Items of the past

It's just been over 4 months that I have been indulging in Market Research and Advertising and it has been a wonderful journey. Learning from the likes of Mr. Arvind Vinayak who is a leading professor from Xaviers Institute of Communication and now my Dean at Northpoint Centre Of Learning has been enriching. Having said that, this dynamic environment has actually helped me to think a lot more differently than ever before.

So, here are 3 key daily use items that may become obsolete in the years to come. 

                                                                           Tooth paste


Believe it or not, the focus is turning towards removing the everyday items that add to your work. You open the cap for the paste. Shut it. Brush your teeth. Gargle with water. And even after that we use, Listerine, chewing gums et al.  Have you visited a dentist recently? If yes, you've just indulged yourself with the technology that would replace toothpaste.  Just gargle your way away with the power spray in your mouth scaring the plaque away forever.





Shampoo

                  
How many of you find it boring to wash your heads every day with shampoo and clean it with water? You will be surprised to know that work is already underway to define a new type of shampoo which is almost like  a hair gel or a hair spray that you apply and forget. NO NEED FOR WATER. NO LATHER WHATSOEVER.






                         
  Soap

In India and across the world, the fight has been around India and across the world about the effects of Hard Water Vs Soft Water on the usage of Soap. Scientists around the world and even FMCG companies are spending their millions of dollars to come out with the right kind of mix for a soap which is not a solid soap but a liquid soap! I understand that there are a few in the market but the volume-price/quantity is much higher for a liquid soap Vs a Solid Soap. The Liquid Soap that we would see in the future would require just 4 drops to wash our entire bodies off. (Reminds me of the archaic Ujala Advertisement- Char Boondo Wala)




Having said all of this, I would like to reiterate that there views are personal and there is no guarantee that any of this would be available in the market in the next 5 years. But if it does, don't forget its just the Wheel Of Evolution is playing its role and in another 50 years, we might be exposed to even more advanced products rendering the above items useless!





PS: The idea of toothpaste being replaced by spray belongs is a prediction made by Mr. Arvind Vinayak. 

Daily Use Items That Will Be Obsolete in 10 Years!

It's just been over 4 months that I have been indulging in Market Research and Advertising and it has been a wonderful journey. Learning from the likes of Mr. Arvind Vinayak who is a leading professor from Xaviers Institute of Communication and now my Dean at Northpoint Centre Of Learning has been enriching. Having said that, this dynamic environment has actually helped me to think a lot more differently than ever before.

So, here are 3 key daily use items that may become obsolete in the years to come. 

                                                                           Tooth paste


Believe it or not, the focus is turning towards removing the everyday items that add to your work. You open the cap for the paste. Shut it. Brush your teeth. Gargle with water. And even after that we use, Listerine, chewing gums et al.  Have you visited a dentist recently? If yes, you've just indulged yourself with the technology that would replace toothpaste.  Just gargle your way away with the power spray in your                                                                                    mouth scaring the plaque away forever.

Shampoo

                  
How many of you find it boring to wash your heads every day with shampoo and clean it with water? You will be surprised to know that work is already underway to define a new type of shampoo which is almost like  a hair gel or a hair spray that you apply and forget. NO NEED FOR WATER. NO LATHER WHATSOEVER.







                         
  Soap

In India and across the world, the fight has been around India and across the world about the effects of Hard Water Vs Soft Water on the usage of Soap. Scientists around the world and even FMCG companies are spending their millions of dollars to come out with the right kind of mix for a soap which is not a solid soap but a liquid soap! I understand that there are a few in the market but the volume-price/quantity is much higher for a liquid soap Vs a Solid Soap. The Liquid Soap that we would see in the future would require just 4 drops to wash our entire bodies off. (Reminds me of the archaic Ujala Advertisement- Char Boondo Wala)

Having said all of this, I would like to reiterate that there views are personal and there is no guarantee that any of this would be available in the market in the next 5 years. But if it does, don't forget its just the Wheel Of Evolution is playing its role and in another 50 years, we might be exposed to even more advanced products rendering the above items useless!

PS: The idea of toothpaste being replaced by spray belongs is a prediction made by Mr. Arvind Vinayak. 

'upto' 50% OFF

As the title suggests, in this point I’m going to rant about the lavish sales all these popular brands are having. To begin with, the sign boards. Although they call it psychology, I guess it’s in our Desi mentality to get attracted to discounts and signboards that shout, ‘SALE’. I’m not even going to deny, I fall for it. Every time.

Talking from a semi-shopaholic perspective, there is something beguiling about these sales. I recently visited The Palladium Mall in Mumbai for a quick shopping spree and the following were my findings:

1)   There are more people than clothes. (TIP: Never ever go shopping to Mumbai malls on weekends. Unless you like grinding with old aunties who think they’re hot)

 2)   As I said above, in malls one shall find middle-aged, forty-something Moms strutting around in their wedged heels and skin-tight jeans trying to fit into something that was meant for an 18 year old. It’s just an observation but the odds are that she’s coloured her hair blonde.

 3)   Whatever you like is either not available in your size, out of stock or grabbed by some $%^c# after you have eyed it, liked it and are walking towards it.

 4)   Stores have more to offer during sales than on regular days. HOW? Talking from observation, I strongly suspect that stores like Zara and even Mango put up low quality clothing (Like the stuff that you find on the streets) on sale just by adding the tag and also bumping the price up by about a grand. Watch out, folks.

 5)   Talking about tricks and signboards, I made another observation in Zara. The signboards above the clothing racks read for eg: ‘Rs 1390’ with a tiny, illegible ‘onwards’ next to it. I mean, seriously? Next what? ‘Rs 100 onwards’?

 6)   The queues outside the trial rooms and cash counters are longer than the Great Wall of China.
 7)   The enticing 50% off that they show off proudly outside the store is applicable not even to a meager 5% of the stock that is put up. 

I bet most of you have already observed some of the aforementioned. Even so, we go, spend thousands and return home with smug smiles on our faces as we dump all the shopping bags on the couch. There must be something, right?