According to our Havas Meaningful Brand Research Report, consumers would not care if 70% of the brands disappeared tomorrow. What the report shows is that only those brands which actually have meaning to the consumer will continue to exist. So any brand must add meaning to a consumer’s life if it has to be successful, whether in India or globally. When we talk about successful Indian brands that have gone global, we think of companies like Tata. However, one does not need to be big to be successful. For example, brands like Sabyasachi and Manish Arora have also gone global in a big way. That is because they address consumer needs in markets around the world.
Q] What are some key challenges Indian brands face in marketing themselves at a global level?The first challenge is obviously in terms of distribution and availability. For a brand to become a global success, the first step involves setting up a robust distribution network. The other major challenge is quality. While Indian brands are not perceived the same way as Chinese ones, the major perception is that we still do not offer the best quality.
Q] Is there a shift in the perception of home-grown Indian brands today versus what it was say 5-10 years ago?
I think there is definitely a shift in perception, but there is still a huge amount of work that needs to be done. Thanks to the current Modi government, Brand India now looks good internationally. The ‘Made in India’ tag is slowly being viewed internationally with a greater degree of respect. We are no more the people with open toilets and snake charmers. The West now acknowledges that we are one of the fastest growing economies. We have the largest millennial population, the largest middle class, and the very fact that companies like Apple are taking India seriously today is testament to how important the market is for leading international brands.
Q] What are some of the key strategies you would implement in taking an Indian brand to the global stage?
Strategies need to be very brandspecific, in terms of the category and sector they operate in. The biggest strategy will be to enhance the image of India specifically. One case in point is Paytm. Warren Buffet’s investment in the brand is phenomenal news for all of us. So, while Paytm as a brand might not have gone global, in my opinion, it is still a global brand because it won such massive international recognition. The other advice I could provide is that the brand should look to offer meaningfulness to its target consumers.
Q] Which markets do you believe Indian brands do really well in?
In my view, a brand from a growing economy will do very well in another growing economy. Therefore, Indian brands could do well in markets in Latin America and Africa.
Q] Can you share examples of Indian brands you have worked with, where you have been an enabling factor in their overseas success?
Parle and Tata Motors are a couple of brands that I have worked on, which have gone global. OYO Rooms, another Havas client, is also going global and while I am not working on their international strategy, their foray in overseas markets makes us very happy.
