Brand Building

Brand buiding has been treated as a very sophisticated exercise (read campaign / activity lest I derogate many a brand mangers). As they say, the same has to be nurtured as on nurtures one’s own baby, it has got a lifetime, an identity of its own (which has to be created), its siblings come with time, nannies may change but it goes on to be treated as a human being. Its possible to see certain brands take birth and then die in one life time. There remains however certain iconic brands which have seen the tests of the time; surviving tall and strong even after decades and some for centuries. The best names in the later categories are global ones viz, Tatas in India and Citi abroad.


My novice knowledge on marketing, the science (or the art) may be excused but I have a somewhat simple version of the entire game (game plan). I treat it as an enviable identity built over time (often years) by sheer hard work of few people who take their responsibility as their only reason of existence on earth; money may be the motivation at the beginning but surely not over time. The creation of brands was earlier aided by publicity of non-business indulgence, books and university lectures and now it is primarily rounded up by media, academic cases and social-networking (not marketing). I showcase simple cases of brand building this simple way.

St. Pauls School, Rourkela: Started in 1964, it has carved out a niche for its own across decades. All who have passed on or prior to 2000, their respective guardians and the teachers who have been through the corridors today will all agree that the institution too much to a person called Joseph Mannamparambil popular as Fr. Joe to one and all; students, ex-students, govt. officials, guardians, teachers, fellow principals and priests of his order. Discipline and dedication can be expected from people who come in contact with you only when the self practices that also. This was probably the only mantra because of which the school has borne a name for itself not only in the tiny industrial town or the state but on a national level too. Imagine being associated with one and only one institution for 36 years; laying the bricks, arranging them to perfection, binding them with the education & infusion of values and creating a rock solid wall for all others to see with envy.

Lingaraj Lassi, Bhubaneswar: This shop has been selling just one eatable item i.e. lassi for the past 16 years. It started up like many roadside stall sans one thing i.e. the owner of the shop toyed with everything in the beginning to try out a taste which generated the maximum good-response. The formula arrived, he set on maintaining that exact formulae for the next decade. Now the shop continues to be a road-side shop but it has grown dramatically in size. Telecom companies pay and vie for the best possible front vision of the shop. The same formulae continues and the crowd it pulls can make any sophisticated retailer manager of any of the many branded retail management companies turn shy in shame. Its sheer hard work day in and out which has put sheen to the initial idea. The result is the creation of an enviable brand not only in the city of Bhubaneswar; it is famous atleast in the state of Odisha also.