‘Product design should be simple, intuitive’

In a mobile-first world where time is a precious commodity, a strong brand is determined by the ability to save time for consumers.

Addressing the 14th MMA All India Management Students’ Convention organised by the Madras Management Association (MMA) with the theme ‘Winning Strategies of Strong Brands’ here on Thursday, D Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO of Pepsico India, said the world and its citizens are not starved of money or education, but time.

“We try to balance the certainty of yesterday with the adaptability of the future. And in this context, brands are time-saving devices, thanks to their familiarity,” Shivakumar said.

He added that to build strong brands, five things – which he termed as ‘ABCD’ – were needed. They are — authenticity, benefits beyond basics, collaboration with the consumers and the ecosystem, design, and experience. “A strong brand will have all these,” he said.

While delivering benefits had been sufficient in the past, the world today expects much more. According to him, companies should build consumer trust as their collaboration is important to sustain a brand. Stating that design will be a major focus for brands over the next 10 years, Shivakumar said product design should be simple and intuitive. Earlier in his keynote address on Breakthrough Branding Strategies for Brand Success, MG ‘Ambi’ Parameswaran, Advisor, FCB Ulka Advertising, illustrated with a series of videos of popular ads how brands achieved their goals with tactical advertising. Amul, for instance, approached his agency to make milk appealing to the young. Ulka’s approach was to do a TVC by animating milk itself into figures playing high performance sports, calling it the Original Energy Drink.

Parameswaran said a company should be able to leverage unique points and magnify them through advertisements.

Another aspect of brand building is the how brand communication can change consumer behaviour.

Parameswaran explained how the advertisement by Nivea told women they could ‘Go Sleeveless Anytime’ if they used its whitening deodorant. T Shivaraman, President, Madras Management Association, said a brand should go beyond the products and companies. Urging management students to focus on building an individual brand, Shivaraman said, “You need to develop your own personal brand. You should deliver the promises to customers as an individual.”

KS Ramesh, Director, Suguna Foods Ltd, and Convenor, said a strong brand is determined by its market share and profit share.

A strong brand, he said, is built on six principles: concept, superior product performance, high value for money, brand experience, impactful channel presence, and consistent brand equity, he said. “If these six basic elements, which follow a hierarchy, are strong, market share tends to expand,” he said.