Strategic Brand Management
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BRAND CULTURE AND BRAND RITUALS

	The world is becoming a common marketplace in which people—no matter where they live—desire the same products and lifestyles. Global companies must forget the idiosyncratic differences between countries and cultures and instead concentrate on satisfying universal drives... Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School, 1983 .
Nike and Pierce Brosnan for Omega also give their brands a global image. Thus, brands have created a more homogeneous world market, have sparked a convergence of consumer appetites, particularly among youths, and have given birth to a generation that prefers Coke to tea, Nikes to sandals and American Express credit cards to cash. The world is becoming a common marketplace in which people—no matter where they live—desire the same products and lifestyles. Global companies must forget the idiosyncratic differences between countries and cultures and instead concentrate on satisfying universal drives... Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School, 1983 Brands emerging from cultures Some brands mirror the values and traditions of a particular country and are positioned as a symbol of a specific national culture. For example, Louis Jadot wine is positioned globally as a ‘taste’ of France. Singapore Airlines uses the Singapore girl in its global media ad. Ferrero Rocher chocolates come with a flavour from the heart of Switzerland. And Gucci is the prestige and fashion of Italy. At times, manufacturers simply name the brands meticulously to endow them with a particular national identity. The elegant image of Vichysoisse, a soup created in New York in 1917, is based on the perception that it is a French delicacy. The success of Smirnoff Vodka, made in Connecticut, can be related to its so-called Russian derivation. Haagen-Dazs, an American ice-cream, has been incredibly successful with the made-up and meaningless Scandinavian-sounding name. Consumers tend to use the country of origin as a surrogate for product quality. They frequently have specific attitudes or even preferences for products made in particular countries. The ‘Made in USA’ label means a product is ‘superior’ and good in quality. Similarly, there is an impression that German engineering is excellent and Japanese cars are reliable. On the other hand, some manufacturers have to work hard to conceal their country identity as it bears a stigma. For instance, Taiwanese companies go to extraordinary lengths to mask the ‘Made in Taiwan’ label. Brands getting influenced by local culture While cycles are a health-and-fitness product in USA, they are an efficient means of transport in Asia. In the Arctic regions, refrigerators are used to keep food from freezing while in the tropics they are used to preserve food and keep it cold. Blue stands for warmth in Holland, represents death in Iran, connotes coldness in Sweden and means purity in India. Thus, cultural values differ drastically from one region to another and become too important a factor to be ignored. And, resultantly, some brands prefer to adopt the local hue in spite of their global perspective. McDonald’s, for instance, adopts the culture of the market in which it operates. The company serves McAloo Tikki Burger and several other mouthwatering vegetable preparations for the millions of vegetarians in India. The Chicken McGrill served in the India outlets has a tangy sauce and the patty inside has a tandoori touch. When Oreos was introduced in Japan, Nabisco reduced the amount of sugar in the cookie batter to suit the sweet-averse Japanese tongue. Kraft blends different coffees for the British (who drink it with milk), the French (who drink their coffee black) and Latin Americans (who want a chicory taste). Similarly, Campbell’s soup varies the ingredients of its products to satisfy local taste. Cosmopolitan magazine, besides publishing in 12 languages, also tailors the editorial content of its 28 international editions to cater to the demands of the local markets. Procter & Gamble has four brands that are marketed under the same name worldwide (Camay soap, Crest toothpaste, Head and Shoulders shampoo and Pampers diapers), but the flavour and scent of each product are likely to vary from country to country. Too many marketers contemplating international expanexpansion make the strategic error of believing that if it is liked by their domestic consumers, it will be liked by all. Pepsodent erred when it tried to sell its toothpaste in South-East Asia by promising white teeth. In that part of the world, chewing betel nuts is considered an elite habit and consequently brownish-red teeth are viewed as a status symbol. Hence Pepsodent’s slogan, ‘You’ll wonder where the yellow went’ was a failure. The Chevrolet Nova did not sell well in Latin America because in Spanish the word ‘nova’ means ‘it does not run’. Thus it is perhaps imperative for global marketers to go through a kind of acculturation process. In many a case, local culture has been found to tame the ego of global brands. For example, McCain is the world’s largest ready-to-cook French fries label; but the same McCain fries which are a rage in Europe and the US are being sold as ‘fried potato idlis’ along with chutney and sambhar in Bangalore’s Udipi hotels. Rituals growing around brands Rituals growing around brands reflect their values and help customers to ascertain the brand attributes. Canadian Pacific Hotels, for instance, invite their customers to join their Frequent Guest club where they are asked even such details as whether they would want a hypoallergic pillow on their bed to whether they want the mail at their door and Mountain Dew in their mini-bar. Nissan invites the potential buyers of Infiniti to drop in for a ‘guest drive’ (not a ‘test drive’—according to Japanese culture, a customer is an ‘honoured guest’). At every McDonald’s store, Ronald McDonald playing with the kids, and customers standing in a queue for a hamburger and an aerated drink make a ritual. And these rituals sharply influence consumer impressions and help them judge the quality of service offered to them. Die-hard brand loyalists prefer to form a strong user community around the brand and celebrate their emotions with rituals which are often encouraged and at times sponsored by the brands. 85,000 Apple computer fans make a pilgrimage to the MacWorld expo, the annual 4-day event at San Fransisco to check out the latest devices and products and to ‘touch’ Steve Jobs—even if only by viewing him on a giant screen. The 100-year-old motorcycle maker, Harley Davidson, has established the Harley Owners’ Group, an organisation that provides all kind of occasions for riders to get together. HOG membership offers emergency road services, specially designed insurance programmes and discount hotel rates. More than 7000 collectors of Zippo cigarette lighters get together to celebrate the national Zippo Day. Swiss watchmaker Swatch counts on enthusiastic word-of-mouth from user-club members as a boost to business. “They love, live and breath our products, they are ambassadors for Swatch,” says a manager of Swatch’s club. The desire to socialise is a basic instinct in man. Hence, the new-sprung culture of individualism and freedom, preaching the sermon of ‘severing all bonds’, has started making modern-day man a wee bit tired of the concept of selfish liberty. And to confront the chaotic world, he is once again yearning to build ties and trying to belong to groups. Thus, the spirit of celebration in brand rituals and the feeling of togetherness in the brand-user community not only induce perceptions about brands and drive attitudes but also cater to man’s growing need to belong to a clan. Brand experience and touch The lingering notes of Obsession between the folds of satin; the sight of a fast-melting dollop of Amul butter; the aroma of steaming Campbell soup; the texture of Wedgewood artifacts; the electric blue of Pepsi; and the haunting tune of the Cadburys ad (Kya swaad hai zindagi mein) .....Brands market experiences. And these experiences, which are in the form of seeing, listening, tasting, smelling and feeling, touch the consumer, create an impression about the brand and remain stored in the memory for long. It is this touch that makes an appeal to his senses, that is received as a stimulus by his sensory organ and gets transmitted to his brain, which again forms meaningful coherent pictures and interprets them. Some brand-associated stimuli like the brand image, brand name (its spelling and pronunciation), colour, shape and material used in its advertising and packaging, the verbal, thematic and visual signs of its advertisement, the tune of the ad jingle etc touch us profoundly. The feeling of togetherness and the spirit of celebration in brand rituals instill a deep feeling that gets imprinted on our minds. And the other allied factors like customer dealing, service quality and retail-store image make a mark as well. (At times, some of these stimuli are too weak to be perceived consciously. Yet, they are strong enough to be received by some of our sensitive receptor cells.) Thus, an association with a brand and a brush with its rituals are deep down all about touching..... And it is this touch that forms the core of brand experience. The demonstration effect Brands make commoners yearn for lifestyles and possessions enjoyed by the affluent; they instill the desire in men to move up the social class standing and to express their status attainment by ownership of prestigious brands. As a result, parathas, idlis and lassis on the breakfast tables of middle-class Indian families are getting replaced by Kellog’s cereals and Campbell soup; lower-income consumers on the streets of Sao Paulo or Shanghai wear jeans worth $100, a price that is equal to their monthly wages. Thus, brands often introduce the masses to a superior pattern of consumption, lure them with a rich lifestyle, dazzle them with glamour and instigate them to spend more than they ought to. This demonstration effect pushes up the general propensity to consume and wears away the poor man’s savings. Teaching the creator the art of living By celebrating the zeal of life, brand cultures represent ‘zeitgeist’, the spirit of the age. They delve deep into society to locate the lacuna; they make silent needs eloquent and generate a need-induced tension. They reflect a trickle to make it a trend, mirror a handful to set an example to the masses and persuade them to emulate. And some, with their passion for creativity, portray a hitherto-unknown culture that cuts through the clutter and makes an impression. Thus, by peddling dreams, by creating demands and by inspiring men to remain involved with life in every possible way, brands teach their creators the art of living.