It is high time for the domestic
market to build the brand; otherwise International Brand will soon take over
the domestic market.
Branding is primary necessity not only for promotion, but
also for gaining customer fidelity. The association created by products like 'Cheeseball
bhanekai Kwiks Cheese Ball', or 'Chiso bhanekai Coca Cola' has been
successfully associated the key attributes of cheese ball and coldness with
those respective products. Pran's Litchi juice can be taken as recent
instance. Surf Excel is next
illustration, as the customers directly ask for 'Surf' not even knowing that
Surf is name of brand, and they rather had to ask for Detergent Powder.
Brand value of Coca Cola is above
66 billion dollars. The oldest brand recognized is Chwayanprash that was made
in India since 1100 BC. Today, the portion eaten apple has become a big name in
the market as a tech giant and the iphone flagship company—Apple Inc. iPhone 7
was more curiosity, over innovation on brand than excitement over people. The
portion eaten apple, due to their highly intelligent, innovative and skilled
personnel, has touched the horizon, eventually establishing the brand as one of
the reputed in the world.
Brand is the identity of the business;
however it is not an easy stair to climb to create a brand, as there are huge
investments in this process. It costs an arms and legs for breeding a brand;
after all, brand requires retention within the mind of consumers. Initially,
this is all about searching blessings in disguise. After developing a brand,
the manufacturers need to maintain the steadiness in quality, because intensification
and tumbling of branded products is not accepted. Beside this, there are legal
formalities that have to bitten off more than one can chew. So, thinking of
building brand must be more than twice, before getting into it.
It has not been long that the
marketers in Nepal are drilling branding strategies at all. Ncell had efficaciously
stored within deep root of customers mind about the association of purple with
the brand. On seeing some purple color, Nepalese directly perceive it as part
of Ncell. Goldstar is next brand, that is not only gaining huge popularity in
Nepal, but also in Indian market. Shikhar shoes is generally identified
by its logo. However, there are cases of products struggling to create the
brand as well. The long run of Bajeko sekuwa can be considered.
Branding is a long term and
challenging task. This has to be understood that Coca Cola has not created the
brand in a night. Branding is a long term process. RADO is nothing today, but
just a brand. Incessant promotion in regular manner is the only way to create
brand. Pashupati Paints or Asian Paints is identified when we talk of paints,
and anyone unaware of paints also knows that there are Pashupati and Asian
paints. It is difficult to form a brand, and again, it is difficult in
maintaining the brand.
In 1991, Johnnie Walker’s market
was completely down. The challenge was to develop such an enduring idea to move
in such a rapid manner to attract large participations of mass in global
market. ‘Keep Walking’ took the birth, to promote the campaign within. This was
adapted by 120 countries that rapidly increased the sales of the product. Real
Fruit Juice in Nepal felt the similar fate of weakened brand pride due to
manufacturing negligence. The brand fell all of sudden. Immediately, its
competitor took the chance. In order to stand up again, the company has
diversified the product into various flavored packets, and it has worked
somehow.
A customer seeks for branded
products because he wants to get an identified product. Purchasing of any
television would allow him to watch the programs, but when he purchases the
popular brand, he get a distinct image. Same customer wants quality assurance
at the same time. Why would one prefer Samsung over Chinese mobile? Because of
assurance quality is there. Branded products assures the quality in that very
place, hence customer seek for branded products also to get the assurance regarding
the quality, so that the purchased product will not go in ruin. Finally,
branded product is a matter of prestige. Wearing RADO shows that you are rich,
use of I phone indicates your standard, drinking Labels shows your class. There
are brand products that help to satisfy consumers’ ego through the purchase and
use of image and prestige related brands. Volkswagen is preferred to show the
class of course! Everyone stares at your vehicle if you manage to ride Mercedes
in the street of Kathmandu.
Branding the products has been
important for the manufacturers and organizations as well. A branded product
hardly needs any promotion. Being identified as a brand itself is a huge
promotion. Quality consistency brings assurance within the mind of people,
hence they will increase their loyalty towards the product. Organization can
expand its product lines and product items through branding, as buyers prefer
to buy products under established brand names. Just because of popularity of
Apple’s I phone, the market of Apples other products has also increased sales.
A branded product increases the image of the organization and every people
working into it. United Nations is a brand, and working in UN increases the
brand level of employees as well. Ultimately, legally registered brands provide
legal protection, as they can be sold, leased or rented to other organizations
as well.
Branding has become extremely
essential for Nepalese products, ; however Nepalese Organizations are lagging
behind in promising quality. As a result, efforts have been in vain. For
instance, Kurkure is still knocking its similar priced Nepali rival--Kurmure due
to later’s quality and lesser branding effort. Further, Nepalese business
houses do have millions of investment in their business, however they have been
lagging behind from creating a brand, and for those who have created, are
unable to maintain it atop.
Quality level satisfaction is
less measured within Nepal as well. Are those travelers who travelled with Ace
Travels satisfied? How much do they spend in collection of the feedback? What
about Bhatbhateni? Are customers of Bhatbhateni satisfied? Both - Ace Travels
and Bhatbhateni are brand in Nepal, but their sustainability seems a question.
Nepalese Business houses need
leverage for their brand to be recognized and established among domestic
customers. . Firstly, they need to maintain consistency in their quality. Brand
image of Wai Wai is not only limited to Nepal, but this successful image has
been able to create recognition in India and Bhutan too. It certainly is brand
image that helped Chaudhary Group to establish new Wai Wai plant at Chittoor,
South Indian district. That was a beautiful line at Tinkune - Welcome to Wai
Wai country!
Obtaining ISO standards can make consumers to
believe on them to a greater extent. Again, they need to come up with certain
campaigns in promotion of their product. For instance, when Royal Stag came up
with the campaigns like ‘Let’s make it large’, why can’t our domestic Marpha
come up with such strategy? Locally made wines are competitive enough, but not
yet branded. Lahana at Kirtipur must be thanked for being able to brand the
local Newari taste.
Nepalese enterprises must take a
huge and challenging step in effective distribution. At present, Ncell has been
able to reach almost every village; however, NTC seems to be lagging bit behind.
Further, We can see that Clinic Plus has been reaching every village, but
Nepalese soaps are still out of reach at villages. There are locally produced unnamed soaps that are
hitting the market at different regions. Brand building is not all about
advertisements, it counts sponsorship as well. The balance sheet shows large
sum of profit, however, they seem to be lagging in sponsoring a various social
events. Introducing the brand would require long term expenditure, but that is
not yet an end. Pepsi, being a huge brand still has enough budget expenditure,
to retain within the mind of people. Branding is a continuous process after
all. Finally, last but not the least, packaging is important way of building
brand. A good packaging of the product, posters in the retail outlets is
necessary for branding. These locally made soaps, cloths or carpets - they lack
packaging in Nepal.
Not every time - branding process
meets success. Carlsberg 18:47 branding was a failure in Nepal. They wanted to
create time as the brand. Their innovative idea of making 6:47 pm the time of
Carlsberg did not make up in Nepal - maybe because that was too early time for
the toast, or maybe they failed in massive promotion thing. Or, maybe both.
Today, Nepalese brands seem to be
gaining some space, Old Durbar came out with so hype that this brand has been
first choice of people around. Brand image of Surya Cigarette is not only
limited within Nepal, but also abroad. There are few of them gaining brand
image but again it is high time, the market requires good domestic brands in
every sector, else in this era of globalization, no one can assure that the
International brands can get into the domestic market and capture the market.
Regmi is a freelance
writer and a blogger. He can be reached at dwaipayan.regmi@gmail.com
Published in New Business Age, November 2016
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