9 Vishya for Brand Bhavishy

For having a healthy Brand Bhavishya (Brand Future), you need to focus on nine Vishya (issues) - or the nine pins to bowl the consumer over, by building brands in the minds and hearts of consumers. There are many who feel that the future of branding is bleak. It is not so. It is very bright, if you know how to do it right.
These nine Vishya, would make your Brand Bhavishya bright and bowl the consumer over, making her love your brand.

Pin 1. Brand Dhyaan (Brand Attention)
The first pine is 'Dhyan Do, Dhyan Lo'. (Pay attention to get attention). In today's competitive world, the most sought after elements the-con-sumer's Dyaan (Attention) in such a cluttered environment, the future of your brand depends on this vishya - Are you paying adequate attention to your consumers? Taj, Jet Airways, Cadbury Lux are great brands, who pay attention to the consumer. In order to continue to be great attention is a must, even for great brands. Therefore, Dhyan Do, Dhyaan Lo because 'Dhyan bhat gaya, toh sales ghat gaya. (if you lose attention, you lose Bales).

Pin 2. Brand Maidaan (Brand Arena)
Many a times, the brand competes in the wrong maidaan (field). In the future will be very important to identify and define your field. If you are a cricketer and are playing on the football field, it is unlikely that you will win the cricket match. When there is a growing trend of coffee parlours like Barista and Coffee Cafe Day, a tea brand needs to define its own arena rather than be caught in the wrong field. Similarly, if the trend of ice tea like Nestea, Lipton is growing, the cold coffee brand needs to define its own maidaan and not get caught on the wrong foot, not .because the product is bad, but the arena is inappropriate.

Pin 3. Brand Kaan (Ear to listen)
Marketers will have to have their ears to the ground, constantly, not in an ad hoc manner. For this to happen, you require not any ordinary Kaan (ear), you need a Brand Kaan, to understand consumer needs, changing needs, latent needs, created needs as well as non-needs. Real Value vaccumiser was a non-need and failed. Krack Cream caters to a latent need, which has manifested itself, very well. Brand Kaan, (a ear to listen), requires patience and open mindedness. Exploring the possibilities, of unexplored needs, requires a special ear with an eye to the future.

Pin 4. Brand Anjaan se Jaan, Pehchan (unaware to aware to recognition)
The world will be di- vided between winner brands and champion brands. This will totally depend on your brand's awareness and recognition and recall level. My Brand Mantra is, 'Beware of the Unaware.' If consumers are unaware about your brand, you are a loser, from the beginning. To be a Champion brand in the future, you need to move from Brand Anjaan to Jaan, Pehchaan (from unaware to Aware and recognition). Fevicol is a champion brand through awareness and recognition. Many other adhesives have tried gaining share, but did not succeed. Sony is a champion brand and constantly keeps increasing its recognition and awareness. In the future, however good your product or service is, without awareness, the consumer will not consider it. Because she will ask, 'If it is so good, how come I have not heard about it?'

Pin 5. Brand Gyaan (Brand Knowledge)
If the consumer does not have brand knowledge, the chances of the brand succeeding over the long run are extremely low. Let me caution you here - it is not product knowledge that he needs to be educated about, it is brand knowledge that he should be educated about. The consumer needs to know what, where, when, who, why and how of the brand - what are its features and benefits, when should it be used and when not, who should be
allowed to use it, why, and most important, how. It will not be sufficient to put a leaflet in the pack and hope that the consumer reads it. The consumer would have to be -48 educated proactively.

"The world will be divided between winner brands and champion brands. This will totally depend on your brand's. Awareness and ' recognition and recall level"

Pin 6. Brand Abhyaan (Brand Campaign)
Brand Campaign is not only about advertising or promotion, but a complete experience. It is not just some lip service but an actual focused Brand Abhyaan to make consumers taste, feel and fully experience the brand. Though there is a start made in some categories like test drives of cars, much more needs to be done which must be understood before, during and after purchase.

Pin 7. Brand Shaan, Moan Sanmaan (Image, Prestige, self-respect)
Branding will have to deliver much more than just the tangibles. One of the most important intangibles that a consumer would need while buying and using the brand would be Brand Shaan, Maan, Sanmaan (Image, Prestige, and Self-respect). At the end of the day, it is important that the brand enhances the prestige, image and self respect of the consumer irrespective of what product or service category it comes from.

Pin 8. Brand Joan (Brand Alive)
it is very obvious that if you are not alive, you are dead. But where does a brand live? In the minds and hearts of consumers. Brand Jaan (Brand Alive) is going to be vital in the future of branding because there is a tendency of successful brands to slacken and relax and be arrogant and therefore appear dead to the new consumer. A brand must be alive to changing conditions and new circumstances - it means continuous breathing - even a lapse of a few minutes could mean death. But if handled well, it could be immortal.

Pin 9. Brand Daan (Corporate Social Responsibility)
The last vishya for a healthy Brand Bhavishya is Brand Daan (Corporate Social Responsibility). In the future, brands are going to be loved and accepted by consumers if they fulfill their Corporate Social Responsibility It could be taking care of the environment or helping a child's education or anything else that is socially relevant.
Present your brand well to the consumer, get past the competition and build a sound future for your brand. You just need to use the 9 vitas for a healthy brand bhavishya.

(The author is CMD, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt Ltd)

Compiled
Consulting Editor, Strategic Marketing. Send feedback to manoj@columnist.com Marketing: Response, Tel: 66353636 Printed and Published by Devashish Sarkar for the proprietors Worldwide Media Ltd, The Times of India Bldg, Dr D N Road, Mumbai 400 001, India

2006-05-04 00:35:52