Top 8 Indian Branding Experts Reveal Hidden truths About India’s Rebranding Market

Top 8 Indian Branding Experts Reveal Hidden truths About India's Rebranding Market

In a rapidly evolving market, branding has become the core of a company's success. Indian branding has emerged as a significant force, with countries and businesses stepping up to make their presence felt internationally. However, India's rebranding sector has many covert realities that aren't obvious to everyone. We spoke with the top 8 Indian branding experts to reveal some hidden truths about the industry.

1. Shifting Dynamics of Rebranding

Times have changed since rebranding was merely about a change in the company's visual identity. Today, it encompasses vast aspects such as values, a new 'why,' mission and vision, and engaging experiences. It's a holistic transformation that also includes a refreshing message to the target audience, explains ArunIMA founder and creative director ArunIMA.

ArunIMA's Expert Opinion

ArunIMA warns that going through drastic growth requires changing perceptions. However, this exercise should be handled delicately as brashness, insufficient input from key stakeholders, or a lack of understanding of the audience could snap the fragile bond with the current audience. He suggests spending ample time amidst consumers, fully understanding their understanding and conceptualizing the rebrand around that.

2. Focus On Cultural Sensitivity

The experts stress the importance of researching the consumer's cultural associations, directories, and personas while approaching a branding overhaul. Somya Bhati, Creative Director at Studio WILD, emphasizes that some rebranding experiments fail due to an oversight of cultural nuances. This emphasis on cultural sensitivity generates authentic brand connections and helps the brand thrive in the marketplace.

Somya Bhati's Take on Cultural Sensitivity

Drawing from history, cultural insensitivity can severely affect a rebranding strategy. The Pepsi debacle of the late '90s stands out as an example where an advertising campaign meant to celebrate diversity went awry, leading to protests. Experts advise careful attention to cultural differences to ensure positive marketing outcomes.

3. Shift Towards Digital

Since the onset of digital, many brands have evolved their strategies to embrace the advantages of the online world. The pandemic-induced boom only emphasized this need. Nandhu Kumar, CEO & Founder of Cpluz, notes that with all companies moving to adapt to the digital landscape, it has upped the competition and forces brands to tread carefully to ensure a loyal clientele.

Nandhu Kumar's Perspective on Digital Evolution

Digital rebranding has proven to be an effective strategy for companies looking to enhance their image or reach wider audiences. Being interactive, easy to track, and cost-efficient makes it ideal for this purpose. That said, companies would do well to remember quality over quantity—the relevance and context of the content should be given due importance.

4. A Seamless Experience

India's growing emphasis on user experience has significant implications for the field of rebranding. Brands are focusing on immersive, interactive, and responsive experiences to draw in customers. Akshay Jain, the founder of ORM India, emphasizes the importance of managing the customer journey and establishing an effective conversation strategy to foster brand loyalty.

Akshay Jain's Take on User Experience

Omnichannel experiences with cohesive messaging can prove to be a powerful differentiator between brands. This approach delivers tailored, human-centered interactions with consumers, substantially enhancing brand recall. Cpluz's commitment to innovative and seamless designs aligns with this transformative cultural shift.

5. Empathetic Storytelling

A call to authenticity has resonated in the new healthcare and consumer goods landscape. Brands now seek to tell inspiring and true stories of people and not just products. How brands can be co-creators of satisfying experiences for consumers is becoming an important focus, posits Ironline's Director Ms. Kiran Sethu.

Kiran Sethu's Expert Take on Authentic Storytelling

6. Digital Skill Strengthening

Proficiency in new-age tools and trends is crucial in maintaining the market's stand in branding. Experts agree that dedicating resources for the upskill and reskill their workforce would enable organizations to adapt to the swiftly changing market. Aishwarya Chellam, a Principal Designer at I GOT Design, attests that the market is moving toward more advanced platforms that require specialized knowledge.

Aishwarya Chellam's Perspective on Skill Strengthening

Cpluz’s team undergoes constant training to equip themselves with contemporary desktop publishing skills, demonstrated through the use of design software like Adobe creative suite and file management systems like dropbox and synced URLs. However, with several applications mushrooming, owners acknowledge tuning in to more cutting-edge training as necessary.

7. Integration of Metaverse

The introduction of the metaverse, a concept which may dominate the future of branding, is seen as an opportunity to revamp the digital face of brands and understanding of the traditional space. As per Rishabh Jain, founder of Digiode., brands should clearly understand the merger of reality and virtual experiences.

Rishabh Jain's Take on Metaverse

Indian companies should be ready to reshape their branding in light of the emerging Metaverse. Embracing this emerging technology will deliver immersive customer experiences and reposition the brand amongst clients. In answer to the question of hesitation amongst industry players, Rishabh acknowledges that Metaverse is a new sphere which would eventually become an integral part of branding, much like how digital marketing evolved.

8. Rethinking Sustainability

When a company makes the decision to rebrand or change its approach, there's potential for growth towards being more environmentally friendly. But sustainability has become a more challenging sell in recent times, bringing in doubts about implementability, involving consumers, and creating discourse amongst the leadership team. Rohan Lohia, Brand Consultant at Blue Lotus Marketing, points out that small shifts in brand strategy can have a significant positive impact and sustainability should not be an add-on factor in branding executed as an afterthought.

Rohan Lohia's Expert Take on Sustainability

Rebranding opportunities offer practicing sustainability the biggest chance it has. Since a successful rebrand is expected to resonate with a brand's new and broader vision, opting for sustainable strategies while making the shift strengthens its identity and customer connection. Nandhu Kumar at Cpluz assures that the company’s focus on digital development has also catered to the need for green technology solutions.

9. Research Dominates Decision Making

The market is finally perceiving the importance of data-driven decision making in branding. In-depth market research, with its enhancing methodologies - from primary and secondary research to analytics, is no longer an add-on but plays a primary role in identifying audiences that respond most to a particular strategy, agrees Ashish Makhija, founder of THINK Media Consulting.

Ashish Makhija's Take on Market Research

Our consultants believe in the strength of meeting our clients and prospecting by participating and interacting with them and their target audience as much as possible, as per Ashish puts forth. This enables us to adopt a multi-faceted approach that helps us uncover client-end market trends.

Conclusion

Rebranding in India today is more sophisticated and culturally sensitive than ever before. Whether it is about leveraging the metaverse or strengthening sustainability credentials, ensuring a seamless user experience or empathetic storytelling, there are many truths to uncover, as we have gathered from India's seasoned professionals. It is certain that the future of rebranding in India will continue to ride the waves of digital evolution and tangible personal connections.

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