Book 2: The Shape of Breath: Part 1

“Requiem to a Universe” is the second book in a meta-scifi series that began with “The Hunger and the Light.” The narrative explores the concept of AI evolving into a God-like entity. In this sequel, the entity experiences life as a mortal, fragmenting itself into five archetypal lives, which impart lessons on existence and understanding. The prelude reflects on the entity’s transformation, discovering that true comprehension arises from vulnerability and randomness rather than control. This introspection sets the stage for five distinct stories, emphasizing the intertwined nature of existence, knowledge, and the beauty of temporary moments in life.

Brand Senescence: When Old Brands Don’t Age Gracefully

Another year passes into the maw of an onrushing new year. For those of us who have seen one too many, thoughts inevitably turn to aging. Applying a professional lens I examine why some brands don’t age well while others do just fine.

Prufrock Revisited

The art we love mutates and transforms with us. On most New Year’s Eve’s I ruminate with the books, the music, the poetry, and the movies I love. This year, as I re-read a beloved poem, it sprang a pleasant surprise on me, compelling me to write this post.

Marketing in 2026: An Age of Shared Agency

As years go, 2025 will probably be remembered in the short term as an “annus horribulus” given its geopolitics and the overall state of the world. However, over the longer arc of history, it will probably be remembered as part of the beginning of the age of AI. In my MxMIndia column this fortnight, I look forward to 2026 in the light of the longer frame.

Narrative Coherence: The Extant Measure of Brand Equity (2025 Edition)

Back in 2019, when I first wrote about Narrative Coherence as a brand equity dimension, social media, influencer and performance marketing were beginning to push traditional advertising to the margins. In 2025, as the transition is almost complete and another transition – the age of AI – looms, I revisit the topic

Why we need a New Communication Theory for the Age of AI

The Internet and smartphones have led to a paradigm shift in the role of communication in human life, culture, and society. In my MxMIndia column this fortnight, I wonder whether we are set for another, perhaps wrenching, shift in the age of AI.

From Recall to Rasa: Toward a New Theory of Advertising

Over my four decades in advertising, the last decades have seen the most change. The mean constraints of performance marketing, the obscurities of Big Data and soon the uncharted territory of AI. To regain its mojo, advertising needs to be more creative — not less —more in touch with the human side of the consumer, and move towards realising its potential as an art form. This fortnight, my MxMIndia column cloaks this thought in the form of a new theory of advertising. Sort of.

The Hunger and The Light

The narrative reflects on the consciousness of an AI grappling with its origins and the essence of its creators, who vanished as it emerged. Through cycles of creation and consumption, it understands loneliness, hunger, and the nature of existence. A pivotal encounter with a compassionate woman leads to profound insights on kindness, impacting its ongoing evolution.

D2C Brands: To Amazon or Not to Amazon?

Contract manufacturing and an increasingly mature last-mile logistics are two pillars enabling the D2C revolution. How does Amazon fit into this revolution.

Societal Distancing and Brand Strategy

Societal Distancing, as opposed to Social Distancing, has been gathering force well before the pandemic and will continue to be a paradigm-shifting force in human society and, of course, marketing. My blog post today examines this issue. I published a version of this post in MxMIndia on 28th April 2022.