Forging a close relationship with target customers is critical for any brand to succeed in the market. Brand building has evolved beyond positioning, advertising and distribution.
In the good old days, brand positioning, advertising and distribution were all that the marketer had to do. The cycle was simple: Create an offering position it properlydistribute advertiseget the cash register ringing. But now, this is not enough. BPL Mobile, Thomson TVs, Fiat India's Uno/Siena numerous failures in various segments suggest the imperative of customer intimacy. How should marketers get close to customers?
Just by imitating the attitudes of the target segment, one can steal a march over the competition. Walk into a Reliance Web World and sample its difference from a typical mobile phone shop. One can enjoy Web browsing, a café and everything that make sense to the young crowd. Taking a cue from the interests of its customers, some outlets of Café Coffee Day are offering book browsing facilities in the café.
Promotions can also be done more effectively by imitating attitudes of the target segment. The Life Insurance Corporation of India used puppetry to educate the rural masses about the need and benefits of life insurance. Brooke Bond used magicians for the launch of its Kadak Chaap tea in Madhya Pradesh. |
