American ranchers branded their cattle for ease of identification. A brand retains the same use, when it is used for the purpose of recognition or recall as compared to other similar products or offering. Although brand building follows a set of initiatives and actions, some brands are built on the `non-conformist, rebellious' attitude. Brand experience and brand image contribute primarily to brand building, and maverick brands find a radically differentiated way to do this. Maverick brands usually become strong brands with a cult-like following, and make it almost impossible for the competitors to emulate their brand success. Perhaps, a look at some of the maverick brands such as Virgin, Red Bull and Kingfisher, and their adventurous CEOs will provide some insights into the approach and benefits of building a maverick brand.
Samuel
Maverick's decision to not brand his cattleby not pressing a hot insignia on the
cattle hidein the early 19th century Texas, was a non-conformist reaction
to the prevalent practice of the time to brand each one's cattle. This practice
of branding cattle stems from the American ranchers who could easily identify
their branded cattle after their free graze from the savannas. Maverick chose
not to brand his cattle as it was solving his purpose of identifying his cattle
as all the other ones were branded. Eventually, `maverick' became a term coined
after Samuel Maverick's behavior to show the non-conformist attitude in the midst
of prevailing brands (other rancher's cattle). In the modern age, brand primarily
still has a similar usage: To distinguish itself and establish ownership in the
midst of other similar goods or offering.
Brands
are seen to provide competitive advantage to the organization and mostly act as
a cornerstone to their corporate strategy. Brands are used to de-commoditize the
organization and its offering, as compared to its competitors or substitutes.
The benefit from creating a winning brand has been so good that most market-leading
companies have managed to create their own strong brands, which provides a competitive
edge over other competing brands. Such brands build on consumer passion, reinforcing
the behavioral expression and thereby make the physical expression of the brand
a little superfluous. Then it makes good sense for an organization to have a strong
brand, as it extrapolates and strengthens the terms, expectation and promise,
as explained earlier. In such circumstances, does it pay to create a maverick
brand and build the same further, especially when the expectation or promise of
the maverick brand is uncertain? Here we look at some of the maverick brandsVirgin,
Red Bull and Kingfisher as convenient cases in point to exemplify the benefits
created by such efforts to organizational advantage. |
