PARADIGM, VOL. 2, NO.

1, JULY 1998, 150-157

RESEARCH NOTES

Building Immortal Brands-

A Practical Approach

ADITYA BHALLA, B. TECH*

ABHAY SRIVASTAVA, B.E.*

The life of the Brand Manager is becoming increasingly complex with each passing
day. The market place is getting inundated with brands-both Indian and foreign-
making it more difficult for the brand communication to be heard above the rising
clutter. Adding to the woes of the Brand Manager is the fragmentation of the media
and the increasing power of the retailers in controlling shelf visibility. In this
increasingly complex world the question being asked frequently in the board rooms
is: How can brands survive? The answer to this question lies in the ability of a
brand to carve out a distinct identity appealing to its target customers. Just like no
two human beings are alike, each brand is also dissimilar in many respects. Thus
the task of the Brand Manager is to create a differentiator in the form of a unique
identity for his brand and to communicate the same to his target customers so that
through repeated purchase the brand can be sustained indefinitely.
Branding Gurus like David Aaker, Jean Noel Kapferer, Lynn B. Upshaw etc. have
proposed different frameworks for building and managing brands. These models
emphasise various dimensions like Makeup, Personality etc. which can help in
building the Brand Identity. However these models suffer from the following
limitations:
1. Inflexibility: These models lay equal stress on all the dimensions of the identity
of the brand. They fail to take into account the changing weightage of any one
dimension because of the forces acting in the market place (like changing
consumer tastes, etc .). For example. if a brand's makeup becomes
disproportionately larger than the other dimensions then the Kapferer's Brand

• Students of PGDBM Programme at IMT, Ghaziabad

BUILDING IMMORTAL BRANDS 151

Identity Prism will be unable to pinpoint this. It might so happen that a major
part of the communication is being captured by this one dimension of the
Brand Identity. Consequently, a major part of thecommunication meant for
the target customers is lost even before reaching them. This can prove
disastrous for the company in the long run.
2. Lack of Clarity: These models stress on the relevance of each dimension of
the brand identity but they fail to guide the Brand Manager in carrying out the
logical construction of the Brand Identity. Thus questions like: "Where should I
begin?", "Which dimensions capture the essence of my brand?" are left unanswered.
3. Static: A Brand Manager who constructs the Brand Identity based either on
the Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism or Aaker's Model can't visualise the subtle
changes in the market place and their effects on any of the dimensions of the
Brand Identity. Even if he is able to sense the changes, he finds it difficult to
convince the top management, because of lack of a simple visual
representation. It is like a Pilot (Brand Manager) trying to land his aircraft in
foggy weather with no navigation instruments to guide and a sceptical
Co-Pilot (Top Management) to convince. Here, luck rather than skill plays an
important role in making a safe landing. It is no wonder that Brand Identity
models find more mention in journals than in corporate boardrooms where
strategic planning is actually carried out.
To resolve these limitations, the authors propose a framework, henceforth referred
to as the "3-2-3 Brand Identity Hour-Glass ModeFm." This model is simple to
understand, easy to visualise and much more focused in its approach to Brand building.
This model has been tested on various Brands notably, DIGJAM of the $1.2 billion
Birla VXL Group. The model is shown in Figure l. For an explanation of the various
terms please refer to the glossary.

Echo

Relationship Culture

Makeup Personality

Positioning

Figure l: 3-2-3 Brand Identity Hour Glass™

152 PARADIGM, VOL. 2, NO. l, JULY 1998

As can be seen in this model, there are three parts of the Hour Glass, viz. the base,
the neck and the head. The Brand Manager should first focus his attention on the
base, which is formed by position, personality, and makeup. The confluence of
these three dimensions builds the essence or the core of the brand in the minds of
the customers.

Next comes the neck which is formed by culture and relationship. These dimensions
are important as they forge a link between the customer and the brand. Also, they
provide the link through which the essence of the brand gets communicated to the
customers. Thus they provide a valuable channel for communication between the
Brand Manager and the marketplace.

Finally, the focus of the Brand Manager should shift to the head of the hour glass.
This is where the fate of the brand gets decided. It determines whether the
customers will accept the brand or reject it, whether the brand will generate value
or seek value from the company. The dimensions constituting self-portrait and echo
assume paramount importance here. At this point we introduce an important
measure called the "Identification Index." This measure shows the extent to which
the self-portrait of the customer conforms with the echo of the users of the brand in
question. The Identification Index can assume three values, each of which has
different implications for the brand. The Brand Manager thus has to monitor this
ratio religiously if he wants to sustain the brand indefinitely. The implications of
each of these values of Identification Index can be understood as folows:

1. Identification Index > 1

This means that the echo is greater than the self-portrait. The implication is that
the brand has an aspirational value within its target segment. The brand is getting
into the considered set of the target customers but certain factors are inhibiting
repeat purchase. This should serve as a warning signal for the Brand Manager. The
challenge before him lies in either redefining his segment to include only those
customers for whom the "Identification Index = 1" or in removing those factors
which are intimidating some of the current target customers.

2. Identification Index =1

This is the ideal situation where the echo is equal to the self-portrait. This implies
that the targeted segment identifies itself completely with the brand . In this case
the brand can be sustained indefinitely, because repeat purchase of the brand will
take place in its constituency. Thus the brand will be a winner for the company
year after year.

3. Identification Index <1

This is the most dangerous possibility amongst all the three possibilities. The
implications are serious for the Brand and the Brand Manager needs to take urgent
action. This value is a clear signal that the brand is going to die, at least in its own
constituency. It shows that the self-portrait is on a higher plane than the echo of the
BUILDING IMMORTAL BRANDS 153

users of the brand. The core customers will experience dissonance whenever they
experience the brand. Ultimately the users will ditch the brand due to strong
influences in terms of peer pressure and the need to identify with their own kind.
Once the creation of the Brand Identity has been realised, the Brand Manager has
to grapple with the next question, "How to test the strength of the Brand Identity?"
The answer to this question can be visualised by turning the hour glass upside
down. As can be seen from Figure 2, when we turn the hour glass upside down
then the sand particles (representing the communication which flows with the
passage of time and constitutes various promotional strategies, selling strategies,
advertising etc.) flow from the Brand Manager's end to the target customers' end.
When all these particles reach the other end then the targeted customer identifies
himself c;o much with the brand that the purchase of the brand becomes a routine
process. He no longer consciously thinks in terms of culture, relationship, makeup,
personality, or positioning. If one were to ask him the reason for purchasing the
brand, the answer would be, "Because its a natural extension of me!" In this ideal
situation the brand becomes an intrinsic part of the customer's identity.

Positioning

Personality Makeup

Culture Relationship

Self-protralt Echo

Identification index =1

Figure 2: Hour Glass Turned Upside Down

As can be seen from Figure 3, in an hour glass turned upside down, if the Identification
Index is less than one, then due to porosity at the target customers end, most
of the communication leaks out. Thus the intended effect on the target customer
fails to crystallise. The Brand Identity is weakened, and is rendered vulnerable to
forces external to the company like competition, retail, resource constraints etc.
154 PARADIGM, VOL. 2, NO. l, JULY 1998

It should be be remembered that top management gives least importance to a weak

and dying brand. This may ultimately lead to the death of the Brand.
Positioning

Personality Makeup

Culture
Relationship

Self-portrait Echo

Identification Index < l

Figure 3: Hour Glass Turned Upside Down

The "3-2-3 Brand Identity hour glass model™" provides the Brand Manager with
the means to visually diagnose the problem with the Brand Identity, and to check
the strength of the identity developed.

Identification Index < l

Echo Self-portrait
Successful Successful
Loner Cynosure of all
Powerful Eyes
Cold Friendly
Conservative Warm hearted
Old Young

Relationship Culture
Status enhancer Quality
Increases Social Best fabrics
acceptability Best wool
Latest
Technology

Makeup Personality
Shekhar Kapoor Cold
Aloof
Arrogant
Powerful
Friendless
Positioning: A celebration of life Individualistic

Figure 4: 3-2-3 Brand Identity Hour Glass™ of DIGJAM

BUILDING IMMORTAL BRANDS 155

CASE STUDY: DIGJAM

A research was actually carried out by the authors on DIGJAM (period: 1980-1997),
a brand from the stables of the $1.2 billion Birla-VXL group.

Consider Figure 4, which represents the Brand Identity of DIGJAM. As can be seen
from the Figure, the makeup of the brand (as symbolised by Shekhar Kapoor) has
become disproportionately larger than the other dimensions. This has affected the
echo (of the users) as being cold, aloof, hard nosed, unapproachable executives.
Also, the self-portrait of the target segment (which has changed over a period of
time) no longer conforms with the echo of the current/potential users of the brand.
The Identification Index here is less than 1. The consequences of this would be that
a part of the communication will be blocked by the distorted makeup of the Brand
Identity and a part of the communication will be lost due to the porosity in the
hour glass at the customers' end. Also, if Shekhar Kapoor were to get embroiled in
any cor.troversy then the brand would have to bear the negative fallout. Shekhar
Kapoor is not getting any younger. Linking this with the over dependence of the
brand on him, the brand's survival is contingent to Shekhar Kapoor's existence.
Thus the Brand Identity of DIGJAM is overshadowed by the Brand Identity of
Shekhar Kapoor.

The implication is that in order to make the brand immortal, a perfect symmetry
has to be maintained between the makeup and the personality, between the linking
dimensions of culture and relationship and between the echo and self- portrait.

CASE STUDY: INTEL

Another example that can be cited is that of INTEL, renowned the world over for
providing flawless computer chips. A flaw was discovered in their Pentium chip
which could affect a very specific mathematical operation, whose chances of
occurring was one in thirty three million. Though the company tried to tell their
customers that there was nothing to worry about, there was gross resentment
amongst the purchasers of the chip. Looking at this incident through the hour
glass one can easily visualise that the culture and the relationship were under stress.
Further, the Identification Index was less th'an 1. Thus, any communication made
by the company was not reaching the customers. The company had to ultimately
call back chips worth $500 million. In this way the company was able to restore the
symmetry of the hour glass and consequently sustain its Brand Identity. Would the
same thing have happened with AMD or CYRIX which are also chip manufacturers,
is a question to ponder on.

GLOSSARY
Explanation of the key terms used in the Hour 3-2-3 Glass ModelTm

Makeup: A brand's makeup is the set of distinct characteristics associated with the
brand that get evoked first in the target customers' mind on mentioning the brand.
Personality : If brands were to be visualised as living entities, then the physical
156 PARADIGM, VOL. 2, NO. l, JULY 1998

form taken by the brand along with the characteristics endowed would make up
the personality of the brand.

Culture: A brand has a certain set of values associated with it from which it derives
inspiration and energy. These values govern the basic principles that reflect in the
brand's communication (either through media or through the product). The cultural
facet is an essential link between the brand and the customer.

Relationship: Relationship determines the manner in which the interaction

between the brand and the customer is governed. It is a channel through which the
intentions of the company get communicated to the target customers. Thus, this
dimension provides the other key link between the brand and the customer.

Echo: A verbal description or a graphic representation of the user of the brand by

the other target customers of the brand.

Self-Portrait: A verbal description or a graphic representation of the target

customers' self in the context of his associations with the brand.

Positioning: What a brand stands for in the minds of customers and prospects,
relative to its competition, in terms of benefits and promises.

Communication: Sum total of all ways in which the brand's values are conveyed
to the target audience. This involves the use of promotional strategies, sales
strategies, logo/symbols etc.

Echo
Identification Index =
Self-portrait

Implications of different values of Identification Index:

1 Identification Index > I

This means that Echo> Self-portrait. This implies that the brand has an aspirational
value for a different segment. We recommend that the brand manager focus on the
essence of the Brand Identity Hour Glass and check whether the communication
that is being directed is reaching the right audience or not.

2 Identification Index =1
This means that Echo= Self-portrait. This implies that the brand's communication
is reaching the right audience. This is the ideal state and status quo should be
maintained.
BUILDING IMMORTAL BRANDS 157

3 Identification Index < 1

This means that Echo< Self-portrait. This implies that the brand is not appealing
to the right audience. This can result in the gradual atrophying of the brand.
Both Echo and Self-portrait can be determined by carrying out a survey in the target
segment of the brand because it is from here only that a brand derives its sustenance.
An interval scale can be set up, and each of the parameters within these two
dimensions can be rated by the respondents on this scale.