Smiley strategy: RPG group rebuilds identity with happiness as focus

How does a 139-year-old organisation craft a corporate brand that appeals to employees and customers far removed from its storied past?

Hello happiness’. What sounds more like a rock star’s opening line on stage or one espoused by a spiritual guru is actually the corporate brand baseline chosen by one of the country’s venerable business houses to represent itself. The RPG group that began life as a tyre company 139 years ago and has today expanded its influence into a host of other areas is rebuilding its identity with happiness as its core value and a smiley emoji as a representation of its corporate vision.

“We were trying to internalise what is the purpose of business? What matters most in life? We spoke to lot of our colleagues and every one said the same thing, irrespective of what we do, we are eventually seeking happiness,” said Harsh Goenka, chairman of the $3.5-billion diversified conglomerate. 

How does he translate what at best is an aspirational quality into tangible on-the-ground brand experience? At one level it stands for an organisation sans an attendance roster, flexible working hours and freedom to work from home. At another, it is a series of interactive experiences that the organisation is driving through its senior leadership with all its stakeholders.

Dentsu Webchutney, the agency tasked with converting the corporate vision into a campaign saw it as a journey to promote, share stories, nurture and encourage a culture of happiness, both within and outside the group. Spread across six weeks, the campaign, driven largely via short films, will illustrate how the group has brought happiness into the lives of diverse stakeholders. It has also created Happiness Studios, a platform of positive stories. 

"These stories have to pass the filter of courage, change and progress—we want to show how the human spirit triumphs.  We have a group of independent journalists who help us find stories," said Goenka. The group is also hosting on the ground celebration events and art shows in open, public spaces.

Globally, it is not uncommon for conglomerates to have a baseline for the group. Companies like General Electric (GE) and British Petroleum (BP) are notable examples. In India, the examples are few. “The new cognitive era we live in led by individuals warrants businesses to be more human. Many organisations are thus making it a part of their agenda. Employee brand surrogating for customer brand is an interesting new phenomena too,” said Ashish Mishra, CEO of Interbrand. 

Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Group: “I can’t say we have reached there, but our quest for happiness is going to continue”

For Bibhash Banerjee, senior director, planning at Dentsu, crafting a corporate brand strategy and a baseline for a business house that had a long history but yet boasted of being on the forefront of innovation and an enviable organisational culture was nothing short of intriguing. “After we spoke to lot of people within and outside the group, we said – there is some merit in capturing the ethos of the company,” said Banerjee. 

When the team within RPG headed by Sumeet Chatterjee, senior vice president brand and corporate communications and Banerjee started working, it took cognizance of group’s existing imagery and perception. “We were seen as an organisation that was humane and our core values emanated from the fact that we offer a fantastic work-life balance,” said Chatterjee. Dentsu recommended that RPG strengthen these core values and own them as brand differentiators.

The idea was to create a memorable and effective baseline for the stakeholders and Hello Happiness was the simplest, most distilled expression that came out, said Banerjee pointing out that it was a reflection “of the way RPG approaches business. It is how Harsh (Goenka) approaches people,” he said.  

But it was not all smooth sailing. The simple two-word expression was seen by some of the board of directors as being too colloquial. Some thought it was too casual and akin to the tagline of some telecom company. In the debate that ensued, Hello Happiness vied with 30 other baselines for approval. But what clinched the deal as it were was perhaps an early interaction that the company had organised for its employees, an address by Tal Ben-Shahar, lecturer at Harvard University on positive psychology and the psychology of leadership in 2017. It was attended by almost 400 employees. His words left a lasting impression and happiness won the day. 

“It is very easy to say such words. But ultimately the proof of the pudding is in eating it and we are working towards it. I can’t say we have reached there, but our quest for happiness is going to continue,” said Goenka.