Branding on Pakistan

Re: # 16

I am sorry for not responding as I am not a regular logger at chowk and my affairs impeded me to do so lately. Thanks for your comments and I respect your view.

I would really be pleased if you would provide me a link to your introspective process that contradicts my article`s core message (read: patriotism as a short term branding tactic) with your statement.

About the PSO/Shell thing, I am of view that its all about perceptions. If a local concern is perceived to be inferior in its target market, IT IS inferior in the real market.

Ahsan

well...
actually i donot agree to most things in this piece of writing...
rare events such as the afghan war or the iraq war basically propelled the pakistanis to go anti-american and thats when the ``be pakistani buy pakistani`` strategies were used...
but that was purely short term...
patriotism does not play a part in normal routine...especially in the third world countries (see: underdeveloped)
infact it discourages the potential consumer from buying the product as the general consensus is that imported/foreign products are of a higher quality...
just an example,the rates of engine oil change are mostly the same,then why do people mostly prefer Shell for oil changes instead of PSO??
why are the shell and caltex petrol pumps filled up with cars for service while PSO isnt??
the answer as i said before is that local products are considered inferior by the consumers in third world countries...

it wouldnot matter if the corporations are pakistanis,foreigners,or pseudo-pakistanis...the fact of the matter is that one should not be a money-sucking-consumer-exploiting-corporate,whether a MNC or a local company...

Dear ahmedzai,

The difference in ads is based on the psyche of target audience. The very purpose of most of the advertisements is to generate positive brand experiences through the almost-standard sequential model of awareness, differentiation and finally trial. Pakistani market is quite disruptively segmented, so an easy way for many brands is go for the ‘me, you and your family’ thing. It becomes effective when you have some thing to create a distinctive positioning that is aligned with the target market as well. And technically, I am no one to comment on western ads, but I have seen a lot of emotional thematic ad in western media too. It all depends on the product, brand and its intended positioning.

Ahsan Shamim:

This is a good off the beaten track article.

Perhaps its off topic, but I was comparing the advertisement campaigns of various MNC`s and local business houses and also comparing the nature of ads run for Pakistani viewers versus ads run in the USA, UK and closer home in India. I thought that Pakistani companies and MNCs working in Pakistan tend to make ads that are much more emotional in nature, mostly arousing our desire to be with families, with nature or simply tending to make us nostalgic. Our ads tend to be much softer than those in India. Could it be that in Pakistan branding is being promoted keeping intact our cultural values, whereas in India e.g. they are trying to be more western in nature and therefore, trying to break the cultural taboos?

Hi piXel,

I am of view that a generic approach may not align with the centralized brand identity in most of the cases. I agree that more than the green shade, a slightly more ``culturally local`` approach is required in order for the brands to combat the boycott issue. ‘mere localizing’ (as I mentioned before) global business seems to be in fashion again... but I am of the opinion that it is a fad, temporary. What would drive these strategies is the commercial viability (different from ownership structures) of investments in brands and businesses.

Specifically for Pakistan, need for a ``cultural nationalism`` more than a nationalism that is based on ``Kashmir or India`` is far greater than it was in the past (Shehlah, this is was what I was telling you). Collective consumer bonding or perceptions exist if they have something in common in everyday life. Same holds true for brands, the same I mentioned in the end of my article.

KFC cant stand without the ‘Kentucky’ element, so the best strategy was selective persuasion though information dissemination and education for MNC companies and brands with strong associations to the US in their branding architecture, with no biases, I liked the KFC work.

regards,

Ahsan

(with reference to the last paragraph)
it all boils down to the survival of the fittest- and the smartest.

i guess (foreign) brands should adopt a more generic approach towards ``brand communication`` before exploring new grounds, thus giving way to greater acceptability and lesser criticism in such situations.

i mean...no matter how big the pakistani flag might stand in their mural. the fact still remains that they are KENTUCKY fried...

Hey soundmeister,

Brands are always perceptions driven. But what I am saying here is this noise in between (media, people, processes blocking the real identity) is responsible for the personality, you assumed and I agreed to disagree. If we are here to discuss Brand Pakistan, lets talk of the identity first and everything else afterwards (your list of brand attributes is what I am referring here). Being someone from SEC A1+, open your eyes and don’t believe in the media-driven personality of Pakistan at your place. May be, you could find ‘the real thing’.

And I am no jingoistic. Just a lover of this brand that doesn’t impede my peace-loving personality. About the MBA remarks, Delete the ‘first-year kid’ thing and I am ok with the rest.

Ahsan

Ahsan,

I thought you were actually interested in discussing Brand Pakistan but obviously you are no better than your jingoistic brethren elsewhere on chowk. What did you expect: shiny happy things? A brand personality MUSt necessarily reflect the reality. And of COURSE it`s perception driven, brands usually are!

You sound like some first-year MBA kid trying out his newly-acquired jargon on the real world. Sorry I wasted my time here....

shehlah, good one.-:)

Re: 8 author:

The `attributes` you mentioned are mostly perceptions generated from heavily cluttered environment (read: Indian media). Our Brand Identity is rather different and attractive enough to entice prospects from neighbors. Don’t worry, a marketing communication campaign is in process and will be delivered in due time. The Indian PM and ruling party are already enticed by the promo and that shows its effectiveness. Any more weapon to test, Sir?

Re #4 Jay:

Sir, Chandrika soap rocks! I migrated from Nivea to Chandrika and have never once regretted it :))))

Re#5 author:

My opinion on Brand Pakistan is only reflective of urban educated upper-income India (what they call SEC A1+). You need to rope in our Amreeki buddies to get the real flavour.

Anyway, here goes

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Brand attributes:
- Young, brash, militant
- Handsome, rugged, arrogant
- Cheeky, impudent, bold
- Shrewd, manipulative, good at managing complex relationships
- Stubborn, opinionated, in-your-face
- Not very liked but grudgingly respected
- Loud, garish, gaudy
- Chaotic, confused, bipolar
- Shows immense potential but fails on delivery

ahsan... ahsan... ahsan... tsk tsk... an answer to a question with rebuke??? now now... somebody needs to teach you some manners! I apologise for my utter lack of knowledge and for the fact that I dared to comment and ofcourse for not knowing that housewives do indeed wait for their husbands to bring back all the pamphlets they receive from outside of mosques and change their opinion henceforth... how utterly rudimentary and how utterly stupid of me not to know. Sorry. Now chill :)

Shehlah,

I am wondering do I need to translate basic marketing here. anyways, my two bits on what you said:

-The pamphlets of boycotts were carried in homes too so they went to housewives as well. Moreover, would you give your reasoning while saying housewives are the core decision maker for purchase of most FMCG products. Please, refrain from commenting for the sake of comment.

Moreover, there is a huge difference in `glocalization, hence localization approach` and `targeting MNC brands for the sake of a fuzzy emotion`. Tell me if it works well as u said, why dont you still go for that Naimat mineral water and XYZ perfumes, soaps branded as `local`. Consumer memory is short and though it does fall flat in front of hot emotions, its essentially a temporary phase till then you get to know the real attributes you should consider while making a purchase decision.

I request you to kindly refrain from commenting for the sake of comment.

soundmeister:

About the brand Pakistan theme discussion, I am always up. Lets start with what is the real product (named Pakistan) we need to market? Though annoying to me, the GUANTANAMO BAY referring sahab has a point.

The article should have more concrete and emperical references to surveys and interview.

Your article doesnt state if a similar survey to that of Australia was actually carried out in Pakistan also. If ``pakistaniat`` is being promoted outside of mosques then is it actually influencing the core decision maker for purchaser of most FMCG products i.e. the housewife? Also, the seeming drive towards being a pakistani brand is not so much driven by ``pakistaniat`` as it is by the global trend of all brands communicating to their consumers in their own language... a phenonmenon known as glocalization and which also gave more power to local BMs to develop market startegies and communication messages closer to home rather than closer to the regional headquarter! Only in the case of KFC, Mc Donalds and Pizza Hut was it important for the brands to integrate as ``Pakistani`` due to their presence as a ``foreign`` entity. You should have wrapped up the last two paras as follows: For the Igloo`s and Young`s and Speedex`s of the world, playing up the flag is just a case of creative and strategic constipation.

Patriotism as I have seen is only important for well to do immigrants. I have seen it happen for indians. While in india they tried to have everything farren, from soaps to kitchen equipments. Having stayed in developed countries, they change to chandrika soap, viccovajradanti powder, amla oil for the hair, and summet for blenders, each of which are more expensive compared to the local products.

Indian do patroitically avoid pakistan products, shaan masalas and pak basmati rise all of which are cheaper than than the indian ones. Indians do get cheated in the restaurants, pakistanis calling their restaurents as indian, at best pakistani and indian.

I am yet to see a restaurent advertising as pakistani. tHEY SAY THAT THERE IS ONE IN GUANTANAMO BAY.

Rather simplistic?

Anyone who says brand quality and patriotism rate higher with consumers than price is neglecting basic economics. ``Brand quality`` is a vague concept at best, as you yourself rightly point out, ``most of us still don`t realize the quality difference in MNC products and their local counterparts in many market categories.``

It`s disturbing though that pseudo-patriotism is being used to peddle chicken, couriers and soap. We have enough jokers this side of the border who try the same stuff. Whether it works on not is up to debate. Patriotism is not ``in`` with the Indian elite, though pseudo-spiritualism definitely is (hence the success of vaastu, feng shui, art of living, numerology and what have you). The poor of course couldn`t care less, they`ll buy what`s cheapest.

Be interesting to have a discussion on ``Brand Pakistan`` instead of ``Brands in Pakistan``.

Another way to earn a fast buck......

Sad.