Can the Indian Economy Weather the Storms?

As the Covid pandemic wanes, one would expect most economies to recover faster. However, something called base effect prevents us from seeing better rates of growth. And so it is, with our economy in India. After the massive contraction in FY21, the first year of the pandemic, the economy staged an impressive recovery in the… Continue reading Can the Indian Economy Weather the Storms?

How Cultural Heritage Can Build a Brand

It is not that unusual or uncommon to find brands using a particular aspect or dimension of a country’s cultural heritage to build their brand image. Think of Scotch Whiskies or wines and there are many that leverage a nation’s culture to build their brand or an entire product category. I have shared my thoughts… Continue reading How Cultural Heritage Can Build a Brand

What Makes a Well-integrated Corporate Brand

In today’s corporate world, well-diversified companies with interests in several businesses abound. It is part and parcel of most companies’ growth strategies. Yet, we also find cases of companies shedding non-core assets every decade or so, in order to improve their financial performance, but equally to focus on their core competencies. In fact, both sets… Continue reading What Makes a Well-integrated Corporate Brand

Reimagining the Media Landscape After the Pandemic

As with everything to do with the pandemic, there is a pre- and a post-. And so it might be, with the advertising and media landscape, though how much of it is enduring, we still can’t tell. At the start of the Covid pandemic in, well, … it seems like it’s been with us so… Continue reading Reimagining the Media Landscape After the Pandemic

Brands and Competitive Advantage

Recently, I wrote on my blog that I had ordered a copy of Michael E Porter’s book, Competitive Advantage along with Peter Drucker’s Practice of Management. I have written about the first, though not as a book review because it wouldn’t have been fair to Drucker. As far as Michael Porter’s book is concerned, I… Continue reading Brands and Competitive Advantage

Why Do Cars Get the Cold Shoulder in French Luxury?

It has often struck me as strange that the much-vaunted French luxury industry, a growing and sizeable part of the French economy, doesn’t include automobiles, especially passenger vehicles. Given their penchant for design, their understanding of exclusivity and luxury and their engineering prowess especially in aviation and high-speed rail, it is rather strange that they… Continue reading Why Do Cars Get the Cold Shoulder in French Luxury?

Why is America So Lousy at Luxury?

The world’s largest economy and super-power par none. Bastion of laissez faire capitalism, where millions are made and lost each day. And a country that has taught the world all about brands and the art and science of building them. But why is America so terrible at building luxury brands? A Californian White Wine; Image:… Continue reading Why is America So Lousy at Luxury?

Peter Drucker and Today’s World of Work

While reading an article by Theodore Levitt titled Marketing Myopia, I came across a reference to Peter Drucker’s Principles of Management and Concept of a Corporation and I thought I must read them. Principles of Management was not available on Amazon India, but there was Practice of Management, also by him. Concept of a Corporation… Continue reading Peter Drucker and Today’s World of Work

How Brands Can Propel Business Strategy Forward

In my last blog post on brands, I had written about brands having the ability to affect and influence companies’ operations at the corporate level, not merely at the marketing level. That is, if brands are used to determine and guide a company’s direction. If used strategically and imaginatively well, brands might even help reinstate… Continue reading How Brands Can Propel Business Strategy Forward