Manosh R. Sengupta
Brand-Parent. Nurturer. Mentor
brand-@itude
43 Imperial Court, 33/2 Cunningham Road, Bangalore 560052
Handphone: +91-9900523170. E-mail: [email protected]
amidst a world of choices… give me a reason
The Philosophy
‘Labour Pains – the art of brand parenting’ : raison d’être of a
marketing professional
The Product
‘brand-@itude’ : the model through which a brand’s foundation and
I.D. is determined
The Process
‘Engagement Ring’ : the 4-phase way to build continuous
Stake-holder relationship
Context: Brand is the cornerstone upon which Organizations / Products / Sevives are built. It forms the
most valuable asset of a Corporation, accounting for at least 40% (thumb-rule) of the Enterprise value.
Some of the most successful brands, contribute more than half of Enterprise value: Apple 51%; Coca
Cola down from 51% in 2010 to 46% in 2011.
As brands run the risk of commoditization - technological parity, price competitiveness and distribution
ubiquity - the path to salvation lies in strengthening its essence: the values it stands for and the
behaviour through which it connects with its stake-holders.
In the era of services-marketing, it requires more than just the marketing department to build brands…
the entire Organization has to work (behave) in unision, delvering across touch-points, a unified brand
experience – its Values, Vision and Cultural nuances.
It is in this context that brand behavior attains critical importance.
The BIG question most CEO / CMOs are grappling with is how to align a diverse universe of stake-holders
to a unified attitude that is based on shared values.
Answering this question is Manosh’s 3 step approach of his philosophy – product – process.
As an aside, indulge me as I explain the genesis of this 3nity: philospohy; product; process.
The quest for spirituality is a Philosophical journey that often leads us to a Product (religions; cults; subcults), each with its distinctive Process of rituals and customs.
Of-course, this is just a metaphorical link.
Manosh R. Sengupta
Brand-Parent. Nurturer. Mentor
brand-@itude
The Philosophy: ‘labour pains… the art of brand parenting’
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Life is a quest to attain self-actualization… this journey is a discovery of who we are. Inevitably the answer, often,
lies in the attitude that we adopt to project our personality:
who are U…
your attitude is your identity… your destiny
each symbol, a metaphor of an attitude type.
The story of a brand is no different. The way I see it,
it’s not…
a product…
neither a service…
nor a corporation
it is a life-from… more importantly, a human life-form
… endowed with a soul (values); a spirit (emotions); a mind (think) and a body (behavior). Together, these
faculties create its personality (self-image)
Mind
think
Soul
values
Body
behave
Spirit
feel
Personality
self-image
relationships
…and, like any human being, it has a life-cycle and needs to be nurtured… nourished… parented
Manosh R. Sengupta
Brand-Parent. Nurturer. Mentor
brand-@itude
A brand’s life’s purpose is measured by the strength of its relationships and the value it creates for them.
As a brand-parent, our responsibility lies in instilling this child with certain values, nurturing its emotions, thereby
helping it shape its personality and mentor the relationships, it forms along the way
brand-parenting…
Instill
values
Nurture
emotions
Shape
personality
Mentor
relationships
values
brand… the fruit of our labour pains
… in other words, parenting the brand to acquire its distinctive attitude, based on a set of core values.
The Product: ‘brand-@itude’... amidst a world of choices, give me a reason
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Attitude is the connect between us and the world. It is the bridge that influences our behavior, connecting
personality (self-image) and persona (perceived image).
Personality… Persona… Attitude: What’s the connection?
Self-image
Behaviour
personality
attitude
stimulus
response
Audience
Identity
attitude: the bridge
collection of beliefs and feelings that influence an individual’s behavior
persona
Manosh R. Sengupta
Brand-Parent. Nurturer. Mentor
brand-@itude
Values are universal and shared across tribes and cultures. What differentiates one from another is the manner in
which they get expressed. This is a result of our attitudes … collection of beliefs and feelings that influence
behavior (individual and/or group).
A brand’s value is measured by the strength of its relationships, a derivative of its behavior
attitude.
communication
Attitude, thus, becomes the fulcrum upon which our identity is built.
I.D. is Attitude
my attitude
how do I live my values
adverb
how do I behave?
verb
what do I do?
my mission
the tasks that will get me there
noun
who am I?
my values… my vision
my dreams… my destiny
I.D. pyramid
The additional challenge in today’s environment is that the consumer leads a multi-dimensional life: live… work…
play – fuelled by digital enablers – resulting in a multi-dimensional persona (perceived image). S/he is in constant
search of bridges that connect to these roles, without diluting the core personality (self-image).
The challenge for any brand is how to connect itself with stake-holder ecology of live… work… play.
play
work
stake-holder
ecology
live
Manosh R. Sengupta
Brand-Parent. Nurturer. Mentor
brand-@itude
The brand-@itude, is a product born from the philosophy of brand-parenting, that believes brands are akin to
human life forms with a fundamental need to build relationships in its journey towards self-actualization.
It is a model that aids a brand in defining its I.D. and also the manner in which it needs to adapt to the human
ecology
Brand and the stake-holder ecology
play
transactional
attitude
core
value
stakeholder
foundational
attitude
transactional
attitude
work
transactional
attitude
live
To summarise, I quote my friend, Priyanka (SIMC, Bangalore, 2012), “Don't confuse my personality wth my
attitude. My personality is who I am and my attitude depends on who YOU are...”
The Process: ‘Engagement Ring’… symbolizing that nothing is more sacred
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A metaphor, built around the ‘engagement ring’, symbolizing the start of a life-long journey. It is a statement of
intent on the seriousness of the relationship, which is being proposed. It is a representation of the Giver’s intent
to place the Receiver above all others… nothing is more sacred.
As brands start out on their journey of life, it needs to introspect whether the consumers it attracts are just ‘onenight-stands’ or ‘life-long-partnerships’. It needs to decide whether it’s in the game of commodityfying itself or
building a brand. Sustaining relationships is an evolutionary process. It requires continuous re-energization. Every
time it reaches a point of fulfillment, the seduction process needs to start all over again.
The Stake-holder Engagement Ring model is a 4-step guide that helps the brand-parent to work out each step and
keep it invigorated.
invite
why should
I be there?
integrate
become a part
of the eco-system
Engagement
Ring
stimulate
how to ensure
heightened activity
innovate
how different is
the experience?