Chandamama : The fairy tale of Brand Revitalization

Most of us have grown up appreciating the element of bravery in the image of the sword-brandishing king Vikram passing through a cremation ground with a corpse on his shoulder in the popular “Tales of king Vikram and Vetala” series from Chandamama. Chandamama is a month older than Independent India. The idea behind Chandamama was to introduce post-independence child to Indian culture and tradition.

The first editions came out in July 1947- in Telugu and Tamil. First edition priced at six annas sold six thousand copies. It became a household name and was published in 12 languages. The English edition began in 1955. Chandamama reached its peak in early 1980s; when its combined circulation touched 900,000.During this period, the office was at Chandamama buildings, Vadapalani, Madras. In the mid-1990s publication started having problems; labour problems began to ferment in the press at Vadapalani. A tussle between workers and an administrator went so much out of control that publication had to be stopped in May 1998. Plus there were dissimilarities in opinion among the family members of the owner. The publication remained hung up for more than 12 months till 2 investment bankers who were emotionally attached to Chandamama stepped in to revive it. Hence from a modest office in Guindy, Chandamama started from scratch. By November 1999 they were able to print in all 12 languages. When the publication was suspended, Chandamama’s circulation was 600,000 but after its rescue it could barely sell 200,000 copies.

In early 2010, Chandamama was acquired by Geodesic, a software firm based out of Mumbai. This time, the offices shifted to Neelankarai on the ECR. Geodesic wanted to take this challenge because they strongly believed that Chandamama is not only a strong brand but it also has a strong brand recall. Geodesic is responsible for revitalizing the brand, the brand that most of the people in their late 20’s to early 70’s identify with. The fundamental strategic changes that Geodesic brought are:

i.             Establishing a process oriented business model

ii.            Giving the rein to an experienced and profit oriented management

iii.           Making Chandamama more contemporary and interactive

iv.          Complementing satellite TV and Internet rather than competing with them

v.            Leveraging effectively and efficiently on the rich archive of more than 60 years of story telling

vi.           Aggressive branding through Social media and Digital Marketing

vii.         Choosing brand elements that are attractive for the targeted market segment

viii.        Launching animated short stories on iPhone and iPad

ix.          Opening a representative office in Canada

Today Chandamama comes out in 13 languages including Santhali. Its combined circulation is around 250,000 copies; approximately 20% of its peak time sales. But from an optimist point of view, the very fact that the hybrid of comics and magazine sells so many copies, even in the era of internet, demonstrates how deeply rooted it is in the minds of Indian readers. A brand no less than a Coca-Cola or a Marlboro; and for sure not less addictive than either of them.

Ambrosia for the summer - Pavithra.G FT 13153

What more could one ask for on an extremely hot summer afternoon in Chennai – A glass of ice cold water. What if we get a chilled fresh juice that you could gulp down your throat and feel completely refreshed and rejuvenated! The orange punch from the Fruit Shop on Greams Road does just that. Makes you feel alive in this scorching hot sun. And these are what they stand for – Healthy, fresh juices packed with all small innovations, a varied menu with strange yet captive names, a cozy hangout for youngsters and families alike. I have been a regular customer here and these are the simple findings that I have observed and got to know from the guys at the counter.

This chain of fresh juice shops was found by Harris and Salim, two friends who stumbled upon this fruity career as they put it in their website. What started as a hard-core mishap has now successfully grown into a chain of 13 outlets each bearing the full name ‘Fruit Shop on GREAMS ROAD’, the famous road where all this began.

The outlets are in almost all major areas where customers frequent, giving them a getaway from the heat outside. And the variety of juices and their interesting names make customers try them even if they are a bit overrated. But as a regular visitor there, I can assure you that once you have tasted them, you would most certainly come for more. A healthy stop as this is claimed to be, we have all the walls pasted with the health advantages of many fruits which we have barely heard of, making this the USP to make customers try new juices. Also there is never a disappointing no for any drink the customers order. The waiters are even suggestive of juices that suit the day.

Love’s ode, Calypso, Spitfire, Romancing the apple, Rhapsody – these are some of the fascinating names they have. My personal favourite is the orange punch or the pink panther plus the tender coconut pudding – WOW and Yummy – I could settle for them any day.

All this started with very simple market strategies:

1.       Hot climate of Chennai where customers will certainly want a drink and making the most of it. It might be attributed to market segmentation where in a hot place like this would be the right target customers.

2.       Targeting the right set of customers, the youngsters, who would like a cozy hangout like this and a healthy one too.

3.       Positioning the outlets in all the major places that expected customers frequent most. Thus making it a must go.

4.       Creating a brand for themselves and maintaining the quality, customer service and customer satisfaction throughout all the outlets.

5.       The striking menu shows the proper analysis of consumer behaviour and the local market.

I strongly believe, these are the two people who have understood the correct market strategy for a hot place like Chennai and provided people with a refreshing alternative of a healthy and a tasty retreat. Thanks and Kudos to them.

Am I Cornered?

Visit: Pizza Corner in Adayar, Chennai (7.30 pm)

Tag line: Better Pizza through Quality and Innovation

Aesthetics of store:

-          TV at one end was  playing “True lies” from star movies

-          A/C was set at a comfortable level

-          Music was pleasant

-          The waiters welcomed me to the table and smiled at me as soon as I entered the hotel

-          a huge Modern art was in display at one corner, with pizza corner logo scattered all around.

On the Table, in front of each chair a large sheet of paper was there with the following,

-          website Information

-          twitter Information

-          Kid photos showing different expression

-          Cross word puzzles, snake & ladder and ludo with pizza icons was printed.

A special list of kids meals was displayed in one corner. There were small displays of 5 rs. cards on the walls catering to all ages. There was a CSR initiative chart for the environment stuck on the walls.

In the opposite end of the servicing counter was the kids zone with lot of sponge balls in a big tub.

Inside Information:

Pizza corner was under Global Franchise Architects. It also has other stores like Donut baker, Coffee world and Cream & Fudge under its comapny. The Founder is Mr. Fred Mouawad from Bangkok and its head office in India is Bangalore. The first outlet was opened in Chennai in 1996.  Mr. Sahay is the Head of Tamil Nadu outlets. They have stores in Madurai and Chennai. They are having 24 outlets in Chennai.

Every month, a discussion is made with corporate office about the store and the future plans. They discuss about the various seasonal offers that can be planned for the next three months. (e.g. IPL offer, diwali offer etc.)

Some common events generally conducted, Birthday parties, Pizza making work shop and kids games.  Common customers for lunch are Arihant Employees (e.g. offers such as Buy one Get one free) and families from nearby flats.

Marketing:

The majority of marketing is done through Word of Mouth marketing and fliers. They have a comprehensive feedback pamphlet collecting the relevant information. The logo means “lots of sauce with vegetable” as it has a red circle with a green triangle in a corner. The QMS department decides on the menus for the next 6 months. They also have a department for Phone/Online orders which transfers order to the individual outlet. They also try to localize the pizza to local south Indian tastes. This is signified in their hoarding outside their franchise as “yen pizza” meaning “my pizza”. There major positioning seem to be on “value for money” and “customer service” while the taste factor seems to be down (ruled by pizza hut and dominos).

In order to attract kids segment which seems to be their major segment, a new variation of cone shaped pizza called conizza was introduced.

SWOT analysis of pizza corner:

Conclusion:

The current psychographics ensure the pizza concept to be in fashion for the one or two decades at least with lot of market potential due to rising income levels and vast rural population influx to cities and towns. So, Pizza corner should work on their major weaknesses and target the market leader position.

Behind the scenes workings of a Supermarket

         Behind the scenes working of a Supermarket

After attending Dr. Tapan Panda’s lecture on Brand Differentiation, this topic interested me and I decided to write my blog on a store, which showcases this aspect. It then hit me that 8 months back, Niligiris had opened its outlet near my house in Nelson Manikkam Road, Nungambakkam. To give a history of what Niligiris is, Niligiris one of the leading chains of retail stores in South India. The store started in 1905 and has expanded to the entire South of India in its 108 years of existence.

To give you a heads-up of this supermarket, it is 50 meters away from Spencer’s Daily supermart and 150 meters away from Reliance Fresh. I wondered about the store viability and its long-term sustainability as both the other stores have been for 4-5 years.

            As a consumer myself, the initial newness of the store pulled me into the store. This happened 8 months back. The shop was well stocked and the staffs were courteous and helpful while picking up groceries. But the number of customer footfalls in the store was less and I doubted if the store could manage to operate for the next 6 months. To get to know more about this, I visited the shop last week to know how well it is doing.

            I was surprised to see that the store staffs were busy attending to some 50 odd customers. My initial request to the store manager was turn down as he was very busy tending to customers but was courteous enough to request to come after 3 hrs. When he would be free and can spend a lot more time. Armed with a pen and paper in hand, I reached the store and found that the store was less sparse and the staffs were relaxed. The store manager that I met earlier was apparently the storeowner as well. His name is Harshad Gupta. He is basically from Rajasthan but a second-generation settler in Chennai.

            Although I had prepared set of questions that I jotted down with my first question being the technical details of the shop like the shop’s size, customer footfall, etc, instinctively the first question that popped out of me was how he was able to gauge the fact that in a locality where there are already two supermarkets, his supermarket would be a success. His explanation was simple and plain – “Any person who takes a walk around in any of these supermarkets will always fail to get the product we wants to buy, either the brand would not be available or the product would be out of stock”. Mr. Harshad also noticed that to cut down on costs, these stores were most of the time were understaffed. This was always inconvenient to the customers. He very well exploited this and based his store on the given two tenants.

·  All the products and brands available in any other store (baring shortage from the manufacturer), would always be stocked in the store.

·      Customer service is the factor that can tip the balance in your favor.

Mr. Harshad then went about explaining in detail of how he convinced Nilgiris the feasibility of opening of the store. Although Niligiris had an in-house training program for the employees who interact with the customers, the owner personally conducted a program that educated the employees about the brands available in the store, their advantages/disadvantages; knowledge that could be useful while interacting with the customers and thereby helps customers make an informed decision.

He then went on to explain, how in this part of Nungambakkam, around 70% of the customers come with the family. Now to lure them into the super-market, one of the best ways would be to have fast-food counters right outside his store. His instinct was right as a customer who was having chat outside the store, walked in the store to buy water. As the customer walked past us, I saw his basket that had more than a bottle of water. I could see Mr. Harshad giving a sly smile as I noticed the customer’s basket.

            That’s when I realized some of the subtle tricks supermarkets play on the customer. Mr. Harshad also mentioned the art of arranging the goods in a way that attract customers to shop the maximum. For example, chocolates and chewing gum is generally kept near the billing counter. This is because the customer generally doesn’t pick up the product when it is kept in the shelves. When the same customer is standing in the queue, bored and tired, he evidently is able to connect with the product and hence feels compelled to buy it. I questioned the reasoning behind this nature of the customer and he replied just two words – “Consumer behavior”.

            This next marketing aspect would be covered in my next blog.

             

Kellogg’s: The Breakfast Story (Habit Marketing)

Kellogg’s acquisition of P&G's Pringles business; makes Kellogg world's second-largest savory snacks player. The acquisition nearly triples the size of Kellogg Company's international snacks business and adds a complementary product to the company's high-quality snacks brands

      

While experimenting with different food production techniques at the Battle Creek Sanatorium in Michigan, William and his brother, Dr. Kellogg, decided to run boiled wheat dough through rollers which enabled them to produce thin sheets of wheat. After a sudden interruption in their laboratory activities left cooked wheat exposed to the air for more than a day, the Kellogg brothers decided to run the wheat through the rollers despite the fact it was no longer fresh. To their amazement, instead of a single, large sheet of wheat, the rollers discharged a single flake for each wheat berry – Kellogg’s was born.

In the early nineties the cereal industry became stagnant in US and Europe and Kellogg’s looked beyond its traditional markets in Europe and United States. Hence, Kellogg’s came to India with lots of hope. Kellogg’s decided that India is a suitable target for its cereal products. Kellogg’s thought that even if they can manage a two percent market share in India, they will have a market larger than the US itself.

When launched, the sales figures were decent which indicated that the Indians are responding pretty well. However, it soon became apparent that many people had bought Corn Flakes as a one-off, novelty purchase. So Kellogg’s realized that their problem is not marketing the product to Indians their problem is marketing the style of breakfast to Indians. Pursuing Idly-dosa-paranthas obsessed Indians to take cereal for breakfast is a classic case of ‘habit marketing’.

To change the Indian mind-set, they decided to sell biscuits as a strategy to establish its brand equity. Kellogg’s biscuits are produced only in India and there are multiple flavors like Chocos, Glucose, Chocolate Cream, Badam, Pista and Cashew. 

Kellogg’s tried to modify breakfast habits of Indians, but the pricing of the product restricts consumption to the urban consumers and affluent house-holds. Kellogg’s had targeted middle class mothers for its cornflakes category by introducing iron shakti. Again the strategy is a bit similar, targeting middle aged women, but only those belonging to SEC A and B. They promoted the concept of having breakfast together through advertisements and tried to influence kids who are mainly initiators for buying decision of this type of products.

Kellogg’s has also positioned itself as a health centric brand through introduction of Indi’s first diet cereal, Kellogg’s K Special. Kellogg’s has offerings for daily weight management, digestive regularity and heart health.

Apart from repositioning the brand, they have been trying to enhance their market share through product line extension. To capture fortune at the bottom of the pyramid and to attract economic buyers Kellogg’s has introduced 10 rupees packets. More importantly, they didn’t want customers to take a quick decision. Customers were gradually and softly exposed to the new products, promotions and were given enough time to enjoy the experience.

Kellogg’s now holds 70 percent share of 400 crore breakfast market in India.

Abhishek Pareek (FT13198)

A Pharmacy With a Difference

The usual image that everyone has about a pharmacy is a very stereotyped one, and I was no different. I always felt that a Chemist shop being related to a category of products that people buy only when they have to, so there is nothing much that needs to be done to attract customers. Customers will come when they have to, but my perception was completely changed because of an untimely visit that we had to pay to Apollo Pharmacy.

It was 11:30 in the night. I was in Chennai, a city completely unknown to me and my friends whom I was paying a visit. My feet was bleeding profoundly, reason being I couldn’t differentiate between a broken beer bottle and a Pepsi can which I was kicking while walking. I don’t completely blame the 10 pegs of scotch which I had, I feel it was a little dark on the roadJ. My friends being the epitome of coolness which they are could never come to terms with the logic behind keeping a first aid kit at home. Fortunately for them they knew a chemist living nearby and could arrange for some bandage and Betadine.    Fortunately for them because as far as I was concerned, I had better things to worry about like my girlfriend who left me only 11years ago when I was in 9^th.

Around 12 hours and 2 aspirin later, me and my friends went to thank the Pharmacy owner for his kind gesture, even after being challenged by me for a thumb fight, the last night. The shop he owned was a franchisee of Apollo Pharmacy, The third which the owner ‘Mr Badri’ had. The shop was not like any other pharmacy which I have seen back home in Rajasthan. It was a large shop pretty much qualifying to be called a miniature foodworld with respect to the variety and also the arrangement of stuff. The whole shop was nicely temperature controlled and the difference between the outside temperature and the shop temperature was very comforting. The whole place was extremely clean and tidy and well kept. All the products were neatly stacked in different counters, with similar commodities kept together on the shelves.  The ambience instantly struck a chord of respect and trust.

There were different sections for different products and the whole product range was nicely distributed all around in the shop, utilising the space to the maximum at the same time not cluttering the shop too much. The shop was managed by Mr Badri and three of his helpers. Most of the products could directly be picked up by the customers, apart from the drugs which needed a doctor’s prescription for which the helper were very prompt to help. It was a general rule followed by Mr Badri that no medicine should be given without a doctor’s prescription, no matter how well know the customer be.

One of the sections which attracted my attention was Herbal juice section which offered Amla and Aloe Vera juice. Mr Badri told us that these juices were non-prescription item and were taken by customers especially due to their medicinal properties related to ageing. He told us that this was the reason behind keeping them separately in middle of the shop, so that the customers become curious about them and ask about their benefits.

There was a separate shelf for cosmetics and stuff like Glucon-D. Mr Badri told us that usually for these products the customer like to compare different brands and then decides upon the purchase, hence he kept them separately.

There was a complete shelf reserved for baby products consisting of diapers, baby food and baby cosmetics. Mr Badri told us that the demand for baby products have been rising in last few years and hence they have created a separate section for the same. He told us that probably this is the section where the brand loyal behaviour of customer is most visible and the shopping parents are very particular about the products that they choose for their children.

Urged by my childlike curiosity that I am famous for, I couldn’t resist asking Mr Badri If the things that he was selling were costlier as compared to other not so Elite shops and to my surprise the reply was that in fact the products sold in Apollo Pharmacy are sold at a discount of 5%, to add on top of it is a Apollo membership card which fetches a huge discount in all Apollo hospitals. Apollo usually target on larger sales to increase their profits instead of charging the customers high and all the ease provided comes very handy in increasing the sales. The extra services like phone order and home delivery are very much appreciated by the customers.

After thanking Mr Badri for the help which he provided last night and also for the valuable insight which he shared regarding his business we were ready to depart but he let us step out only after a cup of hot tea and a round of thumb fight which unbelievably he won, I wonder if he chemist was on drugs J.

Anita Kala(FT13109)

Nothing can beat Dominos… !!!!   

It was a few weeks back when I simply couldn’t resist my temptation of having a pizza. So, I started searching for some options nearby but my taste buds forced me to look only for “Dominos”. I asked a few friends and came to know that there is one at the ECR Road. So, we reached our destination in about 35-40 minutes. Unlike other times, this trip was meant not only for having a Pizza but also to analyze the strategy Dominos follow. After all, there has to be some magnetic force which attracts so many people; no matter how far the place is, people somehow manage to go and grab the delicious pizza.

So, here we go with the in-depth research:-

IS IT JUST THE TASTE OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Well, that day I felt that it is not just the taste but something beyond it. Was it the Brand name or the fast delivery or the variety in the offerings? Honestly, I could not narrow down my option. Since the outlet at the ECR road is a small one (as compared to the ones I had seen before), there was a queue at the counter. But I realized that people didn’t mind standing in the queue. In fact, I could see happiness on everybody’s face.

“KHUSHIYON KI HOME DELIVERY” (BENEFIT/EMOTIONAL POSITIONING) :-

Change in the tag line from “Hungry kya?” to “Khushiyon ki Home Delivery”The reason behind this transformation is the shift in the focus from Functional positioning(Hunger) to Emotional positioning (Bond with the customers).

GOOD THINGS DON’T ALWAYS COME AT A HIGHER PRICE:-

People with the perception that “Pizzas are expensive and cannot be afforded by all” will be forced to think again when they look at the offerings at Dominos.  Price staring from as low as Rs. 50 is probably a strategy followed to attract teenagers.

 Besides, at times the coupons can fetch you a discount of 40-50%. These coupons can be availed via online shopping, mobile recharge, etc.  So, next time you get a pizza coupon, don’t just throw it off, it can really help you save a decent amount of money.

INTERACTION WITH THE STAFF:-

So, the first question I asked to the person at the counter was If they could deliver the Pizza to our college. And he denied. Although, I expected this answer but just wanted to check on how he would respond. After all, I wanted to analyze how you say NO to the customers.

So, there he goes with a polite reply:-

“Ma’am, we can but it’s a bit risky since it takes roughly 30-35 minutes to reach your college. But your college people are our regular customers and we just love to see them here. We might open an outlet near your college soon. Hope to see you again”.

Now, that’s a decent reply from an employee at the best pizza delivery company in India.

Next question was the “At what time during day do you have highest frequency of customers?”

“Somewhere around 6-10p.m.”, was the reply.

Then I asked him which age bracket do the customers generally belong to? He said “usually in the age bracket of 20-25”.

And finally I asked him how many people actually turn up with their coupons. His reply was a bit expected one “Only college students”.

So, that was the experience I had during my first visit. Next time, I am planning to do in –depth analysis of the sales and profit per day.

A Barber’s view of STP (Segmentation/ Targeting/Positioning) at Mamallapuram

A Barber’s view of STP (Segmentation/ Targeting/Positioning) at Mamallapuram:

A thriving tourist destination, Mamallapuram , better known as Mahabalipuram is apparently ‘the place’ to get a haircut. With only a population of around 12000 ,  Mahabalipuram boasts of around 30-35 Men’s Haircutting Salons i.e a salon for every 200 men (52% population are male).What is unique about the profession is inadvertently, they follow the concepts of Segmentation/Targeting/Positioning without  undergoing a course on Marketing!

So having decided to get that elusive haircut, I ventured into a Barber Shop and had my practical experience on STP.

       Lesson 1: Finding the right audience.

The shop was owned and operated by a non-Tamilian. A first generation Entrepreneur, Mr.Ali used to work for the Radisson Group of hotels wherein he got a fixed salary. On touring the town, he realized that he could cater to the youth in the town, a budding, high spending, style conscious, high frequency segment. Also, he noticed that he was at a disadvantage-a Non-Tamilian in a Tamil dominated township, in a profession where clients are acquired primarily by building a comfort level with the intended audience. He decided to target the youth as his primary audience, a segment with high returns which would not perceive place origin as a factor to get their hair done!.

       Lesson 2: Targeting the Audience.

        Having decided this segment, Mr.Ali went about targeting his intended segment. He took a shop on lease with an initial deposit of around INR 200000 and a monthly rent of INR 20000 in an area which the youth frequently visit-the temple square. Working around the unions, Mr.Ali got in friends from Mumbai who were adept at the latest ‘In’ thing in hairdressing. Convincing them to come to Mahabs was not a problem. They were just told that he was opening in Chennai!

The next expense incurred was on the props! 2 barber chairs, 2 mirrors, grooming accessories, beauty products and a tinge of fresh paint totaling to around 1.5 lakhs. Covering the walls with a bunch of youth Idols parading their recent hairdos, Mr.Ali created an impression of shaping the fad in the world of hair styling. A conscious decision was made to not make the shop air-conditioned as it would have increased the cost of a haircut.

  Lesson 3: Positioning yourself within the market.

Mr.Ali realized that he needs to clearly differentiate his shop with the other barber shops within the vicinity. Therefore, he positioned his shop as a ‘Designer Salon with a value for money’ proposition. Marketing his USP-Hairdressers from the quintessential city of Mumbai-the home of Bollywood and fashion . Also, he made it affordable by charging a nominal price of INR 50 whereas the A/C shops were charging around 70 INR. Accentuating the youth culture of the shop, he started an open door policy wherein youths can drop in for a chat, just set their hair and walk out without paying a dime. This built camaraderie thus increasing brand loyalty.

The result:

 Mr.Ali’s shop is thriving. Inspite 3-4 similar shops within the vicinity, Mr.Ali is making  a handsome profit. He is contemplating on buying the shop and expanding his business. Also at the same time, he is trying to expand his market by catering to the other age groups with a higher income though he is vehemently against installing air-conditioners in his shop.

What Next for Mr. Ali?

Having made this conversation while getting my own hair done, I could not help being bitten by the entrepreneur bug. Seeing all the cut hair on the floor, I asked him what he does with them. His answer was – nothing. I suggested that he could always sell these leftovers to an ancillary industry which processes them to make artificial hair-wigs, moustaches, etc. Since such an industry did not exist in the vicinity (probably the women were known to grow their hair and not cut them short!),Mr.Ali was suggestive of getting a group formed to collect all the wastes and sell it to an organization in Chennai which uses them to make artificial hair products like brushes, wigs, moustaches etc.

So Mr Ali, yours was the cheapest and most practical course in marketing which I would ever get during my journey to be the Mr.Marketer. Thanks for the same and all the best for your future ventures!

Aavin Milk - Gowtham Bandi (FT 13131)

Location: Anupuram , Rossa Block

                                                                 Aavin Milk 

India is the largest milk producing nation in the world, about 121.8 million tonnes of milk a year, i.e. on average 300 ml of milk per person , per day. Buffalo milk is the major source in India. –

In Tamil nadu , Aavin  owned by Tamil nadu Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation Limited, is the largest supplier. Tamil nadu alone produces 145.88 Lakh litres per day.

Anupuram is Atomic Energy Township located 65 km south of Chennai on ECR. It was established in the year 2000, with some 500 families. The employees of Indra Gandhi centre for Atomic energy (IGCAR) , stay here. I have been in this township since December 2000. The initial source of milk was from neighbouring villages namely vengambakkam, Kanathur, pudupattinam and neikuppi. Since quality of milk was always a concern for people in township, the co-operative society of atomic energy employees association set up a milk booth in the rossa block, a small 200 feet apartment.

Now, there are more than 1000 families here in the township, with more than 600 young school children in the area. There is always a constant heavy demand for milk. There are about 10 to 12 local milk suppliers (from the nearby villages), who distribute milk during evening. The Aavin milk cards are given on a monthly basis to families, starting date 15 of a month. The various types of packets depending on the fat content are

Color of the packet   :     Blue          = Toned milk
                                          Green       = Standardized milk
                                          Red          = Full cream milk
                                          Magenta   = Double toned milk

The booth supplies another brand called Arokya milk. The costs of the milk packets are that are available for card holders are

Tone milk  500 ml                      3    % fat         13.50

Standardized milk 500 ml           4.5% fat      15.50

The distribution: -

The Aavin milk van comes to the booth early morning at around 4.30 am, the milk packets available are mostly half litre packets, and 200 ml yogurt packets. The township is divided into 4 sectors, IIB, IIIC, IVD and VE, depending on the location and size of the house, each distributor goes to a sector and sits there from 6 to 7.30. People go and collect their packets from them by showing their cards and a small coupon ( with date written on it) which is provided to customers when they buy the card from the milk booth. If not collected on a particular day, the person can get it refunded at the end of the card-cycle.

The milk distribution does not take place during evening hours, customers have to pay for individual packets at the rossa block. This procedure had been followed here since the time on inception. But there were problems during rainy seasons, summer seasons when there was shortage in supply. Recently the state government has increased the cost of each packet by 2 rupees, thus people in the township are preferring fresh milk from local vendors , were the cost is almost similar to the aavin milk and they know the person personally. People prefer fresh milk over the packet milk for babies and for making curd as well.

Paani Puri 'Thhela'

Seeing a pani poori ‘thhela’ in Mahabalipuram or most popularly known as the Mahabs, I felt very elated. It was not because I was on a look out for eating those but because of its typical “street side vendor” sight in the dosaland of “Chennai”. Just then I heard the man speaking in hindi to one of his customers. And I decided about my marketing blog to be written on and went on to garner data from him.

He was a “bihari” baabu and had come here to meet his two ends meet. So he decided to open up something which had a flavour of north. And there his hectic day starts as early as 5 am in the morning. He makes puris on his own and it takes him around 5 hours everyday to make around 600 puris with its tangy mouth-watering paani. He starts selling at 4:30 in the evening till 9:30 at night. For all the time that I spent, there were atleast 3-4 customers at any point of time to savour the paani puri.  His thhela looked prim and proper, clean and hygienic so I opted to take a chance. Yes, it was a truly palatable idea of having even the second plate.

He sells 8 puris for Rs 20 per plate. After spending time and observing , I could gather few check points on the type of customers that he catered to, their responses, the time of the day when he sold his maximum chunk. His customer base was from kids to adults, ranging from 5 years old to 50 years old. They preferred to come at 6 in the evening when the sun has set down and a subtle breeze sets in. It seemed as if most of the people were his regular customers because they just stood, smiled at him and started to have a friendly  talk. There were these two ‘akkas’ who in a very pleasant tone started suggesting him to make the paani more tangy and spicy. At many different instances, I could infer that most of the customers that visited preferred eating from his ‘thhela’ not only because of the taste of his paani puri but also because of his amiable nature, decent charges, and his salubrious and dirtless ‘thhela’.