What is your style?

For ages most of the general population have followed and worn dresses from what a select few have chosen every year. These fashion designers, masters, tailors, gurus have always looked at finding out what trends are catching up and how they can guess it before it hits the market. Some even went of elaborate plans to make a particular fashion a hit. In India Karan Johar is known to have introduced GAP hoodies and tees to the teenage audience through the film Dil Wale Dulhania Le Jayenge so much that everyone from the fruit and vegetable vendor to the guy on a Yamaha bike were wearing counterfeit tees without knowing that the original brand GAP was non-existent in India at that time!

Trends come and trends go. You stay the same! The fashion police look down upon and sneer about the choices that many people think are cool and have glorified horrible looking selection as well. I have always, reiterating the word - always, had my own fashion and have been comfortable in being so. Very few times, I liked what was being thrust on to me as a fashion trend we cannot miss and hence the style has become the same almost all these years. I am glad I did stick to a particular style that remained with me so much as I have always been photographed or seen on the same trend - my trend. 

My choice of fashion has two main reasons:

1. Is it comfortable?
2. Is it made from good material?

Simple huh? Well! not for many people. Some people have closets that are much bigger than the one in Chronicles of Narnia! And yet have always wondered what they should be wearing. I have heard and read a lot of people talking about the body shapes and stuff but don't you think it is too much to think of? While I always want you to be fit and healthy so you would live longer (Isn't that the idea?), I would recommend you take the trends off your chest for a while and look at life more easily and make things less complicated. Wear whatever your heart tells you to. Make sure YOU are comfortable. Don't bother about what others think. What they would say. Worry about you being presentable and being nice and don't give everything else a damn! You look best when you are happy and comfortable. Just make sure you have a smile on your face when you step out. You are mint new!

Having said that, I have had my share of suits and boots and have rocked them too. Sometimes mom wanted me to look so (on my graduation), sometimes the occasion demanded so (my wedding being one such occasion). But just can't have then every day.

So choose your fashion choices wisely and go with what you like. Choose your style. Make one that is your own, personal and close to your heart. Something you would be comfortable in and can pull off. I myself like a black tee, blue jeans and sport shoes any day, every day.

Get more fashion advice and tips from here.

“I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

A part of India's life for 100 years

Understanding consumer psyche is a tough job. Like I always say, understanding consumer is the most important person in any business. Collecting consumer insights and using them to get in to your consumer's head to tweak your message to meet their expectations and understanding what they would like to see is very important. Nestle is one of the brands that managed this successfully over a long period of time. The latest ad that the brand floated is one of the best and most compelling that I have seen in a long time. Watch the advertisement and add this to your consumer behaviour notes or consumer behaviour in marketing and their implications in marketing strategy. 

So Nestle comes up with this ad which traces the important moments in Indian history. It is very nostalgic, communicates the greatness of our nation with historic references to show that they have been a part of our culture, our memories and have been there always. Brilliant concept. Very easily one of the best advertisements for 2015 from the grand old Nestle.

Why the all New Jazz from Honda is turning heads!

The story of my search for a true premium hatchback started much before the recent launch but quite some time back in 2009. Back then the Jazz offered enough space and comfort that we wanted but was a huge tick off on the cost part when compared to the pricing and hence was off our list. I still remember its look when it zoomed on the road. My understanding was that the market wasn’t ready to spend a lot on the car though the brand, design and the power packed performance was commendable. 

Now the 2015 New Honda Jazz has all the goodness of the old Jazz and more and that too in an affordable pricing starting a little over 5.3 lakhs. With the new design that commands a second look and available in many color options like Carnelian Red Pearl, Sunset Orange, Urban Titanium Metallic, Albaster Silver Metallic, Taffeta White, Golden Brown Metallic, White Orchid Pearl you have an excellent choice for selection. 

Under the hood: The 1.5L i-DTec engine gives you a 27+ kms mileage which is decent. On road it seems to give around 20-22 kms and I think it is pretty decent when compared to the speed it can generate from its powerful engine(100 ps max) with the new 6 speed MT. The all-aluminium construction helps it to be low on friction and increases efficiency. The 1.2 L i-VTEC petrol engine with its 18.7 kmpl mileage is a tough competition too. 

 Here are some of the features that makes it worth your money. 

1. Tilt steering. Helps you adjust to your height and comfort. Works expecially well with extremely tall people or women who love driving without heels. Gives you an extra comfort to stop straining your back.
2. Several USB ports and coffee cup holders are very useful for working on the field people like me. I need to charge on the go. The all new Honda Jazz helps recharge my phone and holds my coffee too while I am driving. There are 9 cup holders in all!
3. The driver seat adjuster added with the tilt steering is a superb solution to drive comfortably.
4. Ample boot space with 345 litres allows you to pack off many things and head out with your family. This is very useful when you are planning a road trip with your family. With the magic seats tucked away you get about 880 litres of space. That is HUGE!

5. The handling of the machine is very smooth and is very good in turns and twisty roads. It comes in handy even when your second-choice driver is at the wheel.
6. The best feature I am really impressed about is the reclining back seat! Let me explain this enough. They aren't called Magic seats for nothing. If you plan properly the back seats recline comfortably and help in resting. I have always wanted this when driving with a a driver in my car. Except in my Mobilio, I can’t rest well when I am in the back seat and my driver is driving the car. This special feature would be of great help when I have a long day and feel the need to be driven. Thank you Honda for thinking about my back :)
7. Ample leg room in both front and back seats helps you relax your feet, especially in long distance drives. This is very thoughtful as you end up sitting in the same posture when you are cramped up for space.
8. I liked the angular lights that disappear in the hood design blending with the minimal chrome design and the dull finished grill. The unique wheel design is eye catchy.
9. I loved the interiors with dull black up market feeling and light colored touches add to the killer looks.
10. The silence… in the car when you are driving it and the insulation was too good. The ac was powerful too with its calm demeanor and we were comfortable when driving it for about 30 mins. You could really enjoy the music on your pen drive.
11. Safety first: Impact mitigating head rests are new. ABS with EBD, dual SRS airbags, ACE body structure, seat belt pretensioner with load limiter, armrest console and the step illumination, what else can you ask for?

The all new Honda Jazz has all the check boxes ticked right this time with the localization in pricing, design, looks and matches the name and hype. You can call it the new super star on the block. If you are a Honda fan with long time wish to get a Honda City or even the old Jazz, you should look at this for sure. I would also recommend the Petro automatic version, which would be very comfortable when driving in the city traffic while zipping to office or dropping off kids at school. I liked the fact that the transition from one gear to another was really smooth and it picks up speed well and behaves well on the road. 

Considering the leg room, head room, the well thought off magic seats, lots of small storage spaces, composed behavior at high speeds and the stand out design and looks, Honda comes out a winner in this test. I am all excited to see how it performs in the Indian market. Like I mention always, the brand that does the thinking like the local consumer and actually listen and works on their product offering always is welcomed. The all new Honda Jazz does it this time and does it right true to their theme, Honda calls it man maximum, machine minimum. 

I would have loved to see some more comfort in the back seat, especially for thigh support and you might find constantly cleaning the colored touch screen for finger prints, the Jazz has almost everything going for it. 

Rating: 4/5 

Verdict: Buy

Pics are by Giri and here.

Tiger reviews Renault Lodgy

"Looks bulky", I told myself when I saw the new baby from Renault for the first time. She had come to give us a taste of her speed and was standing in front of The Leela Palace at Goa. I love any new vehicle and this was especially enticing as it had just rained and some little droplets were hanging on to her. There was an entire fleet of 10 vehicles and we got the most powerful one with 6-gears to test out.

The first few minutes I was trying to figure out how she would respond to my finicky fidgety approach while trying out the shifting of gears and adjusting the seat height, angle of the steering wheel and fixing the indoor temperature and the music system (touch screen).

Once we got off the road from Leela and went on to try the driving at the main road I could feel the power of the machine. The MPV segment’s new baby from the Renault family had it packed well under the hood. I was amazed at the dexterity it could maneuver the turns and the wet paths on the rainy Goan roads. Well... while I can go on and on what I tried, let me tell you what comes as a package when you pick up a Renault Lodgy.

Control: I tried doing some stunts that the Renault team wouldn’t have agreed but ya… I have tried. The vehicle is under control when making sharp turns, does well in slopes when climbing up an incline. It also does well when braking suddenly. Though their reports say it is the best when it comes to the coverage of distance while braking, I had no reason to doubt. The ABS + EBD + Brakeassist, rear defogger, airbags and all the other security features makes you comfortable when with family.  

Real estate: The best feature was the space available in it to pack so many things and have the whole family, extended family and some luggage for picnic and drive off. The air conditioning was powerful too and with vents out at the third seat, the cooling was superb. We were around five people in the vehicle along with some stuff and still could be cooled properly at the first point. The boot space is amazing. What did I like here? The two tone dashboard, leather wrapper steering wheel, a fine looking 3 panel instrument cluster, leather upholstery, a built in medinav system with colored reverse camera display, roof mounted dual AC and electrically adjustable rear view mirrors, central locking, key-less entry...  

Comfort: Apart from the height adjustable seat belts, seat belt reminder, door ajar warning, impact sensing unlock, speed sensitive door lock, a rear wiper & defogger and front fog lamps the Lodgy was comfortable and there was no noise! Coming to noise, it was pretty silent despite all the rush and rain outside. The acoustics were done neatly and the music system with its touch screen option along with the Bluetooth connectivity to take a call and dial was superb handy. Giri tried calling his wife and we checked the functionality. The buttons for the call handling are right behind the steering wheel and could have been better if connected to the steering itself but that was handy too.

The vehicle is prepared to match the Indian roads when it comes to humps and speed breakers and with a considerable amount of weight has good clearance to handle the challenges. I am particularly impressed with the suspension and it was after all a family car with a specific need. 

Looks: The size isn’t big when you actually look at it that way and can be used comfortably in city traffic. The design is impressive with a lot of chrome work running around it and the arrow head hind lights were cool. The reverse park-assist camera and the proximity signal would come in handy especially when you are in a fix to find parking space.

I would have loved it if it had come in black but the Royal Orchid was close enough. Six more interesting colors make your choice easy. The gear box is a bit shifty and you should get used to it soon. I have a fairly good rating to it for the comfort of driving a really biiiig car and Renault has everything you need in the Lodgy. 

If you are in a big family and love traveling long distances every week or take frequent trips, this is the best you can opt for especially being the pocket friendly option. Renault Lodgy has been launched in India with an introductory price range of INR 8.19 to 11.79 Lakhs (ex-showroom in New Delhi) which I believe is very competitive for its features.

Check out Giri's review for more technical version or Renault Lodgy website.

Rating: 4/5 (The vehicle gets about 3.5-4/5 but when you look at the cost and the product offering it gets 4/5)

Verdict: Definite buy.

I was a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive by BlogAdda.com in association with Renault India.

Some of the pics and video are from Giri.

Why you should give away some stuff!

I am bad at cleaning. So I am extra careful when it comes to keeping things in a certain way. You may say I have slightly over reactive in terms of having things done my way. But that changed when I moved to a sharing accommodation when I went to college. I have shared my room with several students of different cultures and have had to adjust in a small almirah or cupboard provided by the hostel authorities. Thought this was only for a short time before I moved on to a personal space, this was a challenge and I had to make adjustments when I moved in. I found the solution to this problem and found a good one at that. Give away some stuff. Give to the needy, to an orphanage or to anyone you think it might help out. Check out on facebook or twitter and see if you can find someone collecting for a cause and give it out. 

What can you do when you have a lot of clothes and very little to wear? What can you do when you cannot throw anything out and think you may use them later? What would you do if you had to clean up stuff in your cupboard? What if there is a solution! Well there is! I found this in an article at RewardMe.in. The post gives you six simple ways to sort out the mess in your wardrobe and yet be ready for turning out well groomed. Here are the six laws to determine how you Liana's laws of dressing would help you make the tough decision of throwing away stuff. 

Liana’s Laws of Dressing

1. If the outfit shows up before you do, put it back. Let others see you — not your great red suit.
2. Let go of items that are stained, soiled or worn out. Look your best no matter what. People around us notice far more than we think.
3. Take a hard look at what’s not been worn for a year. Can it be revived? Will it ever fit again? Was it a purchasing mistake?
4. Dispense with what's unworn and outdated. Have you worn it recently? Remember: It’s a closet, not a museum!
5. No reason to wear black. Black is the absence of color. What’s your own personal black? Burgundy, navy, plum or teal?
6. Buy staples that are classic and high quality. Update your wardrobe staples with new accessories.

Let me tell you the advantages in giving away some stuff. You get a lot of space! It helps to have some extra space in your cupboard. You can buy more stuff. Get updated and upgraded. Help someone out and rock doing that.  Go on open your cupboard. Time to reward others and reward yourself too.

Get more fashion advice and tips from here.

“I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

L for Top 10 Lunch trends in India for 2015

Here is what I think are the top 10 trends of the lunch trends in India for 2015.

1. Increased number of items with less quantity
2. Increased popularity of the health conscious meals
3. More take outs, exploring variety
4. Sudden love for Mexican food. Hello Taco Bell!
5. The rise and rise of the delivery industry
6. Customized food for consumer palates making customer the king
7. Bye-bye sit down eateries. Improvise or move on. Less and less demand for MCD, Pizza Hut and other eat outs
8. Hello takeout beverages! Welcome Starbucks, CCD, Cafe Mondo and other sizzling beverage industry. This looks interesting.
9. Sustainable trends taking over here too - Salads, organic vegetables, positive cooking are here to stay
10. No fat please

#A2Z Challenge #ConsumerPsyche 

Go Green

When I say it is all about choices, I mean with a small lifestyle change you can slowly turn sustainable. Trust me once you start doing it, you will like being Green. Here are the top 10 ways you can turn green easily.

1. Switch to CFL, even better to LED. Save money and live in a better light
2. Use reusable shopping bags when grocery shopping. Reduce plastic, save money (supermarkets are charging a bomb for them these days)
3. Buy a 5 starred product when buying appliances
4. Walk to wherever you are going
5. Eat local - it is fresh, cheap and nutritious
6. Sun dry (in shade) your clothes
7. Turn off electronics devices, unplug when not in use
8. Drive in a moderate speed - it helps fuel efficiency, lesser chances of accident and peaceful drive
9. Recycle responsibly
10. Pay bills online

#A2Z Challenge #ConsumerPsyche 

What should I wear today?

One thing you can wear to work any day is a smile. Wear one to office today. Be cautious as it may be contagious. I am sure no one would complain though. The ability to smile relaxes you and the environment around you. Why dont you try it as the #OOTD today?

10 things I expect from Narendra Modi's #SuperBudget

1. Make in India: Boost manufacturing (Auto, chemicals, pharma, defense, leather, tourism, food processing...) with funds, tax breaks, faster clearances, FDI >  boost jobs, technology, education > improve lifestyle
2. Smart cities - let us build them. Educate, empower, embrace, encourage, ensure
3. Food sustainability - Research, reclaim, encourage sustainability and show a road map for sufficient production
4. Improve infrastructure - roads, transport, water, power, hospitality, tourism, reduce food costs, improve education
5. Reduce, simplify personal taxes - increase the exemption to 5 lakhs, travel allowance to 5k, insurance exemption to 60k, medicals to 70-100k, higher tax benefits to women, higher exemptions to pension plans, home loans, education loans, government bonds
6. Encourage traditional arts, culture, education, manufacturing, public investments
7. Simplify tax laws for service sector, reward quality
8. Give incentives to start-ups, cleanliness drives, recycling, sustainability, education
9. Jan Dhan: Increase the BPL and help people grow out of it
10. Bring back black money and avoid generating more

#SuperBudget #ModiBudget

What makes a house ‘green’?

Green is in vogue. Many buyers begin their search with a strong interest in green, even if what they understand by a “green home” is vague. While the growing interest in green homes is an exciting and positive development, some buyers are falling victim to green washing, the practice of marketing a product as eco-friendly when it really isn’t. So, if you want to buy a green home, you definitely have to do some extra homework.

The first thing you should do is ask yourself why you want to invest in a green home. It’s an important question because people tend to buy a green home for one of the three reasons, and while each of those reasons overlap to some extent, they determine what the buyer really means by green. Green can be as simple as saving on energy costs, which means buyers will want to focus on energy-efficient appliances, weather-proof windows and good insulation. A green home can save 30-40% energy from day one of occupancy, which, our research shows, can light up 35 village homes per year. Similarly, water savings are 20-30% above a conventional home. This can provide water to one village home for an entire year.

Alternatively, some buyers define green in personal health terms, so they want a home that uses non-toxic materials. Lastly, some buyers define green as contributing to a sustainable future. For those buyers, it’s often important to look for building materials that are locally sourced and sustainable.

Unlike earlier, when energy-efficient or water-efficient homes could get away with being called ‘green’, new rating systems ensure that a green home needs to address all facets of environmental concerns. Everything from the site of the building, water, energy, materials and indoor air quality are considered in the rating system. A green home isn’t just a green structure; it’s a home that makes the best use of the land and the resources around it. Asking simple questions such as which direction the home is oriented toward can tell you a lot about the home’s green credentials.

Let’s look at the different parameters and how they matter:

Site selection: Here the focus is local building regulations, soil erosion control, basic household amenities, natural topography, heat island effects, parking facilities for visitors and design for differently abled people. Something as simple as the house’s orientation determines how much sun exposure it gets, which affects heating and air-conditioning use.

Likewise, it’s important to understand prevailing winds, because these have an effect on temperature inside the home.

Water efficiency: Evaluate the property on the basis of whether it has rain water harvesting systems, efficient plumbing fixtures, landscape design and waste water treatment systems. A good tip is to pay attention to the landscaping. If it’s dominated by non-native plants, that should raise alarms for green buyers. In some parts of the country, water is a serious issue, so non-native plants are going to raise your costs and make it harder to be green. Apart from sustainable landscaping, you can also use water conserving taps, which save you up to 35,000 litres every year.

Energy efficiency: This rating is based on use of chlorofluorocarbon-free equipment, enhanced energy performance, on-site renewable energy, solar water heating, energy saving measures in appliances and other equipment and energy metering. The simplest fixture you can have is a solar water heating system. You can also have more complex solar systems for providing energy for lighting as well. Also, as a house owner in a green project, you could spend as much as 40% less on energy bills every month. So, clearly green homes are not for any particular economic segment; it is a choice about making smarter energy-efficient buildings.

Materials and resources: Rating parameters for this are based on household waste segregation, organic waste management, handling of construction waste materials, reuse of salvaged materials, materials with recycled content and local materials. You should ask your builder if they plan on using green building materials such as autoclaved aerated concrete bricks, which are not only lighter but also more eco-friendly than regular red bricks. Solid waste collection and disposal that involves composting is essential in minimizing waste from your home.

Indoor environment quality: Parameters considered under this head are based on measures for tobacco smoke control, minimum artificial lighting during day time, fresh air ventilation, exhaust systems, low volatile organic compound materials, paints and adhesives, building flush-out, cross ventilation, and others. You can design the house to maximize ambient light during the day to reduce the use of artificial lights. One can also use special building materials that help to reduce indoor temperatures and thereby decrease air-conditioning costs.

Design innovation: This is all about following standard sustainable design practices. Your house or building can give you significant savings over the long run if designed cleverly. Nobody buys an eco-friendly home just because they are inclined to be green. They see the value of cheaper costs of energy and greater security on water. You can do without the water supply board, bore wells or tanker water suppliers. The energy bills can be minimized and can reduce your dependence on the external grid to just about 30% of all the electricity usage.

It’s a matter of choice.

Prem C. Jain is chairman, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

Read more here.

Reflections on the Delhi election 2015

‪#‎DelhiVotes‬

1. Interesting to see Anna Hazare warming up to Arvind Kejriwal!
Power changes status I guess. I would respect Kiran Bedi more than Anna Hazare.

2. While Aam Aadmi Party is rejoicing today, they should remember power and trust are double edged swords and comes with great responsibilities. If you don't keep promises, the Aam Admi is watching.

3. The center - state relations would be interesting to watch.

4. The winner is clearly the one with the better marketing strategy!

Congrats Arvind and team. Sleep well tonight for tomorrow you got to get out and deliver.

Consumer Psyche

Don't talk, just chat

You got to agree that it is a pain to sell old stuff. Stuff that you loved once and bought it after a lot of care. Stuff you cherished and wanted use and made plans. Like that vacuum cleaner that you researched and bought expecting to make your life easy but is stored in a cardboard box in some corner in your house or that wonder storage boxes that matched your new curtain designs or that gift from your ex that you want to get rid off. Well there would be so many things like that in every Indian home and with the advent of the new online revolution, it was supposed to be easy yo sell and get them off your shoulders in a easy way. But the reality is something else!

A latest ad from Quikr

The moment you fix up a free ad on any of the reselling sites the flurry of the calls is too much to handle. Even after you say serious buyers only and even when you mention all the details in the description, you get asked the same questions and the same explanation for the same product only to add to your agony. In such a case, the need for innovation is desperately needed and long due. 

We were looking to move to a new home few days ago and the landlord was asking us if we would want any of the electronic items like fridge, washing machine, oven and so on. I said I would check and let him know. Next day he called me back saying none of that stuff is available as he has placed an ad online and finished all the sales. It is that fast you know but the problem, he mentioned, was the number of calls he had to answer and how silly he felt explaining the same process again and again to all the people who called. When you have to explain the same point again and again and to do that on a daily basis, it gets tiresome. How about we reduce your time spent and simplify the process. How about making it Quikr? It is to this note that there is a blessing from www.quikr.com which chose to allow the chat option to cut off all the unnecessary calls and just chat. The same feeling is shared from people on the other side of the line. 

Here are the three reasons why I prefer chat over a phone call.

1. When you are buying, you would have some doubts and it would be great to record some of the communication in the sale process and chatting allows you to do that. 

2. The mobile app provides a chat option that allows people to connect and talk to each other so as to reduce the number of interactions and at my own convenient time. 

3. It is also essential to complete the discussion as I have an option to copy and paste the points rather than repeat the same again on phone through a call. 

With innumerable calls coming your way, when a service provider tries to reduce the effort in completing the transaction, it is a welcome drive. Any brand which thinks about its client's use and is looking to improve the experience is a progressive one at that. Let us change the way we are approaching the sales mechanism. Let us reduce the clutter in the selling and make it easy. So why would you talk when you can chat?

This entry is for the Indiblogger Happy hours.

You know How Millennials spend their time? (Infographic)

Read a beautiful article today and couldn't help sharing. Here it is.

Have you think anytime how you company can connect with millennials?

It wasn’t too long time ago; that newspaper and radio were leading news source. Now the technology friendly generation are prepares to find their news elsewhere like television and internet.

Millennials spends 18 hours a day consuming media – often multiple forms at once. 50% of millennials watch online video at least once in a day. And few things make millennials to choose like immediate access, multitasking and make convenience of viewing location. And you know the average millennials check his or her mobile 43 times per day and 5.4 hours on social media per day. 66% of millennials embrace brands on social media and get.