such a shame
I met with a Europe-based client today, who expressed concern over how moving their factories to India would affect the marketing of their product. Relocating manufacturing makes sense for them financially because the cost of production is lower, but they worry about whether the MADE IN INDIA on the package will affect sales in the Middle East. So they suggested we help them conduct market research that tests consumer reactions to the product (brand appeal, purchase intention, etc), highlighting in one group and minimizing in the other, information about where exactly it is made.
As an advertising professional, I understand the dilemma – sure you do what you can to sell your product. But, as an Indian, I must confess it makes me cringe. Just the same way I cringed when I still lived in America a couple of years ago. ‘Outsourcing’ had become (quite literally) a rage by then and I noticed a lot of brands had begun displaying MADE IN AMERICA signs prominently on their websites. That was when I realized that businesses truly fear the boycott of their brands based on where their products are made. Amongst others, India and China are on the (s)hit list.
Funnies aside, I see that the quality of products is often at stake – if I remember right, Mattel recently had issues with the toxicity of paint used on kids’ toys in their China factory. There are indeed some very real concerns with the kind of ‘globalization’ that exists today – companies will do anything to save money. The loss of jobs that occurs locally from such cost-cutting is awful and remedies** clearly need to be institutionalized. But is the stigma, which gets attached to developing countries for taking away the jobs in question, appropriate? The people there are often simply struggling to rise above the poverty line.
If companies adopted suitable quality control, perhaps they wouldn’t have to be so embarrassed about those involved in the creation of their products.
** What if, for example, the people laid off could be transferred to a barrage of new businesses (perhaps mandated by governments in the West) such as the Swiss Life Straw? Now that sort of thing could actually give us a shot at building a truly ‘global community.’
a brimful of asha
I have written a lot about Western music on this blahg, but never about music from the Indian Subcontinent somehow – even though I consider it one of the most rich and nuanced musical traditions of the world. Much of my regard comes from being born to a house filled with it and also because I trained in singing a classical version for many years growing up.
One thing is for sure, no matter how great it is, it is not packaged for popularity in the Western parts of the world. Of course, there are some Indian artists like Ravi Shankar and Zakir Husain that have gained some fame overseas. But for most music aficionados, it’s the Bollywood type stuff that is off-putting. One of the reasons is that it it’s typically sung in an octave so high, it sounds like Mickey Mouse music to those unaccustomed! Anyway, criticisms and analyses aside, here are two folk songs by Asha Bhosle - the one from the Cornershop song this post is named after.
The first of the two songs is in Hindi/Urdu and is a beautiful song, the music of which is by the great Pakistani musician Ghulam Ali. The second is one of the loveliest Marathi folk songs that I have ever heard. (I think both these would be much nicer at a lower pitch too, but ah well.) If you aren’t familiar with Indian music, and happen to have a listen, please do leave a comment about what you think. Lyrics aside, I am curious as to how the melody sounds to the uninitiated…
cute cubed
In a google search for “the role of design in branding”, I found this totally cute video on youtube. Amazing art direction!
PS: My favourite parts were the dicing of the Rubik’s cube and the shaving of the Post-it notes, but really all of it makes you smile. :)
brand: dubai
Caught the recently released Will Smith movie Hancock the other day. In a scene, one of the main characters refers to the top 5 cities of the world – London, Paris, New York, Hongkong, and Dubai. I mentioned the slightly surprising fact – that Dubai was so solidly on that list already – to a couple of people in the media biz.
They had similar responses: “It might well be product placement!” Now product placement I understand – like how the judges of American Idol slug down massive Coca Colas and not Pepsis or how Sarah Jessica Parker has a Mac and not a PC on Sex & the City. But city placement as well? Wow.
Apparently, there’s a media operation called ‘in-programming’ whereby moviemakers solicit those who would like a snatch of good publicity. Once the appropriate dollar amount is determined, a contract is signed, and the ‘product’ in question is woven seamlessly in to the plot. Unbelievable! (Even to an advertising person, somehow.)
drinking game!
if you simply had to pick one, and forever at that, then which 1 per pair would it be…
- beauty or brains? (for yourself)
- beauty or brains? (in your partner)
- happiness or knowledge?
- solitude or togetherness?
- avocado or mango?
- popularity or genius?
- frazier or seinfeld?
- curiosity or conviction?
- money or creativity?
- prose or poetry?
- kindness or wit?
- coffee or cigarettes?
- television or radio?
- east or west?
- sushi or steak?
- hugs or kisses?
- cohen or waits?
- movies or books?
- breakfast or brunch?
- a grammy or an oscar?
- a booker or an olympic medal?
- beer or wine?
- spicy or sweet?
- day or night?
