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THE ART OF BRANDING

Maverick brand guru Shombit Sengupta strikes you with his colourfulness. Literally. The man wears his colouurs with panache a la Govinda style. And if it is a yellow and a blue suit, then he definitely is an exception.

His work with Danone, Wipro, Britannia, Lakme, P&G, Smith Kline Beecham and others have placed him on a pedestal. His lectures to students are full of great instances and humour. He loves the romanticism of French, fast cars, Jazz and Indian sensibilities to solving issues. The man who left India at a young age, who spent his early poverty stricken days in a refugee camp in East India today deals with multi million dollar corporations teaching them their brand worth. In an exclusive chat with City Times Shombit Sengupta the founder of the Shining Emotional Surplus reveals how brands rule today.

In today's context of businesses becoming global even within a framework of a regional setting, how is the branding exercise relevant to the growth curve?

Global business does not mean flamboyantly throwing fishing bait overseas and expecting fish to come into your net. In short, a brand may be international in overall strategy, but it has always to be drilled down for local consumers to connect.

Brand means different actionable points that improve the consumer's value of life. Branding is the most important factor for global businesses to connect to local cultures. The supremacy of the brand's product quality, its concept, product format and positioning, the channel and distribution link up to enter the consumer's lifecycle, lifestyle and the trend.

As an Indian who moved to Paris many years ago how much of the European influence has rubbed off on you?

Living outside India for 32 years, I have thoroughly been influenced by European as well as other global ways. The elements I have imbibed and integrated in my working style are:

My thinking process is like French thinker — big, powerful, and philosophical; my delivery customisation is like the Japanese who create dreams for the masses through their products and services; my execution process is akin to German discipline — very rational and radical to prevent any failure of a product or service in the market; my business process is very American — friendly, fast and magnified, globally efficacious for the client's growth and profit.

You have seen lots of hardships in your early days. Do you feel had you been more comfortable you wouldn't have tasted success?

Success or falling into a dark hole can come to both the poverty stricken or a rich person. It depends on how hard you work. Poverty teaches you to reach different upward layers step by step, but when you are rich you can reduce those same steps.

My poor beginnings very clearly taught me the difference between the vital and aspirational parts of business. The rich beginner may look at the aspirational aspect only. The vital aspect of business gives you the platform and pillar to stand up strongly, while aspiration makes the business multi-dimensional.

How would you realign the branding strategies for companies in the Middle East?

The Middle East is not need-based market. It is one of the only areas in the world where buying is an entertainment, a social pleasure. There is a big difference between local and international brands available in the Middle East. Most of the local and Indian, Pakistani products are very low profile both in perception as well as cost.