Why Colour Matters in India
Suma Joshi
GM - Marketing - DMA Yellow Works
The ripe purple of a ‘baingan’ ready to be turned into a bharta. A peacock fanning out its lustrous turquoise plumage in anticipation of a thundershower. From a slate gray sky heavy with the promise of the monsoon. A Gujarati Thali, a whole spectrum, with yellow dal, orange aamras, red chhundo, green chutney, pale cream kadhi. The vivid hues of a bandhani dupatta or a Kanjeevaram Sari. Even the Tricolour, our national standard, the Tiranga. Is there any aspect of our country that does not immediately invoke colour?
Showing posts with label contemplating design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemplating design. Show all posts
1.7.10
Design Dharma & Design Karma - Thought starters on Design
Question1: Why do you become a designer?
Question2: Does design work as an enabler or a differentiator?
Question3: What kind of growth can you see taking place in the field of design in India?
Before I answer the above questions I would like to talk about new things which I have recently contemplated on; that I hope might answer all of the above questions
Look at Plastic Surgery; It’s also a type of design or designing. Many people are opting for plastic surgery with less hesitation; they don’t feel it’s wrong getting the surgery done to get the desired look. It shows that there is an innate need in every one of us to look good; grab others attention. I was thinking if there is anyway to tap that innate need? We all desire a house, car, clothes, hairstyle, etc to look better and better, even cutlery used in the kitchen should be functional as well as aesthetically good looking; isn’t that so?
To produce products or services that are high on functional value and high on aesthetic value, costs a little extra money. That cost needs to be borne by the customer. As and when the economy grows, people will have more money to spend on such products and services. That eventually triggers the positive spiral for designed products and services.
Design is a broad word, in a way this whole existence is a big design, God is the designer. Everything has a reason to its existence in this existing world; it has functional as well as aesthetic value too.
Humans have always believed in modifying nature according to their needs, he/she has certainly been successful in various areas. But still there is a long way to go... Design Plays a Major role in that effort…
Contemplated by Dharam, Edited by Kimberly
If your brand needs design attention, feel free to contact DMA Yellow Works>
1.6.10
Myths and Reality at the Bottom of the Pyramid
Myths and Reality at the Bottom of the Pyramid
By Alpana Parida, CEO - DMA Yellow Works
We have a European client who has christened the Indian market as a Bottom of the Pyramid market. Meaning a high volume, low value market. So – they are investing very little in the market, throwing a few products in, with no customization to local tastes, and hoping it sticks. An incredibly wasted opportunity to become relevant in what is one of the largest markets in the world.
This abhorrent phrase always conjures up a vast populace of the low means and even lower spending power. It has been at least 5-6 years since the late CK Prahlad sexed up this demographic with a tantalizing fortune attached to it. The premise: If bite sized products or services were offered to the largest but the poorest section of population, the overall volumes could be very high, yielding higher absolute profits. Examples of Rs. 2 sachet packs of shampoos, Rs.5 colas, small size toothpastes and soaps – and all similar initiatives of bringing the unit size and price down are considered to be initiatives to capture the bottom of the pyramid.
This is a completely top down view of things and a belief that ‘our’ products and aspirations are the same as that of a very large population – and that they want to be like us. While there is no question about the fortune at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’; there is a missed opportunity by not identifying the products and services that fulfill needs and aspirations – rather than simply being the ‘down-market’ or dumbed down versions of the top and middle of the pyramid products. There are no brand or market solutions here – that can result in tangible results in a new and exciting marketplace.
Being economically poor does not mean being knowledge poor and if offered products that can bring value to their lives, they will, like all consumers see the need. I am aware of no research done by a marketer to identify product opportunities here. Inventions such as floating bicycles – that can cross streams, navigate floods and local terrain with equal ease and are low cost; nano-tech water filters that miraculously transform sludge into crystal clear safe drinking water; terracotta refrigerators that don’t use electricity and cost Rs. 2500; a non-stick pan made of terracotta again at Rs.50 – are all examples of products with tremendous potential that have found no brand exponents with a real will go for this fortune at the BOP.
The micro-finance opportunity has shown the world how empowerment and profits can go together. Respecting and understanding consumer needs is what successful marketing organizations should do. Sadly, the bottom of the pyramid has remained an ‘us’ and ‘them’ distinction.
We, at DMA Yellow Works – have worked on designing products. While the ubiquitous shampoo sachet is very much a part of what we do, designing a mobile phone for the blind is the sort of work that really gets us going.
By Alpana Parida, CEO - DMA Yellow Works
We have a European client who has christened the Indian market as a Bottom of the Pyramid market. Meaning a high volume, low value market. So – they are investing very little in the market, throwing a few products in, with no customization to local tastes, and hoping it sticks. An incredibly wasted opportunity to become relevant in what is one of the largest markets in the world.
This abhorrent phrase always conjures up a vast populace of the low means and even lower spending power. It has been at least 5-6 years since the late CK Prahlad sexed up this demographic with a tantalizing fortune attached to it. The premise: If bite sized products or services were offered to the largest but the poorest section of population, the overall volumes could be very high, yielding higher absolute profits. Examples of Rs. 2 sachet packs of shampoos, Rs.5 colas, small size toothpastes and soaps – and all similar initiatives of bringing the unit size and price down are considered to be initiatives to capture the bottom of the pyramid.
This is a completely top down view of things and a belief that ‘our’ products and aspirations are the same as that of a very large population – and that they want to be like us. While there is no question about the fortune at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’; there is a missed opportunity by not identifying the products and services that fulfill needs and aspirations – rather than simply being the ‘down-market’ or dumbed down versions of the top and middle of the pyramid products. There are no brand or market solutions here – that can result in tangible results in a new and exciting marketplace.
Being economically poor does not mean being knowledge poor and if offered products that can bring value to their lives, they will, like all consumers see the need. I am aware of no research done by a marketer to identify product opportunities here. Inventions such as floating bicycles – that can cross streams, navigate floods and local terrain with equal ease and are low cost; nano-tech water filters that miraculously transform sludge into crystal clear safe drinking water; terracotta refrigerators that don’t use electricity and cost Rs. 2500; a non-stick pan made of terracotta again at Rs.50 – are all examples of products with tremendous potential that have found no brand exponents with a real will go for this fortune at the BOP.
The micro-finance opportunity has shown the world how empowerment and profits can go together. Respecting and understanding consumer needs is what successful marketing organizations should do. Sadly, the bottom of the pyramid has remained an ‘us’ and ‘them’ distinction.
We, at DMA Yellow Works – have worked on designing products. While the ubiquitous shampoo sachet is very much a part of what we do, designing a mobile phone for the blind is the sort of work that really gets us going.
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