Hema Malini Nidamanuri

When Spotify and Uber partnered in 2014 to offer in-car music streaming for the riders, everyone claimed it to be a marketing gimmick. But the alliance was simply too powerful to ignore. Imagine hailing a taxi and playing your favorite tunes during the ride, as you would in your own car. This personalization of the riding experience gave Uber a hard-to-beat competitive edge in the market, while both the parties benefitted from the other's audience reach. Today, Uber generates over $6.1 billion every year ; all because of a strategic partnership with Spotify, among many other brands like Trulia, Virgin America, etc. Closer to home, CRED's commercial starring Rahul Dravid (a personal brand in his own right!) as the " Indranagar ka Gunda" single-handedly exposed the brand to country-wide prospects. That's mass brand awareness done right. The lesson? You cannot take your business to the top of the mountain alone. After all, like humans, no business is an island...

Always dreamt of wearing a Sabyasachi sari for your bestie's wedding or a Ralph Lauren jacket for an important business meet? You can now make your dreams come true without having to burn a hole in your pocket. Welcome to the world of ‘Fashion Rentals’ where exotic designer wears are available on rent at a fraction of its original cost. From clothes, shoes, sunglasses to designer gowns and accessories, all that stands between you and your dream attire is just a mouse click or a Smartphone tap away.  Millennials’ paradigm shift from ‘ownership’ to ‘no ownership’ If you are a skeptic and feel fashion rentals are just a social buzz, there are strong reasons why fashion rental market is here to stay. Snap to a decade ago where buying premium dresses was limited to the ultra rich or celebrities.  Today in the digital world of Instagram and Snapchat, the millennials like to have holistic experiences each day. This includes dressing smart for each occasion, looking g...