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West Bengal Chief Minister <keyword id="43868" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mamata-banerjee" source="Orion">Mamata Banerjee</keyword> on Thursday launched scathing attack against the <keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword> over the <keyword id="13126" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="maharashtra" source="Orion">Maharashtra</keyword> political crisis and claimed that this is a deliberate ploy by the saffron camp to garner additional numbers in favour of its candidate for the forthcoming Presidential poll. "The Presidential poll is round the corner. The BJP has approximately 1,00,00 less votes. So, they have chosen this time to topple the Maharashtra government in an unethical manner and using money power," the Chief Minister said. Seeking justice for Uddhav Thackeray, <keyword id="6359280" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mamata" source="Orion">Mamata</keyword> Banerjee said that the BJP is bulldozing democracy and the federal structure in the country. "They are bulldozing the opposition everywhere especially when there are protests against their undemocratic gesture. In Tripura they are not allowing the people to vote freely. In West Bengal, they are hounding us by letting loose the central agencies, the CBI, the ED and National Human Rights Commission," the Chief Minister said. She concluded with a latent caution to the BJP that some day the latter might be paid back in the same coin. "You will be out of power some day or the other. Then what will you do? So do not try to topple the government using money power. Someday you might also face the same situation," Mamata said. Meanwhile, her nephew and the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee mounted attack on <keyword id="6354915" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="assam" source="Orion">Assam</keyword> Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said that at a time when Assam was reeling under severe flood, the Chief Minister was busy hosting rebel MLAs from Maharashtra. Incidentally, his comments came at a time when his wife was facing the questioning by the ED officials relating to the coal smuggling case in West Bengal. "As ASSAM DROWNS,@BJP4AssamGovt is busy following orders from Delhi to play HOST to REBEL MLAs. I wish CM@himantabiswa cared more about the flood-affected victims and less about toppling the Maharashtra Govt. PRIORITIES are clear for a REMOTE CONTROLLED SUBSERVIENT Govt," Abhishek Banerjee said in a Twitter message on Friday. Incidentally on Friday morning, Trinamool Congress workers in Assam also registered protest demonstrations in front of the hotel in Guwahati where the rebel Shiv Sena legislators from Maharashtra are putting up. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-vaccines-prevented-over-42-lakh-deaths-in-india-says-lancet/articleshow/92424861.cms">COVID vaccines prevented over 42 lakh deaths in India, says Lancet</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-kept-the-rupee-exceptionally-stable-so-far-and-the-tide-could-turn-for-the-better-say-experts/articleshow/92414356.cms">RBI kept the rupee ‘exceptionally’ stable so far, and the tide could turn for the better say experts</a>

BJP trying to topple Maha govt for prez polls: Mamata Banerjee

The future of digital enterprise in the post-pandemic era <keyword id="13185080" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sharath-Srinivasamurthy" source="Orion">Sharath Srinivasamurthy</keyword>, Research Director, Enterprise Solutions and <keyword id="14326688" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ict-practices-team" source="Orion">ICT Practices Team</keyword>, IDC, brings nearly two decades of experience in mapping Indian enterprises’ technology and <keyword id="860946" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="digital-transformation" source="Orion">digital transformation</keyword> journeys. In this extensive conversation with Business Insider India, he talks about how Indian organizations will accelerate their digital agendas, what their key priorities are and how the industry’s growing skills shortage can be addressed. Edited excerpts: Over two years into the massive shift to being ‘digital-first’, how are Indian enterprises reassessing the long-term impacts of their digital initiatives? Indian enterprises have shown tremendous resilience in the last two years, adapting well to the changing market dynamics. They have invested in large-scale reskilling of existing employees on digital technologies, hired new talent from the market, established strategic partnerships with various digital ecosystem players, developed solutions/IPs, set up innovation labs, and executed multiple acquisitions to develop new capabilities. The IDC <keyword id="14326687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Future-Enterprise-Resiliency-Survey" source="Orion">Future Enterprise Resiliency Survey</keyword> (FERS), October 2021 shows that 92% of Indian enterprises realize the positive impact of digital transformation (DX) on the top and/or bottom line by 10% to 20%. Enterprises recognize that technology architecture is becoming business architecture and want to use technology to drive more revenue-generating activities. Indian enterprises will look to better position themselves against short-term volatility while staying on course toward long-term outcomes such as digital revenue growth. With the adoption of the ‘digital-first’ mentality, along with the ongoing pandemic, Indian enterprises are focusing on investments in technologies that drive automation of IT resources and business processes. In the post-pandemic era, if we may call it that, do you see this digital momentum continuing or will organizations take a pause to strategize further? The coming years will witness an acceleration in the adoption of digital technologies. In fact, IDC estimates emphasize that digital transformation (DX) spending in India is growing at a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.90% from 2020 to 2025 and is expected to approach $99 billion as companies build on existing strategies and investments, becoming digital-at-scale future enterprises. By 2023, a whopping 75% of Indian enterprises will have comprehensive digital transformation (DX) implementation roadmaps, up from 27% today, resulting in true transformation across all facets of business and society. What will be the key areas of focus for enterprises’ digital investments in this context? While the momentum will continue, Indian enterprises will focus on a few key areas to derive benefits out of their digital investments. <ul><li>Having the right KPIs to measure and convert them to business outcomes: Indian enterprises will relook at how they measure the effectiveness of their IT teams and investments. They need to tie IT initiatives to business outcomes. </li><li>Keeping pace with changing technology and being innovative: It is always difficult to keep pace with ever-changing technology. However, it is critical to experiment with new technologies. The mindset of innovation will be the focus of Indian enterprises. Innovation need not be something big, something pathbreaking. It can be incremental small changes, but they will add in the long run.</li><li>Developing a culture of agility: Indian enterprises will focus on agility in trying new products and services to keep improvising. Since there is an accelerated demand for digital technologies, the war for digital talent will continue in 2022 as well. Indian enterprises will continue to focus on reskilling existing employees with digital technologies</li><li>Harnessing data: It is critical to breaking the functional and data silos. Indian enterprises will focus on analyzing the data on an ongoing basis. They will leverage AI to manage their IT operations efficiency and reduce the cost of operations.</li></ul>Skill shortage is coming across as a major roadblock for organizations in achieving their innovation goals, especially around digital/cloud technologies, and AI. How is this affecting their digital transformation roadmaps? Transformation projects that would otherwise take ages to get approvals were given the green light due to the pandemic, as it became a necessity for Indian enterprises for continued operations and product delivery. With this acceleration came a realization that a lack of skills was creating a bottleneck in the transformation. DX-related IT skill shortages will affect 90% of global enterprises by 2025, costing over $6.5 trillion globally through 2025 due to delayed product releases, reduced customer satisfaction, and loss of business according to IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Work 2022 Predictions. When Indian enterprises are ‘underskilled, as opposed to understaffed, the consequences are similar, but the remediation is more complicated. The lack of skills has an adverse influence on the key business metrics including the profit line. Though a majority of the demand for skilled personnel is among IT professionals to implement and manage the technology underpinning the business transformation, there is also an increasing demand for digital skills in the business. These include leadership, analytics, coding, and managing projects in agile environments. Employees who have those skills can help take their businesses to the next level. How can Indian enterprises continue their DX journey against the growing skill shortage? Indian enterprises have several choices to address the challenge of underskilled employees —focus on addressing skills shortages through training, engage third-party support, and automation of processes, while <keyword id="7771650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-workers" source="Orion">gig workers</keyword> are also being utilized. According to IDCs Digital Transformation survey, India 2022, Indian enterprises report that poor resource skills or the availability of the right skill set for digital transformation or infrastructure modernization is among the top three challenges that Indian enterprises encounter. Indian enterprises invested in online training to reskill employees on digital skills and be prepared for expansion plans once the crisis ends. Some are collaborating with third parties such as IT service providers to invest in reskilling existing employees to bridge the skill gap. Indian enterprises are also looking to automate processes to reduce the impact of skill shortages. The demand for gig workers has also risen as they are reliable in accomplishing a business plan within a limited time frame. There is an increased urgency to adopt AI in business processes to allow employees to focus on strategic and core functions instead of performing repetitive tasks in a traditional setup. So, Indian enterprises should take a hybrid approach of having skills in-house and partners who can bring the right skills to the table. Indian enterprises have built capabilities through reskilling and partnerships in the areas of digital technologies, customer experience, automation, cloud (migration and modernization) , next-gen security, AI, IoT, etc. Solving the skills equation has become a C-suite issue, and Indian enterprises are moving to create a culture of continuous learning and collaboration that will support their digital resiliency efforts in the future. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/maha-crisis-fadvanis-shinde-to-decide-the-next-course-of-action/articleshow/92543340.cms">Maha crisis: Fadvanis, Shinde to decide the next course of action</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/uddhav-thackeray-the-accidental-chief-minister/articleshow/92559485.cms">Uddhav Thackeray: The accidental chief minister</a>

‘Tech architecture is becoming business architecture, enterprises recognize that’

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Demonstrators in <keyword id="3739" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thailand">Thailand</keyword> used a Harry Potter-themed rally to <keyword id="6359715" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protest">protest</keyword> against "lese majeste" laws, which bans criticism of the royal family and means any defamatory comments can lead to 15 years in prison.</li><li>Channel <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> Asia correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/SaksithCNA/status/1290243566078275587?s=20">Saksith Saiyasombut tweeted</a> that an organizer of the demonstration told him: "Bringing democracy to Thailand shouldn't be wizardry."</li><li>Lawyer Anon Nampa <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-openly-criticize-monarchy-idUSKCN24Z2JY">told Reuters</a>: "Talking about this is not an act to topple the <keyword id="90317" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Monarchy">monarchy</keyword>, but to allow the monarchy to exist in Thai society in the right way and legitimately under a democratic and a constitutional monarchy."</li></ul>Demonstraters in Thailand protested against defamation laws regarding the Thai monarchy on Monday at a Harry Potter-themed rally.Some dressed as Hogwarts students and wore Gryffindor and Slytherin-themed scarves and ties. All wore face masks.Speakers at the anti-government rally, held at Bangkok's Democracy Monument, have demanded changes to the Thai royal family, and want King Maha Vajiralongkorn's powers to be softened.Defamation against the royal family is punishable by up to 15 years in prison due to their "lese majeste" laws. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/09/man-jailed-for-35-years-in-thailand-for-insulting-monarchy-on-facebook">In 2017 a 34-year-old man was sentenced to 35 years in prison</a> for insulting the monarchy on Facebook.<div type="image" title="Thailand protests witch's hat and officials" height="1200" width="1600" msid="77350102" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-openly-criticise-monarchy-idUKKCN24Z2JF">As reported by Reuters</a>, police said that they would investigate any suspected offences, but they did not stop speakers or protestors themselves despite the defamation laws. Protestors carried signs reading "trans witches are witches" and "trans wizards are wizards," and said they were: "Casting the Patronus Charm to Protect Democracy." They also dressed a straw-man as Voldemort.<div type="image" title="Thailand protests voldemort straw man" height="1200" width="1600" msid="77350105" hostid="261"></div>The rally-goers also held wooden sticks in the air, as well as phones with their lights on, replicating what the staff and teachers of Hogwarts did after Dumbledore was killed in "<keyword id="6357995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Harry-Potter">Harry Potter</keyword> and the Half-Blood Prince."<div type="image" title="Thailand protests phone wands" height="1200" width="1600" msid="77350110" hostid="261"></div>The protestors themed their rally as "Harry Potter vs You-Know-Who/He-Who-Must-Not Be Named," with an organizer of the demonstration telling Channel News Asia correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/SaksithCNA/status/1290243566078275587?s=20">Saksith Saiyasombut</a>: "Bringing democracy to Thailand shouldn't be wizardry."Reporter and producer Ryn Jirenuwat wrote that a leader of the protest said: "Someone in power will probably ban Harry Potter novels in Thailand by now."Someone in the background said 'That's fine. J.K Rowling is a <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-transgender-comments-show-reality-wizarding-world-harry-potter-2020-6">homophobe</a>.'"Students from Mahanakorn and Kaset universities requested the government pay attention to their <keyword id="6354896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protests">protests</keyword>, and urged them to reform the "lese majeste" laws that outright ban any criticism of the monarchy.According to Reuters, Lawyer Anon Nampa told the group of approximately 200 demonstrators: "Talking about this is not an act to topple the monarchy, but to allow the monarchy to exist in Thai society in the right way and legitimately under a democratic and a constitutional monarchy."Ratchada Thanadirek, a deputy government spokeswoman, said that it was the police force's choice on whether or not to act against the ralliers. According to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/thailand-protesters-openly-criticise-monarchy-king-maha-200804011224128.html">Al Jazeera</a>, Thanadirek said: "The government wants the young protesters to observe the laws so that they can continue to exercise their rights to make their demands and the country can stay peaceful."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/i-love-jk-rowling-poster-removed-edinburgh-train-station-2020-7">An 'I love JK Rowling poster' was removed from an Edinburgh train station due to its 'political nature'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/miriam-margolyes-denounces-jk-rowlings-views-on-trans-people-2020-7">Professor Sprout actor Miriam Margolyes denounced JK Rowling's views on trans people: 'You can't be fascist about it'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/gillian-philip-childrens-author-sacked-tweeting-support-jk-rowling-2020-7">A best-selling children's author was sacked by her publishers after tweeting her support for JK Rowling</a>

Thai protestors held a Harry Potter-themed rally criticizing the monarchy

<ul><li>Ad &amp; Media Insider’s latest property Storyline, brought to you in association with <keyword id="1959531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wattpad" source="Orion">Wattpad</keyword>, one of the world’s most loved <keyword id="282281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="storytelling" source="Orion">storytelling</keyword> platforms, endeavors to decode what storytelling stands for today.</li><li>Today, we bring you highlights from our fourth and fifth episodes where we discuss the changing role of <keyword id="35666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising" source="Orion">advertising</keyword> creatives, how brands are choosing to communicate with GenZs innovatively and what role a platform like Wattpad is playing in this innovation.</li><li>Watch <keyword id="3844857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="harshad-rajadhyaksha" source="Orion">Harshad Rajadhyaksha</keyword> and <keyword id="3844858" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kainaz-karmakar" source="Orion">Kainaz Karmakar</keyword>, Chief Creative Officers, <keyword id="531122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ogilvy-India" source="Orion">Ogilvy India</keyword> and <keyword id="3747310" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="devashish-sharma" source="Orion">Devashish Sharma</keyword>, Country Head, Wattpad India talk about the evolution of creativity and storytelling and how they are evolving as storytellers to tell successful stories in today's world.</li></ul>Episode 4: Harshad Rajadhyaksha and Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy India Most of us have loved the work coming out of Ogilvy India in the last few years and the creative powerhouse between most of that work is Harshad Rajadhyaksha and Kainaz Karmakar, the Chief Creative Officers at the agency. The duo, along with Sukesh Nayak, Ogilvy India’s third CCO, have been at the forefront of crafting inimitable stories that have won our hearts while creating an impact. Be it the recent recreation of Cadbury Dairy Milk’s famous Cricket stadium ad, or its work for Hindustan Unilever titled ‘The Shower’ which won a National Award, Ogilvy has time and again proven the impact good storytelling can have in brand building and in making a brand a part of a consumer’s lives. In the 4th episode of Ad &amp; Media Insider’s Storyline, brought to you in association with Wattpad, one of the world’s most loved storytelling platforms, we spoke to Karmakar and Rajadhyaksha to understand their creative process and their thoughts on the evolution of storytelling and what the future holds. The evolution of storytelling We have seen the <keyword id="6354839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing" source="Orion">marketing</keyword> landscape transform at a fairly rapid pace in the last 5 years. With more and more platforms cropping up, consumers are finding more places to express themselves, and brands are having to reach out to them at different touchpoints. What kind of impact has that had on the way Ogilvy has been telling stories? “Storytelling is as timeless as love or friendship, so I don't think it's going out of fashion anytime soon, or even later. But there has been a rapid transformation, especially in the last five years. I would not call it a change, rather, I feel there has been an expansion. Something fantastic has happened, media has become more open and liberalised and our first encounter with this happened back in 2015, when we did a campaign on zero budget to end open acid sale. We worked with like-minded people and with a real acid attack survivor. We shot the film. Had this been 20 years back, we would have had no place to show the film because media needed to be bought. It still needs to be bought but now there is also freedom to put out your own content. We put the film on YouTube and Facebook, promoted it ourselves, and the trajectory of the campaign has been astounding. It has won everything there is to be won, and we could achieve our goals with zero budgets and it was made possible largely by the changing nature of media,” said Karmakar. But does having a plethora of platforms pose the problem of plenty? Do creatives now have to think of communications suited for individual platforms? “Between Kainaz and I, we have spent around 20-25 years in advertising and we have ourselves evolved from the era of Print to Television. Then somewhere in the second decade, we started getting used to the concept of smartphones and multiple apps and hence multiple screens. But if your story is engaging with the relevant connect, the medium becomes secondary. Technology has put the spotlight on people who could all become storytellers, and brands saw people enjoying this content and slowly realized its power and thought of latching on to it. So, in terms of the number of mediums, I feel the more the merrier because today you just have a width and variety of storytelling,” explained Rajadhyaksha. From advertisers to product managers to solution finders With the evolution of media and advancement of technology, many brands are now also open to experimenting where, as a pat of a campaign, they have ended up creating a completely new product. In an attempt to encourage the habit of washing hands with soap among children in rural India, Ogilvy helped Savlon create special chalk sticks infused with soap. In another campaign to promote a similar habit, Ogilvy created a heat stamp to put on roti at the Maha Kumbh Mela for Lifebuoy. The brand’s message-on-a-roti ended up reaching over 5 million people. In both these campaigns, the idea led to the creation of a completely new product. Both these campaigns won awards and hearts. Is it challenging for agencies to then have clients come up to them and say they want to create a completely new product and take the business to a new trajectory? “It's not a stress at all. What I really love about the times that we work in is that our clients are super excited about doing work that is new and innovative. And that is something we should grab with both hands and make the most. I would be very worried if our clients weren't pushing us. The fact that they want different solutions, to use different media and support us, is a great sign. Recently, one of our teams has come up with a karaoke technique to help people with early Alzheimer's, in collaboration with MTV. So, the fact that clients are asking us to do such work and they are excited about it, is not a pressure but a thing of joy. The truth of the m after is we are actually becoming solution finders above and beyond just communicating a message. People are interacting, touching and feeling things beyond your client’s products, these are products made by you. They're actually getting to experience technologies that have been just ideas in your head and now we’re seeing them out there actually helping someone. It has also brought clients and agencies closer than before. It's a great time to be in the creative business,” said Karmakar. A message for marketers With the advent of Web 3.0 and us looking at a world where a metaverse might soon become a reality, things are changing at a rapid pace. What are a few things marketers should keep in mind to be able to navigate these highly dynamic times? “I feel no matter how much technology you have, or whatever new media comes in, the absence of a great idea means your money is not well spent. In fact, it's money wasted. So, first find yourself a partner who can give you a great idea, and then use your media, technology, etc, as partners to that. Do not work the other way around because everything starts with an idea and that is not going to change,” said Karmakar. Sharing his tip for marketers, hought, Rajadhyaksha added, “Completely well-meaning clients and brand custodians, at times, have brand guidelines about what the brand’s personality should be. But when it comes to exploring certain new-age things, treat your brand DNA and the personality of your brand like your family name, but treat the new media like the grandkids of the family. While they will bear your family name, allow them to be a little different, to take a few more risks. That's how I would encourage all clients to look at the newer mediums. You might be an 80-year-old legacy brand who advertises and talks in a certain way in your storytelling on TV. We aren’t saying become someone with a completely different personality on the newer mediums, but be a little adventurous and bolder and allow the younger kids in your organization and the agency to deviate a bit. Let them live their lives their way, as long as they still bear your family surname.” Watch the full episode here: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1" retweetcount="1" status="LIVE | Join Kainaz Karmarkar (@spalifekainaz) and Harshad Rajadhyaksha (@Harsh_Words), CCOs, @Ogilvy_India as they… https://t.co/63l7yYar9K" createdat="1645702223000" id="1496809730655748100"></div> Episode 5: Devashish Sharma, Country Head, Wattpad India The art of storytelling has changed and new-age mediums like Wattpad are at the heart of this change. To understand the role Wattpad has been playing in this evolution of storytelling, we caught up with Devashish Sharma, Country Head, Wattpad India, who told us how consumers are using the platform, how that is helping brands connect with an engaged set of audience and what the future of storytelling could look like. From one-way communications to interactivity The biggest way in which storytelling has transformed in today’s digital era is by opening it up to consumers. In the TV and Radio era, a brand would come up with a one-way communication, which has undergone a complete transformation now. Explaining this evolution, Sharma said, “About 15-20 years back, a lot of brand building was one-way messaging. Brands would create something and then push it down to millions of Indians, predominantly TV or billboard. However, in the Internet era where the target audience has become younger, the focus of brands have shifted to digital platforms. And recently, it is also about interactive content. Today, brands don't just want to push their messaging, they want the audiences to create their viewpoint about the messaging and have a discussion with the brand about it. In lieu, it creates more awareness in a very interesting and exciting manner.” Communicating with GenZ With the younger generation which is difficult to please and said to have reduced attention spans, brands now have the task of finding innovative ways of engaging with them. Explaining how Wattpad has been building its communication to engage with this audience Sharma said, “If I were to look at it from a Wattpad lens, we are a very democratic platform where anybody can write on a topic they love, and at the same time, consume stories on a specific niche topic that might interest them. However, what differentiates us is the fact that the experience you get on our platform is not just of reading a book, it is also about connecting with other readers, leading to social engagement. Beyond this, the stories that become really popular and are highly engaging are taken on by production houses and top studios to turn into movies, TV shows, web series or other forms of digital entertainment. As a platform, being at the epicenter of ideas directly coming in from Gen Z storytellers allow us to really capture the right stories which we amplify.” Why long-form content works While there has been a debate for a long time around decreasing attention spans, Wattpad has been able to make long-form content, and has held its audiences captive with engaging stories on its platform. So what is it that Wattpad has gotten right? “Personally, I feel that the idea that people have less attention span is a bit of a misnomer. It might be true in certain contexts, but given the right content in the right format, people definitely make time to consume it. If a certain content captures your interest group and the experience of consuming it is something that you really enjoy, people will definitely prefer long- form content because it adds meaning and gives you much more than just snacking on punchlines,” explained Sharma. There has also been an ongoing debate about whether the younger population reads at all. However, the fact that Wattpad has a community of about 94 million readers and writers on its platform proves that given the right content and right amount of social engagement, people will stay on the platform and consume content, added Sharma. “The entire social element really elevates the user experience because we are able to give our audiences the liberty of connecting with the creator of the content and also other readers who love the same content as you. This bonding evokes a strong emotional response which is something that brands really like because when they work with us, they know that the content they're getting already has a built-in audience that did not just skim through it but actually interacted with it. So, the secret sauce is to have a platform that enriches the experience of consuming content and provides more democracy in terms of capturing diverse voices.” How brands are using Wattpad Today, more and more brands are open to experimenting with mediums and formats that is giving them highly innovative ways of engaging with their target audiences. So how has a platform like Wattpad helped brands create engaging stories and build enduring relationships with their audiences? “At Wattpad, our focus is on figuring out how our community can bring value to brands in the form of stories. And that's the real value that brands get. So, when brands have a brief, they come to us, we work with them to figure out how to engage the community from day one, where we invite all our users on the platform to write their version of stories on the messaging that the brand wants to create awareness on. So, instead one story, you get maybe thousands of stories from all over the world from your target audience that really connects with your brand messaging. Once the stories come, we pick the top stories and promote them for more readership because we realize that readers around the world who may not have written content still want to connect with the brand on the messaging that other users on Wattpad have written. And since we also have a studios division, we are able to adapt these stories into video and other formats that can traverse the messaging of the brand beyond Wattpad into more video-focused channels,” he explained. Earlier this year, Wattpad worked with Maybelline on a campaign for raising awareness on the impact the pandemic had on the mental health of Gen Zs around the world under the hashtag Brave Together. Wattpad invited everybody to write a short story or a personal experience around the topic and for every story that came in, the platform partnered with an NGO to donate a certain amount to raise awareness around mental health. “A campaign like this made the community feel that the brand cares about its voice and is not pushing its messaging on them. Secondly, the involvement of the nonprofit increased the connection with the brand, making the entire initiative more genuine. And this sort of brand positioning really benefits the brand in the long-term because they are able to create fans instead of just consumers,” he shared. So are there a few factors that can help brands success on Wattpad? Sharma said, “The key to being successful as a brand on Wattpad is to support a messaging for your brand that Gen Z users really care about. And secondly, be open to their interpretation of the message that you want to create awareness on. For example, we did a campaign with Puma in India where they launched a clothing and shoe line with Mary Kom and the hashtag was Born to Provoke. I really liked the way they used Wattpad. They invited our community members in India to write a story, a personal experience, a song or poetry to celebrate women breaking barriers. We got stories from different parts of the country that spoke about women from different age groups and backgrounds breaking societal norms. This was a very successful campaign and I think I use it as a benchmark because the brand here took a backseat, letting its target audience do all the work, whether its creation or consumption of the content. And a lot of users, on finding a story or song that they resonated with, shared it on their social network. So, the voice of the whole campaign went beyond just Wattpad.” With a community of more than 94 million people on its platform from across the world, Wattpad is witnessing an increasingly growing community of highly engaged audiences, opening up opportunities for brands to drive their brand messaging to a highly targeted audience. Watch the full episode here: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="2" status="LIVE | Join Devashish Sharma (@devunofficial), Country Head, Wattpad in conversation with Ashwin Raghunath as they… https://t.co/zqsgEg6zo0" createdat="1646047811000" id="1498259230859542530"></div>

Storyline: Decoding the art of storytelling in today's highly dynamic world

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Officials in <keyword id="30174" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lebanon">Lebanon</keyword> estimated it would cost $15 billion to fix the damage from the <keyword id="15367" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Beirut">Beirut</keyword> <keyword id="52285" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="explosion">explosion</keyword> on August 4, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/beirut-needs-billions-of-dollars-it-doesnt-have-to-rebuild-after-massive-blast/2020/08/20/d30a1440-de4e-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_beirutreconstruction-1145am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans">The Washington Pos</a>t reported. </li><li>At least 25,000 homes have been damaged to the point they're not inhabitable. </li><li>The explosion killed more than 180 people and wounded over 6,000 people.</li><li>The damage from the explosion comes as Lebanon is reeling from a terrible economic crisis that has significantly devalued its currency. </li><li>The country is also under a two-week lockdown after coronavirus cases surged. </li></ul>While the exact damage of the explosion in the port of Beirut earlier this month is not exactly known yet, officials estimated it would cost $15 billion to fix, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/beirut-needs-billions-of-dollars-it-doesnt-have-to-rebuild-after-massive-blast/2020/08/20/d30a1440-de4e-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_beirutreconstruction-1145am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans">The Washington Post </a>reported.At least 25,000 homes have been damaged so badly they're no longer able to be lived in. And the explosion is just another calamity that Lebanon, with a population of a little more than 6 million people, is facing — including the coronavirus pandemic and an already struggling economy.Matias Meier, Lebanon's <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> Rescue Committee Director, told Insider that 30,000 people lost their homes either partially or completely. According to The Post, there are a number of challenges to rebuilding the property that has been damaged. The Lebanese lira was devalued by the economic crisis. Additionally, banks are placing "draconian" limitations on withdrawals even from bank accounts that have the money. Additionally, even those who have insurance can't get a payout until the cause of the explosion is determined after a government investigation. Damage by war or acts of terrorism isn't covered at all. The <a href="https://www.insider.com/beirut-explosion-children-left-without-cancer-treatment-hospital-destroyed-2020-8">explosion killed more than 180 people and wounded over 6,000 people</a>; it also destroyed four hospitals, the port, and many buildings. The blast was caused after more than 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that were stored at a warehouse where it ignited. Windows were shattered, roofs were blown off of homes, buildings collapsed, and the impact even went through sewers and vents to destroy plumbing. Samer Bolbol, a Beirut resident, told Insider before the explosion that people were already feeling "hopeless" because of the economic situation. Bolbol explained that most people, even if they were considered middle class couldn't even afford to have their tires fixed if they were to get flat. Most people he said make the equivalent of somewhere between $60 or $80 a month, and the price of most goods is high because they're usually imported. "Everything is coming in... you need to pay US dollars. So it's becoming extremely expensive locally for people to buy this stuff," Bolbol said. Another resident Sarah, who did not want her last name used, told Insider that most people were struggling to get by as it is, and things like savings were not existent. "I know that Lebanese people don't really save money. Like we can't afford to have savings for later. We just spend everything we have on necessities," she said. She said that the situation has caused many of the country's young residents to consider emigrating abroad. "The youth are mostly looking to leave," Sarah said. "If you ask around there are very few people who would say, 'I want to stay here,' because we feel that there is no future for us, and there are no new opportunities. But it's also hard to do because there's a global crisis happening and people aren't looking to hire foreigners." Meier said that the IRC is mostly working with programs they already have in place, in particular cash assistance to help residents with their various needs. "And this is a program that aims at identifying those most vulnerable and giving them emergency cash so that they can decide what is most useful for them," he said.He explained the program is really helpful compared to other aid models, because not everyone may need a particular service or item that is being given, but with cash, individuals are able to prioritize what their needs are. Meier added that the organization has short-term and long-term goals to address the current crisis including filling gaps when it comes to education support and healthcare support. The Post reported that residents aren't expecting help from the bankrupt government to restore their homes and that foreign aid has mostly focused on medicine and food. About a week after the explosion, Lebanon's cabinet resigned, but President Michel Aoun asked Prime Minister Hassan to stay in the post until a new government can be formed. Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut described the situation to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lebanon-seeks-to-fill-power-vacuum-amid-worst-crisis-in-decades-11597148810?mod=hp_listb_pos1">The Wall Street Journal:</a> "We're in a free fall, into the abyss frankly. If we don't get a government in place quickly and they begin to provide some sort of a road map for getting out of this abyss, the only way is down."Meier said while he expects local authorities to allow the organization to continue to provide the assistance he's is slightly concerned that a two-week country-wide lockdown, which was placed on the country after coronavirus cases surged, could slow down their relief efforts. <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/lebanon-struggles-find-new-political-leadership-cabinet-resigns-beirut-explosion-2020-8">'We're in a free fall, into the abyss frankly,' Lebanon struggles to find new political leadership after cabinet resigns following Beirut explosion</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-viral-beirut-explosion-bridal-vide-doctor-who-helped-injured-2020-8">'A lab coat is white, my wedding dress is white:' The woman from a viral video of a bridal shoot interrupted by the Beirut explosion was a doctor who rushed to tend to wounded victims still in her wedding dress</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/beirut-explosion-children-left-without-cancer-treatment-hospital-destroyed-2020-8">Children in Beirut lost access to their cancer treatment after their hospital was destroyed in the explosion</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-cases-beirut-are-climbing-after-devastating-explosion-2020-8">COVID-19 cases in Beirut are climbing after the devastating explosion there killed nearly 200 people and injured thousands</a></li></ul>

The $15 billion hit from the devastating Beirut explosion will be a gut-punch to Lebanon's hobbled economy

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Joe Raedle/Getty Images</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Like smartphones, credit cards have changed a lot over the last several years.</li><li>Recent updates to credit cards include chip-and-PIN technology and the ability to tap to pay. Cards like the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/the-american-express-gold-card/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">American Express® Gold Card</a> also now feature metal designs.</li><li>As credit cards have become more sophisticated and added new benefits, some of their annual fees have increased. Cards like the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/chase-sapphire-reserve/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Chase Sapphire Reserve</a> cost $450 per year.</li><li>It can often be worth upgrading to a newer credit card as additional benefits and features, like new bonus categories, are released.</li></ul>Most people would feel pretty behind the times using a flip phone today, even if it was the state of the art back in 2009. That's because current technology has passed these older devices by, rendering their features and benefits obsolete.In most cases, you shouldn't be using a credit card from 10 years ago, either. In fact, there are several ways that reward credit cards are a lot like smartphones. Here are some of the ways they've evolved in recent years.Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which can far outweigh the value of any rewards.When you're working to earn credit card rewards, it's important to practice financial discipline, like paying your balances off in full each month, making payments on time, and not spending more than you can afford to pay back. Basically, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-is-better-credit-vs-debit-cards-2018-3">treat your credit card like a debit card</a>.<h2>Additional features and benefits</h2>Just as every generation of smartphones has to keep up by offering faster processors and higher-resolution cameras, each generation of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-credit-card-reward-program">rewards credit cards</a> also has to evolve to compete in a cutthroat market.For example, the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/capital-one-venture-rewards-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card</a> recently began offering cardholders the ability to transfer rewards to airline partners, while this year the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/blue-cash-preferred-card-from-american-express/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express</a> was upgraded to feature <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-blue-cash-preferred-review">additional rewards for select US music streaming services</a> and rideshare charges.<h2>Upgraded technology</h2>Nearly all credit cards now have an embedded smart chip, but that's just where the latest generation of payment technology begins. Newer cards can also feature chip-and-PIN instead of just chip-and-signature compatibility, which can really help when you're trying to make purchases overseas.Newer credit cards can also be compatible with mobile wallet apps such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-apple-card-works-2019-8#how-to-make-payments-7">Apple Pay</a>, and the latest cards now include contactless payment chips that allow you to tap to pay.<h2>Sleeker looks</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">American ExpressThe rose-gold version of the Amex Gold was incredibly popular.</div></div></div>Let's face it - one of the reasons that people upgrade their smartphones is to be seen with the latest, most stylish handsets. In the same way, newer rewards cards are more likely to have upgraded aesthetics that can attract new account holders.For example, many premium reward cards are now made of metal, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amex-gold-card-review">American Express Gold Card</a> was offered in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-gold-card-benefits-rose-gold-card-2019-6">limited-edition rose gold color</a> that was wildly popular.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-card-vs-popular-rewards-credit-cards-2019-8">Apple Card</a> is made of titanium, and newer cards often have more attractive artwork, even if they're only made of plastic. For example, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-marriott-credit-card-brilliant-boundless-business-2019-6">Marriott Bonvoy American Express card</a> (which is no longer available to new applicants) features limited-edition original artwork from mural and studio artist Tony "Rubin" Sjöman.<h2>Higher annual fees</h2>Even in the early days of smartphones, it was pretty difficult to imagine one that cost $1,449, the price of the most expensive Apple iPhone currently available. Likewise, there are a growing number of rewards cards with annual fees of $450 and up.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-no-fee-credit-card">The best no-annual-fee cards to open now</a>For instance, United, Delta, and American each have co-branded cards that cost $450 and include airport lounge access. The <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/chase-sapphire-reserve/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Chase Sapphire Reserve</a> has a $450 annual fee, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heavy-metal-credit-card-trend-citi-prestige-2019-7">Citi Prestige® Card</a> has a $495 annual fee, and the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/the-platinum-card-from-american-express/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Platinum Card® from American Express</a> costs $550 per year.That's not to say it isn't worth paying these higher annual fees. You'll just need to take a look at a card's benefits and decide whether they offer enough value for you.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-platinum-credit-card-review">I got $2,000 in value from the Amex Platinum in my first year</a><h2>How to upgrade your rewards credit card</h2>The good news is that it will likely be much less expensive to upgrade your credit card than it will to buy a new smartphone.If you're just looking to carry a physical card with a newer design or one that includes contactless payment technology, you may be able to request an updated one from your card issuer at no additional cost.But if you need a new account with the latest features and benefits, you should start by researching the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-credit-card-reward-program">best cards currently available</a>. If you already have a card from the same issuer as the one you want, contact them and ask to have your account upgraded.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-should-you-upgrade-your-credit-card">Upgrading a credit card isn't always worth it, but it got me 100,000 Marriott points and a free night at the Al Maha resort</a>This is sometimes called a product change, and it allows you to retain the same account number, balance, and payment history while enjoying new terms and benefits. When you perform a product change, you don't have to submit a new application or have your credit checked. Card issuers frequently offer product changes when customers call to cancel their outdated credit card accounts.Or, you can just open a new account that best meets your current needs. And while you wouldn't probably want to carry around a bunch of smartphones, there's no reason that you can't add the new card to your wallet that offers perks or rewards that complement some of your other accounts.<h3><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/the-american-express-gold-card/?utm_campaign=bi_09062019_js_credit-cards-like-phone&amp;utm_source=referral">Click here to learn more about the Amex Gold card from our partner The Points Guy.</a></h3>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. What you decide to do with your money is up to you. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-two-hurricanes-collide-fujiwhara-effect-2017-9">Here's what happens when two hurricanes collide</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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