Gargi Sarma
(Wrtier is Assistant Professor, K.C.Das Commerce College, Guwahati.
She can be reached at gargisarma16@gmail.com)
Places have started revolutionizing and so has the population. The progression of the world entirely and of individual countries is now a well-pronounced verity. One important outcome of this phase is the equalization of people’s standard of living. This has strengthened the status of the populace as well as its nation.
Speaking about India; it has also developed and people’s standard of living too has elevated. The major dominance of this era is the opening up of a dissimilar exposure of many related episodes. A specific one is the folks incessant covet of magnifying the existing standard of living which is dictating a transformation in the Indian markets.
Looking back to fifteen years from now, Indian market was just an elementary market. Select marketers with their aggressive marketing techniques persuaded the easy-peasy customers at large. An inflated demand for the everyday necessities by all the customers (irrespective of their income) was a major highlight of that point. With the simple standard of living both middle and lower class focussed on consuming to fulfil their necessities and survive. The National players were then the showstopper because of their prices and quality. However, the regional players couldn’t be also ignored as they ruled the perception of the lower class. With a majority of middle class customers the International players couldn’t be that successful. Those International brands could only be afforded by the high class people who were only a handful back then. Thus, certitude ‘International for High Class and National for Middle Class’ was the era’s maxim. The sassy International products were a trinket for the high class to swank about their deep pockets.
But, the newfangled epoch which has started off gives a different outlook of India. A paradigm shift can be witnessed in the people’s standard of living irrespective of their income level. Folks’ income level and yearnings to hyperbolize the standard of living both has hiked. This resulted in a drastic change in the Indian peddle platform. International marketers have started infiltrating the perception of customers across India. Apparently the Indian marketers too leaped with a firm determination to lure the maximum shoppers. Thus, this rat race unlocked a number of choices for the populace. The process of hyperbolizing the existing standard of living began.
The striking précis illustrates the hankering of the people to upgrade standards despite their pockets. Any person doing a job of his/her choice needs to maintain a perfect standard to swank about it to the world with pride. The transformed Indian markets with ample choices have helped in giving shape to the perfect standards for some and magnifying the existing perfect standards for the rest.
Initially the global marketers preferred a metropolitan city for their products but after witnessing the changes in people’s lifestyle they have started establishing stores in the major cities. Today such cities of the state have the top National & International branded outlets and they are performing well with good consumer traffic in those stores. People are now standards conscious. They are particular about the products they chose to consume and also the brands (national or international). It has brought in a good prospect for the marketers to outlive at every city they choose. India has developed itself as a good marketer too, but people still believe that affording International brands implies having a high standard of living. For the humble sake of bragging they follow this common notion and fools around about their status by going for the International brands even if they are insufficient in their pockets. This dash seems to be a need of the hour.
People’s demand for the high toned brands has climbed, in turn enhancing the consumer traffic at such stores. Excessive impulsive buying behaviour can additionally be observed. Astounding reality is that people across all age groups is equally backing the process of growing magnification of existing standards. Each and everyone wants to survive being a part of the society and hence following the stereotyped ‘Go with the flow’ mantra.
Another apparent episode as an upshot of this event is the growing materialistic approach of the folks. It has glorified the actual state prevalent. This too has its quirky magnetism. It is also the flair of such episode which has pushed people to reshape into a Standard Conscious Class. People in this trend mostly ignore their monetary limitations. They believe in the fact that it is better to relish the present rather than only worry about what future holds. People’s casual approach of living life has further backed up the whole show.
Maintaining a good standard is immensely important today. A person is judged by the way he lives his life. ‘It is the first impression which is the last impression’. Emphasis on the First impression is much stronger now. Everyone irrespective of their income is strenuous at modelling their first impression to galvanise their comrades. It’s the enunciated saying that a person needs to magnify the standards with even peanuts. A good image can be built only when a person is perfect with his standards. So, it has to be maintained regardless.
This self styled need of the hour helped marketers have the credence of success. The conducted market surveys revealed the changes in the people’s lifestyle. It made it cushy for them to enter the markets boldly. They initially target the major cities and proceed towards the other cosmopolitan cities of the state. The transformed market scenario speaks about the innovators who never think twice before purchasing a product which shall magnify their standards. A serene vying among customers exists because of which the marketers never doom. “If he can afford it why can’t I.” The present states the reason a new branded outlet comes up every new day in the city. Understanding the people’s lookout they even try harder to annex providing the easiest procedures for buying a product to magnify their status. Marketers too have highlighted the urgency of maintaining high standards commercially well.
‘Magnify your standards to be a part of the society’ is a phenomenon in India today. This need of the hour has reframed this grand stand ‘If you want to raise your standard, raise your standard of giving’ with ‘If you want to raise your standards, magnify it by buying more and more.’