Branding of Start-ups- Indian Experience

Branding as a strategic marketing tool has been well established and researchers have been continuously contributing to this domain and building models to develop a successful brand whether it is a company or a product. In this research work we are examining the branding initiatives by start-ups in the Indian Scenario. Earlier researchers concentrated more on the established companies and the brands which have been successfully launched. In the start-up eco system there are constraints due to the resources and the acceptability of branding in general at the nascent stage of a business. To address the research questions three case studies of established start-up brands and a survey of emerging start-ups will be conducted. Primary reasons cited are the founders focus on the innovation and the marketing activities being seen as a cost to the company. Despite the revenue constraints there are opportunities for these entrepreneurs to engage in branding initiatives beyond the basic logo designing aspect. One of the critical facet is the personal branding concepts which are essential for the founders to build upon and transfer to the venture. The challenges and opportunities in branding of Start-ups is appraised and we will attempt to develop a model for brand building for Start-ups in India