6 Exclusive Branding Strategies India's Top Companies Won't Share
Discover India's best-kept branding secrets: 6 elite strategies top companies utilize, elevating their brands and driving success. Learn from the best at Cpluz.
5 min readCpluz
Exclusive Branding Strategies for Indian Companies
Welcome to the world of branding, where every company is striving to build a meaningful connection with its consumers. In a fiercely competitive market, Indian companies are on the lookout for strategies that can help them stand out from the crowd. In this article, we will delve into six exclusive branding strategies employed by India's top companies, which they might not readily share with others.
Cultivating Brand Purpose
A brand purpose is the core reason for a company's existence and its desired impact on the world. It's the underlying reason for customers to choose a particular product over its competitors and are more likely to sustain a long-term relationship with a brand that has a clear sense of purpose. India's top companies understand that rebranding their organizations around a shared purpose is essential to connect with consumers emotionally.
The Example of Hindustan Unilever
One of India's largest consumer goods companies, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), has found success with its sustained focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility. Their revolutionary 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' campaign in 2014 aimed at spreading awareness about the importance of cleanliness and safe sanitation, concurrently encouraging people to adopt sustainable practices. This significant cause-oriented initiative has not only increased their brand loyalty among customers but also showcases HUL's commitment to creating a positive impact in society.
Digital-First Approach
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, India's top companies are embracing a digital-first approach to create a strong brand image. They have acknowledged the importance of having an active online presence and leveraging digital channels to engage with their target audience.
The Success Story of Ola
With ride-hailing services revolutionizing urban transportation, Ola has paved the way for a larger disruptor through its two-wheeler service, Ola Electric, which demonstrates their successful digital-first strategy. Recognizing the impact of digital platforms on urban commuters' choices, the company designed its intuitive app combined with appealing user interface that fosters an easy riding experience, enhancing customer trust in its network.
Embracing Experiential Marketing
India's top companies are moving beyond the traditional advertising methods and focusing on experiential marketing, providing unique and memorable experiences for their customers. This approach not only differentiates brands but also creates long-lasting connections with consumers.
The Magic of IKEA
A Swedish multinational conglomerate, IKEA, has redefined the shopping experience with its retail strategy centered on immersive environments. Offering an unique experience for customers that extends beyond mere sales, IKEA persists to invest time and resources in spaces interwoven with restaurants, gardens, and interactive exhibits. By providing customers with an immersive experience, IKEA fosters positive emotions, thus building a lifelong relationship with customers and brand loyalty.
Partnering with Influencers
Collaboration with social media influencers is an increasingly popular branding strategy among Indian companies. Influencers have the ability to influence their followers' purchasing decisions, and their opinions play a crucial role in a brand's success.
Ambuja Cements – The Path to Success
Ambuja Cements, a leader in the cement industry, used social media influencers to fuel its brand-building efforts. By partnering with popular Indian influencers across different platforms, Ambuja Cement showcased its focus on cementing past experiences and initiating conversations about the importance of quality.
Creating 'Youth-Focused' Content
Young adults, increasingly influential in today's market, are catered to by creating relatable and existing 'youth-focused' content. India's top companies promote their brands using youthful and acceptable platforms that the youth are vertically and horizontally integrated with, consequentially increasing positive word-of-mouth.
India Lagae – Connecting with Youth
India Lagaao, a popular campaign initiated by ASSOCHAM in association with APCO Worldwide, aimed to engage youth through interactive content and educate them about financial literacy and planning. It provided relevant online information and developed engaging value-based initiatives for young Indians, aligning well with the objectives of youth-focused branding strategies.
Partnership and Collaborations
Strategic partnerships and collaborations have served as a powerful branding tool. By partnering with complementary brands, Indian companies extend their reach and influence by joining forces to introduce new products or offerings that satiate consumer needs without the confines of traditional branding methods.
UPL's Partnership for Healthy Soils
UK-based multinational corporation UPL acquired Arysta LifeScience in 2017, firmly establishing itself as a market leader in the agrochemical industry. By pioneering a partnership with the Global Soil Partnership and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UPL brought brands under its umbrella and formed collaborative partnerships that place an emphasis of healthy soil conservation. It solidified its presence as a trustworthy market leader with environmental sensitivities, redefining UPL's branding methods.
Investing in Employee Advocacy
A strong employee advocacy is a cleverly hidden secret of successful brand communication strategies in Indian companies. Happy employees are invaluable brand ambassadors, and their word of mouth does wonders in promoting the brand's image and subjects the company to positive public perception.
Infosys' Internal Productivity Drive
Bangalore-headquartered Infosys has taken steps in fostering employee advocacy, encouraging their team to live and exemplify the brand's purpose and values. Innovations such as monthly quizzes, internal hackathons, and rewards systems for employee achievements symbolize Infosys's power in promoting an internally-driven and energized company culture, leveraging employee advocacy as a sustainable branding method.
Enhancing Employer Value Proposals
Enhancing employer value propositions aligns companies with their employee-centric approach to branding. This strategy involves not just having an ATM and food court in an office, but building a local ecosystem of wellbeing and purpose that connects employees to the organisation's mission and creates a sense of belonging.
HDFC Life Insurance's Branding
Aron Alwais, Chief Marketing Officer of HDFC Life Insurance, united employees in an alignment of employer, customer, and product by announcing a new nation-wide initiative, Affordable Housing from SBI Life & HDFC, encapsulating the company's unique product offerings to cater to every aspect of customer life. This effectively projects an internal, focused work environment that nurtures personal, professional and societal growth of employees that fully resonates with the organization's core values.
Conclusion
Exclusive branding strategies catalyze innovation and oomph for companies aiming to rediscover themselves and redefine customer experience. India's top companies endeavor to stay poised in a continuously evolving market by breaking free from routine and mastering untapped branding territories. By implementing the strategies discussed in this article, businesses can imitate the complementing steps others have taken to drive their brands and create underlying connections that linger.
Contact Cpluz at info@cpluz.com or visit cpluz.com for professional design and hosting solutions.