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The Third Cent

This is Dr. Karthikeyan Balakumar’s Newsletter, a digital newsletter in which I document what happened in class this week, the key learnings that we had, and the ideas that were worth pondering over.

The Value of Conflict

Introduction The world often appears to be in a perpetual state of conflict. We are just witnessing the Israel and Palestine conflict unfold. A war continues between Ukraine and Russia. More than a dozen countries are currently engaged in high-level discussions addressing border disputes, rights to rivers that cross boundaries,

Beyond the Ad: Unpacking MakeMyTrip's Game of Framing

Introduction: The front page of the Ahmedabad Times yesterday carried a rather peculiar advertisement from Make My Trip - a popular website that specializes in travel facilitation. I’m pretty sure you have already seen it, but just in case you have not, here’s what it looked like: The

Drawing in the Curtains: Concluding Our Deep Dive into Consumer Behavior

Drawing in the Curtains: Concluding Our Deep Dive into Consumer Behavior

In our previous article, we embarked on an exploratory journey into the myriad applications of artificial intelligence. That finally coalesced into a workshop of sorts on Friday night. (I hope that was helpful btw). This week, I'd like to draw our current series on consumer behavior to a

B2B Consumer behavior

B2B Consumer behavior

Introduction For almost the entirety of the course, we have been speaking about B2C consumer behavior. Interestingly, this is precisely the angle that almost every textbook of consumer behavior also takes. There is hardly any input on how businesses behave when they consume. I am positive that you will be

Lies.. Lies.. Lies

Lies.. Lies.. Lies

We are all familiar with the tale of King Yudhisthira (also known as Dharma) from the epic tale of the Mahabharata - the monarch who never told a lie. While he is possibly a work of fiction, and most definitely been exaggerated by any stretch of imagination, his fictional existence

Beneath the AI Hood : Balancing Progress and Ethics

Beneath the AI Hood : Balancing Progress and Ethics

"India experienced an alarming 1.5 lakh fatalities due to road accidents in 2022, according to the Ministry of Road Transport. This number does not even take into account the unreported accidents, amplifying the risks of human error in driving even further. Imagine an imminent future where AI-powered, driverless

The Power of Persuasion: From Consumer Behavior to National Policy

The Power of Persuasion: From Consumer Behavior to National Policy

Introduction: In our previous class, we explored a concept that plays an integral role in our everyday decisions, often without us even realizing it - the concept of persuasion. This potent tool is not only pivotal in shaping consumer behavior and crafting effective marketing strategies but also extends beyond these