The price of notoriety

With Pepsi out of IPL, does Pepsi lose or BCCI?

Hyderabad

Harika, in reality neither. Pepsi is out of IPL sponsorship for reasons of its own. A singular reason could be the reality that IPL is an expensive preposition for the brand at this point of time in its brand journey in India. A second reason could be the thought that IPL is a property that has acquired negativity and notoriety over the years. So much so that the property may not be as wholesome as a brand may want.

I do believe the second reason is not so much an issue for IPL really. This is a brand that thrives on the negative and the notorious. Some brands have that in their DNA. The more the controversy, the better is it for the brand. IPL swims in that genre.

BCCI has been through all this in the past. Sahara is an example. Now it is Pepsi. BCCI will not find it difficult to find a new suitor for IPL. This is the day and age of e-commerce on the upswing. Wait and watch, you will have the IPL plucked as a ripe and juicy fruit by yet another player. This time it may be an e-commerce player or a consumer tech player.

Ambuja Cement has made a change in its advertising. What do you think of it?

Bengaluru

Rohan, Ambuja Cement is a brand that has depended on the Ambuja Giant for a long, long, time now. The Ambuja Giant is possibly the most familiar element in cement recognition in India today. This is so especially in small-town India.

This new version of Ambuja Cement advertising is taking one step ahead in the same genre. Cement is all about strength and durability. Using wrestling champion Khali as an icon is a good thing to do. The creative packs some degree of humour, and does convey the strength of Khali in fullness.

The execution then finally talks about the strength of Ambuja Cement.

My only critique is that it does not do enough time-justice to the strength of Ambuja, as it does to the strength of Khali. Maybe a correction on that count would be advisable.

I do believe Ambuja Cement needed a revamp. This revamp is a clever one, though. It does not leave the language, tone and tenor of the Ambuja giant that has worked for them in the past altogether. It brings in a new giant.

This time, it is Khali. To that extent, the Big Idea is retained. In this case, the big idea is a really big Khali. To that extent, this is a very campaign-able idea. Ver 1.0 was the Ambuja Giant, Ver 2.0 is Khali and these versions can go on and on and on.

What is the basic idea of personal branding? We read so much of it.

Mumbai

Ranjini, I am a purist in this space. I do believe personal branding is all about representing who you are to the rest of the world. Personal branding, to that extent, is not about “misrepresentation” as much as it is about “representation”. The sad fact is, most personal branding practitioners do exactly the opposite. What is even worse is that celebrities and personas of significance seem to want just that. “Hide who I am in totality and get me that snazzy image I want to be.” This refrain is a terrible starting point to personal branding.

Harish Bijoor is a brand strategy expert and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. Mail your queries to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in

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