Yesterday I and my wife Vandana participated in a "Made for each other couple" contest - run by the Lakshmi Nagar association. The interesting thing was the format of the contest.

It followed exactly what the telly channels do:

1st round : quiz the wife; get answer and then quiz the husband - see whether the answers match. When the wife gets quizzed, hubbies must leave the hall!

2nd round : Mime and communicate the film titles given to you.

3rd round : some GK questions - which the hubby & wife can discuss and answer

In spite of the fact that most of the couples have come prepared, it was apparent how much they did not know about each other. One person was saying : "Even if you were to live 1000 years together, it is still difficult to know everything about the other person".

May be true. But the point is whether we even take the effort to understand. I was wondering what effort I have taken. Looks like it has been pretty little.

If 2 people living together cannot figure out each others' tastes and likes and dislikes, what chance do we have of understanding consumers at large? What probability do I have of figuring out exactly what my consumers need and package and give it to them?

Just tells me how gigantic the task is.

And, the tastes and preferences do get modified and do change a lot more rapidly since so much exposure is available for all of us.

My mom went to the same shop and bought her groceries. I remember going to the shop in Pondy situated within the market and bringing the goceries every month on my cycle along with my mother. Now, we buy groceries from 3 to 4 different shops.

My dad would not use any toilet soap other than Lifebuoy. He still uses Lifebuoy and regrets that the soap now is not the same as the one before. He is in love with that red brick that Lifebuoy was! I don't remember what brand I use. I buy a different brand every time. I try out different things.

When I was in school, I remember dad's colleagues coming into our place at around 6.30 p.m. and chatting till about 7.30 or 8.00 p.m. Nowadays, people don't seem to have time for all these chats...they sit in front of their telly and consume the soaps!!

Telephone was a novelty to my parents. It still kind of a novelty to them. But my son and daughter treat my mobile as thier play thing. Their exposure levels are very different.

Now, how would it all impact how the next generation is going to consume? How they communicate? How to understand this? That is the big question.

It is ironic to see that while people don't seem to have the time to visit each other and talk to each other in person, they find it more and more comfortable talking on the phone; chatting on the net and having a life on orkut or facebook or whichever social site that they frequent.

The more computers that enter the homes and the more the internet penetration, this issue is only going to deepen. There are reports from other countries on people living completely on the net centres - in absolute social isolation, having a totally different life in the net.

What are going to be the social impacts of this? How should companies address this? How will you ever reach out to a consumer if she lives her lif on the net? Frequently this is going to become the most prominent question.

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We are used to thinking about India as a chaotic country and the european countries as icons of order and discipline.

I got to know that there are many more 'indias' outside India.

Just check out this and enjoy!! Italy seems to be as good as India !!!

http://tcc.itc.it/people/rocchi/fun/europe.html

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I found some interesting sites on the net yesterday while browsing.

There are sites which pay you for helping with the home work of students. They pay you (or at least promise to pay you) if you even upload your own detailed homework. Provided somebody buys the same. Almost all transactions there were from the US.

Given the reach of the net, given the availability of text books and so on, I was wondering why would anyone pay to get 'home work' explained. It still beats me. May be they need an absolute spoon feed.

Would this work in India? Would students pay for their homework to be explained / solved to them? I doubt...!