How can we develop global brands of Pakistan? (Or do we have any?)

August 2, 2009 20 Comments

It’s difficult to build a global brand from a country that doesn’t have a favorable “perception” for that category. Germany has a favorable perception for engineered products like automobiles. So, Mercedes-Benz is a global brand from Germany! France has a favorable perception for fashion and wine, but not for automobiles and engineered products.

Kamil’s BONUS: According to Interbrand (2008), America owns world’s 52 valuable brands out of 100. Do you know why America is one of the most powerful country of the world?

Hint: Its corporate brands are one reason! Positive marketing and its positive perception is another.

What’s the “favorable perception” of Pakistan, for a category, to make it a global brand?

Go ahead Pakistanis. Participate!

Articles, Branding

countries' perception, France perception, Germany's perception, Interbrand, Mercedes-Benz, Pakistan's perception

Why Spin-offs? How Diversifications destroy the company, brand and profit?

Are you Left-Brainer or Right-Brainer?

Ikram

I think its our traditional products that can be converted into brands
Hani

LOVE TO TALK ON THIS SUBJECT. PAKISTAN IS REALLY IN TURMOIL
Saima

How about presenting islam a relegion of peace through Hollywood actors?
Gohar

yes correct but we need something right now Business schools would take time to educate people. it will be too late
Muhammad

i dont know that we have everything but we dont consider it i think business education is poor in our country forst we shoul develop our business university then brands
Kamil Ali

Great! Media is so powerful. That will also work with the passage of time
It would be better if they hire Pakistani actors to present the true picture of Islam
Sonia Khan

Kamil nice post! Worth pondering!
Our country really need these kinds of efforts and have already doing it

well….we should promote our dresses (kaam walay) or things like that
Kamil Ali

I agree that business schools, in Pakistan, are not providing better education as comapre to other part of the world.
I think it can easily be rectified as we don't have many big brands and many business students to teach the essense of marketing.

For example: Our fashion industry is growing. I feel so bad for them when I see good fashion desingers making marketing mistakes. They simple don't have these business/marketing skills. If any good category lose, i think, everyone lose.
Both parties lose: Fashion desingers lose becasue they're not able to build their brands and customers lose becasue they're unable to utilize great product
hannansaeed

Hi Kamil, in continuation to our discussion on facebook, let's try to answer these questions together:
1. Which target countries are easier for us to win with our brands? Do we have better chances of succeeding with certain regions? May be middle east?…
2. What long term sustainable competitive advantages (on country level) our brands can attain Vs. competition? E.g. Laurencepur Vs. Raymond (India)… let's keep our discussion to high-level strategies on sovereign leverage over brands from other countries.
Kamil Ali

1.Which target countries are easier for us to win with our brands? Do we have better chances of succeeding with certain regions? May be middle east?…

First of all, we don’t have any powerful brand left. I feel sorry when I saw Nirala Sweets, was becoming so powerful in sweet category and then I also saw it deteriorating its brand by getting themselves in to trouble of line extension and many other issues related to their brand (not with product or quality).
Then I also saw Gourmet, was taking advantages of Nirala’s mistakes and positioned itself as cheap and lower end brand for lower and middle class target market. If they move strategically they would become Wal-Mart of the future.

The point is Pakistani companies don’t think strategically. They don’t think like a marketer. They might good at management, but not at marketing.

The irony is, in Pakistan, many marketers don’t know what the word “Positioning” means in marketing (without that marketing is almost nothing). And call themselves marketers!

Nirala Sweets still has a chance to succeed in USA and Middle East, as we have already many Pakistani to create enough word-of-mouth. Plus they are special traditional Pakistani sweets. For that they again have to improve their marketing in Pakistan and then globally. They can come up with a tag line:

“You have tried best sweets of Middle East. Now try best sweets of Pakistan”

It’s simple and easy to memorize. It will position Nirala effectively. Yes, if they start making correction from now, chances of succeeding in certain regions are high!

There might be some other brands. Let’s ask other participants now
Kamil Ali

Here's you second question:
2.What long term sustainable competitive advantages (on country level) our brands can attain Vs. competition? E.g. Lawrencepur Vs. Raymond (India)… let's keep our discussion to high-level strategies on sovereign leverage over brands from other countries.

Where’s sustainable competitive advantages comes from? It comes from burning your brand in to mind f consumer. How do you do that? Through focus! it

I think by saying “sovereign leverage over brands from other countries” you mean strategy for global powerful brands competition V.s Pakistani brands.

Competition should be welcomed, provided that you’re a leader in your category. Did you know Google is pulling itself out of China? Do you know why? Because Baidu.com was first in to the mind of consumer. Google was late, too late. Baidu has 77% marketshare. By contrast Google has only around a 12% share. Google is a powerful brand, but not in China.

I’m not sure Pakistan has any higher-end brand powerful enough to face the global higher-end brands. If you think we have. Tell me! I’ll look in to it.

Lawrencepur: I never thought for that brand but I think this brand is getting weak in Pakistan. I’m not sure.
Sonia Khan

I think 'roh afza' or 'jame sheeren' can domiante internationally, as kamil said middle east has many pakistanis to create word of mouth internationally so i think these are the best , cheap brands will sell too much.

long term sustainable competitive advantages is not the thing to acheive like this. i dont know shop brand but don't any brand which can comepete international prestegious brand. when any international brand come here all pakistani brands face poor sales
Saira

"Favorable Perception"???

Lets first talk about "Perception" only.

I believe "Branding is all about Perception."

Once Pakistani brands enter Global market, the first thing that determines the Degree of the success of Our brands would be the Perception of our country in those markets. Well, lets not go that far, what is OUR own perception about local Brands???

"I AM A PATRIOT. I PREFER LOCAL BRANDS. I PREFER OLPER'S OVER MILK PAK, I PREFER GOURMET COLA OVER COCA COLA, I PREFER BLA BLA BLA…" thats what we say and no doubt, some of us do that way. I appreciate. But what when it comes to "Life Saving Drugs"??? Do we prefer local drugs over the international brands? Do we???

We dont. Because here we cant take any risk and somewhere at the back of our minds, we fear corruption which unfortunately is very likely.

So when we, having an affiliation with our country fear using local brands, why on earth will others prefer? For ordinary things even.

Long way to go…

But "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step." (Chinese Proverb)

Be honest to yourself, be honest to your nation!!! We’ll soon be excelling in all walks of life. Insha Allah

Need I say more? Just think…
Kamil Ali

Thanks for your comment Saria

First of all, I think you forgot to answer Hannan Saeed’s questions. He specially posted his questions for robust dialogue. Hannan Saeed is a marketing consultant from Saudi Arabia. You can find his questions at the top of comments.

Secondly, I agree with you that branding is all about perception. But I think, we need to understand this concept to put it on the right direction.

As far as brands are concerned, it’s possible that one brand is successful in its home country and not successful in other part of the world and vice versa.

It’s a perception of your country that works to reinforce the perception your country’s brand in other part of the world. So it doesn’t matter, what we think of our own brand in our own country.

If a country (Germany) has a favorable perception for a category (automobiles) worldwide. It can sell the brand worldwide easily, even though that specific brand is not successful in its home country.

I doesn’t matter how much we care about Pakistani brands, Gourmet Cola etc. Cola won’t be successful in other countries. Why? Because this perception is already acquired by America.

Generally speaking, if given a choice, most of the sophisticated Pakistani parents would prefer global food brand for their kids because of the “perception of quality” of the global brand. (It’s the risk factor you talked about)
Muneeb Umar

good saira. it seems that u have a passion for learnin . i appreciate n encourage u to write whatever is on ur mind
your perception point is valid but the explanation is not,,,there is no use of it if we love our country or brand . its more important if the other country or its ppl love our brand.
our brands will never work in global marketplace even if we have better quality
Muneeb Umar

company is responsible if they have worst experience n education its their problem n if they cant attract consumer n other brands attract its again company's prblem
Muneeb Umar

ok but how?
Saira

My point was exactly the same. But perhaps I could not convey myself properly.

Our affiliation is fine with us. Others dont have that. So they would weigh the things on a harder scale.
Muneeb Umar

so wht do think of our product'ss quality???cant we win by showin that we have a quality product and other product dont have ??every1 say that we can compete bcz we have lower labour cost ,,,huge agricultural lands..great HR talent…our many students have provd it also in many countries that how talentd we r
Sonia Khan

Yes i think so we have everything. we do not know what to do about it. I think after reading kamil's articles i will not go for struggle harder. try different will work