Jacob Mathew, Head Communication, Penna Cement Industries, discusses the importance of focussed marketing and branding strategies for cement companies to stay ahead of the competition.

How important do you think branding is for a cement manufacturer in today’s competitive market?
In the cement sector, brand perception is a significant factor in promoting the secondary sales demand, especially in the retail segment. It helps to create a solid and recognisable identity, differentiate the brand from competitors, build customer trust, and establish a positive reputation. A well-developed brand can significantly influence customer preference and purchasing decisions in the present market. All the major cement players have been working towards enhancing the brand recall value, which has, in turn, improved the price.

What specific strategies or initiatives do you undertake to differentiate your cement brand from competitors in terms of branding?
We have been working on our branding efforts in a manner which is more effective and can reach the right target audience. Recognised for our innovative management by Golden Peacock awards, we focus on unique value propositions such as product quality, durability, and customer service to differentiate our cement brand from competitors. We mainly target the spending via below the line activities in targeted markets and engage the customer through tailor-made influencer schemes, such as mason/contractor programmes and channel connect meets. Thus, we ensure continuous visibility and top-of-the-mind recall for Brand Penna.

How do you ensure consistency in branding across different product lines and markets?
Ensuring branding consistency is done by setting up standard brand guidelines. Consistency in branding is crucial for brand recognition and customer trust. We establish clear brand guidelines that outline the brand’s visual identity, tone of voice, and critical messages. All the activities we engage with are within the SOPs to maintain the same procedural flow in case of different markets and across various products.

Have you conducted any market research or surveys to gauge the effectiveness of your cement brand? If so, what were the key findings and how did you respond to them?
We have been engaging in various research activities to understand our brand perception and how well we are connected to the market. The ongoing process is done with the help of primary and secondary research.
Primary research is done with the use of defined questionnaires and to a targeted market conducted by our techno marketing team and the outsourced agencies. The secondary research is done through published research reports, various articles, and industry sources. All the data accumulated via the same is evaluated and comprehended to reconstruct and redefine our target markets, wherein we increase our brand activities. The key findings help us identify areas of improvement, uncover customer needs and fine-tune our marketing strategies.

What role does sustainability play in your cement branding? How do you communicate about your sustainability efforts with your customers?
Sustainability is a critical aspect of our cement branding, along with a focus on ESG. We integrate sustainability into our brand messaging by highlighting our eco-friendly manufacturing processes, use of recycled materials, and energy-efficient operations. In the case of marketing, our concentration has been mainly on increasing blended sales. We have been converting specific markets to only blended cement to initiate sustainability and understand the market’s outlook for future requirements. We have also been working on introducing new products to substitute our
high-grade cement with the launch of Penna Concrete Guard, a green cement. We continue to focus on other continuous product development and integration.

How do you leverage digital platforms and social media to enhance the visibility and reach of your cement brand?
With full accessibility to digital and social media platforms, even in the tier II and III markets, customer engagement activities and communication for brand visibility are taken up. We actively leverage digital platforms and social media to increase the visibility and reach of our cement brand. We maintain an engaging website that provides comprehensive information about our products and sustainability initiatives. We also utilise social media channels to share informative content, engage with customers and address their queries. We have adopted the latest CRM/Visualisation/Optimisation tool technologies to create data centricity to help customers and channel partners. Our channel partners can access these dedicated portals through which brand and related communication happens. Additionally, we invest in targeted digital advertising campaigns to reach specific customer segments and maximise our brand exposure.

Can you share any examples of successful marketing campaigns or initiatives that have significantly boosted your cement brand’s recognition and sales?
One of the successful marketing campaigns has been the launch of Penna Concrete Guard. With the product belonging to our premium product segment, we have increased the counter sales with the help of creating a higher secondary demand for the product. It was done with the help of concentrating our spending on specific retail-based channels to increase sales and maintain the price. With this objective, we have expanded our brand position across various markets.

How do you handle any negative brand perception or reputation challenges that may arise, such as product quality concerns or environmental impact controversies?
Understanding the brand perception across markets and customers in the way of negative or positive outcomes is essential. For all the negative perceptions, we have understood the root cause for the same and to effectively resolve the same at the earliest.
Such as, in the case of product quality concerns, our dedicated technical team gives complete assistance to the sites to understand the cause and find a workable solution as per their requirement.
On the aspect of environmental impact, we have been working towards renewable energy in the form of setting WHRs and our proposed solar power plants.

-Kanika Mathur