22 IMMUTABLE LAW OF BRANDING Series - I

 

                  22 IMMUTABLE LAW OF BRANDING 

(A dig on the classic book on power of BRANDING written by Mr. Al Ries & Ms. Laura Ries)  

Introduction

Marketing has become too complicated, too confusing, and too full of jargon. In most companies, Marketing work is done by many different functional group. Advertising, Product Development, Product Design, Consumer Research, Sales Promotion, and many more to name the few.

What is the single most important objective of the marketing process? 

what is the glue that holds the broad range of marketing functions together?

the answer to both the question is one & only is - BRANDING

Marketing process is the series of activities which creates a BRAND in mind of prospects which we also called - Customer/Consumer.

MARKETING & BRANDING are two activities which are interlinked with each other in a way that they can't  be separated. Its like BODY & SOUL, without each other the other one has no meaning or visibility. The trend of Branding is on rise as the function of selling on verse of dying. 

Al & LAURA Ries  said - As a profession and as a function, selling is slowly sinking like the TITANIC. The old Expression " Nothing happens until somebody sells something" is being replaced by today's slogan : " Nothing happens until somebody brands something."  (1998).

If we look at today's scenario, the functions of high pressure salesmanship , is being replace by the Big brand names for example:

• People goes to BIG BAZAAR by its brand name & by the product by their on choice rather than a pushy salesman's choice,  

• People buys second hand cars,which was the work of the high pressure salesmanship earlier, is now being replace by the brand names like Mahindra's FIRSTCHOICE or MARUTI's   TRUEVALUE, Jagdish  Khattar's CARNATION  etc. 

There is seismic shift taking place in the world of business - from SELLING TO BUYING - , shift is enhanced, accelerated and caused , because of the rise of brands.

WHAT IS THE BRAND?

A paraphrase said by GERTRUDE STEIN - " A Brand is a brand is BRAND. 

Brand name is nothing more than a word, which catches the attention or took a spot in the mind of the prospects.

Brand is not limited to thousand & lakhs of registered trademarks across the world with governments of the countries. 

Everything is brand,  I am a Brand , You are a brand ( if you really want to be successful in your life, you should seriously think about converting yourself into a Brand & act accordingly). The power of a brand lies in its ability to influence the purchasing behaviour  of your prospects.

This book applies the concept of focus to the marketing process itself & will do is to help you apply brand thinking or the "branding"  process to your business.

 

( Excerpts used in this blog is from the book - 22 immutable law of Branding, written by AL RIES & LAURA RIES, published by Harper Collins in 1998 & used for educational purpose only.  All the rights reserved with the authors & publisher of book. this blog is written only for the educational purpose for my students of various institutes.)