The world of Marketing & Advertisement

One day, back from the market, as I took  medicines out of a printed  envelope  that the  chemist had  given , and  nearly  crumpled   it  before consigning to the  dustbin , the words  “Get Well soon  !” printed along  with the name  and address  of the shop  caught my  fancy . The three words are  uttered   umpteen times  as a sincere wish for an ailing friend or an indisposed relative or   for    simply an  acquaintance , but to find them on the envelop from a chemist was no less gratifying. One  cannot  doubt this   sincere wish from the  chemist either , though it is his business to sell medicines.

Hardcore businessmen  however go a step  further to survive in the competition-ridden  business world. During the times when it was impossible to imagine  life in Shimla without  coal – soft or steam variety- for cooking and heating purposes, The Coal company or the local dealer, of whom my  father was a regular customer, every year used to give  us a complimentary  new year Calendar  on which, along with other  details about the company   was printed  a sentence   “ All that is black is not coal “, a  parody or extension  of the famous  saying  “ All that glitters is not Gold “ , which was  appropriate enough to convey the desired message. 

Outside a dhaba in  some place,  I have seen the  picture of a  Cock  - plume and all – with  the caption  “ Find me everywhere  but eat me at …………” much to the  abhorrence  of my vegetarian sensitivities. Similarly I have seen the picture of s goat –only neck upwards – outside a meat shop. 

There are  some warning type or cautionary  platitudes, resorted to  by some  tactless  shopkeepers  like  “ udhar mohabbat ki kainchi hai “  &  “ Udhar maang kar sharminda na  hon “  when  a  simple  “ terms cash “  would  have sufficed.

However, the business goes on as ever.