Brand iconsWhat makes a brand an icon in its status? What gives a brand a cult figure? Legacy, a huge fan following, or is it just the name for it lives? H B Holt, a Harvard Business School professor, describes an iconic brand as the one that has social lives and cultural significance that go well beyond product benefits and features.Iconic brands, by and large, can never be brands of a functional genre. They have to be brands in either look good or feel good categories. In essence, they appeal to larger number of aspirants or are life-style-driven. Or, even appeal to a certain set of values or attitudes. You will find iconic brands in those genres where you express yourself or others perceive you in a way that you want if you associate with or like that brand. It is not just brand sales; they are part and parcel of your life. A brand that makes people identify with them. In that genre, a Harley-Davidson is a cult brand. Its appeal is global and works out of cultural differences.  The brand Beetles still bears the cult status. Nike, Ferrari, Starbucks, Apple (the entire world waits for the iPhone launch) and Benetton are just some names that comes to one’s mind. And there are many other brands such as IBM and Coca Cola that have not only survived crisis, but recovered from those crisis and have been forgiven too by the general public. The deep-rooted cultures help them get back on track. In India, there are a handful of names that are attractive and command a lot of attention. For example, the brand Infosys attracts a lot of hires. On the other hand, Maruti is a household name in the country. For many, it has been the first vehicle. In fact, Tata has the brand reputation across verticals. While Royal Enfield is trying to replicate the Harley-Davidson model, Hutch struggled with its brand status (thanks to the frequent change in the ownership). Among the Indian aspirants for the iconic status include Airtel and Future group with their ad campaigns. Airtel was aiming for iconic stature with its “Barriers break when people talk” campaign (that has gone off air now). Meanwhile, Future Group’s corporate campaign, Sone Ki Chidiya harked back to the golden age of India (again, this ad has not been on air for sometime now). The new ad campaign targets the new upwardly mobile middle class where everyone is indulging with the money earned. And the tagline goes – Let’s enjoy what we earned. However, not all brands have the dash of edginess, a devoted fan base, or the niche positioning to be cult brands. But those that do tend to share similar characteristics make them successful.

A cult brand is not something that you will find on a brand survey. You see it built over years. For the time being, we shall resort to our desi brands like the Tatas and the rest who have somewhat made a mark in the genre of being iconic brands. And yes, how can we forget our very own thalaivar, the Rajnikanth – who is an iconic stature himself! Having said that, the man does not endorse a single product.