As we focus on the young in India, is there an opportunity to focus on the old as well? Why are we not talking about that?

_ P. S. Sampath Kumar, Hyderabad

Sampath Kumar- gaaru , India is today the world's second largest in terms of population at 1.21 billion people. Strangely though, despite the fact that our politics says otherwise, we are not a gerontocracy in terms of population skew. We are a rather young country.

The elderly population today is defined as 65-plus in terms of years, especially as our age of mortality has continuously crept upwards. If you look at the population in these terms, 5.3 per cent of the population is really elderly. This segment is, however, today a very well-enabled segment in terms of spending power. And, therefore, you are right. The marketer needs to focus on this segment as well.

In terms of value though, there are no real numbers, and one has to depend on statistics provided by retirement funds and financial instruments that tap this data reasonably well.

The elderly market is really an opportunity that is yet untapped. The elderly are a neglected lot in Indian marketing. It is only in recent years that the focus has shifted from the ‘young-restless-earning’ to the ‘old-restful-spending’ types.

Market categories are many here. The start is with health and wellness products. These include comfort-oriented products such as adult diapers, medical aids, walking aids, and more. These also include services. Not products alone. Services that offer security, health and comfort. These would also include services such as old age homes, retirement enclaves, high-end medical facilities and more.

In the products segment, one can offer cosmetics of value, accessories such as reading and sun glasses, watches and even mobile phones that offer specific utility such as larger fonts and emergency services activated services on mobile. In the services segment we cannot forget holidays and cruises and charity services as well.

Plenty here to cater to!

How does a personality evolve into a brand?

_ Shinie P. Matthew, Kochi

Shinie, a brand is a very amorphous concept. A brand is really a bundle of many different things. To that extent, a person brand fits the bill absolutely right. A person is an amalgam of characteristics. It is, therefore, easy for a personality to evolve into a brand. To that extent, every person is a brand.

For a person to evolve into a brand, one of the first things is the spirit and thought of consistency. For any brand to be recalled, despite a brand being a bundle of different things, is a singular thought that defines the persona tightly. Take Dr V. Kurien, for instance. He had mastered the art of definition very well. He defined his territory: the space of milk and the co-operative movement at large. Many people called him the “Milkman of India” and that is a definitive space for sure. No one else can occupy that tightly defined space, today and into the near future decades for sure. Dr Kurien also defined his style of work, his irreverence, his aura and much more. So much so that if you shut your eyes and thought of the name Verghese Kurien, you had a set of defined images coming at you. I do believe that is a brand for sure.

Is there scope for niche cafes in India? If so, how do we survive?

_ Joshua Thomas, New Delhi

Josh, the café market in India is a huge one. We did a market study in 2009 and discovered to our surprise that India could then accommodate 5,400 cafés whereas there were only 1,600 cafés in place by then. We did a recent update on this in October 2012 and the number India can take as of now stands at 6,100, whereas it now has has 2,248 cafés.

The scope for niche café chains is huge. There are opportunities in several verticals. These can be as many verticals as your imagination allows you to think up, and your business plan allows you to foray into. To list a few: The free-standing café on a high street, the mall café, the highway café, the petrol bunk café, the kiosk at an office, the bank café, the Gym Café … this list can go on and on.

And then there are small kiosks and little nooks within bigger establishments. The café is a strongly felt need in most such locations.

The total number of offices in India is humongous. As of today, each of them runs its own kitchen. The kitchens typically churn out quick-eat and quick-drink stuff. They make coffee, tea and serve up sandwiches made in electric toasters and dish out noodles from ready-to-make packs of Maggi or Indo Nissin.

These kitchens are messy, expensive, and need the services of two office boys or girls. Some have automated mildly by bringing in coffee and tea dispensing machines as well. The next step and opportunity at these offices of reasonable size is to outsource it all. Outsource it to a café chain at large.

The opportunity is as big as the money in your expansion kitty will allow you to spend. And you don’t survive here. You thrive. And the fittest will thrive. Not survive.

(Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc).

askharishbijoor @gmail.com

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