Culture And Corporate Branding

How Brands Grow is one of the most quoted books in marketing But what worries me is seeing a lot of early stage consumer founders and VCs getting  influenced too much by it Byron Sharp’s core message is simple: - Mental and physical availability drive growth - Mass marketing > targeting - Light buyers matter more than heavy ones - Loyalty is overrated - Reach matters more than frequency All useful principles—if you're a scaled brand with ₹1000 crore+ in revenue, national distribution, and years of brand equity But if you're a new-age Indian brand doing under ₹100 crore with limited pull—this is the wrong playbook 1. “Target everyone” doesn’t work when you're starting from zero Byron says: go broad. Don’t over-target. But early-stage brands don’t have the money to do that You don’t even know who your best customers are yet. You haven’t earned the right to be broad When you're building from scratch, you must: - Focus on 1–2 cities - Target narrow, high-intent cohorts - Double down on what converts and repeats Depth first. Width later 2. Physical availability is not about being everywhere Yes, consumers should find you easily. But for early-stage Indian brands, “being everywhere” in General Trade or even all SKUs in all ecom/qcom channels often leads to inventory dumps, not sales. GT works only when: - You already have pull in that market - Retailers have seen demand or branded search Without that, it’s just placement without movement. And it breaks working capital 3. Light buyers won’t build your business Byron’s data says light buyers drive brand growth. But for early-stage brands, repeat cohorts are the difference between life and death M1 and M3 repeats aren’t vanity—they're your CAC payback and early signs of brand strength. 4. Mental availability isn’t media spends Yes, people need to know you exist before they buy. But most early-stage media spends don’t build mental availability. They build temporary vanity. Mental availability in early stage brands is earned through: - Strong point of purchase presemce - Great service leading to word of mouth - Delivering a product that over-delivers on value Early stage brands don't buy mental availability. You build it. 5. Brand vs performance is a false binary All communication builds brand. At early scale, you need benefit-first, geography-targeted, performance campaigns that seed pull across D2C, marketplaces and offline How Brands Grow is a good book. But it’s not how brands are built from 0 to 100 cr or even 500 cr It's how brands scale after they've cracked product-market-channel fit. If you’re under 100 cr and chasing Byron’s rules, you’re skipping the unskippable Don’t confuse someone else’s endgame for your opening moves.

Haldiram understood something that no one else did: a product isn’t just what it tastes like—it’s how it makes people feel. And that’s where the magic began. Bhujia was common. Every corner of Rajasthan had someone selling it. But Haldiram didn’t just want to sell bhujia. He wanted it to mean something. So, he gave it a name that would stand out in the crowded bazaars. Not just any name—Dungar Sev, after Maharaja Dungar Singh of Bikaner. Think about it. A simple snack, suddenly infused with an air of royalty. What was once just fried sev became a symbol of status, a delicacy that carried the weight of a Maharaja’s name. The people of Bikaner didn’t just buy bhujia anymore. They bought Dungar Sev. And unknowingly, they bought into an idea—a brand. At the time, words like ‘branding’ and ‘marketing strategy’ weren’t common parlance in India. There were no MBAs, no advertising agencies plotting out product positioning. But Haldiram did what modern marketers today struggle to achieve: he gave an everyday product a unique identity and a powerful story. Naming the bhujia after royalty wasn’t just clever. It tapped into something deeply psychological—the human desire for exclusivity. People weren’t just eating a snack. They were consuming something elite, something tied to the grandeur of a kingdom. But Haldiram didn’t stop there. He understood something even more profound: consistency builds trust. As the demand grew, he ensured that no matter where his bhujia was sold, it tasted the same, had the same texture, and carried the same name. And just like that, an unorganized market started getting shaped by a singular force—brand recognition. An iconic Indian-born brand

K-Content and the Branding - Profit Dilemma Around the world, Korean culture is everywhere - music, dramas, food, fashion, even folklore. Yet when we look closely at who is profiting from this global wave, the story is increasingly shifting away from Korea itself. Consider these examples: 🎬 Squid Game Produced in Korea, written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, but Netflix reaped an estimated $900M in value while the creator received only his production fee. The cultural impact was Korean; the financial beneficiary was overwhelmingly American. 🎤 K-Pop Demon Hunters Visually and sonically Korean, infused with mythology and K-pop aesthetics - yet produced by Sony Pictures Animation and licensed to Netflix. Sony walked away with a flat $20M; Netflix owns the IP, sequels, merchandise, and long-tail value. Korean companies don't have any ownership rights in this production. 🍉 Glow Recipe Glow Recipe built its identity on K-beauty principles and aesthetics. It’s globally recognized as a “Korean” brand but its base and ownership are American. For many consumers, it represents K-beauty, even though the brand itself is not truly anchored in Korea. 📺 Pachinko A sweeping story of Korean heritage, but financed and distributed entirely by Apple TV+, who will continue to own and monetize the IP. 💄 Dr. Jart+ Launched in Seoul in 2004, but in 2019, Estée Lauder fully acquired Dr. Jart+. Today, its Korean identity drives sales, but all profits flow to New York. The lesson is clear: ✔️ Cultural authenticity drives demand. ✔️ But ownership determines long-term value. In branding, we often say: “Own your story, or someone else will own it for you.” Korean industries have mastered cultural storytelling - but they often let others capture the brand equity it generates. This trend is increasing across all industries. American companies are becoming the profiteers of Korean identity. Korean companies need to start considering - Do you define success as visibility and cultural influence? Or do you build the structures to ensure that influence translates into sustained brand equity and revenue? At BrandUp Korea, we work at this intersection - helping Korean brands translate cultural authenticity for the global market and foster international partnerships, but we also ensure that they retain ownership and profits - mutually beneficial agreements. Because true branding isn’t just about telling a story; it’s about keeping the value of that story anchored to its origin. #culture #branding #workinKorea #kcontent #hallyu #kpop #kdrama #skincare #koreanskincare

Saudi Arabia hired me to teach personal branding to their government leaders. But what happened in that presentation wasn't what I expected. I logged in prepared to teach frameworks, strategies and AI tools. I had my slides ready. My examples polished. My systems mapped out. But 10 minutes into the session, I noticed something: These weren't just government officials looking to "build a brand." These were leaders carrying the weight of transformation. One executive shared with me: "Tima, we're not just building our personal brands. We're reshaping how the world sees our nation." That landed deep in my soul. As an Arab woman who's built her career in the West, I've seen firsthand how narratives shape perception. This was my chance to help rewrite them. This wasn't about LinkedIn profiles or content calendars. This was about legacy. Vision. Purpose. So I threw out half of my presentation. Instead, we talked about: → Creating content that honours the Islamic faith and culture values → How to lead with authenticity when every word is scrutinised → Building trust in an era where AI can replicate anyone's voice → Showing humanity while maintaining authority → Creating content that serves both citizens and global audiences The energy shifted. Leaders who were skeptical were now leaning forward, taking notes, asking questions that went deeper than tactics: "How do we balance transparency with diplomacy?" "Can vulnerability coexist with leadership?" "How do we prepare for an AI-driven future while honouring our heritage?" These are the conversations that matter. By the end, we weren't just talking about personal branding. We were discussing how to humanise governance in a digital age. One leader said something I'll never forget: "You didn't just teach us how to build our brands. You reminded us that as Arabs, our stories can reshape how the world sees us." This is why I love what I do. Because when Arab leaders share their authentic stories, we don't just build brands. We reclaim narratives. We show the world the innovation, wisdom and humanity that Western media often overlooks. And when leaders understand that their personal brand isn't about them, it's about who they serve… everything changes. The work becomes bigger than algorithms or engagement rates. It becomes about impact. Connection. Trust. And that's exactly what the world needs right now. Leaders who show up as humans first. Who build bridges through their stories. Who use their platforms to elevate others. If you're a leader ready to transform how you show up online, my DMs are open. Because your personal brand isn't just about you. It's about the future you're creating.

Who the f… taught A24 marketing?!? How does a movie about a 1950s table tennis prodigy suddenly become the biggest thing in fashion? By now, if you are into entertainment and fashion and don’t live in a cave, you’ve probably seen the “Marty Supreme” jacket everywhere. Timothée, Kylie, Kid Cudi, Misty Copeland, Tom Brady... For the promotion, most studios would have leaned into retro references to match the film’s subject, Marty Reisman. McNeal, one of the most influential stylist right now, went for Nahmias, a young brand that has become Timothée’s unofficial cultural engine, delivering custom looks that blur the line between costume and streetwear. Suddenly, a film is moving through fashion the way Supreme moves through hype culture. A New York pop-up for the film launch had lines wrapping around blocks. It felt like a drop. Now, people are literally asking A24 to restock the jackets. And If they do, they’ll unlock a completely new vertical where narrative, merch, and identity collapse into one ecosystem. Just brilliant. Brands grow when they sell meaning over visibility. It seems that A24 understands this better than most: you don’t sell content anymore, you sell a vibe. And when you sell a vibe, people will stand in line to buy it, even if they haven’t seen the film yet. Remember this: - If people won’t come to to you, meet them where they are. - If they are not into your movie, sell the identity around it. - If the attention is fragmented, build a world people want to belong to. … And let them promote the film for you. In 2025, attention is rented, but identity is owned. Brands that understand this will scale faster than those still chasing impressions and media plans. If you want cultural gravitas, you don’t push only the content, you build desire. Well guys, this is the new playbook: Sell meaning instead of “visibility”. Sell belonging instead of “audiences”. Sell a vibe instead of a “product”. Just because, like A24 and Marty Supreme, culture won’t remember the marketing plan, it will remember the world you created.

Culture is everything 🙏🏾 When leaders accept or overlook poor behaviour, they implicitly endorse those actions, potentially eroding the organisation’s values and morale. To build a thriving culture, leaders must actively shape it by refusing to tolerate behaviour that contradicts their values and expectations.
 The best leaders: 
 1. Define and Communicate Core Values: * Articulate Expectations: Clearly define and communicate the organisation’s core values and behavioural expectations. Make these values central to every aspect of the organisation’s operations and culture. * Embed Values in Policies: Integrate these values into your policies, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure they are reflected in daily operations. 
 2. Model the Behaviour You Expect: * Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. Your actions should reflect the organisation’s values, from how you interact with employees to how you handle challenges. 3. Address Poor Behaviour Promptly: * Act Quickly: Confront and address inappropriate behaviour as soon as it occurs. Delays in addressing issues can lead to a culture of tolerance for misconduct. * Apply Consistent Consequences: Ensure that consequences for poor behaviour are fair, consistent, and aligned with organisational values. This reinforces that there are clear boundaries and expectations.
 4. Foster a Culture of Accountability: * Encourage Self-Regulation: Promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. * Provide Support: Offer resources and support for employees to understand and align with organisational values, helping them navigate challenges and uphold standards.
 5. Seek and Act on Feedback: * Encourage Open Communication: Create channels for employees to provide feedback on behaviour and organisational culture without fear of reprisal. * Respond Constructively: Act on feedback to address and rectify issues. This shows that you value employee input and are committed to maintaining a positive culture.
 6. Celebrate Positive Behaviour: * Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the organisation’s values. Celebrating positive behaviour reinforces the desired culture and motivates others to follow suit. * Share Success Stories: Highlight examples of how upholding values has led to positive outcomes, reinforcing the connection between behaviour and organisational success.
 7. Invest in Leadership Development: * Provide Training: Offer training and development opportunities for leaders at all levels to enhance their skills in managing behaviour and fostering a positive culture. 8. Promote Inclusivity and Respect: * Build a Diverse Environment: Create a culture that respects and values diversity. Inclusivity strengthens the organisational fabric and fosters a more collaborative and supportive work environment.

🚇 Louis Vuitton's Metro-Inspired Pop-Up in Hangzhou Reveals How Luxury Brands Are Using Cultural Storytelling to Counter China's Market Slowdown Louis Vuitton just launched an LV Express pop-up in Hangzhou that transforms shopping into a Parisian metro experience—complete with authentic subway tiles, vintage signage, and luxury products displayed throughout train-like carriages. As someone who researches experiential retail strategies across Asia-Pacific markets, this activation demonstrates how luxury brands are pivoting to immersive cultural narratives when facing market headwinds. As a researcher documenting retail transformation across international markets, I'm seeing three critical shifts in Louis Vuitton's China strategy: • Cultural heritage as competitive differentiation: LV doubled down on Parisian identity through authentic metro replication—proving luxury brands succeed by intensifying cultural authenticity during uncertain times, not diluting it • Experiential immersion over transactions: The metro concept transforms shopping into cultural discovery, where consumers engage with brand narrative before product selection—showing luxury retail now requires emotional investment rather than convenient access • Social amplification as market strategy: Instagram-worthy environments create shareable content extending brand reach beyond physical visitors—demonstrating how luxury pop-ups must function as content generators, especially in social media-driven markets like China What strikes me most is how this fits LV's broader experiential retail strategy across China, from their ambitious Shanghai flagship to destination store concepts. This coordinated approach treats each location as cultural amplification rather than simple market penetration. This signals that luxury brands recognize cultural storytelling as their primary defense against market slowdowns—authentic heritage experiences drive loyalty when economic uncertainty makes consumers more selective. What experiential retail strategies are you observing that successfully blend cultural authenticity with market-specific challenges? 👇 #PopUpRetail #LuxuryRetail #ExperientialRetail #RetailStrategy #ChinaRetail #RetailResearch #topretailexpert #storetour #retailtour #retailinsight

Meena ran a handloom saree business. Every piece was handwoven. Every thread told a tale. But the website? Plain. Technical. “Cotton. 5.5 meters. Made in India.” No one clicked. No one cared. One day, a friend said, “Your sarees have soul. But your brand has none.” That night, Meena rewrote everything. Not specs. Stories. “Woven by Lakshmi in Bhagalpur, who sings old Bollywood songs while spinning every thread.” “Dyed in turmeric, dried under a neem tree.” The sarees didn’t change. But the brand became poetry. Orders started flowing in, not because of discounts, but because people felt connected. People don’t want to just wear fabric. They want to wear meaning. Your story isn’t fluff. It’s your value, woven into memory. #BrandStorytelling #CulturalMarketing #MarketingThatConnects #sanjaysmarketingmantra

The value of meeting customers - speaking to them in detail about their journey, their fears and hopes, and how they expect a brand to help - and the impact on crafting a marketing plan is still underrated. Busy Bee Brands (and its founders Gurudev Prasad and Suharsh Dikshit) have made this activity the mainstay of their brand consulting business. My estimate is that they have *met* more than 10,000 customers of some 50+ brands and used the inputs to build frameworks, chart brand pathways, suggest marketing action, and thus drive business impact. Building Winning Brands is a distillation of their decade-long journey and is an expectedly useful handbook for new age brand building. All the avenues of brand building - social media, influencer, content, packaging, founder action, employee action - find mention. So do the traditional channels in an absolutely real, no-jargon, no-fluff way. There is no dearth of marketing books, especially by international gurus. And while David Ogilvy's pearls of wisdom are still relevant, the examples he provides and the theatres of action he describes are somewhat alien. This book does a fantastic job of shortening pearls of contemporary wisdom into memorable acronyms ("don't FEED the trolls", "the 5 Cs of a good brief" etc). And - here's the best part - gives every example from last two decades of Indian marketing. Addressing marketers and non-marketers alike, Building Winning Brands packs in great advice in every single chapter, provides real & recognisable examples, and - most importantly - shows frameworks that can easily be used to make (or validate) marketing plans. It's a volume every marketeer, young and old, and every founder, experienced or fresh, should dip into for their brand building journey.

Indians want to eat healthy and companies want to make healthier alternatives. But both customers and brands are often confused. Health food is a $30B market in India and we meet atleast 20 companies every week. My last post on Indians eating protein got a lot of attention. So here is a playbook for brands, entrepreneurs & startups making food as nutrition to consider. #1- Sell simplicity, not superiority. Protein is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Stop marketing it like it’s only for bodybuilders or fitness fanatics. The simpler your message, the broader your audience. #2- Educate, don’t exploit- Most Indians don’t know how much protein , carb or fibre they need, let alone where to get it. Be the brand that empowers with knowledge, not fear. Create tools, guides, or calculators that simplify nutrient requirements for different age groups, lifestyles, and budgets. Education creates trust, and trust builds loyalty. #3- Respect local wisdom- Stop chasing western trends and start celebrating Indian staples. Align your messaging with cultural relevance—it resonates deeper than imported fads. #4- Focus on affordability and accessibility- If your product costs more than an average meal, you’re solving a problem for the few, not the many. Create products that cater to the masses, especially rural and low-income communities. Affordability isn’t just ethical—it’s scalable. #5-Champion the underserved - Protein or carbs isn’t just for athletes or gym-goers. It’s crucial for children, pregnant women, and the elderly and they often are left out of the conversation. Tailor your products and campaigns to serve them, and you’ll stand out as a brand with purpose, not just profits. #6- Break the high-protein Halo - A “high-protein” claim shouldn’t be your only story. Focus on the overall quality of your product—minimal additives, real ingredients, and transparent labeling. If your protein bar has more sugar than a laddoo, you’re part of the problem, not the solution. #7- Decommoditize the narrative - Don’t just sell protein or fibre—sell the idea of a healthier India. Be the brand that shifts the conversation from “how much protein you eat” to “how balanced your diet is.” Make protein part of the bigger picture, not the entire story. #8-Make nutrient consumption a Public Good- Don’t just sell specific nutrient products; create ecosystems that make nutrient accessible and affordable for everyone. Collaborate with local governments to integrate protein-rich foods into public programs like midday meals and ration systems. You’ll build long-term demand while addressing a systemic health challenge." More notes continued in the comment section below.