Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Clone Marketing Tactic!

Marketing Tactic - Similar Packaging
Some brand shine, few outclass average brands and very few become trendsetter brands. One such brand is ID brand which has carved a niche market from a very modest beginning. ID brand is know for its trail blazing success. I feel it's growth is grounded on the quality, freshness and innovation.

For a long time, I'm a loyal customer of ID idly batter. I've been with this brand for a long time and I've seen how it's has changed the idli batter cover - from an ordinary one to distinct looking plastic cover.

Recently this brand has forayed into other items like -  Kerala Parotta, Wheat Parotta, etc. Along with it's growth, it has also attracted more competition.

Sometime last week, I went out late in the evening to buy few things remaining in the shopping list. The last item was idly batter. I rushed to a near by shop and picked one and rushed into the waiting auto. When I reached home I realized that I picked a different brand and it was not ID brand.

It's apparent that some savvy marketing guys has cloned the cover. And it made me wonder how customers blindly select items based on the color, font and packaging. 

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Coconut Cake - Ring of Delight

Coconut Cake 

Slice of coconut cake
I grew up with Coconut as my main flavor in food. It's a part of our culture.
And today when I made the Coconut Cake, a familiar flavor whizzed around, waking up an old forgotten memory. This is when I realized how much we are tied to our olfactory senses.

Coconut Cake Experiment
This coconut cake, had coconut milk, coconut essence, coconut oil and dedicated coconut as Icing. Try the recipe given below. When you make this in you home, give a little bit of spin to the recipe or the finish or the final photo. And that becomes your's for sure!

Ingredients:
  • Maida            180 gms
  • Egg white          2 
  • Coconut milk   1 Cup
  • Coconut oil    1/3 cup
  • Sugar            170 grm
  • Vanilla essence 1 tsp
  • Coconut essence 1 tsp
  • Baking Powder 1/2 tsp
Method
1. Sieve maida and baking powder 3 times
2.Beat egg white to stiff peak ( make sure your bowl and beater blades are oil free)
3.Use a beater and cream the oil and powdered sugar to a creamy texture.
4.Slowly beat in the flour, milk and essence.
5.Gently fold the egg white into the batter
6.Bake it at 180 degree for 40 mts.

For Coconut Frosting
  • Butter - 1 Cup
  • Vanilla 1 tsp
  • Coconut essence 8 tsp
  • Icing sugar 4 cups
  • Coconut milk 4 tsp
Method
  1. Cream the butter and icing sugar
  2. Add the essence and milk and beat to a creamy texture.
Note: I have jotted this recipe from a website or blog, but I can't recollect the source. Due to this, I can't give the proper source.

If you get any doubt or confusion  while trying this recipe, then you're free to msg or call me for clarification.

Get, Set and Bake!

Marina

P.S: Here's a handy checklist for first-time bakers.