The Hindu Business Line : On how to stay young

Ageing. Not a word that most of us like to remember. Because the very thought of it can add a few wrinkles to the face. "No changes in life are less welcome than ageing," writes Jean-Marc Lehu, in Brand Rejuvenation, from Kogan Page (www.vivagroupindia.com) . The book, though, is not about regaining your youthful looks; it is on the how of protecting, strengthening and adding value to your brand `to prevent it from ageing.'

Lehu dedicates his book `to those marketing knights in shining armour who have vowed to defend the brand ceaselessly against the perfidious and constant attacks of time.' He concedes that some brands are doomed to die because of the total disappearance of their target market, or `because the cost of rejuvenating them does not seem viable compared to the cost of introducing a replacement brand.'

The OCARA principle (observation, comprehension, adaptation, reaction and attention) offers two insights `to protect the brand manager from the ever-present danger of falling asleep on the job,' one learns. The first is that consumer feedback has `to constantly nurture the brand strategy and to allow it to react more effectively. And second, the brand has `to remain vigilant in the fact of the changes that its environment (competitors, consumers, legislation, suppliers, social trends, cultural movements and so on) will be sure to experience.'

Audit the ageing brand, urges Lehu. As in mining, "the auditor will need to delve deeply into the brand's capital to establish the reasons for its weaknesses and the nature of its enduring assets." But first, he must establish `the perceived age of the brand.' Please note that there is not just one age. Chronological age is simply the time that has lapsed since birth. There are, in addition, biological, cognitive, and subjective ages, apart from age perceived by others.

For brands what is most important is the last, because it is `the age that grows, develops and becomes rooted in the minds of the individuals who constitute the brand's target market.' Again, as with individuals, whose age can be guessed from three elements, namely, voice, body and face, so with brands too; advertising, target market, and products play the analogous roles.

Thankfully, there are four ways in which you can impede `the observed ageing process.' First, enlarge the brand's identity. Ensure, however, that the brand does not deny its own identity, else there can be disappointment and oblivion, counsels Lehu. "An audit of the company's image should allow the brand manager to identify what constitutes the foundation of the brand's identity." For, the foundation is `the intangible aspect that must, like Ariadne's ball of thread in the Minotaur's labyrinth, always be present, removing all doubt from the minds of the brand's consumers.'

The second way is to energise advertising. This comes with a caveat: that "even the most creative and impressive advertising campaign will have a very short-term effect (if indeed any at all) unless it conveys a genuine promise." And, don't confuse advertising with `overall brand strategy.'

The third way to combat age is to renew the target market. For example, Renault, the French car-maker, uses Renault Toys brand `for a range of replica model Renault cars and trucks, some with pedals and large enough for children to sit in.' While the company expects `that children might influence the choice of the family car using their toys as a reference point,' the author wonders `what effect on the unconscious this first contact with the brand will have when these children come to buy their own car.'

And the fourth way to impede ageing is to expand the product portfolio, especially when it is the product that ages, rather than the brand. "Introduce a policy of constant innovation, linked directly to consumer expectations," exhorts Lehu. Also, expand the range `to include products with a much younger, more dynamic image.' Only, "The theory is simple, putting into practice is much less so."

Invigorating read!

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

D. Murali