28, running her own HR consultancy, socially active, healthy, fun-loving, tall, attractive and....waidaminude, unmarried?? WHY IN THE WORLD??? That's not me by the way...it's the world out there that wants to know.
The aunty-next-door, the one from the door next to the door next door and the one beyond that...even the loud mouthed lady staying in the next block. Friends...and one would certainly expect THEM to understand. Family...close as well as the extended one, in fact so extended I am not sure they even know how we are related.
And no...we middle class blokes are way too nice to tell people it's none of their damn business.
Well, social pressure is such a b***h. We are now convinced of a familial apocalypse unless we are able to accomplish her kanyadaan by the end of this year.
To cut a long story short, the Parihar family is on a mission - find a husband for this leggy lass, my sister-in-law (hubby's li'l sis).
Ha! Easier said than done.
Finding a 'good' husband is no less than rolling out an integrated marketing campaign. And the crack team includes my husband, his three brothers, their wives, my dad-in-law (DIL), SIL and of course, yours truly.
First, the strategising to zero down on the TG (read groom). After numerous brainstorm sessions the demographic is finalised - how old, how tall, what weight, what wages, same caste/inter-caste, region, language, teettotaler, smoker, nuclear family or joint family.
Then comes the media plan - which daillies, number of editions, mutiple language, online portals. Below the Line activities includes mobilisation of family networks, official networks, personal networks. Promotional initiatives to enhance visibility include attending marriages, birthday parties, mundan ceremonies, baby shower, engagement parties, family gatherings of every Harish, Satish and Shyam (by the way, the budget for gifts for all these occassions is substantial).
Oh! and how can we forget product photography. Several protraits and full lengths in various shades and types of clothing. Western, Indian, formal, casual, business, all suitably touched up. Actually, we have a very impressive photo library.
The campaign has rolled out, currently only in Delhi with a few insertions in Mumbai and Chandigarh. The initial TG response is encouraging. And we do hope we would be able to pay off the "societal debt" very soon by finding my SIL a really nice husband. And I do hope she willl have a very very happy married life. Until then, long live Philip Kotler!
