Positioning FMCG Brands Findings from the Indian Market

In the midst of advertisement clutter in an over-communicated society getting a brand noticed is a gargantuan task. The foremost desire of every brand manager in such a market is to create a distinctive identity and a pre-emptive position for the brand in the consumer's mind space. Finding a position that is meaningful for the consumer and assures him of a distinctive benefit offered by no other competitor ensures survival and sustainability for the brand. For a Multinational company, that finds itself in the midst of a culture and customs which are absolutely different from those of its home country, brand positioning may involve several critical decisions like whether or not to use a standardized strategy for all the markets, up to what extent to adapt to the local culture, what values to inculcate into the brand and what values to emphasise while positioning it, and whether to emphasise the country of origin of the brand or not. The Indian market is characterized by a unique blend of traditional values and modern approaches, and the evaluation criterion used by the consumer to judge a product or place value on a brand consists of a varying mix of such contrasting parameters. In this marketing environment marked by such psychographic characteristics of an average consumer it is interesting to get an insight into the strategies that are being used or can be used by the MNCs dealing in Fast Moving Consumer Goods to position their brands in the Indian market. The book is aimed at developing a broad understanding of the brand positioning strategies of multinational companies dealing in fast moving consumer goods in India and the factors affecting their positioning strategies.