Celebrity Endorsement - Coke

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

Group-4

As a part of our Communication Course work, we had to initiate a discussion on the topic CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT. We initially had to discuss within our group the various pros and cons of the topic and make detailed notes of it. Along with that, on the scheduled day, we had to initiate a discussion on the same. This learning paper is an attempt to summarize the entire process that led to the discussion and the underlying details.

The day the group task was assigned, it did not evoke even a luke warm response from the group. After having a passable idea about the topic and the level of difficulty, everyone went back to their respective comfort zones with the feeling that ..."Topic is easy. It can be handled in a day or two. So, why bother?"

As was expected, time passed. The 1st group initiated a good discussion. The second group too was equally good. A pang of guilt did pass through each and everyone's mind .But then, the guilt was not strong enough to coerce every one of us into action. No one even discussed about the topic for the simple reason that it might evoke guiltiness in the other, and in response would evoke the same response from themselves. No one wanted to feel miserable. So they kept their thoughts to themselves.

On the day of the 2nd session, the professor enquired about each and everyone's progress regarding their respective group assignments. No one in our group was even willing to volunteer, as by then most of us did not remember even the name of the topic. After a hurried memory scan.. The group realized it was somewhat remotely related to Aamir Khan. So it might have something to do with celebrity. Having realized that, one brave soul among us stood up to present a very diplomatic answer. "We had met once and we were in the preliminary stages of our discussion."

Interestingly, he did not even know how to present a half lie. So, predictably the group had to face an embarrassing situation.

As if it mattered!!! The situation remained the same even afterwards.

Not actually.

Because after that incident, one or two mails started circulating around regarding the tentative time to have a meeting for a preliminary discussion. As was expected, barring one or two members, no one took the mail seriously. But then, the impending work did start nagging our conscience more often.

The wait was too much for a majority of us. Since, we were not able to find a suitable time where all of us could meet and have a fruitful discussion, people divided themselves into sub groups and had the 1st preliminary discussions.

Here, there was an observation.

Even with sub groups having been formed, the group members took it as a positive sign and respected each other's views and discussions. They were even appreciative of the fact.

After that, there were a considerable number of e-mails moving around, still trying to build up a consensus on a specific time and date for a formal discussion.

Sometimes, there was a lot of heartburn visible on the emails from some responsible members citing our inadequacy on even deciding on an appropriate time and date. Some raised serious concerns over our irresponsibility related to academics. Some again raised serious concerns related to the quality of the work that we were doing. There was still an air of "devil may care" attitude by some who insisted on the fact that it's OK even if we meet just before the day of the scheduled presentation.

These attitudes of the team members were leading to discontent brewing within the group. An underlying current of conflict was slowing raising its head. There was a serious lack of leadership and no one was willing to take any sort of responsibility.

The reasons posed were varied. Some were very busy in various other extracurricular activities which they considered very vital. Those included game committees, other competitions, plain laziness and foremost of all procrastination. No one bothered with a serious thought about the work at hand. And the members, who were indeed serious, never took the initiative.

The only consoling factor was that there was an air of confidence somewhere within each of us which assured that, since we had managed to pull out a decent enough performance in the previous topic presentation, we would manage this one as well.

Probably, it was overconfidence, which would later spell doom for us.

We finally managed to meet for a formal discussion on the topic before the due date of the class discussion. We gathered at the Common Room of the Gents Residence