“What makes a brand impactful for my
life?” I ask myself.
And then my brain set out on a journey to answer this basic question. Here is how my thought process flew.
And then my brain set out on a journey to answer this basic question. Here is how my thought process flew.
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| Growing up with Microsoft |
I grew up in an age when the internet revolution
was picking up. As a child, it was always exciting to get my hands on a device
called ‘computer’- an entry to the magical and uncharted world where we could
play games that gave adrenaline rush and search for anything under the sky on the
internet. I looked at it with wonderment, always wanting to know the endless
sea that internet was. As I write this, we are living in a world where
smartphones have pervaded the lives of millions of people on the planet. My
generation has straddled these two extreme times-the one of books and the other
of Kindle. This transition has been at an astounding pace-so astounding that
only the best of the brands have been the leaders of this revolution. The brand
that has been most impactful for my generation has to be the one that led this
revolution of change .And for me, the most prominent brand that has built
bridges of change at this astonishing pace has been Microsoft.
Switching on the PC, the screen glowed
up with a background of blue and a colourful windows 98 logo. As a child, I
didn’t know what it was exactly and what an OS is generally. But I knew that
this picture of kite-like four colours meant my computer had started up and I
was seconds away from the world of entertainment. Windows has evolved from that
time, changing from 98 to 2000 to XP to Vista to Windows 7 to the latest
stylish and young Windows 8(Wow!) We have grown up with the Windows and it has changed
as per the world. Yet even today when I log on to my PC, I know that on the
other side of that Windows Start Up screen is a world which will make my eyes
open up like child-like wonder.
Signs of an impactful brand? It won’t
just be an entry to an amazing world. But a lot more beyond it!
So, when I reach the other side of the
Windows Screen, Microsoft is in every corner of my life. If I have to talk to
my home from my Engineering hostel, Skype puts its hand up and does the job
perfectly. If I have to dive in the endless ocean of knowledge, Explorer takes
me along-making me feel important by considering my customized preferences. If
I have to scribble for fun, Paint awaits me. And in my B-school life, Microsoft
Office has been one loyal friend who puts a hand around your shoulder and says “Chill
mate, I am here, like I have always been”.
From the world of business when I wander
across to the fields of entertainment, Microsoft X-Box has all the answers. It
remains my wish to have a room with X-Box and an Ikea couch with a leg rest.
So, away from the past and the present, I am sure even future wishes to walk
alongside Microsoft as it builds bridges to embrace and create every change
that makes our life simple. How more can a brand impact one’s life?
If I get to be one of the coveted
Microsoft Student Associates, I would get to be a part of the change. Ever
since logging on to a Windows 98 System, I have been a tech enthusiast. I love
to promote my own cricket blog (here) on various social
media platforms and like a number devouring statistician, analyze the Blog Analytics
to bring change. I like to keep a finger on the pulse when it comes to the
rapidly evolving technology. My summer internship in the growing field of
Digital Marketing for a leading matrimonial company honed my skills and helped
me learn something I wanted to –‘Technology’. As an MSA, I look forward to take
this passion for technology to another level. Interacting with similar tech
freaks across the country will be an experience in itself. I will love learning
the nuances of the best technology practices at various conferences. I have worked with an NGO dealing with
intellectual disability and it was one of the most moving experiences I had
which motivated me to do something for the society. In that short stint, I
learnt how much courage it takes to be them. The world around them makes them
feel ‘disabled’ yet they find a way to be happy and comfortable in their own
skin. As MSA, being part of numerous activities impacting society as a
representative of Microsoft will be both an honour and a matter of pride for
me.
This is an opportunity for me to be better than what I am today. A version 2.0
of myself. I wish to be a part of this community to be part of the revolution
driver of the world, a place where I contribute and learn the nitty-gritty of
the fields that I am passionate for –Technology and Social Cause.
