Thursday, October 18, 2007

Gas - Part 2

I've been thinking a lot about Brand Image and Brand Efficacy over the last few days. GaS (Gloss and Sign) was a term that I suddenly came up with and thought why not explore more to see if something could be made out of it. Thanks to Spiritual Manager for igniting more thoughts on GaS.

A simple definition of Brand Image - The perception of your brand by the consumer or in other words the mental or emotional association of a brand in the consumer's mind. Can image also be called Gloss? Brand Efficacy can be defined as the power of a brand to produce a desired effect. Could efficacy be the Sign? Well, I've been thinking in that way.

Since you all know about brand image, efficacy is an interesting area to touch upon. Efficacy is the promise that a brand delivers using a symbol e.g. The Colgate Ring that fights 24 hours or the Anti-bacterial Shield of Dettol. Hmmm... the Anti-Dandruff Scalp of Head & Shoulders or the four stages of fairness for Fair & Lovely. Several P&G brands have been successful using these kind of signs. You may not like the advertisement or shrug off saying poor execution but for years companies have invested in these images and signs which has helped them in getting the desired response/effect/sales.

So, you simply just can't rule GaS out of your brand.

In India, you can find three distinct types of Efficacies most companies use:

Western Route - The above examples of Colgate, Dettol and H&S. Something we see everyday in the LOreal ads on telly; clinically proven; Germinol or enriched with Vitamin B+

Indian Route - Properties or qualities unique to India. Example, enriched with amla, heena or shikhakai. The natural way. Graphics of ingredients flowing into the pack which transforms into the pack shot at the end of a commercial (if you know what I mean). Something that companies like Dabur , Baidyanath, Ayur etc. uses frequently.

Hybrid Route - This is a mix of both world. Western and India. Signs you see in commercials of Biotique and Himalaya etc.

Well, this is work in progress for me. I am thinking if GaS can use some properties of how normal gases perform under pressure and temperature, about how gases expand and contracts, how gases diffuse readily or their spontaneous tendency to distribute uniformly. Properties that any brand would love to possess. So hopefully I'll be able to write few more crappy lines on this as and when it comes in my mind. Can GaS be a way of thinking for certain categories still remains one big question in my head.

Does it make sense to add GaS into your aging brand? Does it sound like wtf-you-ain't-saying-anything-new-here? Whatever. Do send me your comments and feedback about what you think.

3 comments:

Mansi Trivedi said...

I think Brand GaS is an interesting concept. But I feel like there is an element missing. From what you are saying, GaS is a brand Halo you create or an aura so that it can spread or transcend into different categories, expansions etc.
But is GaS enough to create that aura? Maybe you need to add Gloss and Sign and Addiction.

People crave chocolates, people crave roller-coaster rides, people crave long drives, people crave roses. The Feel-good comfort zones.
Can we create sensations that create brand addiction too? Think one step ahead of loyal.
Kind of like leaves a taste in your mouth for long after its gone and you realize its time for another and another and another. GaS is good but temporary. Addiction is long-lasting and habitual.

I don't know. I think I rambled a lot. I will write more after I actually think about it. :)

pooR_Planner said...

Do you mean Stickiness by Addiction? Also I was thinking that GaS can be applied only to certain categories very well which in-turn is long lasting. For some categories it may not be a way of thinking at all. Example a brand like Mr. Clean. Its old, the sheen of the image is lost, so can GaS be a way of thinking. It may noy be true for Method. However, I am still unable to understand why you think GaS is a temporary or short-term gain tactic. I had a similar discussion with Spiritual Manager. I would certainly want to know why you think so?

Am trying to figure out the same from my end. Let's keep this discussion going. Also help me out with some examples which you feel is relevant in the US market.

Looking forward...

Spiritualmanager said...

Thanks for defining Gloss and Sign, now I can see things more clearly. See this is a little upmarket forum for me and I am scared but anyways I will dare once again.When I say short term, in no way I mean its less important. Infact short term majors are more essential, its fast and delivers result quickly. And if we can't deliver in short term no body is going to belive in our long term philosophy. Some time we use words like better(Ab aur bhi behtar), new (ab naye pack main)to add excitment to the brand. But they can also well be converted into long term strategies. I mean a small idea has all the potential to grow big. Coming to GaS, I meant that GaS should act much faster like in case of Surf excel (daag aache hain). See its your Brain child..so you are the one who are gonna decide how it will shape up and what atributes will the Brand GaS have and all what I am saying is just a point of view.
I will also like to mention a line from the book - classics of War, "Strategy was not a lengthy action plan. It was the evolution of a central idea through continously changing circumstances".

In the end I would like to add that by your examples now I can see how GaS can be used as a long term strategy for certain category...after all its a relative world and every thing depends.