Realty in search of first-movers of holistic branding-II
Track2Realty Exclusive: So if there is a real estate brand in India that wants to fully realize the benefits of branding to drive its business forward, what is the way forward?
Track2Realty Exclusive: So if there is a real estate brand in India that wants to fully realize the benefits of branding to drive its business forward, what is the way forward?
Track2Realty Exclusive: In realty business, brand is an additional value the consumer is prepared to pay compared with an ordinary product yet fulfilling the same purpose. If a brand is not able to offer the consumer better advantage that the competitors, it will turn into a commodity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: A McKinsey report to the Government of India on cost of approval had clearly pointed out that the costs incurred on account of various approvals could constitute anything up to 40 per cent of the sale value. Such is the enormity of the problem of approvals and that the challenge of negativity that we suffer from.
Track2Realty Exclusive: A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company. Branding, according to me, is a double edged sword which grants an advantage of building clientele, loyalty, trust etc but also burdens the shoulders with an added responsibility and obligation to defend the ‘Brand’ so far created persistently.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It is said that this sector encourages black money and corruption, which is sad and upsetting for all developers/entrepreneurs who put in their best efforts to run the business.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Some of the developers believe that being a responsible corporate entity CSR forms a very important aspect of their day to day functioning. For example, Kamal Khetan, CMD, Sunteck Realty says they have formed Sunteck Foundation that is a dedicated entity which under its umbrella supports various initiatives that lead to social betterment.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It is generally believed in the sector that CSR can not be a brand driver the way other branding efforts are being evaluated in terms of ROI. Diipesh Bhagtani, Executive Director, Jaycee Homes, says that CSR alone cannot be the catalyst for brand building; there is no case study as such. CSR is seen more as a responsibility towards the society rather than a business promotion activity.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Brand building and maintaining the brand image is a big challenge for any business, and more so for in real estate where one has a direct contact with the end user. Moreover, brand positioning of the business of real estate is dependent on the overall eco system where demand and supply is dependent upon a host of external factors such as the state of the economy, government policies, etc.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a new concept in the Indian real estate and companies are going through the learning curve. Some are adopting it with greater amount of conviction, while for others it is an emerging necessary evil.
Track2Realty: Century 21 Real Estate, the franchisor of the residential real estate sales organization, has expanded in India with the signing of a master franchise agreement to open CENTURY 21 franchises in India. Alchemist Group has become the master franchisor of the CENTURY 21 System for India operating as CENTURY 21 India.