Branding

A Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of them, intended to identify the
goods and services of one seller and to differentiate them from those of competitors. Brands today
play a number of important roles that improve consumers’ lives and enhance the financial value of
firms.
Branding is endowing products and services with the power of brand. Branding is all about creating
differences. Branding involves creating mental structures and helping consumers to organize their
knowledge about the products and services in a way that clarifies their decision making and, in the
process, provides value to the firm.

Branding in Star Cement:

Star cement was the first company to invest huge sum of money in branding during its lunching.
Star cement started its Branding campaign with teaser ads during its inception in the period 2005-
2006. These ads were able to create buzz and craze among the common public by increasing the
curiosity about the product and the brand. Teaser hoardings (done for the first time in the Industry)
created the “buzz” around the Brand till date these are remembered by people. The teaser ads are
given in Hoardings, Full page print ads in all regional language of north-east and also through SMS
contest. The contents of teaser ads are as follows:
Meri to setting ho gayi! Aur aapki?
Aap ye hoarding dekhen na dhekhen meri to setting ho gayi!
Ladki haan kahe ya naa, Meri to setting ho gayi...Aur aapki?
Kal ho na ho, Meri to setting ho gayi...Aur aapki?

SMS campaign: “Setting bolo kismat kholo, “SMS KARO TO 8877 OR 2424”
The company received over 33000 SMS which reflects that the idea was successful in increasing
curiosity amongst the people of North East about the brand.

After the product was launched, hoardings sized ranged from 60x40, 80x20, 120x20, 40x20 and
20x10 ft were put all across north-east, including highways, where no hoardings existed earlier.
Keeping track with the teaser ads, branding campaigns were also designed in the same line keeping
setting word in main focus. The message conveyed was

“AA GAYA STAR CEMENT, MERI TO SETTING HO GAYI.” with a tag line of Isse Zabardast
Setting Nahin.

The Branding strategy of star cement was mainly concentrated to the “Setting” of cement which was
the main concern among the people. There was a general idea that a good cement as one who’s
setting time is fast. So in the most branding campaigns Star cement used the word “Setting” to hit the
minds of the consumers and claim the top of the mind psychic. It can be seen from the branding
campaigns that the word setting has been utilized very well by the company and it has been the USP
of every campaign till date.
Road shows were done across 347 places in the interiors of Barak Valley, Meghalaya, Tripura.
Branded van went to the designated spot. Inflatable balloons (in the shape of the Star Cement bag)
walked the market. Leaflets distributed to create awareness for the brand. Audio Visual shown,

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which used film clips, interspersed with factory shots, which showed the cement making process in
the plant.

Consumer Scheme: (Market Penetration)

A unique consumer scheme was launched named “Bag Mein Kismat” which was first time in cement
Industry. Each cement bag had a coupon sewn inside the bag, which enabled consumers to win
prizes. Dealers informed about scheme through mailers. Posters, banners and collaterals placed in all
outlets before scheme started. Market Penetration was the main objective of such scheme, being new
to the market these are the sales booster for the company.

Meet Debojit campaign:

This scheme was launched in the period 2006-2007. The winner of the Zee Sa Re Ga Ma contest –
Debojit – the local boy was used in this scheme. Similar idea as the Bag Mein Kismat was used. 10
lucky winners were taken to Mumbai to meet Debojit.

In this campaign also Company has used teaser hoardings with the punch line “STAR KE SAATH
SUPERSTAR SE MILAO HAATH”. Then the actual hoardings containing the star cement logo and
picture of star cement bag were made in which the punch line was “STAR LAO DEBOJIT SE
MILNE MUMBAI JAO”.

SMS campaign:
SMS cement at 54646 for 24 hr help for the users of Star cement. This SMS campaign was aimed at
highlighting the technical services provided by Star cement. The campaign goes like “IT’S YOUR
HOME BUILD IT WELL”, indicates about the engineering behind building a house.
Teaser hoardings with the Punch lines “BHAI BEHEN MEIN PILLOW FIGHT KAB BANDH
HOGA?” “SAAS BAHU MEIN DOSTI KAB HOGI?” were also used during this period.
Star cement has introduced Local “flavour” advertising wishing the people of N.E Merry Christmas
and the major festivals like BIHU.

Brand campaign during the year 2007-08:-

A Tactical ad was launched to communicate the highest ever sale by any cement brand in the NE, in
a particular month. In the Ad, the original no. of STAR users were boldly & distinctly shown to be
16, 60,000. It was a tactics to inform the mass that STAR is shining bright in the Entire North-East.
This way the company has been able to communicate its volume power and installed itself as the
most sold Brand in the minds of the consumers.

Brand campaign During in the year 2008-09:-

For the very first time Sales Promotional means like Hoardings, Glow sign, Wall/Shop/Shutter
paintings, Kiosk, POP, TV ad, Hut campaign etc were implemented by the company.
During this period company has gradually changed its Tag line from Isse Zabardast Setting Nahin to
Solid Setting

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 Isse Zabardast Setting Nahin

Zabardast Setting

Solid Setting

MUSIC VIDEO LAUNCH :-

In December, 23rd, 2010 the brand STAR got new wings with the launch of its Music Video, “OUR
NORTH-EAST OUR STAR”, which shows the beauty and unity of all the states of North-East. By
“Sapne Sach Kare”, the company tried to show how we can make our dreams come true. In simple
words it can be considered as the anthem of North-East. It is the first music video where the
legendary singer Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was seen. The music has been composed by Shantanu
Moitra(of 3 Idiots, Parineeta,Munnabhai MBBS) and is been directed by the National Award winner
director Aniruddha Roy Choudhury. The current beautiful hoardings are also based on the same
theme of music video, where the four stars of North-East as well as the brand ambassadors of the
company (Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Lou Majao, Mami Varte and Souravi Devbarman) are saying “Star
Cement Music Videot aamak chauk”. Overall Star is the first brand in the industry which has dared
to think out of box in the field of brand management.

Conclusion:
This entire training process that I had undergone has helped me immensely towards understanding
the operations of Sales and Marketing Department. This is one of the most important departments, as
sales acts in any organization as blood plays in human body. The training process has exposed me to
certain critical working tactics in practical field and which will definitely help me in my future
endeavor for the organization.