Faisal Alam

President-Sales & Marketing, Kalyanpur Cement

Faisal Alam, President-Sales and Marketing, Kalyanpur Cement, had helped the company come out of its worst times into a situation where the demand for the brand today is twice the production.

When quizzed about the secret to branding cement effectively, Alam said that it is all about striking the right chord at the right time. In an interaction with ICR, Alam speaks on how to strike the right cord. Read on to find out.

How important is it to create a separate brand image for a product like cement?

It is very important in the today´s market as each brand is competing against each other.

What are the channels available for building a brand? Which of the medium do you find more effective?

It completely depends on the market spread. It is different for urban and rural setting. It also depends whether the market is pan India or regional.

What suggestions do you have for smaller companies with tighter budgets trying to build a brand?

I would suggest them to go for tractor/trolley and wall paintings, and avoid hoardings and media. ´Nukkad Nataks´ (plays in rural areas) are also an effective mode of advertisement in rural areas.

What thought process went behind your slogan, ´Garma garam cement´?

Customers always prefer to buy the freshest cement available to them. Even our plant is very close to the market where we deliver our product. Our material is delivered so fresh that it is hot when it reaches many destinations. We are highlighting this characteristic.

Do rural and urban markets require different campaigning strategies?

Yes. The strategies used are very different. We use radios and hoardings in urban areas. In villages, the awareness could be generated through the village Mukhia, a sarpanch.

How do you look at celebrity endorsements? Does it bring more value to a product?

In a way, celebrity endorsements does bring [decent] value to a product. But whether the return is sufficient enough to justify the high budget involved must be analysed. In celebrity endorsments, brand recall is better. It also provides better credibility to a product.

What would be the top three things that one must keep in mind while designing a campaign or planning a branding exercise?

The three things are its USP (genuineness), volume and pricing. Understanding the need of the market is very important. If your product is fulfilling that need then it becomes your USP. But it has to be genuine. Market will lose trust in your brand if the product does not meet its promises. Volume is also an important factor as many a times builders cannot wait for long. Pricing too must be decided judiciously as people interpret brand differently based on the price.