Holiday Gift Guides

November 29th, 2005 • To be filed

With Christmas just a few weeks away, a bunch of holiday-gift guides have popped up making it the gift-giving process simpler and fun. Coolhunting’s Gift Guide is a snazzy -easy to navigate site featuring items starting at $10 to well above $500. The collection is eclectic and unique. My favorite piece here is the House of Cards set for $20 that features full-bleed photograhs on every single card of the deck. Each photograph is unique and beautiful!

Josh Spear has launched Soupe Du Jour at Charles & Marie – an innovative shopping site where a new product is featured every day and is available for shopping only for 24 hours. Today’s feature is the Osho ToothBrush. It sounds like a fun idea, but I don’t know how well it will work. We are so used to dealing with too many choices that no choices at all might confound us!

I’d rather buy gifts from these guides than the usual choices for two reasons:

1) the products featured here are simply outstanding and I’d want to be remembered as the great girl who gives great holiday gifts! (only I can’t afford anything right now. shhhh)

2) These sites act as editors, in a way, producing a refined list of gifts for everyone’s individual sensibilities.

Holiday Gift Guides like these are going to pop up more frequently in the future. Like me, if you can’t afford much right now– these sites also offer the added pleasure of just browsing through the choices!

Sushi Drives

November 29th, 2005 • 4 comments To be filed

These strange little sushi-like USB drives hold upto 1 GB of data. I’m not sure I find the idea of a piece of fish sticking out of my laptop appealing enough to try it on. But I guess there are more adventurous kinds out there!

Cereal Wars

November 29th, 2005 • To be filed

Cereality, the cereal bar and restaurant first served mixed cereals
in a tiny kiosk at the University of Arkanasas. The idea was a hit and
by 2004, they had bigger, better cereal bars in Chicago and in
Philadelphia.
Independant entrepreneurs are fast on catching on the
idea – Bowls, a cereal joint in Gainsville, Florida and The Cereal Bowl
in Miami are the newest to cash in on the cereal craze. Ahmad Choudhry’s The Cereal Cabinet is due out soon. 

Cereality is trying to patent it’s process of mixing cereals and has slapped the above-mentioned companies with legal notices – but
students at freeculture.org are not happy with Cereality’s idea of
patenting mixing cereals!

If you take the fancy terms apart, (read nomenclature involving the use of word "cereal" and the terms, bar, restaurant etc)  it is just a place that serves cereal and milk! An extension of your kitchen, how could someone patent a normal, routine process of mixing cereals?

As long as the patent is still pending, I expect more cereal bars to pop up. I don’t see anything wrong in people cashing on the idea – the best of them will still retain their orginality and reputation. The other’s will fizzle out or hang in there choosing to shut shop eventually.

The revival of Kate Moss

November 28th, 2005 • To be filed

Scandals change people’s life overnight. While an editor at a magazine got a book deal over being fired for having a blog, Kate Moss secured a contract with Virgin Mobile for getting caught sniffing cocaine.

If the teen-magazines hold any credibility, the youth are not particularly happy with Kate Moss’s fiasco. Chanel and H&M dropped her after her pictures were splashed all over mainstream media, blogs and the works. But Branson of Virgin Mobile thinks that the scandal has only enhanced her appeal.

Moss underwent an intense 30-day rehab program. Vrigin Mobile wants to give her a second chance and Burberry has also welcomed Kate Moss back.

At the risk of making generalizations- it is not uncommon or surprising to learn that Kate Moss was a drug addict. The fashion industry lifestyle often induces an affinity towards drugs.

What was great about the entire scandal that young teenagers learnt and saw the impact of using drugs straight up. Kate Moss’s immediate dismissal from the her clients, the media scorn and what it probably cost her professionally and personally is out there for everyone to see. She went into re-hab and has now regained the faith and support of new and old clients tells a lot about people- and how people who work for a second chance, are given one.

The youth have an excellent example here to absorb and learn from.

The Ipod generation- mobility, multiplicity and money

November 28th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

Today at lunch with three of my close friends we discussed out future plans. Surprisingly we had similar goals-

1) to live in a couple different cities. none of were buying the idea of one home, one career, one life. We wanted to live in multiple cities and have multiple homes. (Tokyo, San Fransisco, Sydney, London, New York, Bombay, Bangalore- were some of the recurring names)

2) to have multiple careers. we weren’t buying the idea of being an accountant or a physician or an editor or a software developer for the rest of our lives. We wanted more. we wanted to do several things – all at once or at intervals. open restuarants, start companies, write books, work for the United Nations…

3) to make $5M before we hit 40. we were allowed to retire and "live" our lives then.

These are not just the aspirations of four young people lunching at a Greek restauranton a lazy Sunday afternoon. These collectively represent the goals and dreams of our generation, or as I call it, the iPod generation. (20-40) We are all about mobilty, multiplicity and money. The 3M’s. We want mobile homes, mobile lives, multiple careers, and money. Enough of it to live a comfortable lifestyle.

Dogs shine in their new role as listeners

November 28th, 2005 • To be filed

For years, besides being companions, dogs have been trained to help the
blind, sniff for explosives and provide a soothing calm for hospital
patients. Now they’ve found a niche as listeners….

READ teams, (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) are helping little children develop better reading skills throughout the country. Participating schools allow kids who have difficult with reading and pronounciations to spend 30 mintues with one of the READ dogs.

Why dogs? Because they do not judge, do not laugh at mistakes and do not snigger or make stupid comments. Kids assume that the dogs are really listening and take an active interest in reading.

The article provides anecdotes of kids actually improving their reading skills after practicing with one of the trained dogs. I guess it helps to have a non-judgemental audience. (And an audience you get to play with after the session!) 

Customer Service, where it counts

November 28th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

I was late by a day for one of my credit card payments this month. I never miss a payment. (Alteast not after I learnt the intricacies of credit history and it’s importance for my survival in this country) I was pissed off at myself for missing the payment, pissed off at my internet service provider for not functioning properly and pissed off for simply forgetting about the payment because of the holiday.

I called the company to explain my situation and see if they would take off the late-fee charge. And I guess it was my lucky day! After I explained that I had never missed a payment before and that I was a recent graduate trying to make ends meet– the company waived off my late-fee as a courtesy.

I was surprised. And happy! I later realized that I was happy not because of the few dollars I saved but for the service they gave me and because they really listened to me. It wasn’t exactly their problem or their fault that I missed my payment. But the fact that they listened, gaurantees them my business for many, many years.

There’s something I’ve learnt in my experiences with customer service on 1800 numbers- it’s all about luck. It all depends on the person on the other end who’s listening (or not) to my problem. There have been numerous episodes when I’ve called my phone company with a problem and I was shut out, spoken rudely to or was simply transferred from one center to another. And there have been equal number of times when I’ve met (thank god for those!) absolutly wonderful customer service people who have literally been on the phone with me for over an hour solving my questions.

And I wonder, why can’t a company just hire these type of people? But then again, what is this type of people. Is there even a particular "type" that fits this description?

People behind the 1800 lines represent the company- to me, they are just an extension of their brand. I am considering a new cell-phone carrier. And Cingular has already been eliminated as an option. The Atnt and Cingular merger is still so wrinkled that often the customer-service people don’t know what they are talking about and they transfer calls to the "orange" side and the "blue" side!  Says a lot about the new brand! I would never give my business to Cingular, atleast not untill they had these internal issues sorted.

Well, I’m happy today. Either the lady at my credit-card company had a really nice hari day or luck was just on my side!

By the way…

November 25th, 2005 • To be filed

The public will neither have time nor interest tp consider all of the options available to them- so the role of editor, both human and electronic, will increase in importance. Readers will expect more information to come at little or no cost.

- John Griffin, President of National Gepgraphic Society’s magazine group.

I guess that ties in well with the Information Overload dilemna?

FC’s Open Debate

November 25th, 2005 • To be filed

December’s Fast Company features buzzmachine.com blogger Jeff Jarvis (former editor) and John Griffin (President of Natl.Geographic Society’s magazine group) debating the future of print media.

Jarvis said, "Too many of the ideas trapped on paes end up, at best, in unused archives or, at worst in recyclers pulp, when they should be online- searchable, linkable, part of the conversation. ..Paper is too one-way for this two-way world."

Griffin made valid points as well, "The words and pictures in print or on a magazine’s Website become the basis of searching, linking, talking and randing for those with the time or inclination to do so.

Each has a valid point and is rightfully justified in their position. While I love the smell of paper, hot off the press and the feeling of holding a soft-cover book and the idyllic nature of flipping through a magazine – I prefer a mobile world where information is available to me when I want it and the way I want it. My preferences function to match my lifestyle. (Besides, a book, a magazine, a paper– is done when you are done with it. You are never done with the Web!)

Where do you stand on this debate? (Read the full text here.)

Goth inspirations

November 25th, 2005 • To be filed

How well do you transform a piece of history into a commerical money-making mecca? You use lights, ofcourse!

This 15th century gothic church and monastery in Maastricht, Netherlands, which first served as an agricultural research station was more recently adapted into a rich-designer hotel to retain the buildings history and retain it’s aura.

The 50-rooms in this five star hotel have been designed by acclaimed architects. What’s most interesting about the hotel, is it’s strategic lighting. To both respect and preserve the history of the cathedral, lights have been used creatively and intelligently throughout the building.

The result is challenging, but at the same time it is a tribute to contemporary architecture and age-old architecture and construction: a complementary contrast between past and present. ( website)

An interesting intersection of design and history to create a beauty!

Ipod acessories

November 23rd, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

An add-on for Ipod shuffle turns it into a stylish accessory or a divinition symbol- your pick!

Information Overload

November 22nd, 2005 • 5 comments To be filed

Communication is transparent now. There is information spilling over from everywhere. Leaking, dripping and sometimes, just flooding our brains. Over at joshspear.com, they’ve launched four new fantastic blogs about food, fashion,design and lifestyle . It’s great work and I’m pleased. But I’m also tired. And exhausted. Because in my mind, instead of being thrilled at the prospect of browsing through these blogs, I’m actually sighing and saying to myself, "four more to look at? Oh no." I probably browse through close to 20 blogs/sites a day that cover the same topics. I am not questioning the authority or the originality of these sites– I’m questioning the time consumed looking for information everyday!

Every other day a new website, a new magazine or a new blog is launched claiming to be THE source for refined, edited information. How do you edit these? Why has information become available so freely? Is this a trend a fad or is this the future?

Eventually we return to the trusted few who we like and who we are comfortable with but that in itself is a problem as we are shunning out other point of views, other ideas and other tidbits of information scattered through the websites we choose to ignore. Either way, no one gains. The blogs/sites suffer because they cannot hold their viewer’s attention and we suffer because we end up concentrating on those sites we are most familiar and comfortable with.

Just a thought.

Blogs- the new recruitment tool.

November 21st, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

I am a fresh graduate. And searching for a job takes up most of my time. On a job-hunt forum I came across a comment by Mack Collier of Beyond Madison Avenue. He advised a young job-seeker to start a blog and use his blog as a tool to hunt for jobs. Mack believes that blogs will soon be used as a tool by recrutiers and employers to screen potential employees. (I already know of a Literary agent who browses blogs as she searches for the next "it" writer! – Anastasia of Ypulse was spotted under the agent’s blog radar)

I immediately sent him an email thanking him for understanding how obsolete resumes are and for believing that blogs, are more powerful than credited. My blog hasn’t landed me any job offers yet- but it has introduced me to some amazing people who have helped and are helping me as I hunt for the perfect job.

While it’s not my resume, my blog is a facet of my pesonality that does not come across on a resume. (Needless to mention, it is also more entertaining and fun to look at than my resume!) Yes, I did start my blog with the hopes that it will land me a job- but at this point, I don’t really care. I’ve come to love what I do so much that even if it doesn’t fulfil the purpose it was created for, it is not going to make any difference.

In a world where blogs have been reputed to cause employees to lose their jobs, the circle will soon be complete as blogs lead to jobs.

Dyin’ in style!

November 21st, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

In Desperate Housewives, Gabriel is enraged when her husband Carlos, spends a fortune on building a shrine for his mother’s grave.Now only if she knew about these affordable designer coffins…..

Life Art, an Australian company, creates these fantastic art-inspiring coffins of bio-degradable material. The company sells them only through funeral homes right now, but these designer coffins have already caused quite a strin in the umm.. market?!

Somehow, these coffins manage to glamorize the idea of death. As Acland Brierty’s exclaims.. Now I an go out in style!

(Via Seth Godin)

Meal Kitchens…

November 18th, 2005 • 3 comments To be filed

The word is that meal-ktichens are the new trend-in-town, mushrooming all over Chicago. Meant for busy house-wives, these kitchens enable women to cook a month’s worth of dinner in a two-hour session.

Priced anywhere between $80 to $312 for a dozen meals – magazines like Real Simple are resorting to meal-kitches to host their parties and dinners.

Reminds of of a better business-idea…that has been successfully accomplished in major cities in India. The dabbahwallas — literally translated as the tiffinboxmen. For a nominal monthly fee, office-workers can register with a local tiffin-box service and have lunch (sometimes even dinner) delivered to their cublicles at a set time! And the tiffin’s include a full traditional 3 to 4 course lunch! With a a tiny tub of desert, buttermilk and pickle!

Techno-Kids, the new “juvenlization of electronics.”

November 16th, 2005 • To be filed

I joke with my cousin and say that her daughter is a techo-baby. Why? Because this 9- month old  finds joy in messing with the TV remote, holding her dad’s cell phone and typing on her mom’s laptop.

Jim Silver, edtior of a toy trade publication would agree with me. "There’s a shift in need in terms of what a child finds fun and entertaiing." He believes it has a lot to do witht he computer age.

When I was born, my parents were satisifed documenting my growth on a simple point-and-shoot Konica camera. They bought a digital camera, only recently, for my graduation. When my neice was born, she saw a cam-corder zooming on her little face urging her to open her eyes. She poses everyday for her growing-up album – on a digital camera. She gurgles and cooes on a PDA/Cell-phone/camera so that her grandparents in India can hear her and look at her!

My mother would rock me with her hands and people in my family took turns to rock my cradle. There’s something about the movement that’s so peaceful. My cousin only has to press a switch and the cradle rocks on its own!

My neice, is growing up in a different age and time!

… so I’m not really surprised that sales of toys in America is actually 5% down from last year. Kids are done with Lego sets, Barbie dolls and minature GiJo figures. They want tiny portable laptops, fun cam-corders, X-boxes and real but fun cell-phones.

This year’s top 10 toys for hoilday season by Toy Wishes magazine include electronic karate sets, talking kitchens and alien music players.

Whether this should be a concern for parents, is a matter of choice. My cousin insists that she is going to give her daughter a traditional child-hood, the toys she grew up with– that taught her how to be creative with her time… and my cousin’s husband believes since electronics anyways is the future of mankind, – her daughter will not grow up in ignorance. I guess, a balance of both would be essential to a child’s upbringing. What do you think?

(Link via DK)

Speaking of Spanglish…

November 16th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

To be a copywriter in the Indian advertising industry, the knowledge of Hinglish – (a delicious mix of Hindi and English) is essential. Hinglish was first introduced by urban college students who started mixing vernacular words and phrases to create new "cool" sounding words.  Bollywood movies quickly responded and started using "Hinglish" in their scripts. And the Indian ad-industry wasn’t too far behind– today 90% of TV and Radio commericals (even the way RJs, DJs, and VJ’s communicate) is in Hingilsih.

This phenomena, until now, remained undiscovered in America– where a growing number of the young second and third generation Latino’s converse in what has been dubbed, Spanglish.
-A smattering of Spanish words mixed with English.

Only, a handful of companies were quick to spot and act on this trend. One of them is Reebok.
Reebok’s new site, barriorbk.com, targets the Hispanic market. Not only does the site use catchy Spanglish but to appeal to the Hispanic youth, it also  has a "reggaetion dance game and contenst" and includes music from top 10 Latino artists. (simply because reggae music is HUGE among Latinos)

A taste of Spanglish:  Description of the Barrio RBK Pump Wrapshear running shoe,

“Create a custom fitting shoe every time with a
twist of the dial. No lo crees? Es simple. Turn the valve on and start
caminando.”

A word of advice to other companies entering the Hispanic market– Spanglish is the way to go!

A jello-ous delight!

November 15th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

I have never been happier to see such a sparkling array of jello. it makes my mouth water as I write this post. I’m so excited about this find that I cannot tpye proprely.

Modled by Artist Elizabeth Hickok, these jello-creations reflect San Fransisco landscapes! The project consists of photographs and videos of the jello creations. "Similar to making a movie set, I add backdrops, which I often paint and elements such as mountains and trees and then I dramatically light the scenes from the back of underneath."

San Fran has yet to be represented more creatively than this!  She is one artist to watch out.

Jell-O is one my favorite foods – can you think of anyone else who’s used jell-o to create a work of art?

Today I wear, Eau De Celeb

November 15th, 2005 • To be filed

In 2004, American’s spent $94.4 million dollars on celebrity-inspired perfumes. JLo, Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, the Olsen Twins, Sarah Jessica Parker, Donald Trump, Maria Sharpova….and now Beyonce unveils a second one.

Of them all, poor Antonio Banderas is the chepeast – $20 and available in drug-stores. Sheesh. What was his publicist thinking?

I wonder who else will join the scentebrity hall of fame.

Whiffs of chocolate this Christmas

November 14th, 2005 • To be filed

During summers, I enjoy smelling of mango and melons. Winter-time, I switch to light flowery scents. Sometimes I like to soak in a minty bubble bath. But I draw my limits to fruits and flowers.
My young cousins still enjoy wearing bubble-gum and watermelon ice-cream scents. They are teenagers. But now, even their mothers are vying to smell of chocolate and raspberries- thanks to the widespread availability of (previously available only in spas)  delicious-smelling body butters and lip glosses.

Apparently, I’m an anomaly. Because six out of ten women love smelling like a freshly baked cookie. Or buttered pecan creme.

Food-inspired beauty products seem to be on a rising trend. Bath and Body Work’s hottest selling products during  holiday season are the two ultimate brands that have made smelling like a creme brule and cocoa, the "it" thing. Americans spent $663 million this year on perfume and cologne and $90.6
million on lotions, creams, bath and shower gels and soaps. I wonder how much of this stash is spent on smelling like a candy.

Bath and Body Works was already cross-selling Tutti Dolci, an Italian brand (hit "flavors" include mango sorbet, sugar waffle, tiramisu and apple torte) when it acquired French brand, Jacqua, (this winter)  known for its innovative packaging and delicious-smelling beauty concoctions in flavors like Pink Buttercream and Peach parfait.

Jessica Simpson’s Dessert Beauty line features beauty products that smell of her favorite foods: strawberyy, vanilla caramel and milk chocolate. JLo’s new perfume smells of coconut and bananas. Body Shop has its own versions of Vanilla Spice and Candied Citrus. Missha offers Kiwi Mists and Melon Soaps. LUSH, also has some innovative products in butterball bath bombs and honey bee bath bombs. The list continues…
According to Alison Slate, VP of  Retail Marketing, Sephora,

"Food-inspired ingredients continue to be a
growing trend in beauty products. A large majority of brands at Sephora
feature products with fruit or food ingredients."

It is going to be one scary Christmas– with everyone smelling as though they’ve just stepped out of a dessert bar. heh

Thermal Bra- an addition to the holiday gift list?

November 14th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

At the noble risk of saving the world from global warming with an added bonus for women – this furry creation is supposedly slated to provide a chic solution for women to keep their bosoms warm. (!)

Triumph, a lingere company, released the bra on the urging of the Japanese government to conserve energy and reduce feul consumption.

This bra comes with "special pads filled with eco-friendly gel" that can be micro-waved or heated with a hot water bottle.

My hunch is, if this bra is a hit with the Shibuya girls, it will achieve the "chic, trendy-status" it aspires.

Did you know…

November 13th, 2005 • To be filed

…an Indian food-cart opposite 30th Street Station in Philadelphia has a vegetable sandwich on his menu called, "Amitabh Bacchan." It is his best-selling sandwich.

(For those unfamilar with the name- Mr. Bacchan is a legend in India, A revered and honored Bollywood star who has a shrine and a temple dedicated to him in India, also has his wax statue at Madame Tussad’s Wax Museum in London. Recently, he has been on a product-endorsement binge in India selling banks and colas ans everything in between.)

..Another smart-ass just cashed in on Amitabh’s name!

The ketchup in question

November 11th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

When it comes to Ketchup, America knows one kind- Heinz. Smaller and speciality food markets carry ketchups from several smaller known brands and farms but the collective consciousness of America knows only one tomato ketchup, Heinz. Currently, Heinz owns 62% of the ketchup market share in America.

A dollop of ketchup adds the "umami" to any snack. We use it on hot-dogs, hamburgers, with french fries! Some of us have even devised more unsual and creative uses of the ketchup.

Malcom Gladwell in the his September 2004 eassy, The Ketchup Conundrum," in the New Yorker spinned the story on Howard Moskowitz’s theory that every consumer has a different idea for the perfect ketchup. Indian marketers recognized this concept early on — In India, consumers don’t just have the option of buying tomato ketchup — they can choose if they want it garlicky, sweet and sour-ly, spicy, extra spicy, a little tangy with a dash of tamarind and the list goes on.

The ketchup market in India is estimated to be around Rs 180 crore, largely dominated by Nestle’s Maggi that owns 43% of the market and the Kisan that owns 29%. Globally, it’s only a blip- but India consumes about 13,000 tons of ketchup a year. In 2000, Heinz launched it’s brand of ketchup, slightly modifed to suit the Indian taste. However, it’s market share has only risen upto 6%. Why?

Is it because Indians are loyal to their brands? Is it the price?  Or is it because the other brands not only offer more options but have perfectly nailed the "every consumer has a different idea for the perfect ketchup" theory.

What astounds me is how could American companies or Heinz for example not have thought that Americans here might just enjoy a try more variety in their ketchup. About 13.5% of the American population are Hispanics– their projected growth by 2020 is 55.2 million. In 2002, their spending power was $580.5 billion!!

Although a large number of second generation Hispanics are adhering to American culinary tastes and are "Americanized," I’m confident a large percent still enjoys a bit of tang and spice.

In Canada, South Asians are the second-largest minority group with the Toronto market being worth $12.6 millionView this photo alone! In America, although there areonly 2.5 million South Asians (insignificant to the $38 million hispanics!) but an average Indian family’s median income is $60,000/yr– 50% higher than the national average. Needless to say– South Asians given the choice of having their ketchup with a little more spice is bound to be recieved well.

And the Asians in America, would they enjoy a wasabi-ish ketchup? or a sweeter version of the ketchup?

Forget the minorities,
even an average American is open to new tastes and more choices.

My question is, would it be a smart move for Heinz  to make more avatars of the plain, old-jane ketchup that we have been consuming without considering the possibility of having it spicier? or garlicky? or...mayonaisy? (Oh I know I’M NOT the only one who enjoys her fries with ketchup and mayonaise!)  or mustardy?  or more….

the possibilities and choices are endless! Heck, even the Italians have a 100 varities of olive oil, why should then we be satisfied with one variety of ketchup!

Shoe Laundry in Bombay

November 8th, 2005 • 35 comments To be filed

A friend of a friend has started a unique service in Bombay…

Sandeep Gajakas, 28 a fire-engineer by profession, started a shoe cleaning clinic late 2004 aptly called, The Shoe Laundry. For Rs 100, ($2!) Sandeep cleans your sneakers/trainers, makes minor repairs (replacing shoe-laces, etc) and has them shiny and new, just like they were when you bought them!  The fee also includes pick ups and door-to-door deliveries!

In less than a year, The Shoe Laundry has picked up incredibly well- all via word-of-mouth. His clients include Bollywood stars and major film directors (why should this matter?! I guess it builds cred, right?) The Shoe Laundry has supposedly signed up deals with a few five-star hotels and two hospitals in Bombay.

He is in the process of setting up his website.

Related Articles:
Rediff.com
Entrance to a Shrine Blog

Why has Sandeep’s service clicked so well in a city that’s known to eat up businesses? For two reasons,

1) It includes pick-up and deliveries. – I think Bombayites who can afford to pay Rs. 100 to clean one pair of shoes, are not flocking to the Shoe Laundry for its low prices. Sandeep has targetted a certain class of consumers who are probably time-constrained or plain, cannot be bothered to drop off and pick up shoes that need cleaning. Besides, it adds that extra special personalized touch!

2) It’s a much needed service in Bombay! – For the 18 years that I lived in Bombay, everytime I got my Nikes or Reebok’s mud-dirty, our washer-woman scrubbed the shoes so hard with coarse detergent that when they finally were dry and ready for use, they looked a year older! They shoe-laces frayed and the sole’s lost their grip. Besides, even if local laundromats DID offer shoe-laundry services, they were fools to not advertise it or stress on it.

You don’t need to have an MBA degree or an above-average intelligence to come up with such a brilliant business-idea– all you need is the ability to rrecognize and understand the obvious. And that comes only with great observation skills and sometimes, the ability to just listen. I bet that’s what Sandeep did, unless ofcourse he has held a passion for cleaning shoes since he was a child. (possible??)

Intrestingly, Sandeep’s business model and rising success has become a case-study for MBA students in Bombay. I’m gonna try to hook up StyleStation with an interview with Sandeep.

More on customized credit cards

November 7th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

Ozgur Alaz of Marketlallica sent me this link to the Dutch Bank, PostBank that offers customized credit cards which I talked about a few posts back.

I don’t understand Dutch but incidentally CoolHunting posted about Postbank as well and here’s what I gleaned from their post.

Called, "de paskamer," customers only have to upload a photo via the de paskamer site to create their own credit card backgrounds. They will recieve the card within a week or so.

And here’s the Capital One Card Picture I promised,

Like Post Bank, Capital One enables it’s users to upload a picture of their choice, enter the credit card number and viola! recieve their own unique card in mail..! Currently, this service is offered only via mail (I think)

Check out the official site for Capital One Image Card.

What American teens want

November 4th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

A lot of bloggers covered the What Teens Want conference. Here are some interesting vignettes,

- Cingular has found a new way to market to the teens: via video games. In Need for Speed Underground, Cingular billboards and stores are in-set along the game and the players also recieve Cingular text messages. This marketing method was even appreciated by the teens and "added to their enjoyment."

(Reminds me of the aquarian parodies of brand names in Shark Tale: GUP, Coral Cola, Kelpy Kreme, and Old Wawy. I thought it was very creative and actually enjoyed it, even the references to pop culture)

- Video-gaming industry works largely on word-of-mouth and campaigns that create buzz. (Don’t most industries work on creating buzz?)

- Rise of social-networking among the teens, especially MySpace, which is releasing its own music label soon. Corporations are also creating and using MySpace profiles for their brands.

- Teens won’t pay for music downloads but they will pay to download phone ring-tones!

- Paris Hilton is a hit among the teens.

More coverage here : Ypulse , Jeffrey McManus, and WOW report

My photograph on my credit card!

November 3rd, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

Although I can’t find this information online, Capital One Bank just sent me a mailer telling me how I can have MY OWN PICTURE OR ANY PICTURE I WANT, on my card!! Did I mention it’s for free?

Finally a chance to stamp my own identity on my credit card. No, it doesn’t make a difference to my finances, but it just makes buying with my card and looking at my card and carrying my card around much much better

I will soon post a copy of the flyer here. Other credit card companies should do this too. An excellent holiday incentive to keep your existing customers and bring in more!

How to lure a teenage boy

November 1st, 2005 • To be filed

Yes. It is a universal truth about a teenage boy. He cares about how to get the girl. Just as the girl cares about impressing a guy.
So it wasn’t a surprise when finally the American advertising agencies dawned upon this insight.
According to this NYT article, advertisers have now position men’s deodrants and body sprays as along the lines of, "buy me and women will pursue you."
Tag Bodyspray fragrances even have suggestive names like Lucky Day, First Move, After Hours and Midnight. and aren’t we all familar with the Axe effect!

In retrospect, I have been a HUGE fan of the Indian advertising industry.
I don’t know what it is about the Indian advertisements that is so powerful and connects so beautifully with the consumers. This time when I was in India, I literally relished watching advertisements on TV.
I also remember how the tone of Indian ads has changed from "use this and get the guy" to "use this and get the job"

So if your brand targets teenage boys, remind them that they will get the girl they like if they use your product. If it’s worked in other countries, it’s sure to work everywhere. It’s universal, after all

A store designed like a railway station

October 27th, 2005 • 4 comments To be filed

Pantaloon Retail India Limited, a significantly young and very successful Indian retailer has recently launched another retail chain to its portfolio. The new retial chain, called Fashion Station, presents a unique viewpoint that I had yet to witness.

It’s USP is, "Fashion that fits your budget." Although Indian consumers are becoming more brand conscious, the KSA Indian Consumer and Retail Outlook study found that 58% of apparel for young women and 42% of apparel for young men are unbranded. This is primarily because in addition to having the trendiest, hippest clothes, it is very important for the Indian youth to be able to afford them. A majority of the youth depend on their parents for financial support until they (typically have a master’s degree or join the family business) can support themselves.

When I went back to India after graduating, I had a $1000 saved solely for the purpose of shopping in Bombay. I was psyched with the idea of returning with brimming suitcases for that much money. Only– it is an urban myth if you are like me who believed that "things" are cheaper in India. THAT is just not the case. While I cringed at paying Rs 60 for a cup of coffee, I almost couldn’t bring myself to buy clothes that were priced beyond Rs 800 (that’s like $16)
Ofcourse, it is all contingent on the places you shop at. Even then, I simply failed to find a store that had clothes priced within my budget and that fit me!
(With all these Asian imports, it is next to impossible for me to find a decent fit. The independent boutiques have too tiny fits)

So Pantaloon’s Fashion Station wins on two accounts. Affordability and Trendy (hopefully they offer regular sizes as well!)

Thirdly, it has gone one step ahead and taken creative license over the design and layout of the store. The entire store is formatted like a modern railway station!  Sections have fun, quirky names such as Style Platform, Baby Wagon, Time Travel, Accessory Junction, Sports Terminal, First Class Casuals and Evening XPress.

The Station has youthful, trendy music (popular bollywood songs and top MTV hits!) playing with a journey-related jingle every few songs to elicit the feel of a train journey! Additionally, there are blinkers fitted throughout the store that blink periodically to indicate great bargains and offers.

So in addition to offering great prices, the store has also nailed in on offering a unique experience to its consumers. I can’t wait to visit it on my next trip to India.
 
 

Bath and Body Works joins the bandwagon

October 25th, 2005 • To be filed

Harry Slatkin Designs for Bath and Body Works

Bath and Body Works, the Limited Brands company, has set its eye on becoming the next Sephora. A more detailed report on that , later.

For now, BBW is following the Target model and inviting luxury designers to join its entourage.

Fragrance Designer, Harry Slatkin’s has designed the Holiday Home Fragrance collection for Bath and Body Works this season. The pieces are beautifully designed and come in three fragrances, tree, spice and frosted cranberry. A major shift from BBW’s usual. The Slatkin product line has packed the oomph factor– and looks very very classy.

Bath and Body Works is in the midst of energizing its brand by adding other high-profile brands to its portfolio. From accquring Henri Bendel candles to signing on Patricia Wexler (the make-up maker for celebrities) to make lip plumpers –BBW has successfully managed to increase its profits and also bring in consumers from other demographics.

Straight Questions: Pink is the New Blog

October 25th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

Of course you’ve heard of pink is the new blog- you most certainly have! Most celebrities (and celebrity pairs, girl-friends… the works!) have been re-christened by Trent with wittier, funnier names (Spederline, for Britney and Kevin) and the gossip-mongers amongst us are addicted to Trent’s pink-liners that make the paparazzi pictures even more interesting.

What interested me the most about Trent and his blog was the fierce, individual voice that stands out amidst the gossip and the good-natured banter. His little captions and inserts on the photographs is perhaps one of the most popular reasons why 90,000 visitors flock to his site daily.

Today Pink probably holds more authority and packs more entertainment than other tabloids. The phenomena of when a blogger crosses the threshold of simply being a blogger to becoming a celebrity fascinates me, which is why I was interested in talking to Trent Venagas. This former school-teache has single-handedly (rather a post a day!) revolutionized the color pink and the idea of tabloid news.

Style Station: Why do you think celebrities make so much news?
Trent: We live in an age where people have the ability to get information as soon as anything occurs.  The Internet has really changed the way that gossip is consumed by the people.  It creates a seemingly insatiable need to know everything … right down to the mundane.

StyleStation: Would you call yourself a celebrity-junkie?
Trent: Not a junkie … I am an avid fan of celebritydom but not to the point of addiction.

StyleStation: Pick one. Brittney vs. Paris
Trent: Britney.  She has really accomplished so much in her life
as a celebrity … Paris is fun and I love her too but if I have to
choose between the 2 I’m going with Britney.

StyleStation: Among the celebrities, who do you think is the classiest?
Trent: When I think classy I’m thinking people like Nicole
Kidman.  She’s an amazing actress and seems like a nice person.  If I’m
thinking trashy I’m thinking someone like Tara Reid.  But that is only
because of all the partying … any celebrity, or regular person for
that matter, who goes overboard with the partying will come off as
trashy.  The fact that Tara also unknowlingly let her boob hang out in
front of the paparazzi is also another indicator of trashiness.

StyleStation: You taught US Government. It’s such a contrast when I think of you in terms of pinkisthenewblog. Do your students read your blog?
Trent: When I taught none of them knew of the blog’s existance.  Since leaving the school I’ve heard from many of them and yes they do read the blog.

StyleStation: Your fashion acumen is right on target. I’m sure you get invited to concerts and movie screenings. Where else has your advice been seeked  and has your blog led to any cool projects? I know I’d dig it if you were to write a column in People magazine or Blender for that matter!
Trent: I’ve been asked to provide commentary on a few different TV shows.  I would love to contribute to a magazine if asked. I am started to become more comfortable with the notion that my perspectives are being sought out.  It’s a strange thing to get used to … I’m just a dude from Detroit.

StyleStation: How has your blog changed your lifestyle? Do youconstantly keep your eyes and ears open for celebrity news? What are your other interests– and do you get to indulge them? Has pink, glamorized your life? How?
Trent: I’ve been doing my blog for so long now (3 years) that it has become a part of my lifestyle.  I do constantly keep my eyes and ears open for new information … but not because I feel I have to but because I enjoy the gossip myself.  I enjoy concerts, movies, hanging out with my friends … and I do indulge my other interests because my life cannot be just about one thing.  Pink has glamorized my life in that I am now being sought out to give my perspective on things. Because I show up on TV people think I’m "famous" and I contend that I am not.

StyleStation: What’s coming-up for Pink now? A print mag? A radio show? A TV show?
Trent: Well … I’m not sure what the next thing will be.  I’m trying to weigh my options because if I decide to move forward with a new endeavor I want it to be fun.  I am just floored by the possibility that a blog that I love to do might turn into a job that I will love to do as well.

…..thats what most bloggers hope for and yes, you saw right. That is Trent with Madonna.

Youth Report

October 25th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

The Phatgnat Youth Survey has already been downloaded over 500 times– and it is still free!
Download your crisp 20 page copy here and spread the word.

Phatgnat’s report offers incredible insights into the workings of the youths minds– factors that influence their purchasing decisions.. and what the youth really care about.
Some surprising stats from the survey:

Only 5.1% of the youth really care about celebrity endorsements
and 44.3% of the youth couldn’t care less about advertisements!!

Really, just download the report.

DIY Scarf-Sherbet To go

October 25th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

I got my camera in mail today! yippie.. it’s a beautiful, Canon SD300, so sleek, so tiny that I couldn’t resist showing it off to my friends! I set out to photograph the city and the cool stores I had in mind. Ofcourse I would ask permission in the stores to click pictures and ofcourse very few of them actually give permission.

But this product caught my eye. It’s called Cup Of Yarn. (Please click on the image for a larger picture) It includes a DIY instruction booklet of how to knit a full-length scarf..and comes wonderfully packed in cute smoothie-like glasses, with a pair of bamboo knitting needles!

It looks delectable! And has delicious flavors (if you will!) like rainbow sherbet, cool mint, passion fruit and very berry.

The credit for this wonderful, colorful idea goes to Tigo Enterprises (that according to Creative Leisure News, already has a line of suede products including a pencil set is one of Oprah’s favorite products)

I found these cups at a local papiere in central philly. (tell me if you want the address)
but you can buy them online here.

If I had more money, this would definitely be on my Christmas list of Gifts to give.

In someone else’s bubble…

October 19th, 2005 • To be filed

Ever wondered what it would be like to step into another person’s private atmosphere to see, feel, think, imagine and smell his/her memories, joys, hurts and moments of grace?

Finnish Artist, Hilda Kozari, has created an Olfactory installation for the SAUMA Design Exhibition. Kozari has created three massive bubbles that immerse an outsider in her worlds. The three bubbles represnt her personal memories and experiences of the three cities that are special to her: Helinski, Budapest and Paris. Once you enter her bubble, you watch random images, vidoes, photographs and past remnants that inspire the idea of her memories and present Kozari’s nostalgia in a visual and olfactory format. Yes, olfactory. The bublle emnates with scents of the city it represents.

The odor of a city is not just about the sea, wind, parks, buildings and garbage, but also about people, the living environment, and its emotional, cultural and industrial life connected to memory. As in a personal perfume, the smell of the city depends strongly on the balance of odors. …

The impression of thyme has easily been produced with the odor of thyme oil. It has been necessary to use several effects in creating the impression of pollution: juniper tar oil for a smoky impression, nutmeg and synthetic compounds to represent the gasoline and the oily, greasy effect of a garage smell.

I don’t know enough about art or design to appreciate installations. But Kozari’s piece struck a chord within me. I am just so touched knowing that I can actually witness someone else’s worlds .. just by immersing myself in them.

If I had to make three bubbles to allow you into my world, I’d choose Bombay, Rome and Philadelphia. Three cities that mean much to me.

What about you?
(Link Via NowSmellThis)

I am going to invite Hilda for Straight Questions. I haven’t forgotten about the feature
Coming soon..
pink is the new blog on Straight Questions
Anina,
Moorish Girl..

Finding xmas

October 19th, 2005 • To be filed

Yep. That was my agenda this evening when I rounded up the near-by stores to check how they are gearing up for Christmas and the holidays.

Body Shop: no loud decorations, no loud christmas music yet- but guess what? looks like all the top executives of beauty stores collectively decided to have America smelling like apples, cranberries, pumpkins and vanilla. Body Shop, in slight variations and combinations has the same fragrances like Bath and Body Works. Only they are a lot more expensive. Body Shop seriously needs to re-energize itself, its products and just it’s look.

H&M: there are still no signs of christmas having struck this store yet but the recent fashion week in Paris sure did! maybe its because I am still a broke graduate hunting for her first job- or because H&M is really value for money, but they have some really cool knock-offs of runway fashion only more adaptable and affordable. Sometimes when I window-shop at H&M, its almost as though I’m shopping right off the pages of Lucky magazine!

Barnes and Noble: this darling of a store, my most favorite hang-out spot in the city, is still blissfully in its halloween stages! well, they do have a table stacked with holiday greeting card packs, but that was just about it!

I’ve spotted some new stores in strange nooks and corners of downtown philly that look promising and different. And I have successfully managed to buy a digital camera too! A good one at that. So excited! Now I can actually take my own pictures instead of relying on google.
I will be covering the changing landscape of the city stores as the holiday season approaches so keep returning. Until then, happy finding xmas in your own down-towns!

Football in a urinal

October 18th, 2005 • To be filed

Fun for men: didn’t know germans have the option of even enjoying their peeing-time. Time for some shoot-and-flush?
(Via Gaurav Sabnis)

Christmas is… a couple blocks away.

October 18th, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

Indeed. I visited the 16th and Walnut, Bath and Body Works, (one of my all time favorite stores) and it already had its Christmas tree’s set up: with the candles, the shiny ornaments and the red/green combinations!

I browsed the store…my feet tapping to Whams, "Last Christmas…" Every winter, Bath and Body works, without fail, whips out Cranberry, Apple and Vanilla fragrances. Just last week, they still had their Brown Sugar and Fig and Pumpkin– which were, apparently their fall fragrances.
What I don’t…understand is how un-cool will it be to have all of America smelling like BBW’s cranberry, vanilla or apple?! Ok, I exaggerated a little, but a considerably large number of Americans are BBW patrons.

So back to my confusion: Winters depress me. I need fun, sweet, uplifting scents to lift my spirits and the warmy vanillas or cranberrys just won’t do it. I actually enjoy the light, frothy limey scents more. even in summer. I am positive that most of America perfers the warm scents, but still! How can winter whittle down to just three scents in this  country?

Food, er, scent for thought, huh?

But getting back to my orginal observation: yeah, christmas is already here. BBW is among the first’s to shine itself up, but others will soon join the league. The Philly weather is still pleasantly cool– but these stores are a great reminder of the cheery holiday season, just around the corner..uh.. block.

Some really smart women…

October 18th, 2005 • To be filed

were very angry and upset when they thought of this!

I had to laugh when I found this site. Dont Date Him Girl, is a compedium of –hold your breath– cheaters! This site allows women to quickly check to see if the current man she’s dating has been labelled a cheater– or has cheated on anyone in the past.
That’s such a wacky idea. hahaha
It’s worth a check, just for a good laugh, if not to learn more about your boyfriends. hahah

More on open-source

October 17th, 2005 • To be filed

Has a short article about cool-hunting and its future. Instead of Dee-Dee Gordon, Jane Buckingham and the usual- this time its josh spear, reiner evers and the ubercool blogs/sites that send daily dispatches of cool.
PSFK, predicted last year that the year 2005 will see the end of trend-forecasting as a paid service. I couldn’t agree more. With all the information freely avaiable on the net- and only six degrees of separation connecting the whole world, why would anyone pay to recieve information?

But then again: there would be too many places to look at, too much to remember, too much time will be consumed.

Thinking off the top of my head: I recieve 20-30 email newsletters everyday that I take time to read. In some of them, like the dialycandy.com newsletter or the Trendcentral newsletter or even the coolhunting newsletter– I just want them to cut out the crap, the sweet/sassy words and just provide me the actual information in bullet points. Like, where is this place, what is this place, why is this place cool or what about it is cool.
Thats it.

I am by no means a busy person. Busy would be an actual marketer or an analyst or just someone with a job that takes up 10-12 hours of his/her day. With my part-time jobs and job-hunting, if I find it cumbersome AND time-consuming to sift through all this information, you can only imagine the plight of these actually busy people!
There’s just too much information out there– available via too many sources. There should be and there will be one (very soon) blog that will round up all the cool vignettes from these sites in a no-nonsense format.

That’s just my two cents…

Conundrum Cameras

October 17th, 2005 • To be filed

I’ve been on a roll. Literally.
I’ve been of the opinion that Canon or Nikon are the two of the trusted companies when it comes to cameras. I’ve been consulting friends, websites and review sites for great deals and options on digital cameras.
My philisophy is simple: if I’m spending $300, I better get a good deal, a good value and ofcourse, no second doubts.
But after a while: all those reviews, the ratings, the opinions just zoom in and out in a cacaphony of noise thats just inside my head!

I wish there was a service: that simply stated the best deals, the best options and made life ten thousand times simpler for me.
Oh and it would help if camera companies found a better nomenclature instead of random alphabets and numbers!

For foodies..

October 14th, 2005 • To be filed

You know what I love about blogs? the fact that they (SOME OF THEM!) are honest and do not try to please anyone. Which is why they and how they retain their credibility and legibility.

I’ve browsed through her site often, only glancing and enjoying the pretty pictures and vignettes about eating and food. And because I like her so much- (AND SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE DO!) its high time I share her with my readers.
Meet Chezpim, 30-something foodie, orginally from the West Coast but travels all over the world to try new restuarants and share it with her readers on her blog.
She has a following. and it is evident why, her honest, perky voice is a fresh change from the boring, old, rusted voices of food critics in big newspapers. Actually, that’s the best thing about her site- she isn’t a food critic! She writes what she enjoys and if she doesn’t enjoy something too much, she says it, but doesn’t go the lenght and breadth to rip anything apart.

I enjoy reading her blog, I thought you would do…

Trend-spotting, a fading trend

October 13th, 2005 • To be filed

Found THIS article while browsing through the net…
I find it very surprising that every article I’ve read on coolhunting/trend spotting talks about the same people, Dee Dee Gordon, Sharon Lee, Jane Buckingham and Irma Zandl..oh and Faith Popcorn.
I’m sure they are good at what they do- but its high time reporters and journalists make a little extra effort and discover other trend-spotters.
At least, thats my opinion..

Master Brands: Vogue in all her glory

October 12th, 2005 • To be filed

Steering your brand the Vogue way

Those who are familair with the history of magazines are probably aware that Vogue reached its current pedastal after the Brit-born Anna WIntour took over the reins of the fledging magazine way back in 1988.
Wintour faces severe mud-slinging, is known to be the scariest woman on earth and creame pies are thrown regularly on her. Heck– she’s even been awarded the epithet of a Prada sporting Devil. And still, it surprised me that her name hasn’t been included among those of major brand-makers, marketers and brand managers. She is, after all, an editor. Probably one of the most powerful editors at that.So what does she have to offer about managing brands and the brand image?

Walter Landor, the brialliant package designer believed that "everything you project into the world, goes toward creating your brand. Each little piece is of equal importance, equal weight, and has to be approporate to the audience it is reaching or the message is trying to promote." Wintour has perfectly  interpreted this lesson under her editing of Vogue, molding it to the fashion-icon status it enjoys today.  
Vogue is notoriously famous for its stick-think editors who are always primed and dressed perfectly. Anna Wintour has made it clear, to her staff and to any aspiring Vogue editor, that she prefers thin women. Why? To maintain the awe and power that is Vogue.
When she was newly hired in 1988, she signed on contracts with A class photographhers like Steven Meisel and Mario Testino. She established contacts with designers and "insisted on exclusives". She even hatched a new breed of editors: fresh, young rich and connected socialites. Wintour dramatically changed the layout, added more features and made it very fashion-savvy. Vogue, and its rarified atmosphere — is known to induce fear and is also known to be worshipped.  Ofcourse, it was not just Wintour’s brand-steering capacities that bought the change. She has a natural flair and talent for fashion and predicating it. Wintour introduced the CDFA awards to encourage new designers. Rumor has it that one mention in Vogue has been known to upp, reeally upp a designer’s sale! Why wouldn’t it?!
in recent news it was noted that Harrod’s owner, Mohamed Al Fayed’s daughter, Camilla Al Fayed, is the recent joinee at Vogue, as an intern currently. But it is not at all surprising, nor should be. Vera Wang served at Vogue too. As did, Plum Skyes and a fictional Carrie Bradshaw. That, is the true essence of Vogue. Something a normal woman like me, like you.. cannot aspire to be. We can only admire it from a distance, admire the glossy sociliates, the rich mavens and their glittering lives. With lust, with envy, with longing.
And it takes one woman, to evict all these feelings in me.
Additionally, Wintour has played a major part in bringing Vogue for Men. Really, Anna Wintour should be the one writing a book about making brands.

Esprit online: shopping experience

October 11th, 2005 • To be filed

Those of you who read my blog know what a sucker I am when it comes to consumer experiences! Finally, so that I may indulge in more investigative, in-depth and detailed reports about customer experiences, I am buying a digital camera- because sometimes, a picture is just worth more than words. and admit it– we are all suckers for great pictures!
And while I am talking about consumer experience,  I’ve had a really good experience shopping online on esprit.com.  Esprit, a great but relatively not very well known company in USA, knows exactly what to do to keep their online shoppers happy.
1)  It’s free shipping for $30 and more. Earlier, it used to be free shipping regardless of how much you buy. But the $30 limit is still better compared to the ridiculous amounts other’s have!
2) It has these cute buttons,

that notify you immediately whether the desired product is available in that size. Now, a lot of sites have this feature, but I like Esprit.com’s the best. It’s bold, colorful and right there in your face!
3) In addition to offering the front look and the back look of a product, the site also offers a detailed look so that the consumers can get a better feel of the texture and the material of the clothing. I just love that about thsi site!!  AND– it offers pictures of every color of a single product ON a model. Unlike other sites that post a shirt in red on a model and then show you only the picture of the shirt in the other available colors.
4) And the cream of all– it has Free Returns. Now I know that there are a few other sites that offer free returns, but beware, there’s always a catch. I had to return a pair od Diesel jeans I bought on Bluefly.com for $56 with free shipping. I returned coz the size didn’t fit me right. After a couple of weeks, I noticed that Bluefly.com had credited me with only $48. Apparently, they claimed that since I didn’t keep the product they had to charge me for shipping: BOTH WAYS!
What a bummer. Needless to say, I haven’t shopped from there again. atleast not yet.

But yes, esprit.com has rarely given me any troubles. the shipping is quick and easy. and the products are great!

The power of the Blogosphere

October 10th, 2005 • 3 comments To be filed

Rashmi Bansal, editor of JAMmag- a college publication  based in India had published a brilliant piece  investigating tall claims made by IIPM, an educational institute run by Arindam Chaudary.  Apparently, IIPM has major moolah to buy full page advertisements and exhalt it’s capacities and abilities to lure students.
Gaurav Sabnis, another popular Indian blogger had linked to the article and added his own views on the matter– as a hundred other bloggers probably did.
However, last week, Sabnis was issued a legal notice from IIPM which is posted on his blog. IIPM threatened him to remove the posts and apologize. When Sabnis declined to remove the posts IIPM called up IBM (Sabnis’s employer) and complained about the matter. When IBM responded that it was Sabnis’s personal blog and IBM could not be held responsible, IIPM threatened to march infront of the IBM offices in Delhi and burn the IBM ThinkPad laptops (IIPM happens to be IBM’s client–like  most other universities and corporatations) given to the students.

To save IBM from being unneccessarily involved in any controversy, Sabnis offered his resignation.

Meanwhile, on Bansal’s blog IIPM students, PR people and management people are posting vile comments, resorting to crude language and issuing threats to Bansal and her magazine JAMmag. Bansal has not deleted a single comment.
I do not know about IIPM but I do have implicit trust in Rashmi, her credibility as a journalist and in her magazine.  IIPM makes dubious claims about its placement, its amenities and even about its professors. Infact- Arindam Chowdri, the 33 year-old IIPM Dean, has still not verified or made available the informaiton about his own education. There is no clear information available about the universities he attended and the year he graduated. How can such important data about the Dean be missing? Infact, he has been honored with degrees from IIPM itself! 
There is no doubt that, Bansal, has uncovered a major fraud.  IIPM can offer no justification about threatening IBM and JAMmag in the manner it adopted. The entire blogosphere has issued an outcry against this defamation and injustice against free speech. 
I had to write about it because even though it is now happening in India– tomorrow, it could be anywhere. Blogs have given everyone who hopes for- the power of free speech.  Big corporations, with their vile tactics and expensive lawyers will try everything to shun the flow of truth- but as bloggers, it is our responsibility to stand up for what we believe in and to extend our suppor to one another.

Please spread the word and extend your support.

Brand Name survey reveals surprising details!

October 7th, 2005 • To be filed

Tipping Sprung, a branding agency based in New York, conducted a brand names survey among some 6000 branding and marketing professionals in July. The results are out and kinda.. startling and surprising..
Out of 300 something people who responded to these questions:

• Best switch to a friendlier corporate name.
  Harmony
  Foods (formerly Golden Stream Quality Foods) was the clear favorite,
  with almost 49% of the votes. Sweetbay Supermarket was first runner-up
  with 29.3%.
• Most energetic performance-beverage name
  was won by High Voltage with 31.8% of the vote, followed by Krank’d and Wired.
  
• Most consumer-friendly pharmaceutical name
  was won handily by Lunesta (38.4%), followed by Inspra (20.9%). Abilify garnered a mere 3.8%.
• Best celebrity fragrance name: 
  Glow from J.Lo was the stand-out favorite with 46.3%, followed by Britney Spears’ Curious (15.8%)
• Least appealing food name:
  Cajun
  Stuff-It Capsules was the overwhelming favorite (41%), followed by
  Lamb’s Supreme AltraMashed (20.1%) and by ImiTaters (17.8%).
• Most evocative name for a flat panel TV
  was won by PureVision from Pioneer with 32.8%, followed by Aquos from Sharp at 28%.

The survey outlined emerging trends in naming brands as well:

• Authenticity and simplicity rule.
  The survey shows that companies are gravitating towards real-word names
  like Cornerstone and Harmony rather than coined or made-up names. This
  is partly due to the ongoing backlash against the dot-com naming era,
  when coined names proliferated. But it also reflects the broader trend
  in the market – consumers’ desire to connect with brands that
  communicate authenticity and simplicity.

• Marketers are stuck in the middle between consumers and lawyers. Consumers generally dislike coined
  names and gravitate toward familiar, real-word names such as Harmony
  and Cornerstone. Savvy marketers are trying to satisfy the needs of
  both audiences by developing coined names that have instantly
  recognizable roots and meaning. One approach is to “embed” a real word
  prominently in the new name, as in the examples of Achieva, Genworth,
  and Scenium. Another approach is to bring two words together to create
  a new name, as in the case of PureVision, SoundDock, or CallVantage.

• As companies get more complicated, so do the names.
  In the past, companies could choose a name such as International
  Business Machines that neatly described what the company did. But this
  is far more difficult with today’s complex corporations and
  technologies. With a resurgence in corporate merger and acquisition
  activity, TippingSprung believes that consumers should brace themselves
  for a new onslaught of coined names.

• Pharmaceutical naming has its own set of rules. Our survey results show that it is possible to create
  consumer-friendly coined names like Lunesta and Aldaran in the
  pharmaceutical category. But as new guidelines for direct-to-consumer
  advertising come into effect, we may see a return to names that
  communicate strength and efficacy and are targeted more to physicians.
   

I thought this was very interesting. First I thought that instead of surveying within the industry, the company should have sent out these survey’s to normal, consumers. But I’m not sure how big a difference it would have made, considering even the professionals inthe industry are consumers!

Check out the entire release here. I think you can request for the entire survey on the website.

Honda makes special accomodation for pets

October 5th, 2005 • To be filed

Today’s WSJ has an article discussing how Honda motors have conceptualized a new car designed especially for the needs of dog owners in Japan.

"The glove compartment converts into a carriage for a dog the size of a dachshund. For bigger pooches, the second three seat row changes into a holding pen. Floors are paneled instead of carpeted."

Apparently, Honda also plans to introduce car accessories for pet dogs that include pet carriers and pet cargo covers.  Not so suprising that Honda is competing against a bunch of other businesses– all trying to tap into the $9 billion market for pets in Japan.

Speaking for myself- I don’t own a car yet but I have grand plans for when I finally buy one. I intend to have little hide-way places under the seats where I can stash extra clothes, shoes, some books, music and maybe sweaters (for cold weather)  It helps to have a book  handy when stuck in traffic that moves an inch in an hour. Any car companies concentrating on these needS?

IdeaGeneration Spaces

October 3rd, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed

An article in the August issue of Inc. magazine caught my eye.
Stark old office spaces and strict conference rooms have given way to bright, big airy rooms splashes in color and fun kinder-gardeny things like Hula-hoops, wigs and Play-doh. And if your office doesn’t have the resources to invest in such a space, fear not as there are independant spaces that operatte solely for the purpose of assisting groups in generating ideas by providing them a fun, creative and relaxed atmosphere.
These spaces rent between $850 to $1800 for a day.
Courtesy of Inc. magazine, here is a list of these Idea-generating atmospheres
Catalyst Ranch, Chicago
Creative Change Center, Richmond, Va
Thinkubator, Chicago and Ann Arbor
WorkShop, Louisville
Inspiration Point, Pittsburgh
Sparkspace, Columbus, Ohio

Dress as I-Pod for Halloween

October 3rd, 2005 • To be filed

I-Pod culture immersion in conteporary culture at its peak.

Straight Questions

September 30th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed

Justine Kenzer, defining contemporary psychics with talent, style and biz sense

Justine Kenzer, popularly known as, “Psychic Girl,” is someone I’d heard about often—in bits and pieces. A blurb in InStyle, a mention at Pinkisthenewblog….and a psychic game in Seventeen magazine where Justine is invited to spot the real boyfriend of a nineteen something out of three boys. She lives in Hollywood and it’s whispered that she is consulted by several red-carpet glitterati. Her readings start at $100, and are done via (hold your breath) instant messenger or phone! Of Course, if you are in the area you could personally go visit her. There was no question about her authenticity; I mean if she’s the talk of the town, she can’t possibly me a fraud. But I was curious. So when I asked her (a little hesitatingly) if she would like to be the first guest for Straight Questions, she very simply said, “I’d love to.”

Style Station: Justine, how long have you been doing readings?
Psychic Girl: I think it’s 16 years now
Style Station: Wow…so how does this work? Over instant messenger?
Psychic Girl: It’s all about energy. Type your full name for me here and I will tell you what I see. Then you can ask me your questions.

I did as told and asked her a few questions. Just the usual, career, money and past lives. My perception of psychic readers, from the gypsies I’d been to on the boardwalk of Atlantic City and the random tarot readers I’d consulted, had led me to expect very standard answers. Talking to Justine, was very different. Different because she didn’t tell me the usual, “you will be very successful, I can see it…you will have lots of money.” Instead, she said what I’d always known but never quite acknowledged. Yet, after each question, she repeated and reiterated that I make my own destiny, that nothing can happen if I don’t want it and that, she is only helping me see what I can’t see but it is my decision and my life in the end.

Style Station: Why do you keep saying that? Keep reminding me that it is my life and my decision.
Psychic Girl: As a psychic, people so hang on to every word I say. I have to be very careful of what I say to others
Style Station: So do you hold back things? How do you decide what your client can handle and what will disturb him/her? Does being a psychic inflict any moral responsibilities on you?
Psychic Girl: I don’t hold anything back because I’m not shown things that put you in fear. Your guides don’t and will not scare you want. It doesn’t work that way. Awareness is the key to me if it comes up. If I am shown something in the reading then I do my best to interpret what I see to you. So yes, I have a huge moral responsibility.
Style Station: I’ve been to a few psychics before and the kind of reading I got from there, made me believe that my destiny is already decided. Like, they say all these things..
Psychic Girl: No way. And where does their information come from? Who knows who these psychics are, most out there are not involved in the spiritual aspect, they don’t have a clue what they are doing.
Style Station: So how do you know who’s fake and who’s good?
Psychic Girl: You have to be skeptical. Search for proof and evidence. Don’t just let anyone in your energy.
Style Station: Psychics are so wrongly perceived by most of us.
Psychic Girl: Yes, I agree with that. You make your own destiny. Psychics only help you see things you cannot see.
Style Station: Hmm. So how would you define being a psychic?
Psychic Girl: All psychic communication is communicating with spirit and spirits are those that have passed to the other side and just because someone is dead, does not mean they can see all or know all.  It’s a lot like when they were living, they can be stuck. So just as you wouldn’t go up to some stranger in the street and take their advice… you wouldn’t just go to any psychic because you don’t know which spirit they are receiving their communication from. You want to be damn sure you know who you are going to.
Style Station: Spirits help you see things that we don’t see?
Psychic Girl: Yes, they can see things that you can’t, or I can. I can’t make a claim for anyone else. I tap into your highest and best and get what is needed for you. Your guides and teachers, we all have them.
Style Station: True…I think I quite experienced that myself from your reading.
Psychic Girl: Your reading is up to you, not me. You are creating your answers.
Style Station: Does your profession affect you in any way? Emotionally or physically? Does it disturb you to be in contact with spirits?
Psychic Girl: No. I am not affected in the way you would think. I’m neutral.
Style Station: Did you have to work towards achieving that balance?
Psychic Girl: Yes, It has come through spiritual work and study, but I’m sure I’m affected more than I think. I run around pretending to be normal and I’m not.
Style Station: How do your friends, family and boyfriends deal with this? I read an article you wrote for Flaunt magazine where you said most guys are scared when they find out what you do?
Psychic Girl: Times have changed. Now, actually more guys dig it. I’m finding men that know they are a little psychic. And my family, there’s no issue. My dad’s pretty psychic himself but not professional. I’m very lucky like that.
Style Station: Has any book greatly influenced you or that you simply admire?
Psychic Girl: Hmm..well, as far as psychic books, not really. Well, The life and teachings of the Masters of the Far East, is a good read. There’s another book called, “Guided by Vision” about a couple that lived in Laurel Canyon in L.A and used their powers together way before Hollywood was Hollywood
Style Station:  Interesting. What about your clothes? Are you into fashion at all? Most psychics I’ve met wear these long robes and have tons of rings and long necklaces. Hehe.
Psychic Girl: I love clothes! But if I’m not going out, I’m pretty low key. I don’t follow trends, I make my own.
Style Station: Example please! I just went to this TV Guide Emmy party and I had 2 dresses to pick from. Instead, I ended up pulling together this outfit that I love. It was very Sharon Stone. I wore this long black ruffly skirt and my bathing suit top.
Style Station: Bathing suit top? Now that’s really interesting! 
Psychic Girl: and I ripped a men’s white wife-beater down the center and wore this white collared and cuffed shirt on it. With an amazing pair of vintage earrings. People were stopping me left and right!
Style Station: WOW. So you are a psychic with a style!! What a relief.
Psychic Girl: Aww. Thanks.
Style Station: How would you define style?
Psychic Girl: You are what you wear. It’s your energy.
Style Station: OK.. Now tell us about these possession protectors? they look pretty stylish!
Psychic Girl: They came from my client asking how to connect more with their spirit guides. I went with iconic pictures that I loved and that I felt people would like.
Style Station: so through these protectors, is it possible to connect to our guides?
Psychic Girl: Yes or make a new relationship with a new guide.
Style Station: Do you bless them? Meditate on them? How do they work?
Psychic Girl: They are already blessed. You sleep with it under your pillow the first night and then you and your guide connect.
Style Station: Ok. I feel a little stupid asking my next question but I couldn’t help noticing what an amazing business sense you have! Who’s heard of a psychic with a website and a cute cartoon.. you are quite business savvy. Was it your own idea?
Psychic Girl: I pride myself on that! Psychic Girl is a cartoon, animation. I created the concept, the characters.. Infact, there is a company that I am in talks with now to  make it an actual cartoon series.
Style Station: That’s great
Psychic Girl: Yes, this is all I do to make a living. Read non-stop. I’m very excited to move into new areas. Do more than just read.
Style Station: Well, good luck to you and hope we speak again in the future. Thank you for the reading.. and thank you for being on Style Station.

As insightful as a psychic reading or a palm reading is, it should not dictate our future actions. As Justine said, “I do predict every day that’s my job, you just have the ability to change it cause you have free will.” It is entirely up to us to do what we want, be what we want.
Lastly, if you do not believe in spirits and psychics, please refrain from leaving crude comments and disrespecting Justine’s profession and other’s beliefs