Pepsi, Coke, Apple and the rest
The people who have followed the great cola rivalry over decades
through their advertisement campaigns would know that this rivalry is about
garnering higher market share - not much through product differentiation but
mostly through perception manipulation.
On the basis of a slight nuance of taste that has historically
differentiated the two cola products these rival companies have created
strongly committed and prejudiced consumer camps. People in these camps would
argue tirelessly, almost with a missionary zeal, in favor of the supremacy of
the product of their choice. People on both the sides of the fence know well
that both the products are quintessentially the same. Both provide an instant
gratification and leave a tinge on the tongue. Failure to absorb the extra
calories through some hard work invariably leads to bloating, obesity and other
metabolic disorders that may take a long time and huge effort to cure.
More recently, the present day wired world has also got divided
by another rather thick line called Apple. The users of technology world over are
vertically divided into two camps - 'Apple' and 'Others'. Those in the Apple
camp swear by its product and would never think of crossing over to the other
camp. On the other hand, a large majority in the Others' camp aspires to cross
over to Apple.
Unlike Cola giants, Apple has created a space for itself through
differentiated products. It is not just about semantics. Rather it is mostly about
innovation and leadership.
The first full budget of the incumbent NDA government should
stir a debate - whether Indian politics is still like a cola war or the
incumbent government is bringing a differentiated and innovative product on the
table.
Historically, both the Congress led UPA and BJP led NDA have
followed the same set of socio-economic policies. It was much like Pepsi vs.
Coke rivalry. Mostly about semantics and perhaps a slight nuance of taste.
Otherwise the substance of the policy - design as well as goal - and the sloganeering pitch mostly remained the
same.
On most of the occasions both the groups have been found sitting
on the left and right window of the same train which was moving in one direction.
Both of them claimed to see things differently or someone may say claimed to
see different things differently.
But in effect they saw different patches of the same field,
different lanes of the same colony, different barns of the same crop and
different trees of the same orchard - spread across the railway track on which
the train was moving.
They addressed different members of the same family in their
endeavor to sell the same product differently. It was the efficacy of the
campaign, and not the quality or utility of the product, that decided the
winner.
We need to debate whether
the budget for FY16 seeks to change anything. .................to continue
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