Today the success of the Belarusian branding movement is evident. Especially in the food product group where competition is the most severe. Domestic producers have learnt to devise more or less catchy names, wrap their goods in bright packaging and carry out promotional campaigns. Some innocently think that this is, actually, branding. But time and experience show that attractive packaging and well-devised name are not enough for success.
But there are also our “heroes”. For example, the open JSC “Savushkin Product”. This summer the company launched a new programme “For the Health of the Nation”. In short, the project’s objective is to foster in Belarusians healthy and balanced eating habits. “Savushkin Product” is now conducting a national research into the norms of milk and milk products consumption (150 families in 11 towns of Belarus are taking part in this research keeping a special diary). Later on the company is going to involve scientists to work out recommendations on the ground of which the company will start producing new products.
Among the indisputable leaders are, certainly, “Milavitsa”, a lingerie producing company, and also “Conte” tights that are well-remembered for the slogan “Wearing skirts is better!”“In the West the notion of ”brand" means not only the name of this or that product, but also the corporate identity”, said in his speech Andrei Purtov, editor-in-chief of the Moscow “Identity” journal. “In Belarus we can speak of the corporate identity, perhaps, only in respect of “Milavitsa”. While this notion is very important for a company’s success. The Airways “British Midland”, after they introduced their corporate style, were bestowed a “5-star” class and enhanced their brand’s recognizability by 75%".
One of the guests said that Belarus is just starting its entrance to the world brand space and the Belarusian companies are now residing in the cloudless period of this integration. For the time being, there is no “black PR” among the competitors, no unfair advertising and outright sabotage that the Russian producers suffer today. On the other hand, Belarus is still far from the world tendencies of the branding movement. Nowadays branding of a separate company is no longer an issue, while city branding and country branding used for the attraction of investments are gaining momentum. So there is a long way ahead of us.
Maria Koulikova
