Ravi Pratap Singh

Ferrari Commits Hara-Kiri

The countdown has begun for the second edition of the Indian Formula One Grand Prix. And the excitement among F1 fans is palpable across the country. In the midst of this frenzy comes an announcement from Ferrari that they would race this weekend with flags of the Italian navy on their cars as a tribute to "one of the outstanding entities of our country."

On the face of it, this looks like a noble gesture. And a brand building masterstroke, right?

Absolutely wrong!!!

Ferrari's flag flying bravado is in solidaritly with Italian marines who are on trial for gunning down two Indian fishermen in February this year!!!

Whether the marines are innocent or guilty is for the concerned courts to decide. But does Ferrari gain anything at all by its insenstive and apathetic behaviour towards the dead fishermen and their families???

I believe not. Infact, this act is nothing but a brand building hara-kiri on Ferrari's part.

And sadly, it looks like the iconic horse has made an ass of itself this time around!

Freebie - A Double-Edged Sword!

The freebie has always been an important weapon in the arsenal of marketers to entice new customers as well as to retain existing patrons. It is also one of the most potent tools used in building brands. However, it is important to recognize that a freebie can be a double-edged sword.

Recently we received a car-shaped pencil box as a freebie along with a jar of Horlicks bought at the local super market. Needless to say, my “car freak” six-year old son was over the moon! But I was shocked!!! No doubt, the concept of the freebie was brilliant… but the quality of the pencil box was so pathetic, it was actually unbelievable that an iconic brand like Horlicks would want to associate itself with anything so appalling. It looked “cheap”, the plastic edges of the box were really sharp and dangerous for a child to handle… and the wheels came off the second my son nudged it!

While on one hand a well-researched freebie can help enhance brand value and create/cement brand loyalty, on the other hand a poorly selected freebie has the power to dent brand credibility assiduously built over several decades.