New American Dimensions and Asian-American advertising agency interTrend Communications has just put out a report titled "Asian Indians in the US". It is amusing to come across the term "Asian Indians"...only in the USA! :-)) That aside, the executive summary has some interesting insights including: Though relatively new to the U.S., first-generation Indians show many signs of advanced acculturation. However, they often go through an intense retro-acculturation later on life as they begin to realize the uniqueness of their culture. This group champions American individualism. They respect this value, as it allows them a greater freedom to succeed. Females…
'Refrigerated and Frozen Food Retailer' magazine wrote about price wars in food and grocery retail, between retailers, or between retailers' private labels and national brands. The comments about the difference between retailers' own brands and national supplier brands are particularly interesting. The question, whether retailers' own brands necessarily need to be cheaper and whether they can catch up later, is also very acute. To me, the price difference here is really reflected by the difference between whether you are creating a brand (albeit one that is available only in one chain of stores) or a lower-priced private label. A…
By Sushmita Choudhury Money Today March 18, 2009 When you know you are not getting an increment this April, does it make sense to splurge on a designer dress? What if it’s a Rs-26,000 Versace dress being offered at half the rate? On hearing about this sale, 25-year-old Bhavna Krishnaraj had only one question: “You mean I get to own Versace for the price of a month’s partying?” Adds the sales executive and part-time actor who divides her time between Delhi and Bengaluru: “I spend over Rs 13,000 on dining out, discotheque fees and weekend driving holidays.” When the recession…
The Indian consumer market remains one of the most attractive and sustainable markets for international companies. It has even been described as a market of a lifetime by some, meaning that a brand can live through a whole lifecycle of decades if it launches in the market today. The last decade has made the Indian consumer even more visible and desirable to consumer goods companies from around the world. So it is hardly surprising that many international food and beverage brands have entered the market in the last few years, either by appointing wholesalers as their distributors in the market…
By Radhika Sachdev Tuesday March 10 2009 Guess what is clearing off faster on eBay India than the proverbial fresh baked cakes? Jewellery, pen drives, flash memory cards, hard discs and anti-virus software. Had Sigmund Freud been alive and kicking today, the father of psychology would have read "recession anxiety" in this trend. For despite the low internet penetration in the country (4.9%, according to the Manufacturer's Association for Information Technology) certain commodities are flying off faster on the net than offline. Statistics gathered from eBay India (formally Baazee.com) reveal that one of the top-sellling category is jewellery and watches…
Geopolitical friction has again sparked renewed concerns over inflation and rising input costs for FMCG companies as @itmeansjustice @whysnavi write. @devangshu commented.
