THE NO SCRIMPING ON CHRISTMAS CAUSE

THE INDEPENDENT CONSUMER INVITES YOU TO THE NO SCRIMPING ON CHRISTMAS CAUSE

Holidays are coming!

And this is the time of the year when consumerism is at its all-time high! Not that we mind a lot. After all, how can one fulfill the noble Christmas spirit of giving when there is no buying in the first place? Sure, sure, one can always give "intangibles" or practical gifts like what those magazines always feature (read: recycle) in their annual holiday issues - give the gift of time, the gift of your creativity, the gift of love. Nothing wrong with that really, except (for me at least), these "practical" options should be circulated among us year-round, and not just within the closest of kins and friends, but to as many people as possible.

Besides, haven't you noticed that it is that one brief period in a year when "purchasing" feels magical? I do! In contrast to the stressful, hurried and sometimes depressing shopping we do on ordinary days, shopping(s) for the sake of Christmas shopping (accumulating gifts we will be giving away, even decors to add cheer to our own personal spaces in tune with the yuletide theme) has a kind of light, airy, cheerful feeling to it, much like those mornings when a child wakes up on a Christmas morning. Magical!

Wowwww.... That MAGICAL Christmas feeling!

As I age, I would always wonder where have all those "magical Christmas morning" feelings I had as a child gone? Those past Christmas mornings when I woke up and I never could feel that special, dejavu-like brief moments of magic...

Then, one time, when I was busily immersed among the crowd of Christmas shoppers in a supermarket, I GOT IT BACK! Yes, even for a brief moment, less than a minute perhaps, I stopped and there it was, immersing me with what could have been the invisible Christmas spirit powder dust for grown-ups like me, leaving me with a fresh, invigorating energy that lasted me more rounds of gift-shopping for those several long commutes with loads of Christmas shopping bags, yet I feel like a super hero.

That moment was a sort of an epiphany for me, and greatly redefined my views about Christmas shopping. And whenever I feel like recapturing that old Christmas morning magic I had as a child, I just go shopping (even if it is not Christmas, even if only to feel and smell that charmed air of people and products melding together in a sea of polished shopping mall floors) and for once, I appreciate this very welcome "peace on Earth, goodwill to men" drive that regular consumerism would morphed into come Christmas time.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS HEAVEN IN A MORE MEANINGFUL SENSE

That is why, I strongly advocate and promote the NO SCRIMPING ON CHRISTMAS cause. And I invite you to join me. I don't mean you splurge everything on Christmas shopping, of course not! Your common sense surely knows "everything in moderation" is good all the time, for anything. What I mean simply is:

It's Christmastime! Share a bit more, give a bit more, buy a bit (okay, a lot) more, and spread love and cheer as much as you can and make more children keep those magical Christmas morning feelings a lot longer! Could be the reason why there is that "feeling like a super hero" air to that.

I came up with this piece because I feel that as a self-proclaimed Independent Consumer talking my head and heart to all of you, guys, I have a responsibility to deflate a pervading twisted view about Christmas and consumerism.

There are those people who feel that this is the season of waste, of wanton splurging, of evil, evil consumerism. And they refuse to jump the bandwagon of buying and buying for Christmas. "Christmas is consumer exploitation! Christmas is too commercialized! And I don't blame them. Okay, I blame them a bit for not being smart, analytical and independent enough to be in control of their consumer activities, Christmas or not. And I blame the overly kick-ass hardselling tactics of some "marketers" that hype the "purchasing" side of Christmas over the real motive of why people should buy for others (and for themselves) especially during the yuletide season.

Heck! a P245,000 plasma TV at 0% interest as the "perfect gift for the family that no perfect dad should miss??? Or those 18-carat diamonds that wives and girlfriends should get for Christmas, and nothing less, because women deserve only the best??? Hah!!! How painfully materialistic, pressure-overt and just plain dumb. These kinds of shameless Christmas marketing had become so blatant and a lot of people are really turned off year after year, hence the "Christmas shopping is evil" stance of some of our folks out there.

But hey, this is the time of year when your being an Independent Consumer comes in. You can beat that evil, phony and fake Christmas goodwill permeated by those trying hard, hard-selling, and selling-to-the-demon-their-souls" marketers who taint the real and basic spirit of Christmas, "GIVING AND GOODWILL TO MEN," as shown to us by the story of the Three Magis who humbly presented their gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.

Buy, not because those shameless Christmas marketers tell you to do so, but buy because you think that little cuddly teddy bear will make little Nicole feel more warmly tucked in at night; grab that dog tag necklace-and-bracelet pair for Nicko's coming-of-age image experimentations which is so important to a fifth grader like him; bag that flashlight-fan-stereo combo for old Dad to add to his stack of shiny, unused OldDad gadgets in his room; wrap up that luscious red tablecloth for Mom to use during the family Media Noche, and get dozens of those glow-in-the-dark popsicles, starter storybooks, stick-on nail polishes, bead boxes, leaping bunnies, and so, so, so many little more gifts that would add up to clutter a year after for friends and even strangers.

And by all means, if you can conveniently afford it, save up for many months to buy 82-year old gramma and grampa that nice, widescreen plasma TV for better, more enjoyable soap opera viewing to delight them in the slowly dwindling afternoons of their beautiful lives together. Who cares? And in all your gift buying choices, think of what small, sensible price and practicality to pay in exchange for those precious moments when little eyes open up with delight, wrinkled hands become excited, confusions turn into refreshing ideas, and weary hearts (even yours) are cheered.

Be the cool, hip and informed Independent Consumer that you are with THE NO SCRIMPING ON CHRISTMAS CAUSE - Care to join me?

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

THE INDEPENDENT CONSUMER - We're Cool, We're Hip, We're Here!

The INDEPENDENT Consumer

Hi, and WELCOME to my site!

I hope you'll find it informative and useful.

First of all, let me introduce myself...

I am human (funny when those social bookmarking sites give you the captcha odd word type-in quiz to make sure you're one); Asian; 30 to 49 years old; female; single; college graduate; working full time; leasing but working my way to mortgage; annual income private; with more than one dependent (an elderly over 60 years of age, or a minor under 18 years of age). That in essence is my market demographic.

Now that you know enough information about me, there's one thing I'd like to confess:

I am a ravenous consumer. And I am not alone.

Almost all of us are ravenous consumers in more ways than one. In the 24 hours that we have in a day, just think how many of those are spent on the idea and actual action of "consuming." Living is consuming, and consuming is inevitable. In my (and everyone else's) day-to-day existence, products, products and more products have starring roles.

To categorize my brand of consumerism, I have chosen to label myself as an “independent consumer." And this self-branding entails voluminous texts of explanations, as it pertains to MY consumer profile and with that, my pattern of “consuming” - from identifying what I need, planning the purchase, making the purchase and the end-all and be-all and the point of the whole exercise: consuming (using) the products or in the case of services, availing (experiencing) it.

What Is An INDEPENDENT CONSUMER?

Independent consumers, as oppose to "dependent" consumers, are characterized by a pattern of decision-making involving actual purchase and long-term use of a product or service that is not influenced by factors commonly believed to shape one's perception and standards of what and what not to buy or patronize (in the case of services).

As there are consumer education, independent consumers believe there is also a need for "marketer" education (l have used the term "marketer" to refer to the general group of products and services providers involve in all the product or service marketing process- from manufacturer to distributor to actual sellers) on what actually drives consumer purchase, and long-term loyalty, as well as non-purchase and the fickle tides and turns involving actual purchase and patronage.

In attempting to define our breed of consumers, I, and the many other independent consumers like me, hope to reach out to the league of marketers everywhere, to come up with better product and service choices based on what really prompts us to buy and use, rather than marketing hypes and the perennial tactic to convert wants into "pressing needs," which I believe is a major fault of the consumer world, and a major factor why the world economy is in a disastrous shambles these days.

As a voice for the many independent consumers out there, hear my simple, humble, basic yet true and realistic analysis of consumerism, with facts that are washed clean of impurities and hanged under sunlight in open air for everyone else to really see and appreciate.

So what really are Independent Consumers? Actually, more than "what" defines us, Independent Consumers are more shaped by "why" we purchase.

Why AM I (and almost all the people I know who share my demographic profile) AN INDEPENDENT CONSUMER?

1. I am an independent consumer because my product and service choices are not based on any systematic side-by-side comparisons (like what those online sites for Palm Tungsten or Canon digital cameras present the potential buyer).

For most consumer index profilers, the average consumer (I'd like to think of myself as one) common sense dictates that price, quality and quantity are the basic factors in choosing the best products available in the market. More affordable? Check! More bubbles and therefore, more cleaning power? Check! Content goes up to neck bottle as against competitor's shoulder level? Check! Easier said than done!

How can one have a definitive metric system of measurement for count and mass nouns and reconcile them with one's personal measurement of goods (and even services)? Not to mention one's perception of what is “effective”? From a rabid consumer's point of view (read: mine), these purchase basis concepts are all personal and experiential, or simply, too impractically general.

For instance, a 200 ml liquid detergent would make for 5 loads of wash (1 full hamper each load). Consumer A has a medium-sized hamper, Consumer B has a really huge hamper. Consumer C has both hamper sizes, the medium one stacked more than what Consumer A has, and the huge hamper has less of what Consumer B cramped into her hamper. So who makes the correct measurement that the liquid detergent manufacturer had in mind? What makes that liquid detergent better than other brands, or a powdered detergent for that matter? The arguments can go and on and one never really arrives at a realistic measure of “affordable,” “high-quality” and “more.”

That is why, tags like “50 ml more,” or “cheaper by the dozen”, or “can be used as a toilet bowl cleaner too!” does not work for me. (I think I would even ran out of it for washing clothes, why would I use it to go clean my toilet bowl? And goodness, any kind or brand of soap would do that thing, it doesn't have to be that liquid detergent!)

2. As an independent consumer, my consumer actions are not based on advertising fireworks.

I love advertisements. As I child, I grew up singing along with those commercials I hear over and over again on TV and radio (“Sunny Orange makes me ... (I forgot that part) Sunny Orange super quality! (if ever that was the correct lyrics); “And we all can agree that with sweet harmony, tomorrow...Coca Cola to share... and build a better world for you”Coca-Cola TVC featuring the very young singer-actress Lilet). In college, sitting beside the most flawless boy in class, I found myself humming to the tune of “Caronia... Caronia... your beauty shows... with Ca-ro-ni-yaaaaaa!” How can I be so unimpressive?) (a

Yet still, when I got to the 'consumer age,” where I am actually making the decision on what to buy, and actually spending my own money for it (I would put my legitimate consumer age somewhere between 18, when I first started working as an editorial assistant, and 23, when I first tried living on my own, or what others would call the “studio-type phase”) I tended to buy Eight O'clock powdered juice in packets despite the availability of those classic Sunny Orange bottles. About a decade after the Eight O'clock prime, I now go look for the cheapest of the pack, Magnolia Iced Tea label, among the piles of powdered juice sachets in supermarkets.

I love Coke, always and forever, but then, at the family home nowadays, the local soda RC Cola takes the centerstage of the Condura refrigerator, and I find myself not minding if I myself switch to this local soda. The savings angle is only substantiated by my personal observation that they almost look the same dark, heavy-textured liquid (Equally refreshing sodas that they are, Pepsi looks more “translucent” to me, while Zesto Cola appears more “porous” - definitely not Coke. In my own unexplainable consumer psyche, RC Cola looks like Coke, and therefore can be Coke. The slightly sweeter taste need not be a statement of the problem.

3. As an independent consumer, my product choices and brand preferences are ALWAYS based on familiarity that is user- or experienced-based (not so much due to advertising) and what “personally” works for me.

This is true for both products that I grew up using at home, and those that I “discovered” myself.

They say familiarity breeds contempt, but not in my consumer world, where familiarity with a certain product type or brand makes for shorter grocery shopping time and an “all is well with the world” state of consciousness.

For me, a comfortable level of familiar with a certain product or service provider is preceded by a genuine satisfaction from using or availing such products or services, and a genuine (not self-convincing) knowledge that as a consumer, I really get my money's worth (I am deliberately not using “value for money” which to me is a very hardsell marketing jargon, grammatically incorrect, not to mention a marketing cliché). As such, Colgate, Safeguard, Johnson & Johnson, Minola, Coke, Jollibee, SM, Robinsons, Biojesic, Vicks, Canon, Maggi, Nestlé, Reader's Digest, Lucky Me, Magnolia, HBO, Banco de Oro, Ihaw-Ihaw Kalde-Kaldero Kawa-Kawali, Citizen, HP, BPI, GE, Condura, Sharp, Hunts, Ligo, Tiger, Hanes, So-En, and so many other goods, I have bought, tried, tested, used, reused, and patronized over and over again,.

In their product categories, there is an unconscious clamor for these names whenever I make a purchase, whether planned or at random. In the compartmentalized supermarket layouts, they are the ones I consciously sought. In my decision-makings and budget allocations, they almost always make the cut. And there is not much time wasted on the act. Familiar is akin to family. There is peace of mind, reassurance and expectations that are met.

4. Lastly, as an independent consumer, while deliberately not naming a product, brand or label that I, personally, is not satisfied with or would not recommend (an exercise of my conscious regard in observing the unwritten laws of a writer's ethics, respect for product manufacturers and service providers, and concern for businesses which is a key component of a strong market economy), I will freely name specific products, brands, labels, manufacturers, services, and service providers as I deem it necessary to illustrate, explain and give credence to my consumer preferences, decision-making, perceptions, views and opinions. In naming such, it does not mean I am putting down the competitor, the second competitor, or those in the other competitor lines. I emphasized that, while my choices, views and opinions are, in my analysis and humble research, reflections of the habits, preferences and deeply rooted behavioral patterns of an average consumer, they are personal and experiential, based on years of being a consumer and breathing the literal essence of the term consumerism.

A Page from an Independent Consumer's Diary

Dear Kitty,

I just saw the loveliest capelet in the world! It beckons to me among that pile of flea market treasures near Angkor Wat, like a lost child instantly recognizing his mother among the crowd. I gotta have it, by George I want to buy it... gotta ... want... need.... BUT on second thoughts, that FILA tennis jacket in downtown Makati City always reminds me of Roger Federer, it's good to wear in my freezing cube farm, and so, so, so 2008. Hmmm, gotta catch an early MRT train to Glorietta then. Will paste a Polaroid (yup, I've got one, baby) on this page when I'm done.

XoXo - TIC

So little time, so much to do,

I'd rather spend my days with you...

- ARKARNA (from the album Fresh Meat)

So little bucks, so much to buy,

I'd rather spend my days in The Limbecker Platz ...

- THE INDEPENDENT CONSUMER (from a page in her diary)

As I have said on my introductory spiel, living is consuming, and consuming is inevitable. In my (and everyone else's) day-to-day existence, products, products and more products have starring roles. This is a typical “day in the life” of an independent consumer.

Here's a dog-eared page from by boring consumer diary:

MORNING:

Refreshed with rejuvenating water courtesy of Manila Water (“We don't just lay pipes, we improve lives” always kicks in every time I wash), I instinctively proceed to take those quick gulps of coffee (no more Taster's Choice, Nescafe Classic tastes just as good). Brewing is out of the question, and in today's hurried world (at least mine), has really no place in the kitchen counter. My 3D electric pot has perpetually replaced the whistling teapot). Grooming rituals consist mostly of Safeguard soaps (because my Mama has always bought it since I was a child), a Palmolive Egg and Vanilla shampoo from Jo's brief vacation from Bahrain), the ubiquitous Colgate tube, Ponds scrubs and face creams, Vaseline lotions, Rustan's Essences non-essentials (exfoliants, more lotions and some gifts received and gifts I failed to give), and an array of Avon and Maybelline cosmetics.

My sartorial choices for the day consumes 30 minutes of my bedtime and another 30 of my morning rush hour (the F&H jeans or the Bench cutoffs? The lovely pink sweater from a Baguio ukay-ukay (vintage or second-hand clothing stores) or the trendy Oxygen green jacket?

I definitely will wear a basic “statement t-shirt, ” but which of the black "I like pierced guys - they understand pain and know how to buy jewelry,” and the green "I may not always be right, but I doubt it"?

After that, I would need my daily dose of news (turn on my cool 5-inch CD-R King mini-plasma TV or just grab a copy of Parazzi tabloid from the corner newsstand? Better yet get the state of the world and an update on local showbiz chismis from the Internet later).

LUNCHTIME:

My lunch is courtesy of quick service food establishments around the office - which varies, according to my daily liquidity - Manang's (term of endearment for an elderly woman) homecooked lunch fares of 1 cup rice and 1 meat dish, fixed at P30 (less than $1) per plate, Jollibee Meal C (1-piece chicken and rice) at about P70 (about $1.50) or Kenny Rogers Meal 1 - Quarter roast chicken, rice,two side dishes and a corn muffin at P145 (about $3).

Then, there is the inevitable post-lunch cravings (P15 small snack bag, again from Manang's shelves, orange juice (again because of my micro-economic state, I always end up buying the P15 Tropicana while all the while intending to taste-test Minute Maid, with real pulpy orange, at P20.

An 8 out of 10 chances of probability, I will dash to the nearest cellphone card retailing station. I actually have two SIMcards for my two cellular phones (A Sony Ericsson K-series for my Globe (mobile phone network provider), and a cheaper Nokia model for my Smart). I actually also saved for and bought a Japanese-made dual-SIM cellphone (both active, not "switching") which is the perfect gadget for more than one SIM owners like me (wonder why Nokia has no similar gadget, and even if it does have one, my financial independence would not have it if there are ridiculously cheaper and even better-working models from Nippon geniuses out there), but I ended up just using it for secret TV viewings on Saturdays, when the boss is off early and everyone is just waiting for that thrilling time to log out. (I recently purchased a PLDT Landline Plus Pre-paid, (a whole consumer story in itself) which I put on that dual-SIM phone, together with a stand-by Talk 'n Text SIM, just in case I needed an extra one.

Going back to my dash to the loading station, with two SIMs from two of the nation's largest mobile networks, I have such an easy choice. Whatever network name comes out of my mouth the first time, then load it. Some consumer choices are mundane and trivial, actually.

LATE AFTERNOON:

Now, here's my favorite practical de-stressing activity: a quick trip to the suburban mall with a large grocery shop on the way home for some fresh chicken cuts (Magnolia Chicken Station, either by force of habit or the most cranially -ingrained name when it comes to chicken) and replenishment of my basic household needs, from toothpaste (Colgate, because other toothpaste brands leave the area around my mouth dry and itchy. Call it psychological, I call it experiential) all-in-one seasonings (Maggi Magic Sarap really works wonders, and surprise, found out when I went "home" one time that my Mama is all praises for it, too), to pantyliners and feminine pads, either Those Days or Modess. There are cheap big shades dangling on the pay counter stand, alongside mint chewing gums, magazines and micro deodorants. Except for the magazine, I have a tendency to add one of these last-minute useless purchase on my rolling pad towards the cashier.

NIGHTTIME:

I'm bent on completing a freelance writing job that needs some dose of flesh through researching on forums and threads. I'm cursing the perpetually less than 100 kbps speed of my Internet connection provider, when it should have been 356. And I only have 2 hours left from my 30-hour monthly Internet allocation plan. Chances are, I will cough up several more pesos to pay for the extra hours. I made a firm decision to switch to the competitor with a faster speed and unlimited connection, and with a free landline to boot. How could that have escaped my connectivity decision-making three months ago? Hopefully, I will remember to make the big switch tomorrow, or when I'm not too busy.

1 am:

I hit the sack, finally, which is actually a 4-inch foam-mattress that comes with a two-year warranty, and a guaranteed replacement after five years. I forgot the name but the warranty cards neatly tucked in my drawer box for appliances manuals will surely have it). My Town and Country comforter, a deal for P2,000 more or less (from a 50% midnight madness sale in SM) lives up to its name, comforting me under its warm and soft layers. Before I doze into REMlandia, I struggle to find the pen and Post-it tandem on my bedside table, crookedly writing a Note to Self: Need a card reader, MP3 King sells a single SD card slot-type for only P50. From my original P300 budget, I can get some really nice flip-flops for P100 a pair, and that cheap canvass summer bag for P150, both in SM Department Store.

Life is good.

Brand Awareness: So Who's Really Awake When They Taught This in Marketing 101?

Certainly not the marketing gurus.

As an independent consumer, I unconsciously associate brands and products with what I saw on the advertisements. Pigromix and Pigrolax will always be pink, lovely piglets and a very young Aiko Melendez (Philippine actress) then.

Spam will always be the shiny, even slices of fried luncheon meat on a bed of thick and creamy sauted pork and beans. No matter what new brands, labels or variants of the same brand surface, I will always look for the images that have been downloaded into my mind as a child.

With this, I therefore conclude that brand awareness is unconscious and starts simultaneous with the mental development of a child. However, “knowing” does not always mean actually “buying.”

WHAT MY PERSONAL CONSUMERISM TAUGHT ME:

As an independent consumer, I have learned “personal facts” about my purchasing habit, which could be true to most, if not all, average consumers in general:

1. What really drives a purchase?

Consumer purchases are either product-driven, or brand-driven, and the two may be precedent (one after the other: I need a rat poison, I will buy Dora rat killer OR Dora is a good pest control brand, I would like to buy some for future use) or a coatenous decision-making process (I am in front of the pest control section and I will grab any pest control product randomly). In terms of product choices, I may need a device to unscrew the cork in my wine bottle. Will I buy a spiral plug-in-pull-up type, or a clamp-and-loosen type? Never mind the brand.

It is rare, even unrealistic, that a consumer will make a purchase of a “practical need” because of a desire to acquire a certain brand: I want brand XXX in my home. “I will buy the brand's pest control product.” (There can be an argument in this context when it comes to luxury goods and status symbol brands, as such, I have emphasized the phrase practical need.)

Realistically speaking from the practical need buying pattern, the need for a product weights more than the preference for a brand in making a purchase.

2. Truth in Advertising and the Truth on Advertising.

These are two very different concepts. Truth is king (or queen) in any case or situation, hands down. And truth, especially in advertising, is not just a business ethic and a moral responsibility, it is simply the operative word. Hence, we often rally behind businesses who put emphasis on truth whenever they make claims about product or service quality and consumer benefits in all advertising media – TV, print, radio, online, flyers, leaflets, tarps, below-the ground advertising. It is also in reverence to the magnitude of truth that many disclaimers (usually in very small fonts with asterisks below a running TVC) accompany advertisements, and why there are so many consumer complaints against those fast food counter posters, flyers and tarpaulins emblazoned with shiny, crispy and huge meals because they are way too different from what actually comes off the kitchen and are served to customers.

Now, here's a piece of truth on advertising. It is not a sole determinant of a consumer purchase drive. (I would rather not dwell on its impact on a business's profit, since I do not own a corporation, I am a consumer speaking here). No matter how fancy, glossy or even truthful an advertisement is, it will not spark an outright urge to buy, even if the consumer subconscious is bombarded by the minute with the ad. The simple reasons are on top of this article, the same ones that explain why me and many other individuals like me are in the league of independent consumers. What dedicated advertising accomplishes would be a certain level of brand awareness, yet still, this leads to another lesson:

3. Brand awareness does not necessary translate to actual purchase of the brand.

As I have mentioned in point no. 1, what drives a purchase in a practical, realistic and day-to-day existence is the pressing need for a product. In the real world, after the need is acknowledged, there is the inevitable budget to consider. Again, in this area, one would argue, “but I have planned my budget in accordance with the prevailing market price of the brands that I prefer.” Good for you. And that is true. However, this leaves another area which is as true as your budget liquidity.

4. There are times when budget is not really the issue, but product availability.

Any experienced consumer (forgive the redundancy, just for emphasis) would recognize that product availability, or unavailability, instantly alters one's purchasing plan or pattern, especially when a need for a certain product is pressing.

I may forgo my buying pattern for Lucky Me Extra Hot Chili pancit canton next week if it is unavailable, but a caterer who needs her dozen of Nestlé All-Purpose Cream cannot wait till next week for a replenished supermarket stock, and may opt for other brands just to mark as done that item on her shopping list, and move on to other aisles. Indeed, the lowdown on Fast Moving Commodities like trusted coffee, milk and dairy brands is they usually lose on loyal consumers if the store runs out of stock, or is not quick to replenish them from the store warehouse. Not that it affects their standing in the market or mark a dent in their impressive revenue reports.

Going back to my Coca Cola and RC Cola narrative (point 2 of why I am an Independent Consumer), I have hinted that RC Cola could well be the Coca Cola of my adult, budget-conscious life phase, and that RC Cola is on the centerstage of the family refrigerator.

Allow me to paint a little micro-economic background here. Where my parent's house is, there are a lot of variety (sari-sari, in local color or Tagalog word) stores , “mini-marts,” corner eateries which sells almost all soft drink brands and flavors. With so many children, students, taxi drivers, busy working moms, call center agents, and neighborhood basketball players, one can easily deduce why RC Cola is a neighborhood bestseller.

Now, the studio-type apartment I rent is in a subdivision along the border of a Metro Manila city and a Rizal suburban, a typical neighborhood where tricycle lines are ubiquitous in the subdivision gate, and the few variety stores are usually just a house's grandma's past time while watching an afternoon TV soap. In my street, the two variety stores on the corner lot both carry only Coca Cola products, courtesy of the delivery truck that makes its round of the subdivision once a week. That makes it a Coke country for that part of the subdivision, and I, a captive Coke consumer, not that I mind at all.