Posts Tagged ‘unique business’

Brand building can be quite a daunting task, considering the intense competition in local, regional, national and international markets.  Carving a niche with a unique brand name that’s easy to remember and makes a mark is far from easy yet it isn’t rocket science.  Knowing what your brand attributes are helps but more significantly knowing what they aren’t makes brand building that much easier.  Why?

We all know what it takes to succeed but success will be yours sooner if you figure out what not to do because knowing what not to do is also very important.  This is why business owners and marketers who know what they don’t or their brand does not stand for will succeed at branding far more than those who simply set out to determine what they stand for.  Here’s why this is so critical in branding….

It Helps You Define What You Stand For

Knowing what you don’t stand for makes it easier for you to determine what you stand for.  This is something that stands out from my interactions with Ritika Mittal, the lady behind MORA by Ritika, a brand that brings to life weaves from North East India.  In an interview I did with Ritika for this blog she said she wasn’t a marketer, she didn’t want to churn out designs by the dozen, and she never worked according to deadlines and never gave her weavers deadlines too.

That way she defined what she stood for…a designer at heart who was determined to revive traditional weaves of the North East who creates limited edition saris and stoles for the discerning buyer while working at her own pace and certainly not looking at volumes but value in sales.

Consumers and Buyers Know What Not to Expect

Once you know what you don’t stand for positioning becomes that much easier.  Here’s how…Shopo, an online shopping forum for all things Indian and handmade spells out very clearly that it is a platform for makers to sell their products.  Thereby brandishing its identity as the market where creators bring their products directly to buyers.  Buyers know what not to expect…there are no exaggerated prices, stock status is clearly shown on the site and delivery is as promised!

Earn Credibility and Respect

By spelling out what you don’t stand for you earn credibility, respect and brownie points all around.  This is something I learnt from Manisha Gutman, the spunky lady behind eCoexist, a green company marketing green products when she came to talk to my students about running a social enterprise.

Manisha said that eCoexist, as a policy will never have a workshop or factory.  In principle they believe in working with disadvantaged groups of men, women, the elderly and differently abled through whom they create products that they market.  Their flagship products are created by women’s’ groups from rural India, packaged by prisoners and are always natural and green…a sure shot way to earn credibility and respect from buyers everywhere.

Build Brand Loyalty

Once you determine what you don’t stand for you help build brand loyalty for your product or service by attracting people who would never stand for what you don’t.  It is like a way of life perhaps.  The Green Stove, a vegan bakery based in Mumbai, India churns out vegan goodies…no dairy products or mutton thus attracting a growing tribe of people who want to eat yummy, green goodies.

Build Your Own Community of Users, Followers and Fans

Once people know what it is that you don’t stand for it becomes easier to connect with them as users, followers and fans simply because they identify with those aspects.  Amul, a premium dairy brand has built its following based on a series of advertisements that are topical and have their finger on the pulse of India.  Amul, a brand built by a dairy cooperative which unleashed the White Revolution in India stands for partnering with people vis-à-vis taking a product from the rural populace and marketing it for profit.

The brand does not stand for the regular corporate form of organization, it does not believe in projecting models rather shows the many women whose lives have changed through this dairy cooperative, it does not stand for run off the mill advertising instead it stands for topical copies which depict the rich socio-economic fabric of India.

If you find branding challenging or would like to learn more about the nitty gritty of brand building my eBook, “Branding for Dummies: 12 Small Steps to Build BIG Brands” is now on sale at the Amazon store.  Grab a copy today!

Image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=3387

Abhilasha, is the lady behind this independent label which deals with high quality hand painted products.  Her designs are unique, colorful and seem to have an attitude of their own.  Flaunt a bag from the Rangeela Rajasthan collection which captures the essence of this beautiful state of India in its warm colors and rustic charm.  Or grab a Diwali special offer on home décor items with cushions emblazoned with distinctly Indian motifs like the lotus flower, village belles and even images of Ganesha, while the combo offer lasts.

Range of Products on Offer: Hand painted cushions, totes, clutches, sling pouches and kurtas

Mish Mash Design  exclusively retails at:

http://shopo.in/shop/MishMashDesign

 http://ofindianorigin.co.uk/shop/

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/MishMashDesign14

Retail Store -

1.O Layla Delhi Store
21, Huaz Khas Village
New Delhi – 110016

2. Appleblossom,
FF-12, camps Corner 2,
Opp Prahladnagar,AUDA Garden,
Ahmadabad – 380015

3.Bliss
180, Aram Nagar 1,
7 Bungalows, Versova,
Andheri (west), Landmark – Legacy of China
Mumbai 400 061.

4. The Orange Bicycle (Bangalore)
House No. 3353, 5th Cross, 12th A Main,
HAL II Stage, Indiranagar,
Bangalore.560038.

5. The Maximum Store (Delhi)
5J/1 ShahpurJat, near Asiad Village,
New Delhi, India

If you are someone who wants to make style statement of your own while flaunting the rich textile heritage of India, then Mora by Ritika is one brand that will help you stand out in a crowd with limited edition saris, stoles, dupattas and skirts. 

Mora, is a brand which was born out of Ritika Mittal’s passion for textile, her single minded determination to bring weaves from the North Eastern parts of India in to the limelight and a burning desire to combine the two while turning cotton in to the hottest fashion trend. 

Some things that set Ritika’s work apart for me are:

• Her flair for design
• Unique color combinations
• The magical weaves
• The myriad hues she brings alive by marrying fabric, weaves and embroidery
• Her eye for color
• Her commitment to the weavers who so lovingly craft her designs
• Her “couldn’t care less” attitude towards people ripping off her designs
• Her confidence that people might be able to copy her designs but their inability to copy her hard work and originality
• Her “no marketing” strategy which has done wonders for her venture
• Her one-on-one relationship with customers
• Her enthusiasm and love for Indian cotton and weaves which shines out of her work
• Her attitude and approach to creativity
• Gorgeous color combinations that make choosing from her portfolio so difficult

Make no mistake, Mora by Ritika is not a brand for anyone and everyone, it is for the textile aficionado who is well informed about this precious heritage that India has as far as weaves and fabrics go.  It is for the modern woman who wears cotton and silk with pizzazz and who realizes the effort and creative process that goes in to crafting each of these unique designs.  It is for the contemporary buyer who is able to look at “value” not price and is willing to help Ritika take this textile journey forward.

Mora Saris start at INR 7,000/-

Stoles and Dupattas start at INR 3,000/-

The NARO collection of saris starts at INR 40,000/- 

To grab a slice of Mora by Ritika log on to:

FBpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MORA-by-Ritika/162981860437564

Some fabulous dupattas and stoles can be viewed at  https://picasaweb.google.com/mittal.ritika/MORAONLINESALE
 
Saris:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mittal.ritika/MORAGoesOnlineAgain#
 

A Special Collection NARO by MORA: 
http://picasaweb.google.com/mittal.ritika/NAROByMORA?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfBranS0dfq1wE&feat=directlink
 
To make a purchase simply send the codes of the ones you like and to mora.rang@gmail.com and Ritika will write back to you with their details. Once you confirm the order, she can ship the parcel to wherever you want her to send it.
 
You can also see what goes on behind MORA through Ritika’s blog which she has just started  which really is a means for her to share her travels and the stories behind each weave and garment http://ritikamittal.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/eri-silk-north-east%C2%A0india/ 

Some FAQs (to make life easier):

Are all your sarees in cotton only or do you have them in silk as well?

 Mora does only organic fabrics- whether cotton, silk or chanderi etc.
Do you do made to order sarees? Like if I want something in specific colours, can you work with that?

 Mora prefers not to get into customizing
Are you only online or do you have a place in Mumbai?

Mora only retails online and can ship your buys across anywhere in India or abroad.
 
Price range: Saris start at 7k and  Dupattas start at 3 k.
 
Saris come with: customized blouse piece which has an edging fabric and customized borders. we can even make your blouse if you share your measurements with us.
 
Naros come in a customized wooden box which tells the story of where it comes from, the time taken to weave the sari, the photos of my travel to that place and the story behind it.