Contradiction in Brands

Kya aapke brand mein contradiction hai?

Ever noticed how powerful ‘brands’ combine seemingly contradictory values? Dhoni’s brute muscle power with his almost yogic calmness, Virat’s in your face attitude with discipline that would put most ‘good boys’ to shame…

Take the same analogy to other brands – Maggi’s convenience combines with mother’s love (opposites, if you see how culture dictates that mothers slog in the kitchen to express love through food). Airbnb offers home-like experience in alien surroundings (something hotels often promised but could never live up to).

By contrast, some great ‘products’ did not offer such sharp contradictions, thereby not reaching the same levels of brand value. Dravid’s good boyness did not really contrast starkly against anything. And a much-admired cricketer with second highest runs after SRT had a fraction of the brand endorsements coming his way.

In brand strategy, these contradictions are crucial to defining your brand. Just slapping two of them together (health and taste, power and mileage, tough yet gentle) is not the same as constructing them basis cultural insights and conflicts.

Can you think of more such brand examples around?