From MRP to reality: How a Firecracker package could have sparked a lesson in Observation centric learning.

In the modern world, we are quick to “Google it” or, more recently, “Ask ChatGPT.” But real learning doesn’t always happen on screens. It happens when we observe, question, and experience the world around us.

I was reminded of this while conducting a session on Pricing. We were discussing how the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) system in India has, frankly, become a bit of a joke. Anything and everything is negotiable. The MRP, instead of standing for “Maximum Retail Price,” often feels like “Maximum Recorded Price”—something printed just for formality.

I gave my students an example that always puzzled me: firecrackers. Every Diwali, I noticed that the prices printed on cracker packets are outrageously high—no one actually pays those rates. I remarked in class how MRP laws are blatantly flouted and suggested that if anyone could bring a cracker package to the next session, we could have a live discussion.

As expected, most ignored the suggestion (after all, Diwali was over). But knowing Indians, I joked that some would have saved a few crackers—for post-Diwali celebrations or maybe for India’s next cricket victory!

One girl tried but couldn’t get the details. Still, I appreciated her effort at least she tried. Then, fate intervened. Yesterday, during Kartik Pournami, I heard loud cracker sounds near my home. Curious, I went downstairs and found kids from the next house bursting crackers. To their surprise, I asked if I could have the empty packages.

And there it was—proof of what I’d been saying. The total printed MRPs on just three of the firecrackers were as high as ₹3,400! Of course, no one actually pays that much. But that’s not the point.

The point is this: I confirmed something that AI couldn’t. When I asked ChatGPT earlier for pictures of firecracker packets showing MRP, it couldn’t provide even one real image. But walking down just a few steps from my house did the trick.

That’s the real lesson. In a world obsessed with virtual shortcuts and AI tools, don’t forget that real learning still happens in the real world. Step out, observe, question, and experience.

Students, remember this: If you walk that extra kilometre, you don’t just find answers—you earn insights, credibility, and stories worth telling. 

Key words: Observation, Learning, Management Education,  Experiential Learning Pricing, MRP, Indian Markets, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing, Business Insights, Firecrackers, India, ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence,  AI and Education, Real World Learning, Life Lessons, Teaching Reflections, Critical Thinking,  Curiosity

Amul’s Sweet Marketing Play – Lessons Beyond the Obvious

Marketing always excited me because it is the only subject in management that is live, dynamic, and happening right in front of you. It’s always “in your face”. Brands are constantly talking to us, and it’s up to us to decode what they are really saying. 

Every day, we are dished out hundreds of live case studies. We have the lens to see them. Yesterday, when I picked up the Times of India, this full-page Amul Mithai advertisement instantly struck me. I decided to use it in my classroom session the same day. 

The question I posed to my students was simple yet powerful: “How much do you think this advertisement would have cost across all editions of TOI in India?”

The students’ jaws dropped when I revealed the figure – upwards of ₹3 crores! That’s when I told them why brands like a local Karachi Bakery would never think of advertising at this scale. Naturally, the next discussion was “Why such a big advertisement?”

Students came up with some good responses:

• It’s seasonal.
• Amul wants to highlight its presence in the sweets business.
• The brand wants to showcase its portfolio.
• Perhaps they are pushing online ordering.
• Or maybe they wanted to launch new SKUs.

All valid, but in my view, these answers were “seeing the trees but missing the forest.” The critical thinking was still surface level. Here’s how I see it:

 The Bigger Marketing Picture

1. A tectonic shift in sweet consumption: Amul is signalling the change in consumer behavior. For a country that once prided itself on having sweets for every occasion, consumption habits are evolving rapidly.

2. The ‘F-word’ of nutrition Sugar: Sweets are suddenly seen as the villain. With India on its way to becoming the diabetes capital of the world, consumers are cutting down or switching away.

3. From bulk to bite-sized: Ten years ago, a festival meant at least 5–8 kgs of sweets at home. Today, very few make sweets at home, and even when gifted, they’re either re-gifted (the infamous Soan Papdi loop!) or handed over to house help.

4. Quality over quantity: Indians are gravitating towards premium sweets. They don’t want 2 kgs of generic laddoo; they want a few pieces of Kaju Katli.

5. Smart price psychology: One student, Lahari, made a sharp observation: the ad makes Kaju Katli look affordable at Rs 230 for 200 grams. But when you scale it up , it’s  Rs 1150 per kg! Smart price framing. Why haven’t local mithai shops done this? Because they stick to the traditional “Rs/kg” display which feels unaffordable and pushes customers away.

6. Transparency vs. bundling: Local shops often sell ₹400–500/kg packs but fill them with cheap options like boondi laddoo, jalebi, or Rava sweets. Milk and khoa based sweets are minimized. With Amul, you know exactly what you’re buying a curated, premium range.

7. Convenience + Gifting appeal: The pack sizes are attractive, hygienic, and perfect for gifting. Small, manageable packs ensure there’s no guilt or wastage. Consumers perceive these as indulgent yet responsible purchases.

Why this ad works This is not just an ad – it’s a strategic brand play. Amul is:

• Repositioning mithai as modern, hygienic, and aspirational.
• Using price packaging strategy to make indulgence look affordable.
• Leveraging consumer psychology by shifting the focus from per kg to per 200 grams.
• Tapping into gifting economics where presentation matters as much as product.

In essence, Amul is telling us: “Mithai is not dead; it just needs to be reimagined.” As a marketing teacher, I see this campaign as a masterclass in consumer insight mining, price framing, and product portfolio communication. All in all – a brilliant move by AMUL. 

Keywords: 

Amul Mithai, Amul advertising, Amul sweets, marketing strategy, consumer insights, Indian sweets market, festive marketing, brand positioning, advertising cost India, Times of India ad, packaging strategy, pricing psychology, gifting trends, mithai consumption shift, premium sweets, quality vs quantity, sugar-free sweets, Indian consumer behavior, brand communication, FMCG marketing.

We Just Crossed the 11,00,000 Readers Mark!

 Our blog has just crossed the 11,00,000 readers milestone! 🎉

What makes this moment special is the speed of the last leg. The journey from 10,00,000 to 11,00,000 readers took only 81 days, which means we are now averaging 1,282 readers per day.

To put things in perspective:

The journey from 0 to 10,00,000 readers took 15 years at an average of just 183 readers per day.

Clearly, perseverance pays off. If you stay consistent and keep at it, results eventually follow. There is, however, a bittersweet side to this milestone. In the past 120 days alone, we’ve had 1,20,000 readers, and interestingly, 70% of them came from the USA, Brazil, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Only 2% of our readers are from India — a little disappointing, but I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Still, every reader counts, and this milestone is a reminder that persistence, patience, and passion always bring rewards. 

Keywords: Blog growth journey, 1.1 million readers milestone, Blogging perseverance, Global blog audience, Blog success story, Readers from USA Brazil Hong Kong Vietnam Singapore, Indian blog readership, Consistency in blogging

Brilliant innovation - Eyebrow pencil

 

The simplest of the problems can lead to the  greatest of the innovations.  As children we used pencils a lot. The only problem or problems was the sharpening the pencil and the protecting the nip part from breaking. of course we had a chakmar (Sharpener for the uninitiated) but it was borrowed and was never returned.  We struggled our entire childhood without a solution. 

But a solution was invented and what a brilliant solution it was!!. 

The eyebrow pencil makers came out with a solution. They designed the cap of the pencil to be a sharpener. What a breath taking solution to a complex problem. Three issues were tackled at a time. The pencil could be sharpener, the nip would not get cut or broken and third the eye brow pencil as it was sheathed would not smudge and spoil the ladies handbag. 10 out of 10. 

Opportunities are just waiting behind the curtain called the problem. Open the curtain and Voila there could be a opportunity of a life time.

From Rs 5000 to Rs 50: The Wild Spectrum of Impulse Buying

How Impulsive is Impulse?

Ever wondered why you’ll happily blow up  Rs 5000 on a movie night but still grumble about paying Rs 50 extra on BookMyShow? That’s impulse. It’s weird, it’s emotional, and it makes no sense until you realize it’s less about your bank balance and more about your brain’s wiring.

Marketing folks always talk about impulse purchases. But what is impulse buying really? Buying without thinking? Buying without guilt? Most people link impulse buying to purchasing power with the presence or absence of cash. In simple words, the level of poverty.

But honestly, I feel there’s a level of emotional impulsiveness that is more personality-driven. Take watching movies as an example.

 

• For Gen Z, going to a multiplex with a friend and spending ₹5000/- can be impulsive.
• Even booking tickets on BookMyShow and paying that “extra” ₹50/- convenience fee is impulsive!
• Someone else might cap it at ₹2500/- in a smaller multiplex.
• A cautious family could happily finish it off at Rs 500/- in a single-screen theatre.
• The true family man might say “Wait! My whole family will watch it for Rs 149/- when it streams on Amazon.”
• And the super-disciplined type? They’ll impulsively jump when it’s available for just ₹50/- during an Independence Day deal.

So impulsiveness can swing all the way from  Rs 5000/- to Rs 50/-. And trust me, this has nothing to do with salary or purchasing power. It’s about perceived value, urgency, FOMO, curiosity, and that emotional itch to experience it right now. Impulse is less about your wallet and more about your wiring!

 

Keywords: impulse buying psychology, emotional impulsiveness in consumers, FOMO and consumer decisions, Gen Z spending habits India, multiplex vs single screen movie experience, BookMyShow ticket booking behavior,  Amazon Prime movie rental deals, perceived value in consumer behavior, cash vs emotional spending power,  psychology of spending without thinking, why people make impulsive purchases,  impulse buying examples in India, entertainment spending patterns Gen Z, difference between need and impulse buying,  consumer psychology behind small extra charges,  Rs 50 vs  Rs 5000 impulse decisions explained!!