FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPING FOR DECEMBER

 

From December 1st all soaps ordered from Naturally Made Soaps Website will be gift wrapped with beautiful lace inspired, silver, grey and black wrapping paper and ribbon absolutely FREE!! 

All you have to do is make your order as normal and click the 'gift wrap' option for each choice, you can even ask us to write your label for you, just tell us what you want it to say.

Naturally Made Soaps can also mail our beautiful, natural, handmade soaps anywhere in the UK, just add a different delivery address to your order.  We really do try to make Christmas gift giving really easy for you.  don't forget we also offer any value Gift Certificates that can either be emailed or printed out and posted.  If you want them posted remember the 21st December is the last day for posting Christmas orders, we will be so busy that it would really be worth your while to get your order in earlier if you can.

Go on, why not grab a beautiful present from the best, natural soap ever......  Once you try it you will never go back to shop bought soap - and that's a promise!

Body Lotion All Variant

Body lotion with a variety of enticing fragrances arranged in 9 variations. Select in accordance with the scent of the fragrance you want, nor may the designated skin appropriate to the circumstances of your skin. Assorted fragrances derived from natural flower essence so as to avoid the harsh smell. The more often you use it then it will soon be found that smooth skin is well maintained.

Brand Update : No Idea then Get Idea !

There are times when a campaign thrills you with its simplicity and creativity. Idea's new campaign on number portability was one such thrilling moment.

Mobile number portability ( MNP) is on the verge of becoming a reality. It means that a consumer can switch their mobile service provider while retaining their number for a fee.The allowing of MNP will take away one of the most important switching cost as far as a consumer is concerned. Many consumers ( like me) had grudgingly stayed with a subscriber just for the sake of retaining the mobile number for the fear of losing contact with old friends and acquaintances. When MNP becomes a reality, that fear will go and consumers will be free to switch service providers.

For the service provider, MNP is both a challenge and an opportunity. Challenge because they cannot take a consumer ( subscriber) for granted. Consumers often are lazy and have inertia in terms of taking pains to switch service brands. One has to be too pissed off to take the trouble of moving to a different service provider and then messaging all contacts about the new contact number. This switching cost over the period of time has been lightened with the popularity of dual SIM phones and most of the subscribers are now open to carrying multiple phones with them.

It is in the light of these developments that Idea decided to take on MNP through their latest campaign - No Idea,Get Idea.

The ad uses the most commonly used slang - No Idea to drive home their point. It is an example of sheer brilliant creative which hits you right on target.

The campaign focuses on instances where non- Idea subscribers gets pissed off with their mobile service providers. They encounter network issues, over charging instances and bad consumer services and when Abhishek Bachchan asks them for the reason why they are being mistreated, they responds in the typical slang - No Idea. Abhishek Bachchan pitches with the punchline " Get Idea ". Simple but brilliant.

Watch the campaigns here :

Network Issues

Customer Service

Billing Issues

It is clear that Idea has done some research on the burning problems that consumer's face with regard to mobile services. Network coverage , customer service and billing issues feature prominent among the key reasons for customer churn and complaints.

One will know which brand will gain more with MNP only after it is implemented but Idea decided to use this for yet another brilliant campaign. This preemptive campaign puts Idea in a advantageous position against competition. Now competitors will find it difficult to crate campaigns on these features and negate this first -mover advantage of Idea.

Another interesting thing I noticed about the campaign was that " Get Idea " term may have came late to the creative directors because if you notice the ads, Abhishek Bachchan says " Thats What " (not Get Idea) when the other character says " No Idea ". I think that " Get Idea" punchline was later incorporated into the ads.

Idea brand is on a roll . Aditya Birla Group should be applauded for the investment it is making on the brand. Telecom services over a period of time will become commoditized interms of tariff plans and other features.Once consumers are free to chose without switching costs, brand will play a big role in customer acquisition and retention.

A nice take on the current campaign from an adman - Bhatnaturally

Facts about Thanksgiving

Click on the picture for a larger image.
Via

Completely Awesome Chair

Yeah but can it do any other tricks?

Van Heusen : Evolve Yourself

Brand : Van Heusen

Company : Madura Garments ( Aditya Birla Nuvo)

Ad Agency : JWT India

Brand Analysis Count : #467

Van Heusen is one of the largest apparel brand in India. The brand which came to India in 1990 is on the verge of a new growth trajectory. The exciting new path for the brand is built on the rich heritage that this brand carries.

Van Heusen is a truly global brand. The brand has a rich heritage with a history dating back to 1881. The brand journey started in USA in 1881 when Moses Philip and his wife began selling hand-sewed shirts to local miners of Pennsylvania in a push cart. Later Philips and his son moved to Newyork and began selling shirts.

In 1910 John M Van Heusen from Holland found a unique process of fusing cloth on a curve thus created a comfortable self-folding collar. John Van Heusen and Philips' son Seymour Philips met in US and Philips-Van Heusen Company was created. The company also got a patent for the collar in 1919. ( source : Super Brands)

From there, the brand went on to become the largest selling shirt brand in USA. Now Philips-Van Heusen (PVH) which owns the brand worldwide is an apparel giant which owns iconic brands like Arrow, Van Heusen, Tommy Hilfinger and Calvin Klein.

This iconic brand was brought to India by Madura Garments. Madura Garments hold the right to market this brand in India. When Aditya Birla group acquired Madura Garments, the right moved to AB Group.

Van Heusen was a pioneer in the development of executive -wear segment in India. The brand positioned itself as one for the upwardly mobile executives. The brand positioned itself on the platform of Powerful + Fashionable executive formal wear. The brand introduced the concept of " Power Dressing " implying that the brand users are those who occupy the powerful places in the corporate world.

Along with the aspirational positioning , the brand appealed to the consumers by focusing on fashion.Fashion and Formal wear are seemingly opposite attributes and it is difficult to convince consumers that a brand can have these opposite attributes co-exist. Van Heusen was successful in doing that. The best way to impress the fashion conscious consumer is to innovate. Globally Van Heusen is known for its innovation in their clothing. The brand came out with concepts of Ice Touch, Dura Press etc which reinforced the positioning of Van Heusen as a fashionable executive wear.

The brand endorses the core values of modern, fashionable updated, minimalism and timelessness. The brand targets 25-45 year olds who are in the middle-upper class executives who have a penchant for understated fashion.

The brand captured the attention of Indian corporate through is heavy brand promotion and rich heritage. Van Heusen is now a Rs 400 crore brand with strong presence across the country. The brand which initially promoted itself using the tagline " Power Dressing " evolved over a period of time. The tagline was changed to " Power . Evolved " which communicated that the brand user has arrived to a position of power. Now the brand is sporting the tagline " Evolve Everyday". The brand also successfully ventured into women-wear.

The highly competitive Indian executive wear industry has prompted the brand to devise new ways of growth. The brand launched its range of casual wear under the brand VDot and has now roped in Actor John Abraham as the brand ambassador. ( VDot will be dealt in detail in a future post).

The strong point of Van Heusen is its ability to lead the market with its fashionable range. The high quality , never compromising premiumness ( exclusivity) and understated image has contributed a lot to the growth of this brand. The campaigns of Van Heusen (except for the early ones on Power Dressing) were never clutter-breaking but was enough for the discerning customers to patronize the brand.

Eyeliner Pencil from Matesse Elite

Eye for beauty products from Elite Matesse consisting of Eye shadow, mascara, Brow & lash fix, Perma eye liner & eyeliner pencil. Everything will make your appearance becomes more charming, beautiful, exciting and emitting a goddess of feminine elegance.

SNL Spoofs the TSA

The TSA: It's our business to touch yours. Perfect for those days when you feel lonely.

Did you know - 10% from ALL sales of Dirty Dog Soap goes to the RSPCA?

Well it does!  Perhaps I have not made enough noise about it but it is true.

I am very proud of my dog soap DIRTY DOG SOAP it really is fantastic and a great seller.  Dirty Dog is made using natural essential oils of Tea Tree and Citronella.  It smells wonderful with a very refreshing zingy citrus undertone.  The soap is designed to be an easy, fuss free way of washing your mud magnet dogs, treating them to the same caring bubbles as yourself.

The invention of this soap came about because I have two dogs of my own!  They are totally lovely and a huge part of our family life.  Perdita (Perdy for short) is a semi coated, English bred German Shepherd Dog.  She is a really stunning example of how, for me, a German Shepherd should look.  I used to show them, way back in my past, and know how many different styles of this breed there are.  Perdy is a very pretty girl with a good straight back and solid bone structure, she is a true Black and Tan and has the most wonderful facial expression ever.  She is a soft as 'muck' and has a lovely, gentle nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Beautiful Perdita

Well, Perdy is almost 6 years old now, however, aged 4, she was getting a little bit of the old 'single child' syndrome - in other words a bit clingy and a bit Mummy orientated so we decided to take the plunge and get another dog as a companion for her.

We happened to hear about our second dog 'Blue' by accident, through a mutual friend.  We had never considered a Spaniel at all but once we saw him and the way, as a puppy meeting a very big dog for the first time, he behaved towards Perdy, we were sold immediately!  Blue is an English Working Springer and he is an absolute dream!  Honestly if we could have organised the most perfect dog as a companion to Perdy it would have been him and it was a total chance thing................  sometimes I do believe they work out the best.

Anyway Perdy and Blue are now inseparable, they are the best of friends, sleeping in the same bed and playing together all the time.  They both do love swimming and mud though!  So I needed to come up with a soap that worked.

Blue!

 

 

Dirty Dog is designed to be so much easier than fiddly bottles of shampoo, just wet the fir, rub the bar all over, lather it up and rinse away for the best smelling soft fir ever.  Because this is one of my Totally Natural range it is fine to use in the waterways, take it to the river, get the dogs wet, rub the bar all over and throw in the stick to rinse them off, how easy is that?

Tea Tree is a natural antiseptic, its also great for itchy skin, Citronella is renowned for its insect repelling qualities (and fleas don't like it either) while also combatting oily, smelly dog coats.  Boy do our little lovelies need it sometimes.....................

Our 'beautiful' muddy Perdy with Blue in the background - getting 'stuck in!'

Not only is Dirty Dog such a great product, smelling lovely and really working to keep your dogs clean and sweety scented by buying it DIRTY DOG SOAP customers are also supporting the great work of the RSPCA as Naturally Made Soaps are donating 10% from the sale of every bar.  You can help by ordering from my website, just click on the link at the top of this blog, or the links within it.

Dirty Dog bars also make a fantastic Christmas present - PLEASE NOTE Dirty Dog Soap is also suitable for using yourself for a refreshing, uplifting shower and it is great to take away on holiday with you where you know midges and mossies are a problem - they HATE Citronella.

So far Naturally Made Soaps has donated over £150 to the RSPCA  Please help us to help - click on the link http://www.rspca.org.uk/donate/howyourgiftshelp to find out how much each penny you give goes to help abandoned dogs and other animals in the UK.

Thank you to everyone who has already bought a bar of Dirty Dog.

Ultra-Small House in Japan

Marketing Strategy : Harnessing the Power of Brand Elements

American Marketing Association defines brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. According to Professor Kevin Lane Keller, Brand Elements are trademark-able devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand. The most common brand elements are brand names, logos, symbols, characters, spokespeople, slogan, jingle, imagery, packages, colour, imagery, signage etc.

It is important for marketers to realize the potential of using all the brand elements while endeavouring to build a brand. Most marketers tend to concentrate their resources only on brand names and logos and thus losing an opportunity to create and develop other brand elements which can act as a powerful differentiator. Successful brands take advantage of all their brand elements there by creating various points of impact in the mind of the consumer.

Take the case of Absolut Vodka. This is a brand which used its simple trademarked Vodka bottle as a powerful brand element. Through consistent campaigns, the Absolut Vodka bottle was developed as a powerful differentiator for the brand. The trademarked bottle has become the most remembered and visible brand element for Absolut creating a distinct identity for the brand. The brand created lot of awareness, loyalty and consumer interest through the clever use of the vodka bottle in all of their campaigns.

Marketers should be able to identify unique brand elements that can break the clutter and create an impression. While most of the brands chose to invest in common obvious brand elements like the name, logo etc, it would be wise to look for something different. A classic example of that can be seen in the branding of Vanish – which is the stain removing detergent brand of Reckitt & Benckiser. The brand used colour Pink as the main brand element. Vanish uses the tagline “Trust Pink, Forget Stains “to promote the brand element. Vanish product is not pink in colour but the brand comes in a pink pack. The use of the “Pink” colour as the brand element acted as a powerful differentiator for Vanish. The association with Pink also increased the brand awareness and brand recognition in a highly cluttered detergent market

Another important criterion for effective use of brand element is that it should be easy to memorize. The brand elements should be easy to remember and recall. The consumer should be able to remember the brand element and the element should aid in the recall of the brand during the time of purchase.

Intel’s famous tagline “Intel Inside” is one such brand element which is easy to memorize and recall. The brand used this tagline and its logo very effectively in their promotions. ‘Intel Inside ‘tagline together the logo became a powerful brand element that created lot of brand recall and identity. Intel is also one brand that used its jingle (melody) as a powerful element. The five note melody has now become an indispensable part of the Intel branding. Intel carefully developed these brand elements through a 3 second animated jingle ( known as a signature Id, audio visual logo) which consisted displaying the logo and the five- note melody after every Intel ads ( Source – Intel Website). Over a period of time, these brand elements became so powerful that consumers will recall the brand once this melody is played.

The brand elements thus created should be protected by the brand owners. Trademarked brand elements become powerful differentiators over time. Since these brand elements are protected, there need not be any fear about competitors copying those elements.

Marketers should try to identify all possible opportunities to create brand elements. And while communicating the brand’s message, all these brand elements should be present in the communication. For example, Idea Cellular uses a wide range of brand elements in its communication. The brand uses its signature Yellow Colour, Taglines and slogans, brand ambassador and its signature melody in all their multimedia campaigns. All these brand elements have become popular over these years that consumers are now recognizing Idea Cellular when they see or hear any of these brand elements.

Having a basket of strong brand elements also helps in tapping in the various promotional mixes more effectively. For example a popular character or a mascot can open up opportunities of promotion through merchandising. A popular jingle or a melody can help to promote the brand through radio, TV or even mobiles. So it is the job of the marketer to constantly look for creating new brand elements and thus giving new promotional opportunities for the brand.

Brand elements have lot of strategic importance in branding. Marketers should take responsibility in identifying, creating and developing unique brand elements. Once created, these elements provide the brand with a powerful identity at a time when features and attributes are increasingly becoming commoditized.

Originally published here at adclubbombay.com

Sperm Cookbook - Natural Harvest

WARNING - If you have a sensative stomach, skip this post.

I saw this delightful little book on Tosh.0 the other day. It's called Natural Harvest, and it is a book full of semen-based recipes. On a completely unrelated note, my wife says I am no longer allowed in the kitchen.

Tosh.0Weds 10:30pm / 9:30cTosh.0 Book Club - Natural Harvestwww.comedycentral.comTosh.0 VideosDaniel ToshWeb Redemption

SHOULD YOU BUY A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOUR BOSS?

Thanks to Learn Vest for this blog idea.  Learn Vest is a fantastic blog  set up especially to provide unbiased financial information to all women so that they can make the best financial decisions possible.

A quote from their site. 

Why Women? Why Now?

Women have come a long way financially over the last three decades. Women today make up half of the professional work force and are found to buy or influence 80% of all consumer purchases in the United States yet they continue to lag behind men when it comes to managing their personal finances.  According to a 2006 Prudential financial poll,  80% of women say that they plan to depend on Social Security to support them in their golden years and 38% of women 30-55 years old are worried they will live at or near the poverty level because they cannot adequately save for retirement.  So even today–despite coming so far in many ways–too many women are still ignoring their finances.  LearnVest provides a solution that is relevant and timely – it is something women need.

OK it is an American site but I think that a lot of what they say is good and useful, they have a great set of budgeting tools which I love, especially the Checklist page which helps you to cross off your financial to-do lists, the checklist walks you through your financial problems step-by-step!  Don't we all hate money issues?  I know I do, I put off everything for as long as I can then get so stressed out when I have to do my tax return, pay bills, do financial calculations etc.  This does help.  Anyway, back to the title of this blog............. (Im good at rambling!)

 

I actually didn't mean a Christmas gift for your boss - literally, Its hard enough sometimes to find the right gift for our own Dad or friends for that matter.  So when it comes to workmates, perhaps that is expecting to navigate the murky waters of gifts just too deeply.  A gift can be the best way to say thank you for the hard work someone has done, but in other cases is may feel inappropriate.  You don't want to make people feel uncomfortable or as though they need to give you a gift in return.  Even Secret Santa gift exchanges in the office can lead to treacherous waters.  If gift giving is standard in your workplace (say through Secret Santa) then get everyone to set a price range, once you all feel there is a guideline there is no need to feel pressured to spend more.  Now I expect you are all thinking, she is going to suggest soap as the best thing? (well it does work well for Secret Santa) and yes I will give you a few pointers although that is not the only thing.  I have posted the etiquette guide from Learn Vest slightly changed to suit the English!

BOSS - not necessary, if you are friends it's perfectly fine to give a gift, just remember that they probably make at least twice your salary (in my case about 6 times) and they don't expect you to outdo or even match their extravagance  - so how about My Bridge Inn Beer Bar  or Vintage Rose 

BOSS BUDGET - £0 - £10 

WHAT? - Well obviously the above Naturally Made Soaps but the advice says...  Choose something that show's you have noticed her likes and tastes (I love the fact that this post  just assumes your boss is a female!!!!). So try an annual subscription to a foodie magazine, or a new iphone case, or, if you are at a loss, try a book with a hand-written note on the inside flap 

CO-WORKER - Giving a gift to a co-worker who is also a friend is appropriate, but if you are buying her a gift for the first time, don't go overboard 

CO-WORKER BUDGET -£0 - £7.50

WHAT? - Keep it light, so if your co-worker didn't get you a gift she won't feel awkward.  Beautiful Goats Milk and Ylang Ylang soap would be my choice but their suggestions are Homemade pastries, a desk calendar for the New Year (how exciting :-() or a £5 bottle of wine are simple and thoughtful.  I know what I would want!

ASSISTANT - Your assistant, whether personal or shared by the office, probably deserves the biggest thank you for his or her hard work in helping to keep your day-to-day straight 

ASSISTANT BUDGET - £15+

WHAT? - Cash is king, An American Express gift card or gift certificate (or better still a Naturally Made Soaps Gift Certificate - available soon)  is a nice way to say thanks.  An arrangement of her favorite flowers also makes a nice touch. But best of all, give the fab smelling, unisex soap - SNOWBERRY

INTERN - (Difficult for us English, usually means Work Experience or Student placement) As long as the intern did you proud and made your life easier, she/he deserves a small thank you at Christmas..... especially if they were unpaid (as most people volunteering for a Local Authority or other public services are) 

INTERN BUDGET - £5 - £7.50

WHAT? - Consider taking him/her out for a nice lunch as a gift - could be expensive, or check out some professional gift like a chic business card holder or a book that helped you get started in your career (hmmmmm - not so sure about this one).  If it their last day, type up and surprise him/her with a recommendation letter before he/she thinks to ask - I dont really think that is a Christmas present? - surely that is what any good boss/manager would do anyway   So how about giving them something that will really remind them of Christmas and all it stands for?  Christmas Spice Cake

Look out for the new Naturally Made Soaps gift vouchers, you bloggers will be the first to hear about it of course.

Bacon Gift Wrap

I can't tell you how many times I have tried wrapping presents in bacon, only to have them decay into a gelatinous pool of stink, or have them eaten by a pack of wild dogs. Well, so long bacon wrapping problems, and hello bacon gift wrap. The set of two 20”x30” sheets is available from Fred Flare, and will ensure that the recipient enjoys the package way more than what’s inside (finally a cure

Brand Update : Ceat wants you to be Idiot Safe

Ceat went in for a major rebranding exercise in 2008 when it changed its logo, the mascot and the famous tagline " Born Tough". I was very critical about the whole rebranding exercise especially the decision to discard the Rhino (mascot) and the tagline. The logic for the rebranding was to make the brand contemporary and relevant to the new generation consumers.

Although the company spent some money on rebranding campaign in 2008, it again went in on a silent mode for almost two years . There was virtually no campaign for Ceat in this period. Recently the brand has started making some noise in the media with a series of brand campaigns.

The current campaign for Ceat is for its bike tyres. The campaign is dubbed " Be Idiot Safe ". The campaign runs on the theme that ' Roads are full of idiots and be idiot-safe with Ceat Tyres".

Watch the ad here : Be Idiot Safe

The ads are currently focusing on the " better road grip " feature of Ceat bike tyres. Road grip is an important ,relevant feature as far as tyres are concerned and Ceat has tried to own up that feature.

Along with the 'Be Idiot Safe " television campaign, the brand has tried to take up this idea into the internet by launching the brand site " beidiotsafe.com". The brand tried to engage users by inviting interesting videos about those idiots on the road. Users can upload the videos about rash driving and careless road habits onto the sites. The brand expects that these funny videos will be viral and increase the brand's visibility on the web. I am not sure whether the site had managed to sustain interest among the netizens.

Another interesting aspect of Ceat's brand strategy is that it chose to have different theme for its different product-lines. While " Be idiot-safe " theme is for bike tyres, the brand have a different theme for its SUV product range. For the SUV range, the brand has adopted the tagline " Takes the wild out of wilderness ".

That means Ceat will have separate positioning for its various products. In branding perspective, that is not a good strategy. The multiple positioning can dilute the core brand's positioning unless there is a common thread passing through the various positioning campaigns. MRF uses multiple positioning campaigns for its various products but these product lines have sub-brands. In the case of Ceat, there is no sub-brands but only product descriptors .

It would work well if Ceat can think of a core brand positioning for the brand - CEAT. This core brand positioning will be reflect what the brand CEAT stands for. Then use sub-brands for its product-lines like SUV, bike tyres, car tyres etc .The brand can then use different positioning campaigns for the sub-brands. The sub-brand's positioning should be in line with the core brand's positioning but the sub-brands will have freedom to chose its own relevant themes.

Related brand

Ceat

Top 22 Nintendo Games (NES)

Again, I'll start by saying that lists are subjective. If you don't like my list, I'm sorry, go make your own.

22. Kung Fu - I remember seeing this in every arcade.21. Tecmo Super Bowl - The best football game on the NES.20. Dr. Mario -A fun multiplayer puzzle game that just like Tetris, got rather addictive.19. Tetris -The classic puzzle game. Both challenging and addictive.18. Blaster Master

Eidul Adha Mubarak!

Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the 10^th of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth and final month in the Islamic Lunar calendar. It marks the end of Hajj, which is the annual pilgrimage of Muslims worldwide to city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It is a time to rejoice and celebrate by wishing each other “Eid Mubarak” or “Have a blessed Eid.”

It is as the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The greatest day in the sight of Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, is the Day of Sacrifice…” (Abu Dawud). The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) also said:

“The day of ‘Arafah, the day of Sacrifice, and the days of al-Tashreeq are our festival, us Muslims, and they are days of eating and drinking.” (Tirmidhi).

It is the day when many acts of worship are combined, such as reciting takbeerat exalting Allah, praying as a large community, and offering the udhiya (the sacrificial animal).

History of the Eid ul Adha Festival

Eid ul Adha is an Islamic festival commemorating the obedience and faith of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail (A.S), for Allah (S.W.T). Allah tested Ibrahim by commanding him through a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail. He then set off with his son to a mountain, where he would perform the sacrifice. But while he was about to slaughter his son, Allah The Almighty rewarded him with a sheep instead, to be sacrificed.

Eid al Adha falls on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah of the Islamic calendar and happens after the Hajj. This celebration is one of the 2 main festivals in Islam; the other is Eid ul Fitr.

And so, with every smile, every helping hand, every lovely word, every helpful reminder, every good deed during these blessed 10 days before ‘Eid al Adha count more than all year long, inshaallah,

so let’s collect Hasanaat and let’s fast the day of Arafa for the sake of Allah alone, inshaallah..

May Allah unite this Ummah and guide us to the right path of peace, we wish everyone a happy blessed and beautiful Eid InshaAllah..

Please read more for some very important reminders :)

Sunnahs pertaining to the day of ‘Eid-ul-Adha:

1. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to do ghusl on the day of ‘Eid.

2. He (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to wear his most beautiful garments to go out to pray. For modesty reasons, the women should avoid adorning themselves when they go out for ‘Eid.

3. With regard to ‘Eid-ul-Adha, the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used not to eat anything until he came back from the place of prayer. He would eat some of the meat of his sacrifice. If a person is not planning to offer a sacrifice, then there is nothing wrong with eating before the prayer.

4. And he (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to go out to the ‘Eid prayer walking and come back walking. He (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to vary his route on the day of ‘Eid. He would go by one route and come back by another.

5. Another sunnah is to say the takbeerat “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, laa ilaaha illAllah, wa Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillaah il-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is most Great, there is no god but Allah, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, and to Allah be praise)” when coming out of one’s house to the prayer place and until the imam comes.

6. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) used to offer the ‘Eid prayers in the prayer-place (musalla).

7. He (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) did not offer any prayer in the prayer-place before or after the ‘Eid prayer.

8. The ‘Eid prayer does not consist of an adhaan or an iqaamah.

9. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would start with the prayer before the khutbah.

10. There are seven takbeerat in the first raka’h and five takbeerat in the second raka’h of ‘Eid prayer (Tirmidhi).

11. The khutbah after the ‘Eid prayer is optional. Abu Dawood narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn al-Saa’ib said: “I attended ‘Eid (prayer) with the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), and when he had finished the prayer he said: ‘We are going to deliver the khutbah, so whoever wants to sit and listen to the khutbah, let him do so, and whoever wants to leave, let him go.’”

12. Exchange du’a, congratulations or good wishes with the people at the end of the khutbah. Examples include: Taqabbal Allah minna wa minkum (May Allah accept (good deeds) from us and from you) or “Eid Mubarak” and other permissible expressions of congratulations.

13. The Days of Tashreeq: The days of Tashreeq are the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th of Dhul Hijjah. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said concerning the days of Tashreeq: “They are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah.” It is recommended to remember Allah immediately after the prescribed prayers by reciting the takbeerat. This is prescribed until the end of the days of Tashreeq according to the majority of scholars.

So from all of us here at Muslim Matters, Eid Kareem! Eid Mubarak! A very prosperous and joyous ‘Eid! Taqabbal Allah minna wa minkum! Ameen, ya Rabbil ‘alameen.

Footnote: Information on the sunnahs of ‘Eid-ul-Adha was taken from www.islamqa.com

Complete Products from Maybelline for Facial Makeup

Complete products from Maybelline for facial makeup

MS095 eyeshadow BN Red Earth, Red Earth Blush Lipgloss Duo tower - tested once, Mentolatum City Rose Ligloss, Savvy duo ended lipstick / lipliner, Caboodles Paint the Town lime lip gloss, Red Earth Duo cream cheek blush, Lipgloss, Red Earth Eyeshadow, eye Xpose shadow, Maybelline Cool Effect lilac dreams.

Marketing Strategy : Where is Marketing in Your Strategy ?

It is interesting to see how many companies realize the importance of marketing in their corporate strategy framework. Most firms have realized the importance of marketing as an important function in their organizational framework, but marketing has not yet being considered as an important part of the corporate strategy.

Marketing concept evolved through various stages. The first stage was where the firms believed that consumers want inexpensive products that satisfied their needs and wants. The emphasis during this stage was on mass production and focus was on efficiency and low cost. ((kotler, p. (2008). Marketing management. delhi: prentice hall.)

The next stage of the evolution was when firms realized that consumers are not just looking for low cost solutions to their needs but are also attracted to product features and new product innovations. During this stage, firms competed with each other in developing new product features and solutions.

Soon firms realized that mere product innovations and features are not going to lure consumers into purchase. Consumers needed to be persuaded to buy products. During this stage, firms focused on increasing their ability to sell the products in the market. This stage saw lot of investment in building sales departments and channel management functions.

Despite the success of the concept based on the emphasis on selling, firms found a gap in the consumer needs and the product being sold. Increased competition created a need in the firms to look at consumers for fresh ideas. Firms realized that they should be more consumer focused rather than focused on selling products. Firms also realized that it has the ability to shape consumer behaviour and create new wants. Rather than focusing on selling and producing, companies began to listen to consumers and adopt strategies that shaped new consumer behaviour and trends. Products became only a tool to realize firm’s objective. Consumer became the focal point of all activities. It was the beginning of the marketing.

From a function focused on moving the product from the warehouses to consumer, marketing has come a long way. It now occupies a significant position in a firms’ organizational structure. But it is time to reinvent marketing.

Although leaders of businesses emphasis on the importance of marketing in their organizations, the concept of marketing is constrained by the functional status bestowed upon it. Marketing is still considered as a function rather than a strategy. And by giving a functional status, the scope of marketing is severely blocked from realizing its full potential. It is time for firms to realize that business in marketing.

Marketing is not a function but a strategy. This is a matter that has to be dealt with at the board level. While financial performance and analysis is given huge importance in the annual report of publically listed firms, it is interesting to see how little information and analysis is given on the marketing side. I would like to suggest that firm’s should show courage to put their marketing strategy to scrutiny at the highest level.

The advantages of taking marketing strategy at the board level will have lot of advantages. For example take the case of a brand extension. Should this decision be taken at the board level or should it be dealt at the functional level. Is brand extension a corporate strategy or a functional strategy? In most of the firms, these decisions are taken at the functional level and seldom discussed threadbare at the board level unless it require huge capital expenditure. And it is often found that brands lose because of meaningless extensions resulting in a direct impact on its financial performance.

Take the example of positioning. Is positioning of a brand discussed at the board level or decided at the functional level. Should the decision of positioning /repositioning discussed at the board? If business is marketing, then the decision on positioning should be discussed at the highest governing body because the success of the product largely hinges on the effectiveness of positioning. When positioning strategy is discussed at the highest level, it becomes business strategy and not just another element of the functional strategy.

When a firm takes such a serious view of marketing, then branding becomes focused. Positioning becomes consistent, Managers think twice before venturing into meaningless extensions. Brand strategy will not be outsourced to advertising agencies. Consumers will be handled with care. Complaints will be seriously dealt with and monitored at the highest level of management hierarchy.

In highly successful companies, marketing is handled by CEOs. Brands like Apple, Microsoft, Harley Davidson thrive because they are looked after by the CEOs. When CEOs become marketing evangelists, marketing will achieve its true potential.

Originally published here in adclubbombay.com

Bacon Scented Candle

“Short of whipping out a skillet and doing a quick fry-up, how can we enjoy that wonderful meaty sweet and smokey aroma without the temptation and subsequent belt-busting and heart-clogging richness of actual cured-pork ingestion? Bacon scented candles, of course! You may have seen bacon-scented candles before, but these are a horse of a different color, so to speak. Most candles are made from

Jawbone #281: Huge Guy Part 2

We're back with a new show! Nora's second encounter with yet another huge guy. Weird Halloween candy. The winner of our huge guy contest. You're eating his face!

Download now.

Sand Sculptures of Prince Edward Island

These have been floating around the net for awhile. Here are some sand sculptures built in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Twinkie Diet

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds

Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
His premise:

Fryums : Eat Smart

Brand : Fryums

Company : TTK

Brand Analysis Count : 466

Fryums is a very interesting brand. Infact how many of us know that it is a brand ? Recently when two of my students visited my home, my wife served them a bowl of Fryums which invoked a sense of nostalgia and we discussed about this Indian snack which failed to fight the invasion of Lays.

Fryums was launched by TTK in 1990. This ready-to-cook Indian snack quickly gained popularity in the Indian market . The brand became so popular that soon consumers began to use the brand name as the generic name for such snacks.

Sometimes too much popularity can be bad for the brand. When brand names become generic, marketers should worry because there is a chance that they will lose the brand. The same happened with Fryums. Consumers started to refer to Fryums as a generic name for all such ready-to-fry snacks. Soon competitors also started using the term Fryums in their packs.

When consumers started using Fryums as generic name, retailers too made use of that opportunity to push the similar product that offered better margins. Soon Fryums became more of a commodity than a differentiated , protected brand.

Along with this unique problem came the competition from Lays. Fryums was not able to counter the competition from Lays. Lays were more up-market, aspirational, convenience and had more perceived quality than Fryums. The fact that one needs to fry this product in oil before use also made it less appealing to the younger generation .

From a generic brand , Fryums fell into oblivion. The brand soon went off the shelves or became one among the many " Fryums " at the stores. The company also was clueless about the future of this ' famous' brand.

However in 2000-2001, the brand went in for a makeover. Fryums was rebranded as Fryums Yummies and the brand had a new logo and even a mascot. In the new avataar, TTK tried to rev up the brand's fortune by launching it in new flavors and also in new product forms. But even this rebranding did not work in the favor of Fryums. The problem was that the brand did not have enough steam to fight the competitors.

Fryums 's issues highlight the need for marketers to fiercely protect their brands from becoming generic. The brand should pursue and protect itself from being used as a verb or as a category identifier. Once the brand become generic, there are chances that legally it cannot be protected by the owners. This fate happened with the likes of Aspirin.

There is future ahead for Fryums. The brand needs to reinvent itself and position itself as a healthy alternative to existing snackfoods. The brand is cholesterol free and contains no MSG or trans fats. The new flavors + new brand campaign can raise the interest about this Indian snackfood in the market.

♥ Natrually Made Soaps Review ♥

NATURALLY MADE SOAPS GET A RIGOROUS TESTING

A little while ago I was contacted by a very interesting and talented young lady Eden Humphreys.  Eden runs her own video beauty blog site using Youtube and it is really fun.  I fell in love with Eden when she contacted me giving me a link to her site, she is so honest and real and pretty damn good considering how young she is at 15 going on 16.  Eden has almost 1000 subscribers to her beauty site and finally started to make her own videos a year ago.  When you watch her videos you might be forgiven for thinking she is from America but she actually lives in Manchester, England where she was born.  She lived and grew up in Toronto Canada until she was 5 and never fully got rid of her accent - I don't think she ever should either, its a charming mix of USA/Canadian/English.

Eden asked me if I would provide her with a few of my soaps so she could do a review video and I was very happy to help.  I asked if, in return, she would complete a short interview.  She agreed and this is the interview:

Where did you get the idea of running your own makeup channel?

Many other girls make beauty videos but I didn't just want to be one of the crowd, I really want to help girls be confident and not be scared to try something new

What do you love most about doing it?

I love meeting new people (Virtually!) from all over the world.  I now have friends in Germany and the USA!

What is your aim for next year?

Next year I hope to be a youtube partner, which is where you can have longer videos and get a small fee for making videos and have many more subscribers and to have learned more things about the beauty community.

Where do you ultimately see yourself ending up?

I honestly can't say at the minute, I hope to go to university but that's all I can tell you right now, stay tuned to my video and see what happens in my live I guess that is all I can say!

What tips would you give to any other 15/16 year old's wanting to do something similar?

I'd say do it!  it's fantastic but understand that you won't get thousands of subscribers over night, it takes time! just be yourself and don't be afraid to do something different

What do you like doing best in your free time?

Making videos (obviously), playing guitar and most of all shopping!

Thank you so much Eden for your honest answers and making such a great video about Naturally Made Soaps.
So now for the video, please do find the time to click on this link and watch the video, its great and if you like it go to her site Sunset Beauty 15 and subscribe.  Also take some time to have a look at some other videos of hers.  I am also posting the video as a separate blog if you have difficulties with the link. 

Please do send me a comment and let me know what you think.

Bacon Flavored Soda

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.
When you're too lazy to make bacon, why not pop a bottle and just drink bacon instead?J&D Foods, a company that specializes in all things bacon -- including bacon-flavored envelopes and the bacon Kevin Bacon sculpture that made headlines recently -- has taken the obsession one step further by coming up with a new drinkable

How to Make the McRib Even Better

So the other day I had a McRib because it was just $4 for a combo meal. How did it taste? Just as McRibby as I remember. The rest of the day I smelled like onions and pig sweat. But hey, $4 is a deal.
Thought the McRib couldn't get any McTastier? Well you are McWrong McMoron. Here are five ways to enhance your McRib. Double Down McRib anyone?

Marketing Strategy : How to Create a Category

When Tata Motors launched its sub 1tonne commercial goods carrier- Tata Ace in 2005, it created a huge change in the small commercial vehicle segment in India. After five years, Ace is ruling the new category of mini trucks in the Indian market.

India is witnessing a huge surge in the creation of new categories. As the market grows, marketers find new ways of identifying and satisfying needs and wants. With increased competition, marketers often look for creation of new categories where they can avail better share of revenue and profits.

The recent high profile launch of iPad by Apple Inc has put a spotlight on the strategy of creating and owning new categories. Burdened with competition from across the globe, category creation is the magic pill that marketers now look forward to for survival.

Need Gap and Price Gap

When attempting to create a category, marketers broadly look at two approaches – need based and price based. In the need based category creation, marketers look for unmet needs and wants. Sugar Free is the brand of artificial sweeteners which pioneered this category in India. The brand identified the need for such artificial sweeteners in the emerging health conscious Indian market and tapped it quite successfully.

Another broad approach is to look for price gaps in the existing category and carve out a new category based on the price factor. Tata Nano is expected to carve a new sub-category on its own at the bottom of the pyramid with its 1 lakh price tag.

Bundling Multiple Uses

Marketers also try to create new category by bundling multiple uses. While lot of debates are going on about the future of the Ipad, it is interesting to see the attempt to create a new category by Apple through this product. Apple Inc is trying to create a new category by combining multiple uses together in a single product. iPad can act as a eBook reader, play music, surf the internet, play games and perform office related tasks. Marketers can think about creating a new category of products that performs multiple tasks thus solving multiple needs of the consumers.

Emulating successful brands

Mahindra recently launched a new commercial minitruck- Gio which emulates the success of Tata Ace. Gio is a sub 0.5 Tonne goods carrier aimed at creating a new category of compact mini truck in the Indian market. Mahindra Gio is expected to carve a significant customer base out of the existing commercial three wheeler segments. Gio shows that marketers can create new categories by emulating successful marketing practices from other categories.

Break- Away Positioning

Marketers can also look for new category ideas from existing categories. When Swatch was launched in Switzerland in 1983, the watch market was categorized on the basis of price. Watches were perceived to be a functional product and were segmented as premium, mid-range, and low price range. Swatch created a new category within the industry by positioning itself as a lifestyle product rather than a functional product. Swatch adopted the strategy of break-away positioning where the new category is created by breaking away from an existing category Swatch was positioned as a fashion accessory by careful design of marketing mix elements which created an iconic status for the brand.

Think Beyond Products

In order to create a new category, marketers should be able to think beyond products. The focus should be on ideas rather than the physical products. The ideas will later transform itself to products. But to get the right kind of ideas, marketers should be able to understand the life of a consumer. Consumers may not always be in a position to give new product ideas to a marketer. But an observation into the life of a consumer will throw a million insights which can later be transformed to practical product ideas.

Look at the consumers

Consumers are always looking for ways to improve their lives. Some of their needs are hidden or even latent. By closely interacting and observing the consumer , marketers will be in a position to create newer product categories and thereby becoming more relevant in the life of the consumers. For example, Indian computer market is witnessing a shift towards laptops and netbooks. This shift has created a need for a mobile internet service which can enable the consumer to surf the net on the move. This need has enabled companies like Reliance Mobile and Tata Indicom to come out with a new sub-category of internet broadband datacards. The increased health consciousness of Indian consumers has created a huge new category of functional foods and healthy snacks. These new categories are being created only through careful observation of consumer needs and trends.

Consumers are constantly looking for ways to make their life better. There are immense opportunities for new categories that can make the life of consumers a lot easier. Marketers should be willing to experiment new products and categories inorder to cash in the abundant opportunities before them.

Originally Published here at adclubbombay.com

Make a Snowflake

Once again, it's cold outside; so here is a little something to keep you entertained while you seek refuge inside. This website is pretty awesome; it has a cool little gadget that lets you design snowflakes. http://www.flurrious.com/

Crusoe : Who Are You Inside ?

Brand : Crusoe

Company : Jagannath Textiles Company

Ad Agency : Black Swan Life

Brand Analysis Count # 465

It feels good when an Indian brand attempts something ambitious with careful thought and matches it with smart execution. One brand that caught my attention recently was Crusoe.

Crusoe is a premium inner wear brand from Coimbatore based Jagannath Textiles Company. The brand was soft-launched in South India on January 2010 and is slated for a national launch.

Jagannath Textiles Company is a Rs 300 crore company specializing in manufacture of quality yarn. The company later moved over to value added products like home-textiles and apparels.

Crusoe is the company's offering in the mid-premium segment of the highly competitive Rs 1600 crore Indian organized innerwear market. The brand will be fighting for its pie with a host of brands like VIP, Rupa, Amul Macho, Jockey etc.

Crusoe is positioned differently from the rest of the crowd. The brand chose to appeal to a higher level attribute from the launch phase itself ( Laddering ). The brand is calling itself an " Innerwear for Inner-Self ". Crusoe has adopted the tagline " Who are you Inside ? " which is a question that the brand asks its TG.

The brand website - crusoeworld gives the following insights into the tagline :-

Clothes don't just cover you up,

Clothes are a cover up.

Most of the times, it's how

you want the world to see you.

At other times , it's how the world sees you.

But underneath all those layers,

When you are in your bare essentials,

When all you have to impress is you ,

Ask yourself one question.

Who are you inside ?

The concept of ' Innerself ' ' True Self ' & ' Breaking Free ' etc is not a new idea. Many brands have dabbled with the theme before. Crusoe has executed the concept very well and related that to the product - innerwear. The brand is running a series ( 8 nos) of print ads featuring the theme. The brand has also invested in OOH media . The theme also distantly resembles one of campaigns of Kamasutra condoms ( What do you want to be tonight ! ). But the brand scores in the execution and the ads are striking.

Crusoe has three product line extensions - Base, Nxt, and Xtreme each catering to different price points. Xtreme is the premium line in the range of Rs 350 +.

Crusoe directly competes with premium brands like Jockey , Hanes etc . While Jockey talks about fun, Crusoe takes the opposite pole of serious contemplation. That was a smart marketing move on the part of Crusoe to think differently from the rest of the crowd. The mass market segment of the innerwear market is still stuck with humor and sex. Crusoe is a welcome relief.

As a customer, I am impressed with the thoughtful process that the brand has undertaken for their campaigns. The brand has to tread the thin line between aggression and profitability. To make a serious dent in the market, these start-up brands have to invest heavily in brand promotion as well as channel penetration. Experts tell that channels ( distribution) decide the fate of the brand in the innerwear segment.

Crusoe is an interesting brand to watch out for. If the brand is able to consistently invest in distribution and continue its current promotions, we will see the emergence of a powerful Indian innerwear brand.