Wipro notebook: planted comments boost Ego
By Techgirl

Indian tech giant Wipro, like many of its counterparts, presents itself as the best desi firm.  The Wipro website describes itself as the ‘#1 provider of integrated business, tech and process solutions on a global delivery platform’. Wipro has 100,000 plus employees and by all accounts many happy blue chip clients.

Wipro has had many successes.  It was the first Indian IT Service Provider to be awarded Gold Level Status in the Microsoft Windows Embedded Partner Program, the world’s first PCMM Level 5 Software Company, the first to get the BS15000 certification for its Global Control Center, and the list goes on.  It is also No. 2 in the Indian domestic IT services market.

But not all its businesses are super successful. In Feb, 2009, Wipro launched its notebooks named e.go.  During the launch, Mr. Ashok Tripathy, General Manager & Head, Computing Division, Wipro said, "e.go is sculpted for functionality and design, and blends high style with purpose. This range is targeted for the globe trotting, trend setting Indians, who believe in making a difference, and embody the spirit of bold new India. At Wipro, we believe, the bold new India deserves bold new choices".

But the computer market is a hard business with well entrenched rivals like Dell, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, Sony and Acer.

Time for the notebook e.go to get a marketing boost in Feb, 2010.  Wipro uses public relations firm Gutenberg Communications. The Gutenberg website describes it as being based ‘on a single idea - a passion to tell our clients’ stories. In telling these stories we bring an unparalleled understanding of the rapidly changing global media landscape, strong media networks around the world, and a team that excels at mapping and targeting specific audiences for your messages.’

Like all good public relations firms,  Gutenberg will do all it can to ‘help’ its clients.  In this case, the Wipro e.go sales were not up to the mark and so a boost was needed.

Wipro hired one of India’s most successful funny men Cyrus Broacha to promote its laptop e.go.  Cyrus Broacha writes a column for national newspaper DNA and also hosts a comedy show on India’s No. 1 English TV channel CNN/IBN.

As part of the e.go promotion,  Cyrus went to India’s Silicon Valley Bangalore to ‘identify the ego meter’ of the youth there.  In Feb, 2010, Cyrus visited all the happening places like IIM and Hard Rock Café to interview the young men and women to help discover their ego quotient. And presumably when they discover their eqo they will also discover Wipro’s laptop e.go.  The winners were handed out laptops and T-Shirts. These on the road interviews also feature in a current TV ad blitz.

Two of Bangalore’s blogs MyBangalore and TalkBangalore published a news item about Cyrus visiting Bangalore in late Feb to promote the laptop.

The MyBangalore article soon had a number of comments including one from ‘Maggi’ which read: “I like E.go laptops...they are sleek, light weighted, colourful and affordable ...looks really stylish ...apt for the Gen-Next !! well, I AM FULL OF EGO..wht say cyrus..wherz my e.go t-shirt “

The TalkBangalore article also has its fair share of positive comments including one from ‘Maggi’ which read: “I like E.go laptops…they are sleek, light weighted, colourful and affordable …looks really stylish …apt for the Gen-Next !! well, I AM FULL OF EGO..wht say cyrus..wherz my e.go t-shirt “.

So, who is this Maggi who loves Wipro laptop e.go so much that she logs on to different websites leaving exactly the same positive comments?  In fact,  she cuts and pastes her comments so that the ‘message’ is the same.

Maggi is actually Ms. Singhal who works for Wipro’s public relations firm Gutenberg. We salute you Ms. Singhal for going the extra mile for your client Wipro.

(Many of my stories are based on tips sent in by our readers.  Hat Tip to Mahesh for this story idea)

Techgoss note: Techgirl is a senior Tech journalist who reports on the IT, KPO and KPO Sectors for a leading media house.  In her spare time, she dabbles in satire in her blog http://techgirltalk.blogspot.com