THE SALES GIRL IN CHENNAI 'GIRI STORE - An inspiring tale

Subject: THE SALES GIRL IN CHENNAI 'GIRI STORE - Source : An email forward from a friend - S

After the Temple Darshan at the Kapaleeswarar Kovil at Mylapore, we entered the "Giri Trading" stores and started searching for this Book on "Thatva Bodha". We found many people buying various Books and CDs and from their smart walks and accumulation of CDs from Bhajans to Bombay Jaishree, sent a nice feeling in us, that we have come to the right place indeed. I was looking for this Book while my wife started collecting Bharathiar's songs and MS's Music. I searched everywhere for this Book.   There was this Girl, standing next to the Cashier, sincerely watching all our movements -a dark complexioned Girl, should be from a nearby Village, might be 17 or 18, should not have crossed 8th Std., might be out of poverty she is here.. all my Journalist's brain unnecessarily calculated about this Gullible Girl..and tho' she was repeatedly watching me, I ignored her and started searching for "Thathva Bodha".   I saw many books from "Sandhya Vandanam" to Swami VIvekananda's "Chicago  Speech" but having spent a good 40 minutes. I looked at her, she also looked at me curiously. I asked her, knowing fully well that such a girl cannot have any idea of anything, leave alone "Thathva Bodah"   "Sir, may I help you?" (in Tamil)   "Yes. I am looking for 'Thatva Bodha' "   "Sanskrit Text or English/Sanskrit?"   God..she knows.   "Sanskrit & English"   "Do you like to have the Publication from Chinmaya Mission or Indu Publications or by Ramakrishna Mutt?"   "I don’t know..I just want to only Learn.....you see.....I don’t really know indeed"   "Do you read Tamil Sir?"   "Yes I am a Tamilian " (thinking to myself how most of my life time I like to act in most other places that I am  not)   "Then Sir, you can take this"..she ran to the shelf where I had searched for 30 minutes,  removed the books in the front and came out with a Book in Tamil.   "This one in Tamil by N. Sivaraman by Indu Publications in fact is simple and wonderful.   You have the Sanskrit Text too inside."   My God..... Why did I under estimate such a Genius/ Just because of my Arrogance that I am an NRI? Or Just because I presumed such a Black, dark complexioned, gullible girl, who would have come for this job out of absolute poverty, wouldn't have any idea of "Thatva Bodha"?   I decided to change my attitude and realized that I am absolutely an 'Idiot' at this moment in front of this wonderful girl and submitted myself in all humility.   "Madam, I really don't have any idea of even who wrote 'Thatva Bodha' till yesterday. I just attended a lecture on this subject and was fascinated by the lecture and hence....."   "Did you attend Goda Venkateswara Sastri's lecture in Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan?"   "Oh God.......... How did you know?"   "He regularly takes classes on such subjects. In fact he is one of the best Sir, in the city on such subjects."   "You are interested in such subjects?"   "Yes Sir, I read a lot about Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna and Thathva Bodha; incidentally is my favorite Subject"   "You mean to say you have read Thatva Bodha?"   "I have read this one by Sivaraman and once you read it you won't feel like keeping that book on the table at all."   "Why what is so great about this Book?"   "Sir, you must be joking that you don't know about 'Thatva Bodha'."   "Really.......... I accept my ignorance."   My wife was watching from the corner, admiring all her CD collections..   "Sir, according to me if you read this it gives the entire Vedanthic Saramsam and to say it in-one-word you become a bit more humble in life, leaving Ahamkaram once for all."   "Is it a fact that reading this simple book, one would get so humble?"   "Of course one should be involved totally into the text. Needs lot of conviction and devotion." My wife joined the conversation and she felt this girl is indeed a very very talented intelligent girl, so she told me "Why don't you interview her for Washington Post.. Why at all you should think of Paris Hilton?"   I also felt that I owe something to her.. So I asked her whether she can spare sometime  for an interview.   She politely refused saying....   "My boss is to give me permission. Besides many people are looking for guidance like you and hence I have to go."   "What is your name?"   "Kalaivani" My wife's admiration for her devotion to duty and her total involvement in her work, made her go direct to the Boss "Sir, that girl Kalaivani ."   "Yes very hard working Girl."   "This is my husband Viswanath."   "Nice meeting you Sir"   "He is the Senior Journalist in Washington Post."   The Boss stood up............." Washington Post?"   "Yes Sir.......... I would like to interview this girl. I am highly impressed with her ethics."   Boss called her. Time was 5:45 Pm.   "Kalaivani.......... they have come all the way from USA and they would like to spend sometime with you. Can you?"   "Sir, there are so many customers waiting for some guidance. it is a rush time. If they can come again tomorrow."   "OK. I can come again tomorrow."   I again came next day morning leaving all my appointments with 'Times of India' just to see this girl. It was no rush hour. My wife and myself found out that Kalaivani is from a nearby village near Arcot. She has 5 sisters. She is the eldest one. Her father was a drunkard and he died a few years ago caring for none of them. Her mother used to work as a helper in Masonry and passed away two years back, leaving all the 6 on the streets.   This girl who had completed her 9th std decided to search for a job and 'Giri Trading' came forward to help her out. She brought all her 5 sisters with her and with her meager salary she is taking care of them. All the 5 sisters  are going to a nearby Chennai Corporation School .   "Kalaivani. But when did you get this enthusiasm to learn about 'Thatva Bodha'?"   "Sir after joining here,I decided that the best way to be of help to the customers is to know the Subject first. I took small Books on Swami Vivekananda and started reading..I found the subject so fascinating..I decided to read  other books in Tamil like Bagavad Gita and Viveka Choodamani............ That's how."   "What is your salary?"   "Rs 2500, Sir."   "Are you able to manage all your expenses with the 5 sisters?"   "Not at all Sir, but the Boss helps me a lot."   "What is your aim in Life?"   "I want all my sisters to get education. Then they would get eas employment; is it not?"   "If I give monthly Rs 10,000 for meeting all your expenses, would that suffice?"   "It is indeed too much, but that also I would accept only through my Boss."   We took her to the Boss and told him that we would like to send Rs. 10,000 every month so that all her sisters' education would be completed.   The Boss said............ "She deserves it Sir. You can trust me - I will hand over the amount to her every month or alternately you can open an account in her name and start transferring to the account.."   My friend John Paul, who is the Regional Manager of 'Times of India' had also come with me. He said "You have done a good thing."   My wife said "I pray that 'Karpagambal' helps Kalaivani to become an expert in 'Vedantha' and start giving lectures in USA. We can arrange for her lectures."   We left wonder struck! If we go into the interiors of India, how many more 'Jewels' like Kalaivani can be found!! I really became humbled.

 

INDIA WATCH: Stats and Trivia

Interesting linkIndia--stats--facts-and-trivia

INDIA WATCH- Consumer Profiles

This one is an useful sketch of the Indian female consumer and is dated 2010.
Snapshot-Juxt-Indian-Women-2010-Study 

Another interesting presentation on the Indian consumer
India_ConsumerRoundtable_web.pdf

It's still the Friday Afternoon Lecture Series

 Back in demand from its original avatar as the Friday Afternoon Lecture Series :)

The original Friday Afternoon Lecture Series

The "It's still  Friday Afternoon Lecture Series"

It’s  still  the Friday Afternoon Lecture Series J-1

Mad about Movies

This capsule is being sent from one professional to others and not as the weekly update from the GM of McCann Kenya.

Not surprisingly most of the people who have asked me not to stop this series seem to love movies and this one is addressing that passion.

Mad about Movies.

When a cat sits on a mat ….nothing happens, it is boring, where else will cats sit? But when a cat sits on a dog’s mat… you have a screenplay happening J..This short film from Denmark is one of the finest examples of storytelling that I have seen…and therefore in my opinion, one of the finest films I have seen.

http://moviebizz.blogspot.com/2009/12/little-man-short-film-from-denmark.html

Avatar was a world wide hit and became for a time part of the popular culture. This link gives you an overview of the technology that was employed in its making.

http://moviebizz.blogspot.com/2010/01/art-of-performance-capture-avatar.html

Enter the Dragon was one movie I watched a million times and never got tired of itJ. This clip is from the Guy Ritchie film Sherlock Holmes. I liked it because it is an intelligent man’s take on bare knuckle boxing. Great way of shooting a fight sequence, Guy Ritchie in his element here!

http://moviebizz.blogspot.com/2009/12/sherlock-holmes-movie.html

I guess that will do for now. Till the next Friday … Have a nice weekend

Vinod Natesan

27^th May 2011

It’s still Friday Afternoon Lecture Series -2

OLD SPICE or NEW SPICE

Old Spice was a brand I was quite fond of as a teenager and that was clearly “Once upon a time in the 80’s in India”.The visual of a blonde beauty, staring transfixed at a surfer as he braved the seas, was etched for long in my mind and without really knowing it, the strains of the western classical piece “Carmina Burana”, were also playing in my head.  Later on, as a young professional in the 90’s I had a chance to work on the brand which was being marketed by the P&G India team and came to understand the imagery and thought process that went behind it. An anti-septic in function, the harsh lotion was positioned as a symbol of masculinity, a “cowboy of the seas” in a manner of speaking ! Splashing on the lotion without wincing, was the ultimate in machismo. The fact that it was scented and had a perfume, was the route to enhanced sexuality and masculine appeal!!

I had forgotten all about it till I recently saw the new TVC for Old Spice which I am told actually revitalized an almost anachronism of a brand. The campaign format has  very clearly it has undergone a metamorphosis, with the ad clearly targeting the lower income women who shop for deodorants for the men in the house along with the groceries (consumer insight?). The campaign worked apparently and won numerous awards internationally.   Most men I spoke to,  did not like the male talent (understandable  J), but the brand remained top of mind ..:)

http://mayanmuse.blogspot.com/search/label/Old%20Spice%20TVC%20by%20Wieden%20and%20K%20Portland

Bacardi and the power of music.

If music be the food of love, play on …wrote the Bard and this TVC by Bacardi does just that and was a huge hit in India in the late 90’s and literally skyrocketed the brand in the urban youth market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPzRuuADmpo&feature=related

 They continue to use great music J

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsb38_bacardi-mojito-ad_ads

Have a great weekend and be good this winterJ

Vinod

Children and Camphor Poisoning. Of Extreme Importance to Parents

It was yesterday that I got a shock when I called India. A very close relative's child of 2 years while happily playing suddenly fell silent, showed difficulty in breathing, vomited and had convulsions and tremors on the right side, froth at the mouth and simply showed a glazed look, did not speak and showed no recognition of people. They rushed her to the hospital and by the Grace of God had a helpful neighbor who drove their car and called in the hospital in advance of the emergency. The child had become almost silent and still by the time they reached the hospital. A pediatrician was waiting and asked the grandparent who was with the child if the child had been given any tablets or had consumed camphor. The grandparent remembered the child playing with a box of camphor and trying to swallow a piece when she was asked to spit it out, but did not catch the child repeating it again. The doctor asked her if the tremors that the child showed were on the right side and the answer was yes. The child was instantly put on oxygen and taken into the emergency room. She was put on intravenous fluid ( saline drip) and in half and hour showed consciousness and immediately complained about the drip and tried to snatch it away, this time much to the joy of the grandparents and parents around her because the child was back to her usual mischievous feisty self.! 
This was quite a scare for everyone and a revelation that the innocuous camphor could be  deadly enough to cause death.
I am attaching a link to this article and pasting an extract for the benefit of anyone and everyone with children and also for those who like to keep themselves informed. Information of this kind is life saving.
Camphor Poisoning Symptoms 

• Camphor oil has many medicinal effects. It is considered to be an effective analgesic, a stimulant and a laxative. It is an anti-depressant, an anti-inflammatory agent and an antiseptic. However regardless of these medicinal effects, camphor can be harmful. In an article published in Pediatrics, May 2009, by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, it states, "Scientists have known for some time that camphor can cause serious health problems, including seizures."

Research Study

• According to researchers of a new study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University entitled "Children Vulnerable to Toxic Effects of Camphor-Containing Products" published in Pediatrics, May 2009. "Inappropriate use of camphor or camphor-containing products may be a common cause of seizures in young children." The study calls for efforts to educate communities about the hazards of camphor and to stop the illegal marketing of camphor products.

Allergic Reaction

• An allergic reaction to any drug is a medical emergency; seek medical attention immediately. The signs of an allergic reaction to camphor include itching, hives and shortness of breath or tightness in the chest, along with swelling of the face, mouth and tongue.

Warning

• Exposure to the toxic fumes of camphor should be avoided, especially by people suffering from seizure disorders. Camphor should never be taken orally; this could cause tachycardia, urinary retention and albuminuria (the presence of protein in the urine), along with elevation of liver enzymes. Camphor toxicity can develop in five to 15 minutes. This is a life-threatening emergency. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and burning in the mouth and intestines, later leading to confusion, hallucination and convulsions.

Building Emotional Equity for Brands

The issue of building  an “emotional connect” with the consumer arose when technological advances made it easy for people to replicate the technology in real quick time. Development of communication infrastructure also ensured that technological innovations diffused down to other geographies and segments quickly and with less lead time. Situations of product parity arose and the idea of an Unique Selling Proposition became history. The era of Unique Selling Presentations and Unique Selling Personalities came into vogue. Appealing to the emotions was the tactic adopted. Companies like Foote Cone and Belding came  out with strategic tools like the FCB Grid, which classified products into emotional and rational categories with associated purchase behavior being linked to whether it was the head or the heart that ruled!

In the recent past, the Hofstede’s framework was used by some agencies to understand the core essence of brands and the value they espoused and personified.

The latest probably is Kapferer, who came out with a prism which detailed the various facets of a brand including its physique and personality and the relationship it had with its consumers.

To get down to basics, there is a simple technique to arrive at the possible emotional areas and the kind of personality that a brand could possibly look at.  I came across this when undertaking a repositioning of a luggage brand in India. This was referred to as the Attribute Consequence Value chain. Qualitative in nature it probed consumers as to what  attribute they looked for in a product ( luugage in this case) and then what benefit it gave them. The second answer was the “consequence”. Sometimes there were more than one consequence. The next probe was on what this benefit meant to them in their everyday life and to the people they were. It was finally linked to a value that they held dearly. So a rugged luggage product had the consequences of durability and the ability to protect. Durability meant savings in financial terms , which then meant that the decision was sensible and there was emotional pay off in being seen to oneself as sensible. For others, the money saved meant being a good provider since it could be used for other purposes and giving the family something they liked and wanted. Being sensible and being good providers were linked to the individuals value systems, in the first instance using one’s brains and doing the right thing was a key value, for the second person, being a good provider/ father/ mother was  a value and his/her dharma.

In fact Volvo’s benefit of being a “safe” car was leveraged in one memorable advertisement as being a loving father, because he invested in his own safety!

ENDS..

TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATING NEW PRODUCT IDEAS

Grumble, Grumble, I wish….

Last weekend, I got a call from a friend of mine who works with an advertising agency. He was conducting a workshop for his client who was an established player in the telecom sector and his agenda was to help them identify new product opportunities through a “new ideas” session. He mentioned the “six hats “ of De Bono and the like. I then remembered a session I had attended in 1992 at Mumbai (then Bombay) which was taken by Mr. Pranesh Mishra, who was the head of Pathfinders India at that time. He had covered a variety of research techniques including new product identification. The technique he had recommended was simple and effective enough for me to remember after two decades.

The “Grumble, Grumble” technique:

Most corridor conversations in office are sometimes grumble, grumble sessions with people grumbling about everything that makes them unhappy and the more intense it is the quicker it moves up the “grumble” chart and the more widespread it is the more the number of people who grumble about it. Taking this to research, respondents in focus groups and one –on –one interviews are asked to grumble about a product that is in discussion. For example “grumble, grumble, my soap gets soggy after a while” is an example. “grumble , grumble my cellphone  battery goes off too fast” or “grumble, grumble, my network connection goes off in the middle of a conversation”. These are clearly articulated needs of consumers which are unmet and which needs to be reengineered by the marketer through product and service augmentation. Sometimes these may result in completely new product initiatives.  If not corrected it offers a competitor a clear opportunity and a gaping hole in the armor from where he can launch an attack. In India a low cost brand called “Nirma” which was galloping away with increased volumes and market share was stopped dead in its tracks when a grumble session done by its competitor ( unilever)revealed that the detergent was so strong it left the users hands with blisters. Unilever immediately counter –attacked with its own low cost product WHEEL, which promised a strong clean with no damage to hands with a clear negative reference to its competitor NIRMA ( Mene mangi this safai, tune di hathon ki jalan?- I asked for cleanliness and you gave me blisters?).” Captain Cook”, another brand in India, launched its branded salt on the platform of “free flowing  salt“ when its research revealed a grumble of “sticky salt” among the users of its key competitor “ Tata Salt”.

The I wish  I had…Technique

Most girls, if they met with a “fairy God mother”  would give her a wish list. Not quite unlike Cindrella. Santa Claus would be too childish for them and the wish list would not be toys.  Mills & Boon the publisher of romantic novels came out with its carefully formatted novels which catered to a specified “wish list” of many young women with regard to their idea of a life partner, married life and romance, which was in the realm of “possible fantasy”. The tall , dark, handsome stranger with immense wealth and means, who would choose her over glamorous and even immoral women who threw themselves at him and with whom they would happily  raise a family and enjoy the “good life”!!

The same technique applied in research, when focus groups are given mood boards or stimuli related to the product and asked to make a wish list could result in insightful responses that could lead to product augmentation, new product (line extensions) ideas or even brand extensions.

The introduction of the walkman would have clearly come about as a consequence of someone wishing that he could listen to music “he/she wanted to listen to, when on the move without depending on the whims and fancies of a radio host”. Similarly the concept of an ATM would have been the response to millions who would have immediate and easy access to their savings account money  on their wish list.

There are many other techniques that go with these including word associations, role playing, story completion exercises and tactics that Nuero Linguistic Programming people use to identify neural maps  (pictures generated by the sensory nerves) that people have of products and services.

I think this will suffice for now.

ENDS…..