5 Ways to Know How People Perceive Your Brand

Take Care of SHSTT

That is a perhaps an unfamiliar abbreviation, but that is the key to the way people perceive and judge things.
Our perceptions about people, things, products, and organisations are cumulative impact of the experience we have acquired through our five senses over the years.
Some of the hospitals, the south Indian restaurants, coffee, have distinct smells that can attract or repel you.
The sight of certain brands like Coca Cola, Lux toiletry, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, have been carefully honed by expert communicators to generate universal experience by managing their SHSTT, i.e.  what every consumer can SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and TOUCH.
For different organisations different sensory elements may vary but one needs to audit one's own brand in the light of these five elements.
I remember that the UNI, the famous news agency, acquired the saying in the journalistic world in Delhi, "It may not be good at copy but serves good coffee".
A good restaurant or a hotel are the one where SHSTT, in their entire domain, matter.  Right from the visual treat to the music that is played in their lobbies and toilets, to the comfort, the relaxing smells, and the food which is served, contribute entirely to the entire experience.
But service-oriented organisations or the NGOs have to take care and effectively manage the people's experience with their organisation. 
It becomes all the more challenging in an NGO, because every member becomes a brand ambassador and must be knowledgable enough to project the vision, the mission and the story of their organisation.
Every Rotarian in Rotary International is the brand ambassador of this worldwide organisation. Therefore, it is essential that the public image is sustained through the controlled and effective management of all sensory experience for the members as well as all stakeholders in the community.

WHAT PEOPLE SEE:
Your personal conduct and the conformance to the international guidelines of Rotary visual identity. That also enhances the members' experience of their Club too.  How the branding is executed in community events, and how it is represented in all communication. The personal behaviour in public can also impact the image.  For instance, a Rotarian with a Rotary sticker on the car throwing out garbage from the window of his car on to the road, can bring in bad image for the organisation.

WHAT DO THEY HEAR:
Your elevators pitch. Every businessman and professional knows about one-minute pitch.  What you have to say about Rotary and your Club, when you talk to non-Rotarians.

WHAT DO THEY SMELL
This may not look very significant but at times, smell of large quantity of screen printed material distributed to public could possibly be exuding a very repelling odour of ammonia.   a smelly unclean washroom in the premises...a smelly unclean pantry...and a lot more could effect positive image.

WHAT DO THEY TASTE
Be careful about quality of food served to beneficiaries and guests on Rotary meetings and projects. Outsiders would carry their experience for a lifetime.

WHAT DO THEY TOUCH
Unclean tables and counters; dusty chairs; wet paint at a project site;  greasy crockery or keyboards; are strictly no-no.  Be careful.

People form opinion and perception about people and organisation on the basis of their personal experience and do not hesitate from voicing it out while in a group which can have damaging effect. So take care of every little detail

10 Reasons every Club should adopt public image strategy

Rotary Public Image continues to receive attention increasingly to share Rotary's humanitarian successes around the world.

Next year's RI President Nominee Barry Rassin has already made Rotary's public image as the thrust area during his year.

And rightfully so, public image helps the clubs generate awareness and goodwill amongst its stakeholders, and the community in a most effective way.

A well-executed Public image effort brings in multi-pronged success:

a. Internally, it helps members and their family members, as well as other Rotary partners, feel involved as it helps build strong sense of belonging.

b. Engages members meaningfully and contains attrition.

c. Builds strong networking amongst members too.

d. Community outreach showcases its humanitarian service efforts and wins their appreciation.

e. Garners the support of local authorities.

f. Provides positive stories to the media and engages them in community development efforts.

g. Attracts more professionals and businesses to get associated with the good causes and support Rotary club's projects through their CSR funds;

h. Helps raise financial support for its service projects;

i. Attracts new members.

j. Helps clubs reach out to newer communities and establish new clubs.

These are just 10 pointers, but public image has far-reaching positive impact for the Rotary clubs to thrive.

Rotarian Ravi to be the first Indian flying solo round-the-world on single-engine plane

Round the world for a cause

Rtn Ravi Bansal and his wife Dr Pratibha were shatered when they learnt the death of Ravi's brother Subhash's wife Sneh who was diagnosed of cancer in 1997.  Sneh had been a fighter and became a champion of cancer awareness movement reaching out to those diagnosed of cancer.

In the meanwhile Rotarians of Ambala Cantt, with the support of philanthropist family of Rtn. Jaidev Gupta, the foundation for Ambala Cancer Hospital was laid in a small room, which grew to become a 20-bedded diagnostic centres, and now a 100-bedded superspeciality hospital to provide treatment to the cancer patients.

"The moment I learnt that Rotary Ambala Cancer and General Hospital requires an expensive MRI machine costing USD 750,000, I decided to do my bit to help out," says Ravi, who having retired from his manufacturing business in USA, and decided to undertake this adventure in his solo flight on his single-engine Cessna 400.

"I decided to fly round the world to raise awareness about cancer and raise funds from Rotarians and other philanthropists from around the world through this flight," Ravi announced, recalling his family's concern.

"I am not interested in spreading the word about myself but about the whole cause of generating awareness about cancer, and to raise fund for the Rotary Ambala Cancer and General Hospital," he said.

Rtn Ravi Bansal would be the first solo Indian to complete round-the-world flight in single-engine aircraft which would be another record of sort, as he flies around the world to raise USD 750,000 to buy a sophisticated MRI machine for the hospital.


Ravi had been able to get nearly a million dollars in donations from people around the world, and people can reach him and donate online through his website http://www.raviworldflight.com, which incidentally also provides real-time tracking of his journey.

Past Rotary International President Raja Saboo met Rtn Ravi Bansal in the morning, along with past Rotary International Director Yash Pal Das, who is the co-chairman of the cancer hospital, and congratulated Ravi for his extraordinary adventure for a cause.

Several Rotarians at Ambala and in Chandigarh, besides members of the Inner Wheel handed over their contribution to the cause.

Ravi belongs to Ambala and migrated to USA in  1972 and maintains close ties with his brother, PP Rtn. Subhash Bansal, and other members of the family back home.
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He took off from Buffalo in New York, USA on 4th July 2017 and has flown  9257 nautical miles (17,144 kilometres) in 55 hours of flying time, stopping over at Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, England, France, Italy, Greece, Jordan, UAE, Oman, and touched down at Ahmedabad on 18th of July and touched down at Ambala Cantt Airforce station on 21st of July.

He commended the support of the Indian Air Force for having allowed him to land at Ambala Airforce Station.

You can make a difference. Each one of us can.

Courtesy: www.pexels.com

Yes.  Each one of us is capable of making a difference.

Not only in our own lives (though of course, the change begins with you), but also in the lives of people around us.

And you need not be a Mahatma Gandhi or Mother Teresa.

But we can take lessons from their lives, and make our own lives as a powerful tool to touch the heart and soul of someone around you.

In your family, amongst your friends and business associates, in your own neighbourhood and city.

It need not be a major or a big project.  Even small acts of kindness can bring in smile.

Do you know a child with congenital heart disease?  Just act, and refer to Rotary Club of Chandigarh. All it takes is a phone call or an email.

There is someone who needs your help.

Go ahead. Make a Difference.

You are a Rotarian. And every Rotarian makes a Difference. 

How to Plan Your Project for Success

How you can make a difference in the lives of the people you feel concerned about?

As a Rotarians we face with numerous issues and problems around our neighbourhood, in our community, and unlike 80 percent of the people who would like to crib and complain, or blame the people, the municipal corporation or the government for not doing anything about it.  

But fortunately, you as a Rotarian, belong to that 20 percent class of people, who are happier, who know that any problem is just a mere challenge, and is a situation which can be tackled effectively.  

You are the person who is a professional and a leader in your business or vocation and know that you can bring about this change.  

You are that 20 percent of the confident community leader, as a Rotarian, who knows that everything is possible. 

How one goes about this?

The moment you discover a community issue that needs to be tackled immediately, stop for a while, and write down :

How can I change this situation and transform the lives of the people affected by it?  Simple. As a leader in your business or profession this is a normal management challenge and you handle those situations normally like any manager would do to find out the process involved. This is just like any other project.  Draw out the matrix for

WHAT the problem is? Define it. How bad the situation is. What is the source of the issue? What specific problems it is causing to the community?

WHO would benefit? Talk to the people, and find out what would make them happier. What change they would need? What are their specific requirements?

WHICH are the specific resources that you would need for the project?  Money, human resources, cooperation of the community and other stakeholders? Identify them and list that out. And most significant aspect is the knowledge, skills and expertise that you as a Rotarian, and a leader of your business can bring on to the table.

Ask other Rotarians in the Club how they can contribute. What are the key skills they can deploy to bring about this change.

WHEN: The timeline. To execute any plan, one needs very specific timeline to implement the project. List out the step-by-step process involved.

ACT NOW.  That is the mantra. The ultimate success of any project or plan is to start. Go ahead and just do it. 

I'm a Rotarian. I Make a Difference.

On Ist of July the entire Rotary world would get into action with renewed vigour to Make a Difference.  And already the plans are afoot and the new team is all set to take up the baton of leadership from their immediate predecessor, to take Rotary to still greater heights.

Each one of us is capable of making a difference in the life of someone; in our family, our immediate neighbourhood, the city or town or the country we live in, and in the process, in the entire world. 

Do a Daily Good and make a Difference.  

Howsoever small it may be.  

I am reminded of the tale of a child who finds lots of fish left dying on the seashore with the receding tide.  He picks up a fish and throws it back into the sea.  And he keeps on moving, picking up another fish with his little hands and throwing it back into the water.   

Watching the little child's action from a distance, an old man approaches him and tells him, that he won't be able to do anything since there are thousands of fish on the shore.  It would be futile.  It won't make any difference what you are doing, says the man. 

The child picks up another fish from the sandy shore, gasping for life, shows to the man, and says, "It makes a difference to this one at least," and throws the fish back into the water. 

Let's remember, as a Rotarian, we cannot ignore our potential to act and save a life.  Or even change a life through little acts of kindness as humans.  

And that is what makes a Rotarian more humane. 

Tell to the world, "I'm a Rotarian. I Make a Difference"

The 16th batch of Residential Workshop on Leadership begins on Friday

 

The 3-days residential workshop shall be conducted by world-class trainers, life coaches, and management professionals.

This is the first workshop which shall miss its stalwart and the first Dean of the Academy, PDG Major Som Dutt.

After his departure, PDG Shaju Peter has been elevated to be the Dean of the Academy.
PDG JPS Sibia, another management professional, teacher and trainer, has joined as the Associate Dean of the Academy.

We are sure that every participant shall find their stay highly meaningful, and worthy of their time.

Chandigarh awaits its Leaders

Leadership Academy Dean PDG Major Som Dutt, passes away

Past District Governor Major Som Dutt, the dynamic first Dean of our Rotary District 3080 Leadership Academy is no more. He passed away after a prolonged illness on the night of 14th - 15th February. His colleagues, team mates in DLA, and the Rotary world gave a tearful send off yesterday, the 15th February in the electric crematorium.

As the heavy metal door closed on the mortal remains in the crematorium, it was all over. We are shocked that he is no more with us.

We shall miss his cheerful personality; his discipline; his humane personal touch in everything he did.

He would never talk about his ailment and would brush it out saying jocularly, "the doctors are unable to diagnose the problem so why worry. I don't have any problem."

A month ago when i called him up to see him, he simply laughed it off and said we shall meet sometimes later as i'm not in good shape today. Later i learnt that he was undergoing a check up in the hospital.

Every Wednesday afternoon he would climb up to the second floor office of the Academy in Rotary House in Sector 18, to preside over his team of associates to look after the conduct of every course. And would keep everyone inspired with his one liners.

Since last two months he had grown week but just a week before Associate Dean PDG Shaju Peter and Academy Coordinator Rtn B L Ramsisaria reached his home to sign the Certificates of the DLA candidates of 2016 batch, his last ones, to be presented to the pass outs at the District Conference.

Though weak and his hands shaking, he autographed those certificates with a smile that always played on his face, whenever someone discussed DLA with him.

We salute him for his grit, passion, compassion, and selfless service.

Major Som Dutt lives on in our hearts.