Acknowledgement

We have prepared our group project on: Institution for inspiring brands a case study on
BRAND FORUM It was really a nice experience for us to do the project on above topic.
While preparing the project lots of people helped us on various occasions. Among these
people our classmates, course instructor are mentionable. In this regard, we would like to
give our special thanks to our course instructor Sayed Parvez khan, Lecturer, School of
Business, University of Information Technology & Sciences.
We are also grateful to our friend and the people who helped us a lot in doing this project.
Special thanks, gratefully and lovingly offerd to our parents, for their overall steadfast and
loyal support during the preparation of this project. Finally, our gratitude along with thanks
goes to The Almighty for keeping everything on right track.
We want to talk about our limitations that we had to accept during the completion of this
project. However, we believe that we have tried our best to make this project more reliable
and acceptable.

Introduction

A brand is a product with unique character, for instance in design or image. It is consistent
and well recognized.
The advantages of having a strong brand are:

Inspires customer loyalty leading to repeat sales and word-of mouth recommendation.
The brand owner can usually charge higher prices, especially if the brand is the
market leader.
Retailers or service sellers want to stock top selling brands. With limited shelf space
it is more likely the top brands will be on the shelf than less well-known brands.
Some retailers use own-label brands, where they use their name of the product rather than
the manufacturers like Tescos Finest range of meals and foodstuffs. These tend to be
cheaper than the normal brands, but will give the retailer more profit than selling a normal
brand.
Some brands are so strong that they have become global brands. This means that the product
is sold in many countries and the contents are very similar. Examples of global brands
include: Microsoft, Coca Cola, Disney, Mercedes and Hewlett Packard.
The strength of a brand can be exploited by a business to develop new products. This is
known as brand extension a product with some of the brands s characteristics. Examples
include Dove soap and Dove Shampoo (both contain moisturizer); Mars Bar and Mars Ice
Cream
Brand stretching is where the brand is used for a diverse range of products, not necessarily
connected E.g. Virgin Airlines and Virgin Cola; Marks and Spencer clothes and food.
The logo on a product is an important part of the product. A logo is a symbol or picture that
represents the business. It is important because it is easy to recognize, establishes brand
loyalty and can create a favorable image.

Part1- Definition of Brand

Unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these, employed in creating an
image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors. Over time, this
image becomes associated with a level of credibility, quality, and satisfaction in the
consumer's mind (see positioning). Thus brands help harried consumers in crowded and
complex marketplace, by standing for certain benefits and value. Legal name for a brand is
trademark and, when it identifies or represents a firm, it is called a brand name. See also
corporate identity.
A brand is the meaningful perception of a product, a service or even yourself either good,
bad or indifferent that marketers want people to believe based on what they think they
hear, see, smell, taste and generally sense from others around them.

The History 0f Brand:

The word "brand" is derived from the Old Norse brand meaning "to burn." It refers to the
practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products. The oldest generic
brand, which is in continuous use in India since the Vedic period (ca. 1100 B.C.E to 500
B.C.E), is known as 'Chyawanprash', an herbal paste consumed for its purported health
benefits and ttributed to a revered rishi (or seer) named Chyawan This brand was developed
at Dhosi Hill, an extinct volcano in northern India. The Italians were among the first to use
brands, in the form of watermarks on paper in the 1200s. Blind Stamps, hallmarks and silver
maker's marks are all pes of brand. Although connected with the history of trademarks and
including earlier examples hitch could be deemed "protobrands" (such as the marketing puns
of the "Vesuvinum" wine jars found at Pompeii), brands in the field of mass-marketing
originated in the 19th century with the advent of packaged goods. Industrialization moved the
production of many household items, such as soap, from local communities to centralized
factories. When shipping their items, the factories would literally brand their logo or insignia
on the barrels used, extending the meaning of "brand" to that of trademark. Bass & Company,
the British brewery, claims their red triangle brand was the world's first trademark. Lyles
Golden Syrup makes a similar claim, having been named as Britain's oldest brand, with its
green and gold packaging having remained almost unchanged since 1885. Another example
comes from Antiche Fornaci Giorgi in Italy, whose bricks are stamped or carved with the
same proto-logo since 1731, as found in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Cattle were
branded long before this. The term "maverick," originally meaning an unbranded calf, comes
from Texas rancher Samuel Augustus Maverick whose neglected cattle often got loose and
were rounded up by his neighbors. The word spread among cowboys and came to be applied
to unbranded calves found out wandering alone. Even the signatures on paintings of famous
artists like Leonardo da Vinci can be viewed as an early branding tool. Factories established

during the Industrial Revolution introduced mass-produced goods and needed to sell their
products to a wider market, to customers previously familiar only with locally-produced
goods. It quickly became apparent that a generic package of soap had difficulty competing
with familiar, local products. The packaged goods manufacturers needed to convince the
market that the public could place just as much trust in the non-local product. Pears Soap,
Campbell soup, Coca-Cola, Juicy Fruit gum, Aunt Jemima, and Quaker Oats were among the
first products to be 'branded', in an effort to increase the consumer's familiarity with their
products. Many brands of that era, such as Uncle Ben's rice and Kellogg's breakfast cereal
furnish illustrations of the problem. Around 1900, James Walter Thompson published a house
ad explaining trademark advertising. This was an early commercial explanation of what we
now know as branding. Companies soon adopted slogans, mascots, and jingles that began to
appear on radio and early television. By the 1940s, manufacturers began to recognize the way
in which consumers were developing relationships with their brands in social /
psychological / anthropological sense.
From there, manufacturers quickly learned to build their brand's identity and personality (see
brand identity and brand personality), such as youthfulness, fun or luxury. This began the
practice we now know as "branding" today, where the consumers buy "the brand" instead of
the product. This trend continued to the 1980s, and is now quantified in concepts such as
brand value and brand equity. Naomi Klein has described this development as "brand equity
mania". In 1988, for example, Philip Morris purchased Kraft for six times what the company
was worth on paper; it was felt that what they really purchased was its brand name.
Marlboro Friday: April 2, 1993 - marked by some as the death of the brand - the day Philip
Morris declared that they were cutting the price of Marlboro cigarettes by 20% in order to
compete with bargain cigarettes. Marlboro cigarettes were noted at the time for their heavy
advertising campaigns and well-nuanced brand image. In response to the announcement Wall
street stocks nose-dived for a large number of branded companies: Heinz, Coca Cola, Quaker
Oats, PepsiCo, Tide, Lysol. Many thought the event signalled the beginning of a trend
towards "brand blindness" (Klein 13), questioning the power of "brand value."
If you think that the idea of branding is relatively modern, starting with the industrial age in
England, then moving to the rest of Europe and the U.S., then youre in for an interesting
surprise. Since the time people created goods to trade or sell, or as far back in time as when
people owned cattle, there have been trademarks, symbols, signs or posters, pictorial signs,
and hawkers. In order to distinguish their goods, craftsmen imprinted trademarks on their
goods and creations to signify the maker and origin. Ultimately, trademarks assured the buyer
or trader of the quality of the merchandise. To denote ownership of property, at first cattle
were branded with paint or pine tar; later, unfortunately, cattle and sheep were branded with
hot irons. Humans were also branded for various reasons. Slaves were branded to mark
ownership; criminals were branded with disgrace. During World War II, victims of Nazi
persecution who were interned in concentration camps were branded with numbers.
Horrifically, people have used branding to indelibly mark people and animals. For a sound
purpose, tradesmen have used branding to mark possessions and goods. Although some terms
and connotations stay in our vernacular, for the most part, the negative connotation of

branding has been abandoned for one that is positive and commercial, referring to the use of
distinguishing brand name goods and services.

Why important Brand

As great as you think your product is, there are thousands out there who are selling either the
same thing or a different product that can give the same result. And if your product is truly
original, then we think your brand is potentially even more important. People will jump on
the bandwagon of a great idea very quickly, so you need to position your company as the
originator and expert in the market to keep your market share.
So why would people buy your product and not your competitors? Is it because your product
is better quality, cheaper in price, made locally, only made for a particular age group and/or
friendlier to the environment? Or is it because your business gives better service, delivers on
promises, is more convenient, more proactive and/or tries to better the community it exists
in? Well, whatever it is, its certainly a lot to say when people have such short attention spans.
And just because you say it, doesnt mean they believe you.
So this is where branding comes into play. Not only can it communicate with just a small
element (ie. something as simple as a logo, symbol, color, etc) what your product/ business is
all about, but also what makes it extraordinary. More importantly, branding makes this
information meaningful to people.
If I said BMW, what would you think of? Would quality, European, luxury, sophisticated
cars just about cover it? People think prestige and that by having a BMW they would have
prestige too.its an emotional link promoting an attribute people either can, or want to,
identify with. If all they needed was a car, they would have bought something else.
People buy based on their perceptions and these are heavily dictated by the effectiveness of a
business brand. Its not just about the product or what you say about the productits all
about what your customers and potential customers think and believe that has the ultimate
impact on your sales potential and profits.
Well you dont have to look very far. When Tata Motors of India bought Jaguar and Range
Rover from Ford, what did they buy? Factories? Raw Materials? Employees? No Goldman
Sachs and Morgan Stanley helped Ford sell the brands to Tata for $2.56 billion, and the
brands were worth more than all other ingredients combined.

Part 2, Brand: International Perspective

The Global Brand Forum is the world's most inspirational and influential platform for
transformation in the area of brands, business and leadership. It is a forum of people who
believe that "brands are a powerful agent for change". Members bring brands at the heart of
the business agenda.
It is the world's premier forum for brands, business and leadership. It brings together the
world's most inspirational and influential leaders to exchange ideas and share their visions for
the future.
With a growing demand on business to be a force for positive social change, the Global
Brand Forum will act as the leading platform for the world's best minds and greatest thinkers
to discuss critical issues and debate the future facing global brands, business and leadership.
An independent organization, the Global Brand Forum presents high profile international
events, which aim to raise the perspective and standards of business executives,
entrepreneurs, marketers and bureaucrats through exposure to and interaction with speakers
who have redefined business and changed the world. Global Brand Forum speakers are icons
and catalysts for change.
The Global Brand Forum aims to provide participants with the insights, knowledge and skills
required for responsible and meaningful leadership that will not only benefit investors and
shareholders but also society at large.

How did you start GBF and how is it the leading branding forum today
Today, you simply cannot ignore brands, even if you detest them. They are ubiquitous, in
your face and have unprecedented clout economically, socially, culturally and even
politically. Brands can be downright intrusive, even offensive and promote greed, fear, ego
etc. or they can be a force for good, a catalyst for social change and a tool for organizational
transformation. In a way brands have enormous power. But with great power comes great
responsibility. This mysterious power of brands has always fascinated me. Further four years
ago, I was quite puzzled to note thatthere was no Branding Forum that had a global scale or
following. There were leadership forums, media forums, advertising forums, technology
forums etc., but no real branding forum. That is what motivated me to kick start this initially.

The Global Brand Forum was set up in 2003 to be the first Forum on Branding that truly has
global scale, stature, content, coverage and audience. It was also meant to be a platform for
inspiration and brand thought leadership. We wanted to bring outstanding global leaders,
icons and luminaries who have redefined businesses, created brands and even changed the
world in some way. And we wanted CEOs, Marketers, Entrepreneurs, Advertisers and
Bureaucrats from Asia to change the way they looked at their brands and businesses by
getting them up close and personal with these Global Leaders.
Secondly, Brands are too important to be circumscribed with the confines of advertising
agencies or marketing departments of companies. My personal frustration with the branding
and advertising industry is that it consists of loads of brand experts who know quite a bit
about brands but have not truly built any brands. There is a big difference between knowing
about brands and actually creating them. As someone who has been in the advertising
industry for more than 15 years, I cannot help feeling that advertising agencies at best create
very good advertising. Unfortunately very good advertising cannot create outstanding brands.
Further, we asked ourselves this question, "Who has the credibility and who would you rather
listen to - A brand expert or the real-deal leaders like an Al Gore, Anita Roddick, Richard
Branson" etc.? The answer was simple. I have come to the conclusion that great brands are
seldom built by brand experts or advertising agencies. They are built by inspiring leaders.
That is one of the reasons why we bring inspiring leaders and icons from diverse fields like
Films, Media, Business, Politics and of course, Advertising. We put these diverse people on
to the same stage. That creates a combustion and spark that is unpredictable and inspiring. In
the past we have had unusual people like Dr. Deepak Chopra squaring off with Anita
Roddick; Rudy Giuliani and Francis Ford Coppola sparring with each other etc. This alchemy
always creates magic and electrifies the audience.

Our challenge is always to set higher standards each year. This is always difficult because an
inevitable question that haunts us is always who do you bring next year after you have
brought Anita Roddick or Al Gore or Warren Bennie or Francis Ford Coppola? But, whilst it
is a big challenge, that is exactly what makes doing the forum fun and stimulating. We also
have a big following of people across Asiathat have high expectations. That is yet another
challenge.

But we have always been single minded about creating an "out of body experience" for our
delegates. That's eventually what keeps us going. Our ultimate high is when many delegates
and even speakers tell us that, "these two days at the Global Brand Forum have been their
most inspiring two days of the year." Now that is simply too intoxicating to ignore

New changes brought about by the Global Brand Forum perceptions:

Conventional brands are in trouble; they've run out of juice and played out their
relevance. Great brands are in danger of becoming commodities. The few brands that
have escaped the commodity trap will now lead. These brands fuse mystery,
sensuality and intimacy into a magic that takes you past irreplaceable to become
irresistible.

The key word is not communication. It's "connect," and those who connect win.
People don't sleep with their iPod for a reason. Love marks create Loyalty Beyond
Reason... not for a reason.

The dissolution of mass markets and atomization of society into more finely focused
communities of interest, and micro-niches, are changing the game. Paradoxically, a
single global consciousness is forming around brands. Consumers know they are in
charge now, they've moved from I need and I want to I can, and they love it. People
are open to new experiences but today people want to be attracted by stories that
engage, empathize and inspire. Brands need a past and a present and a future. The
back story is as important as the punch line and the sequel.

By making it both more intelligent and more emotional. With each new technological
advance, we get new opportunities and new ways to mix sight, sound and motion (or
"sisomo") to connect emotionally with consumers.

Technology has forever altered and tilted the axis of power in favor of the consumer. We have
more cool tools to make that crucial emotional connection that leads to action, but we must
understand the new rules of the road and learn that the consumer is behind the wheel. It's
about attraction not distraction, about attracting people when and where they are interested.
And connecting with them emotionally.

How Todays Global Brands work:

In a 2004 article in the Harvard Business Review, Douglas B. Holt, John A. Quelch and Earl
L. Taylor evaluate the current worldview of global brands and their overall effect on various
countries. They conducted an extensive study into transnational brands versus non-global
brands and their impact on the consumers of the world. Here are the highlights of their
findings:
Consumers worldwide are in awe of the political power of certain global entities and their
overall impact on societies, communities, nations and the planet as a whole.
There are three main characteristics that consumers look at when considering a global
brand. Quality signal, global myth and social responsibility are the factors that reign supreme
in the overall perception of global consumer brands.
Quality signal plays a critical role in the credibility of a global band. Approximately 44% of
consumers rely solely on this principle. Reasonable prices, new products, consistent
guarantees and dynamic nature are a few of the factors that consumers cited when referring to
overall quality of a product.
Global myth addresses various symbols of cultural ideals. Approximately 12% of global
consumers rely on this as a means of brand preference. They use brands to create a sort of
imagined global identity that they can share with like-minded individuals across the world.
Global brands tend to make people feel as if they are a part of something bigger, they show
the future of consumer products and they are a symbol of luxury and convenience.
Social responsibility, especially these days, is the most important characteristic that people
perceive in global businesses. Only 8% of people use this as a deciding factor in their brand
choices. Global brands wield extraordinary influence on societys well-being. People
generally expect these companies to use their vast influence for the greater good. People have
been convinced that these companies should use their influence to tackle pressing social
issues and global epidemics.
Aside from these deciding principals in the use of global products, consumers from other
countries have been concerned with the ideals of Americans ever since the war in Iraq began.
Anti- American sentiments are on the rise, leading to a drop in the use of U.S. products.
Overall, global consumer segments consist of four main types of
consumersGlobal citizens, global dreamers, anti global and global agnostics.

 Global Citizens comprise 55% of the population and solely rely on whether companies
behave responsibly on pressing issues such as consumer health, environmental concerns and
workers rights.
Consumer Segments- are the second largest segment at 23% of the worlds population.
These consumers are less discerning about transnational companies. This facet of the
population is more likely to believe global myths and remains devoted to their use of certain
products.
Anti global- make up approximately 13% of the worlds population. This sect of the
population is highly skeptical of transnational products and their wide influence. They mostly
avoid contact with transnational firms and their brands. The highest numbers of this group are
primarily located in the UK and China.
Global Agnostics are the least influential group of consumers when it comes to global
brands. Comprising about 8% of the population, this group evaluates a global product by the
same criteria they use to judge local brands. In the United States and South Africa, the
numbers of this population remain high.
There are five main goals that global brands should have when considering new
opportunities and new responsibilities. These are; Thinking globally, managing the dark side,
building credible myths, treating anti global as customers and turning social responsibility
into entrepreneurship.
Thinking globally is essential for major corporations because their products are ultimately
symbols of what consumers perceive them to be. Firms must learn to participate in a
polarized conversation about global brands and influence it.
Managing the dark side of companies is difficult, but essential. Managing perceptions of
global brands is an integral part of keeping the company successful. Advertising approaches
are paramount in maintaining a positive image.
Building credible myths is also a gateway to success for large brands. Firms must create
appropriate myths highlighting things such as personal empowerment, consumer centered
campaigns and philosophical dialogue with consumers. This ultimately earns credibility with
your market demographic.
Treating anti global- as customers is equally important. Although this facet of the
population typically strays from larger firms, they represent one in ten people in the world.
Companies must earn the trust of this segment by focusing on them as disgruntled consumers
and making every advance to perfect their products for this demographic.
Turning social responsibility into entrepreneurship is key, especially since social
responsibility has become an integral part of societys allegiance to certain firms. Most
companies have launched successful social responsibility campaigns including philanthropic
efforts and environmental initiatives. People tend to buy products that are socially
responsible or fund a good cause.

Part-3, Brand: In Bangladesh

Current situation:
Firstly: Rising Youth
- from social network to Shahbag

Some are calling them young and fearless, while some refer them as the fighters of 21st
century. With their raised voices vibrating with slogans, clenched fist brandishing in the air,
feet stamping on the ground, they are demanding one thing unanimously - capital punishment
for Kader Mollah and other war criminals. They are the youth of Bangladesh and they have
taken on the task of tying the nation in one chord after what seems like decades.
Under the banner of "Bloggers and Online Activist Network", hundreds of people started to
gather in Shahbag area of Dhaka since February 4th after the International Crimes Tribunal-2
(ICT) sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-eIslami party, to life term imprisonment for his war crimes. Hundreds became thousands and
now the force is unstoppable. The protesters have expressed their determination that they
would not return home until ICT awards capital punishment to Abdul Quader Mollah.

After years of apathy to the state's indiscretions and negligence, the people have finally risen
up. It has almost been four weeks, and the movement at "Projonmo Chottor" or Shahbag is
still going strong, the moshals and candles still burning bright. The process of trying the war
criminals has been long overdue, but it is never too late to serve justice to those who have
committed unspeakable crimes.
Shahbag movement is unique for Bangladesh on two important fronts. First, is the nature of
the movement; it is the biggest youth led movement after a long time. Second is the
movement's use of social and public media. Networking on Facebook and Twitter has been a
strong source of unity, and the 24-hour satellite news channels have been covering the protest
since the first day.

Social Network to SHAHBAG

It all began with a victory sign. When Abdul Quader Mollah emerged from
the Supreme Court on the afternoon of 4th February, he turned to the
press waiting outside, smiled, and made a victory sign. An odd reaction for
a man just sentenced to life in prison. Mollah smiled because for him, a
man convicted of numerous heinous
Secondly: RMG
As the curtain finally rises for the SEE Award 2012 at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the eve of
24th of February 2013, the story of RMG success travels far and wide. To honor & encourage
social and environmental excellence in the day-to-day practices of the RMG sector of
Bangladesh, the SEE Award 2012 has proven to be the best platform. This initiative has
brought the RMG sector of Bangladesh under a new limelight which was long overdue. As
the award ceremony took place, stories of excellent social and environmental practices
unfolded.

The Success Statistics

A success story never ends, for there is no end to success. Bangladesh RMG sector has been
an epitome of success. Since its inception in the early 1970's till date, the RMG Industry of
Bangladesh
has
come
a
long
way!
Today the RMG sector contributes to 79% (17.91 billion US $) of the total exports of
Bangladesh which makes up a whopping 15% of the national GDP. It has seen a whopping a
growth of about 18% in the year 2012. This industry is also supporting the livelihood of
around 3 million workers in Bangladesh, 90% of who are women.

The Initiative

As the famous quote goes, 'With great power comes great responsibility', and for the pioneers
of the RMG industry, responsibility towards society and the environment has been a
prerequisite of success. Abiding by the many

Bangladeshi Brands become global:

Made in Bangladesh battery Volta is now a popular brand name in India and Thailand, and in
Djibouti and Ghana, many admire Pran, a Bangladeshi brand for juice and snacks.
Harrods sells Kazi and Kazi, organic tea, and it is being served at Tokyos prestigious
Sheraton Hotel while furniture designed by Otobi stuns the brand-conscious western shoppers
in Kolkata.
The innovative Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and the executives behind the successful brands,
who shared their experiences with New Age, point out the reliability and sustainability of
brands and express their firm confidence that the brands can boost the country image.
Brand experts echo them as they list confidence, professionalism, strategic efforts of the
industry and say the government can turn Bangladesh a high-value brand exporting country.
Establishment and operation of brands require long-time and rigorous process but once these
are done, business gets sustainability, said Niaz Rahim, managing director of Rahimafrooz
Group.
Battery manufacturing and marketing is the major source of income of the Tk 1,400-crore
plus Rahimafrooz Group. Last year it exported nearly half of its productions or 3 lakh
automotive batteries to more than 25 countries.
After putting years of efforts on brand development, we are now getting benefits from
foreign markets, Niaz said adding that his company could not meet even one-thirds of ready
demands from overseas markets.
To feed overseas markets, Rahimafroozs new plant at Ishwardi EPZ will go into operation by
June. This will be the south Asias largest export-oriented battery manufacturing plant with an
annual production capacity of one million units at the first phase.
Confidence is the first thing that is required to building a brand, then determinations and
investments, said Niaz, who, however, reminds, If quality of the products is not assured
persistently the brand will eventually die.
Sabbir Hasan Nasir, the CEO of Otobi, says consistency in quality have helped them to
become the leader in local market and to get the choosy buyers at foreign markets.

With a 35 per cent annual growth, Otobi enjoys more than half of the countrys Tk 500-crore
market of brand furniture. Nasir says difference in designs and quality products at affordable
and competitive prices keep them ahead of others.
Nasir shares a pleasing experience in opening of an Otobi outlets in Kolkata in mid-2008.
The western expatriates started comparing Otobis designs and finishing with European
products and surprised how Otobi could offer so competitive prices, said Nasir, Huge
coverage in Indian media then allured choosy Kolkata shoppers to our shop.
Recently Otobi has established a sophisticated furniture making plant at Ashulia near Dhaka
that also uses solar energy as its commitment to environment.
Successful branding requires We approach, said Nasir. For banding success, companies
need to work like families.
Without having sustainable brands, sales at any business may grow for a time being but hard
to sustain, said Kamruzzaman Kamal, the executive director of the Agriculture Marketing
Company Limited-AMCL.
Juice, pickles, cookies and confectionaries in AMCLs brand name Pran are now being
shipped to more than 50 countries and sold in villages in north-east India to cities in many
Middle Eastern and western countries.
Prans last years exports amounted at around $15 million which was more than half of
Bangladeshs total processed food export earning. The company employs 60 plus
Bangladeshis abroad to operate its overseas business. Also it has a plan to set up a plant in
India.
Prans plants in Africa or middle-east are not impossible projects in the future, Kamal said.
Kazi Anis Ahmed, CEO of the organic tea brand Kazi and Kazi, says products from
Bangladesh have potentials to be premium brands, but building brands requires strategic and
professional efforts.
After being approved by all standardisation tests, Kazi and Kazi tea was showcased at
Harrods in London as a test case and received overwhelming response from consumers.
By 2008 Kazi and Kazi developed its large capacity to process and market premium segment
tea at significant volumes and now shipped regularly to the USA, Japan and Korea.
Sri Lanka exports 10 times more tea than Bangladesh but earns 100 times more. It happens
not for mere quality, but for branding mainly, says Anis.
Citing that India has brand tea produced in her different regions, Anis says tea produced in
Sylhet and other regions should have brands.

Anis said his brand sells at $4 to $9 per kilogram in export markets while on average export
price of Bangladeshi bulk tea is only $1.65.
Within a couple of years we will export more than 50 per cent of our garden outputs or one
million kilograms of tea as brand item, Anis told New Age.
Shariful Islam, editor of the Bangladesh Brand Forum, traces that realisations on the
prospects of branding were growing among local companies.
You think how many Indian brands were there in global markets a decade ago and how
many are there now, says Sharif as he disagrees that Bangladeshis have made late in entering
global markets with their own brands. The age of branding by Bangladeshi exporters has
begun and it will go on.
Professor Syed Farhat Anwar of the Institute of Business Administration in the University of
Dhaka predicts that mission of branding would soon be started in apparel export sector as
well.
All that needs here are seriousness and professionalism, and skills of peoples in the
companies should be enhanced much so they can understand the demands and the behaviours
of overseas markets, the brand expert suggests.
He stresses that the government and industry should work together for the development of the
brands at global markets.

Part 4, Institution: brand Forum:

Over view of Brand Forum

We already know why Brand important, How brand work globally & current situation about
Bangladeshi Brand. So in this part we should know what reasons are brand important & how
to make Bangladeshi brand stronger?
5 reasons why we think brands are important:
1. It is an investment which pays off for a very long time if done right.
2. Brands help a company charge premium and in some cases even dictate the market
dynamics if it has significantly higher brand equity than its competitors
3. Brands are a symbol of distinction. Different producers are producing the same goods. A
powerful brand is needed to distinguish products from one another. So in order to sell in a
cluttered market, brands are critically essential. It gives consistency, vision and future to what
a company produces.
4. Brand creates the intangible layer of the trust, reliability and delight that consumers look
for in a product.
5. Brands can help make a country a super power! First world countries have been able to
pull money from all over the world to become affluent and thus can now dictate the global
terms.
10 action points they mentioned on how to make Bangladeshi brands stronger:
1. Understand the building blocks of brand
2. Learn from global best practices and branding norms
3. Build brand around quality
4. Make your brand visibility on its own and by others
5. Stay relevant to consumers and to local culture
6. Work on differentiation
7. Develop system, process and people who are behind the brand building exercise
8. Be ready for well planned and continuous spending to nurture brands
9. Think long term rather than short term gain
10. Think of going global to make local brands even stronger

It is indeed refreshing to see how Bangladesh is catching up and the market movers and
shakers are ready to give branding a green signal and are willing to consider it as one of the
most important investment decisions. This is also evident in the new categories of products
like rods and plastic goods that have started to go for branding to carve a unique space in
consumer minds. And as in Bangladesh Brand forum we believe no goal is too big, no
destination too far, no dream too lofty, one day Bangladesh will produce some of the finest
"new emerging multinationals" with brands first nurtured by the affection of 160 million
people of the 8th largest market in the world.
What Brand Forum dose to do Branding?
Some measures that have proved to be a winning formula for the new emerging
multinationals.
1. Laser focus to fit limited resources: The biggest problem which causes eternal doom for
many companies that never make it to the top is that they misallocate their limited resources
at the outset as they try to be everything for everyone, attempting to scratch every consumer
segment with too many product lines they can't manage. New emerging multinationals are
focused in keeping their feet within boundaries; e.g Marico has clearly limited itself to pre
and post hair care products while HTC produces smart phones in the android platform. The
focus is evident in not only the product portfolio but also in the target segment they cater;
take Godrej for example, which caters to only dyes for black hair, leaving aside the red heads
and blondes
2. Begin with target consumers: This essentially refers to the consumer focus that these
companies have opted for. How Marico developed an alcohol free gel in for the Muslims and
hair cream suited to negate high chlorine levels of the Gulf region can be cited as an example.
3. Frugal Product and Process innovation: Frugal yet highly effective product and process
innovation is the third driving force of success for these companies. Take TLC for example. It
hires more engineers for R & D in China. The cost of hiring engineers for TLC is pretty lower
than that of its competitors based in Japan. TLC ensures the cost is cut down even more by
hiring the very best engineers produced by the universities in the "second tier"- the ones that
rank just a little lower than the best universities. The best students in the second tier are just
as good as that the first tier but had lower expectation and higher motivation for working with
a highly reputed company like TLC. Careful selection ensures that they attract the right part
of the tail. TLC hires them at lower salary but keeps them motivated with stock options,
increasing efficiency and spurring innovation. Another good example is Natura, the leading
producer of skin care products from Brazil. While big giants spend big bucks in maintaining a
big in house research team and facility, Natura outsources most part of its R & D to the
universities by collaborating with them. Hence it devotes a lower fraction of its smaller
revenue to R & D but is still able to launch a new innovative product after every 3 days- a
feat at par with giants like 3M!
4. Multiplier effect where possible: They make every dollar count. Each unit of their
currency is spent with a view to create multiplier effect. How do they accomplish that: by

creating buzz through creativity and innovation in marketing, leveraging reach through
opinion leaders and heavily using integrated marketing campaigns.
CONCLUSION
Today, the current intense in the global competitive environment, the changes experienced in
consumer behavior, the companies who tries to reach consumer through an effort of brand
concept and branding as a result of in the information communication technology, and whose
attempt to stay alive in terms of big companies start to gain more importance. Names, terms,
words, symbols, design, sign, shape, color or in terms of their various components for the
products and services are determined, introduced and in this context the brand concept which
allows it to differentiate from its competitors.
Brand concept covers the basic definitions of the trademark, logo, corporate, risk reduction,
identity systems, image, value system, personality, relationships and evolution. In the basic of
this context can be mentioned receiving importance of Branding and not only have its own
intellectual property but also that can be mentioned to differentiate between other line
education programs in the market through the unique of the Brand.
One thing that holds true is the importance of storytelling -- it has worked since the Stone
Age. How stories are told has changed with culture, though, and technology has shaped
emerging culture and behavior very dramatically over the last 10 - 20 years. Most obviously,
to quote Charles Vallance, we've moved from a download culture to an upload culture. As a
result, old ways of storytelling are less relevant. Brands and communications used to be built
on the consumption of a message and interruption; they were massive firework displays.
Today, the conversation around brands is much more participatory. One thing that's changed,
and should be of concern, is that people see brands as less important and meaningful now.
The Havas Media Lab published some research that suggested most people wouldn't care if
70% of brands disappeared. Brands need to create real value in order to be meaningful and
distinct. That means we have to think less about what our brand says and more about how a
brand can be useful and helpful.