Much has been written about the power of social media and how marketers can use it successfully. The trick is to make sure one doesn&rsquo;t go overboard.

Make the right connect

Business Standard

When social media isn&rsquo;t handled correctly, it can do more harm than good. Striking a balance is key, but equally important is using it properly.

Look before you leap

The India head of international hospitality chain Starwood Hotels and Resorts puts great store in instilling a sense of passion to the leadership of a company. That is what he says separates the leaders from the also-rans. &ldquo;When I joined the industry in 1984, most of my friends said, &ldquo;Tu waiter banne ja raha hai!&rdquo; (You are going to be a waiter!) &mdash; such was the perception of the industry those days. Today the perception has changed completely, but the fact remains that you require a lot of humility and humbleness to be a successful hotelier,&rdquo; he says. Dilip Puri, who took over as managing director, India, &amp; regional vice-president, South Asia, of Starwood Hotels and Resorts last year, honed his skills working in operational and development roles in India, South Pacific, Australia and Africa across luxury and upscale hotel brands.

Q&A: Dilip Puri, Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Sports and lifestyle brand Puma is hung-ho about the worldwide web and it thinks online promotions is a sureshot way to connect with the Indian youth. Just recently, it went on twitter inviting users to throw virtual pies at English cricketer Kevin Pieterson. This is part of its campaign designed around brand ambassador Yuvraj Singh which uses the number 12 in interesting ways.

Winning hearts the online way

T he new ad for Britannia Rusk by Grey India conveys a simple story of a family coming together over tea and a packet of crunchy and juicy Britannia Rusks, making it enjoyable and memorable. The brand promise is signed off with &ldquo;Britannia Rusk Jahaan, Family wahaan&rdquo;.

A fresh recipe

Auto Expo 2012 is the venue for the launch of seven all-new automotive brands in India. We take a look at them.

It's a brand new year!

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) &mdash; the two premium brands owned by Tata Motors, India&rsquo;s largest automotive company &mdash; will tighten up frivolous expenditure to contain cash in a slowing automotive market.

JLR to get cost smart in slowing market

Nissan Motor Company may have missed the boom in small cars in India. But the third-biggest Japanese car maker is confident of shoring up volumes, as it works on several small car projects simultaneously. Nissan executive vice-president Andy Palmer said the firm was targeting a substantial jump in market share. However, Bajaj Auto may not be a part of this equation. He spoke to Swaraj Baggonkar on the company&rsquo;s plans.

Q&A: Andy Palmer,Nissan Motor Company

Dozen two-wheelers, 30 passenger cars and CVs unveiled.

Small goes big, big goes small 

Farhan Akhtar tells Priyanka Joshi that he is most comfortable when he is behind the camera.

The star director

I want to buy a new car with my average usage being 800-1,000 km a month. I am unable to decide whether to opt for a petrol or diesel. I have a four-member family and will be running the car within the city during the week. On the weekends I will be using it for occasional trips to New Delhi and the like. I have a budget of Rs 8.5 lakh and I am considering the Honda City, Jazz, Hyundai Verna, Nissan Sunny, Volkswagen Vento and Fiat Linea.

Pet shop

One of Bollywood&rsquo;s greatest thespians was known to use his formidable acting skills to amuse himself when he was bored.

Tele-phony manners

We tell you what not to miss at the 2012 Auto Expo.

Exposed!

Uneven though it is, Christophe Jaffrelot&rsquo;s magnum opus on independent India is the only real challenger to Ramachandra Guha and Bipin Chandra&rsquo;s big books.

Ideas of India

Listed as a notorious IT destination, Nehru Place in Delhi is a microcosm of multiple economies. Business runs into crores and deals are struck in a matter of minutes. Veenu Sandhu spends a day in the bustling market.

Out in the open

How quickly the world changes. At the end of August I wrote about a &ldquo;mid-list&rdquo; author &mdash; that is, one with steady but unspectacular sales &mdash; in the UK who was saying, to only a little controversy, that published writers today are unlikely to earn enough money from their books to live on. The reason Ewan Morrison gave was the shift to ebooks. It is very difficult to get customers to pay &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; sums for digital content, as the music industry long ago discovered.

Author as salesman

Mercedes-Benz opens a driving academy and brings its sports cars to the Formula One circuit near Delhi. Aabhas Sharma gets behind the wheel for a first-hand experience.

Right on track

What downturn? The market for luxury goods in India, from cars to handbags, is only growing.

Haute goes up

So now it&rsquo;s official. For those of us who have been ranting about the poor quality of India&rsquo;s school education, the data is out there for everyone to see. This is the first time India took part in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development&rsquo;s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the results are damning.

Educating parents

The premier at Reggio Emilia has seen high drama with a situation where any of four out of six participants could win going into the last round. There's been an incredible decision ratio; a nervous collapse by a certain Ukrainian; a big breakthrough performance by a teenager.

Chess (#985)

To know what a maverick artist looks like, look no further than Ranbir Kaleka. He wears a hat even when indoors, from which on occasion I have seen fish hooks dangling &mdash; or perhaps they were earrings. Unlike the networking artist, his eyes don&rsquo;t dart impatiently across the room, scanning to see whether there are buyers interested in seeking him out. You have all his attention when he speaks to you, and his speech is deliberate, slow and accented.

'I do love donkeys very much'

- Find Specials News, Features, Analysis and more at Business Standard. Full coverage of Goafest 2014

Page 1314 - Supplements