Brand guru asks India to finetune positioning

India will have to manage its image and positioning in the global scheme of things, if it was to become a brand to reckon with.

Addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Brand Conclave, international brand guru, Jean Noel Kapferer said that while China and India were two similar countries, in the mean time, they were different.

China had already made its position in the low technology area and India was trying to make a position in the high-end technology.

Kapferer also pointed out that China was popularly known as the factory of the world due its low cost advantage and hence India would have to go beyond flaunting its low cost advantage or, being the factory of the world.

He said, even though there were differences between India and China, a comparison between the two countries was almost unavoidable, as the similarities outnumbered the differences.

Both the countries were geographically close to each other, had huge population and were registering significant growth rates.

Speaking generally on branding, Kapferer said, the objectives of branding were essentially the three 'R's""rank, reputation and relationship building.

Eventually brands led to price premiums and this was true even for low-end products. However, there were a host of intangible benefits that came with the branding exercise and helped promote the image of the product.

Kapferer authored the famous book "Strategic Brand Management". Some of his recent lectures were for corporates like Chanel, Mercedes-Benz, Bic, BMW, Salmson, Caisse d'Epargne, Galderma, La Roche Posay, Dow Chemical, l'Oreal, Jacques Dessange International, Beaute Prestige International, Bongrain, William Pitters, Arjo Wiggins.