In a market driven by customer loyalty and quality consciousness, it is pertinent for a product to establish its unique brand identity. Most of the products in the consumer durable and the FMCG segments have their own brand identity. India has the second largest cement industry in the world, which caters to a burgeoning housing and infrastructure sector. Hence, it has become imperative for cement players to have their own innovative branding and marketing stra-tegies in order to differentiate their products. The skill here lies not just in capturing a market and selling a commodity, but creating a distinct brand space for the commodity.The cover story in this issue focuses on the importance of branding and marketing in the cement industry. Strategies evolved by cement companies for positioning their product as a unique brand include in-film branding and celebrity endorsements. Also, unique taglines have also become the USPs of certain cement brands. For example, Ambuja Cement’s brand is built around the concept of "strength", Binani Cement’s brand is based on "durability" whereas Ultratech has positioned its brand as the "Engineers Choice".A concrete road offers several advantages as compared to a road with a bituminous surface. The advantages of a concrete road are many, including longer maintenance free duration and savings in fuel. Concrete surfaces are also not impacted due to water and the bad effects of oil and lubricant spillage. New techniques and technologically advanced equipments have ensured that concrete roads are easy to build. In the present issue, we include a special report on concretization of roads which spells out the advantages of concrete roads.It is also a matter of pleasure and pride for us that the Indian Cement Review has been conferred with the 4th Vishwakarma Award 2012 for the best newsmagazine in the construction sector. The awards are presented by the Construction Industry Development Council, which is a part of the Planning Commission.In the issue, we also feature an interview with Karl-heinz Kaul, Global CEO, Siemens Industry Automation Control Equipment. The Spotlight section in this issue focuses on the engineering firm Ercom Engineers.Please send in your feedback/letters to editorial@indiancementreview.com