pepsi and Coca Cola, HUL and P&G - these are a few examples. They have come out with brilliant advertising campaigns, focused greatly on consumer perception and created such strong brands that others fear to enter the industry as they don't stand a chance. All this wouldn't have happened if they didn't have to constantly protect their territory from someone constantly watching every move they make and waiting for them to make a single mistake. This is what drives companies to excellence- it also makes the journey thrilling and exciting for the managers and employees involved.
Who can forget the landmark ad in which HUL for the first time in Indian advertising history directly compared Rin with Tide, a higher end brand of P&G. It made for an interesting watch.
Who knows, without competitors, you might just fade into oblivion. So keep your friends close and your enemies closer!
Good Read - A different perspective to look at your competition! As rightly said competition motivates you to outperform and reach new heights but at the same time I feel one shouldn't be too engrossed in enemies that he loses sight of his own personal goals.
ReplyDelete@Nitika- agreed! but at times your competitors become an integral part of your identity..not a bad thing in the corporate world at least
ReplyDeleteI love your analogies a lot..!
ReplyDeleteIts also said that a person can be judged by the kind of enemies he has. This is so coherent with your words.
A great thought process...and great examples to explain it too!
ReplyDeleteWow, management principles well applied! As someone says, external environment keeps changing ;)
ReplyDelete