PROTON business school organized a special session as part of its Expert Guest Lecture Series. The speaker was Mr. Rajesh Mittal, Vice President of Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles Ltd.

The speaker covered the session in two parts. First came the concept of Brands. He agitated the audience's minds by asking them provocative questions about "Brand India". Having succeeded in that, he very nicely weaved a whole story around that. Some gems that came up - a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the world once again through words and deeds, India's potential for creating miracles in 21st century : Globalization, changing demography, technological and widening economic disparities defining the new world landscape, etc.

A positive brand value is created if customer experience exceeds his expectations. Over a period of time companies can build a strong brand - one with high brand value. Intel, Cisco, Google, E-bay, Wal-Mart etc., are the classic examples of how companies built a strong brand through customer experience. Companies mentioned above started small but built a solid reputation with the customer along the way and in the process the name of the company evolved into a stronger brand. These companies sell several products - and many of these products are also branded, but the company brand is the strongest.

As mentioned by the eminent speaker, five steps are needed to create a strong brand.

1. Clearly articulate your brand identity
2. Establish a customer value proposition
3. Define the optimal customer experience.
4. Cultivate relationships with customers
5. Product differentiation

The speaker concluded the interactive session by giving insight of significance of human relationship in marketing. Customers don't buy products, customers buy relationships - a popular phrase in marketing. To build a strong brand, organizations must work on enhancing customer experiences and that results in a higher level of customer relationship. All this will eventually result in a strong brand. If you observe any popular brand today, you will see that company promoting that brand has succeeded in building a strong relationship with its customers.

In this EGLS session, Protons witnessed the wisdom of a manufacturing industry stalwart who has kept his edge sharp by reading a lot, and by sharing his wisdom with everyone.

It's time for positive change!