India’s ‘Bonus’ Brand-Building

India, being a country with multiple cultures and communities, requires a varied and distinct approach to brand-building. Unlike other nations, where consumer habits may be relatively homogeneous, India presents a wide variety of consumption habits, shaped by its diversity in languages, traditions, and spending attitudes.

• India has a unique way of building brands due to its vast cultural and linguistic diversity.
• The country’s attitude towards consumption and spending differs significantly from other markets.
• While other nations may exhibit either homogeneous or heterogeneous consumer habits, India showcases a multifaceted consumption pattern.

• Indian currency notes feature 15 languages, signifying the linguistic diversity.
• The country’s geographical diversity, from mountains and lakes to rivers and deserts, influences consumer preferences.
• Building brands in India requires a strategy tailored specifically to these diverse elements.

India is more than just a country; it is a combination of various cultures, traditions, and consumer mindsets. To navigate this complexity, brands must follow what I term as India’s ‘Bonus’ Brand-Building Model.

• India is a growing and developing market, with a large section of consumers focused on fulfilling basic needs.
• This offers an immense opportunity for brands that cater to essential products and services.
• Examples: Brands like Bata and Relaxo have successfully capitalized on this basic-level market, ensuring affordability and widespread availability.
• Footwear is a basic need. Whether it be Bata through its showrooms or Relaxo Hawaii chappals with its brands like Flite and Sparx, these two have been able to gain tremendous market share and build their brand.
• Bata and Relaxo have become favourites among consumers in the market share area and also darlings of the share market area.
• Meeting the basic needs is crucial for brand-building in India.

• In India, opportunities arise suddenly and unpredictably. Marketers must be vigilant and prepared to seize these opportunities.
• Even during challenging times like the Covid pandemic, brands have been able to capitalize on emerging needs.
• Examples: Brands like Dettol and Savlon successfully leveraged the heightened need for sanitation and hygiene, achieving remarkable brand growth.
• Marketers must ensure that opportunities are branded right and grow just like Dettol and Savlon did.

• Indian consumers highly appreciate novelty in products and services.
• The Covid pandemic led to new consumer behaviours, creating opportunities for innovation.
• Examples: Five-star hotels like Marriott and Taj introduced home delivery services, bringing their luxurious menus directly to customers’ homes.
• Traditionally, customers visit hotels and restaurants, but this new concept brought the restaurant experience home, offering full-course meals from starters to desserts.
• This innovation in service delivery is a great brand-building exercise, demonstrating adaptability to changing consumer needs.

• Consumers prioritize utility over superficiality when making purchasing decisions.
• Brands that offer practical benefits and real value tend to succeed, while those that lack utility fade away.
• Examples: Basic garments from Westside and Shoppers Stop have gained consumer trust due to their functional utility, whereas superficial fashion trends often lose relevance.
• Brand-building must focus on utility, ensuring that products meet consumers’ practical needs.

• In India, small-sized products often lead to big brand success.
• Whether it be sachets of shampoo, small cars like Maruti and Santro, or compact refrigerators, Indian consumers prefer smaller-sized purchases.
• Low-cost, small-sized products help consumers try new brands while also becoming a staple for regular use.
• Many small-sized brands have become big successes, pushing company turnover and profitability upwards.

Thus, my ‘bonus’ brand-building framework is a powerful approach to developing successful brands in India. With its unique mix of Basics, Opportunities, Novelty, Utility, and Small-sized strategies, brands can effectively navigate the diverse and dynamic Indian market.

India is not just a nation but a combination of multiple cultures and consumer mindsets. The ‘Bonus’ brand-building strategy aligns perfectly with this complexity, ensuring sustained growth and brand strength.

Happy ‘Bonus’ Brand-Building in India!