By Saad Tanvir
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here seems to have been a marked shift in the way that Pakistani companies are operating. Marketing strategies now have a greater emphasis on branding and brand equity, with grand old companies diversifying their products under a range of brands - developing both economical and luxury categories often in the same stores. The change is a direct result of changing times over the past decade and a half. As international chains have made their way to Pakistan, imported products have resulted in thriving industries developing around them, and social media culture has altered how consumers perceive products companies are trying to shift from a sales-oriented approach to a market-oriented approach. With more emphasis on brand building, numerous organizations are transforming their marketing strategies to rejuvenate their products and create a brand image that’s going to last much longer than their products. Brands are developing in a diverse range of
BRANDING
industries including automobiles, restaurants, uncooked & cooked food products, apparels & footwear, home appliances, perfumes, and much more. About 10 years ago, nobody would have thought that the importance of branding would grow at such a level. Well, some brands such as paradise (chocolate), Service shoes and perhaps Pakistan’s first locally manufactured car ‘Adam Revo’, could not sustain their consumers owing to the lack of branding that held them back. Hence, the new products are now more focused towards branding their products to create their image, rather than focusing solely on sales. The world has changed, and so has the business landscape. The concept of integrated marketing strategy seems like a reality now more than ever, even in Pakistan. Gone are the days when consumers were attracted by pompous audio-visual extravaganza. It is a much more sophisticated game now. Here are some Pakistani companies that are here to play that branding game, and what they’ve done to make sure it works out for them.
Servis shoes Shifting towards brand development
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few decades ago, the only competitor Service had was Bata. The concept of branding was futile back then. The most a company would do, was to launch adverts on mainstream media to raise awareness for a brand. The primary goal was to maximize sales and reap its fruits in the short term. There was no concept of brand profiling or brand development. The idea of consumer driven marketing strategy was rather abstract, and marketing was simply correlated with advertising. Targeting, segmentation, differentiation, and positioning, were all read, studied, and understood, but not implemented. Now, with the advent of globalization, the competition has drastically increased, with an increase in both – local and international challenges. The world has witnessed a globalization of markets where the competition is no longer confined to a certain locality but has expanded to the world at large. The need for branding augmented when the accessibility of international consumer products accelerated.
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