The Royal Approach

"Your uncle got these chocolates for you from US of A!" My mother used to tell me, every time he visited India.

"Wow. I love them!" was my reaction, always.

This was before you could get Hershey's and Ferrero Rocher in India. These chocolates came from a different country, and suddenly their value in our minds increased. In our perception, the local brands stood nowhere near them.

You see, people are often awed by imported products from global brands. Anything that has crossed borders will automatically increase it's brand value.

Swiss watches. French wine. German cars. Italian clothing.

You won't doubt the value of these products. In fact, sitting abroad, you won't doubt the value of any watch from Switzerland, any wine from France, any German car, or any clothing brand from Italy. This is because these countries now have a reputation for making quality products in these respective categories.

A new car manufacturer in Germany might not be very successful locally due to the presence of BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes, but it will be accepted globally.

Again, a new clothing brand in Italy might not be very successful locally due to the presence of Gucci, Versace, and Gorgio Armani, but it will be accepted globally.

This is because they can take advantage of the reputation of the country they originated in. People will go out of their way and pay extra just to be associated with these brands.

Now imagine that you're a local brand that wants to charge a premium price for its products: How will you create that perception?

Again, you can win a large portion of the battle just by doing what Allen Solly, Louis Philippe, Peter England, and Van Heusen did. They are all Indian, owned by Aditya Birla Group, but they don't sound Indian.

They sound global. It seems as if they've crossed borders to reach us. And that is enough to entice the locals.

"Act like a king and you will be treated like one."

This statement is true for brands as well. If it's the premium products market that you want to dominate, be royal in your approach. Your perception is in your hands, for people will mostly think about you, what you make them think about you.