NAAM MEIN AAM HAI – WHAT’S IN A BRAND AND BRANDING!

AN AAM SITUATION

A brand is a brand is a brand – William Shakespeare*.
So what is a brand? A brand WAS something that farmers and herders used to identify their livestock from the rest of the cattle, with a hot iron rod. As the definition evolved, it became a lot less violent and a lot more important. Fast forward to 2014, where companies are seeded by the millions, consumer minds are cultivated and monies are harvested by the truckloads. In this case, an aam mango tree; a metaphor from which you will harvest possible truckloads in the foreseeable future. How do you make it happen?
Now, it is a fair assumption that you are not the only mango tree around, after all a mango tree is quite aam. What you need to do is set it apart from the rest of them. Make it unique. Make it memorable. Make it a brand.

Here are a few points to give you a head start.

• Immersion: Not quite the festive dunk in the nearby river that you think. You need to understand and assimilate into your organisational being, the audience, the market, the logistics and the dynamics. Get to know exactly what industry you are in and what you do. Understand who your target audience is and what THEY do. Who are the players who are already in the market and how are they differentiating themselves? Narrow it down as far as possible and create an outline of it.
• Immersion results: You are an organisation which seeds, grows, picks and delivers mangoes to an audience that ranges from 5 year olds to 50 year olds. You have a great product and a good delivery system in place. There is one other player in the market who is almost exactly like you. Its name is The Aam Aam. They have a fast delivery system where machines pick it off from the tree, dump it into containers and distribute it as fast as possible. 
• Naming yourself: If the people you deliver to, like you, they should remember you, right? Your name should be everything you are and everything you want to be. It should be built for the present and the future. 

• Naming Results: With extensive research, careful consideration, workshops, storming brain things, analysis and in the name of the lord of branding, you are now AAM-EN!
• Brand Definition: If you have done it right, you can make accurate deductions about yourself and your competitors and create a set of unique values for your brand. This unique set of values will also imbibe the essence of your brand and what you stand for.
• Brand Definition Results: The results are in and…you will get trounced if you compete with The Aam Aam on the same playing field. You are not catered for a fast delivery system. What you do differently is that you hand-pick the mangoes. You have a group of very talented, passionate mango pickers and packers who, unlike the competition, do not compromise on the quality of mangoes. As an organisation too, you take pride in your work and your workforce, where integrity is your biggest asset and quality your biggest commodity. 
• Creating an identity: An identity in this case, is the LOGO of your brand. You can follow quite a few brand models that can help you define brand values and create a logo. For example, the Kapferer Model of Identity. The model has been used for big brands such as Pepsi, L’Oreal, Carlsberg, etc.The model is in the form of a prism to make it easily understandable and underlines the 6 most important aspects of creating your identity. This includes:
• Physique: This invokes the physical aspects of your brand in the mind of the consumer.
• Personality: The character of your brand. This includes the style of writing, specific design features, colour schemes, ambassadors, etc.
• Culture: Refers to the kind of environment you promote inside your organisation. What are the highlights and the ideals that everyone in your organisation follows? 
• Relationship: What your relationship is with your customer/consumer. It can be a set of beliefs that your customers share about you.
• Reflection: What is your image in the mind of the consumer? What do they think about you? Are you reliable? Value for money? Undefeated in quality?
• Self-Image: What do consumers think about themselves when they buy your product/service? For example, Lacoste users consider themselves as sporty, even though they may not necessarily play a sport.

AAMING FOR THE STARS

You now have a full-fledged brand, up and running. You have to now concentrate on building equity for your organisation. This includes using branding to build reputation, loyalty and trust for your brand. Using traditional branding mediums such as print media and TVCs or the engaging the internet efficiently can leverage you as the most trustable and memorable mango brand in the minds of your consumer. Of course, in the life of your brand you will encounter new players, new markets and newer avenues to expand and branch off. Your brand will have to understand, assimilate, evolve and rejuvenate, time and again.

With a good brand and good branding, you can aam for the stars.
Wishing you only the very best of luck in your business.
* Disclaimer: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet…Except what you read here.

By

Ganesh Subramanian

Copy Writer

DY Works

The Long and Short of it

DY Works took the idea of story telling and the concept of the idiom – ‘Long and Short of It’ to create a language that the brand can call its own.

Brand Task:
For a city that never sleeps and houses a variety of eat-out-options from all day cafe’s to fine dining to discos, pubs and lounges, the concept of a Gastrobar fitted the best to cater to the taste buds of foodies in the city. InterContinental – an ocean front boutique luxury hotel, in the heart of Mumbai’s business and financial hub making it a perfect plating.

DY Works was entrusted with this exciting brand identity project to deliver an identity that captures the true essence and mood of the restaurant. An unpretentious, casual and comfortable any time hang out that allows for stories to be born and relived

Brand Solution:
Our concept revolved around creating exciting and cherish able stories or table conversations and moments. We looked at the Idiom – The Long and Short of it, as a point of inspiration. The literal meaning , ‘The whole story, the most important point and the gist or sum of it all’ summed our core brand thought.We took the idea of story telling and the concept of the idiom – Long and Short to create a language that the brand can call its own.

DY Works is Brand Strategy & Design Firm based out of Mumbai

Crafting an Inimitable Brand - Reliance Greens

DY Works’ intervention crafted this iconic brand from nomenclature to visual identity and shaped their success story.

 

Most iconic brand identities stand the test of time and are relevant over decades. Reliance Greens, at the Jamnagar Township is one such identity.

Crafted in 1999, the identity was crafted to create significance and reflect an evolving organization. After 15 years, this identity is unchanged and has indeed stood the test of time, when many companies have identities that have needed rejuvenation to stay current, and relevant to their audience.

Brand Task:
Reliance Township, a self-contained township, houses over 2,500 of the employees and their families at Jamnagar. Sprawling over 415 acres of land, the township has been designed to provide the best possible residential, educational and recreational facilities to the employees.
The township includes fully furnished housing for the employees, as well as a medical centre, school, playgrounds, temple, community centers, health centers, banks, mall/supermarket, gas station, parks, swimming pool, a golf course, tennis courts etc. DY Works partnered with the Reliance brand team to create nomenclature, brand manifestation and other visual communication for the township.

Bringing Dreams Alive

DY Works & Sobo Films Come Together To Create Magic for the Less Fortunate and Make Their Dreams Come Alive 

DY Works partnered with Sobo Films Pvt Ltd to create a unique platform where reality TV served as the medium to bring optimism and better opportunities to the less fortunate.  Bollywood celebrities will swop roles with the common man to experience what his life is like. The amount earned in this role, through the assistance of celebrity status, will be given to the common man to help him out financially and give him a boost in morale and hope.

DY Works developed the name, something that would evoke the feeling of dreams coming true, of opportunities being made available for a commoner and the feeling of anticipation that comes with the aspiration for a better life. “Mission Sapne” combined this feeling of hope along with determination serving as the appropriate name for the show. The name also reflects the idea of the show’s creators - wanting to go beyond day to day and give back to the community and to use one’ s privilege to make another’s life better.

DY Works also created an identity that would bring this name to life and give it its ideal visual representation. The kite in the identity speaks to forward movement and progress and is apt for the show’s core purpose.  It highlights the feeling of chasing one’s dreams no matter what adversity one has experienced, thus far.

The use of gold, signals aspiration and hope as well as prosperity especially in the Indian content. This against the background of the sky – gestures towards dreams, hopes and desires, coming together to achieve more and go beyond one’s current confines.

Together the name and identity bring the feeling of cheer, development and hope, communicating the essence of the programme. 

DY Works is Brand Strategy & Design Firm based out of Mumbai

Political Symbols

When corporations create brand identities, they design and craft symbols that represent their lines, business or philosophy. The result is a differentiated visual identity that both enhances how these corporations are regarded; as also acts as a receptor of all perceptions about the corporation. Eventually, the symbols get so loaded with meaning, that a single glance at them unlocks defined associations in the minds of the viewer.

The design sophistication, choice of colour and the elegance of crafting all add to the power of the symbol and add elements of professionalism, quality and trustworthiness to the overall corporate brand.

The political symbols in India are handed out by the Election Commission – and at best are chosen from the repertoire on offer.


There is little scope in design (some of the symbols are used in colour as well), but the opportunity for the symbols to have a deeper meaning is certainly present.

Apart from AAP, and for the first time in a small way – Congress; no other party has used their symbol to describe or further their philosophy and manifesto.

  

Give Your Career Break A Break

We all have a starting point and we all get to the end. Most keep walking. But some take a pause. A large population being the corporate women. And it’s for these women that Cerebrand, Times of India takes an initiative to get them back @ work. Or rather Workplace. Hence, P.inc. This initiative launched in March 2014, through seminars, training workshops and access to employers will provide career resources and a service support system to mid-career professional women enabling them to overcome challenges and return to working life.

We too at DY Works believe in setting the ball rolling. Building the brand by manifesting the corporate identity through logo and website template design of P.inc and P.inc Talking Tour, a unique look and feel was developed.

 Our challenge was to create a progressive P.inc brand that balanced empowerment and endeavor, yet contemporary - positioning P.inc as the ‘restart platform’. In order to create the brand framework, we had to understand its objectives and nuances: ambitious, desirous ex-working women wanting that one push towards their career. Next we deciphered the triggers and deterrents of our target audience to establish the logo design that depicts the vision, mission and values of P.inc clearly.

The use of colors, Grey & Pink, inspired from the corporate world and womanhood, was the perfect branding exercise. P.inc is an initiative to help women reclaim their professional identity. The logo brings out the true spirit of a woman without undermining her confidence and aspirations. It’s a strong visual identity, hard to miss. Just like the women it talks to.

This was translated to the entire brand framework which included a new brand identity, clear brand positioning, stronger brand architecture and definite brand guidelines.

And, taking it forward, the first Talking Tour was held at WeSchool, Mumbai, a significant engagement program where a team of expert panelists discussed important aspects in the areas of female employability and gender balance to a 700+ audience.

With everything revolutionizing around us, it’s time that women on sabbaticals go back and get the life and career they deserve. And we in our own capacities should keep motivating and encouraging them to do so. Like we say it at DY… Don’t  Stop.

By
Prabha Kadam
Brand Partner
Integrated Corporate Practice
DY Works

NAME, NAME , NAME

The practice of using a brand name is the evolution of the ancient custom of branding one's belongings.

Name is the foundation of your brand. Once in the market, your brand name will greatly determine your position in the fight for consumers.  Far more than just a series of letters, a successful brand name can help your product survive for a long time if it is able to stand the test of time.

Also the historic approach of family names is increasingly taking time before they resonate with consumer for newly launched products, services or companies.

Powerful brand names can fire imagination, trigger an emotion, and be suggestive of an experience or attitude. Though names are only one ingredient, they have significant influence over how a brand is perceived.

It represents a mix of attributes - tangible and intangible - symbolized in a mark

THE RIGHT NAME

• The right name for your brand, does more than just identify.
• It speaks of the personality, the quality, the essence of your company and its products.
• The right name for your brand provides an umbrella under which products and services, divisions and subsidiaries can be a cohesive family.
• Most of all, the right name sets your company, your products and services apart from the rest. 

 

MUST PASS MUSTERS FOR NAMING

Visual : Every word has a visual feel. Even before it is designed to appear in a certain way. It evokes images. It stands for certain pictures. There are visual associations with it, which at times are universal.

Intonation : It means the pitch one uses to speak aloud a word sometimes can change its meaning. Our words must be easy on the tongue.

Phonetic/ Audio : It’s the way a word sounds. Certain words are harsh, some soft. Some sound alien, some have a very next-door feel to it.

Understanding : While preserving a sense of mystery and intrigue, it must not be complicated. It has to have meaning. It must generate curiosity, not debate.

Impact :This is our desired response in a way. It has to have the overall impact in a consumer’s mind, filling it with all the attributes discussed earlier. Design will of course enhance it but just the word must do its job at its own level.


 Article by
Priyanka Shah,
General Manager Strategy,
 DY Works

What's In a Name? Make the Right Decision While Selecting a Brand Name

A brand name is a very strong part of a brand’s identity. Its role is to make sure that the brand name ‘sticks’ and people find it hard to forget. Whether Haldiram or Jabong, DLF or RuPay , brand names have their own logic.

Types of brand names:

1. Lineage Based – these could come from the family name of the promoter (like Dabur) or based on location (like Canara Bank/ Bank of Baroda) 
2. Acronym – GVK, GMR, DLF, IBM are all acronyms where they mean little to people as full forms; but the acronyms have a lot of meaning imbued in them.
3. Nonsense Names – that stand out for their uniqueness. Jabong, Google, Xerox, Mirinda, Blackberry. These can be nonsense words or words that have no connection with the product    
4. Crafted Names – are created, and mean something even though they don't really. Names such as Accenture, Avantha, Flaavyo, Microsoft fit the bill here
5. Product Descriptors – these are brands names such as RuPay, SimCash, Fruit Plus, Meats & More, Funskool, Playboy etc
6. Association – Names by association such as Apple (from the apple falling on Newton’s head), Pedigree (dog food), American Express, Victoria’s Secret, Coach, Maruti (Hanuman – son of wind)
7. Product Experience/ Promise – Kurkure (the sound of the crunch), Seven Eleven (the timings of the store), Yippee, Skore are all derived from the benefits of the product.

At the end of the day, any name can become the face of the brand and have meaning accruing to it. Arrow, Oberoi, Skoda – the words don't connote much and yet they have become recognizable brands. Brands are a sum total of the experience they convey. Think of a name/ identity as the tag on a file. Contained in the file are our perceptions about the brand based on name and identity, packaging, the material used for packaging, the product or service, the quality and delivery of the product of service, the ambience, the environment, the type of décor, the communication, the associations, the brand ambassadors and the name/identity are what we recognize and in the same instant unlock all our perceptions built up about the brand.

But this takes time. Brands are built over years and new brands face the challenge of breaking through a cluttered landscape of competitors. A truly distinctive, smart and ‘clever’ name can become a memorable hook for the brand to form its associations on. 

The name matrix below is a useful guideline for choosing the type of name required.

 

By
Alpana Parida
President

 DY Works 

Fast And Furious: How Fastrack managed to play sex card in advertisings

Brand Equity, Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Remember the character of Akira Rai played by the ebullient Anushka Sharma in the 2012 release Jab Tak Hain Jaan? Many of the films viewers conclude she was the brightest spark in an otherwise morose caper. A girl who believed in breaking up over the phone without shedding any tears, was looking for no strings attached sex while also being the wholesome girl next door. Sort of like the young women and men of Fastrack.

With racy ads and a product range that's very sharply youth focused, expanding from timepieces to sunglasses, bags and belts, it's built itself as an Indian youth icon of sorts, no 4 in Brand Equity's survey of Most Exciting Brands. And that in a relatively short time frame, even as former youth favourites with a bigger heritage like Flying Machine grapple with where they belong and how they need to get there.

Fastrack was known for bold product design but the audacious imagery is of a slightly more recent vintage. It was launched in 1998 as a sub-brand of Titan and was later spun off as an independent entity targeting the urban youth in 2005.

Ever since, the brand has added accessories like eye gear, bags, belts, wallets and wristbands and is betting big on the youth fashion space. "Very few new brands have succeeded in India — Fastrack is one of them. It has been the first to identify the 'Move On' generation and position to them," views Alpana Parida, president, DY Works, a marketing consultancy.

Edginess has been the key factor, according to Arun Iyer, national creative director, Lowe Lintas. He adds "one can't build an irreverent brand and be safe in the communication." Accordingly the tone of voice has been kept bold. Its advertising initially had Virat Kohli and Genelia D'Souza making mischief in various locations ranging from the elevator to the ATM to the airport counter.

Then they moved the action to the bedroom, and the parking area and explained 'why the world moved on' to typewriters and handbrakes. After a commercial ran into problems with TV channels, Fastrack quickly went online to drum up hype about this 'forbidden' film.

The final clip was rather innocuous: a girl taking her bra off while still wearing her t-shirt with the cheeky line '20% off can mean a lot'. And though it had a lot less skin on show than the average deo commercial, it made several people who would otherwise have watched the ad without batting an eyelid, eager voyeurs charged up to catch a glimpse of the 'film the channels didn't want us to see'.

The tone of the ads over the last few years has been mischievous, just the right side of risque. In early 2012, the brand used digital as the lead medium for the first time to launch an entire collection called TEES. It had a combination of provocative visuals and girls admonishing people for staring at their T..s.

The hostel campaign for bags also created a furore as it showed a girl sneaking out of a boys' hostel after a night with her lover. A sequel to the ad had the same girl groping hot male passengers in a metro train. The use of young stars and a reversal of roles (and rules) made for a counter-culture offering in an otherwise polite and frequently dreary Indian brand universe.

Says Gupta, "Whatever Fastrack has put out there has always been aspirational and young. But above all it's always been believable. This makes it easy for the youth to relate." Adds Iyer, "For a brand like this we have to be thinking ahead of the curve rather than going by what the youth may feel as being currently cool."

An insight learnt in this journey has been that while it talks to the youth, many people who are not necessarily in that age bracket are using Fastrack too. It's a sign that the country is getting younger not just in age but mindset. Realising the propensity of its core target audience for the digital medium, Fastrack has been present extensively on it and is spending way above the industry average. Elaborates Vineet Gupta, managing partner of 22feet, digital agency on the brand, "Over the years, we have used the medium to influence every aspect of the marketing funnel — from engaging with our audience on a daily basis to generating conversations and awareness, to even launching new collections and activations with digital playing the lead role."

While the synchronicity between communication, packaging and product design has created an amazingly robust brand in Parida's view, what can be heightened is the in-store experience. It was in 2009 that Fastrack had opened its own stores positioned as a complete accessories destination. Currently it has over 125 showrooms, along with a presence in multibrand outlets. According to Vinay Bhatia, customer care associate and senior vice president - marketing and loyalty, Shoppers , "We are its top retailer in the country.

It has been consistently doing a double digit growth rate (CAGR) for us in last few years." Across the Tier I and Tier II cities, the brand is faring well and affordable entry price points have helped. In Bhatia's view, Fastrack is way ahead of category competition within the areas it operates in.

While it is good to have a footprint in all the spaces that the youth are excited about, the marketing head of a fashion brand, on condition of anonymity, points that it may actually be playing on a sticky wicket. Since it is competing in multiple segments and with many players, Fastrack could define the competition as coming from the various players in each of these categories or it could choose to believe there is no single challenger. The tipping point, many feel, could come from its overtly sexy positioning, which has got it noticed and has created ample anticipation but may pose a limitation in the long run. Explains Anup Vishwanthan, executive vice president, Leo Burnett, "The brand's aspirational value, creates a non-serious and frivolous image, which could corner it into a box when it gets ready to take the next leap." Going forward they will have to bring in certain values that would give them the stature, he adds, since the flip side of the entire 'move on' imagery could position Fastrack as lacking in depth and being irresponsible.

For now Fastrack seems to be having a free run with its target segment eating out of its palms. Who knows where the next extension could be coming from: a diverse set of possibilities ranging from funky helmets to equally funky condoms. 


AlpanaParida is President of DY Works , a leading brand strategy and design firm.

Amplifying the Nutrine Maha Proposition

Brief: The brief required DYW to revive the Nutrine Maha Lacto brand by first re-creating the Maha logo as also renewing the packaging in line with its newer , younger, fuller proposition of amplifying joy.

DYW Intervention: Redefining & Reviving the Maha Lacto brand to a more contemporary and versatile platform wherein DYW defined the overarching architecture that would come into play across variants. The New Maha Lacto is younger, more vibrant and pronounced while borrowing from brand assets already established in the consumer’s mind. DYW went on to create secondary packs - the silent salesmen on the shelves with an innovative yet resonant architecture. This helped bring forth attributes of taste, appeal in addition to glorifying the brand.

Contact: Mumbai:+91-022-40406767 Delhi:+91 11 26548089

website: www.dmayellowworks.com

DYW infuses vibrancy & energy to Nestle BarOne's Brand Identity and Packaging graphics

The Situation
The Brand for a long while had been dormant with no media spends or packaging rejuvenations- However when the product formulation was undergoing a change the brand also needed a makeover

The Task
The new positioning for the brand "Kaafi Hai” was to be communicated through the identity & pack graphics

DYW Solution
DYW created a design which was about energy and solidity while being cool-Identity was made stronger to convey the Brand persona and the world it belongs to- Pack graphics were rejuvenated to keep BarOne heritage but category colors were added to infuse vibrancy & energy. The golden Choco-swirl base was created as an ownable property for the brand- Product shot was integrated into the branding innovatively
Overall, a new, contemporary, energetic and definitely more youthful look was created for the brand

Contact: Mumbai: +91-022-40406767 Delhi: +91 11 26548089
Website: www.dmayellowworks.com

Thums Up - New Logo

DYW works with India’s largest selling carbonated beverage to reinterpret thunder
The task was to reinforce the brand values and assist the leader in its responsibility to take its consumer ahead in time. Though there wasn't any direct need for a rejuvenation exercise, the brand's leadership thought differently.

On carrying out an audit of the brand, its consumer and communication - DYW discovered the need for a contemporary boldness to enhance the brand’s core value of “more dum/power”.

The solution began by first rejuvenating the brand imagery subtly. Herein the need was to drop any clutter around the logo and provide a stronger and more forceful vocabulary.
What you will see in the market is a shedding of the thunderous shadow (which held it back, rather than propelled it forward), the fine tuning of the hand silhouette (from the workman like to a more youthful and relaxed silhouette) to a refinement of the typeface (from the archaic to the modern and contemporary). The change is also reflected in the baseline and the PVC bottle labels, which build on the masculinity and strength of the brand, making the brand vocabulary clearer, assertive and modern whilst remaining rooted.

This has led the brand's new summer 2009 campaign - supported with a forceful theme and promotion TVCs to achieve even a closer connect with its loyal audience.

Truly a leader taking its consumer ahead in time and consolidating it’s leadership.

The Beauty Challenge - Shahnaz Husain Gold & Diamond Collection

THE DYW CHALLENGE

Beautifying Shahnaz Husain products like Herbal, Gold & Diamond were available under one name that was Shahnaz Husain , however none of them had an individual Identity or stood out effectively on the beauty shelf Apart from her signature and photograph, the brand lacked a visual hook.

Beauty being the focus of the brand, DYW created a signature monogram in addition to developing a visual architecture to create a family of premium stand alone products for the portfolio

For similar brand and packaging design solutions contact DMA Yellow Works.

Contact:Mumbai:+91-022-40406767 - Delhi:+91 11 26548089
Website: www.dmayellowworks.com

Complan enters Toddler segment with Nutri-Gro

Complan Nutri-gro.

Mothers are always worried about their children’s health and growth during their adolescent stage. They are constantly in search of various food products that suit their children’s taste as well as provide nutrition. Since it’s about their child, mothers would never compromise on the quality and thus look for a trust-worthy option. Complan which already has a strong equity in the market in Nutritional food supplement segment had an opportunity to tap the toddler’s market.

DMA Yellow Works was approached for brand name and identity creation, packaging graphics and structure design.

The objective was to provide a scientifically formulated nutritional food supplement to children of 2+ years in three lovable variants: chocolate, Badam kheer and strawberry.

The challenge was to create a design which had seriousness, maturity, premiumness as well as some kiddy appeal to the graphics.

The Result: The Complan Nutri gro names connotes nutrition for the growing child and the design is well balanced by using gold for premiumness, teddy pictorials for kid appeal and the immunity mnemonic connoting scientific formulation. The mnemonic connotes immunity and vital nutrients such as DHA and milk protein for the child.

For brand identity and structure design, contact DMA Yellow Works.