My views comes from my experience of global market and what's not happening with the SME's in India. We need to stir things up and change the mindset.
I have been working in the industry trying to help SMEs convert their businesses in to brands, or at least take their businesses onto the brand path. I used to think to myself, “Why not?” India is a country full of potential. Manufacturing units, retailers, food and beverage brands, restaurants, hospitality ventures and what not? So when I had to move back to India in 2012, I said let me make it my aim to help small businesses see the bigger picture. I tried pursuing that for several years. However, you can’t really make them see what they don’t. The maximum you can do is seed the idea.
So, the first thing first – the SMEs have to have an ambition to grow bigger than they are. If you are an ambitious business owner then we can help you create a brand. One must know that branding is a process. You need to be thinking through a decade of consistent efforts along with your brand agency. If you are not doing that and just spending money on advertising, random events and exhibitions, let’s face it – you aren’t going to get there!
If you are looking at creating a brand and you are betting at getting there just by buying media spaces, well, you are not going to get there. Reason? Well, because it’s more important what you say in that space and when you say it. If you are looking at converting all of your branding and advertising into immediate sales, well, it’s not going to happen that way.
First, whichever brands you are referring to – be it Nike, Diesel, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Pantene, JW Marriott etc, the key is consistently communicating to their audience through carefully curated communication strategy and media plans. Yes, to put this in place you need a brand agency and a budget. If you or your board is constantly going back and forth cutting the marketing and branding investment (yes, I said investment and not expense), let me tell you there is some rival brand somewhere in making that is going to outnumber you and all that word of mouth that you have been counting upon will be soon vanished in thin air. Let’s not forget the consumer today is faced with many choices and smart advertisers. So, make your choice of a smart may be small/medium size agency and lay out a long-term brand strategy to fulfil your ambitious dream! Bring on the board experts and professionals.
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