What is a 'brand'?

Many people regard brands as mere products that they are selling. Some practice it, as only a marketing function. Many believe brands can be built merely through advertising. Some believe it can be done without research and consumer insights. It is not uncommon to find top management who think the brand is merely their name, logo, symbol, character, slogan… So, many are born with one dimensional and unattractive personalities.

Today, Brand Management has shifted from ‘Marketing and Advertising builds brands' to building brands through 'performance, integrated communications and focus on customer value'. From mere decibel levels of advertising hitherto used as mere sales aids, the shift is towards creating brand images and associations that builds enduring consumer preference to drive business.

Most brand owners don't realise that brands are living entities and have complex drives, rational and emotional. At Scion, we help define and understand the brand to the key brand owner and help engineer the brand elements and creative communications.

 

What is Brand Strategy?

Strategy is the roadmap towards reaching a desired goal. 'Brand Strategy' is defining and planning the path of least resistance and optimal expense towards successfully achieving a pre-defined target for the brand. Brand strategy has to be derived after defining the overall business vision of the organization, an understanding of the brand's avatar and its users, the fit and role of the brand to the organization and its contribution to revenues, profits, image, competition and its effect on sibling brands in the stable.

 

Where do we start?

By asking the right questions. In fact, hundreds of questions, about the product, the competition, the consumer, his friends, relatives, peer group...

Is there a market untapped? Is there a chink in the competition’s armour? Is there a niche vacant? Is there a segment that can be targeted?
Is there a new trend emerging? Is there a promise not leveraged?
What do they say, really feel? What do they think? What are their fears? Hopes? Secret dreams? What drives them? What do their friends and relatives think?
What are their choices? What’s cool? What’s uncool?
What Brands do they use? Why? What do they derive from those brands? Emotional. Rational.
What’s the space you can own today? And tomorrow? What’s the place you can build on?
Will it surprise? Will it touch? Will it move?
Which image will cut through? Which medium will surprise? Which size will work?
How do they become aware of their need for your brand? How do they find your offering?
How do they make their final selection? What happens when it is delivered? How is it installed? How is it paid for?
How is it stored? How is it moved around? What is it really being used for?
When do they use it? How often is it replenished, repaired, serviced?
How is it disposed off?
What needs are we meeting? Functional? Emotional?

 

What goes into building a brand strategy?

Understanding, Research, Clarity and Commitment. And of course most importantly creativity at all levels.

First a brand needs to discover its core promise. Few actually do. Often, just doing what the leader in that category does. At Scion we essentially distill the essence of the brand through in-depth research and focus groups and discussions with the management. We help articulate what the brand represents and therefore, at least implicitly, what it is not. And what is unique about the brand. Once this is defined, we draw up our unique brand blue-print from which the rest of the design, communications and CRM practice is derived.

 

What are the challenges that any brand faces?

Remaining true to the agreed brand definition and resisting the temptation to follow the herd or arbitrarily run after new opportunities. Most marketing and promotional inputs are knee jerk reactions to competition and shifting dynamics of the market. It is very important to have keep the brands energised but on track with its core values.

What will help the brand is a creative solution, not a sales quick fix. Our advertising and communication delivers better results, precisely because it is brand driven.. This doesn't necessarily mean more advertising or matching competitor discounts. That in most cases is not where the problem lies. It could for example be in motivating dealers and sales staff, or innovative promos.

Most importantly it needs time and commitment from everyone in the organization. Quite often, it ends up being mere marketing rhetoric. Or the secret of a handful in the management team. It can only succeed if all levels, divisions and departments of the organization embrace the brand idea and work together to build on it.

 

What kind of organizations need brand building?

From MNC banks, home grown entrepreneurs to NGO’s - we work with those who have vision and ambition. We believe brands are the key to survival, whatever the industry – be it manufacturing or services. There are huge opportunities for building relevant brands in India. We have helped create new brands and energized flagging ones. Many require brand re-engineering, be it a simple make-over or brand re-positioning to be relevant to today’s consumer or competition.