Hail Blackberry Boys!

Blackberry (BB) had the first mover advantage in the PDA space in India, which, amongst other factors such as the product itself, was responsible for its wide-spread corporate adoption.. to a point where it became a status symbol. Owning a BB signified that you were are a key person in your organization, who needed to be connected at all times.

However, after BB became a part of the corporate clout, a need was felt to broaden its target segment and consequently cheaper BB variants were launched. These phones still supported mailing, browsing and BB messenger to keep one connected on-the-go while compromising on functionalities such as a super camera though you could still make-do with this camera if you weren’t a professional photographer.

At the same time, to maintain differentiation and the status aura for their senior execs and corporate clients, BB was smart to launch attractive options that were sleeker and sexier, and had better functionalities and steeper price tags. Infact, these attractive handsets by BB were comparable to Apple's i-Phone in stylistic features though with a different interface, and the ultimate purchase decision was a function of preference for either QWERTY keyboard and BB Messenger, or Touchpad & i-Ph Apps. Of-course the corporate contracts with telecom operators undoubtedly had a role to play here!

The launch of cheaper handsets, starting from INR 8 to 10k, was a beginning. They also used BB messenger as a potent tool, which in my view worked as a viral. The feature supported free chatting if you and your friend owned a BB and was attractive for young adults, probably in the age group of 16 to 30. The priorities of this segment were BB messenger, browsing and emailing, in this order - the exact reverse for a corporate guy with emailing, browsing and BB messenger as a requirement in that particular order. Thirdly, the compatibility of BB services with Vodafone, along with Airtel, ensured that BB was using the distribution channels of both major telecom operators. Infact, Vodafone now supports the BB services even for its prepaid, low value customers.

It is also interesting, though obvious, to notice the change in BB's advertising message with the change in its positioning. Just try recalling and contrasting the first few ads for BB completely centered around the theme of keeping 'daddy out of his office' so that he could spend more time with his little one to the current Vodafone BB Boys ad now. Click here to view the ad! The BB Boys ad does a great job of coining a catchy term 'BB Boys', which has already become a part of the lingo and is often mentioned on social networking sites. In my view, a long commercial (1 min) such as this is expensive to air but at the same time it focuses on a single message and conveys it effectively to achieve its objective of targeting a new segment of customers.

- Namrta R

Need an India ShopRunner?

It’s interesting to read Ajay Kelkar's perspective on how rather than going through a land grab, where retailers vied for prime retail sites or for customer footfall & share of wallet, they probably could take to a ShopRunner model to get a chunk of the e-commerce pie in India.

Geoffrey Fowler has an interesting article on ShopRunner in the Wall Street Journal. Click here to read!

Now here are a few problems I anticipate with the implementation of this model in the Indian context (besides the "Indian Crab syndrome”).

In India, we have neighborhood bazars (market place) in every area. These are typically general stores that sell a variety of items from sugar & salt to a Valentine Day’s card, and sometimes even underwears. So technically a consumer is a hop-skip-jump away anytime from making a purchase. In addition, these general store owners operate on a relationship basis, which implies that they may provide an upto 10% discount on the Marked Retail Price (MRP) for most items by compromising his commission purely for the sake of retention and relationship. They may even let the consumer make a purchase without an immediate payment, and not charge an interest for it, based upon his discretion and relationship.

Let’s contrast it with the scenario for an average consumer in the US. You have to plan in advance in order to drive 10 miles to a Walmart or a Target to do your (frozen) grocery or purchase household items. So you especially take out some time and aim to stock-up for atleast two weeks, or even a month unless of-course doing grocery is your favorite hobby. You also need a car (or cab) to get back with your stock, good luck if you don’t have one though for most people car is a given! Now, if you have missed out on one or few items in your list or if you just hadn’t anticipated its (or their) need, then placing an online order is but sensible.

Then the products in the US don’t have a MRP. Implication: The retailer’s quantity is a huge determinant of his procurement price from the distributor. And naturally a good price for the retailer would imply a good deal for the customer. In the US where e-commerce is more mature than India, an online retailer may have general more volumes to cash in on through a better penetration of the market place, which in turn could help him price the products competitively (and yet bear the shipping costs). In India, the same online retailer is competing with the general store (or stores) in neighborhood bazar of the customer that provides upto 10% discount on MRP and is damn well accessible to the customer. So the online retailer would not only be required to provide a lower price than the general store, but also bear the shipping costs. Given both these conditions are true, the customer may still buy from the general store if it offers him more variety, assured quality and an immediate possession of the purchased item.

The ‘Amazon Prime’ model sounds great but as Geoffrey Fowler also highlights, there may be service and delivery issues with regard to individual retailers, and more importantly, unlike Amazon they may not be able to makeup for individual losses. Besides, the willingness of an Indian consumer to pay for a service such as Amazon Prime can’t be established until a proper market survey is done.

Lastly, QUALITY is a big concern, and there is a big gap in what is sold to you in the online store and what you actually land-up receiving. In my opinion, the online retailers in India either don’t care about customer retention and just want to make that one sale, or they probably don’t know the distinction between hard-selling a product and misguiding a customer.

- Namrta R

Out-of-the box!

Does the box (or packaging) count?

Do the consumers have a bias towards a better packaged product, and if yes, under what conditions would they be willing to pay a premium for it? I spoke to a tiny sample in order to gather data points to generalize these answers.

A good packaging may improve the overall appeal of the product, thus making it preferred over its competing products or even substitutes. This is true particularly with the items that induce an impulse buy, for instance food. Chocolates come to my mind almost instantly! "I am guilty of falling for lesser known herbal tea that command a premium for their fancy packaging. Sometimes, I prefer buying an extra variety of this tea over coffee" confides Jessica, a 43 year old HR professional. Con: Consumers with a strong brand preference, or loyalists (though the implication of the word 'loyal' is very succinct today).

Another category that commands a premium for good packaging would be the 'aspirational' products. Perfumes, watches and dainty jewelry – what I describe as the luxury products for the rising middle class masses, perhaps a little oxymoronic! I have observed how most companies use exclusive packaging and premium imagery (in sync with the product positioning) to market them, creating an aura of exclusivity and desirability. An imaginative, and mostly innovative, element is added to the packaging of these products through R&D. Mohan, a 27 year old student, asserts, “Perfume bottles resembling nude women et-cetra are commonplace now, so I bought Azuro that comes in a cool kind of a vertical bottle with a surprisingly well balanced centre of gravity”. I am sure these guys spend heck of a considerable budget for their 'Package Development'. This implies that good packaging may also cause an increase in the production cost, and hence the price if the producer decides to pass it on to the consumer – another con!

And then, the last category comprises reusable, sturdy (often also microwaveable) containers – bought by price-sensitive guys, who readily pay a premium, and even hoard-up the product in order to collect similar containers. "I bought 12 kilograms of coffee, or rather 12 one-kilogram packs of coffee simply to obtain the jars they came in. I consider these as a worthwhile collection to my kitchen shelf,” says a 55 year old housewife, Jyotsna, who paid a premium (over the ‘jar-less’ coffee packs) for these jars and is still consuming the same coffee after 1.4 years of buying it.

On the hindsight, I'd assert that even before the inclusion of 'Packaging' as one of the several Ps of Marketing, the astute marketers were already harnessing this consumer bias and often even passing on the packaging cost to their consumers. A related concept was giving out freebies. It would be interesting to find out how the supply-chain cost increases with an addition of a freebie to the product volume. Just a thought!

It'd also be interesting to find out that what proportion of the budget is allocated to Package Development by a FMCG (or CPG) company. After all, packaging seems to be a science and not an art anymore!

- Namrta R

Are you Loyal?

It's amazing how the Loyalty Programs can get you hooked on! These days you can find a Loyalty Card for almost everything - airlines, websites, malls and retail outlets, grocery shops, bars and restaurants, even petrol bunks!

So if I wish to fly to Dubai to satisfy my greed for clothes and shoes, I earn Air Miles, and further reward points for every buck spent on accessorizing and pleasing myself. Sounds good. Thanks to the wallet makers who drive this fetish further by providing ample slots to 'house' these Loyalty Cards.

So I often wondered that why don't the Indian Railways start such a Loyalty Program for frequent travelers such as me. Infact, you will be surprised to know that the IRCTC website doesn't let you book more than 10 railway tickets per month whereas this deserves a discount for the 'bulk buy'! I am sure the railways would have lost a couple of web bookings due to factors such as this and also their comparatively tedious booking procedure, thus making the customers migrate to other (affiliated) travel sites with a more user-friendly interface, ease of booking, discounts and loyalty programs.

But finally they are here with their SOFT (Scheme for Frequent Travelers), and it's better late than never. Now you accumulate miles for every rupee spent on rail travel and can lay claim to free ticket(s) just like you can in any other loyalty program. Of-course they have their own terms and conditions such as they don't give miles on travel in anything less than AC 2 Tier, which in my opinion should be fine. Considering it's so hard to get a confirmed reservation in AC 2 Tier closer to the date of travel, I presume there would be ample 'takers' for this!

However, I feel they still have a few lessons to be learned from their counterparts because their Loyalty Card doesn't come for free. They charge you Rs 500 for signing-up for first year and an annual renewal fee of Rs 300 every subsequent year. Not heard of a paid loyalty program for individuals in a long time now though it may suit the likes of travel agents.

It'll be interesting to notice how this program evolves. I'll keep you updated!

- Namrta R

Product Engineering

And who says that product engineering is all about making the products better! Instead its about increasing the per capita consumption, and hence the sales of the product and the revenue of the company. Himalaya seems to have adopted a unique technique too!

I tried Himalaya's neem (green) facewash way back in 2006, really liked it, and even propagated it to the others. And have pretty much been a brand loyalist since then! They have made minor modifications to their packaging, almost twice, and have even launched a liquid version of the facewash, with a handsome bottle (I presume that 'bottle' is masculine :D) but almost double the price!

A loyalist and a curious observer, Himalaya's latest experiment couldn't escape my observation. In my opinion, their R&D team seems to have increased the cohesive force amongst the molecules of the facewash, which in turn has the quantity per use of the facewash has increased. Let me explain how. (I hope it does make sense scientifically!)

There have been discernible changes to the texture of the face-wash, which now comes out of the tube with a considerable oozing noise. Firstly, it doesn't spread on the palm anymore, in the shape of a coin, as the facewashes, bodywashes and handwashes are supposed to. Instead, it requires holding more like a pearl for it is ALMOST solid. (I attribute this to an increase in the force of cohesion). So basically if you have your palm stretched straight, the face-wash could be a little hard to hold-on it and it would sure go down the drain ('poor' pun-intended). This, obviously, makes it more difficult to froth also as it does require some effort.

I could feel the difference particularly because I am such a zombie in the morning and I so want to go through my ablutions so effortlessly, while the facewash would just slip-off in the basin, from my palm, too often. I also noticed that when I wasn't applying a considerable effort to froth the facewash or rub it on my face, I actually needed re-apply or increase quantity of facewash.

What an amazing way to increase the consumption! More like altering the inherent qualities of the product, which is a factor that they can control. So, while their marketing team worries about increasing their customer base and increasing the per capita consumption per customer, the R&D guys have already implemented a fall-back option in the recessionary environment that would see them through for sometime.

Interestingly, Himalaya seems to have tried this only with their neem facewash. Probably it wants to monitor the effect of this change on the sales of this facewash, if any, before implementing it across their products.

Surprisingly, I don't feel like a consumer who has been fleeced-off some extra bills, I rather feel pleasantly surprised at their ingenuity :P

- Namrta R

Brand Stereotypes and Makeovers

Most people claim that they don't stereotype a brand, yet they always know what to expect in a 'Pink Panther' flick or how exactly does a 'Pears' soap smell. A wee-bit ironical!

I don't particularly hold brand stereotyping as a negative. Indeed, it enables the target audience (or consumers) to associate the brand with something pleasant or desirable (atleast the intent is such), thereby helping them to either identify with it or aspire for it. So, in theory, a positive brand image should ideally run a consumer through the entire brand cycle of awareness > association > consideration > experience > preference > loyalty, giving birth to three more fancy terms in the marketing jargon - Brand Association, Brand Perception and Brand Image! Let me explain each of these three terms, taking Kingfisher as an example.

(I will list down whatever comes to my mind with regard to the brand’s manner, personality, behavior, ethics, values, aspirations, etc! Readers are welcome to add.)

Brand Association: Kingfisher Calendar, Royal Challengers, Vijay Mallaya, Yana Gupta, October Fest, Red, Short Skirts

Brand Perception: Flamboyant, Sexy, Expensive

Brand Image: An up-market air carrier with good hospitality - one of the best on- board comforts, in-flight entertainment systems, airline crew in India

So in Kingfisher's case, the brand stereotyping does work well, atleast with me, by building a positive brand association, perception and image in my mind.

The cons of stereotyping, however, can be equally detrimental. For example, I would any day choose any decently-known bathing soap over Lifebouy, because my childhood memories compel me to still associate the brand with a fuchsia pink soap with a detestable odor. Wonder how much has the improved product and the new ads with fancy models helped change the target audience's perception. And I say target audience, not consumer, because the brand would aim at an aggressive conversion of its prospects (who fall in the broader 'target audience' group) to customers, while safely assuming that the existing customers have a satisfactory experience with the brand. (Albeit at the same time, I am sure that the fuchsia pink Lifebuoy does have a good consumer base, just as ‘Ghari’, the most profitable detergent in Uttar-Pradesh with a robust and loyal pool of customers.)

So, to sum it up, it’s a win-lose deal. You win if you can form the right Brand Image, complement it with your product or services, and hence sustain it. Once you have done that, you are sure to capture more customers and expand your base even within your target segment. However, the problem arises if you go amiss or decide, at any given point, say maybe even 10-15 years later, to start afresh or in the marketing lingo, to affect a makeover. This would mean that you dissociate yourself with your past and present, by fighting a battle in the minds of the consumers, and form new perceptions, associations and image. A task which involves planning and scheming by some astute brand pundits and marketers, and typically takes a long time, costs a bomb, and has the calculated risk of being unsuccessful.

But then of-course, there have been successful 'makeovers' where a brand changes everything about itself in a bid to change its image or the perception of its target audience. Lakme perhaps would be an apt example! It has taken a huge leap from being traditionally housewife-ish to being trendily housewife-ish. Some of the prime ingredients that have gone into the makeover: revamp of products and their packaging, sexy brand ambassadors (started with Yana, and Katrina now), aggressive advertising post celebrity endorsement and Lakme India Fashion Week.

The change has been reflected in the brand's collection, essentially the color palette, which is now localized to suit the Indian complexion and taste. (I couldn't find 'sindoor' for my wedding ceremony anywhere else but at Lakme. FYI, Lakme markets 'sindoor' in shades of red, maroon, gold and copper). The new packaging ensures visibility on the shelf, and compact-ibility for ease of carry-ability. Its distribution network covers local departmental stores as well as malls in most metros, mini-metros and sub-urban areas. I believe, another reason why Lakme has been successful at the makeover is because they have made corresponding changes to its offerings in sync with the brand's new visual identity, associations and image - something which many companies fail to realize. To top it all, Lakme also has a slight price advantage when compared with the other cosmetic brands in the segment.

Lakme extended this success story when a new chapter began for the brand with the inception of Lakme Salons, and now the high-profile Lakme Studios. It is very interesting to note how their salon services are not only premuimly positioned and targeting a higher strata of consumers than its cosmetic products, but also premiumly priced. Of-course they have the first mover's advantage in the 'salon space', being one of the many organized players in the segment.

The makeover makes for an interesting case study although I will not vouch for the fact that the other brands can replicate their success because like I said, it involves a lot and costs even more. HLL is a giant in India and Lakme is their backbone, and I believe their investment was justified from a ROI point of view for them. Godrej has attempted one such makeover, and so has PNB (Punjab National Bank), as also other known and lesser known brands, but they don't really account for success stories. And I can assume that some of them are in business due to their sales team, and not really the marketing.

- Namrta R

PS: Thanks for your feedback Jas!

Constitutents of a Brand

Brands just amaze me. Indeed, in my opinion, they are the biggest creation ever!

The term brand originated from the Old Norse word ‘brandr’, meaning to burn, and is of Anglo-Saxon origin. In the olden days, around 4000 years back, farmers used to mark their cattle, and other livestock, for easy identification by burning the hide. This practice was later replicated to mark fugitives, galley slaves, gypsies, vagabonds, brawlers, and even clergy for an easy identification. However, in the days to come though this practice of burning hide was eventually replaced by painting on the livestock with pine tar or paint, but the term ‘brand’ remained with us forever, and evolved as a concept to be discussed in the finest B-schools across the world. And what also remained back with us were the Egyptian tomb walls, dating back to 2000 BC, which also have some peculiar marks for easy identification, as a fine example of the then branding. Whatever said and done, there is no two-way about the fact that the basic role of a brand, evidently, was to serve as a platform to identify and differentiate objects, like from like, or like from unlike.

Lets now fast forward to the present, a world which is so very 'branded'. Its like living in a closet full of brands, weird analogy, but that's how I feel. I eat, drink, wear, drive, play, talk, write, feel, think and use brands all the time. Infact I feel that I also breathe brand, since the air conditioner, and even the residential or office space is branded :)

Although the constitution of brand is more complex in today's competitive and saturated market, yet the basic role of a brand remains pretty much the same, ie, identification. In the past, it could be a letter, numeral, character, or symbol, or a combination of one or more of any of these, or all of these, however today I would describe a typical brand as a sum-total of the following elements:

1) Name: An identity, much like your name. Imagine if a brand was to have only a visual representation, and not a name, how would someone talk about it. Its like living in a world without names where people talk about each-other by, let’s say, referring to pics. So, we would all need to carry a photo album with us wherever we went, with everyone's pic, everyone we know of of-course. And when we want to refer to a third person, in the course of our conversation, we would need to out our album, look into the index for the right he-she, then flip to the right pic, and start talking. And when we meet someone new, rather than the business card, we would exchange our pic. Sounds funny, but seems like the only possible solution. I would actually maintain albums under categories like 'hot', 'medium' and 'ugly' ;) Or use an i-phone to make things lot easier :) Only catch would be to communicate to people who aren't quite gifted with sight or vision, or simply put are blind.

2) Logo: A visual identity, and very crucial for brand, esp (i) when the name of the brand is difficult to pronounce, or not-so-sure kind of a term (eg Gucci, Actis, Lacoste) (ii) while communicating either a local name to an international audience (eg Haldiram, Ayur) or an english name to a non-english speaking country (iii) while communicating to an uneducated or illiterate audience who can't quite read.

3) Tagline: Often used to sum-up the essence of the brand experience, or the value which the brand promises to deliver. It can also be used for enforcing a higher/top-of-the mind brand recall, by being a catchy or memorable jingle. And some of them could be effective like 'thanda matlab Coca Cola' or 'No one can eat just one'! So, next time you ask for 'thanda', you may actually land-up saying 'Coca Cola' instead, and you may not want to share your bag of chips. (Disclaimer: I don’t have statistics before and after the campaigns to prove if these taglines have actually resulted in an increase of sales and revenue)

4) Typeface: An important constituent, but the least important amongst all of them, and a sort of secondary visual identity. Infact, in many cases, it may even replace a logo. Like the typeface for Coca Cola is a unique font, and patented by the company. Even brands like D'dmas and CRY use a typeface in place of a logo. However, most brands use both the logo and the typeface, like Gucci, Reliance, Castrol, Tanishq, Shell, so-on and so-forth.

I don’t know if this was fair dissection of the term ‘brand’ but I am quite evidently, quite fascinated by the whole phenomenon of branding. And if I could make my bread, butter and fuel out of it, then I guess I would just ideate brands - their name, logo, tagline and typefaces, to add yet another ‘member’ to the closet I live in!

Watch this space for more on ‘Brands’!!!

BJN: A case in Corporate Branding

I appreciate beauty, and I surely can’t help noticing ads. I seldom criticize them, because creativity is very subjective, and its as personal as an opinion!

So, a few days back when I came across this ad while flipping thru ‘Bangalore Times’ – a supplement that most people swear by, I was struck by a clear, white background with a clear, distinct message!

Unlike customary, the ad had no headline, sub-head or body copy, instead it conveys the message pictorially. An ad for the famous hangout – ‘Indijoe’ – it achieves the following objectives:

1) Educates the readers about the three branches Indijoe has in the city.

2) Gives the ph nos for each of the branches – for enquiries regarding cuisines or timings, making reservations, or just finding the driving directions to these joints.

3) Brands BJN Group. Indijoe, being a successful hangout, can have a rub-off effect on the Group company and form favorable associations.

4) Takes a step further by establishing further credibility with a timestamp ‘1998’ – a very ‘been there, done it!’ approach, thus portraying the group as an established company.

Well, I just couldn’t ignore the strong element of Corporate Branding in this ad, which cannot be anything but a conscious management decision. So, I did wonder and put some factors down that may have prompted a strong focus on the parent Group.

1) The Group is looking forward to diversify in related fields, like hotels, tourism, etc. However, my guess is that they wouldn’t move out of the ‘hospitality’ domain.

2) The Group is going global. Now-a-days, everyone seeks an easy way out by way of acquisitions to save the trouble of starting from scratch.

3) The Group is going public. Boy, then they would require ‘some’ branding to ensure a good ‘List Price’ for their IPO.

Besides Indijoe, BJN also owns several other brands in the city, 13 in total (if I may rely on my credit card statement – since half my salary goes to them every month), namely - Samarkand, Hypnoes, Angeethi, Aromas of China, Phirnagi Pani, Sahib Sindh Sultan, Bombay Post, etc. They operate in six cities – Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Jaipur.

Ah, it is beginning to sound like a ‘Boiler Plate’ for BJN…

- Namrta R

Sleep with your wife

OOH..!

Yes, OOH or Out-of-home advertising is a booming industry segment, with the key driver being billboards or hoardings. Though hoardings are the most traditional and commonly used medium of OOH communication, yet it's unbelievable to see so many guys go wrong with them.

In my opinion, we should strictly adhere to the following principles for a billboard to serve its purpose better, keeping in mind the placement of a billboard usually a prominent traffic signal or on a highway:

1) It should convey just THE key message, only and only one in number!

2) It should not be cluttered, be it with text or graphics.

3) It should have only the headline and the sub-head; no body copy pls, considering it would be mounted up at a considerable height.

4) It should be catchy enough to draw the attention of the commuters through the route, assuming of-couse that most of them are a prospect for us!

5) And of-course, the only determining factor for selection of the billboard site should be the foot falls of target audience, and not the absolute cost, size, etc.

One of the finest examples of billboards I have seen recently, is a hoarding for Indigo airlines. With a background in indigo, also the corporate color for the airline, the billboard has only three elements, a headline, a sub-headline and a logo - all in color white on a plain, single colored indigo background.

Sleep with your wife

Same day departures from all metros

[Indigo airlines Logo]

No graphic, no design and not even a tint, but never-the-less, extremely catchy and I can also bet, one of the most effective billboards ever. I can't but applaud the genius who created this hoarding, which conveys the key message so ingeniously. With a headline which grabs attention at once, and gels well with the key message or the sub-head, the communication is most catchy, clear and crisp. A 'no-graphic' approach draws attention to the brand logo, which further reinforces the brand recall. Kudos guys for the play of words! Put-up at a prominent traffic signal at Golf Course Road inGurgaon, near the hub of MNCs, it also gets the right eye-balls.

Facts about OOH: According to the FICCI PwC report, OOH is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% from Rs 11 bn in 2006 to Rs 17.5 bn in 2010. This growth is further propelled by infrastructure development in the form of highways, expressways, airports, increase in commuting time, with the only threats being either the economic downturn or the pace of development.

- Namrta R

The Killer McD

My first few memories of Wimpy's, the burger joint, are of a the then new outlet that had opened up at Pritampura and inaugurated by Shatrughan Sinha a day before we set out foot there. And then there were these occasional stints at the New Delhi railway station! I quite liked their burgers, and recall that I wouldn't stuff myself on the flight, hoping to grab a bite at the station outlet.

Suddenly, however, they just seemed to have been wiped-off. None at the railway station, one mini take-away at Hauz Khas, and one not-so-neat outlet at Connaught Place, which I by-the-way spotted only this weekend. It looked like a weary old man, who couldn't stand tall anymore; and had a cloth banner furling in the air, with "Wimpy's" written on it, and no fascia or branding on the exterior. The menu seemed to be an interesting mix of burgers, pizzas, and even some Indian dishes that could probably qualify as 'Indian fast-food'. The crowd was a decent mix, mostly college couples who couldn't afford a date at expensive joints or average families who seemed to be taking a break amidst their 'window-shopping' spree. The washroom was deserted, and not even equipped with the "must's" such as the soap, disposable hand towels, toilet paper, or even water in all taps. But of-course this was noon, on the weekend; not sure how different would the evening have been though!

As I nostalgically grabbed a burger, sitting alone like old times, I couldn't but help wonder what resulted in this plight for Wimpy's and even other extremely popular chains like Nirula's, which have been wiped-off massively though they exist locally owing to the proximity to a popular commercial complex or housing locality. And after some deliberation, while I turned out to look towards the road through the glass, I was struck with the name of the epidemic - "McDonalds" or McD.

McD has started a new chapter in the history of "cheap" "fast-food" joints. I would like to modify the word "fast-food" to "burger", because burger is the only thing you get "cheap" at McD. There is no competing with McD's on price, since a local chain doesn't have the economies of scale. So whereas a consumer may shell out a little extra for a premium burger, which has an element of exclusivity, it would be difficult to get him to choose Wimpy's over McD. The price in turn is complemented by the wide-spread presence of McD, and even vice-versa, because that's where the volumes emerge from. The footfalls are both a result of price, as outlined above, and the branding and positioning.

The brand has a huge recognition, recall and visibility. Their fascias are a well done-up discernible logo, usually visible from a distance and the outlets have appropriate road signs, which alert you about the distance and directions, eg: "1 km Away' or 'Take a U-Turn here'. And sometimes, they change of your intention of 'not taking a break' to 'let's stop here for a while', more so because its not an expensive joint, and promises fast food, fast service and clean premises. And while the oldies take a break and rest, the children get to meet with their favorite uncle Ronaldo and gobble down restricted items of food.

The positioning of the brand adds a magical McD effect, which has become a part of our lingo and as something that we can relate to, and thus adds to the 'brand recall'. McD has become synonymous with burger, and especially if you want it fast, If you are in a mood to grab something on the go, you would perpetually end-up muttering, 'Let's have something like a burger from McDs', and that irrespective of whether you have a McD in the proximity, you would be able to get across your message and mood.

Other distinct niceties, though noteworthy but not very relevant to the context, are an open kitchen and a courteous, well-trained staff, who don't hesitate to serve you a complimentary burger or coke if you have faced any inconvenience at their outlet.

This sort of branding, positioning and some of the other niceties are difficult to find in most other regional joints, and that's why McD takes the cake while these joints get wiped-off. I would compromise on the branding and positioning, if I am atleast offered good grub at decent prices, and the other niceties in my locality, which is why some of these joints manage to thrive. And then, like I said, some thrive due to their strategic location, and so I get to eat at Wimpy's in Connaught Place last Saturday.

- Namrta R

Random thought

My mind functions like a clock, 24/7, ah, restless me! And there are a zillion of things that I want to write about and share with everyone. Perils of having an opinion on every goddamn thing; regardless of the opinion being good or bad, right or wrong. Perhaps, I should maintain a 'To-write' list!

Blogging indeed is cathartic, it helps you voice 'it', be 'it' your opinion, observation, anything.

So Voice it,

-Namrta R

Chrome Caricature

The Chrome ads seem to work; they also seem to be multiplying, to become omnipresent. It would be interesting to get my hands-on some statistics!

- Namrta R

Picasa

I uploaded over hundred pics on Picasa, and it arranged those pics according to the time and date stamp. Wonder how? After pondering on it for 30 seconds, I figured out that it wasn't really the time-stamp, it was the pic number that Picasa could pick-up and respond to. That was easy, and common-sense! But a lot of picture sharing sites and uploaders overlook this aspect. As a bonus, it also rotated my misaligned pics by 90 degree so as to 'straighten' them! I guess it also has a face-recognition system in place. I was quite impressed. So, Picasa did save me some of my precious time, and a lot of my efforts.


Facebook failed to recognize the sequence of the pics or rotate the misaligned ones by 90 degree, whereas Orkut did rotate my pics but couldn't arrange them. So I was required to do a bit of re-re-ordering after uploading the pics. But then again, its not fair to compare Facebook or Orkut with Picasa, which exclusively is a software for uploading and sharing pics.

A software is supposed to make our life easy by automating a set of pre-defined tasks. (That's another thing that sometimes it complicates our life further when we spend most of our time figuring out what to do with the software itself)! I wonder if we should ask ourselves if that is software for dummies, or has the advent of softwares made us dummies!


- Namrta R