Brand management has been evolving ever since brand promoters and custodians discovered the virtues of giving their non-living product or service a persona. This evolution has kept pace with the advancements in techniques and mechanisms of market research and better understanding of human psychology. Things came to a point where brand custodians backed researchers to literally get inside the head of the consumer and a whole new world of neuro-marketing emerged till someone called it unethical.

With the advent of internet and consumers spending most of their time staying connected, mapping of consumers’ digital footprint became the most sought after source for brand managers. Yet the brand manager had to be disruptive and intuitive to keep the brand relevant while simultaneously keeping it ahead of the curve. And while all this was happening the corporate world was remodelling itself in a manner that was not just more demanding of its employees but was also becoming intolerant of mediocrity. Drifters and Smart Alecs who maintained the status quo were called out. The young brand manager had too many variables to work around and with virtually very little help coming her way. The lessons learnt at B-school were only helping in keep things contextual but the ‘ask’ was much more. This was a daunting task and that ‘baptism by fire’ approach of seniors only added to the young managers’ woes. Not any more though for help has arrived in the form of Brandvantage – a delightful book by veteran marketers Trupti and Arvind Bhandari.

Brandvantage is like a well-informed, well-meaning co-traveller that would help you to glide though the labyrinth of data and consumer insights to actually get a better understanding of consumers. Stuff that will help one to segment, communicate and engage with the consumers and prospects. Interestingly, the book deals with ‘Brand competencies’ – a concept hitherto not common in the brand management domain. Be it a brand that is on its decline or a brand that is having a home-run kind of trajectory – there is meat for everyone here.

Drawing largely from their own rich experience – the authors urge brand managers to get to know their consumers well, like a close friend or like a member of the family. And while one needs to know the customer intimately, the emphasis in Brandvantage is also to deep dive into the brand. Whether it is studying the brand’s anatomy that includes not just the regular stuff of desirability and personality but critical elements such as a brand’s philosophy and its worldview or checking on the market challenges, category shrinkage or brand fatigue – there are enough and more tasks culled out for the brand manager. The book is actually an extremely useful, handy, easy-to-use guide for brand building.

Brandvantage‘s unique offering is the manner in which it balances brand competencies with managerial skills. If brand competencies is the hardware required for running the brand and managerial skill is the software, then office art is the creation of the fertile environment for or the competencies and skills to play out favourably. The fact that the authors have focused on office skills necessary to navigate the volatile corporate world successfully is in itself a worthy enough reason for every young brand manager to dig deep into this work. Office art is not something that’s taught at most B-schools nor is it something that one would find stuff in books or even on YouTube! The manner in which this element intertwines with brand competencies and managerial skills content is crafty. It is practical, realistic and one that distinguishes this book from many.

Trupti and Arvind have filtered their rich experience spanning decades of working with some formidable brands and squeezed out the wisdom in Brandvantage for the benefit of new-age brand managers. Even the chapter ‘Can I shape a cult brand’ is a very gutsy but honest attempt by the authors. Laced with examples, which they have liberally sprinkled right through the book, it makes interesting reading even though getting to cult status is a tall order and does not happen so easily. They credibly cruise through this tricky aspect by smartly leaning on psychologist Carl Jung’s twelve core archetypes and that in itself makes this ambitious attempt worthy.

The fact that Brandvantage kept this reviewer who has a lifetime of experience in dealing with brands engaged speaks volumes for this book. As is the case with any such book - the arsenal is all there, it is how the young brand manager puts it to use that will actually determine its success. The danger is that there are too many agenda points that the book suggests that need to be undertaken and it opens too many fronts. With young brand managers having shorter job stints these days, it looks ambitious. But then someone had to attempt this!

(Giraj Sharma is founder director of Behind the Moon, a boutique brand consultancy)

About the Book

Brandvantage – A Twelve Week Master Plan For Brand Leadership And Beyond

Trupti Bhandari & Arvind Bhandari Penguin

 255 p; Rs 599

Check the book out on Amazon

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