The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Cashing in on the crowd

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Cashing in on the crowd

THE MIND-boggling crowd that turns up on Beach Road during the weekend may be a problem for the traffic police, but the multitudes have come handy for mega malls and others.

At a time when everyone lays emphasis on direct sales, the CMR Mall as well as the new entrant, the Spencer's Hypermarket, have started making use of the impressive turnout to pamper their business. While the CMR Mall used to parade its staff on horses and elephants as well as models on Beach Road, the Hypermarket conducted a mega fireworks display on Sunday.

"All this is happening because of the fact that a record number of nearly one lakh people throng R.K. Beach to enjoy the cool breeze on Saturdays and Sundays," remarked a senior police officer.

Is it not a good marketing strategy involving a minimal expenditure for the mall managements?

* * *

SOUND SIGNALS other than honking usually given by car owners when they reverse their vehicles are getting innovative these days like the ring tones of cellular phones.

Previously, the driver would press the horn continuously on such occasions to indicate that the vehicle was on the reverse gear. To overcome the monotony of the same horn-like `beeps', car manufacturers, became creative over a period, and introduced novel and taped tones to get the message across.

The ingenuity has gone to such an extent now that the car owner is able to choose tunes from a wide array of resonance. For example, a person with a patriotic bent of mind has `Saare jahan se achchaa...' for this purpose, while a devout driver's preference is for `Om Jagadeesha Hare...' or the Gayatri mantra. To compel immediate attention of the passers-by, one vehicle owner has implanted the tone of the cry of a newborn baby! Another one diametrically opposite has gone for a tape transmitting continuous and roaring laughter. Happily, none has chosen the message of the age-old jutka-driver, `Thappukondi.... thappukondi...'

* * *

IT IS quite normal for newspapers to receive information to cover such and such programme or function. But, of late, for scribes going to such meetings, it has become a bitter experience since they are being "covered".

A recent Congress felicitation with fanfare had tested the reporters' patience. Though the invitation was for felicitations to the AICC secretary, P. Sudhakar Reddy, the TTD Chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy, was also profusely garlanded, and crowns of flowers adorned their heads.

In their enthusiasm to garland the VIP, the Congressmen gathered around the dais and turned it into a human wall. Add cameramen and visual media representatives. The opacity was complete totally "covering" newsmen. Peeved at the prolonged felicitation and their "ye kya ho raha hai" predicament, newsmen rose from their seats threatening to boycott the function. Only then the partymen swung into action bringing back a semblance of order.

The photographers and visual media representatives were again in full strength at Mr. Subbarami Reddy's birthday bash and the felicitation to Swami Agnivesh. Their number is insignificant when compared to those present in the jam-packed Kalabharati auditorium. But they managed to block the proceedings eliciting shouts that they should vacate the dais.

It's a question of audience's right Vs mediamen's duty.

R. Sampath,

G.V. Prasada Sarma

By Santosh Patnaik, R. Sampath, G.V. Prasada Sarma

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