Branding is a powerful tool that can shape the success and reputation of a company across any industry. Given the highly competitive and dynamic landscape of the cement sector in India, an effective branding strategy can be both the differentiating and the deciding factor. ICR delves into the approach towards branding and marketing of cement – one that looks beyond mere market visibility.

Cement is cement is cement, right? Not quite. True, it’s a commodity like any other building material but it’s subject to market dynamics, social influences, environmental issues and more importantly, fluctuations in the economy. In India, thanks to the expanding urbanisation, governmental support for housing and infrastructure projects and increase in the spending powers of the huge middle class populace, the cement industry has enough and more room for growth. Recent mergers and acquisitions have also tipped the scales in favour of the industry as foreign investment is pouring in. However, growth opportunities are not limited to pan-India players as regional cement companies are also able to carve out pieces for themselves from the proverbial pie. This paints an interesting picture of the Indian cement industry and brings our scrutiny on the branding activities that the companies are drawing out for themselves in a bid to connect with the consumer.
A B2B product like cement, in the traditional marketing paradigm, does not require consumer-centric promotions. A strong network of distributors and builders and a few tried and tested communication channels to connect with them should ideally work. However, we find cement companies allotting millions for their advertising and marketing budgets, running TVCs and social media campaigns and doing everything they possibly can to connect with the end consumer. This is the business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) model. With this model, cement manufacturers are looking at strong branding, brand recall and a sound retail channel management. As different and strategic as it may seem, this model is not an easy one to pull off, given the huge difference in the audience mindset. You are swinging from a B2B to an B2C audience with a similar branding message and product positioning. It is undoubtedly a challenge but considering the results Indian cement brands are witnessing, it is safe to say that this strategy is not only working but also justifying the massive advertising and marketing budgets allotted to it.
As per a case study on marketing strategy of JK Cement by Aditya Shastri, Lead Trainer and Head of Learning & Development at IIDE:

• JK Cement’s ad film #YehPuccaHai received over 2.3 million YouTube views and 25.5 million Facebook and Instagram impressions.
• Across all social media channels, the campaign received over 31 million impressions.
• The brand has an overall of 6K plus organic keywords, thanks to its SEO strategy.
• Its site also has organic monthly traffic of around 74 thousand plus viewers.
• The brand also invests in content marketing via newspaper articles and blogs that show its market position and influencer marketing with tie-ups with well-known names such as Virendra Sehwag.

This case study exemplifies the foundations of modern marketing. It has to be a multi-pronged approach that integrates digital marketing, especially social media, in a seamless manner without making everything look like ‘paid’ or ‘campaign-based.’

Brand awareness
Everyone knows what cement is and what it does. But what they don’t know is what kind of cement your brand makes and what it does. The product category might be a familiar name but your particular product is not. Hence, the intense focus on brand building and positioning.
Interestingly most Indian cement brands try to connect with the end consumers using Hindi taglines and TV commercials that are designed to optimise on consumer emotions with subtle messaging. For a price sensitive market such as India, it is important to present the differentiating factor of your product and build up on it. Some of the interesting taglines of cement brands include Ultratech Cement: The engineer’s choice; Ambuja Cement: Giant compressive strength; and ACC Cement: Cementing Relationships. Depending on the product and advertising objectives, the theme and tagline for each campaign differs.
With the onslaught of digital marketing, especially social media, cement companies are seen relying on different formats of communication and multi-layered themes to reach out to the audience. For instance, UltraTech’s TVC starring the Great Khali relies on the element of humour whereas the Ambuja Cement ad featuring Boman Irani was a mix of familial emotions and humour. Cement ads also tend to tug at the heartstrings of the audience by infusing highly emotional screenplay and sensitivity around building a house. A human element is largely at play here, enabling them to position their product as an integral part of the society rather than just another construction raw material.
Cement companies are investing in reaching out to a wider audience in a bid to consolidate their positioning and be on top of consumer brand recall. By capturing their attention with emotion- or thought-invoking communication, cement brands are able to send out messages about the brand’s or product’s USP. The endgame for this is brand positioning and recall as the end-consumers are not really in a position to recommend or demand a certain cement brand but it is the subtle influencing that sends home the message and helps them make an informed choice.
Speaking of marketing budgets, R Parthasarathy, Chief Marketing Officer, India Cements, commented, “We normally keep about Rs 50 crores as our marketing budget for a financial year. While this may not be a great number for a brand, that is where we stand right now. As our sales will pick up and stabilise, we plan on expanding our markets, and subsequently increasing our marketing budgets as well.”

Digital boom
“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,” says Jacob Mathew, Head Communication, Penna Cement Industries.
“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,” he adds.
Digital marketing is a boon for modern marketing experts. However, it is a double-edged sword as it puts you in direct contact with your customers who are able to approach you, interact with you and have an open dialogue with you on a public platform. Any criticism or feedback can instantly go viral, making you the epicentre of bad publicity. With social media and the Internet, the public memory is both short-term and long-lived. While they might scroll through your ads and messages, they will return to your missteps time and again. Digital marketing has to be implemented in a precise and planned manner with no scope for legal or social goof-ups.
Love Raghav, Head – Branding and Loyalty, JK Cement, explains, “At JKCement, customer satisfaction is our top priority, and we strive to deliver the highest quality products and services. As a result, the likelihood of receiving complaints is minimal. However, in the event that a complaint does arise, we prioritise prompt resolution
within 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the issue.”
“We have a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) function and advanced tools in place to address all types of queries and complaints. Customers can easily reach us through our toll-free helpline number, WhatsApp, and query form on our website. Additionally, we offer a dedicated app called BuildXpert, designed specifically to address any service-related inquiries. Through these accessible channels and our commitment to swift resolution, we ensure that our customers’ concerns are promptly addressed,” he elaborates.
Technology naturally plays an instrumental role in taking the marketing efforts of cement companies further. The innovations and new avenues that have opened up with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are inspiring.
Agnes Rozario, Product Marketing Manager, Techurate Systems, states, “VR and AR allow cement companies to give customers a chance to visualise and experience their products in a whole new way. For example, homebuyers could view virtual 3D models of houses built with a company’s cement and see their quality and appearance. Contractors could access interactive digital manuals for working with different types of cement.”
“These technologies provide a means for cement brands to build emotional connections and memorable experiences with customers. By showcasing the unique properties, quality, and applications of their cement, companies can differentiate themselves and gain a competitive advantage. Brand stories and narratives can be woven through interactive VR and AR content.”

Challenges ahead
Marketing and branding for cement is not without its challenges. The kind of communication and the mediums they choose also help in identifying their competition and consolidating their own position vis-a-vis their competitors.
Let us look at some of the key ones influencing their strategy planning:
Market variations: Cement companies are required to navigate regional variations and adapt their marketing strategies accordingly, given the vast geography and intense diversity of India as a country. Cultural differences, construction practices, preferences and market dynamics play an important role.
Standing out: Differentiating from competitors and gaining a competitive edge is a real challenge, particularly for new or smaller cement companies.
Price sensitive market: Price is a critical factor influencing purchasing decisions in the cement industry. Indian consumers, including contractors and builders, are often price-sensitive and seek the best value for their money.
Brand perception: Cement is often viewed as a commodity, making it challenging for companies to create a distinct brand perception.
Distribution challenges: Efficient distribution is crucial for cement companies to ensure their products reach customers promptly and reliably. But India’s vast geography, infrastructure limitations and complex logistics networks pose challenges in establishing an efficient distribution network.
Regulatory compliance: Ensuring compliance and obtaining necessary certifications can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for cement companies, impacting their marketing strategies.
Changing consumer preferences: Consumer preferences in the construction industry, including cement usage patterns and construction techniques, evolve over time.
Environmental considerations: Growing environmental concerns and sustainability expectations pose challenges for cement companies.
Here’s how Mathew exemplifies the cause of sustainability: “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.”

Standing out
Cement brands are vying for the spot in the public eye that makes them the most preferred choice. Innovation, technology and product development are the three pillars towards achieving this goal, which has to be ably supported by a focussed and detailed marketing strategy. Cement companies are conducting on-field activities to create a buzz around the aspects that serve as differentiators for their product range or brand values. Here’s an example of how India Cements conducted an on-ground activity to connect with engineers:
“We have done a couple of marketing initiatives that have really helped us. We launched a cricket tournament India Cements Pro League (ICPL) inspired by the IPL and Tamil Nadu Premier League.
With ICPL, we targeted approximately 8000 to 9000 practising civil engineers. Our goal was to connect with them and make them recommend our brand for construction activities. Usually, in smaller towns, it is the end consumer who makes the engineer make the final decision since they believe that the engineers have an in-depth knowledge of construction and all its related activities. So, we started this tournament spread across 45 days with civil engineers from various cities and districts playing in teams against each other and it turned out to be a super success. The result of this tournament was that approximately 1200 civil engineers started recommending our brand. We plan to continue doing so, and to organise more such tournaments. Based on available cash flow and budgets, we plan to extend this tournament to other states as well.”

Conclusion
By focusing on key parameters such as quality, product range, packaging and customer service, cement brands can create a positive brand image and gain a competitive edge. Yes, there will
always be challenges along the way – competition being the biggest one – but by implementing innovative marketing strategies, adapting to regional variations and effectively communicating their unique value propositions, cement brands can create effective streams of customer connections both under their B2B and B2B2C propositions.
Creating brand awareness, fostering customer loyalty and driving business growth are cohesive and continuous processes. It is important to innovate and evolve at every step of the way.

–Kanishka Ramchandani