Marketing can do wonders! If you don't believe it, check out good old Indian dattuns being sold in the US as “organic toothbrush” for a hefty price of Rs.1800!
What India and Indians have been using for several centuries, the ubiquitous neem dattun in villages and earlier in urban areas too, is now being sold in the West. Ironically, a vast populace has stopped using it in India.
An e-commerce firm “Neem Tree Farms” in the US is selling the neem dattun packaged in an attractive manner. And they describe it as “organic toothbrush” which is truly impressive. What will amaze Indians is the fact that this small sprig, which people in rural areas procure for free while others may have to pay at the most, Rs.6, is being sold in the US for $24.63 which roughly comes to Rs.1800.
The company lists out the beneficial properties of neem, of course for the benefit of the buyers.
Last year in September, Harsh Goenka, the Chairman of the RPG Group – who is widely popular for his interesting tweets – had shared a post about Indian products like dattun being sold in supermarkets in the US for a hefty amount.
Goenka in his tweet shared the picture of dattuns, attractively packaged and being sold in the US for $15, that is, 1100 rupees in India. Sharing the picture he wrote: “This is the same ‘dattun’ used by people in our villages now sold in US supermarkets for $15 as ‘organic toothbrush’. #Marketing.”
This is the same ‘dattun’ used by people in our villages now sold in US supermarkets for $15 as ‘organic toothbrush’. #marketing pic.twitter.com/zLKsk1p5Id
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) September 17, 2020
Just a few days back there were reports in the media, including India Narrative about a New Zealand brand Annabelle listing a common Indian string cot with a fancy name, that is as “Vintage Indian Daybed”, with a white bedsheet spread over it. The twist in the tale was that it was priced 10 times more than its actual cost in India.
The accompanying descriptions with the “Vintage Indian Daybed”, referred to it as “One-of-a-kind" and “Original" and it was priced at $800.00 NZD. That in Indian rupees comes to around 41,211.
