Straight from the Street

 
 Do you think that learning is confined to classroom, well I disagree. You still think so? Fine! Let me take you for a small walk, fighting our way across the crowded streets.



Come summer and roads across the city (I have taken Bombay as my field area) will be lined up with fresh juice stalls which will dish out a huge range of juices from nimbu pani to exotic fruits at a nominal price. The juice will be prepared, iced, sugared and served right in front of the customer. What better way to attract clients than conducting the whole process of converting the raw product to finished good right in front of him! (In marketing terms: Logistical transparency) 


Some vendors do not stop here and use creativity to set themselves apart. Classic example is this stall near Bandra Railway station; where along with serving you fresh juice, everyone from cashier to the server will entertain you with live chorus performance of folk songs! (In marketing terms: Adding value to the services) Juice along with entertainment in just 15 Rupees! Isn’t that awesome! 


There are others who know that although Bombay loves its vadapav, summer wakes up the love of nimbu pani as well and aloha instead of their winter special chai and vadapav stalls now you have nimbu pani and vadapav stalls! (In Marketing terms: flexible products/services depending upon the market trends.)

When Monsoon takes over summer, there is a huge shift in scene at the streets. Now, you would see the intelligence of vendors in understanding Bombay’s behavior and protecting the public from Bombay rains. 


Bombay is known for its highly unpredictable rains. One moment it is bright and sunny and the next moment it is pouring cats and dogs! I am unaware about other cities but Bombaites (or Mumbaikars) love to carry their cell phones in their hands and take calls even when they are getting drenched in rain! No customer ever expressed the need of protecting electronic gadgets but the street vendors understood the subtle message. Result: Small street-run agencies come up with smart, small, pocket-sized zipper plastic pouches! In addition to the mentioned features, these pouches are transparent so no hassles of removing cell phones to attend calls or messages! The best part of this product is its price, which is only Rs. 5! (In Marketing Terms: Smart product with good costing)


Throughout monsoon, these street vendors perform another mind-blowing tactic, which no big brand will ever perform live other than in their television commercials. They never shout or advertise about their low cost watches being waterproof; instead, they just keep these watches immersed in water throughout the day in small inflatable plastic water baths!  These watches are very basic watches. They do not brag about steel body or striking looks, instead make a promise of telling you the time and being waterproof in just 20-50 Rs! (In Marketing Terms: delivering the promise, giving proof of performance) 


These are just few examples; many more such interesting case studies are out there on the street. They may be small, low – key vendors but they understand the Basic 3 as well as any eight figure salaried marketing/ advertising/ sales specialist. 

When I say Big 3 I mean the following:


Marketing: It is a very clever and intelligent activity. Striking connect with the client’s needs is     never easy.


Advertising: It is amalgamation of creativity and information. Activity that conveys message without being preachy is always tricky.


Sales: The final bead in the above chain of activities that involves convincing the client and making the actual sale.


(Note: The above three explanations are not taken from any marketing reference material and are statements derived from writer’s personal experience and observations.)


Every industry needs these basic pillars. They are the links that connect the industry, brand, product with the customer. Big terms, huge definitions, 100’s of case studies, expensive research, consumer psychology studies, market trends and patterns etc are associated with the Big 3 but a keen and curious eye is all that is required. If that is lacking, then all the above activities serve no purpose. 


Huge organizations compartmentalize the Big 3 to increase productivity and thus become successful case studies. However, the huge organizations are not the only ones that understand and implement the Big 3. Many a times we get to see intelligent and apt application of the Big 3 on the crowded streets, across small lanes, in the street corners. It is a live class on the street, are you game for it?

Photo Credits : here  

The above post is also published here  

Sneha

7 comments:

  1. nice explanation of markettin terms.. :)

    n hey if we look around we can learn from everythin wat we see.... :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, Hi
    well well, the mistress does teach you a lot if you are willing to learn...Mumbai. each of its gullies has something to offer to a person with an open mind. And a few very nice examples that you have portrayed here...
    nice..

    Regards,
    The Silhouette...

    p.s.- Mumbai - Dream.Life.Reality.

    ReplyDelete
  3. :)........nice...........sure these little innovations around make our life interesting and fun filled ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Ninu : thanks!! I agree, the actual class is out on the streets!
    @Eon: Thanks a lott!! I am a loyal and obediant student of the mistress!

    @thecritics: yeah true!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nicely written cause i never noticed all these things, but me keen to notice all the small things out there and relate it positively and implement it wherever possible.Thanks:)

    ReplyDelete

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