Blackboard - Sam & Andy

Mass Brand Or Niche Brand?

In any business, when there is clarity about who the products are to be sold to, then working on all other aspects of the business becomes much easier. Therefore, before starting the business, it is necessary to clarify whether I want to make my product or service a mass brand or a niche brand. Niche brand means, which is not for all but for some people, which may be few in number. In other words, the product or service is designed for a certain segment and not for all consumers. This type of brand adopts a strategy of targeting a specific market or segment. For example, to put it simply in today’s context, a food store that only makes or sells organic food is specifically targeting organic food consumers and not the general public. So, it is clear that they want to target customers ...

Mr. Murthy's 70 Hours Statement Is A Beacon For The Brands.

For some time now, a statement made by Mr. Narayan Murthy of Infosys that youth should work 70 hours a week is being discussed in the corporate world. Some people are in favor of this statement while more people are against this statement. It is important to know the context in which he made this statement. He said India’s labour productivity is among the lowest in the world and it needs to do so to compete with global powers that we see in countries like China and Japan. The important thing in marketing is consumer behaviour. The ideology of today’s young generation is clear. They don’t just want to earn; they want to have different experiences and live their own lives. For them work is not life but a part of life. This does not mean that they are lazy or irresponsible. ...

Increase Brand Reputation With Reviews And Ratings.

We are living in the age of R&R – Reviews and Ratings! If we want to buy anything today, we will see if the rating of that brand is more than 4 stars or not. From needles to airplanes, shopping today is done with the help of reviews and ratings. This is one of the biggest challenges for businesses and brands today. If one tries to ignore this, one has to be prepared to suffer the consequences. The simple thing is; If we don’t pay attention to this today, you will leave it in people’s hands to create the perception of your brand. Let us try to understand the reviews and ratings. Why is this necessary, its advantages and disadvantages, how to manage it, etc. Today customers trust you, your business and brand based on reviews and ratings. Customers may not believe everyt...

Is Branding Essential In The Manufacturing Industry

When it comes to brand building, we come across consumer brands such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Parachute, Maggi, Cadbury, etc. Now think about these names, when we talk about big business houses in India, three names invariably come up, Tata, Birla, and Reliance. These three are also in the consumer business today but they all started as manufacturers and today they are a well-known brand. This is because, from the beginning they understood the importance of brand, and this is must if a big game is to be played. Despite having many such successful names in-front of us, a mindset the manufacturing industry has developed is that we don’t need branding and marketing. Our business is built on relationship, service, and cost. Many manufacturing and industrial companies do not feel that they ne...

The Mantra For Business Success Is Repeat Purchases And Not Just New Customers

Every businessman is waiting for the customers, and they have a dream that their products get sold uninterruptedly. They always believe that when the goods are sold, the work is done. In reality, the work starts after that. No business is successful in selling a product to a customer once, but the success of a business is in that customer buying your product again and again. Hence the importance of repeat purchases in business. Repeat purchases occur when customers buy the products or services they have previously purchased or purchase another item from the same store or platform. In a way, repeat purchases show customer loyalty to a brand. All customers are important to a business, but if you had to choose between retaining existing customers and acquiring new customers, which would you c...

Do Dooni Chaar

Coming out of well-cushioned job and wearing the entrepreneur’s shoe made us (the company) more middle-class value oriented. Now, sitting across the table with start-up founder, entrepreneurs & family-owned businesses made us realize that we need to come up with business solutions to address people’s needs & the way their mindset determine their belief & behaviour, and not just advertising taglines or layouts. Like a middle-class persona, we need to be Useful with a cutting chai, and not just Complexly Intellectual with a glass of single-malt whiskey. There have been several reports & research on consumer behaviour & impact of Covid-10 on businesses, we thought what & how a middle-class person will write if asked to articulate? Taking inspiration from yesterday&...

Make your line bigger in business, not to shorten others

Past couple of months and even partly today, we are all living in a lockdown. But one thing is for sure, we were locked but not down. Today we have to talk about our negative attitude towards our business, especially local retailers. For some time now, a message has been being forwarded from the top of the roof that; in this time of lockdown, we survived with the help of our local area shops or traders. They helped us through such difficult times. They did not stop here; further said, where were the online or E-com guys! They came to your aid? They are interested in just doing business and do not care about you as their loyal customers? They have shown their backs in times of need, etc. So, now give your cooperation and help your local area trader, small shop-owners to come up in life. It ...

Brand Strategy: A Magic Wand Or A Gold Stick?!?

Recently I met 3-4 such entrepreneurs who had similar question. What does it mean to create a brand and how much sales increase if you start building a brand? These are the traders who have been successfully selling their products in the market for years. Therefore, when it comes to brand building, it is natural to ask a question related to sales. But when you ask someone or any consumer if they know the name of that particular brand, the answer will certainly be “no”. If the business is going on and sales are taking place why should I think about making a brand; this is the mindset that prevents a successful brand from entering the market. Since we do business; sales become an important factor and there is nothing wrong with thinking for sales all the time. But these days, jus...

Insightful Brand Building

We believe that customer is God or Grahak is the form of God. Never annoy the customer because if the customer does not buy your goods or he/she gets upset then it will impact the business! To some extent this is due to the fact that it is our God who accepts our offerings. But on the other hand, it should be analyzed why this buyer/God buys/accepts goods/offerings only from me. The second fact is that the customer, whether he/she is buying from a small shop or a big machinery buyer, buys the thing that he/she needs, wants, and has in his/her mind. Customer will definitely buy from a trader who can give the answer to these questions in a straight-forward narrative. When we are planning a product or marketing or thinking about a brand, a question and a word is very prevalent, which is the ...

Brand Challenges In A Changing World

In a world that changes with the blink of an eye, human habits, lifestyles, and ideologies also change accordingly. His/her taste is changing. He/she is always on the lookout for something new, whether it is something he/she uses in everyday life, something to eat or something to experience. Such a situation is a big challenge for brands. If it cannot sense the changing trend and don’t change its products based on it or delay the process; by then, one can see couple of new or existing brands have captured their market share RESEARCH SAYS THAT TODAY’S CONSUMER KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY RECEIVES AROUND 5000 MARKETING / BRAND MESSAGES A DAY. AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, YOU CAN SEE 10-15 BRANDS IN 10-15 MINUTES. It is assumed that brands like tea, newspaper, toothpaste etc. ...

Will Today's Consumer Embrace A Legacy Brand?

When someone starts a business, they do not want it to close anytime soon. Every trader wants his/her business to last for years. We often hear that this firm is incredibly old, the third or fourth generation is doing business today. People respect such firms or business houses and these people have won the trust of their consumers, employees, suppliers, and other associates. We can call such brands a Legacy Brand. Technically legacy means it is around for years or remains from an earlier time. But there is a fundamental difference between such long running firms and a legacy brand. The firm remains confined to the individual level and plays into a fixed structure, while the legacy brand creates an institution that does not remain individual. As we see in many ads, they are finally writing...

Content Is King

Content is King, this term is not new to us. Till some time back, when people used to watch a picture or a play, they would say that the story is good or bad. Today, people use the word content for picture, drama or series, whatever they watch. Their reaction will be content of a picture or a play is good or bad. People refer to new topics as new content. Today is the time to give something new rather than the usual, because whether viewer or customer they always want something new. For this reason, low budget films with powerful content today compete with mega budget production films. Today, the web series has become a strong platform for new content providers who really want to give meaningful entertainment. You do not have to work under anyone’s control here and the viewer will gi...

"A" For Advertising, “B” For Branding And “C” For Communication

Today is the time of infinite opportunities. On the one hand, there is globalization and on the other hand, there is Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative. On the one hand, there are successful established corporates, on the other hand, there are start-ups that are showing signs of success. On the one hand, there are experienced eyes and on the other hand, there are young wings who are ready to give new ideas, new systems, processes, new products, services to the society every day. We are not living in a time where there is only one monopoly business; Such as one insurance company, one big bank, one automobile company, one FMCG company etc. Today is the era of open market and in it we have more than one company in each category, sector, let’s say multiple players are playi...

Brand Properties – The Device To Remembering The Brand

We were driving for a short vacation of 2-3 days during a weekend. The children in the car were talking about their school friends. While talking, they were describing their friends. By talking about their peculiar habits, appearance, etc. they were forming a personality in their mind. For example, when a child comes to play cricket, he runs after the ball even if the ball has gone out of boundary. If someone says something to a child; he takes the ball and sits in the middle of the field. One child walks very slow even if there is an urgency, etc. We also experience such things in our daily life. Sometimes if you don’t remember a person while talking, you start describe him like who has a roaring or loud voice, is tall or short, always wears a safari, always uses certain words in ev...

Choosing The Right Customer Through Go-To-Market Strategy

Go-to-Market Strategy. In simple words, it can be said that the strategy to go to the market. What does it mean to go to the market? Who is going to the market? Why to go? What are you going to sell? Such instinctive questions come before us. Go-to-Market strategy is a business term. Such as Sales Strategy, Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Growth Strategy, Product Strategy; same way Go-to-Market Strategy. At first glance, all these strategies look similar, but they all have a thin line of differentiation. This terminology is not new. People have been using this for a long time but in today’s start-up era this term is being read and heard by us frequently. If you ask a business professional is your plan to bring your product or service to market ready? So most likely the answer ...

Advertising Should Be Emotional Or Rational?

Instinctively new ads appear on TV when there is a big festival or a big media property like IPL. When an ad is in the process of being developed, there is always a question of what kind of an ad to create that will appeal to the consumer. Every brand has a common objective of how to persuade my consumer to buy my product or service when it creates any ad, then it can be for any medium – TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazine, Digital, etc. Often one of the two strategies is adopted by the people: Emotional or Rational or a combination of both. Logic justifies your purchase while the emotional message attracts you to that brand. The quality of the product, the status symbol, the topics you like are the emotional strings of the consumer to buy the product. While logic on the other hand motivate...

Digital Marketing In Today’s Time!

Sometime back we wanted to visit a relative. So, called them to check whether they are at home; to our surprise we got an answer; we are out of town and have posted FB (Facebook) status, did not you check! I said okay and see you when your FB status says you are back! I was to buy a new mobile; checked with friends and office colleagues for their opinions. “Don’t waste time,” said one colleague. “After a month and a half of online research, I have compared all the models and bought this brand of mobile, and it is the best from the lot.” Life got simpler. During Diwali, the beginning of the Hindu new year, my mom said put a new calendar on the wall to know the date. My son immediately said, Dadi why you need a wall calendar when you have a mobile with you. When you...

The Success Of Startup – Idea Or Brand?

The term startup is not new to us today. Even before, people have started a new business. There is a slight difference between the two. Earlier people had limited avenues of business streams such as trading, manufacturing, retail shops, distribution agencies, etc. But a startup is a business model that is scalable in every way. The purpose of this is to develop the business on a large scale in which the cooperation of other people besides the solo founder is also required. And most importantly, it is idea based. Have a unique idea that no one has done before or put it in a new way that is easy for people to adopt. For e.g., Flipkart, Ola, Uber, Country Delight, AIRBNB, etc. Secondly, many startups are technology based with a unique idea. One of the reasons why such startups are on the rise...

Pandemic Has Affected Businesses, But Not Necessarily Brands?!?

The world is going through the biggest crisis of the century. People have locked themselves up at home with the slogan ‘Jaan Hai Toh Jahan Hai’. People are going through mental, physical and financial trauma. Purchases began to be made as & when needed. This pandemic has an impact on business as well, be it small traders or SMEs, MSMEs and even the large corporates. Many have even shut their shops. At such a time when we read the title of this article, many people will laugh and say what is the difference! “Business is affected, so is the Brand.” Friends, it is more important for us to understand today that business will have minimal impact on the brand, but the brand will have maximal impact on the business. A classic and fresh example of this is the soccer champion C...

7r’s Of Financial Marketing

We frequently hear that Savings is Earning! This habit saved many homes in the last two years, and even those who ignored it realized its importance. Today we are going to talk about a perceptually complex category that plays an important role in our daily life. With the changing times we are seeing that the consumer is also changing, how new categories are emerging and what changes are taking place in the existing categories. Financial Services Industry: from depositing money with lenders to para-banking, depositing money in the bank, keeping money in the post, from stock market to mutual funds to insurance and now crypto currency, many such dimensions of money management have been given by this industry till date. What started with savings turned into investment with the help of marketin...

If You Want To Survive In Business Today, Build A Brand

Over the past few years and post-Covid, the business dimensions and many methods of doing business have changed. The biggest change is making payments digitally, getting your goods at home and shopping from where the customer is and when they want. A big change is that consumers buy brands and not products or services. Despite being aware of this, many traders do not pay attention to this direction and see it as an unnecessary expense. The need to create a brand is still not relevant to many businesses today. They will realize this mistake not today but in the near future. It felt necessary to talk about this topic today because this week I happened to meet two businessmen (note that “businessmen” and not the brand owners) one of whom has been in his business for 3 generations, making ...