Why do the advertisers and the media time and again try to attack the Indian cultural roots to sell their products, inspiring the youth and the consumers to get away from their roots?
All of us distinctly remember the time when shampoos had entered into the Indian markets. It was promoted as useful agent to get rid of stickiness from hair oil. Indeed a necessary and an on target point, but at what cost? People reduced the oil usage. Youngsters opposed hair oil usage. And what happened? The younger generation of yesterday, the working generation of today; is facing heavy hair loss, dandruff and various other hair problems. You may argue that these problems were already present thousands of years ago when Ayurveda was discovered, but were these problems so aggravated? We had many other natural options which could effectively cleanse the hair of the extra oil and also give strong and silky hair like “areetha”, “shikakai”, etc. But to get ahead in the race to use the latest products the people started using shampoos. But when they could not see any good benefit they stopped using both shampoo and also oil. Effect – More damage.
Now the companies are bringing in products which are catering to the above problem by instilling in the minds of people that “look you people, you don’t have time for putting on hair oil. We have this shampoo which contains oil. Use this”. Phase shift of ideology for shampoo industry?
This is just an example. This is happening in other products too which had competed against the use of traditional items. Best example is soft drinks. All the soft drink brands pitched in as the new youth drink. This is “THE” drink, and the alternative natural drinks are no use. And now these soft drink companies are in a race to capture the natural health drink product markets. Interesting!
Some may term it as “Market Capture” – Erase traditional products, then re-introduce them with new packaging. To me this can be termed as “Re - Laying the base”. [I resist from using the term “Foundation” as that’s not what is being remade.]
So the question which props the mind is does selling means just sell and no ethics? No values to the inherent ideology of the nation, the traditions? I was and am still searching for the answers.
I am divided with the answers I have got till now. Sometimes the “Brain” says it’s all in the business. You need to sell the product come what may. While the “Heart” says don’t do this, its unethical. Don’t fool your traditions. But then I recollect a line from the movie “Lord Of Wars” –
Never go to war. Especially with yourself.
