They say homeward journeys are often the best. The return flight of the legacy airline, Air India, to the Tata Group gave us a similar feeling. It has a lesson for businesses on creating brands through sustainable and trusted conduct.
Most business takeovers are just a piece of news and rarely capture the public’s imagination. However, the return of ‘The Maharajah’, from the Government of India to the Tatas after 68 years, has been an emotional moment for avid fliers. This displays a remarkable brand story. The brand has established such a powerful connect with its consumers that its values and integrity have sustained for years and transcended generations.
A strong business culture that is a gold standard for both employee and customer experience is the building block of a legacy brand. Business outreach, steady growth and rewarding decisions stem from planning and executing an agile strategy. But, it’s an integrated cultural framework that sets the tone of an organisation’s outlook. Ultimately, robust workplace ethics translate into long-term corporate value. In Peter Drucker’s words, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Iconic brands get built on the foundation of the below principles.
Work culture: Commercial losses are a part of the business lifecycle. A firm’s culture should remain unaffected by wins or losses. The ethos of integrity, long-term value creation and professional management helped the Group win the bid almost effortlessly.
Don’t tell, show: A smooth strategy can be executed in silence and deliver the desired results with a reverberating impact. The approach of excellence in customer service and delight can be replicated across businesses. Be it traditional hospitality or new-age businesses, they have established a deep sense of trust in their product and brand’s conduct.
Determination: Sometimes blinders do help. A narrowed vision can sharpen focus. Unwavering attention on the goal and a ‘never say never’ attitude helped the Group regain the business.
- Planning: A deep analysis of the industry and the economy
- Patience: They didn’t lose hope even after almost seven decades
- Perseverance: Relentless pursuit of the goal
Purpose: A sense of purpose unites a firm — whether it’s an ethical approach at the workplace or the business ecosystem, i.e. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. Having a purpose elevates the motivation of employees to deliver their best as it relates to the fundamental human need of being part of a community.
Culture is the unspoken parlance that we instinctively understand and act upon, making it the most effective guiding undercurrent towards a company’s vision.
The brand has come full circle and is back to where it belongs. From this long journey, one thing is clear — building a brand is one thing; building a business with an institutional approach that far outlives its founder, quite another.
