The Power of Retail

I find it quite fascinating just how well some companies are able to build an aura around their brands. Not all companies get it right and end up spending a lot of money hoping to create something unique. One product that has done is perfectly for years is the Ford Mustang, which has become so much more than just a car. By going all out to create a long term relationship with their clients, the company has given a boost to a whole series of products and services for Mustang lovers. One perfect example of this is the various clubs that people have set up to promote and take part in Mustang events. While these events are not promoted or organized by the Ford Motor Company, they are very well attended and sought after.

It just goes to show that if a company does its homework right, it can strike a cord with its customers and create a bond that lasts much beyond the purchase transaction. These events provide indirect advertising to the parent company, so they really have nothing to lose either. Consumers are happy to find a place where they can interact with other Mustang lovers, and suppliers and manufacturers of related accessories and products get a boost as well. In the end, it works out beneficial for everyone involved. It would be great if more companies successfully created such brand around their products and services, as they would see just how much a difference it would make to sales, brand awareness and loyalty.

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I’ve been taking lots of photographs lately and here is one that I clicked last week, when we were on our way back home, of the construction around the Business Bay area. No matter where you go in Dubai, you can spot the Burj Dubai, making it quite an icon, and it’s not even ready as yet. Just imagine how amazing and eye catching it will be once fully constructed. The funny thing is that even though it’s not complete, it has claimed the tag as the world’s tallest building, but there are several other even taller buildings being planned.

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I wrote on my other blog about how the purchase of a mini trampoline by our neighbor has completely changed the way all the residents meet and socialize. Since the apartment complex is new and we all moved in just a few months ago, there hasn’t been too much of a social meeting between the residents. However, it all changed with the appearance of a trampoline and now all the kids are playing together, and the adults planning a barbecue and excursions to the parks. It’s quite interesting to see how quickly and easily these things change. Since we are all young couples here, it has been quite nice getting to know our neighbors, all thanks to the new trampoline!

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The weakening US economy is leading to many interesting changes. One of them is that retailers in New York City are starting to accept foreign currency such as Euros and several others as payment. According to Robert Chu, who owns East Village wines, “We had decided that money is money and we’ll take it and just do the exchange whenever we can with our bank.” Where at one time, the US dollar was the strongest of currencies, the current situation with the sub-prime crisis has turned the tables and European tourists are thronging the city to take advantage of this reversal. Most shops on the border of Canada and Mexico have long accepted Canadian and Mexican money, NYC was not one location that accepted foreign currency.

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The variety and kinds of insurance these days is pretty mind boggling. For the lay person, this can be quite confusing, and unless there is some assistance provided they are not going to be able to decipher between mortgage life insurance and some other type of insurance. Luckily, there are lots of companies who will happily provide such assistance, and that is one of the major deciding factors when people go in for any kind of insurance. Since the products are quite similar, it is the quality of service that sets one company apart from another. Consumers are the gainers in the end, only if they make a bit of effort themselves though. Doesn’t sound too complicated now, does it?

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The entire concept of books and book covers is really changing things up lately. Just by having an appealing cover, a book can significantly add on the number of sales. Most books have different covers for different markets, in an effort to capitalize on exactly this kind of feeling and make a connection with readers. Now there are even sites dedicated to book covers and their designs. Since I’ve been reading a bit more than I usually do, I thought I would post a picture of what I am reading here! The cover of this book was just so luminous, that I had to buy it, just had to photograph it and so on.

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The Internet is full of goodies just waiting to be found, gadgets waiting to be discovered, solutions and ideas coming out of everywhere. One of the most searched things on the Internet is weight loss pills, which is quite understandable since as a society we are striving to look as good as we can, just like celebrities actually, while we still want to enjoy eating as much as we possibly can. There is no way regular exercise and good diet can take care of this, so medical pills for losing weight are the only alternative. For marketers, it is a dream come true, with consumers wanting to look like celebrities as they are willing to try anything and everything in their endeavor, which ultimately makes the manufacturers and marketers the biggest winners.

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No amount of trips to Ikea are enough it seems! Just visited the store yesterday, and then I saw a wonderful photo on Flickr of a frame from Ikea, which would be perfect for one of my art pieces. So, back to making a new list of things to look at when I go there again! Not that it’s much of a hardship actually, since it’s always fun to go there, but one needs to have lots of time on one’s hand, since no trip of mine to Ikea is less than 2 hours long. There were some great new additions to the linen section that I saw yesterday and would like to get some stuff for my plants as well. And so it continues….

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When it comes to exercise equipment, there are just so many combinations of machines one can get, but one the best ones are the elliptical machines, which are said to be great all round machines. We have been thinking of setting up a gym in our apartment complex, since we’re just 7 apartments here and the machines that everyone seems to want are the ellipticals. We have an extra room in the complex, that would work really nicely if converted to an gym that everyone could use and maintain jointly. It would be so much easier than fighting traffic to go to the gym elsewhere. Do hope it works out.

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Since I write quite a lot about retail here, I thought I would post a photograph of the main shopping area of Chandigarh. This photograph is pretty, but it does not convey the mood of shoppers in the city, who are shopping a lot more than before and a lot more than many of India’s growing cities. I took this on a Sunday afternoon, when most shoppers are chilling at home and getting ready to come out for a good session of evening shopping or stroll at least.

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