IS IT THE BRAND THAT SPEAKS?? (Post-5)

Layman's language.... Quality is contained in a high priced Brand.....


More the hype more the consumption

But thats not all......

Over a period of time there is a shift in consumer's behaviour...


Initially the Brands were recognised by their names like Levis, Addidas, Nike,Honda etc...


Now they look for which country is producing what brand.. So the countries have become the recognition to these brands.


Ah.. so this ones from Europe.. wow... Is this from China... tch! cheap market... India.. hmm.. must be not that expensive... Italy... Really? So Beautiful!!

In this era, the consumers asks for Brand India, Brand China , Brand Itlay which thereby means that the enitre world is categorized into a hierarchy of Brand where in Brand India could be a mediocre or low cost Brand and Brand Europe on the other hand could be a high end Brand.

Recently I caught up an article in The Hindu Friday, Sep 07, 2007 that clearly states a behaviourial change in consumers in an IT industry as follows :



‘Quality key to Brand India edge’
Anand Parthasarathy


Speedy execution of infrastructure in IT cities essential, says Nasscom Chairman Lakshmi Narayanan




BANGALORE: International clients ask their suppliers today: Can you give me ‘India quality’? What a change from the attitude of industry here, less than a decade ago. National Association of Software and Service Companies President Kiran Karnik used this illustration to underline how India’s information technology industry has grown beyond seeking business based on compelling pricing — to become a synonym for quality. He was speaking at a panel discussion that kicked off the association’s annual quality summit that opened here on Thursday.

But infrastructure could still prove the Achilles’ heel, no matter how much product and services quality improved, he added. “About infrastructure in IT cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, one can only say: Intention: good. Plans: good. Speed: Not good.”


Nasscom Chairman Lakshmi Narayanan pointed out some harsher aspects of the global services scenario, where sadly it is not the customer but the overall environment that sets the expectation level. Soumitra (‘Sammy’) Sana, Managing Director of Motorola’s Software Group in India, suggested that Indian players must redress this by putting the customer back into the equation. Alexius Collete, CEO of the Bangalore-based Philips Innovation Campus, felt that India could stake out its own unique brand by “exceeding the expectations of all stake holders — that meant both customers, clients and one’s own staff.”

Ganesh Natarajan, Zensar Technologies’ Managing Director, who chaired the panel, felt that the Chief Executive had a crucial role to play in setting a company’s quality agenda.

The two-day summit will see a cross section of technology, quality assurance and process management professionals exchange ideas on how to retain the edge that Brand India had gained in the fiercely competitive global IT space.

So now what do the Brands have to say??

I scrutinized some of the Archives.. follow them!



“There is a retail revolution that is taking place in the country. Consumers are well travelled, aware and quality-conscious. We thought that our only competition was from the unorganised market. With India getting so much organised retail space, we are sure that the growth phenomenon is here to stay. We have booked space in every possible mall that is coming up and hope to touch a figure of 230 stores by 2010.”

Pramod Arora, Executive Director, Archies Limited



“It is not like if one brand has become popular, we will sell everything under that umbrella. So, neither Rajnigandha can have a brand extension nor can any product fall in the category of Rajnigandha. Likewise, when we talk of Baba, the message is world’s best tobacco. So Baba cannot be about paan masala, it’s the nation’s first saffron flavoured chewing tobacco that has set global benchmarks for quality since 1929. It is not like anything and everything being sold under the same brand name.”

Ashok K Aggarwal, President, DS Group


"Considering that the pizza is a food foreign to the Indian palate, Pizza Hut tried to develop a bond with the Indian consumer. What has worked for Pizza Hut is the strategy to ‘think global and act local’. It is an international brand with an Indian heart, in terms product, quality of service as well as pricing."

Pankaj Batra, Director-Marketing, Indian Subcontinent, Yum! Restaurants International, Pizza Hut




“We have identified a set of power brands to focus on and maintain our leadership across flavors and price-points. This, along with continuous innovation, quality and our sales, marketing and distribution forte has helped us to maintain leadership.”

Vijay K Rekhi, President, UB Group Spirits Division and MD, McDowell




“The consumer really is not price sensitive today. If you are giving quality products and the latest technology, they want it. Then they won’t compromise. As for our prices, in every product category be it colour televisions, refrigerators, or washing machines, we have feature packed products at every price point. With the trend of 29”CTV, projection TV and plasma TV catching on, Videocon offers an entire premium range at competitive pricing.”

Sunil Tandon, VP- Marketing, Videocon India Limited


Hence........Quality! An attribute to a Brand...

A Trust or An Assurance or Our Expectation!


Is it that we create needs and so the brand develops?
Is it that we create the niche market so such Brands flourish?
or is that we behave in a certain manner that such quality products called Brands are developed??


Let me share with you a small video where you might get your answer!



http://youtube.com/watch?v=QHyAHEzbEGc


Becker Multimedia asked Chief Marketing Officers with The Home Depot, General Electric, and The Coca-Cola Company; and a shrewd professor of advertising at UNC Chapel Hill. The answer may surprise you.