elevating neighbourhood experiences
three scenarios. three stories.
one common thread. one common challenge.
simple enough for a premise?
rewind to the early 2000’s and read on!
[1]
it’s a tropical chennai summer day. you’re bicycling with your friends on the streets near the beach. you get together and split 3 teas between 5 of you at the nair kadai you frequent. hot buns, and puffs fresh out of the oven. tastes, smells and feelings that make you forget the world around you in a single sip/bite.
—
[2]
it’s a sunday morning and you’re being pulled up at home for your hair meeting your eyebrows. sigh…
a short walk from home and you’re greeted by the familiar smell of the water spray bottle, wet hair and the snips of those metal scissors. the uncle takes one look at you and gestures to the velour sofa, to wait your turn as the elderly gentleman has his shave completed ahead of you.
no words needed. the uncle knows what your parents expect and most importantly, what that PT master expects. it’s never what your favourite Sportstar poster shows you or what was on the latest movie banners outside Sathyam Cinemas(now PVR Cinemas), but it always worked!
—
[3]
it’s 7:30am and the milkman hasn’t been. your mom hands you money to head to the grocer on the next street over to see if he has any “blue packets” left. a quick jog, and the kindly old man at the counter smiles and tells you he was expecting you about now and hands you 3 packets. you didn’t ask your mother how many packets she needed, and just ran! thatha had you covered, though!
—
nostalgia, right?
interestingly, while not being a nationwide mega-chain or a gourmet market, these “businesses” are more “citizens of our neighbourhood”. a space where no one brand or name decides their fate. they are yours. they are ours. our very own.
as the decades wore on, our lives have changed. where we shop, the services we opt for, and where we eat from, all of these have changed. and with this, the 3 entrepreneurs in the above stories want to answer the same question:
“while maintaining who i am, how do i be more for every client, new or old?”
how does mr. nair bridge the gap between Starbucks and him? how does the “saloon kadai cheta” offer as close to TONI&GUY, an experience? how is the grocer next door offering as much as a supermarket chain?
in recent years, we are seeing a spike in the number of hyperlocal, singular, profitable businesses bridge the gaps between the common man and luxe giants through the medium of their brands. from a cool biz to a mckingstown to an adyar departmental stores, the stories are endless, and the aspirations just as relevant as any in a corporate growth marketing deck!
welcome to our next series: elevating neighbourhood experiences.
brands from your neighbourhood, and stories of every neighbourhood.