Brand building is a very interesting proposition. However good a brand is, a robust campaign/ communication plan is a must to make its presence felt, reach the millions & grow its value.
Brand killing is equally a tough job & many brand managers have done it with great success;
I am reminded of the following brands which have turned upside down , thanks to some blunders;
The most recent disaster which I would like to highlight is ITC's brand basket- "fiama di wills". Only God knows how they arrived at such a difficult brand name. Right from the word go, they have killed the brand. Little have the brand managers realized how difficult it is for a rural Indian to walk up to a store & ask for 'fiama di wills' soap- a real tough one for an average rural Indian with no knowledge of English. Why rural, perhaps even I am hesitant to ask my shop keeper in Bangalore, to give me this product, since I find it too tough to recall or mouth this name. Its really tricky.
Hindustan Unilever is an expert in killing popular brands thanks to their expert brains. They have killed good brands like Liril, Rexona, Hamam, Close up, Breeze... the list goes on. They are slowly but surely going all out to kill Lifebuoy range of soaps, the brand which ruled the soap market until about a decade ago. No one can match HUL when it comes to murdering a brand. It hurts to see the debacle of Liril, such a wonderful product . I used to love the soap.
Ponds had a very good brand in their stable- the "Dream flower" soap. One of the most exotic soaps that I have ever come across, it died a silent death.
The Ambassador car- a house hold name has today slipped into Coma, thanks to the mental bankruptcy in their company. What could have been moulded into a fantastic range of cars is just waiting for its funeral.
Another brutal murder is that of Brand Onida. They lost their way & the brand got forgotten. Same was that of brand BPL, Dianora...
Soft drink "Torino" was a mega brand during my childhood days & so was 'Gold Spot'. With the arrival of Coke & Pepsi, these brands got pushed & finally are RIP.
Well, these are just a few examples. What I want to convey is that several brands get eased out due to competition, but many good brands go into destruction, perhaps due to the extra smartness of a few people in the brand management with an "I know it all" attitude, ably aided by clueless managements.
We have so many well managed brands which have stood the test of times & have survived for decades & continue to do well. Maggi, TATA Salt, Rin, Nirma, Wheel, Hero cycles, BSA, Vasu agarbathis, Mysore sandal soap, Cheeta fight matches,Santoor, Ponds talcum powder, Limca.
The secret of successful brand management is ' common sense'. Give the customer what he wants. Never bring out plans from a state of Illusion.
Cheers!
PS- I am not a wizard in brand management. This blog has been penned by me through my personal research & popular perception
