Harshit Sharma’s Post

But for millions of fans like me, the brand, Bournvita was never about ‘health’ !! I love Bournvita because of its unique chocolate flavour. Rather Bournvita motivated me to consume a healthy product like milk (my apologies to all Vegans), which otherwise I would have never consumed due to its inert taste !! Over the years, despite trying their best, competing brands (including Amul-‘the taste of India’), couldn’t crack the code that had made Bournvita such a runaway success. As a student of Marketing my two cents on the entire episode: 1. Bournvita is a victim of what I call ‘Brand Activism’, where some activists would target successful brands (no one kicks a dead dog !!). There have been studies referring to the psychological construct of reactance when applied to the context of brands that explain why people are happy when successful people /brands appear vulnerable. Moreover taking on successful entities also enhance the activists’ own profiles. 2. This would be a temporary blip in Bournvita’s brand journey as the assiduously built brand equity will help Bournvita tide over this bad press. Moreover Bournvita’s ingredients (sugar included) may be whatsoever but certainly not ‘unhealthy’ !! For reference, a piece of ‘Jalebi’ has multiple times more sugar than an innocuous one tablespoon full of Bournvita. 3. Bournvita has a unique Brand Personality which has kept it in game for decades now, and shall continue doing so. 4. The Bournvita case has echoes of (politically incorrect) brand Fair & Lovely (now Glow & Lovely). Did the change from ‘fair’ to ‘glow’ make any dent to the brand ? 5. You cannot sell a brand under purported ‘health category’ due to some technicalities but it is possible to sell (the killer) ‘gutka’ in India, just because it doesn’t claims to be ‘healthy’. Period. Mondelēz International

In a landscape where trends shift daily, there’s something truly powerful about a brand that embraces its roots. Legacy isn’t just history; it’s a story waiting to be told. Exploring how brands can transform their heritage into a unique advantage in my latest article for Campaign India — I've spoken about how the past can create new connections and deepen trust in an ever-evolving market. Check it out and see how a brand’s history can become its boldest differentiator 👇 Evolute Global #BrandHeritage #MarketingStrategy #CampaignIndia

New month, new beginnings! Let's make September, the month your brand truly shines. While we are at it, have a look into the ways and the reasons how Indian brands have evolved #Branding #NewMonthNewGoals

From Local Gem to Global Phenomenon: Ganesh Bhel's Brand Transformation We started with a strong foundation – a successful local business making delicious snacks. But we knew we had the potential to become a brand that resonated globally. The turning point came when we realized we had the product and expertise, but lacked a distinct brand identity and connection with our customers. This realization became our rallying cry – to build a household name synonymous with authentic Indian snacks. Building a strong brand became our primary objective. We knew it meant expanding our reach, venturing into corporate gifting, private events, and even exporting our products. It was an ambitious vision, but our shared passion and commitment fueled our journey. This transformation continues to shape who we are today. It's a testament to the power of vision, the importance of brand building, and the strength that comes from a shared dream. What was the pivotal moment that propelled your business growth? Share your stories with us. #GaneshBhel #BrandBuildingJourney #FromLocalToGlobal #SharedVision

A Perspective, A Parallel !! Too much reliance on one single brand called MODI may have impacted the results, the less than expected results. Seems people chose local brands over a national brand. Though BJP got more seats than other parties they still need to do a lot of thinking. All of us marketing guys know that in a multi product category kind of set up, there are two broad brand approaches - 1. House of Brands & 2. Branded House ▶️ House of Brands: 1. Each brand operates independently with its own identity and market positioning. 2. Brands may operate independently or semi-independently 3. Allows for diversification and risk management, as failure of one brand doesn't necessarily impact others. 4. Requires separate marketing strategies and brand building efforts for each brand. Examples include ITC, Godrej, Dabur, HUL and local leaders/MPs. ▶️ Branded House: 1. Single, unified corporate brand for all products/services in the organisation across all offerings. 2. Leverages equity of a strong corporate brand 3. Simplifies marketing efforts and brand recognition for consumers. 4. Consistent brand messaging and positioning 5. Potential cost savings in marketing and promotion Examples include Amul, Haldiram and BJP

The #KantarBrandGala proved to be an invaluable source of strategic insights. We're excited to share our key takeaways from such a thought-provoking event: 💪 Strong brand equity leads to faster and higher returns, and investing in high quality marketing plays a critical role ⭐ Being Meaningful and Different is a key driver of brand value growth, responsible for 88% of incremental share price growth of the #KantarBrandZ strong brands portfolio ⚡ There are three key accelerators to drive growth: Finding new space, being more present, predisposing more people 🤝 Connection is the key to success is connection, driving brand growth at 5X market penetration Learn more about the event and view our latest brand research for a holistic view of brand growth, salience, and what it takes to be meaningfully different: https://lnkd.in/g-sVarkM

Brands are built on philosophies, beliefs, and a vision for the future. Globally, some brands have excelled in this regard, like Apple, which embodies innovation and simplicity, and Amazon, driven by customer obsession and long-term thinking. It’s India’s time now, and we're seeing incredible founders with distinct philosophies, beliefs, and visions for the future. These founders have successfully built communities around their brands—people who not only cheer for them but are also eager to do business with them. A few brands that have stood out to me, and which I often use as case studies in my work with clients, include 🔯 Paperboat, the OG brand that showed India how memories could be used to create a brand. Today, many food brands are following that same path. So glad today that I was part of the team that built this beautiful brand. 🔯 The Whole Truth Foods, where their philosophy is quite literally their brand name. Shashank Mehta wants to bring back this world's trust in food. 🔯 Suta, another brand I admire, is redefining and preserving traditional Indian crafts by making them accessible and relevant to modern consumers. Sujata Biswas and Taniya Biswas brought back our dida’s (grandma’s) favourite mulmul sari into contemporary wardrobes and built an incredible community around it. Recently, I used Suta as a conversation starter in a session with the GuruQore group led by Abhimanyu Saha. We discussed how to transition from brand strategy to content development, specifically how Suta has used content to bring its community together. We delved into how well they’ve implemented McKinsey's "community flywheel" and how their offline events have strengthened their bond with customers. Suta is a case study in how effective CRO can boost a brand, but none of it would have been possible without getting their brand philosophy right. Which Indian brands have you fallen in love with, and why?

India International Brand Summit 2024 unites top brands, agencies and marketing experts Link in the comments Vineet Bajpai Kanika Mittal Rajat Abbi Fela Chawngthu Sameer Narkar Gaurav Barjatya Mili Kapoor Nikita Nanda Vidyut Kaul Rajat Abbi Sajjan K. Neelima Burra #mediabrief #IndiaInternationalBrandSummit2024 #events #marketing #media

Brand or product? As technology evolves, lifestyles evolve too. From top to bottom, changing lifestyles also renew perspectives and expectations. The most important instrument in this process of renewal is social media. In today's world, everyone will agree: Social media has brought speed and labels to the fore. The label, the brand, has become more important than the product itself. How did this happen? The most recent proof of this is the recently popularised 'Dubai Chocolate'. It suddenly went viral. Why did it happen, how did it happen? It doesn't matter. Because the result is always much more visible than the cause. It is for this reason that any product with the label 'Dubai Chocolate' has become very much in demand. So what does this tell us? Exactly this: Popularising the brand makes it easier to market the product. In short, brand promotion becomes a showcase for all products the brand will present in the long run. What are your thoughts? #brand #advertising #product #brandadvertising

'Coke is still a challenger brand in India', says Coke's Global President John Murphy. John Murphy, The Coca-Cola Company's Global President and CFO, recently articulated at a consumer conference in Paris that Coca-Cola approaches the Indian market with a challenger mindset. Despite its global dominance and valuation at $106 billion, Coca-Cola finds itself trailing behind local competitors Thums Up and Sprite, which have each surpassed a billion dollars in annual sales in India. Thums Up, acquired from Ramesh Chauhan's Parle in 1993, reached the billion-dollar milestone in 2021, leveraging its strong carbonation and appeal to the spicy preferences of Indian consumers. Sprite followed suit in the subsequent year, benefiting from marketing strategies finely tuned to local occasions and preferences. Conversely, Coca-Cola’s flagship brand has experienced frequent shifts in its market positioning. Campaigns have ranged from "Thanda Matlab" to "Open Happiness" and "Share a Coke." While "Thanda Matlab" found local success, the inconsistency in brand messaging may have diluted Coca-Cola's market impact, preventing it from securing a robust and consistent identity among Indian consumers. Murphy praised India as one of Coca-Cola's most reliable markets over the last few years. However, this commendation comes with a caveat. Despite a significant 57% increase in consolidated profit to ₹722 crore and a 45% rise in revenue to ₹4,521 crore in fiscal 2023, Coca-Cola’s flagship brand still lags behind its sub-brands in market performance. This discrepancy highlights a strategic challenge: the flagship brand's failure to outperform despite the company's overall financial health. India is identified as a top-five volume growth priority for Coca-Cola. Murphy emphasized the company's success in converting opportunities into value, attributing this to consistent daily execution and strategic management in a dynamic market environment. However, the necessity for a challenger mindset in a market where Coca-Cola should ideally lead underscores deeper strategic issues. Coca-Cola's strategy in India combines local adaptation with a challenger mindset, reflecting both its strengths and areas needing improvement. The brand's inconsistent market positioning and reliance on sub-brands for market leadership suggest a need for a more cohesive and resonant marketing strategy. How Coca-Cola will navigate these challenges and leverage its global strengths to secure a dominant position in the Indian market remains to be seen.