What is UPCYCLING?

Wikipedia puts Upcycling as "the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value." For us who deal with the branding and packaging industry this concept assumes greater significance.

In my mind, the pivotal thought here is not reuse, but conversion of the waste to a higher order utility. Here is a brilliant case of a discarded cycle being used as a gate. Brilliantly done.

Internationally, a company called Terracycle has been doing brilliant work in this space, tying up with many an FMCG major. Sharing an examples that I really liked.

Our friends at Busride had chanced upon similar ideas for a retail installation.

Upcycling is definitely a way in which brand owners can not only showcase their responsibility towards the environment, but also create very interesting engagement devices. The entire thought of generate value from waste can actually be put into practice with a little thinking and courage from brand owners.

Many of our designers and you out there are surely Upcyclers. Hoping to see you responding with your own Upcycling examples.

Contributed by
Devatanu Banerjee
VP - Retail, IT & New Media
DY Works

SEMIOTICS OF THE BINDU: ONE FULL CIRCLE

Bindu. One could argue that an article, especially one on semiotics, should probably not begin with a dot. However the 'bindu' is no full stop. Yes! It is simple but it is profound. It is as superficial as an embellishment but also as inherent as the soul. It is self contained, yet diverse. It is exactly why I thought the analysis of this mark, taken so for granted in a country inundated with culture, would make for an interesting ‘point’on semiotics as well as a fascinating analogy with brands.

In India the bindu is omnipresent - whether it be a chandra bindu in the devnagari script or a tikka on the forehead. Something as simple as a dot takes different meanings with its multiple shapes, sizes and colors. For instance, in an Indian soap opera the slightest variation of the bindu defines the deadliness of the vamp. It subliminally changes people’s perceptions of good and bad. So in the context of brands, could one say that what the bindu does to the woman is what a logo does to a brand? The answer is yes, if you look at it as superficially as an embellishment. The answer has more layers as one explores the different layers associated with this deep-rooted symbol.

My first realization of the 'essence' of the Bindu was as a painting by French based, Indian painter, S.H.Raza titled 'Ma Laut Ke Aunga Toh Kya Launga' (Mother when I return, what should I bring you?). As an audience of age 8, what appeared as a black circle, evolved (with what I'd like to believe was my evolved sensibility) to take multitude forms. It formed a whole. A solid black circle encompassed half the canvas. Was it the womb of a pregnant woman? Or was it the symbol of the Bindu that one immediately associated with a quintessential Indian Mother? It was the containment of energy, the central point of emergence and a unit that preceded life. Raza himself calls the Bindu the 'seed' bearing the potential of all life. He says 'Bindu Ki Anant Sambhavnaye' (The multiple forms of the Bindu). It is through the eyes of a painter that I noticed the multiple dimensions of the Bindu.



It was the mere influence of the Bindu that gave the heavily French influenced painter an Indian soul. It gave the Indian audience a reason to believe in him and created an immediate emotional connect. Beyond the top layer of the painting, I began to see what Anjolie Ela Menon calls 'Pentimento', and M.F. Husain called 'birthmarks' - the lines still visible under the top layer of paint. It is what is visible but still absent. It contributes to the end product but deliberately takes a back seat. What earlier the layman would call marks that the artist forgot to cover up actually form the complete picture -a picture that fetches millions of dollars today.

So before I digress from semiotics- into my evident passion for art, you may ask what has the bindu to do with brands? At DY Works it all came back 'full circle' - pun intended! I realized its how we look at brands. It’s a simple way to build and envisage million dollar brands. What we call the brand seed gives the brand an essence; just like the bindu does to the various canvases, foreheads and scripts it prevails in. It can change the origin story of a painter, it can change the perception from positive to negative and vice versa, it can even change the way you pronounce a word in various languages.

And what is the reference to pentimento to do with all this? Semiotics is our pentimento at DY Works. It forms an integral part of the process, explicit enough to be noticed but subtle enough to take the back seat. It is what differentiates one from the other, it is the inherent core that builds the brand and lends immense character. It is not just about glossy color palettes, fancy fonts and what the layman would assume is a brand - the logo. It adds layers to the brand, making it identifiable, acceptable and rooted within cultures.

In Hinduism, the bindu is believed to be the point where energy exits the body. It contains and preserves this energy. It provides focus, aids concentration and balances temperament. Similar to the shape of zero, the original form of the bindu is an underrated geometric shape that provides a 360-degree view as a third eye. It is grossly underrated but very easily adds value. Can a brand do that? In my opinion it should. And for those semiotic geeks who have not had enough – I will try and be 'semiotically correct' by tying the close of the article with the beginning. With a 'Bindu'.

Contributed by
Udit Bhambri
AGM - Marketing
DY Works

People ignore designs that ignore them

While operating in the space of brands, and especially the ones which actively exist in the life of end consumers it is not only important but a ‘must’ to have a great deal of understanding about their way of living. If we are intending to create likings and preferences towards the brands we are crafting how and why there should be any disconnect?

In the age of super pace, only if we pause for a moment and look at ourselves, we’ll notice we are humans first before the economic system defined us as ‘consumers’. And, it is an indisputable truth that all the choices, actions that we as humans do comes from the perception and a belief system which we created out of the sensorial, emotional and societal experiences. The outcome/ response of which can be observed in our behaviour; be it individual or collective and all the areas of our expressions e.g. body language to photographs to tweets etc. These subtle signs if decoded in semiotic manner as insights to build design solutions the way they can be received by the audience will be with high degree of effortlessness and synchrony with their lives. However having decoded such signs and patterns by scanning all life-stages of humans is not sufficient as ‘time’ is another important factor that keeps influencing our responses/ behaviour in considerable manner.

Fig.1: An Inside-Out Approach to Design

One such case at DY Works, though not recent one would be the refreshed identity of Thums Up. The brand, a metaphor for Indian masculinity is a leader of its category. It also has an iconic visual signature, which is based on a simple but everlasting positively meaningful gesture. The Coca-Cola Company came to us to get it tuned with the changing times. A semiotic study of various aspects of masculinity in changing India made us discover many signs including the take the new age male had on masculinity.

Fig.2: Men; Then and Now

Fig.3: Devised Thums-up visual mark

One such, the change of perspective from the workman-like to more youthful and relaxed persona as an aspiration. Besides the strength and endurance lot of aesthetic sophistication was fused into the definition. To bring up the value of 'dum/power' in the visual signature of brand, it clearly demanded the fine-tuning in order to infuse clean lined sophistication to the hand silhouette also a refinement of the typeface (from the archaic to simple and upfront). We did remove the thunderous shadow (which held it back, rather than propelled it forward). The change is also reflected in the baseline and the PVC bottle labels, which build on the masculinity and strength of the brand… making the brand vocabulary clearer, assertive and refreshed whilst remaining rooted.

Fig.4: Inside-out approach results compared

The semiotic approach helped us reach the root cause ‘why’ and the means of achievement ‘how’ to help derive the solution inside out. In a way an approach that keeps the solutions in perfect alignment with the mindset of end-consumer in true sense. A simple learning from my experience is, most of the advice we’ve heard about life probably also applies to design;as both are primarily concerned with people.

Prashant Shingade
Associate Creative Director, DY Works

DARWIN'S PACKAGING

In today’s ‘Darwin’s world’ of change, there are only two choices: adapt or perish.
Rekha Pamani-Gulati, Director - Business Development, DY Works, shares her thoughts on change and adaptation in the world of ‘Darwin’s Packaging’

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With marketers and advertisers launching ICBM’s (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) at every juncture in our lives  – media, outdoor, internet and so on – how does a brand stand the test of time and not get overshadowed by the new kid on the block?
That brand has to be Spencerian!  (Herbert Spencer incidentally coined the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’)
Creating a Brand World and owning a Brand Language has increasingly become more relevant to brand survival - Packaging and graphic design is one of the most important extensions and expressions of this.
Consumers buy packs, hold and flirt with packs and take them home - they always did and they always will – it’s no wonder that some brands are continuously repackaging themselves to look better, convey their benefits better, to stand out against the clutter, to be recognized and ultimately to be picked up!
Packaging & Design makes promises to its consumers. This could be through structure, closures, dispensing mechanisms, messaging hierarchy, refill packs, multiple skus, variants, brand extensions and graphic elements that become synonymous with that brand or product. They convey a message and fulfill a need.

Antiquity Blue Whisky – created a revolution in its space as a trendsetter – possibly the first bottle globally where the neck of the bottle was designed as the spine of the bottle. Noticeable and not replicable!
Cadbury Dairy milk promised safety sealed new packaging post its worm scare from one supplier – consumers were reassured with that new quality packaged promise seal.
Skincare cosmetics are introducing more textures and sensorials to the substrates being used.
Gold and Global packaging standards are being adopted and reinvented.
Resealable, Reusable and Recyclable packs are the order of the day – ‘be sustainable or die ‘ will be the future mantra.

The first chapter in Anand Halve’s book Darwin’s Brands (not to mention the front cover of the book) showcases Thums Up – a brand that has stood its ground and over time adapted cleverly to counter the plethora of imagery that we are bombarded with. This is in a sense an addendum to that topic!
The brand line ‘Taste the Thunder’ captured the experience while the visual complimented the concept – today Thums Up continues to hold its ground next to the other colas.
Opening Happiness or the drink of the New Generation have not displaced this Indian stalwart – its trademark Thumb has been contemporized, the visual vocabulary of the brand has been extended and the brand continues to remain true to its core – more dum/more power!

Initially available only in glass bottles – over time has extended to pvc bottles and cans – adopting the very need of the changing consumer needs and trends and reinterpreting thunder. The thunderous shadow, which held the design back rather than propelling it forward has been contemporized yet not alienated the core users, the refinement of the hand silhouette from a workman like to a more youthful thumbprint and a refinement of the typeface from archaic to modern has made the brand and the pack more assertive and taken it to a modern space making it more relevant.

Packaging has and will always be the moment of truth…. “The silent salesman has become the vociferous shelf shouter!”

Solutions through semiotics

As people – we gravitate towards ‘people like us’. Shared values, shared tastes, shared belief systems are what we seek when opening our hearts to make new friends. Similarly, we accept brands that reflect our values, our style, our taste.

So the simplest solution, really, is to create brands that reflect the innermost belief systems of the consumer. Understanding the consumer, therefore, is the mantra for all marketers. The question remains, how?

Market Research does not work.

How can an individual tell a researcher what his/her deepest desires or motivations are? As people, we are unaware of the causality of behaviour. And need the help of psychoanalysts or spiritualists to identify our inner selves. To believe that a market research practitioner can do the same in an interview is patently absurd.

The other way to understand the consumer is by ‘reading’ behavioural and cultural markers around him. If we identify markers that are unique to a consumer group, we can then decode them to unravel patterns that give us an insight into the inner recesses of the consumer’s mind.  Much like the weatherman that reads atmospheric pressure and wind speeds to understand the current climate, a semiotician understands all symbols and behaviours which are ‘different’ to understand the consumer.

Often leading to dramatically different results. Take for instance the emerging probiotic products in the supermarkets. Yakult from Danone and Probiotic Dahi from Amul are already on the shelves. Others are poised to enter the market. Typically, the process would have been this: Identifying a product category that is doing well in other markets, doing a 3-4 city qualitative research through focus groups, and then bringing the product to the market.

Probiotic?  It is like selling Coal to Newcastle.  There are many Sanskrit shlokas extolling the virtues of buttermilk – which after lunch is compared to ambrosia. It is part of an Indian diet and there needs to be no education about it.

Takram laghu kashayaamlam deepanam kaphavaatajit ||
Showphodaraarshowgrahanidoshamootragrahaaruchee |
Pleehagulmaghritavyaapadgarpaanduvaamayaan jayeth ||

(Takram or Butter milk (BM) does not cause heaviness when consumed. Hence it is known to have the quality "laghu". It gets digested quickly and easily. Aggravated kapha and vata are mitigated by this wonder drink. It is the best appetizer. According to ayurveda it reduces bloating of stomach, eases symptoms of haemorrhoids, soothes intestines and helps in indigestion.)

Yet, the insistence on using an alien and utterly mystifying term such as ‘probiotic’ instead of riding on all the accepted benefits of dahi/ yoghurt is frankly, senseless.

When applying semiotics, it is necessary to understand what symbols and markers can be encoded in a product or brand so that the consumer accepts it in his/her world. A semiotic approach to a problem such as this would have looked at beliefs in terms of digestion, the time of day such products are consumed.

Yakult would be better off placing their drink after lunch, than at a breakfast table. Similarly, flavoured yoghurt would do well to take on ‘dahi – cheeni’ at the lunch table.  

Contributed by Alpana Parida, President - DY Works.

Third Wave of Packaging

Packaging is no longer design, it is communication. This article tries to map the evolution of packaging design over three distinct phases.
Third Wave of Packaging

Contributed by Dharamraj Ullagadi, ACD - DY Works

We need a new type of consumer classification

Continuing our evangelism of Brand Semiotics, here is our latest contribution to semiotics lead thinking in the Campaign magazine.

For more information on Brand Semiotics, please visit DY Works.

WHO IS THE CONSUMER? (Part 3 of 4)

PART 3

The Importance of Culture for Brands

Individual behaviour stems from three encoded, inherited and learned, platforms:

1. Universal Human Hardwiring
   This is the lowest common denominator of universal human truths where jealousy, love, maternal instinct etc are common to ALL humans. This is what tells brands that we all want to be admired or desired or envied.

1. Cultural Context
   While the above tells us that there is a need to be admired, it is the cultural context that tells us that fairness is desired to ensure a ‘good’ groom or that we Indians perceive well ordered, great ambience supermarkets to be expensive and prefer the chaos of Big Bazar that gives us more value’ 
2. Individual
   Individuals in the same family can turn out to have very different beliefs and value systems. While this is the most important of all for psycho-analysis, it is of very little use to the marketer. It is very difficult to engineer brands for individuals – and usually tend to be very niche boutique services.

In this context – for creating successful brands, it is important to learn how culture shapes behaviour. Culture is what helps us understand why processed ready foods fail in the Indian market. The Indian mother/ wife has to ‘perform an act of input’ in whatever she is serving. So, even the most successful processed food brand – Maggi – has to have vegetables added to it and has to be ‘made’ by her. It is culture that helps us understand why Margo with neem – with its bitter smell is largely successful in the south but neem’s more palatable face wash avatar as Himalaya, is the largest selling face wash nationally.

The Consumer Belief System

Studying Culture through Semiotics

How then do we study culture? There are many models used by sociologists and anthropologists – the Hofsted being among the more popular in recent time. We are the pioneers in the use of semiotics in the county. Semiotics is quite simply Semiotics is the study of visual and cultural signs to decode behavior.

The signs can be

• Linguistic
• Visual
• Behavioural

These signs have to be moored in the context of a brand or a category. Let us take the Amul example and deconstruct that.

The Amul story is a rich tapestry of semiotic significance at many levels. The foremost Amul discourse is to do with nature of its business itself. Milk, Ghee and Butter have stood for abundance and goodness in the Indian context. Cows have been a symbol of wealth and have been and are revered in almost all parts of India since the Vedic times. I grew up on stories of my grandmother’s wedding where all the bulls in the groom’s party (they travelled in bullock carts) were fed ghee. This was proof of her family’s wealth and status as surely as the number of tolas of gold she received.

Milk and milk products have been akin to ambrosia. Being a provider of milk, therefore, is akin to divinity in the cultural context. Amul, as the primary provider of dairy products did not have to fight any battles of acceptance. The symbolism of milk and milk products is deep. Layered on it, the extraordinarily inspiring story of the formation of a co-operative that gave livelihoods to entire villages and raised standards of living across districts, and the ensuing self-governance of a complex supply chain led organization that increased yields and productivity dramatically,  of a commitment to values before profit (even today, in the event of a milk shortage – Amul diverts its supplies to milk at much lower margins, at the cost of high margin, value added and processed dairy foods), the vision of Dr. Kurien and his steering of Amul towards contributing to a white revolution in the country; the brand has won hearts and minds for many, many reasons to become the Taste of India.

Amul Butter is the product that epitomises the brand. B utter is the result of unadulterated milk and is by nature, pure. Bal Krishna’s love for butter was mythic, and is still celebrated. Krishna, as a child, has epitomised mother-child relationships. The natkhat  Krishna has become the iconic persona that all mothers seek in their child when they say with great pride that their son is “very naughty”.

In that context, the Amul girl is Bal Krishna! No wonder then, that the brand is among India’s most loved.

Whether deconstructing existing brands to ensure retention of key values or creation of new brands – semiotic study gives us deeper insights to ensure that we are able to craft brands which resonate with consumers.

Contributed by Alpana Parida - President, DY Works

PART 1: Conventional consumer segments are no longer valid
PART 2: Need for a new consumer classification method
PART 3: The importance of Culture for Brands

WHO IS THE CONSUMER? (Part 2 of 4)

Last week  we had looked at conventional consumer segments are no longer relevant. In Part 2 this week, we will look at exploring a new approach to consumer classification.

The Need for a New Consumer Classification Method

The Socio Economic Classification does not work. It creates too many biases and leaves out possible lucrative segments. I strongly believe that the world order has changed and we need a new system of consumer segmentation. We call it the DY Works Mindsets Classification. (DYW-MC)

This classification employs a very different cut for determining Age, Income, Education, Profession  and even Gender.

1. DYW-MCA: AGE MINDSET

This is not about the real age of the consumer. However, consumers of different ages across the same age mindset – will show similar behaviour

1. Young - carefree, seeking new experiences, youthful clothing and brands. A 40 year old person with this mindset would be using all the anti-ageing products in the world.
2. Middle aged – settled, not experimenting, set in ways, not much that is radical. A 40 year old will have solid brands – Ponds, Lux etc. No too many categories – and does not buy new things every time.
3. Older – simplifying life. Letting go of too much complexity. A 40 year old person would have a soap a shampoo and a moisturizer.

 2. DYW-MCI: INCOME MINDSET

This classification is across income levels and very wealthy HNIs could also be reluctant to replace their mobile phone every six months – whereas a young shop assistant could be far more prolific.

1. “I am worth it” – We came across a s shoe salesman in a hamlet outside Varanasi who smoked Gold Flake:  “Apni bhi koi ijjat hai”. This is the consumer who  wants everything here and now.  This is where you will see early adopters and real as has nothing to do with it. Men in their 50s who are buying the latest in laptops or cars are part of this mind set.
2. “Others are worth it” – I will sacrifice to give the best to my family. This the person who we see on KBC, who is going to give his / her money to parents and relatives first. This is the woman who buys for husband, children, home – before buying anything for herself.  There is desire – but can hold off and wait for 2-3 years before buying the flat screen TV or the fully automatic washing machine. Even when buying, would buy an older model which is cheaper.
3. “We cant afford it” – savings, ‘do I really need it’, seeking many validations and justifications. Seeks rational justifications  and prefers not to spend. Shopping is not a joy – and even post purchase, there is an anguish of guilt. They are simplifying their lives and are able to do with less.

3. DYW-MCP: PROFESSION MINDSET

This classification and sub-classification is greatly revealing about a consumer’s mind set and can exactly pin-point aspirations, value systems and more.

1. White Collar
1. Bramhins  - those from privileged backgrounds, brand name schools, colleges, jobs.
2. Fast Track – the young MBA who gets the same salary as a person recruited for sales or operations. In a hurry. Looking for the next big thing – job or own business.
3. Long Distance – Good dependable, solid – will grow steadily in job, will not change jobs often.
2. Blue Collar
1. Waiting to get out – hates the job, is dreaming big. Either own business, or a stab at reality TV/ game shows/ talent shows. Wants more in life.
2. Work is worship – content. Few needs, dedicated, loyal, steadfast.
3. Gold Collar
1. Humble work – disproportionate money. Property Agents, Gas Station Owners. Typically do not have social Status – a visiting card that says – General Manager, Bajaj or a Govt. Designation. Their status is only visible from gold chains and expensive brand names on or about their person.
4. Young and Restless
1. First generation entrepreneurs fired by stories of entrepreneurs making it big. Big schemes, big dreams and lots of guts. Driven, passionate, energetic.

4. DYW-MCG: GENDER MINDSET

If we go beyond the simple gender divide, there is a layered understanding of roles and responsibilities basis the understanding of gender.

• Metro-sexual  Female
• Works in an mans world, takes financial decisions
• Equal partner/ husband changes nappies, cooks as well
• Metro-sexual  Male
• Not afraid to show his sensitive side
• Involved with his appearance – could get facials/ pedicures
• Working Women

When we define the consumer in this fashion, we understand a great deal about them. But for their deeper truths, we need to understand them in a cultural context.

Contributed by Alpana Parida - President, DY Works

PART 1: Conventional consumer segments are no longer valid
PART 2: Need for a new consumer classification method
PART 3: The importance of Culture for Brands

Follow this space for Part 3 and  Part 4.

WHO IS THE CONSUMER? (Part 1 of 4)

PART 1

Over the course of 15 years, working with over 800 brands, touching over  1 billion consumers in 25 + countries – we have come across countless briefs where our understanding of the consumer is nebulous at best. Last month – we went through 2 qualitative research reports for the same brand in the same market. The brief went on to describe the consumer as Male, 25-45, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2; seeks control and has a strong sense of family responsibility.

Huh?

Who is the consumer?

This broad classification of the consumer is totally inadequate – and more importantly (and frighteningly) misleading. It presupposes little change in traditional classifications when India is dramatically changing demographically, sociologically and culturally. The underlying construct of the society is shifting. Speeding this up are technology, media and communications, the fruits of liberalization and a great yearning at the societal level that is now a seeking to establish the ‘great Indian dream’.

We are in the midst of a dynamically evolving society and our fixed points of reference are being challenged every day.

As the largest Brand Strategy/ Brand Design firm in the country, we are leading the charge in redefining the consumers. The old definitions no longer apply.

The trouble with Demographics/ Psycho-graphics.

• Mercedes and BMW are expecting 30-35% sales to come from rural markets.
• The age of luxury products in markets such as India and China is lowered to 25-30, as against 45+ in western markets.
• Mont Blanc is the ultimate IT gift for son-in-laws of middle India.
• Gopal Vittal is amazed to see the ubiquitous presence of Dove in Dharavi.
• Vernacular India discovers spaghetti straps and showing skin is increasingly acceptable.
• First noodles and now pasta is set to take over the after school snack market.

Our neatly ordered world is changing. Rapidly. And our neatly ordered Socio Economic Classification, whether A, B, C, D or A1, A2, B1, B2 is utterly meaningless.

How do we understand the consumer? Knowing the consumer is the foundation for building robust, lasting brands. The most successful brands in the world are the ones that exactly resonates consumers’ innermost desires, motivations or values. For TATA that stands for Trust, it is equally necessary for their customers to WANT trust in a corruption ridden economy, for the brand to resonate. For the Angry Young Man to succeed, there needed a generation of movie goers who were fed up and angry with the system. For Barak Obama to be elected, he had to be as far from Bush as possible.

ALL SUCCESSFUL BRANDS RESONATE WITH THE CONSUMERS HEARLTFELT NEEDS AND DESIRES.

If the demographic understanding of the consumer is blurring, the psychographics was flawed to begin with. The fundamental flaw in research is that it pre-supposes an extraordinary level of self-awareness on part of consumers/ respondents. That if you ask a consumer what his/ her motivations or desires at the deepest level are – they will articulate them.

There is a possibility of unearthing these, or at least the pointers to these, in qualitative depth interviews. The skill, however, of the interviewer is required to be at par with good psycho-analysts. This seldom is the case. And so, what we get most often is drivel such as: SEC A&B, 25-45, Male. Traditional but aspires to a better life for his kids. Seeks control in his life. Role models are Amitabh Bacchan and Mukesh Ambani.

This is not actionable research. It tells us nothing about the consumer upon which one can construct successful brands.

Contributed by Alpana Parida, President - DY Works

PART 1: Conventional consumer segments are no longer valid
PART 2: Need for a new consumer classification method
PART 3: The importance of Culture for Brands

Making a habit of Visual Mind Mapping

We at DY Works pride ourselves on our design processes. Dharam Ullagadai (ACD - DY Works) had the opportunity to present some of these design techniques with our international design partner - JDK. Here's a quick look at their interaction.

For more information on Design Processes, feel free to contact us at DY Works -
Mumbai: +91 022 40406767, Delhi:-+91 011 26548089,
Website: www.dyworks.com, Email: contact@dyworks.in

Why Colour Matters In India

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?

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>

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.