MxMIndia

Tag: Avik Chattopadhyay

  • Winning sure is macho, but leading is more meaningful, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    In the Race for Leadership, should Brands Fuss about the Means or the End?

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    On August 25, the automobile and business world lost Ferdinand Piech, the erstwhile chairman of the supervisory board of the Volkswagen Group. Credited with creating what Audi is today and the powerhouse that the Volkswagen Group is, Piech was declared the Car Executive of the Century in 1999. A grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, he was both revered and feared by those around him and across the world. His professional career ended on a smoky note when he resigned due to the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal involving Volkswagen and other group brands.

     

    Though I never had a chance to meet him, I did work in the empire he had created. And interacted with a few senior people in the management board of Volkswagen. I could feel the passion with which Piech led the group every time I visited Autostadt in Wolfsburg.

     

    My 17 months in that assignment was one of the most tumultuous in my career. A deep-down conflict developed between the brand as a business operation in India and me as entrusted to nurture it. One instance sums up the fundamental friction. In the annual meeting with the global director of marketing and sales, he proudly announced that the group has set the goal of selling 10 million vehicles worldwide, and they will meet the target “come what may”! I found it disturbing as the key driving force of an organisation its size, and asked the director as to why is the goal of not being the most respected and admired automobile brand across the world?

     

    Why does a brand have to necessarily “win”? Why is winning the means as well as the end?

     

    In a year of my leaving the brand [frankly, before they could sack me!], the Dieselgate scandal hit the brand and the group. While the details of what exactly is the scandal about can be read up on the internet, the fundamental decision to fit a ‘cheat device’ in a vehicle to lie about emissions was with the sole purpose of selling more vehicles in the key US market. “Come what may.” To sell the 10 million vehicles, the organisation went to great lengths to cheat and hoodwink the regulatory system in one of its key markets, in the hope of not getting caught!

     

    Did Piech know? Of course, he did. Did he approve? Of course, he would have as the decision making then was uber-centralised. Did he own up? Never.

     

    For Piech and the entire group management wanted to “win” at any cost.

    Win, and not “lead”.

    To be a winner and not a leader.

     

    A contemporary of Piech was Fujio Cho, the chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. Interestingly, they are of the same age.

     

    There are three instances of Cho’s journey which are imprinted in my mind. In 1991-92, Lexus had taken the US market by storm. Topping all the quality reports and costing significantly lesser than the European rivals like Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the brand had brought its competition to their knees, making them re-think their US strategy, especially BMW’s plan of entry. It seems Cho took the unprecedented decision of cutting back Lexus production so that the other brands also could continue selling and BMW enters the US market. His unique logic was that without competition, Lexus would not be able to benchmark and improve!

     

    In the mid-1990s, when the automobile world was obsessed with launching more powerful cars and larger SUVs, Cho went the other way and launched the Toyota Prius in 1997. It was to make a statement not only of Toyota’s R&D capabilities in making hybrid vehicles but also the concern for the environment and the generations to come. Environmentally-friendly cars will soon cease to be an option, he remarked, they will be the necessity!

     

    In the mid-2000s, when the annual data for US sales was released, in a certain year, Toyota was shown as #1 closely followed by Ford. However, Toyota realised that there was actually a calculation error and Cho went to the press to formally announce that Ford was the true #1.

     

    Cho never built an edifice like Autostadt. He never bothered with creating a vehicle like the Bugatti Veyron which Piech did. Cho had once famously said: “First we build people, then we build cars.”

     

    Cho clearly wanted Toyota to lead.

    Piech was focused on VW to win.

     

    Toyota is loved and respected.

    Volkswagen is feared and revered.

    Both are admired and aspired for.

    Toyota leads, always.

    Volkswagen wins, occasionally.

    Toyota fusses about the means.

    Volkswagen bothers about the end.

     

    In a world of increasing conflict and shortening attention span, we need more brands to lead than just win. For the focus on the means and to be sustainable is far more responsible and relevant than merely hitting temporary number targets. Leading is the means that should typically end in winning. Winning is the mere outcome. And not necessarily the rigour, ethos and credibility with which one operates.

     

    So, while I still find the VW Karmann Ghia fascinating, as an investment I would go in for the Toyota Corolla Altis with my eyes closed!

     

    Winning sure is macho, but leading is more meaningful.

     

  • Why have the desh-bhakti ads feature only Independence and Republic Day, Why not for the whole year? ask Avik Chattopadhyay

    The Festival of Freedom

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    We are a land of festivals. There is a phrase in Bengali that goes like “12 months, 13 festivals”.  Just the Bengali ones, mind you. If one were to add up all the festivals across all faiths and occasions, we would end up with probably 10 times that. We just love celebrations, of all types, shapes and sizes. And most brands around us surround us with their specific pieces of communication for each festival. Wishing us health, prosperity, happiness and most of all, spending money.

     

    Two such festivals fall end-January and mid-August.

    The “feeling nationalist” festivals.

    Tomorrow is one.

    When as a nation we shall see a surge of nationalism and being Indian.

     

    Over the last one week many of us would have bought the national flag.

    Ones for our car dashboards. Ones for pasting on our windows.

    Ones for placing on our work-desks. Ones for our verandahs and rooftops.

     

    We will wear traditional clothes and gather at parks and community centres to hoist the national flag, sing the national anthem, exchange pleasantries, hear out a few speeches, and then carry a little box of a samosa and a laddu back to our world of WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram, passing judgments, drawing conclusions, pouring vitriol and acting holier than thou.

     

    Brands also have this seasonal booth of national pride.

    We actually have multiple “freedom sales” going on.

    Amazon simply calls it the “Freedom Sale”.

    Flipkart says “it’s all about your freedom…”

    Snapdeal promises it is #AzadiKeFayde.

    While Spar encourages you to “Celebrate India. Strength of Many. Power of One.”

    How utterly ridiculous can the entire thing be!?

    First, you misuse the sanctity of an occasion like the Independence Day to push out a commercial activity. And then you wrap cheeky communication around it that makes you think you look smart! What about my freedom does Flipkart really deliver? And what “fayde” [benefits] of freedom does Snapdeal promise me? The Spar one actually goes one step further by saying things that are totally inane. The marketing heads behind these exercises need some brain scanning.

     

    Then we have lots of brands espousing national pride and the spirit of unity on television. Liberty Shoes. Benetton. Manyavar. Times of India. Lava. And so on. There are some truly ridiculous ones that you can watch on YouTube in collections called “Independence Day Ads” part 1, 2, 3 and so on. I found one by Oyo featuring actors Manoj Bajpayee and Raveena Tandon totally demented. And there is one by PayTM that claims that a cashless India will be corruption free, even if you may give people in kind. The mind boggles. Then there are quite a few that are forcing you to be misty-eyed. But then there are ones by Ambuja and Bajaj that strike the right chord.

     

    I have three observations to make on all the advertising that is specially prepared for occasions like Independence Day [or even Republic Day].

     

    Why not for the whole year?

    The values of freedom and being part of a nation cannot be restricted to only 2 weeks of a year, like any other festival. They need to be communicated through the year, in all languages, to reinforce the true meaning of being an Indian, in its inclusiveness, openness, progressiveness and the responsibility that lies in each of us to preserve, nurture and propagate these values. Only then can the message register and resonate. Otherwise we will continue to have one week of cacophony and then slip into yet another festival.

     

    Why always feel good and not feel disturbed?

    Every piece of communication wants to tug at your heart, create a lump in your throat and leave you misty-eyed. Like a television soap. Freedom entrusts us with the responsibility of not just sharing the good stories but also highlighting the issues of concern. The nation need not be sung to sleep but also woken up rudely with uncomfortable truths staring us in the face. Communication needs to provoke the recipient into thought, debate and positive action. Brands can take up a cause that is close to their heart and wake people up, beyond shares on social media.

     

    Why not encourage people to give instead of buy?

    Do not make people buy. Instead, teach them to give. To a cause. To specific sections of society. To the underprivileged. To the exploited. To the deserving. We Indians are terrible philanthropists, bordering on being downright inconsiderate and selfish. Let all the e-commerce platforms encourage their members to move beyond the donation boxes in the places of worship onto the streets where millions of our brothers and sisters could benefit from our little contributions.

     

    Wish brands accord the occasion its due respect and stop treating every national holiday a shopping spree. Also try to resist the temptation of melodrama in your communication as that quite ridicules the sacrifices of our forefathers for the cause. As Netaji had said, “Freedom is not given. It is taken.” Jai Hind!

     

     

  • … from within, asks Avik Chattopadhyay. But this is not the first time that the faith has faced such a situation

    Is the world’s oldest brand under threat?

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Religions are some of the world’s most enduring ‘brands’. Substantial following, terrific returns on investment, upward stock value, handsome market-share and sustainable reserves. What more could a business want?

     

    There is a lot that business brands can learn from religions or faiths.

    How to spread and amplify one’s core message.

    How to build a network of loyalists and advocates [called the faithful] who ensure a steady flow of customers [called the followers].

    How to weave mythical and endearing stories around entities and happenings [called mascots and milestones in the corporate world].

    How to establish a set of rituals and a behavioural code and perpetrate the same.

    How to keep the religion or faith relevant and in sync with the emerging and young generation.

    How to ensure it is financially self-sustaining through regular and large infusions [called sponsors in the corporate world].

    How to put in a smooth crowd-funding process that ensures the entire operation is co-owned [the corporates call this shareholding].

    How to ensure the same level of fervour and following in all types of situations and circumstances [the buss word here is sustainability].

     

    Countries are born out of religion.

    People are identified by religion.

    They are also divided by religion.

    Economies are built on religion.

    And also destroyed by religion.

    Such is the power of this brand!

     

    Hinduism is the world’s oldest surviving religion or faith and, therefore, the oldest operational brand!

     

    While some may counter that what we call Hinduism came about only around 500 AD and all before that was either Vedic or Puranic, I shall not get bogged down by such trivia and insist that the faith has certainly evolved over the years, but at the core, what was practised as Vedic is now Hindu.

     

    And the world’s oldest brand is right now under threat!

     

    This is not the first time that the faith has faced such a situation. It possibly happened for the first time with the increasing popularity of Buddhism. Then with the onset of Islam in India. Then again with the mass adoption of Christianity especially under British rule. Every time, the religion came out reformed, refreshed and therefore stronger to last a few more centuries in peaceful coexistence with all other faiths around itself.

     

    Very much like any popular brand with a massive footprint and following when competition comes in, either niche and disruptive or equally large and with monetary muscle to challenge the leader.

     

    Buddhism was competition that was born from within led by a ‘rebel’ wanted to set up a new ‘organisation’ to cater to a certain population segment that was thoroughly neglected by the leader. The entry of Islam was unique in the fact that certain people following another faith wanted to benefit from the same life of comfort and prosperity that was India. They came in small numbers and gradually grew in numbers over four centuries to finally counter Hinduism and almost ‘relegate’ it to a secondary position in northern India. Christianity came in through various missionaries over almost 200 years till the various European East India companies finally anchored on Indian shores and made the new faith replace Islam as the ‘ruling’ faith pan India.

     

    In each of the previous occasions, Hinduism went through intense introspection and concentrated revamp of the social structure be it during the Gupta rule, the Bhakti movement or the neo-Vedantic era.

     

    On each occasion, stalwarts rose up from various parts of this vast land to lead the revision.

    The Gupta rule saw the likes of Kalidasa, Aryabhata and the foundation of Nalanda.

    The Bhakti movement saw the likes of Basava, Kabir, Nanak, Tulsidas, Tukaram, Mirabai, Jayadev and Chaitanya.

    The neo-Vedantic era, closest to our current existence, saw the rise of the likes of Ram Mohun Roy, Savitri Phule and Vivekananda.

    The leadership was crucial for the revival. And it came from all aspects and functions of life…literature, art, social reform, science, spiritual thought and even royalty.

     

    So, like any enduring brand, Hinduism made itself more relevant to the emerging population, reached out to dissatisfied sections of society, restructured itself by ridding itself of regressive dogmas, started a fresh narrative of collective co-existence and emancipation and most importantly, embracing fringe, niche and micro-local faiths into its fold. Buddha became one of the Dasha Avatars when ‘spiritual’ peace was brokered with Buddhism and almost embraced [along with Jainism] both rebels under the larger umbrella of a faith that is free and flexible. Mergers and acquisitions, as a business strategist would say.

     

    Over the last five-odd years, the wold’s oldest enduring brand seems to have raised an ugly head of intolerance and extroverted assertion. As if some new-found ‘freedom’ has given the followers of the faith the power and entitlement to ride roughshod over all else in the tearing hurry to establish ‘supremacy’ and extract ‘submission’. Like the unleashing of some “revenge” against the non-believers…something one would typically experience in nation-states that propound a specific faith rather than a heterogeneous democracy with secularism as a constitutional right and duty.

     

    Almost when the market leader gets into a raucous and rowdy mood in a market.

    And is virtually combative and short-sighted.

     

    This moment of threat in the brand’s lifecycle is very different from the previous occasions. And this difference is what makes the threat more potent and the religion more fundamentally fragile.

     

    Four specific reasons to drive my hypothesis.

    Forgetting the brand idea and purpose

    The core brand idea, the brand’s values, the brand’s key promise and the delivery are totally forgotten or deliberately debunked for personal gains. Hinduism is not only the world’s oldest brand but also its most free and harmonious faith. To quote from Wikipedia, “Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist. Ideas about all the major issues of faith and lifestyle including vegetarianism, nonviolence, belief in rebirth, even caste, are subjects of debate, not dogma.”

     

    Misrepresenting key symbols and facts

    This is a breakdown of the basic brand architecture within an organisation when facts are either twisted or fabricated while key symbols are misused. It’s almost like using the brand logo in a context and application far removed from its intended purpose. Concepts like “Ram” and “Saffron” have been usurped for wrong narratives and optics. The core concept of Ram is of unbiased good governance. The core concept of the Saffron colour is of abstinence and sacrifice. Continued misuse and misrepresentation of such core symbols will lead to irreparable destruction of the brand idea and purpose. Something that every organisation that aspires for sustainable business is obsessed with and therefore cautious about.

     

    Lack of quality leadership

    This time there is neither an external threat nor an internal rebellion. The situation is unique in its lack of quality leadership that could steer the followers away from fanaticism. A bit like blind men feeling an elephant and describing the ‘cause’. The leadership is inept and uneducated in the basic tenets of the faith, wanting to use the faith as a tool for political and economic power rather than an ensuring social superstructure. Incompetent and a morally corrupt leadership would drive the wrong narrative amongst the foot soldiers, making them act counterproductive to the actual health and relevance of the brand. We need the Jayadevs, Mirabais and Phules most in the faith to give it much needed stewardship and wrest control of the ship from the ‘pretenders’.

     

    Trying to live some other faith’s life

    This is any brand manager’s nightmare…when those in ‘charge’ of the brand think they actually “own” it rather than the man or woman on the street. And therein lies the faultline. The obsession of living someone else’s life rather than ones own, as determined by the millions of faithful and followers, is what makes a brand really susceptible to constant attacks and gradual erosion. Right now Hinduism is trying to behave like a few other faiths, which I shall not name, that thrive on principles of exclusion, forced conversion and persecution for survival.

     

    From the corporate world, I shall take three specific examples of brands with mammoth mass appeal, adoption and advocacy across boundaries that wavered on these fundamentals and reached their points of implosion. At their pinnacles of success and ubiquity, nobody ever dared talk about their vulnerabilities. One folded up. The second is in a new avatar. The third is at an existential crossroad.

     

    The first is Kodak. The ones above 40 years of age all know of it. The millennials have the faintest of ideas, unless you are in business school and the Kodak case study is part of your curriculum. Amazing childhood memories. And that’s it. For the guys at Kodak got caught in the ‘ritual’ of loading photographic films into cameras. The leadership thought their business purpose was making the best film. The leadership failed to stick to the fundamental purpose of ‘preserving memories’, whatever the medium or method. The film roll was the symbol of cutting-edge technology. The obsession was with the Japanese and Germans.

     

    The second is Nokia. Again the darling of the above 40s. The millennials and further younger have no legacy to swoon over. Can we oldies forget the cover of Forbes November 2007 issue with the words “Can anyone catch the cell-phone king?”. Well, many did. Lots and lots did. And the king is now a pawn at the best on the chessboard. The leadership here was arrogant beyond description. And they thought they had all the answers to the world of tomorrow. They were obsessed with the hardware and the quality of the buttons. The youngster wanted a touchscreen with something called ‘applications’. The core purpose of “connecting people” was totally forgotten in the business rituals of the here and now. The piece of hardware was merely a “phone” and not a device that empowers the user with content and creativity. Again the obsession with the status quo just like in Kodak, with no one in the leadership to envision and reform. In the new avatar under HMD global, the going is sure tough. For, to the young Indian consumer, you are “my dad’s childhood phone”!

     

    The third is Facebook. In serious trouble as a very concept. Its core purpose has lost its way ‘into the dreary desert sand of dead habit’ [to quote from Tagore]. The founder is going through huge existential crisis as he chose to deliberately twist an open social platform into a tool of commerce, in your face, shunning all the values that you once stood for. Facebook is a marketing tool now. Nothing more. And that is what tomorrow’s generation is not interested in. it is caught between the powerful and the empowered. The former wishes to influence minds. The latter minds all doctored influencing. Zuckerberg needs to decide the future of his creation. To me, drag it entirely into becoming a marketing tool while starting on a fresh social platform, from scratch, with the same spirit of openness and enquiry as he had set up the first.

     

    As for Hinduism, it is more a way of life than merely a religion.

     

    And it needs to come out of its current state of self-inflicted vulnerability through one more round of review, refreshment and revival. The world’s oldest brand needs to teach a lesson or two to today’s world of start-ups and unicorns on how to remain relevant and sustainable for generations to come!

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior brand strategist and advisor. His views here are personal

  • In a new column series, Avik Chattopadhyay presents the Good, Bad and the Ridiculous in World Cup ads

    The ICC World Cup of Brands 2019

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Cricket is possibly the only thing that binds India on this date. A few others like the National Anthem, the Constitution and the Flag are going through their phases of revisionism and identity-crisis. Bollywood has never been a unifier! If you feel offended, ask the movie-goer in Chennai and Cochin for the right perspective.

    So, when the ICC One-Day Cricket World Cup happens, every brand wants to ride the bandwagon. Either directly as ICC sponsors and partners or with the media vehicle Star Sports. In either case, paying top money for primetime. We were pitted against England as the favourites to win the cup, so eyeballs would be guaranteed till the 12th of July.

    The biggest sponsors of this world cup were Kohli and Dhoni.

    Kohli was on air for Uber, Shyam Steel, Google Duo and Nuvoco Vista.

    MSD for Dream 11, SRMB Steel, Orient LED, MasterCard and Bharat Matrimony.

    Pardon me if I have missed out any more.

    Through the tournament I just hoped some guy with a sense of humour would announce, “This match is brought to you by Nissan, Oppo, Coca-Cola, MRF, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.” But that moment never came.

    Instead, India stopped at the semis.

    And so did most of the eyeballs.

    Now that the nation is at relative peace and debating only about ICC rules and New Zealand being short-circuited [almost patronisingly], here is a good time to look at how the brands on the b[r]andwagon fared. My assessment basically from the multitude of products and services that spent oodles of money on television over the 48 matches…into 3 sets of the good, the bad and the ridiculous. They are in no ranking order, hence the alphabetical order.

     

    The Good 5

     

    Coca-Cola – adorable communication featuring Paresh Rawal and Ranbeer Kapoor. Simple story, brilliantly told. Though one might argue the open invitation to gulp down gallons of aerated sugar water, the sheer quality of the campaign pardons the sin. “Chaar saal dete hain world cup waale…” should go on to become an iconic quip over time.

     

    Dream 11 – in the 5 WhatsApp groups I am part of, there were at least a dozen individuals hooked on to this site. Old and middle aged people, mind you, leading otherwise responsible family and corporate lives, indulging in betting! Obviously, the communication, simple and compelling enough, made the most of the occasion. MSD kept well here…no byes and drops.

     

    Google Search – while the Google Duo communication was quite flaky, the one by Search was bang on! Again, like Dream 11, made the most of the occasion.

     

    Swiggy – they had started off during the IPL, but the excellent campaign continued through the world cup. The brilliant tie-ins with various cricketing situations through the commentary brought a smile on millions’ faces I am sure. They had quite a few stories on air but my favourite one is the “Batsmen are taking a risk here…” featuring the two old friends ordering quesadilla and lasagne!

     

    Uber – very tactical and topical but well communicated and that is why it is in my list of the Good 5. Virat played well, on all types of pitches, in all conditions. Disarming and to the point. Only I could not understand playing the ad on the final. But that is for another day and under another subject…

     

    The Bad 5 – these are brands that spent a lot of money on advertising that did not work, according to me, for various reasons, specific to each.

     

    Fogg – we know that “Fagg chal raha hai” but why? There was no new story…nothing on the occasion of the world cup. They are smart communicators, hence I was sure disappointed when they spent a lot of money rehashing their IPL messaging. And I just wish we stop playing up the anti-Pakistan bit any more. What is innocent fun at one time can become laboured if stretched beyond relevance.

     

    Kamla Pasand – this one really shook me up by the scruff of my neck. The dream of 130 crore people! Give me a break please. I expect such talk in Parliament, not for a sport catering to the middle class and above. And all that flag waving? Nope, does not work. Being a ‘pan masala’ does not help things. Do not try to be Amul or Tata Tea. To communicate like them you need to switch businesses.

     

    MasterCard – okay, so you got a couple new stories to tell, but do you need two celebrities to drive home your message? Also, too many messages I thought, with none clearly registering [in my mind at least, in spite of being a MasterCard user]. Visa did a much better job with a single story being driven home.

     

    Oppo – you are the sponsor of the Indian team and the ICC and this is all that you do…bring a pretty girl close to a prettier bird?! Did you think that just your name appearing on shirts, grounds and backdrops would do the job? Nope, according to me. That was just your name that millions saw across the cricket playing world, not your brand. Lost a big chance of doing something truly relevant and memorable.

     

    Pepsi – I know, I know…they were not on television but so what…they did spend a lot of money trying to out-do Coke. They thought they did this super clever “digital” campaign forcing the grand old lady Charulata Patel do weird poses with her fingers. You think that’s swag? Take a good swig!

     

    The Ridiculous 5 – these are the jewels that I have not figured out why they were there in the first place! I am sure they still do not have the answer themselves.

     

    Apollo Tyres – just because MRF is there? Huh? You think that is reason enough? “Ambush marketing” in the age of AI and ML!! Sad. Please think up a better reason. It’s a nice, feel-good ad, but totally wasted on this platform. Therefore, money well wasted.

     

    Bharat Matrimony – we know young immature couples do propose at the cricket ground or in flights taking them to one, but you really want to talk about all this just because MSD is your brand ambassador? This is no way to “maximise” presence and squeeze the last bit from your lemon. Lemon!

     

    Nissan – you are one of the world’s most respected brands and this is what you do? Make an SUV reverse into the crease, create an android hand and smash a metallic ball? Seriously? Katayama-san would commit hara-kiri on this!

     

    Orient LED – I was a kid once so let’s get this straight – kids do not study during summer vacations and when a world cup is on…any world cup. Period. So, stop the preaching on whether the LED light flickers or not. That’s when exams come up. Okay?

     

    Shyam Steel – every time I saw yet one more ad of the most loving couple in the cricketing world, I cried. For I wanted it to end as soon as it started and the only way out was to look away or quickly check WhatsApp messages. Need I say more?

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior brand and business strategist based in Gurugram. This is the first in a new series of columns he will write for MxMIndia.

  • The airline image is definitely negatively impacted by the incident of a passenger being beaten up, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    Is Brand Indigo still ‘6E’?

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay

    What happened with the Indigo passenger is the symptom of a disease that lies deep down. Just like an internal infection manifests itself as a bad cough or a painful boil. That disease is an outcome of serious neglect and denial…like most diseases. In this case, it is the denial of operating in the service industry, wherein each employee has to have patience, empathy and politeness ingrained into the blood flow through training and mentorship. Obviously, all this is lacking in the Indigo training and resource development system. They just teach processes and nothing more. The “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” is mere lip service and does not come out of any deep down customer intimacy.

     

    While this one incident will make Indigo the brunt of lots of WhatsApp jokes and memes for some time, till the next such blunder by any airline, the management should see this as a clear warning of how they train, prepare and nurture their employees. Personally, I prefer Air India any day…they are polite, understanding and definitely far more patient with all those that fly the airline.

     

    Brand Indigo is definitely negatively impacted by this incident. The once poster boy of the industry has been losing its sheen over the last couple of years while competition has been upping its service levels and operational efficiency.

     

    For a service business, the brand is built through every point of customer interface and experience. The once “wow” factors that defined the Indigo brand as a leader are now tablestakes. The innovation has stopped, the flight delays have started, the prices are no longer value and the menu remains the same. How boring is that!!??

     

    The advertising that once was a reinforcement of on ground brand experiences is now just gimmicky…playing with words. This incident is symptomatic of all that ails the brand now. It is an overt expression of the internal stresses and anxiety. These internal factors do seep into the psyche of all employees. This employee just gave vent to the tensions within the system.

     

    As my brand guru Wally Olins used to repeat, the brand is a promise of an experience delivered consistently over time. Once that chain breaks, one needs to start afresh…repairs typically are not known to work. More than the incident, Indigo’s reaction, response and redressal system, or lack of it, exposes the disease within.

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay, co-founder of brand strategy firm Expereal, was until a couple of years back marketing head at Volkswagen India. He has also been India CEO of Saffron Brand Consultants. Hecan be reached at avik@exper.in. The views expressed here are his own

     

     

  • A quick check on whether the replacement of Cyrus Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons has impacted Brand Tata. Comments from Harish Bijoor, Avik Chattopadhyay, Alpana Parida & Amrita Chowdhury

    Has the Cyrus saga dented Brand Tata?

     

    Has Brand Tata been adversely impacted or tarnished because of the Cyrus Mistry ouster? Even as all may not have always been very well at the group, it has been India Inc’s most trusted business group over the years. Will a possible backlash from the Cyrus Mistry camp lead to a further devaluation of Brand Tata? We posed this question to a few brand gurus for their views:

     

    Harish Bijoor

    CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults

    The brand Tata has a rather deep equity and a change in the Chairman or a change of a Director does not hurt the image of Brand Tata as much fundamentally because it is all about the fact that the equity of brand Tata. It’s a Rs 100bn+ company and is in operations in 100+ countries and in the corporate world these kind of things are accepted. People get excited about it and then they forget. It will be seen as a corporate activity.

     

    Trust is a macro issue and trust happens over 100 of years and decades. Trust happens with your experience with the brand. Consumers statically interact with brands and not necessarily with corporate brands. So the Tata brand has got a front-ended facet which is far and wide. When you pick up a Titan watch you are interacting with the Tata brand, when you pick up Tata Coffee packet or Tata Tea packet you are interacting with the brand, never mind what happens behind. If you take the corollary of Kingfisher brand, people have asked me if the brand Kingfisher – the beer is affected because of Vijay Mallya and everything that happened I say, not at all. Anybody who is interacting with Brand Kingfisher and drinking the beer will continue to do so with a great degree of gusto. Tata is a consumer company by and large, whether it is a Tata truck, Tata bus, Tata car or Tata coffee, people are touched by these brands on a continuous basis and these brands are the ones that evoke trust. I really do believe that this will be seen as a corporate hiccup rather than a corporate turmoil.

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay

    Co-founder, Expereal

    The Tata brand has been a benchmark for business propriety, professionalism and patience. But it seems the old guard got rattled by Cyrus’ plans of restructuring the organisation. His direct, no-nonsense style questioned a lot of deadwood, emotional baggage and personal ego-trips. The group went through a same phase of restructuring when RNT had taken over around 25 years back, but nobody objected then and obediently went through the slash and chop. Guess an ‘outsider’ did not help matters. And this episode does not help the Tata brand either. Bombay House is back to incandescent lightbulbs from LEDs. And its corridors shall be a bit darker now!

     

    Alpana Parida

    Managing Director, DY Works

    There is widespread consternation about this move. The belief- right or wrong – is with the establishment as correcting  a trajectory that was at odds with its value system. The true equity of the brand has not been so much its size or success- which apart from TCS and JLR – seems to be in question. The real reason for the Tata equity has rested on its value system. Both as a corporate citizen and as an employer.

     

    Tata has been the tall face of Indian global corporate ambitions and a move such as this has the country taking sides.
    Amrita Chowdhury

    President, DY Works​

    Clearly this is a dramatic move for a heritage- and values-driven firm. We have seen such high profile ousters in companies like HP or even Apple, driven from a divergence in the beliefs of the CEO/Chairman and the Board.

     

    When we think of Tata Group what remains in our minds is its brand value. Their challenges in innovation or quality or profitability are systemic in nature. Recalling Lou Gerstner’s stories on the remaking of IBM, such transitions can be brutal. Or it could be steered over a long period of time. What is the right strategy for Tata Group in an Indian and Global context remains to be seen.

     

  • News channel CNN-IBN undertook a significant refresh and renamed its television and digital platform. Does it work? We asked three discerning professionals for their views

    CNN-News18: Will the change be gamechanging?

    By Anuka Roy

     

    What’s in a name? This famous quote by Shakespeare may or may not hold true for media organisations. On April 19, the Network 18 group rechristened its English news channel CNN-IBN to CNN-News 18. The new name and logo was revealed from 8 pm onwards.

     

    A new tagline- On Your Side- along with a revamped studio was also revealed as part of the re-branding exercise. IBNLive.com will now be called News18.com. Prime Time 2.0, a new show, will be telecast between 8 and 11 pm; comprising of on-ground reporting, opinions, debates and humour-laden content. In the press release, they said that, the focus will be on “making news more relevant to its viewers by bringing immersive journalism to the fore.

     

    Said Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman, Network18: “A decade back, CNN-IBN re-invented news by getting to its viewers the benefits of a reputed international news partner CNN, and eventually emerging as the most awarded English general news channel. We are optimistic about bringing this change wherein we will keep the journalist and the consumer at the centre of our programming, which is the critical need of the hour,”

     

    So, will this re-branding excercise work? What do people have to say about it? MxMInida asked a cross-section of experts about the same and here is what they had to say,

     

    > Old wine in new bottle? Do you think the change is cosmetic? Because the people are the same, and it’s just a slicker, newer version?

    Avik Chattopadhyay, a senior marketing and brand consultant (AC): I actually watched the channel for an hour. There seems to be some new programming, like “Big 5 @ 10”. The colour palette seems new. But it is early to conclude whether it is purely cosmetic or is the channel making the most of the change in name to have a substantial change. to set it aside from others and truly distinct.

     

    Vikas Mehta, formerly CEO, Lowe Lintas, Dubai, currently blogger and consultant (VM): My take is simple. The media brand is CNN, which has a bigger brand equity. To me it doesn’t make much of a difference.

     

    Sushobhan Patankar, professor at Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication and former employee of Network 18 (SP): As far as I’m concerned, it’s kind of sad for me. I’ve been associated with CNN-IBN since its launch in 2005. The brand had slipped since Rajdeep Sardesai’s exit. It is difficult to predict.

     

    > CNN-IBN has been a household name for around a decade. Do you think the rebranding will mean that it will take the channel some time to become a household name? Headlines Today did change to India Today, but India Today was a known media brand….

    AC: Guess the change in name is not that significant to create a total disconnect from its previous avatar. It is an evolutionary rebranding… not a revolutionary one. As long as the “CNN” name remains, the viewer will be able to connect. If it were called “Newswork 18” or something as drastic, it would have been another matter.

     

    VM: I don’t have research to back up ,when I’m watching CNN-IBN, I would say I’m watching a CNN channel. But for the consumer to realise it would take sometime… but it doesn’t matter much

     

    SP: When ABP acquired Star News, the channel was known for its faces. I feel faces are bigger than brands. Brand change doesn’t matter. Brands are not important but faces are.

     

    > CNN-IBN is today far from being the leader on the ratings roster. Do you think the new look and thrust will help build it?

    AC: It is all about content, content and content. They have some big names like Swapan Dasgupta, Vir Sanghvi and Bhupendra Chaubey. Now they need to create the right relevance with the target viewer they want to reach out to. It cannot be the same as one who watches Times Now or India Today or…

     

    VM: That’s true. I don’t.know the actual reason why they have done the rebranding . May be they are trying to refurbish the brand. It’s handled right in terms of raising interest that something new is happening in the channel. When Star News changed to ABP news, they handled it quite well. The viewership didn’t suffer because they kept the curiosity factor high. It’s kind of a lot has changed but nothing has changed at all. It means it has to better than what it was and needs to be better perceived than what it was. If the change is cosmetic, it won’t make a difference but if the content has changed dramatically in terms of stories, anchors, then definitely it would make a difference.

     

    SP: I don’t know what their editorial plan is. If they create new content and follow a new model, it might work but if they stick to the old model it may not.

     

    > Your view on whether the masses are indeed interested in news without an agenda… or do they like the noise at primetime?

     

    AC: Not everyone wants to ‘view’ noise. There is definitely a substantial segment that looks for quality and credible content. And there can be no news without an agenda…even if it is “100% unbiased truth”…this is also a credible agenda, possibly the most difficult to achieve and deliver over time. There are news platforms that have painstakingly built their reputation on agendas that people actually appreciate and value. CNN News 18 needs to define and deliver the same for itself. Give it time…

     

    VM: I don’t know what you mean by masses. This is a niche channel. It is aimed at higher SECs. This is my personal view, I don’t have a research to back it, a lot of consumers want to see the reality. But a lot of channels are giving a twist of their own. For me, the masses are looking for channels without a biased point of view. They want to judge for themselves.

     

    SP: There should be an element of spectacle. There needs to be drama to engage the audience. The audience wants something chatpata. So yes, people are more interested in primetime drama.

     

  • Candour, Inclusive, Challenging, Young are the values of the AAP brand and these are the values that tomorrow's India aspires for, appreciates and aligns with, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    #AAPHEW! | Avik Chattopadhyay: What made Brand AAP click

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    The AAP brand has been very thoughtfully created, nurtured and matured by the party thinktank. I really do not know the names of the thinkers, but I am sure there are quite a few of them, from various walks of life and backgrounds, that ensures its unique personality and positioning before the man and woman on the street.
    And the positioning was summed up in BBC’s update on February 10 evening that said, “India anti-corruption party routs BJP.”

     

    “Anti-corruption”.
    This is the brand essence of AAP.
    This is their greater purpose…of existing, contesting, winning and administering.
    The party has stood for this purpose with a manic conviction.
    In November 2013, it was demonstrated through a raw, extroverted, abrasive sincerity.
    In January 2015, it has been expressed through a calm, collective and controlled aggression.
    But the missionary zeal… clearly remains, undiluted.

     

    This purpose brings an automatic emotional connect with all Indians, at every corner.
    And most so, in the capital, where forms and intensities of corruption proliferate and pulverise.

     

    The values of the brand?

     

    Candour. Inclusive. Challenging. Young.

    These are the values that tomorrow’s India aspires for, appreciates and aligns with.
    In the disarming candour of a man openly admitting he had made a mistake and requesting for another chance.
    In the inclusiveness of its volunteer forces that gave their all for a just cause.
    In their challenging the conventional central authority of its organisational and financial muscle.
    In the youthful energy in their approach to campaigning and the content that they shared on social media.

     

    There was a Pepsi to a Coke.
    There came a Mac to a PC.
    There is an AAP to a BJP.

     

    Both need to co-exist, for in their contrasting ethos and styles of functioning will lie the checks and balances of administration and development. That is the very essence of a thriving democracy. And I am sure proud to be born and live in one that is ours!

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a senior marketing and brand consultant. He now co-runs brand advisory firm Expereal. He has spent over two decades in the automotive industry and was also CEO of Saffron Brands India.

     

  • The sentiment of the customer has turned positive towards only those brands that have got their fundamentals in place, writes Avik Chattopadhyay

    What ails auto sales in India

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    The Indian automobile industry, like elsewhere in the world, is an important barometer for the country’s economic health. And within the industry, passenger cars [including SUVs, UVs, MPVs and vans] stand on a pedestal as they are still aspirational [given a still very low penetration per household], most written about and, symbolic of status and success.

     

    When sales of passenger cars go up, everybody is happy…the automakers, the dealers, the finance companies, the service providers, the economists, the revenue collectors, the policymakers and…the consumer. Analysts say it is an outcome of “sentiment”…when the prospective new car buyer/ upgrader feels secure and optimistic about the economy therefore justifying the car purchase.

     

    So, after some 24 months of stunted car sales, when the overall industry numbers are looking more optimistic in terms of actual growth, everybody seems to be feeling good again. Analysts have predicted a 3-5% growth in numbers over 2013. Just that, on a closer look, the growth is being experienced by only a handful of brands and not the industry across the board. The sentiment of the customer has turned positive towards only those brands that have got their fundamentals in place. Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Honda have been the real beneficiaries. Mahindra seems to be getting back into action now. I am keeping the “luxury” brands out of this as that stratospheric segment is on its own roll anyway. But the others…almost 15-odd brands…made up of some truly global juggernauts and a couple local powerbases are still feeling the heat. A few have been at it for close to two decades now. And they have no dearth of “products”, the most popular punching bag cited for non-performance!

     

    What really ails these brands? Why do they not sell? Why do they not connect? Why are they not aspirational enough for more customers to embrace them?

     

    Five factors, given my experience of being part of the automotive industry.

     

    The 10% marketshare malady

    This is where the problem starts. Big brands have big egos. They enter the market on a high horse. Hence we hear of the “we will garner 10% of the Indian market by so-and-so year” statements from time to time by these big global brands.Nobody has really said that they aim for the most satisfied customers! Quite simply, putting the cart before the horse. Without creating relevance, articulating the promise and creating mechanisms of actually delivering it, brands think that setting up a plant and opening showrooms will ensure long term sales. After the initial euphoria dies down, the marketshare malady lies exposed.

     

    After-sales comes…after sales

    The service network should be the first piece in the business puzzle to be put in place, but sadly it is not. A just-released study by American Express reiterates that brand loyalty increases in India by a multiplier through better after-sales service. And this is common sense for a highly-involved product category like automobiles. However, lack of servicing capacity, incapable skills, non-availability of spares and shoddy customer relationship programmes have let down the early brand adopters, leading to negative word-of-mouth and eventual brand disconnect. One cannot give the erring brands any special ‘gyaan’ on the remedy except for requesting them to get the basics right and learn from the ones who are successful.

     

    Marketing = advertising + FB page + Twitter handle

    This aspect of the business could make a real difference, in terms of sustainable customer engagement in the brand’s nurturing. While the marketing function should be all-encompassing covering right from the right product portfolio to segmented promotional tactics, the reality is that the function is still seen as only an advertising arm churning our TVCs and print ads, having an FB page and running a Twitter handle. Marketing has to be both more strategic as well as on-ground, being the veritable bridge for the brand.

     

    Lack of internal engagement

    Companies plan and spend a lot of resources on training the salespersons at the dealerships [and rightly so] to ensure they sell better. But what about the employees? How are they inducted? What is the brand immersion programme for them? How are pride and conviction built? Are they seen as employees or stakeholders? Are they treated as headcount or potential brand ambassadors? Internal engagement is a much neglected practice. Organisations somewhere feel that working for them is something of a privilege for the employee…a feeling totally misplaced as quality manpower is precious and loyalty a sustainable asset.

     

    A leadership disconnect?

    The fifth and last factor may be the touchy for some, but I am of the opinion that there are too many career ‘sales’ people heading organisations. They bring a uni-dimensional approach to the business, of moving from one monthly promotional / discount scheme to another, without much focus on building brand relevance and sustainable customer management. They are not typically innovative or willing to experiment. If one analyses the brands that are successful in this market, one will notice that the leadership is well-rounded and with varying backgrounds like production, procurement, HR or for that matter, even marketing.

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a leading marketing and brand consultant. He has spent over two decades in the automotive industry and was also CEO of Saffron Brands India. This article first appeared in ‘dna of brands’ dated November 3.

     

  • So what should do the new BJP-led government do to uplift Brand Maharashtra. A quick list by Avik Chattopadhyay

    4 must-dos to revive Brand Maharashtra

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    To me, the ‘Brand Maharashtra’ needs to be revived doing four specific things.

     

    1. Maharashtra as a melting pot: Building an atmosphere of ‘inclusiveness’ is the first step. The state still needs to be the place where dreams are fulfilled and lives are made for an Indian from any part of the country. This has to be the core ethos of the ‘Marathi Manoos’, one who welcomes all with industriousness to his/ her home to build a prosperous Maharashtra

     

    2. Maharashtra as a Bridge: The state has few pockets of prosperity and development and the contrasts between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ are too wide and stark which need to be reduced consciously by building more pockets of development

     

    3. Maharashtra as a Technology Hotspot: Both in manufacturing and agriculture,  these two key economic activities need to be both harnessed as well as connected using technology. This needs to be both communicated as well as implemented at the ground level.

     

    4. Maharashtra as One Flag: This is the last but possibly most significant thing to be done, as a rallying point for all those who live, add to and take from the state. A communication pivot and an identity that connects with all – beyond religion, colour, caste and place of origin.

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is a leading marketing and brand consultant. He was engaged in a rebranding exercise of West Bengal. This article first appeared in the ‘dna of brands’ section of dna.

     

  • Branding guru, India-lover Wally Olins passed away yesterday. Rajesh Kejriwal of Kyoorius and Avik Chattopadhyay pay tribute

    The Wally We Knew

     

    By Rajesh Kejriwal

     

    Rajesh Kejriwal

    I rarely classify people, even those that i admire and like, as “fine human beings”. Wally, undoubtedly, was one of those fine human beings.

     

    I first met Wally when I Invited him to speak at Kyoorius Designyatra in 2007 and my first impression of him was that he does not suffer fools easily and has a zero tolerance for bull-shitters. So, in the beginning, i decided to handle him with kid gloves – something I have to do with many a speaker who have fragile egos or need attention. But within the first two hours of his presence at Designyatra, – I realised my mistake. Wally had a very warm side to him and really really cared about people. He said that I would do better looking after other speakers and that he would do better meeting young people and in his usual witty style said: let me be with people who admire me. This is one of the many many photos of Wally with youngsters at Designyatra in 2007 - It was amazing to see admiration in the young ones’ faces, and how he treated them with the greatest honour and love. He absolutely loved the currency with his image and took back an entire bundle of them.

     

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay on Wally: Brutally frank, eternally optimistic

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay, Marketing Head, Volkswagen India, was CEO – Indian Operations at Saffron Brand Consultants in 2010-11 and interacted with Wally as a client, employee and a friend

     

    By Avik Chattopadhyay

     

    I met Wally Olins in 1990, not in person, but through his book Corporate Identity.

    Since then I have been an admirer, client, colleague and well-wisher.

    What struck me most about “Sir” are his brutal frankness, brevity in expression and eternal optimism.

     

    Being around and with him, I have seen many who copy Wally Olins… his words, his opinion, his thoughts and even parts of his work. For, many amongst us want to ‘be’ Wally Olins. But Wally Olins was and remained himself.

     

    And that is what I have learnt from him… to stop living others’ lives and be myself. My identity, my truth and my being.

     

    That is what Wally Olins wanted in each of us.

     

    As individuals. As experiences. As brands.

     

    Avik Chattopadhyay is Marketing Head, Volkswagen India. He was CEO – Indian Operations at Saffron Brand Consultants from February 2010 to April 2011 and before he joined Saffron, he interacted with Wally when he worked with Apollo, one of Saffron’s first clients in India

     

    A few months later I got a mail from Wally. He was coming back as a delegate member of the London Mayor’s visit to India. He was in Mumbai over the weekend and asked if I would like to catch up. I met him on a Friday evening and learnt that he was totally free over the weekend.  He commented on how he drove from Mumbai to Kashmir back in the days he used to head what is now O&M India and that he loved the roadside dhaba food. I asked him out to lunch the next day and decided to take him out to Sunny Da Dhaba in Lonavala - That seven-hour journey for lunch, kind of, sealed a friendship that I have very fond memories of and will always cherish. At the end, he thanked me in his classic style – you know this is why I love Indians – who else could take you out for a total of seven-hour lunch –  a four-hour journey time for lunch and three hours over lunch.

     

    It was also that visit when he sealed the deal for Apollo and subsequently came back quite often to India and we met always. In the beginning of 2008, I connected Wally to Bajaj Auto and then he decided to open an office in India and made me a independent director of Saffron India and my journey with Wally began – a journey that has shaped me in many, many ways.

     

    The one very distinct quality about Wally was that he would say what he thought, would not tolerate second-rate thinking, writing or communicating and everyone who was around him would get balled, some of us who were close to him would get balled more frequently.

     

    One of the many things that I took from Wally was about being on time. Though i must admit Wally was always very anal about it – he would want to arrive at the airport a minimum of three hours earlier and if someone dropped him four hours earlier, he would love that person. We went to every meeting with a minimum of 15 minutes to spare and God forbid if the client delayed the meeting for more than 15 minutes. Once a Chairman kept us waiting for almost 70 minutes and I was bearing the brunt of his frustration during that period and trying to explain how this happens in India. At the end, when the Chairman walked in without an iota of feeling sorry for the delay and walked in and just started talking about his company. Wally stood and said – “So far its been a absolute displeasure meeting you and you have five minutes to change my perception about you. If you do, then and if you want, we can meet tomorrow at The Leela at four. The Chairman was dumbfounded but was immensely contrite, apologised profusely and said that he would meet Wally at The Leela.

     

    But that was Wally but he did it with a flair that was as brutal as it was charming and at the end, everyone still liked him. He is the only person i have met who would literally shame you with his words but win your heart at the same time with his twinkling eyes and witty humour. But when you knew him closely, you also realised that he had great patience in talking to his colleagues, spending immense amount of time explaining to them, guiding them repeatedly and was very caring to ensure that all the people under him grew with learning.

     

    Once we had some free time in Kolkata and he took me to the Victoria Cemetery and spent an hour guiding me, i was very impressed. It was only later that i realised that this was only his second visit and that the first one was almost fifty years back. But that was classic Wally – he had an insatiable curiosity and would absorb anything and everything.

     

    I have known Wally for the last seven years but those who really spent time with him also know that Wally was one person who made you so comfortable personally, became family and made you feel a part of his family. It’s been an honour and i feel blessed that i had the opportunity of being a part of Wally’s journey, of our families being close to each other.

     

    I know we have lost him but we have not lost him as a role model in my lifetime. My wife and children were equally devastated yesterday. He would sit down for hours with my daughter and advise her on her career. In his last visit, he invited her to London and work with him for four months. My daughter was planning to go in July this year. Sadly, Wally won’t be around, but am sure he will continue to advise her, painstaking as he always would, from up there.

     

    Rajesh Kejriwal is Founder and CEO, Kyoorius, a not-for-profit initiative that organises the Designyatra and various Design-related events. He is also Chief Editor and Publisher of Kyoorius magazine. After a successful D&AD-backed Design Awards last year, this year Kyoorius is also hosting the Advertising and Digital awards, backed by D&AD.