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Image: Harley Davidson Press Release

Harley-Davidson almost went bankrupt; now they are the most reliable motorcycle brand

Back in 1985, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle was at risk of disappearing from highways when it almost

went bankrupt. What saved the company, says Richard F. Teerlink, the former CFO turned CEO who

championed the change, was a better product to match the well-known brand,

"In 1982, Harley-Davidson had no money of its own," Teerlink toldHarvard MBA students in 2003. "We

were $90 million in debt, and bankers weren't willing to loan us a penny. We had a good brand and loyal

customers, but we weren't generating a profit because we didn't have a quality product at that point. We

had to improve the quality of our product to be fair to the customer. If we hadn't improved the reliability of

Harley-Davidson products, the company wouldn't be here today."

The Lesson: Support your brand with a high-performing product and weed out inefficient management.

"Be aware of controls that are barriers to effectiveness," said Teerlink.

McDonald's made America fat; now it looks like Starbucks and serves salads

McDonald's Arch Times Square

Image: kennymatic flickr

Over the years, McDonald's has been increasingly weighed down by the image of being a low-brow and

unhealthy restaurant chain. The documentary "Super Size Me" both mocked and alerted the public to

McDonald's food as a leading cause of obesity.

McDonald's has since then tried to rebrand itself as more health conscious with a greater variety of salads

and other healthy meal options, in addition to offering lower-priced menu items. Under the slogans "I'm

lovin it," which featured an original tune by Justin Timberlake,  and the newer "what we're made of,"

families and young couples are seen enjoying their meals at McDonald's. The company is also going after

the coffee crowd with its fancier and more expensive premium coffee.

Despite the derision of critics, McDonald's makeover appears to be working. McDonald's Corp. reported a

5.3 percent rise in January sales at locations open more than a year, and topped the average forecast

from analysts of 4 percent, according to FactSet Research.

The Lesson: Pay attention to what the public says about you and respond with products and services

that counteract those accusations.

Walmart was considered cheap; now it's the first option for many Americans

Image: By mjb84 on flickr

In an effort to retool its image, retail juggernaut Wal-Mart threw out its “Always Low Prices,” tagline in

2007 and replaced it with “Save Money. Live Better.” Doing so put a positive spin on the company's

reputation for offering merchandise at rock bottom prices and suggested that buying items at low prices

will help improve customers' lifestyles. REBRAND, an organization that judges companies on their

rebranding efforts, awarded Wal-Mart aREBRAND 100 Global Award of distinction for its marketing

campaign.

In describing the campaign, Wal-Mart released a statement that the new slogan was demonstrated in "all

aspects of the in-store experience -- from designing new interiors and signage to merchandising display

concepts." Although few other changes appeared to occur, the rebranding campaign seems successful.

In 2010 Wal-Mart was the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the Forbes Global

2000 for that year. While other retailers suffered major blows from the recent recession, CEO Lee

Scottsaid that Wal-Mart is doing "extraordinarily well," in 2008 and was built to thrive during downturns.

The Lesson: Customers want a better lifestyle and will respond to companies that they believe will help

them achieve their goal.

Apple was nearly bankrupt; now it's ruling the world

In 1997, Apple was veering dangerously close to bankruptcy. Nearly 15 years later, stock prices have

gone from $6 to $350 and the company is stronger than ever. What changed? By producing reliable and

elegantly designed products such as the iMac, iPods, and iPads, Apple became a juggernaut in

technology. Nearly every product released has been an instant hit, and every move Steve Jobs makes

drives a media frenzy.

"Jobs is a technologist with the heart of an artist," said Shillum.

Another thing that Apple does well, Shillum noted, is the way it articulates its brand from its products

down to the store level experience.

"Actions underlie brands," he said. "Everyone from the CEO to a sales rep needs to understand the

company's mission and be free to articulate it in their own way."

The Lesson: Build creative products that are well-made and enhanced by beautiful packaging. Also,

create a positive experience for customers as Apple has done with its stores. 

UPS was big and boring; now it is personal and innovative

In the war between UPS and FedEx, UPS was desperately looking for a way to beat its competitor in the

late '90s. It was FedEx, after all, who introduced overnight deliveries and the ability to track packages with

computers. The solution: Remind customers of the ways UPS can meet their needs.

UPS replaced its slogan "Moving at the speed of business" with "What can brown do for you?" and

created ads with characters like the "Mailroom Guy," and the "CEO" to show that no matter where

somebody fell on the managerial ladder, UPS could help that person. The new approach started to show

results. UPS raked in a profit margin that was roughly double FedEx's margin in 2001, prompting

Bloomberg Businesssweek to declare, "on many fronts, UPS is winning the battles."

A decade later, UPS continues to show customers what it can do.

UPS claims its latest slogan, "We [Heart] Logistics" is the shipping giant's first global slogan, designed to

highlight its position as a  company that serves customers worldwide.  "Each day, our customers count on

us to choreograph a ballet of infinite complexity played across skies, oceans and borders," saidUPS

spokesperson Betty Wilson.

The Lesson: Use forward-looking slogans that tell customers your company is continuously adapting and

providing new ways to meet their demands.

The SciFi Channel's "text-friendly" new name is a slang word for syphilis

Image: SyFy

Maybe the SciFi Channel should have checked out urbandictionary.com before it rolled out its new name. They would have discovered that, in most parts of the world, "syfy" is a slang term for syphilis.

The company's main justification for the change was that, while they couldn't trademark the term "sci fi," they could own the alternate spelling.

In an interview for TVWeek, president David Howe explains another reason: "[T]he thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it... It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip."

Not surprisingly, "the response was completely negative," Frankel tells us. "[The change] alienated many longtime fans, and it was completely ridiculed."

Tropicana underestimates their customers' attachment to a classic

Image: justinlai via Flickr

Silly PepsiCo! All it was trying to do was bring its classic Tropicana OJ into the 21st century.

Unfortunately, the company underestimated how attached their customers had become to the old design. When it rolled out its new cartons in January 2009, the consumer backlash was immediate and powerful.

The New York Times reports that "[s]ome of those commenting described the new packaging as “ugly” or “stupid,” and resembling “a generic bargain brand” or a “store brand.""

After a month of being bombarded by e-mails, phone calls, and social media commentary, PepsiCo announced that it would promptly return to the old carton.

London may have won the bid, but its weird Olympic logo has everyone up in arms

Image: The Associated Press

If there's anything we've learned today, it's that you shouldn't mess around too much with a classic. And there are few things more classic than the Olympics.

But the organizers behind London's 2012 logo wanted to inject a little modernity into the branding of their Games. As their website puts it, "Our emblem is simple, distinct, bold and buzzing with energy.... It feels young in spirit... Not afraid to shake things up, to challenge the accepted. To change things."

Unfortunately, the unveiling was met with resounding disapproval, and even hostility.

ABC News reports that the logo, which cost $800,000 to create, was generally deemed as childish, ridiculous, ugly, and in no way representative of London or the Games. Visually, "it's really hard to understand what they're trying to say," Method's Alicia Bergin commented.

In an unofficial public poll by the BBC, 80% of those surveyed gave the logo the lowest possible ranking.

Accenture: The ultimate corporate name that means nothing

Image: Accenture

When Andersen Consulting cut ties with Arthur Andersen, they did the worst thing a company could do -- they let a marketing consultant choose the new brand name.

The result sounds like the quintessential, meaningless, "big corporation" name, Frankel says. Although it was supposedly inspired by the phrase "accent on the future," it tells the customer nothing.

As another one of Time's worst name changes, the article says, "The change cost Andersen/Accenture an estimated $100 million to execute and was regarded as one of the worst rebrandings in corporate history."

Blackwater tries to erase the past with "Xe" (pronounced 'Zee')

Image: Xe Services LLC

After some major human rights violations tainted Blackwater's name in 2007, the company took Wired's advice and tried to rename itself.

According to an ABC News report, the company explained that it chose 'Xe' because the word has "no connotations." It's completely meaningless... and confusing.

Unfortunately, a simple name change won't erase the public memory -- the company is still generally referred to as Blackwater, or some variation of "Blackwater, now renamed Xe", and it's struggling to get business.

We're not sure why Pepsi's new logo cost them $1 million to develop

Image: The Associated Press

Pepsi is no stranger to logo redesigns. But the company reportedly spent $1 million on their latest reincarnation, and it turned out like... this.

Frankel describes the attempt as a "[r]eal waste of time and money, especially if you've seen the design spec document... An amazing, purposeless document that has no brand value at all," yet cost Pepsi so much.

The white stripe on the new logo varies across Pepsi products, getting wider or thinner depending on product. The design team that spearheaded the campaign explains that they're supposed to be "smiles," but we don't really see it.

As this clever graphic from The Consumerist shows, the Pepsi logo seems to have been redone nearly once a decade over the last century -- while Coke's iconic logo has barely been touched. It's not hard to see which is the better strategy here.

Read more: 

And then there's Aol. (yes, with the period) -- and the jury is still out.

According to our sources, the reaction to the new Aol. has been split relatively evenly. But the key will be whether or not the company can fulfill the new identity they've adopted through their services and products.

"They've signaled they're re-inventing themselves.... It's ambitious," Bergin says. "The real challenge is can they make all of their products live up to the promise of this new brand."

The Brand New blog points out, "If AOL is committed to shedding not just its Time Warner shares but also its public perception as a web dinosaur then this identity can do it for them."

That is the key to a successful rebranding, after all -- "the real reason to rebrand is to alter the expectations you're setting for the public," Frankel explains. "Changing your brand strategy means becoming different company.... it's not just changing your name or your logo."

Read more: 

The Rebranding Dilemma

‘’Whatever you do, be careful not to undermine the fundamental values and strengths of your brand and ensure that whatever you do is in sync with your business rationale and aims.” - Richard DuncanWhile this may sound painfully obvious, there are enough examples of rebranding disasters to prove that common sense may indeed be, uncommon. Books like ‘Who moved my Cheese?’ prove time and again that change is almost never well received. Brands, like people, are scared of change, of growing old and losing their market position. Products as well as corporate brands begin to panic when they have been in the maturity stage for too long. This is where rebranding comes to the rescue with glamorous creatives and brilliant strategies. One of the most common ways of delaying the ageing process, rebranding, includes changing the name, changing the logo, modification of the overall look and sometimes overhauling the entire brand philosophy. Rebranding is the flavour of the season in the backdrop of Airtel’s rebranding campaign which was launched on the 18th of this month. As in Airtel’s case, rebranding may be spurred by sudden growth or the need to fit into a global identity. Rebranding is no child’s play, and as many disasters have shown us, must be dealt with very cautiously. Many a times, decisions have been reversed. A classic example of this is the failure of the new sweeter Coke that was introduced in the 1980s. Coca Cola finally had to bring back its original brand and formula. Although the risks are great, rebranding remains more popular than ever. The need to stay ahead makes companies gamble their heritage for the promise of better profits in the future. While it is too early to comment on the success or failure of Airtel’s rebranding strategy, in this issue we deal with some major rebranding successes and failures of the past.The Tropicana EpisodeA recent example of a rebranding exercise that fell flat was PepsiCo’s Tropicana juice brand. In early 2009, Pepsi relaunched Tropicana with new packaging and created a new advertisement to promote it. Tropicana’s whole packaging was overhauled and a rebranding campaign termed as the “Squeeze Campaign” was launched. The old design of an orange with a straw in it was replaced with a glass

of orange juice. Also, the normal screw cap was replaced with a squeezable cap which had the appearance of half an orange.As Tropicana’s case reinforces, relaunch of a trusted and well established brand can be tricky. The redesign was done to have a better connect with the customers and to present a clearer image of what the brand meant to customers. This is where the problem begins. Understanding consumer perceptions is no mean task. When the new packaging was introduced, consumers were quick to register their displeasure. They did not like the new packaging and were quite vocal about it. It was all over the internet and PepsiCo was bombarded with emails, letters and phone calls of complaints. People went to the extent of commenting that the new packaging was too ‘generic’ and resembled a store brand. The packaging which made Tropicana stand out on the shelf was lost. In addition, there was criticism over the fact that the same glass of juice imagery was displayed on all of Tropicana juice varieties. The previous design had more obvious colour differentiation for each variety.PepsiCo was forced to respond to the heavy criticism and reinstated the old packaging imagery, as a means of placating consumers and creating positive public relations. This case spotlights the importance of assessing the realities of the marketplace and recognizing what is important in rebranding a product. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than consumer insights.Tropicana’s packaging story was interesting on many fronts. It was one of the most blogged topics in February 2009. The consumer’s reaction and the publicity it generated definitely had one positive for Brand Tropicana. It was proved beyond doubt that the consumers were attached to the brand, and Tropicana could not rebrand without the consumer’s approval.Tommy Hilfiger’s FiascoTommy Hilfiger’s logo has always been its key branding strength. Customers would associate the logo with the symbol of the US flag and could relate to it as US citizens. However in 1999, Tommy Hilfiger suggested that the logo be changed to give it a trendier feel. He believed that the customers wanted rebranding. There was an overhaul in the brand philosophy and the Tommy Hilfiger tried to become trendier and competed with chic brands such as Gucci and Prada. The company launched ‘Red Label’, a sub brand without the Tommy Hilfiger logo, which targeted the upper segment of the society. Unfortunately, the strategy backfired as the average customer could not afford this

range. Customers could not relate with this new range as it lacked the very logo responsible for Hilfiger’s success. The company’s share price fell from US $40 per share in 1999 to US $22.62 in 2000 which further reduced to half by the end of 2000. Sales reduced drastically and several showrooms were shut down. Also, location strategy of the company was flawed. Brand Hilfiger was associated with the youth and in locations such as Rodeo drive where stores were set up, the average age in the neighbourhood was about 50 years. Obviously, the response was poor.The solution in this case too was no different from Tropicana. Tommy Hilfiger reverted back to its original classic and preppy feel which the customers could relate to. However, Tommy Hilfiger took a significant hit because of its rebranding campaign. The company lost a lot of customers and it cost Hilfiger a lot of time and resources to win the customers back. The lesson to be learnt from this case is that sometimes it is best to let things be as they like. Maybe that’s the way they are meant to be. The Godrej MagicBy this point in the story, we are sure that most of the readers have become cynics. It seems like the most of the rebranding campaigns are nothing but a waste of resources in retrospect. However, the case of Godrej reinforces our faith in the concept and its success. A 110 year old iconic brand went for a makeover. Godrej, the behemoth present in around 27 product categories with close to 100 products ranging from locks to homes, soaps to animal feeds to mission critical rocket engines got a new look. The famous Godrej logo which was actually founder Ardeshir Godrej’s signature was infused with animation and colours to give it a more contemporary look. Rather than completely changing the image of the brand—and thus alienating its loyal customer base built over time—Godrej decided to simply change the colour of its logo to the vibrant hues of green, blue and ruby.The company’s old logo which represented the virtues of quality and trust were given a fresh contemporary look to reflect the new positioning of “Brighter Living”. Youngsters perceived the company as belonging to their grandparents’ generation- manufacturing locks and almirahs, but with the increase in the product portfolio the company needed to create a refreshed image. Hence this campaign was well placed to convey this message of change and renewed vitality.The logo with the jazz and vibrant colours has worked wonders in establishing a

better connect with the younger consumers and yet retain its loyal customer base. The new logo also helps to address the issue of Godrej being perceived as a company lacking innovation. The corporate rebranding strategy adequately portrays the new product development taking place in Godrej. In situations similar to Godrej’s where firmly established brands become out dated, rebranding resembles identity makeovers. Godrej’s rebranding campaign is proof that we don’t have to lose out the old, in order to gain the new. For brands like Godrej heritage is important and it would be foolish to get rid of it, in order to stay relevant with the times. With majority of the India’s population under 35 years of age, the company has timely recognized the need for generating a younger customer base for staying in the competition. If the brand represents an interface, through which the consumer interacts with the organization, then the logo is a useful touch point. However, the rebranding strategy should not be limited to the mere change of the logo; the change should be inculcated within the function of the whole organization. Godrej is strengthening its brand by leveraging its aerospace expertise through advertising to enhance the ‘advanced technology' perception among consumers. Through Godrej Eon in refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, DVD players, microwave ovens and colour televisions, Godrej is talking technology which will help it gaining market shares in various sectors where its new products are being launched. The company has proved it can understand consumer India well and cater to its needs by its successful rebranding campaign.The CCD StoryAmalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Ltd. (ABCTCL) was a name unheard of till 1996 when the first Café Coffee Day outlet was inaugurated in Bangalore. Boasting of more than 1000 cafes in 141 cities, CCD, as it is called, is proof of the increasing purchasing power of today’s youth.The company was initially perceived as a South Indian coffee joint where serious business discussions could be carried out. It was CCD’s belief that there was a latent market segment in teenagers which the company could target. Realising this fact, the company went for a complete brand overhaul in 2002. CCD’s earlier logo was quite simple with a simple red square having white streak and ‘Coffee day’ written at the bottom. The new logo incorporated red, white and green colours with emphasis on the word ‘Café’. The colour red signified passion while the colours green and white signified the long heritage of CCD and its purity. CCD had put an

emphasis on the word ‘Café’. It was a place where one could go with a whole bunch of friends at any time of the day and have a good time, over coffee. After a successful rebranding campaign, the company is currently in the midst of another rebranding propaganda. The new logo is a ‘Dialogue Box’, with the words Café Coffee Day written in a distinct, specially created font, which symbolizes the company’s motto of providing a perfect place for relaxation and conversation. 180 new retails outlets will be rolled out by 2015. Out of the 180 outlets, 65 would be new lounge format. Also other features such as new smart menu, take away dining, and comfortable dining would be part of the rebranding. CCD has proved yet again that it understands the youth. The youth tend to get bored with similar decorations and ambience after a few visits. Keeping these useful insights in mind, a fresh rebranding campaign was launched. The earlier rebranding in 2002 proved to be very successful for the company considering the growth from 14 cafés in 6 cities to around 1000 cafes in 2010. While the full impact of the current rebranding is yet to be seen as implementation has not been completed, initial consumer reactions are very positive.The Moral of the StoryRebranding is a double edged sword. Used wisely, it could rejuvenate the brand and widen consumer base. However, there are too many rebranding mishaps in the history of marketing. Rebranding must be an absolute necessity; else it ends up diluting the brand equity. The importance of market research in a rebranding strategy cannot be overemphasized. At the end of the day, the customer is the king. When he accepts the rebrand and deems it necessary, it is a success, else a failure.

An Interview with Ms. BabitaBaruah, Vice-President & Client Services Director, JWT Delhi

Ms. Baruah started her career in advertising at JWT Kolkata in 1996 and after 14 years of

rich experience in the industry, she holds the same passion that she did as a starry eyed

beginner. She was the VP and Business Head in JWT Mumbai office till July 2010, where she

managed a challenging portfolio of finance, beauty, lifestyle and food. Currently she heads

Unilever’s Sunsilk and Rin brand in South Asia and leads the Nokia business in JWT Delhi.

She is the recipient of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship and believes that change is the

only constant. She shares with us her views on current trends of advertising and her

experience in the industry.

1. Please share with us one particular incident in your life which you feel proved

to be a turning point in your life?

The Chevening Scholarship in 2004 for Women and Leadership in Management was such an

incident in my life. This scholarship is provided by the British Council and is extremely

competitive as it is open to all women professionals in India. I was one of the 12 shortlisted

for this and it has been a big turning point for me.

2. Which campaign is the most memorable to you in your entire advertising career

and why?

The Times of India Lead India work was definitely the most memorable one. It was not just

advertising, it was a movement we created. It showed us that advertising still has the power

to move millions, positively.

3. Rebranding is the flavour of the month. What is your take on it? How do

companies ensure that a makeover turns out to be a success?

Rebranding has become very important in the world of digitalization and globalisation, which

makes brands increasingly vulnerable by expanding the playing field at a global level.

Brands need to remain contemporary in order to sustain themselves; they do not have the

luxury of aging with time.

Companies need to be clear on the repositioning ideology or the end objective before

embarking on a rebranding campaign. It is always a juggle between retaining the current

values and elements that work and dropping those that don’t. Makeover success depends on

consumer understanding and the ability to decide on a rebranding campaign that takes the

brand to the next level.

4. What does a client look at when the initial pitch is made for a deal? How do you

ensure that the deal is yours?

Clients look at strength of the strategy and the creative prowess. We ensure that we win by

presenting our strategic take on the brief, our creative solution and most importantly, our

credentials that have made us the leading agency consistently over decades.

5. When creating an ad, you may not always be comfortable working according to

the client specifications. Many clashes are bound to come up. How do you strike

the balance between the client side and your team, and ensure that it is the best

ad that makes its way into the market? 

(Smiles) This is the stress of the job. The pull and the push of client and the creative team is

an everyday challenge. There is an eternal debate between what is “clutter breaking” and

what “works for the brand”. Yes there are clashes every day. The art of a good servicing

person is to make both sides see reason by focussing on what’s right for the brand overall.

6. ‘Advertising industry is the best training ground for India’s marketers’. What is

your take on this statement?

I would put it as “one of the best” and not necessarily “the best”. Having said this, I would

urge every brand manager to go through an extensive agency induction to understand the

creative process. It is important to realise that we are about thinking and creativity and not

about churning output to meet timelines.

7. What do you think is the future of the advertising industry with social media

and online marketing gaining more impetus?

Agencies are gearing up for social media and the online media by developing their own

specialized cells and units with experts from such fields. Every agency person should also be

fully aware of the fact that this is the future and not just a small budget allocation as it is

now, for some brands. We need to “think digital” and not just execute.

8. What would be your advice for a student who is looking at a career in

advertising?

Be creative. Think out of the box. Get ready to work long hours and have a rollercoaster ride

of working on creating conversations that make a product a brand.

Airtel Rebranding: Will it bring Airtel closer to what it desires

View

Krishna Kumar | KJ Somaiya

Airtel Rebranding: Will it bring Airtel closer to what it desires?

Airtel is one of the Indian MNC’s that has made it big in the global arena, thereby becoming the world’s fifth largest telecom operator, catering to around 200 million customers across 19 countries. The Rebranding has elevated the brand Airtel to the “Global Player” league. It provides Airtel a much needed instant and uniform recognition across the diverse international markets in which it operates.

The change in the brand identity is very essential as Airtel is no longer restricted to the voice-based services alone. It is all set to create new milestones in the application based services also, with the introduction of the 3G services. This transformation of the brand of Airtel needs to be emphasized to its growing customer base. The rebranding has infused a lot of youthful energy into the brand Airtel that has been in the maturity stage of the Product Life Cycle for quite some time and would connect well with the young Indian market.

This new avatar would bolster the emotional connect that Airtel shares with its loyal customers, while also exciting new customers since it has conveyed its willingness to face the challenges of the ever changing telecom market. Statistics reveal that facing challenges and emerging victorious is nothing new to this Indian warrior. Airtel is fully equipped to re-write its success story once again, this time with an all new brand outlook. Go Airtel, Go!!

Counter View

Sukesh Gain | FMS, Delhi

Airtel Rebranding: Will it bring Airtel closer to what it desires

In 1995 Airtel was launched with a very distinctive logo and popular brand-tone composed by A. R. Rehman.

For Airtel, the former logo was a simple, innovative and refreshing symbol. Currently Airtel is offering services

in 19 countries. With this increasingly global identity, it has become necessary for Airtel to build a monolithic

brand name across all markets. Airtel has embarked on this ambitious journey of consolidating its brand

through its specially crafted new logo and repositioning exercise.

Numerous critiques have indicated the new logo as a refined version of Zain Africa's logo however the

more pertinent question is whether Airtel will be able to achieve its goal of global positioning. Is it worth

spending Rs 300 cr on repositioning rather than improving its customers service and infrastructure? The

current logo could also confuse the customer, given its semblance to new Videocon, Vodafone and Zain

Africa's logo. On the other hand, the evolved logo brings with it an international appeal. The new signature

tune, being a balanced medley of both Indian & African cultures, plays the dual function of retaining the

warmth & sensitivity of the older tune while simultaneously addressing a larger panorama of global

customers. The lowercase of the logo signifies humility with the font showcasing a dynamic force of

“unparalleled energy” while the red colour signifies heritage, energy and passion.

The new commercial with new faces, new tune, new logo tries to portray new services Airtel is ready to offer.

“Dil jo chahe paas laye !!” The emotionally rich new campaigns ‘Street Performer’ and ‘Endless Goodbye’ give

rise to the idea of a new brand in a beautiful manner. On the other hand these new commercials and posters

featuring foreign models and foreign locales could possibly loose its connection with Indian customers.

In either case, it is too early to comment whether the re-branding efforts by Airtel is timely or not. It

continues to remain a testing time for Airtel.

Mumbai: Media conglomerate Zee Enterprises Entertainment has embarked on a corporate re-

branding exercise, unveiling the network’s new logo. An investment of R10 crore has gone into the

entire exercise.

Zee’s brand revamp comes six years after it carried out a similar initiative in 2005 under the then

head Pradeep Guha. More recently, Star Plus underwent a similar repositioning in June 2010, which

enabled it to regain leadership position in the Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) space. At

present, Zee Enterprises’ flagship channel Zee TV occupies the third spot after Viacom 18’s Colors,

in the GEC ladder.

Announcing Zee Network’s new slogan — “Ummeed Se Saje Zindagi” — and a new positioning

targeting the emerging Indian woman, Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Enterprises, said, “This is an

initiative to connect afresh with consumers of Zee’s content. We have infused new identity into the

brand. The new positioning is about the celebration of a woman’s emerging beliefs and a reflection

of her changing hopes, dreams and optimism.”

Goenka further said, “In a cluttered television landscape, it is imperative to keep reinventing oneself

in order to connect with evolving viewer interests. But, our central target consumer is the woman and

this re-branding is indicative of that.” While Zee TV’s new aqua blue logo has been designed by its

in-house team, the company has collaborated with creative agency Draft FCB Ulka to develop the

new corporate brand TVC (television commercial), which has been produced by ad filmmaking

house Equinox. The new logo was unveiled and the TVC was simulcast (simultaneously telecast)

across 25 channels of Zee Network on Sunday. The company also undertook a countrywide

marketing and advertising campaign, leveraging all forms of media, to make consumers aware of the

new Zee identity. Goenka added, “We mobilised millions of Zee viewers across 75 cities in this re-

branding exercise. Data obtained from market research, conducted on our international audiences,

was incorporated as well.”

Last year, Sunsilk rebranded its hair care products through the launch of a new marketing campaign known as the Sunsilk Co-creation - a pioneering effort by Unilever in co-creating specialised hair care formulations with seven of the world’s leading hair experts. (Source from: Unilever http://www.unilever.pk/brands/personalcarebrands/sunsilk.aspx)

Sunsilk has cleverly tapped on the needs of its market – consumers’ desire for quality hair care products. Though its competitor, Kao, has previously created a series of hair care products named Asience targeted at the Asian mass market, Unilever has taken a further step in addressing its global consumers’ needs and aspirations. 

Its global campaign “One brand; seven experts. A long-term relationship; one common goal: to bring amazingly beautiful expert-touched hair to millions of girls around the world.” builds consumers’ trust for its brand and drives consumers’ aspiration for its products through the association with renowned hair care experts who are working with A-List celebrities in various fashion hubs in the world (New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles).

Sunsilk has not just made a complete brand transformation that includes communication, product, and packaging, but it has revolutionised the concept of hair care products for the mass market.

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