India is proud to have its strong four pillars of democracy that guard  each other and in the process we have the largest democracy in the world we are so proud of talking about and even referring to  in our business presentations. However, the recent launch of iPhone shook my confidence in one of the pillars i.e., Media. I found especially the electronic media spending enormous bytes on announcing iPhone launch in regular news channels. Is the media priority profit over news?

We see many such launches everyday and I do not remember if any one of these launches comes so close to  iPhone launch receiving such a great editorial coverage and not just ad footage. Reference in news channels, what I call editorial coverage adds a distinct credibility to the launch and can misguide consumers. I strongly sense an unholy nexus developing between the global corporates and Indian news channels.

Didn’t the East India Company enter the country this way? Does the product merit such a coverage? Please see the review of the product taken from Y-axis live. How do the news channels beam such launch when there are so many other socially relevant bytes that go uncared?

Such marketing blitzkrieg is now a new threat to Indian economy and its culture especially when the youngsters get unduly influenced. They fall  prey to all these gimmicks like the hype of midnight launch and making it something to flaunt about paying a price three times what you get abroad.  Is this not a different kind of dumping that is neither noticed nor discussed at the WTO level?

Anyone is free to advertise any launch or product but let that be through specific ad space and not in disguise through editorial coverage’s in news channels. I feel the Minisry of I&B , INS bodies, advertising councils and consumer forums should take such instances seriously and implement codes of conduct to ensure more responsible editorial coverage in electronic media be it in Public or Private control.  It is not far away that unduly over priced and underperforming products will soon deluge Indian market and fool the consumers.

My friend Rajesh writes in Y-Axis live.blogspot.com the shortcomings of Apple iPhone, I have reproduced the same below,  since it will serve handy while making a choice.

1. Of course, the price, it is obscene (NDTV’s Vikram Chandra felt it was only ‘slightly expensive’ though!)

2. SMS is important for Indian mobile users, unlike the US where it is possible to come across many business executives who do not use SMS. The iPhone is not crafted for heavy SMS usage.

3. Yes, I know iPhone is not a phone for business executives, but then that’s another reason in favor of my argument.

4. Far superior cameras are available in phones in 15 K range.

5. We do not love buying digital music so much. If we want, it is generally available, you know what I mean.  iTunes what?

6. Operator bundling militates against our nature.  In a city like Chennai and most part of India, we have three to four GSM service providers.  It makes us feel lot of freedom and surrendering that choice does not go with our nature, it is all in the mind.

7. iPhone versus iPhone- Bunty can buy the iPhone in Amrika, get it unlocked on the corner-shop and use it in Patiala. Hello, Bunty is already using it- Why should he pay so much more to buy from India? And he can use it with any operator. Can Apple handle this channel conflict without relooking at the price?

8. Timing wise, August is not the time Indians are in great mood to spend big monies. That happens to be Diwali and around. That’s when the best launches tend to work.

9. Apple is otherwise pretty much unknown commodity in India. Apple What?

10. 3G? No comments.