-An educative session organised to understand the ROI of branding–
New Delhi, February 12, 2015: Indian brands are at the cusp of an important evolution and the European school of thought in branding is gaining wide currency in India. Bearing this in mind, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is engaging meaningfully with Dutch creative talent under the aegis of Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in India. Brand Dialogue, a consortium of top Dutch branding and design agencies is leading this collaboration that aims to create a platform to introduce Indian brand and communications and educate the audience on the essence of branding and how a smart and interactive design is directly proportional to a brand’s balance sheet.
Addressing a Seminar on the Return on Investment in Branding, Netherlands Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Amabassador to India, H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga remarked, “Your brand defines your identity, it speaks volumes about your image. If you go to meet someone, even before they have met you, they already know a lot about you, which is where your brand image plays a very significant role. Talking about India, Branding plays a very significant role in shaping the future of the country as it makes companies more recognizable and attractive for customers, and supports differentiation and competition.”
Willem Woudenberg, Founder & CEO of Brand Dialogue, explains “Branding is still a misunderstood concept in India, it is considered equivalent to advertising. For most of the brands in India, branding is sales oriented and is often a short-term goal. Despite their size and importance, Indian brands are practically unknown in the international marketplace, people in foreign countries might know the names of the brands but not many understand its relevance and meaning and branding can alter that. ”
The evening saw a mix of global and India perspectives and effects of branding and design. Presenters included, Rik Riezenbos (NL), who talked about the ‘essence of branding as a function of positioning’, Paul Stork, Director of Fabrique, who talked about ‘design for conversion’ with a focus on the role played by design in branding. Loe Limpens, Chief Creative Officer and Partner, Yellow Dress Retail, highlighted the return of private label branding for companies and how ‘packaging’ is the silent salesman for a brand.
Adding to their Dutch partners from India, the podium was held by Saurabh Uboweja, CEO, Brands of Desire who reflected on brand strategy from an Indian perspective and exemplified how branding needs to move from a fragmented to a holistic approach and Zia Patel, Director, India, Wolf Olins FZ LLC, who added how different parts of management need to collaborate for creating a strong brand positioning. Also present at the event, were Shilpa Gupta, Head-Retail, FMCG, Luxury, Gems & Jewellery, FICCI and Rajiv Batra, Group Head- Corporate Affairs, Hindustan Unilever Limited.
This interactive and engaging session was attended by leading brands like Benetton India, SRL, GMR, HUL, ARCHOHM, JTC Tea, among others.