My First digital ad agency experience...

Yo estaba pensando que debo escribir en Español, pero mi español no es muy bueno… no importa, voy a escribir en Inglés. Por lo tanto, aquí va… [I was thinking that I should write in Spanish but my Spanish is not very good ... doesn’t matter, I'll write in English. So, here goes ...]

Well… it’s been only three months since I’ve joined, but I think I have already learnt a lot from all of you.

This is the first digital company I’ve worked with. I’ve had a lot of fun working with the team so far. It’s been a really good experience; every day I learn something new working with my team. In this regard, I would really like to thank Sreekant and Vikram for guiding and inspiring me.

I would also like to thank the Search team, Creative team, and Tech team, and all the other members at Ignitee, who’ve helped me a lot.

My first fully fledged campaign was Whirlpool’s Ek Jodi Kapda initiative. I didn’t realise it back then that it was going to be a case study for us. Again, I’d like to thank Vikram and Sreekant, who’ve guided me on this live project. I was worried whether something would go wrong. But I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to all the teams who supported me, because of which the project was completed smoothly.

I really enjoyed the Induction session when I went to Mumbai. Some people said things like, “Arre yehi hai… Ek Jodi Kapda… Pakdo isko…” I also enjoyed the welcome given by the tech and creative team there.

The audio workshop too, was awesome. It’s such a great idea to ask the employees to create a theme song for their own company.

Sitting late in office, working on weekends, shouting at clients, getting stinkers, bosses shouting at you—these things don’t create any negative impact. Instead, it gave me a new perspective and I was able to approach my work positively. Also, I’ve learnt that we, the client servicing people, are like ‘Dholaks: jo dono taraf se bajte hain’.

Here’s a small example:

Me: Hello, Saurabh, sir kaam kab tak kar ke doge??

Tech: Kaam ho raha hai yaar, jaldi de dunga…tere chakkar mein poora tech team baitha hai abhi tak office mein….

Me: Are mein bhi to baitha hun…

Tech: Karta hun yaar, jaldi karta hun…

Me: Bhai banner to resize karo jaldi… Aaj se campaign live hona hai..

Designer: Kal milenge saare…bahuit kaam hai yaar… Chal theek hai…. Half of them will be done today…rest tomm…

Me: Ok…Thanks…

So far it’s been a superb experience and I’m waiting for more challenges to come my way…

Saludos a todos!

Why my being with Ignitee was not a co-incidence?

Most people say that time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time and I can tell you that they are wrong. Time is like an Ocean in a storm. You may wonder why I say this. Come, sit down, and I will tell you a tale unlike you’ve ever heard.

I still remember the time when I walked into ‘Sitaram Mills’ for my interview. How worried I was as the place looked like a ‘Bidi ka Karkhaana’ with a touch of place where you kidnap people for ransom. But then luckily it wasn’t. My first step into Ignitee was my first step into the Digital World. And thus the journey began.

At start I was very chilled about things and didn’t really care where I was heading but with a great bunch of people around, I was destined for bigger and better things. Things changed and I from being a ‘lukha’ was groomed into a social media person. I really didn’t know what changed in me but it was probably because I was always surrounded by people who had the passion to do more. To achieve. To be successful. To be what they really wanted to be. And then began my race for excellence. I strived, I faltered, I accomplished, I chose, I was Ignited.

Day after day I worked and laughed. Worked hard and laughed even harder. From being frustrated to really achieving Nirvana at work. I felt it all. But that was a part of my learning process which is surely the winner in this journey of mine. However it’s not only the work that got me involved with Ignitee. It was the fun. I learnt how you can irritate people here and still get a smile at the end of it. How to help others and still feel you haven’t really done anything. How your smallest of work get appreciated by people who don’t even know you. How you can truly be happy with what you do and leave the day with a smile. But above all, how you can make friends? Cause I truly did.

Slowly and steadily I grew as professional and as a person. It is because I gave ‘Time’ to everything. I was never worried about where I will reach? I never really thought about the destination. It is the journey that mattered. And here I am standing proud to be a part of what was destined to happen.

Sometimes I feel, that if it wasn’t for the call that I had got from Ignitee, how life would have been different?

Would I have been the same ‘lukha’ with no real aim in life? Would I still be happy in some mediocre job I would have found somewhere?

But then, in a magical world there are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. It’s being at the right place at the right time. Time is what prevents everything from happening at once and I truly believe that though I still haven’t really pushed it to the limits, Ignitee has given me that thrust which will surely send me flying high in this journey of mine. And when sometime later in life I ever write a book about my life, the prelude will surely be ‘It all began at Ignitee...’

And here is special shayari for what I feel in this journey of mine with Ignitee.

“Main akela hi chala tha jaanib-e-manzil,

Log saath aate gaye aur caravan badhta gaya”

Khudahafiz
Mubashir

Ignitee is Second Home

It’s been over a year since I first stepped into the Gurgaon office of Ignitee. At first I felt very lost. Coming from a hardcore brand strategy background I wondered what am I doing here? SEM, SEO, SMO - What are these complex terms? Now that moment seems a thousand years old!

What I love most about working at Ignitee is working on something new EVERYDAY! I have had a chance to ideate for some of the best & biggest brands in the market and that too in the most interesting & upcoming domain which is social media. And of course the other great thing about social media is our SMO team @Ignitee. I’ve had such a great time working with Gautamm, Deepali, Mubashir, Krutika, Shruti and Kowkab.

Even though I work out of the Delhi office, I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I get to interact & work alongside the Delhi team which is a lot of fun! At the same time I end up working at the Mumbai office often alongside all the teams.

If I were to close my eyes, so many images flash in front of me: My first meeting with Atul, my first day at Ignitee, My induction in Mumbai, My favorite work @Ignitee, living and working in Mumbai, our laugh riot night with the awesome cab drive, the Mumbai Bollywood night party.

Also, I’ve made some good friends at Ignitee. Priyanka, Vivek, Kowkab. Thanks for being there.

If I have a bad day I don’t feel like taking a day off. I feel like coming to work @Ignitee

Looking forward to more awesome briefs, more crazy deadlines and loads of fun with Ignitees!

Cheers
Aditya

My experience with Ignitee

It has been around 9 months since I first stepped into the Ignitee Office. I remember climbing those lonely stairs of the office and telling myself that this not a scene from a haunted movie and nothing bad will happen here. Fortunately for me, I think God was listening. I got hired, and there was no ghost.

My initial days at Ignitee were a breeze and I spent most of my time complaining of how there is no work to be done. Little did I realize that I was part of a larger plot, which constituted of brain storming and washing sessions, and sending out more ‘docs’ than the words in my thesis paper in my university. I was welcomed in the SMO team with all the warmth anyone could have asked for. Along with hard work also came the laughter riots which at that moment certainly seem can be heard all across Mumbai if not India. With the perfect blend of fun, work and digitizing, Ignitee has been a Life Experience and not something that will just go down my resume.

In my understanding, Ignitee works just like a joint family, with everyone doing their bit to keep the domino straight, working together towards common goals. There are values, morals, respect for each other, and most importantly, support from all the different levels in the organisation.

I have not worked anywhere before, and I don’t really know how other agencies/organisations work. But I am pretty certain that it cannot get better than this. Now I find myself climbing the same staircase that once I used to think was haunted, and now I know, it is haunted. It will haunt me for the rest of my life and remind me of my associations, colleagues, and friends at Ignitee if I was ever to leave.

- Kowkab Naim

Work is Fun at Ignitee !!!

It’s been almost 10 months since I joined Ignitee and it has been really a joyride till now (thankfully). The atmosphere in the office is always upbeat with someone or the other keeping the laughter challenge going on. We actually have laugh riots in the office with people going crazy and that too just by watching others laughing apart from the jokes. The events every week put forth a great opportunity to have a much required break from work and have some fun and team bonding as well in the process. The Birthdays and the beating sessions followed are much gung ho & popular amongst the guys to take revenge on their part.

Apart from the Fun quotient at Ignitee the work exposure is equally good, rather even better comparatively. I have got the opportunity to work on some of the best known brands across verticals and in markets across the globe. With some really popular brands, industry leaders and personal favorites as brands/ clients to work on, work doesn’t seem like work but a project with team effort & colleagues always ready to help out. It’s been a learning experience so far towards mastering my own skills and getting acquainted with new skill which will help shape my career in a wholesome manner.

Life at Ignitee is balance of enjoyment, learning and sports also (though I hardly play any :P). At Ignitee cricket, table tennis & now carrom are widely encouraged with Team Ignitee winning quite a few Inter Agency tournaments. All in all it’s been an enriching experience and looking forward to much more worthwhile times ahead.

The Bhootbangla – Ignitee ;)

This is the first name we all must have uttered for Ignitee because of its spooky entrance. Once you reach the second floor and enter the Ignitee office you feel relieved that you are at right place. Yes, that’s what exactly I feel after being here from more than 1 year- I am at right place! :)

In the last one year we have grown and added a lot of people, but yet nothing has changed much in terms of the youthful culture and atmosphere at Ignitee (which, by the way I like the most!). Ignitee’s spirit I mean team spirit (don’t get carried away by the spooky start) is incredible. Even new joinees are equally enthusiastic about every project. The Friday events: Be it a Jungle fancy dress competition, Raavan avatar or celebrating any festival, is always fun!

Last but not the least, work here is enjoyable. The mad and crazy socio search team make enormous projects also look like a cakewalk. We have the best lunch with laughing sessions lasting for over 10 mins eacg. These lunch breaks are mostly like inter team lunches. We eat, enjoy and even crib together about the food. The best place in office is the canteen where you get to see all the different ‘characters’ (Especially cartoon characters) in our office. Just watching them is great fun in evenings.

It’s been a great year so far working and having fun at Ignitee. Hope to continue this joyful journey for a longer time with all the jovial people around :).

ASAP

Tring tring …hello

Caller: Hi Nikhil I am calling from ignitee (HR dept)

We need to schedule your interview <ASAP>, tell me by when you can come for interview.

Nikhil: Hello hello …hello ……I will come for interview on Saturday (:O).

Caller : Woohh ! Saturday …!!can u make it tomorrow !!

Nikhil : oaky than I will come after 8:30 PM ..

Caller : Okay , will wait for you !! do come !!

So I invented the <ASAP>tag from my first communication had with ignitee. Even on the day I got interviewed, I was asked whether I could join <ASAP>

To begin with my first high priority assignment. <ASAP>I got high on LSD (Love Sex Dhoka) and have no clue how will I land on the ground.

So my first project completed on the note of <ASAP>…as of now.

What to say about team Ignitees,

Gour Farmayiyega !!!

Teach Team = Khatro Ke Khiladi !!

Creative / Production Team = Bhagam Bhaag (aate aate jate jate khoye khoye jage jage baithe baithe dode dode sare srae peeche peeche aage aage gire pade bhage bhage…. bhag ….bhagam bhag )

Search Team = Saare Zameen Par (Jame Raho …Jame Raho)

Media/BD Team = Apna Sapna Money Money (show me the money ….dil chahe paisa)

CS Team = 3 Idiots (confusion hi confusion hai, solution kuch pata nahi )

Account Team = Rock On (Sinbad The Sailor)

HR Team = Singh Is Queen!!

Phewwww …finally I have done some interesting stuff for u guys ..lol

So ignitees are rockers as on all conditions I personally feel the team ignitee is one of the best team . As a digital agency ignitee have best environment for work , place is good when u have good people around you and you can find the best people in ignitee . I love working with ignitee ,,,,funky place were you cay say anything which you want to say !! Like iski ma ka ….sakinaka and all kind of stuff !! lolzzz

Lets, keep rocking all the time as we do always <ASAP>

- Nikhil Mishra

My Experience @ Ignitee

It’s been a year since I made my move to Ignitee. Walking into the Ignitee office for the first time I thought hope I make some good friends and settle down fast. And that is exactly what has happened and even more.

The entire year has flashed past in a mix of clients, pitches, parties and a host of exciting activities at Ignitee. The amount of experience that I have gained in this past year has been one which will serve me for my entire lifetime and has helped strengthen my foundation. One of my moments where I felt pride in being an Ignitee is when I was given a chance to attend the IIFA awards in Colombo thus truly showing that in Ignitee the rule of hard work and dedication paying off handsomely is actually true.

I have also been lucky in getting seniors who have motivated me and given me the right amount of exposure and also having a team which is dedicated and helpful thus giving me some of the best friends I will make in life. Particularly I really love the insane laughing sessions we have had in the canteen taking everyone by surprise. Clients have also played an important role in molding my people skills and outlook to life.

There is finally only one perfect description for Ignitee – A place to explore your true potential and have FUN!!

Working with Ignitee

The best thing about working at Ignitee is the CONSTANT opportunity to laugh: D

I think the SocioSearch team is now notorious for its laughing sessions. Whenever there is loud laughter, people don’t even wonder any more who the culprits are. I think Vivek, Krutika, Kowkab and I are perfect examples how it’s funnier to laugh at laughter than at a joke.

Apart from all the laughing (which does have its downside in aching stomachs, jaws, etc) the other exciting thing about working at Ignitee is working on some of the best Social Media campaigns. Be it Mahi Way of Sony Television or Living Your Passion of ICICI Prudential, the rush of increased fans on a Facebook page or ranking of the blog, has a high like none other.

I think the most memorable moment in office though was when Sachin made 200 runs in an ODI. The whole office was in the cafeteria watching the match. And the amount of cheering done after each run Sachin scored (towards the 200) was just out of this world.

The other very interesting venture at Ignitee is Ignition. I have been part of many SEM training sessions and courses but none is like Ignition. Ignition is unique because it is like a full-fledged full-time course in digital media. The students are enthusiastic and passionate about the digital space and hopefully in 10 months, they will have been placed in some of the top companies in the internet space.

The biggest difference and adjustment I find at Ignitee as compared to my previous company is the way teams are structured here. It was difficult adjusting to the fact that if I needed creative work to be done, I would have to go to a different department to get the work done. Of course there are lots of advantages in having teams by function.

It has been an eventful 9 months of learning, adjusting, enjoying, discovering, laughing, making friends, igniting brands, figuring out Facebook for business, ideating on applications and games and a lot more.

By - Deepali Punjabi

Experience at Ignitee

This is the first time that I am trying my hands at blogging..never the less I am really happy that it is my company Ignitee that I am blogging for coz its not gonna take me much time to think about what I wanna say. Everythng is gonna be right from my heart.

I am new to Ignitee..just been here for roughly 4 months but cannot begin to tell you how much I have started adoring this place. In the beginning it was the same old feeling like ooh god I don’t know any one, where have I landed, why isnt any body talking to me etc…but all this was temporary.

The crowd is soo sooo full of enthu, I cannot begin to explain the amount of energy that these guys here at ignitee have. Plus I have never seen any organisation dedicate so much energy towards employee recreation. Man, you should have a look at our fun-filled Friday activities..right from magic shows to McDonald outings to birthday celebrations…you name it and we do it here at Ignitee. I am sure there is a lot more I can look forward to.

Plus since this is my first stint at corp-comm, im thoroughly enjoying my experience and have planned a couple of interesting things for Ignitee. Making sure I can feature Ignitee in all the Afaqs and E4M’s of the world. Enjoyed seeing Gautamm on NDTV… he was superb (my hard work finally paid off with the NDTV shoot…phew).

I know for sure that I am gonna be around for a long time and learn, excel and have a rocking time!

- Devlina Dutt Jadhav

CHANGE IS THE NEED FOR THIS HOUR – IGNITEE ROCKS

As the heading goes “Change is the need for this hour” now you might ask why this gyaan session is happening. After joining Ignitee an advertising agency from a usability firm, I thought it will be just another Web Designing Firm but it is it surely more than that. Now you might ask, Why this title? Because just having a “Need for the Change” is not enough But “Getting Adjusted to the Change quickly” is also really necessary.

It really took me 1 & half month to adjust to this firm, but after 3-4 months I had a feeling that I was in Ignitee from 1 & half year or so.

Now you might ask, Why this difference?

Understanding the whole structure of Ignitee & in what way I am helping the company. As Ignitee have lots of Skill sets in many different fields, which makes the company different from a normal web designing firm. Tech team, Search Team, Creative Team, Operations Team, Accounts, HR etc & each team having different Skills sets within them.

AFTER 3-4 MONTHS…

The happiest thing for me as a part of Ignitee is, I get to interact with as good as everyone in one way or other & get to know them.

The other main happiest things to be in Ignitee are Table Tennis, Carrom, and UNO. Friday Fever being enjoyed with Dance, Fun-fair, Parties, in teams: Power Rangers, Fanatics, Angels & Demons, Holy Cow. These things are being carried out with loads & loads of work to everyone.

This was what Ignitee is all about.

Now it is the time for a Joke (PJ) in Hindi:

Que: आगर एक आदमी के ३घुट्ने है तो उस का नाम क्या होगा?

Ans: Nitin he he he

Now this is the Change from serious talks to a Joke. Work to Games/party, from being a superior to a being a friend etc and everything at Ignitee.

What else can you Change???

So what did you ignite today?

I am sure everyone reading this would be wondering what this post is about. Enlightenment! Perhaps you are considering becoming a speculator to comprehend the content of this post. Wouldn’t you like to know what it’s really about? Well, now you will! This series profiles a day in the life of every Ignitee professional.

All experiences are original & firsthand encountered. I hope you find this write-up handy as you go about reading it further or just too curious to know the end.

A morning, in the life of all Ignitee’s begins with a warm welcome, by our very own Julie at the reception further as you walk in to the office we are greeted with big smiles by our fellow colleagues. This gives us feeling of warmth that we share here at ignitee. Then starts a challenging day with some 10-20 odd mails to check & respond to over the past 8 hours of the last accessed mail box. Too time consuming to find that one message (Job list from our boss) in the mailbox offering a perfect day’s planning. After which begins the not so easy chores at work with a very little time for most of us to realise when the clock strikes 2 pm. Anxiously awaited cafeteria welcomes the cross table conversations during the lunch hours & unnecessary discussion accompanied with positive arguments amongst fellow colleagues or let me put it rightly as friends. 2.30 pm return to all the new challenges waiting for you to come & accomplish until you realise its 7 pm & people have started playing TT & fooling around in the office. Either you join them or you realise that there is too much of work for you to complete & submit for an upcoming pitch or complete some incomplete work for the existing clients. In fact right now while I am writing this post I realise there is still a lot of work pending for me & my team to complete for the day.

Well to cut this post short all of us would agree to this that despite the challenges that all of us face @ work, we are in no doubt that we @ Ignitee would always commit to hard & smart work without compromising on the output.

Cheers to all those who have helped Ignitee to prosper & attain a spearhead victory.

Still wondering about the title of the post.....Well the origin of this question comes from the scribble pad that acts as a true motivating factor for all of us @Ignitee. I don’t know how many of us have actually read the interesting facts at the bottom of every alternate page in the book.

PS: Spare some time to read the facts at the bottom of the book, some are worth reading.

A new synonym of ‘Faith’ = ‘Ignitee’

“Faith is the confident belief or trust in the truth of or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.”

Its only when someone challenges your faith is when you stumble. In an ideal scenario one either defends strongly or gives up post struggling a little. Coming to the point and cutting the gyaan. Advertising agencies be it traditional or so called ‘BTL’, let me term is better, the so called ‘non conventional’ agencies are present due to ‘Faith’. Why? How? Is that what you are thinking? The answer is very simple. It’s because the client believes in the work. It is ‘this’ work that will do marvels to my brand. Obviously, not always does a miracle take place.

Just the other day I saw Bournville TVC again. To me it really didn’t make much sense. Well it’s my opinion. However back then the outdoor was just right! They did make the chocolate look very tempting and definitely they won at least one new customer (me). That too loyal. If a marketing head see’s that the communication message is actually showing what his customer wants to see, he is bought in. However, not always his prediction turns true because not all campaigns are successful. Point being, he had faith in what his agency did. Whether it is / was rocking or not.

It’s on this faith that we as agency survive. If they stop believing in what we are saying then digital agencies wouldn’t ever have got embraced by the brand managers. Going back into recent past, this new media- the world of digital was accepted by client because they liked what traditional advertising never got them. ‘Numbers’! This is exactly what marketing & sales manager’s love i.e. they exactly get to see what the ROI is. Hence the invention of CPLs. Is it just about getting leads? (coutesy: Dharma) Well, that’s what we made the clients believe and hence today we see lot of clients asking for CPL deals. That’s the faith they have in the medium. Rather that’s how they started believing in the medium.

However, as time changes and medium gets advanced, we always see revolution. Digital is one medium where magic happens probably every second. Today in this time of downfall where markets are collapsing, and companies don’t have money for advertising in traditional media, we see shift in digital media as well. Yes, this is the time when Digital media is being talked about the most. Yes, this is the time when we are seeing companies doing more of brand awareness campaigns and not just wanting a CPL deal. It’s right here in Ignitee where we beat challenges and battle the war and not let the client get misled. Its right here, that we speak their language, a language that they have been hearing for years ‘reach’ & ‘frequency’.(coutesy: Gautamm) We make them believe us and they do. Its faith after all. It’s their faith in us because of which we have made these magical campaigns which are one of its kinds.

They believe us not just because of what we commit but the experts behind it. The knowledge they have and with this expertise we win the clients faith. It’s about building the relationship with client. It’s in this wonderful place that I work where I have always heard Ramani challenging to client ‘We can beat your expectation and my team is ready to do that.’ Its not just client but internally we believe in each other and work together. We have faith in us. Yes! Ignitee Rocks!!

-- Mahek

Ignitee rocks!!

Nine Months back when I was suppose to be dreaming about my much awaited wedding scheduled in October’08 all I was dreaming was the Launch of “Ignitee” which was scheduled on 30th September precisely 8 days before my ceremony. My first ever experience in an agency, my first launch ever and of course my first ever wedding. All I had launched previously was SOP’s (Standard operating procedures) and promotions in hotels! Butterflies flew all of that month in my stomach. To do list was endless and words like Virals, DM’S, and JPEG sounded Latin! I dint even know what Afaqs and E4M were.....hush hush!

Youngest Ignitees cut the cake on the day of Launch!

Now when I think back it truly has been the most amazing time. A roller coaster ride which I am never ever gonna forget. I enjoyed every bit of it and more then I enjoyed, I was learning something new every nanosecond. By the way now when I am asked to launch any project I always think of the Dhoni’s Aircel ad “Aur Bolo”!!!

Some of our prominent launches have been Spark, Our event initiative, Ignition and Ignitee but everyone’s favorite is Moksh. I feel elated when I see ignitees distressing and enjoying themselves in Moksh. I love Bhavna’s painting there. I am so happy to be associated with such a forward thinking company. I think ideas like Moksh and Spark are super cool!!!

Before concluding I wanna use this platform requesting all of you to chat with me as and when you think of any new initiative Ignitee should take!

Signing Off,

Ruchika

First Times...

This week seems to be full of ‘first times’ for me.

This is the first time I am writing a blog!

We are in the midst of receiving our first major rain-fall of the season.

Today I will experience, for the first time, the flooding lane outside the office.

The new business we signed on yesterday was the first new business I helped get, since I joined Ignitee.

Last night was the first time I went for ‘post work’ drinks with my new friends from the office.

And this week I signed on my first recruit for Ignition.

First times can be supremely exciting, some times nerve wracking, sometimes easy and sometimes, the hardest thing in the world.

But it is something that we all experience at some point of our lives. And more often than not, it symbolises accomplishment.

This week saw exciting ‘first times’ for me and here’s to many more for all of us at Ignitee

Cheers

-- Tarini

Winning IS everything

Revealed! 4 Friends that Get You Gold

And 3 Enemies that Take it Away

On June 19, 2009, the Power Rangers—a live wire team of fifteen (Captain Sahal and cronies Manish, Ritesh, Ajit, Rahul, Priyal, Devendra, Sandip, Suresh, Ganesh, Kaushik, Radhika, Harry, Sejal, and yours truly)—romped home with the GOLDEN TROPHY of the IHE series and individual medals inscribed with praise: ‘Best House 09’.

Celebrating the sweet taste of success

Missing in the snap: Power Rangers Harry and Radhika

Three days prior to our victory, on July 14, 2009, a team was defeated. India, Defending Champions, crashed out of the T20 series after losing by a whisker to England—a team we beat easily in 2008.

Both incidents compelled me to think about what it takes to win—or lose—a match.

From whatever I’ve read in Management books, there are 4 Friends that can undoubtedly ensure the outperformance of a team:

Friend # 1: Courage

To think BIG, to go against the grain.

Friend # 2: Conviction

To follow your heart—against all odds.

Friend # 3: Commitment

To give it all you’ve got—right till the very end.

Friend # 4: Confidence

In yourself, but more importantly, in your team.

And who are the enemies just waiting to snatch victory away?

Enemy # 1: Fear

Enemy # 2: Pressure

Enemy # 3: Wrong decisions

What warms my heart is that Ignitees have loads of Friends. How else could we have grown so exponentially—and won 3 of the most prestigious accounts in digital history: IPL, MOT (Ministry of Tourism) and the Indian National Congress? And still be hungry for MORE?

Keep rocking, Ignitee! Here’s to greater times and still more success. Cheers!

Glory, Glory To Ignitee!

Yes, I am an unabashed Man United fan. Who isn’t? It’s really great to see them win game after game (ok, so they lose a few times, but who doesn’t?) And, my favourite colour happens to be RED…

Oh, you must be wondering then what Ignitee’s all about. It’s the place where I work these days. No, sorry, not work, ENJOY. When you do something you really enjoy, you can’t call it work, can you? I’m a web designer and I get to do the coolest stuff around here. Websites, banners, site caps, you name it, I done it.

The best part about this place is that I don’t have to sit hunched at my desk all the time. We have a TT table, and a room for relaxation we call MOKSH. In the evenings, after office hours generally, there’s an army that gathers at the TT table. I form part of this small army and I enjoy myself after a day’s hard work (oops there I go again). Another great thing is the events that are staged every alternate Friday. It is fun to see everyone run helter-skelter at the last minute, and even through ridiculous deadlines and mountain loads of work, we do manage to have a lot of fun every time!

If I had to describe Ignitee in one word, it would be ‘magic’. It really is a magical place. Even my team is a magical team. And every day, from Monday to Friday, we perform magic tricks to amaze and appease our clients. Come over sometime. You’ll enjoy yourself, I promise!

- Elton Afonso

Ignitee Days

As I was not comfortable working with my previous company, my friend Aurnob Mitra suggested that I should try out Connecturf (Connecturf had not changed to Ignitee back then). Gautamm took my interview—believe me, I was extremely nervous. But I realised pretty soon that there was nothing to worry. Gautamm called me a few days later and told me I could join from 29 September, 2008.

Ah! This indeed was the perfect place to work in. Every morning I am greeted by the smiling face of Julie, our receptionist, who wishes me good morning.

In the beginning, my team (Search Team) was a small one—it consisted only of Gautamm, me, Kamlesh and Monali. Within a short span of time, the number of projects increased tremendously and we had to hire two new recruits, Krutika and Bhakti.

But Ignitee isn’t ‘all work and no play’. We do have a TT table and a carom board. And we also have an ‘Inter House Event’ every alternate Friday, where Ruchika (Corporate Affairs Head) and Yamica (HR Head) organise events like karaoke, Antakshari etc. We also celebrate everyone’s birthday in office.

What I enjoy most is LUNCH TIME, when we all sit together and think about how we’re going to tackle the post-lunch session. The most memorable time is when Ramani (Chairman), Sandy (Vice-President), Gautamm (Business Head—Search/SMO aka my boss) and Kamlesh (Manager—Search, another boss of mine) sit together and share thoughts.

All I can say is that Ignitee has given my career a new dawn. Thanks to Ignitee, there has been a significant improvement in my work, skills, knowledge and thinking power.

-- Kunal Shah

Another Business Pitch?

It’s really encouraging and heart warming to read all the passionate posts that have been put up so far. There are posts by the new Ignitees talking about how they like the place, how it’s not just an office, but a learning ground; and how they look forward to each day at office. There are posts by the older lot talking about how they have seen the undying spirit of Ignitees in good times and bad. And then there are posts by Ignitees talking about how they have embraced the digital media and how the digital media has touched every small spec of their life. And of course there are those entertaining posts and musings from Nihal after almost every post .

So what’s new about this post? Well, this post is about a business pitch at Chennai. (At this point, I’m sure you are thinking, what the hell? but just humour me)

It was in the sweltering May heat that three of us (Sandy, Ashok and I) had landed up at the Chennai airport for a business pitch. We were very pleased and confident of the work that we were carrying and therefore the usual nervousness and last minute fixes were missing. We gorged into the Masala Dosas and the Idli Sambhar at Suvarna Bhavan, courtesy our hosts (Priya and Arun). In our excitement, we landed up early at the client’s office. The client was also quite accommodating. We had a good meeting. Came out and celebrated at Kalakuddi with some awesome prawns, mutton, chicken and fish. Shopped in the bylanes of Chennai, saw the Marina beach, waited for four hours for our flight at the airport and reached home at 1:00 AM.

Sounds like any other business trip right? So, why am I telling you all this? Because, when we entered the client office, the client politely told us that he had shortlisted another agency and that the deal was done. But we insisted on presenting our work. Thirty minutes in that conference room and the client promised us more ‘eyeballs’ in a follow-up meeting to see the great work that we had put together! We made a client rethink his decision about signing up an established local agency, purely on the merit of our work!!!

And that’s what this post is all about—the pride I felt to be part of a brilliant team, a team that is

• So passionate and so hungry for winning that it opens up even closed doors

• So full of ideas that it there are ideas flowing in even at three in the morning

• And so full of life that it doesn’t miss out on its food parties and IHE even in the midst of handling the biggest three campaigns in the last six months of digital space!

I’m sure I echo the sentiment of all of us when I say, “Proud to be an Ignitee!”

- Harminder Kaur

My experience @ Ignitee…

I distinctly remember my first day @ Ignitee. It was 10.00 a.m. when I, along with Dharini and Ritesh, three of us having joined on the same day, was waiting with immense anticipation in the visitor’s lounge. It being my first job, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I was scared, happy, excited, anxious, nervous, all at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect out of this organization. From what I had heard about the corporate world, I was not expecting much except for deadlines, targets, formal environment etc.

The wait got over as we met Yamica, and there began our day with friendly smiles and warm welcome. Next few days we got to know the industry we had ventured in, the agency we were now a part of and the people we were to work with, thoroughly. Each day and each task brought with it more inquisitiveness, excitement and exhilaration.

Six months down the line, I don’t yet feel I have taken up a job. Rather than an office, it’s more like a college, each day loaded with friends, canteen, and assignments. Your bosses at Ignitee are mentors who guide you at each step, making sure you not only perform but outperform. And not to forget, your performance is rewarded with appreciation, time and again.

I have been the quieter lot amongst the always buzzing Ignitees. But even in my silence, I have cherished each moment @ Ignitee. The lunches with Dharini & Samruddhi @ Cafeteria, the evening snacks, the Friday evening events, the rare but fun late work nights, the challenging tasks, the list goes on and on.

Here I end my note, awaiting more fun and thrill in my tenure at Ignitee.