Prime Time with NetIP – A look behind the scenes of our most successful visibility campaign

by Pooja Dhawan, Brand Strategy Chair for NetIP North America

The Network of Indian Professionals North America launched its radio show in 2009 under the leadership of then VP External Affairs, Sundip Arora (2010 President, NetIP NA).  It was marketed as a series of teleconferences and webinars to increase the value of NetIP’s paid membership.  The idea behind the series, originally called “Chit-Chaat, all spices considered”, was to have guest speakers that were experts or prominent figures in the South Asian Community.  Arora’s team member, Brand Strategist, Pooja Dhawan, stepped in to refine the concept and its impact.  The series was re-named Prime Time with NetIP and the name struck a cord.

The first guest was relationship expert Jasbina Ahluwalia of Intersections matchmaking. Callers dialled in to learn effective ways to balance Professional, Social and Personal Demands with questions and answers with Ms. Ahluwalia. The teleconference received a positive response and along with requests for more teleconferences, the idea for a real radio show took root. In Q2 of 2009, HumDesi Radio, a division of World Band media (WBM) contacted NetIP for a possible alliance. Through strategic planning and foresight, NetIP and WBM began Q2 with a partnership (Click here for our press release).

The show debuted with Super Model Saira Mohan (the podcast can be heard here ) and we were off to a running start.  During this regular show, leading business, financial, arts and media professionals discuss issues such as surviving the financial turmoil by leveraging South Asian roots, the political voice of South Asian, the face of the 21st century Indian American professional, struggling for the American dream, immigration, economics. and much more.  As of the publication of this article, the show gets over 6000 listeners on the internet alone.  Every show brings NetIP’s social networks to life with questions, comments, status updates and more. There is a huge marketing component to the show. NetIP has over 21,000 Facebook users and more than 1200 Twitter followers.  We market the show aggressively on all our social platforms.

A wide range of South Asians honor us with their presence on the radio.  Some of our previous guests have been Saira Mohan, economist Ravi Batra, NYT bestselling author Ramit Sethi, Maulik Pancholy, Comedian Vidhur Kapur, eBay’s founder of worldofgood.com Robert Chatwani, GM of eBay’s world of good Seema Shah.  We spoke to Simran Sethi on Feb 17th, lauded as one of the top ten eco heros of the planet, an environmental specialist and Green Movement spokesperson on Oprah.com (Click here for our press release).

This March we have two great Primetime shows for you!  We are talking to Naresh Vissa from CNN Radio on March 17th 7pm EST (click here for related Facebook event) and Fox Business News Reporter Shibani Joshi on March 31st 7pm EST (click here for related Facebook event). Join in the conversation, listen in live at www.HumDesiRadio.com.

Our media partner HumDesi radio is always coming up with innovative ways to increase their listenership with our help. They offer free HD radios in their broadcast cities for your car and much more. Their newest business opportunity is a strategy to launch in more cities. We are excited as this means our show Prime Time will get an even greater visibility. Click below for details

Hum Desi Radio is a division of World Band Media, North America’s first Ethnic Digital Radio Network.

Listen live on HD Radio on
New York – 98.7 FM (HD2)
Washington DC – 103.5 FM (HD2)
Chicago – 101.1 FM (HD2)
Los Angeles – 105.9 FM (HD2)
Or anywhere in the world via the internet, humdesiradio.com
Please join us for a live broadcast, call toll free 1-877-DESI-321 Ext 370 to ask questions during the show.

Email us at primetime@netip.org, Tweet us on www.twitter.com/netipna

www.NetIP.org

Edited by Latha Nehru, VP of External Affairs, NetIP NA

Local Resident Leads National Network Group

Reprinted with permission from the Dec. 16, 2009, issue of INDIA New England. http://www.indianewengland.com

By JEN RICHMAN

Sundip Arora In three years, Sundip Arora has risen from volunteer with the Network of South Asian Professionals in Boston to leader of the group’s national parent organization, the Network for Indian Professionals, North America. Arora, who currently is serving as vice president of external affairs for NetIP [at the time of print in 2009], is set to take over the reins of leadership from President Aruna Paramasivam on Jan. 1. His ascension through the network’s ranks was an organic journey, Arora said. “I have always been active in the community,” Arora said, adding that as long as he finds value in his membership he will continue to contribute to NetSAP and NetIP. “We’ve come a long way,” said the Chestnut Hill, Mass., resident of the 20-year-old national professional network. Still, Arora says there are things that the group might do better, including several areas on which he will focus as president in the year ahead. “Our first goal is to continue our growth,” Arora said. NetIP North America has 5,000 paid members, and reaches out to 40,000 professional in the United States and Canada, but Arora said he believes membership can and should be expanded. There are about 250 to 300 paid NetSAP Boston members. Increasing external visibility is another of Arora’s top priorities, followed closely by deepening NetIP’s identity, driving its logo to be an instantly recognizable symbol of the South Asian business community. In order to increase visibility, Arora said he will seek to partner with nonprofits like the Grameen Foundation, which grants microloans to small businesses and empowers some of the world’s poorest people. Arora already has met with the executive director of the United Nation’s World Food Programme in order to “forge a partnership going forward,” said Arora. Strong ties with music giant MTV, Sahara TV and Asian Television are among the arsenal of contacts Arora is trying to strengthen. Arora grabbed NetIP’s top spot when members from each of the group’s 24 chapters met over the Labor Day weekend in Toronto for the 18th annual conference and to elect its incoming slate of leaders. Co-chairing NetIP’s national annual conference “changed the course of history” for Arora, he said, giving him the confidence to take charge of a sprawling professional organization. About 850-900 people gather from across the United States and Canada for the national conference each year to listen to high-profile speakers talk about business issues. “It’s a way for all of us to come together and meet each other,” Arora said. Networking is an essential part of NetIP’s functioning, and these meetings offer a chance to mix official NetIP business with the kind of relationship-building NeIP is known to provide its members. As NetIP’s president of external affairs, Arora gained exposure in dealing with the public. The role entails acting as the group’s external-facing representative and creating publicity for the organization. Arora is carrying over to the president’s post some of his responsibilities from his days working in external affairs, including brand consistency, increasing visibility, securing and maintaining relationships with partners and sponsors, and various strategic marketing initiatives. In his previous role, Arora helped create a partnership with nonprofit Akshaya Patra, a Stoneham, Mass.-based nonprofit that helps feed Indian school children. He also worked deals with various airlines, the National Basketball Association and online marketplace Ebay. Arora works as a manager at high-tech startup Metatomix, based in Dedham, Mass., where he leads a small team that supports the company’s sales from a technology standpoint. Prior to his work with Metatomix, Arora worked as a consultant for Deloitte Consulting LLP, where he “was always trying to convince people to buy an idea or reinforce change to streamline technology or internal processes.” Arora said he hopes to sell NetIP’s brand name and success to a broader public, gaining brand recognition. Part of the success NetIP has already enjoyed ties in with prominent former members. Arora points to the nation’s chief technology officer for the Obama administration, former NetSAP President Aneesh Chopra, to highlight the caliber of members NetIP is capable of churning out. “NetIP’s chapters are as strong as their members and the members are as strong as what they get from NetIP,” said Arora, a native of Delhi, India. Arora, for his part, is not shy about recognizing his strengths. His ability to juggle a full-time, 50-hour-per-week job while putting in 40 hours per week working with NetIP and being a newlywed is a feat he knows is not ordinary. Arora married NetSAPs Boston chapter’s outgoing president, Pallavi Chhabra, in mid-November. Her successor has not been named at the writing of this article. “I tend to do it justice,” Arora said of his involvement with NetIP. “I don’t take up anything I can’t manage.” As much as he is confident he will ably lead NetIP through 2010, Arora says he is accepting of and anticipating the efforts of many other NetIP members to aid in the experience. “It comes down to individuals willing to help,” he said. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_of_Indian_Professionals

NetIP Announces March Leaders of the Month

Kamana Sharma, NetSAP DC

Kamana Sharma has done outstanding work for the Greater DC area

through the Community Service Pillar.  Philanthropic events

produced by NetSAP DC have increased in frequency, attendance has

tripled, and more underprivileged individuals and groups are

benefiting from NetSAP DC’s community work.  Kamana approached the

NetSAP DC board in January wanting to create a monthly community

service event based on President Obama’s call to action on

www.serviceusa.org.  Kamana believed that NetSAP DC members should

participate in President Obama’s call to action as a community of

South Asian American professionals and has achieved this goal through

each month’s Second Saturday of Service. Each month’s service event

assists a local organization, so NetSAP DC members are not only

promoting the importance of service in the South Asian community but are also

positively impacting the local Washington DC community.

 

Farida Hasanali, NetIP Houston

Farida Hasanali has been the beacon of enthusiasm and innovation on the Houston

board.  The comfort and warmth that people see in her has helped NetIP

Houston keep its member base loyal.  Her exemplary leadership

exhibited in organizing NetIP Houston’s International Women’s Day

event demonstrates her commitment and passion for the chapter.  Farida

decided to host the event at her home and was responsible for all the

logistics such as invitations and program details.  The home setting

and the women-only criteria provided the perfect environment for the

event. This event was a prime example of how Farida’s outgoing and friendly

personality has made everyone with whom she interacts an instant friend and

supporter of NetIP.

March Event of the Month: NetIP Seattle’s Holi – “Range Barse!”

NetIP Seattle’s first ever Holi event, held on March 14th, 2009, was selected

as NetIP’s March Event of the Month.  The festivities took place at

Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA.  The team was able to secure event

sponsorship with The Northwest chapter of  Ekal Vidyalaya to raise

awareness of the struggles facing impoverished villagers in remote

areas of India.

 

 

March 2009 Event of the Month – Holi, NetIP Seattle

 

Despite overcast conditions and light rain, over 200 people joined the festivities!

The music, chaat, colors, and water balloons fueled non-stop dancing and Holi

fun throughout the afternoon. The atmosphere was lively with Bollywood music

played by DJ Nihar Desai.

NetIP partners with MTV for “True Life” series

NetIP has partnered with MTV to cast young south asians for its groundbreaking series, “True Life”.  Since its initial episode in 1998, MTV’s award-winning “True Life” documentary series has told remarkable real-life stories of young people and the unusual subcultures they inhabit.

 Please click here to see this story featured in India New England.

NetIP Pittsburgh holds Fundraiser for Mumbai Attack Victims

On April 4th, 2009, NetIP Pittsburgh co-sponsored the “South Asians Against Terrorism” event, a fundraiser for the victims of the November Mumbai attack.  The event was held at the University of Pittsburgh – David Lawrence Hall.  NetIP Pittsburgh partnered with various Asian community groups  such as Silk Screen, Amnesty International, Ankur: Indian Graduate Students Association, NAAP: The National Association of Asian American Professionals, CAIR Pennsylvania, and the Allegheny County Bar Association.

 

About 215 supporters attended the fundraiser, which brought in nearly $2,500 in donations.  NetIP Pittsburgh presented a very diverse program with the proceeds going to the American India Foundation to benefit charities working in Mumbai.  The event had an exciting line-up of Indian, African, Brazliian, and Chinese, belly dancers, and much more!