SNOOZE BRANDS

 BY JAGDEEP KAPOOR

Just like land building brand building needs to be done in a precise and planned manner. It is important to understand the significance of brand building in land building as well as land building in brand building. Got a little puzzled? Let me explain

MEANING

The construction industry, which is today booming, represents my concepts of land building. The construction industry requires brand building and therefore there is a need for brand building in land building. Similarly the process of construction, step by step, floor by floor has to be looked at to draw inspiration for brand building. Brand building also has to go through a brand construction process, which is a step-by-step method. Therefore, the concept of land building is important as a reference point for brand building. This explains the inter-relationship

The land building industry that is the construction industry, is growing at a rapid pace. Infact both, the residential and the commercial structures, are coming up and getting consumed, leaving a gap for even more structures. We must understand that while there is demand, there is demand for quality constructions and deep need for trustworthiness. Consumers are interested in buying homes and offices, which give them good perceived value and meet their needs. Is the land building industry (construction industry) taking enough care and pains to make sure that apart from building and constructing land, are they also focusing on building and constructing brands? If not, they need to quickly look at a brand marketing strategy to develop their business.

COMPARISON

Just like land building appreciates, brand building also appreciates. Infact, if you compare the two. Land building has more tangibles in it with a lower proportion of intangibles. Brand building on the other hand, may have a larger proportion of intangibles because according to me brands are built in the minds and hearts of the consumers. Intangibles are as important, if not more, than tangibles in brand building.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry has graduated from just residential areas, to office complexes, to info tech parks, to family entertainment centers, to multiplexes, to malls, to hospitals, to schools, to colleges, to hotels and many more segments. With the industry growing and its range growing the need for brand building has become even more important. The construction industry is now moving ahead from the commodity era, where only price was important. It is moving towards the branded era where tangibles, plus trust, plus image are all important. During this time consumers buy brands and not just lands.

VARIETY

There are local players regional players as well as national and international players who would like to move a head and develop land. These developers are slowly moving towards developing brands also. The Hiranandini’s the Rahejas, the Ansals and many other group-s have starting taking branding seriously and have started laying good foundation for their brands just like they lay good foundation for their land.

QUALITY

While there can be communication and advertising and there can be good affordability and installments and financing, it is still very important that the consumer gets good quality because that is what makes the difference between a good land brand and not a good one. Quality has many measures, which could include the quality of constructions, the quality of facilities, the quality of surrounding, quality of neighborhood and surroundings and quality of locations. People want to understand, if there is a shopping complex nearby or a school or enough place for kids to play and recreational facilities. The quality of a land brand is very critically measured by prospective buyers keeping the family in mind, there is no doubt that the Indian consumers has become a world class consumers and look forward to world class quality in constructions and facilities whether for offices or home.

SERVICE

Having good quality of construction is not enough. Consumers also want good quality of service. Apart from tangibles they look for elements like responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy to be able to judge the service as a pleasant brand experience. If the brand does not give good brand experience the customer will switch to other brands. It is extremely important to focus on customer service to get a cutting edge because that is going to be a differentiator. Are promises kept? Are customers sensitively handled? Is the tone of voice appropriate? Are customers guided in the right manner? All these issues and many more, would be looked at, by customers, before making a decision to buy a land brand whether it be a flat, apartment or an office.

BRAND

The most critical thing, which the consumer would experience, buy and give good word of mouth, is going to be the brand itself. Right from the brand name to its logo and design to its positioning strategy, based on core values as well as the entire brand experience would either delight the customers or put him off. Therefore brand building needs to be taken very seriously by people who are in the land building business.

A brand is built in the mind and hearts of the consumers and it is definitely not built in one day. It requires the right foundation, regular nurturing, development and enhancement in perceived value to be successful and profitable brand. Brand building has a lot to learn from land building and same in the case with land building having a lot to learn from brand building. After all the land and brand go hand in hand.

Copyright © 2005, All rights reserved with Jagdeep Kapoor – Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
No part of this document may be modified, reproduced, stored, deleted or introduced in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (Electronic, Mechanical, Photocopying, Recording or Otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of the document.
The author is Jagdeep Kapoor, Brand Guru and Managing Director of the successful Samsika Marketing Consultancy.
Tel: (022) 28477700/7701 (022) 28470214/15 Fax:022 28477699
E-mail : jkapoor@samsika.com