An Examination of India the Brand

Nation branding and the “Incredible India” campaign

Danielle Skloven

December 1, 2009

Target Market Segment• 18-24 year-olds in the U.S.

• Seeking study abroad opportunity• Adventure travelers• Language immersion • Post-graduation/gap year

Brand Exploratory

CBBE Model• LOW brand awareness

• Brand image:

• Ambiguous or negative

• Focus group participants claimed not to know a lot about India

• But, when visually prompted, reported that they already recognized the objects as part of India’s identity

• Low unaided recall

• High aided recall

CBBE Model

Core Brand Associations:

Poverty

Poor sanitation

IT

Non-English speaking

Pickpockets

Peaceful

POPs & PODs• POPs:

• Rich culture• Historical significance• Variety of landscapes• Spa tourism• Adventure tourism (backpacking, treking)• Nightlife• Traditional and modern• Nature/wildlife

• PODs:• Cost efficient

• Active participation in festivals • Unique culture yet still English-speaking• Genuine experience• Bollywood

Brand AttributesFunctional attributes• Museums, art galleries, theatres and concert halls• Leisure and sports activities and facilities• Conference and exhibition facilities• Public space• Hotels, restaurants, night clubs and entertainment • Transport infrastructure and access

Symbolic attributes• The character of the local residents • The profile of typical visitors (eg age, income, interests and values)

Experiential attributes• How the destination will make visitors feel (eg relaxed, excited or fascinated)• Descriptors of the destination’s feel (eg the city experience, vibrant or peaceful)• The character of the built environment (eg historic, modern, green and spacious)

• Descriptors related to security and safety

“Moving from the current brand image to the desired brand image

means adding new associations, strengthening existing ones, or

weakening or eliminating undesirable ones in the minds of

consumers.”

- Kevin Lane Keller, Strategic Brand Management

A New Approach

Brand Ambassador Strategy:

• Word-of-mouth communication is key

• Viral marketing

• User-generated content

• Campus events

• Concerts

• Coordination with Study Abroad Offices

• Private Study Abroad Companies

• Make concerted effort to engage students studying in India

Experiential Branding

• Festivals at college campuses

• Bringing India to the consumer

• More realistic than a film

• Brand communities

• Facebook

• Twitter

• YouTube contest• Concerts featuring Indian artists (in collaboration with American

artists)

Online Strategy (Direct Channel)

• Revamp website• Basic “Did you know?” section• Work on Google presence• Address negative associations• Links to personal blogs of “Brand Ambassadors”• Student airfare brokers (STA Travel)

Safety & SanitationIf negative perceptions are founded in partial truth, the country must

address the problems and communicate that they are being addressed as soon as real progress can be demonstrated. This way, the audience can understand these issues better and can keep them

in balance with the positive attributes.

Key Takeaways• Brand identity must be firmly rooted in reality• Engage brand ambassadors in order to create network• Highlight PODs such as low cost and festivals• Bring the experience to your audience• Leverage user-generated content