India's Most Perfect Positioning Line

Kengonetoindia

This posting comes as a result of a lifelong career in advertising. Although I'm now kind of semi-retired, I can't stop this marketing mind that wants to turn everything into an ad, god help me.

What I'm particularly obsessed with are what, in the industry, are called "positioning lines". You know, there's McDonald's "We do it all for you". Then there's Ford's "Quality is Job One" and Lexus' "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection". Nice, but true? Hmmm.

Well, I've come up with the perfect positioning line for India. And the beauty of it is that it's true – unlike many lines we've been spoon-fed over the years. It comes as a result of my travels in India and the observations I've made about how they do things there.

Yes indeed ... India's most perfectly honest positioning line is "That's Good Enough".

This "that's good enough" attitude is true in everything. From naplins to guest houses. From roads to vehicles. From clothing to razor blades. Agree? Do you have some 'good enough' examples? Allow me to start the ball rolling.

Britain's Royal Enfield Motorcycle company began manufacturing in India for the India market in the '30's (I believe). They made a good bike they did. I should know. I spent many months merrily driving one around India. But not a new one, an old one. And the older, the better. Why?

When India took over the plant in the '50's (I believe) they also took over quality control. It's been a half century now since they retooled their manufacturing equipment. And stuff wears out eventually. So now the bikes' parts are sloppy, rough edged and well, simply really low quality. And, as the years go on, the quality further deteriorates.

But hey, the bikes still go together fine don't they. Ok, they break down a lot but they still kind of run sometimes, don't they? Good enough

Sama

is "that's good enough" akin to "close enough for government work"? I'm dating myself.

sounds like Enfield went in the opposite direction of Harley-Davidson. Old Harleys used to be known for oil leaks and breakdowns (but nothing better than owning an old knucklehead...). That provided an in-road for all the Japanese bikes in the US in the '60s. Then Harley was bought by AMC, a company that made, among other things, bowling balls. Harley declined even further, until they were on the brink of bankruptcy. Then the employees bought the company, took pride in what they made, and resurrected the Harley name. I don't know if you still have to be on a waiting list for a Harley, but I waited 9 months for a Sportster....

and I'm still kicking myself for not buying Harley stock when they went public....

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Kengonetoindia

Close enough? Good enough.

PeakXV

Toilet paper would definitely fall into that category.

Their cast bronzes, textiles, & ceramics are all done to a high form of perfection these days - with that in mind there are many areas of manufacture where they are getting it right also.

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Kengonetoindia

Indeed, it doesn't apply to everthing. Nuclear weapons and chai are off the list. But other than that ...

BTW Yoga, there's no need to "date yourself". I'm singe and available. But probably way too old for you

Sama

again, but....

when I said "I'm dating myself", I meant I was using an "old" expression ("close enough for government work"), i.e., one that would indicate my generation (like putting a date to my era)!

Now I KNOW I'm dating myself when no one knows what "dating myself" means! Yikes!

sorry...back to original topic!

Nick-H

I've learnt the hard way to check every inch of cloth before buying.

But it just as much not bad enough as not good enough: not bad enough to be thrown away.

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Kengonetoindia

[quote=yogagal60510] again, but....

when I said "I'm dating myself", I meant I was using an "old" expression ("close enough for government work"), i.e., one that would indicate my generation (like putting a date to my era)!

Now I KNOW I'm dating myself when no one knows what "dating myself" means! Yikes!

Yoga, not to worry I DID understand your "dataing yourself" meaning. I was just being silly is all.

Kengonetoindia

Do you like the plastic napkins many restaurants are using? They don't really do anything but smear the stuff around more. I think there is some paper in there but it's mostly pop bottles and stuff. But hey, they look like napkins, don't they? Good enough.

Sama

silly me!

Lugubert

That should strike a chord with us Swedes. There's this Swedish word lagom that is difficult to translate using less than a sentence. Dictionaries suggest 'just right', just enough', sufficiently', 'in moderation' etc. etc.

On a slightly more profound level, your take and our word suggest that there are ways of having a good and rewarding life without for example excessively using up natural resources. I was prepared for and expected it, but never the less one of my major memories of a month plus in India was that you can survive on a fairly basic level and yet be immensely more satisfied than if being surrounded by gadgets invented in the 20th-21th C.

iwanttogoback

reminds me of the australian expression 'she'll be right mate', pretty much the same as 'that's good enough.'

crvlvr

In India, the matra is "what you pay is what you get" (as it is in most other countries) Only in India do they make the ambassador (1950s vauxhall) and the mercedes.

beebah

the ambassador is a MORRIS not a vauhall

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