Branding and Retail Trends for 2016

Food is an integral part of any good trip; it tells you about the culture, the landscape and traditions of the local people. It’s the ultimate pleasure giver, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing a waiter walk towards your table, arms full of plates as your stomach grumbles in approval. A good meal in a foreign land is an experience in itself, and for me a huge focal point when I plan holidays. But with so many mediocre restaurants and reviews on major sites pointing you straight to them (since they tend to be in the main touristy areas), how do you find the true gems? The kinds of meals you think about for years after and try to recreate every chance you get. The kind of food that comes to mind at midnight on a random Tuesday when you just want something that hits the spot. Here are my tips for finding some of the best meals you’ll have in your lifetime. 1.Do your research Winging it doesn’t really work when it comes to good restaurants, except ...

CSR imperatives are mandated for organisations of certain sizes, but leveraging the right CSR activity that builds on what the brand stands for, adds a valuable dimension to an organisation’s brand building effort. Food brands for example could help farmers through pricing, training or any other avenue they see fit. There are brands like TOMS that have built their offering around a social cause. When a consumer purchases a pair of shoes for themselves, TOMS provides a pair of shoes to a child in need. This gesture not only mitigates consumer guilt over an extravagant purchase but also builds on the do good, feel good factor of buying into the brand. This also generates conversations around the brand. These trends we have forecast for India are at a basic level since we foresee these as the first ones to change in the coming year. The higher-order experiences within the above trends will be the next steps in the coming years. Our Brand Communications team believes i...

Localising the offering While overall the brand and its experience should be a constant across geographies, one needs to tweak elements of the marketing and service mix to suit the needs of the local market. Building brand affinity can be enhanced by adding an element of comfort and familiarity in the branding and space design in order to connect emotionally with your consumers. Starbucks adds an element of localisation not only in tweaking its product offering to suits local market sensitivities and tastes but also infuses local cultural elements within its retail space enhancing the consumer’s comfort levels while encouraging repeat visits. Our Brand Communications team believes in doing things differently, specialising in below-the-line marketing strategies that get your brand noticed, talked about and remembered through bespoke campaigns – think pop-up stores, guerrilla retail campaigns and unique brand experiences. We focus on building brand communities t...