What Feelings Does Your Brand Radiate?

By Mwangi Wanjumbi – Newtimes B. S. CEO & Chief Consultant/Trainer

A recent news item indicated that the Nano Tata car of India has disappointed the Manufacturer.  The earlier projected sales of 20 – 25,000 vehicles annually have never exceeded 10, 000 units, even in 2011. Meanwhile, the target market for the Nano was meant to be the poor of India. Ideally, they were supposed to be promoted from either riding scooters or driving second hand cars. But, it looks like this market has not reacted positively to this gesture of uplifting their standards. Why could that be so?

In any situation in life, brands are supposed to radiate positive feelings of the targeted customers. In fact, the same need to attract not just the eye, but also create emotional connections with the mind, which finally sink into the heart. Steve Jobs proudly used his Apple products setting the pace for the targeted market. Likewise, consumers need to be proud of that experience of owning and using a product they hold dearly. In Nano’s case, the situation seems to be different.

The responses may be motivated by the fact that people are not proud of being poor. So, when the brand becomes associated with poverty, it naturally radiates negative impressions.  Thus anybody owning a Nano is effectively seen as one emerging or trying to emerge from poverty. Ironically, the Nano brand ensures that one cannot hide or pretend about the poverty factor.

It is no wonder then that many envisaged Nano customers have instead opted for second hand vehicles of different makes. Naturally, the latter do not easily reveal the user’s status in life. Perhaps the Nano could not have attracted rejection, if they had simply said; that  they were producing cheaper but new cars for all willing buyers. Even the rich could have boosted the Nano sales through buying a second or even 3rd vehicle. How does this compare with our own situation?

It may not be clear how the parameters of poverty are derived, out there in India. What is however definite is that, there are hardly any poor Kenyans who drive. They are instead busy trying to eke a living. Thus, those among us who drive Beetles, Minis, Starlets, Vitz’s and so on, as 1st, 2nd car or whatever may be seen to have just willingly preferred to drive small or more economical vehicles.

In the meantime, this branding business brings to mind, a motor garage entrepreneur who I was familiar with, early in the new millennium. I recall him particularly for having chosen an ethnic oriented business name, which seemingly had some negative connotations. The name went like ….mjinga (foolish) enterprises. Even though, mjinga as he was fondly referred to was at ease with the chosen brand identity, it is unlikely, that the registrar of business names would have approved the same even for a local enterprise.

Further, no major consumers could have been interested in dealing with such a business. Most probably, the entrepreneur would have to rely on walk in customers who may have concerned themselves more with the services than the brand identity. So, when conducting a 6 week long change management program, somewhere in Kisumu in 2006, the name of this garage kept cropping up. It was was certainly a poor case of brand identity.

My training delegates could laugh uncontrollably at the mention of this name, One of the days however, a delegate joined them in the contagious laughter .Later, the same delegate surprised us all when  tears started flowing uncontrollably.   “Why have you not helped my cousin, to correct this situation?” the lady delegate finally yelled in anger (this experience is real).

Obviously, I was unexpectedly humbled. Thereafter, I never used that example any other time. Nevertheless, the experience has since stuck with me. Buyers want to be associated with powerful product and people brands that radiate positive impressions all through. Most likely, the negative feelings associated with the Nano car, and many other products have unknowingly repelled large proportions of the target market, right from day one. May your brands radiate only positive impressions to the intended markets.

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