This 'DJ' is trying to break up the party!
And thankfully, succeeding
Even teens with the healthiest appetites are no match for what this group can eat. And the party goes on for months.
There are up to 80 million locusts in just one square kilometer of swarms that could stretch for hundreds of kilometres.
And they eat all the vegetation and crops they get in a wild feeding frenzy - as much as 200 tonnes a day.
That's enough to feed over 310,000 humans daily.
Now you know why this is such a problem.
Luckily for humans, locusts are cannibals. They don't distinguish between themselves and the grain they're consuming.
The only way to stop them is is to break up the swarms.
Spray them with pesticides. So they literally drop dead.
Or create loud noises and disturb the swarm pattern. Scattering them and forcing them into consuming each other.
You've probably heard of the windmills created by an Indian farmer to force them away.
They've also resorted to bringing in mechanical DJ's on loudspeakers and playing loud music day and night.
Just so that the farm does not become the venue for the party.
We don't think about or thank our farmers enough. Chew on that tonight.
A short video of how the DJ’s made a difference
The WhatsApp shopping bot experience
Yes, companies are setting up shop on WhatsApp. But it's a bit like seeing the world through a keyhole.
Remember how early internet calls used to sound?
A series of 'Hello, can you hear me?' followed by gibberish and static.
If you were lucky, you managed a couple of lines of conversation.
I think people stuck around only because it was free.
The Spencer's retail store bot is a number you add to WhatsApp.
It cheerfully asks you what you would like to order.
And walks you through entering your name and address to figure out the store closest to you.
All words. No pictures.
No gorgeous product shots. Only category lists.
And navigation is simple but annoying. Like flipping a notebook back and forth.
Type a number to select a category or sub-category
You can imagine the developer and UX designer tearing their hair.
The brief was to make a typewritten list interesting.
Without changing the typeface.
The cart looks like the product display looks like the navigation.
Moving grandly from one numbered list to another
I'm sure a better version is in the works. Has to be.
This is as exciting as watching clothes dry. Bot fun :-)
Check out the early stage WhatsApp bots being developed here
What’s your purchase trigger?
Those in advertising would like to believe that you responded to an ad. The supermarket guy is sure it was the shop display that did the trick.
The marketing manager thinks it was the strategy that got you to the shop in the first place. And put the thought in your head.
The packaging designer is sure that you picked up the product because it stood out on the shelf. Or on the ecommerce page.
What's going on in your mind?
Think of a few products you picked up recently. Both cheap and expensive.
Then try to work back the 'how' and 'why' of your spending decisions.
It is surprisingly hard to arrive at single triggers.
It's always around statements like 'Felt like buying it' and 'I thought it was time to replace my old TV set'
So what's your theory? And your story?
Think of cheap everyday products. Like chocolates or ice-cream.
And things you don't buy everyday. Like a two wheeler. or a mobile phone.
You have to think about before you spend the money. Ask friends.
Then ask yourself why you chose one brand over the other. How you decided this brand was right for you.