External and Environment Factors Affecting Tata Tea Essay Example

that connects more deeply with the consumer, and puts it in a place that is more unique and distinctive in the consumers mind when compared to many other products with similar functional attributes. In a market that has, by and large, remained stagnant, the Lux brand has grown close to double digit in the last three years. The second principle behind iconic branding is what I call a powerful brand idea that the brand must always live and breathe.

A brand must have an idea if it is to break out of the tyranny of sameness and stand for something that is big, bold inspirational. In a sea of choppy waters, the brand stand tall and be a guiding beacon of light for consumers to want to belong to, A brand idea must come from a clear understanding and articulation of the defining purpose and vision of the brand, a role that the brand seeks to play in the larger contest of consumers’ lives.

The brand idea is the starting which defines the philosophy, the ethos and the culture f the brand, which must then be reflected and manifested in each and every facet of the brand doing so, the brand moves beyond being a physical tangible product, but embodies a bigger purpose, a bigger thought, which can become a source of sustainable competitive advantage. An example within HLL where we have seen this work powerfully is Lifebuoy. For over 100 years, Lifebuoy was a tough cleaning soap with strong germicidal perfume. In the late 1990s and in the early 2000-01, the brand started losing relevance which forced us to go back to the basics and really

try to understand it in a far deeper and relevant way.

From this consumer engagement came the understanding that Lifebuoy was a soap that not just about germ protection, but really something bigger. It was a brand that met the basic health and hygiene needs of consumers and offered them peace of mind and emotional reassurance. This was not a bAn example within HLL where we have seen this work powerfully is Lifebuoy. For over 100 years, Lifebuoy was a tough cleaning soap with strong germicidal perfume.

In the late 1990s and in the early 2000-01, the brand started losing relevance which forced us to go back to the basics and really try to understand it in a far deeper and relevant way. From this consumer engagement came the understanding that Lifebuoy was a soap that not just about germ protection, but really something bigger. It was a brand that met the basic health and hygiene needs of consumers and offered them peace of mind and emotional reassurance. This was not a brand that was in the soap bussinessa€”this was a brand in the peace of mind business.

This lead to a powerful articulation of the brand purpose ”to make a billion Indians feel safe and secure by meeting their health and hygiene needs. ” This philosophy was reflected in every element of the product mix: the packaging with its shift from the masculine symbols of health and robustness to family health; the advertising, which moved from champions shooting football goals to a family doctor giving a simple tip to be free from hygiene problems; the perfume, which was changed from a harsh carbolic smell to a more

fresh and clean smell that all family members liked.

In addition, the brand invested in a large-scale rural hygiene education programme (lifebuoy Swasthya Chetana) directly contacting 70 million rural consumers as a first step to living by the guiding purpose of the brand, a result of this, in a market that has remained stagnant, Lifebuoy has grown at well over double-digit rates for three years in a row. The third principle behind iconic branding is : engage consumers through an all-pervasive 360-degree approach.

With the fragmentation of television as a medium and the enormous clutter on the screen, it is vital that brands go beyond television to engage consumers and touch them unexpected and myriad ways, in ways that bring out the idea that the brand stands for with deep relevance and meaning. It is critical that brands seek to do this in multiple ways at multiple touch points. Fight for attention and relevance is a fight for the consumer’s share of mind.

Brands must, therefore, look at ways of bringing the brand idea alive at every potential occasion where there is a role for the brand using unconventional media at events and indeed at the point of purchase. Equally, it is critical to do this with scale, to do this in a manner Where it can make a genuine difference to the brand and its growth. For scale, it is vital to have fewer, bigger brands. One of the driving factor; behind our power brand strategy within HLL. Is to give fewer brands bigger scale so that this brand can then be truly iconic.

The key question for companies is to really answer how they can build iconic

brands in a sustainable and distinctive way. How can companies stay ahead of the game and, therefore shape trends rather than follow changes and trends. Believe that the key catalyst for this transformation of brands to truly iconic brands is an empathetic and deeply connected organization that is consumer facing. I believe, it is not just the marketing department’s rule to understand consumers.

It is the role of everyone in the organization to engage consumers deeply since these consumers are the very reason for an organizationa€™s existence. I also believe that in the new world of today, deeper functional specialization even within marketing will make a huge difference in building iconic brands. Specializations, where there is a group of people who are passionately committed to driving innovation that is living and breathing the brand idea, while a separate team of people is focused on realizing and executing the idea amongst the multiple touch points where a brand interacts with its consumers.

Finally, I believe that it is vital to create a culture of learning, when people within are curious about changes, curious about what can be learnt not just from within the category, but about what can be learnt from disconnected categories. A culture where people are always looking for better and newer ways of doing things. A culture where people embracea€”indeed thrive ona€”change and learning. [pic]Popularity: 23% [? ] rand that was in the soap bussinessa€”this was a brand in the peace of mind business.

This lead to a powerful articulation of the brand purpose ”to make a billion Indians feel safe and secure by meeting their health and hygiene needs. ” This philosophy was reflected in

every element of the product mix: the packaging with its shift from the masculine symbols of health and robustness to family health; the advertising, which moved from champions shooting football goals to a family doctor giving a simple tip to be free from hygiene problems; the perfume, which was changed from a harsh carbolic smell to a more fresh and clean smell that all family members liked.

In addition, the brand invested in a large-scale rural hygiene education programme (lifebuoy Swasthya Chetana) directly contacting 70 million rural consumers as a first step to living by the guiding purpose of the brand, a result of this, in a market that has remained stagnant, Lifebuoy has grown at well over double-digit rates for three years in a row. The third principle behind iconic branding is : engage consumers through an all-pervasive 360-degree approach.

With the fragmentation of television as a medium and the enormous clutter on the screen, it is vital that brands go beyond television to engage consumers and touch them unexpected and myriad ways, in ways that bring out the idea that the brand stands for with deep relevance and meaning. It is critical that brands seek to do this in multiple ways at multiple touch points. Fight for attention and relevance is a fight for the consumer’s share of mind.

Brands must, therefore, look at ways of bringing the brand idea alive at every potential occasion where there is a role for the brand using unconventional media at events and indeed at the point of purchase. Equally, it is critical to do this with scale, to do this in a manner Where it can make a genuine

difference to the brand and its growth. For scale, it is vital to have fewer, bigger brands. One of the driving factor; behind our power brand strategy within HLL. Is to give fewer brands bigger scale so that this brand can then be truly iconic.

The key question for companies is to really answer how they can build iconic brands in a sustainable and distinctive way. How can companies stay ahead of the game and, therefore shape trends rather than follow changes and trends. Believe that the key catalyst for this transformation of brands to truly iconic brands is an empathetic and deeply connected organization that is consumer facing. I believe, it is not just the marketing department’s rule to understand consumers.

It is the role of everyone in the organization to engage consumers deeply since these consumers are the very reason for an organizationa€™s existence. I also believe that in the new world of today, deeper functional specialization even within marketing will make a huge difference in building iconic brands. Specializations, where there is a group of people who are passionately committed to driving innovation that is living and breathing the brand idea, while a separate team of people is focused on realizing and executing the idea amongst the multiple touch points where a brand interacts with its consumers.

Finally, I believe that it is vital to create a culture of learning, when people within are curious about changes, curious about what can be learnt not just from within the category, but about what can be learnt from disconnected categories. A culture where people are always looking for better and newer ways of doing things. A culture

where people embracea€”indeed thrive ona€”change and learning.