Branding is an on-going effort and cement companies have been continuously innovating to establish and offer the best products and services to the customers. Aseem Saxena, General Manager – Marketing Services, JK Lakshmi Cement believes that strength, durability, and good services are the three key factors to gain trust and establish a strong cement brand in the market. How has been the journey of cement from commodity to brand? The journey of our organisation in creating a brand out of cement has been quite interesting. We have been constantly progressing towards creating that persona for our brand that our audience can connect to. We were amongst the first to introduce a coloured packaging of cement bag. The journey started by positioning our product on the plank of strength with a tagline of Mazbooti Guarantee. Then we progressed to a serious tone of narration depicting Nation Building with Brand Ambassador Om Puri. People associated JK Lakshmi Cement with that for close to a decade and then we moved to a more emotional campaign - India, Ab Soch Karo Buland. As Brand building is not a one-time task, year on year we have invested significantly in various collaborations. From sponsoring cricket teams in IPL to having sports celebrities like Vijender Singh and Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassadors to connect with our audience, we have invested in constant brand-building activities which has certainly resulted in JK Lakhsmi becoming a preferred brand in our operational markets. What are the three important attributes of cement as a brand? A cement brand should occupy the awareness set of the consumer’s mind space in a positive way. The first and foremost attribute that comes to mind is strength of the cement. Apart from that durability and finish of the cement are also important attributes. With good product quality, a brand should also focus on the services as this is also brand’s responsibility to provide great services like expert advice, on site guidance, hassle free ordering, on time delivery and great customer service which also helps in building a bond between the brand and the customer. What do you think cement companies should avoid while establishing their product as a brand? We feel that brands should never position themselves as price warrior. If a brand wants to mark their presence in the market, they should always avoid price war and should always focus on the product quality and look to provide augmented product benefits. Also, overpromise and under-delivery needs to be avoided at all times as correct brand promise is the only key to build a chain of loyal customers in any industry and cement is not an exception. Is it necessary to attach a personality to cement while creating a brand? It is indeed necessary to attach a personality to cement while creating a brand, as the benefits it brings are very impressive. A brand personality is something to which the consumer can relate as it adds life to your brand. It engages directly with the consumers on a psychological level, which makes the brand stand out and an unforgettable thing for the audience. JK Lakshmi Cement’s campaign – India, Ab Soch karo Buland is intended to fuel up the audience with motivation. It inspires people to push their limits to achieve excellence with integrity and hard work. It also tells people to never compromise and give-up, no matter what the circumstances are, and to battle with every last ounce of strength. How important is the compressive strength of cement while creating a brand? The ability of cement that to what extent it can withstand compression, is known as compressive strength. Compressive strength of concrete is one of the most important property and it is also one of the most tangible benefits with which the customers can relate to. JK Lakshmi Cement’s Mazbooti Guaranteed tagline is prime example of how much importance we give to the strength of our product. In 2020, we came up with a new campaign – Aa Strength Dikha, which is another attempt to showcase the higher strength of the brand vis-a-vis competitors. This campaign also takes our brand thought to another level by depicting that the strength of Buland Soch is always higher than ordinary thoughts.