Marketing mantras practiced by B school graduates is no big deal considering what this old man from Kumbakonam did.

A soft drink vendor close to the Mahamaham tank (where millions of pilgrims took a dip between February 26 to March 6) displayed his wares in the pathway bang opposite his shop. While his shop with droning refrigerators, swaying banners and fading crates was a crowd puller, this man with a twirling white moustache sat with a few stacked crates in the opposite end and magnetised a few devotees to sample local 'colours'. He quipped, by doing that he could cater to thirsty devotees running towards the tank, as well those returning contended after the dip and in a mood for some sweetness.

that's not all, his business acumen too mirrored business leaders. Quizzed about his business, he reeled out the spiralling electricity rate/unit, notional margins allowed by several bottlers. Besides how the actual margins differed between local manufacturers and cola giants. Reason, logistic and storage costs differed as he had to stockpile pepsis and cokes as the stockists was 50 kms away and came in once in three to four days.