Train travel always has a surprise up its sleeve…the other day as I boarded yet another crowded Mumbai local train I was greeted by usual harsh stench of underarm odor, the waft of jasmine scented oiled hair intermingled with a days sweat taking its toll
As I squeezed into the bowels of the compartment I heard a screech smack dab right in my ears, full throated yelling “Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacalate Cadbury chaaaaaaaacalate!!!”
Being the chocoholic that I am I spontaneously turned to peep into the basket of goodies she was flaunting. Sitting there in the midst of a crowded train compartment in a dilapidated wicker basket lay an array of chocolates from the jungle look Safari chocolate to names unheard of .I strain my eye to locate the purple & gold wrapping I’ve grown to recognize so well over the years to find none.
An old woman with paan stained teeth, almost surely uneducated, has understood the power of branding without any formal training, no marketing gurus words of wisdom, no weighting lifting text books to lead the way, no pie charts or graphs…Here’s someone who knows that the name Cadburys is so well entrenched into the minds of consumers that now it has come to own the chocolate category. What better way to attract that first glance or as in her case the many glances other than to build on a well established name, even if she didn’t carry any of the Cadbury wares. Her strategy seemed to be working even on me as I landed up buying the wannbe Cadburys instead of the real thing, since she got me salivating over the thought of chocolate already. In such case scenarios people generally tend to make do with what’s available!!
Hats off to the Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccalate woman!!
