CHANGEMAKERS

Yay! It’s women’s day. Again. I usually switch off from this day as a bit of a much of muchness in terms of the mind-boggling traffic of messages, emails, gifs that fly around. All well-meaning of course, but they seem so much like ticking an HR calendar box of putting the ‘right’ message out to the world, to show how much they care and value women. Honestly, for me, I will truly feel like celebrating it once the world decides to have a Man’s Day.

Having said that, I do not wish to dis all the women warriors out there. Every single woman is a hero in my eye, having made it so far in any career they have chosen, because it truly isn’t easy. Ask me! Often the struggles start at home itself before they spill out into education, professional and other domestic and societal scenarios.

But today, I don’t want to write about us, I want to talk about a clutch of women, who were actually giants in my view. Women in India have made huge strides standing on the shoulders of these forgotten women who fought for their (and our) rights a hundred years ago. Recently I got a chance to see an exhibit showcasing these amazing ladies and read their stories. They were a mix of Hindu, Parsi, Jewish, and Muslim women who seemed to have all woken up to acknowledging their needs, rights and aspirations to study, reform and trailblaze to help other women in extremely dire and cruel socially orthodox constructs.  I was so moved by their vision, valour and persistence to stand up against their lot in an India of a hundred years ago, that was so harsh on women that it makes today’s world incredibly tame, humane and compassionate. To give you just one example of their struggles, a few fought impossible battles to succeed at the herculean task of raising the legal marriage from 10 to 12 years for girls! They fought for their right to education, widow remarriage, caste inclusivity and so on. Some were great writers and poets as well. If these women were around today, they would be so proud and amazed that their efforts have borne fruit to see the strides women have made since their time.

An accidental discovery of a box filled with stories, memorabilia and writings of these women lead to a show at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum and also a book profiling them as CHANGEMAKERS. And that title is no exaggeration. The book is alas, available only at the museum shop.  But if you do get hold of it, you are guaranteed to be inspired and humbled, like I was. This post is a small gesture of my gratitude for making it a little easy for me and all women in India.

#education  #womensday2023 #vyasgiannetticreative #vgc #designagency #branding #brandequity

 

Signs that your Brand needs a makeover

In a highly competitive market place, where trends change almost as frequently as the weather, it is important
for brands to evolve with the times. There comes a time in every brand’s lifecycle where it must adapt
to stay relevant.

This often involves restyling logos, colour palettes, visual language, the photographic style and strategic repositioning, amongst other things. Sometimes even the name of the organization is changed during this process. Although there is usually one leading reason for making the change, the motivation behind a
rebranding project is often a combination of various factors.

Deciding whether you should rebrand or not can be difficult. Too often the red flags get lost in the hustle of our day-to-day activities. And when you do notice them, the decision to actually embark on a rebranding initiative is rarely an easy one. So, how do you know when it’s finally time to pick up the phone and call the professionals? (hint: www.vgc.in)

Here are a few signs that your brand is probably ready for an update:

Branding is all about the competitive differentiation. One may often feel that their brand is lost in the sea of the marketplace sameness. Repositioning along with rebranding and capitalizing on your USP can make your brand more visible to customers who search for unique solutions.

Once amongst one of Bangalore’s most famous hotels, The Solitaire was in desperate need of a brand makeover. They were now going to be a part of an up and coming hospitality group and were going to be rolling out some never-before seen features and facilities in the hospitality space in India. They also wanted to move up a couple of stars, as the new offering would now be a ‘4-star’ premium hotel. VGC created an identity & brand language that was refreshingly new for the hospitality space and helped them differentiate themselves  from the competition.

It happens when the brand has changed their vision to meet the expectations of the audience. What may have seemed like a great identity 15 years ago, now no longer represents what your brand is all about. Sometimes changes are in a cultural context and can change the meaning of the brand identity.

When SPS Hospitals wanted to break away from their association with the Apollo group, and move in to bigger things (like expansion into new markets and verticals), they came to us to help them convey this change through strategic rebranding and for a campaign that conveyed the change they were going through (as healthcare can be a very sensitive space). We helped them by creating a fresh, new identity that not only reassured their audience of their expertise but also reflected their new vision.

The market price of a brand’s products or services are usually dictated by the way customers perceive a brand.
If the price of your offering seems hopelessly fixed despite the rising costs of materials, then you may want to consider rebranding. By rebranding, you’ll not only be able to reshape the way your customers perceive you,
but also increase the price of your offering(s) accordingly.

When Hiranandani Upscale wanted to rebrand, but still retain their luxury status and the legacy & heritage
of the Hiranandani Group, VGC stepped into help them out. First, we suggested renaming the brand to
‘House of Hiranandani’ thereby graduating it to a brand of stature. The evolved identity, well thought-out
brand architecture and launch campaign resulted in the most successful sale period the company had seen in
a long time.

Trends state that over time, brands come across as outdated if they fail to adapt to what may currently be happening in the market & outside world. Your brand identity at time of inception might not necessarily be relevant ten years later. There is a constant need for change in a volatile market scenario and inconsistent consumer needs.

Dimexon takes pride on communicating that they are a contemporary and sophisticated brand that is poised for the future. But with its existing identity and communication, Dimexon was not sending out the right message to its audience. With this in mind, VGC created a new corporate identity that was striking, but also aptly modern in its minimalism and relevant for its audience. Together with the baseline ‘Tomorrow, Today’, it captured the superiority, timelessness and style of Dimexon. The identity helped the brand stand out in a cluttered industry as ‘the final word’ in quality and service.

Signs that it’s about time to rebrand can be just about anywhere. Often the first sign is that you’re wondering if a rebrand is necessary. Whatever eventually compels you to reach out to design professionals like us, you can rest assured you’re making the right decision. With the amount of measurable benefits that come with rebranding,
the investment is likely to pay off many times over.

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Happy Independence Day | Udaan of a new India