Image conscious

Pradip Chanda’s Requiem for a Brand begins with an underlying cynicism, which is quite understandable for someone who has moved beyond a corporate career and is now attempting to debunk all marketing theories that have been successful all over the world. It’s strange that someone who is a ‘brand expert’ should write a book on branding but with a title that is more obituary and less content.

A Requiem For A Brand;
Pradip Chanda;
Roli; Rs250; pp 138

The book meanders through well-known clichés and there is little that is insightful or analytical. He begins by defining the lack of engagement between consumers and brands in these hurried times and yet spends many chapters taking us through archaic case studies be it on Coca-Cola or Nike. Chanda is, more often than not, out of his depth in understanding the contours of what a brand is. Some of the analogies suggest an ignorance of the very basic tenets of marketing.

His logic suggests that because Coca-Cola today has spawned many variants, many of which bear other names, it’s an indicator of the declining value of Brand Coca-Cola. Strangely, we get to know very little of the author’s turn-around stories. Now, that would have made for compelling reading. There are some reasonable strands in the book but with very little follow-through. For instance, when Chanda talks about the price of community engagement, there are many stories that abound.

Full report here Hindustan Times