Principles & Practices of Management

Submitted to: Prof. Mala Sane

Submitted by:
Name: Harnoor Kaur Kang
Sec: B
Roll No.: 3
PRN: 10020441061
INDEX

Title Pg
No:
History of the Company and Products 1
Members in the family 6
Status Quo of the company 10
Future and succession planning 11
Analysis 12

“Godrej is known for its values of trust, loyalty and empathy, which we will
continue to build on. We want to reinforce the trust and show a new brighter face”

Tanya Dubash – Godrej Group

Executive Director & President (Marketing)

FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS : “Ardeshir Godrej” : The Godrej Group

History Of The Company : Established in 1897, the Godrej group has grown in
India from the days of the charkha to nights at the call centers.The founder, Ardeshir
Godrej, lawyer-turned-locksmith, was a persistent inventor and a strong visionary who
could see the spark in the future. His inventions, manufactured by his brother Pirojsha
Godrej, were the foundation of today’s Godrej empire. One of India’s most trusted brand,
Godrej enjoys the patronage and trust of over 400 million Indians every single day. Their
customers mean the world to them. They are happy only when they see a delighted
customer smile. .
With 7 major companies with interests in real estate, FMCG, industrial engineering,
appliances, furniture(FMCD), security and agri care – to name a few – their turnover
crosses 2.5 billion dollars. We can think of Godrej as such an integral part of India – like
the bhangara or the kurta – that we may be surprised to know that 20% of their business
is done overseas. Their presence is in more than 60 countries ensures that our customers
are at home with Godrej no matter where they go. With brands we can believe in, service
excellence we can count on and the promise of brighter living for every customer, Godrej
knows what makes India tick today. Today, there is a point in Godrej’s history when their
amazing past is meeting up with their spectacular future on.

TIMELINE :

 1897 - Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd established

 1918 - Godrej Soaps Limited incorporated
 1961- Godrej Started Manufacturing Forklift Trucks in India
 1971- Godrej Agrovet Limited began as an Animal Feeds division of Godrej Soaps
 1974 - Veg oils division in Wadala, Mumbai acquired
 1990 - Godrej Properties Limited, another subsidiary, established
 1991 - Foods business started
 1991 - Godrej Agrovet Limited incorporated
 1994 - Transelektra Domestic Products acquired
 1995 - Transelektra forged a strategic alliance with Sara Lee USA
 1999 - Transelektra renamed Godrej Sara Lee Limited and incorporated Godrej
Infotech Ltd.
 2001 - Godrej Consumer Products was formed as a result of the demerger of
Godrej Soaps Limited. Godrej Soaps renamed Godrej Industries Limited
 2002 - Godrej Tea Limited set up
 2003 - Entered the BPO solutions and services space with Godrej Global Solutions
Limited
 2004 - Godrej HiCare Limited set up to provide a Safe Healthy Environment to
customers by providing professional pest management services
  2006 - Foods business was merged with Godrej Tea and Godrej Tea renamed
Godrej Beverages & Foods Limited
 2007 - Godrej Beverages & Foods Limited formed a JV with The Hershey
Company of North America and the company was renamed Godrej Hershey Foods
& Beverages Limited
 2008 - Godrej relaunched itself with new colourful logo and a fresh identity music

1 )1897 : The Start Of Godrej : Godrej Lock`s :

 It In 1897, Ardeshir Godrej , our founder , learned the first lesson
of success : failure. Not one, but two of his businesses went bust.
Then he set up a lock company. What followed is the stuff of
legend. Today, over 400 million Indians are keyed into his vision.
Here was a man who did not fall with failures. Over 100 years on,
his perseverance is inspiration for many

2) 1918 : The Journey of the 1st Cinthol.

In 1918, Godrej went against the tide of the Raj , and

launched the first soap in the world to be made without
animal fat. Since its relaunch in 1952, its market share
has been on a steady decline— from a peak of 15% in
the 1980s to 9% in 1993 (when the company severed
ties with Procter & Gamble) to 4.8% in 1999. Now,
Cinthol has only 3% of the Rs 6,000 crore soap market.
Godrej, with all its soap brands, is number two in the

3) 1923 : Godrej Almirah`s:

Godrej moved into the office equipment market and made its
first huge and solid almirah which was built to last , and which
is one of godrej`s guiding philosophies for all its products.
Eight years later Godrej almirah`s had flashier shades and
niftier locks. For years Godrej almirah`s have been a timeless
icons of a fathers love for his daughter and a wedding present.

4)1944 : Fire and Godrej safes :

 In 1944 , the SS Fort Strikine carrying a
mixed cargo of cotton , gold and
ammunition caught fire. The resultant
explosion was catastrophic, taking human
lives and destroying whole buildings. One
of the few things to survive was Godrej
Safes and it proved that it survived the
biggest explosions of that time, hence
Godrej safes are really safe.

5)1951 : Ballot Boxes :

In 1951 , The Election Commissioner asked Godrej to make the ballot boxes for free
India`s first elections. Within 7 days , 1.7 million ballot boxes were shipped out from
6)1958 : Refrigerators
Vikhroli :
to every corner of India.

In 1958, Godrej made its first refrigerator.

The earlier refrigerators were simple ones
and but Godrej refrigerators today like
Godrej EON, Edge, and PentacoolV2 cater
brilliantly equipped with technology like
cool shower technology and polybag
suspenders. Etc.

7) 1974 :

Godrej was the first to go green in 1974 , maintaining mangroves till date in the heart of
Mumbai. They act as huge reservoir for Mumbai in todays polluting world.
9) 1986 : Godrej Hair Dye` and in 1995 : Godrej Washing Machines :

Godrej Hair dye`s are extremely

popular.

Godrej Washing Machines with

Stellar force technology and
Force4 technology.

10)2008 : Godrej helped Indians go over the moon. They helped develop the launch
vehicle and the lunar orbiter for Chandrayaan – 1, India`s first unmanned mission to the
moon.

Members in the family :

Ardeshir Godrej
(Founder)

Parmeshwar
Godrej (wife Of
Adi Godrej)

Tanya Dubash Nisa Godrej Pirojsha Godrej

 Nadir
Godrej(younger
brother of Adi)

Rati Godrej (wife)

Burgis Godrej Sohrab Godrej Hormusji Godrej

Jamshyd Godrej
(cousin of Adi
Godrej)

Pheroza
Godrej(wife)

Navroze Godrej Raika Godrej

It is not often that one comes across such a sharp contrast between a
corporate boardroom and its occupants. At the Vikhroli headquarters of the $2.2 billion
Godrej Group, the boardroom is a picture of old-world elegance—complete with king-
sized wooden chairs with brass lions embellished on both armrests. The backdrop, a row
of black and white photographs of the dynasty, is a reminder of the group's 110-year-old
legacy. Perched confidently on those oversized chairs are 39-year-old Tanya and 30-year-
old Nisa, daughters of Group Chairman Adi Godrej. Along with them is Navroze, 25, the
son of Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman Godrej & Boyce. The only person missing is Adi
Godrej's 29-year-old son Pirojsha, who is at Harvard. The trio's chirpy, vibrant and
youthful personalities are the very anti-thesis of the boardroom and the three generations
of the family that have preceded them in it.

Adi Godrej (Founder):
 Age: 65
Fortune: inherited ,Source: diversified
Net Worth: $5.5 bil.
Country Of Citizenship: India Residence: Mumbai , India,
Asia & Australia

Industry: Manufacturing

Marital Status: Married, 3 children.

Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Master of Science
Heads 111-year-old Godrej Groupof which he is the Chairman, which started out as a
lockmaker. Product portfolio includes furniture, appliances, insecticides, soaps, foods,
and medical diagnostics. Has joint ventures with Sara Lee and candy maker Hershey's.
Family also has extensive landholdings in suburban Mumbai, where long-standing land
ownership restrictions were recently lifted. He married to Parmeshwa & has two
daughters, a son and two grandsons.
He is also Chairman of Godrej Industries Ltd., Godrej Consumer Products
Ltd., Godrej Sara Lee Ltd., Godrej Properties Ltd., Godrej Hershey Ltd., Godrej Hicare
Ltd., Nutrine Confectionery Company Ltd., Godrej SCA Hygiene Ltd., Godrej Consumer
Products (UK) Ltd., Keyline Brands Ltd. U.K. and Rapidol (Pty) Ltd., South Africa.
He is the Chairman of The Board of Trustees of the Dadabhai Naoroji
Memorial Prize Fund. He is former Chairman and President of the Indian Soap &
Toiletries Makers Association, The Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade, The
Solvent Extractors Association of India, The Compound Livestock Feeds Manufacturers
Association, the Indo-American Society and the Governing Council of the Narsee
Monjee Institute of Management Studies and former member of the Dean’s Advisory
Council of the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Wharton Asian Executive
Board.
Mr. Godrej is a member of Tau Beta Pi (The Engineering Honor Society). Mr.
Godrej also serves as a member of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian
Industry and is a member of the Governing Board of the Indian School of Business. Mr.
Godrej is a recipient of several awards and recognitions including the Rajiv Gandhi
Award 2002.
Parmeshwar Godrej :.She is a true socialite. The real test of this woman is how much
love and care she has invested in her children as citizens of the world, they have to have
their social passports stamped with good breeding, class, manners, values and culture.
that, indeed, is where parmeshwar and, in no small measure, adi, her brilliant other half,
have scored. their daughters, tanya and nisa and son pirojsha are indeed fine young
inheritors.

Nadir Godrej : Nadir Godrej is the Managing Director of Godrej Industries

and Chairman, Godrej Agrovet. He is also a Director of
numerous firms including Godrej & Boyce, Godrej Foods,
Godrej Consumer Products and Godrej Household Products.
Currently, Nadir is the President of the Indo French Technical
Association and the Alliance Francaise Mumbai. For his
contribution to Indo-French relations, the French Government
has honored Mr.Godrej with the awards of “Chevalier de
L’Ordre National due Merite” and “The National Order of the
Legion of Honour”. A Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of
Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, Nadir has
also done his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He
lives in Mumbai, India with his wife and three children.
Jamshyd Godrej

Jamshyd graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois

Institute of Technology, USA. Jamshyd N. Godrej is the Chairman
of the Board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company and
leads a diversified conglomerate with interests in the
manufacturing and marketing of refrigerators, washing machines,
air conditioners, office furniture, home furniture, security
equipment, locks and latches, forklift trucks and warehousing
equipment; process equipment for the chemical, petrochemical,
refineries and allied industries, precision tools and real estate
Tanya Dubash, 39, Adi Godrej's daughter Executive
development.
Director And President, Marketing

Been in the business since 1993.Began as a brand manager in

the soaps business She is also a Director in Godrej Industries,
Ensemble Holdings & Finance, Tahir Properties, Godrej
Agrovet, Godrej Household Products, Keyline Brands, Rapidol
(Pty) and Godrej Holdings.Tanya is responsible for the Godrej
Group’s marketing function with a focus on the leadership of
the Strategic Marketing Group that drives the development of
the Godrej Masterbrand. A graduate in Economics and Political
Science from Brown University, USA, Tanya has also
completed an Advanced Management Program from the
Harvard Business School. She lives in Mumbai with her
husband and two sons. Tanya joined the family business in
1993, and is now Executive Director and President (Marketing),
Godrej Industries.
Nisaba Godrej : Nisa is President, Human Capital & Innovation, Godrej Industries. She
led a group wide portfolio strategy initiative and has been instrumental in setting up a
strategy cell for Godrej. Nisa is also closely involved in the selection and development of
top management and employee engagement with a specific focus on Godrej’s Agri and
FMCG portfolios. Pirojsha is likely to get on board once he returns from Harvard.
Nisa signed on in 2000, but after a short stint went off to Harvard for her MBA,
and came back three years ago as Executive Vice-President, Business Development,
Godrej Industries.

Navroze Godrej, 25, Jamshyd Godrej's son ,Vice-President, Godrej & Boyce 
Has been in the business since 2007. Started off as a management trainee in Godrej &
Boyce. Holds an undergraduate degree in communications from Boston College Navroze,
who is the Vice President of Godrej & Boyce and in charge of special projects for the
entire group, has been in the business for just about a year.

Status Quo Of the Company :

Strengths Weaknesses

 Cost advantage  Lack of capital invrestent r &d

 Asset leverage  Lack of innovation

 Effective communication  Lack of Mnc culture

 Hierarchial structure
 Online growth
 Loyal customers
  Market share leadership
 Strong management team
 Strong brand equity
 Strong financial position
 Supply chain
 Pricing
 Reputation management

Opportunities Threats

 Acquisitions  Competition
 Asset leverage  Cheaper technology
 Emerging markets and expansion  Economic slowdown
abroad  External changes (government,
 Online politics, taxes, etc)
 Product and services expansion  Exchange rate fluctuations
 Takeovers  Lower cost competitors or imports
 Maturing categories, products, or
services
 Price wars
 Product substitution

A Brave New India

Over the years, India's demographic profile has shifted in favour of younger
consumers. Half the population is now under 25 and about 100 million Indians are in the
17-21 age group. But many Godrej brands have failed to keep pace with this
transformation. The group has retained many of its earlier consumers (who are growing
older), but failed to add younger ones. "Our brands were looked upon as elderly and not
aspirational," says Nisa. "We haven't been managing the Godrej brand that well," she
admits. "Consumers decide on the basis of what brands deliver today; not on what they
delivered to their parents," says Bangalore-based brand specialist Harish Bijoor. "This is
the Godrej challenge."
Adi Godrej believes that the family's Gen Next can fix the problem. "The fourth
generation is in close touch with the aspirations of our younger consumers," he says. "We
have given them the responsibility of revamping the consumer image."

Since then, the three have been on a mission to revitalise Godrej's brands. "Our focus is
to make our products more competitive vis-a-vis global brands, build a portfolio strategy
to maximise brand value, and thereby sustain a powerful link between brand investments
and business results," says Tanya. But because the house brands have lost resonance with
younger consumers, it has not quite been able to deliver the desired business results.
Take Cinthol, the group's flagship since its launch in 1952.

This is one reason why, over the past three years, Godrej Consumer Products has
delivered the lowest shareholder returns in a group of peers that includes Marico, Nestle
and Hindustan Unilever.

Future and Succession Planning

Tanya hired Bangalore-based brand valuation company Brand Finance to value the
brands owned by Godrej Cosumer Products. "Nisa and Tanya first wanted to understand
the value of their brands so that they could turn them around," recalls Unni Krishnan,
Country Manager, Brand Finance. It valued Godrej Consumer Products' brands at Rs
3,000 crore. "A brand such as Cinthol may have a less than 5% market share, but it still
has great equity in the minds of the consumer."

The Godrej siblings took note, and re-launched the brand in contemporary packaging and
new variants, with a tag new line, 'Don't Stop It' (that promises 24-hour protection against
body odour). They also got Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan to endorse it. Cricketer
Imran Khan and actor Vinod Khanna were the last celebrities to sell the soap. Cinthol has
also been extended into categories such as deodorant spray and body wash.

The younger Godrejs have done more than re-package existing products. They have also
re-engineered the core value equation of some products. This has helped improve
margins. The powder hair-dye brand, which was relaunched as Godrej Expert Hair Dye,
is one example. Earlier, it was available in Re 1 sachets. But Tanya led the initiative to
re-launch it at Rs 9, with value-adds such as a conditioner and a new fragrance.

Global Aspirations
Besides reinvigorating Godrej's existing brands, the trio has also been instrumental in
adding newer and younger brands to the group portfolio. Chocolate brand Hershey's is
one example. Nisa led the initiative to form a 50:50 joint venture with The Hershey
Company USA. "Going forward, we will constantly be on the lookout for more such
international deals," says Nisa.
Similarly, the acquisition of the UK-based personal care company Keyline Brands in
2005 for Rs 130 crore and South African FMCG major Rapidol, for an undisclosed
amount, brought in a bunch of younger brands. Rapidol's hair colour brand Inecto
commands more than 70% market share in South Africa. Interestingly, while hair colour
is marketed in India as a product for the old and graying, Rapidol's Inecto is sold in bright
and whacky colours to the young. Clearly, there are learnings that can flow from these
international acquisitions into India. For example, Godrej has already extended hair
colour brand, Renew, in powder form. Renew is now available in shades of burgundy,
auburn red, light brown and natural dark—all aimed at the youth.

The next move by Gen-next was a complete makeover of the Godrej brand. After months
of deliberation with UK-based marketing consultancy Interbrand, they re-engineered the
company's core promise to consumers—replacing the old 'smarter living' tagline with the
new 'brighter living' promise. While the Godrej signature remains unchanged, new shades
of green, blue and magenta came in. Navroze says this makes Godrej contemporary
without compromising on its core values.

The new identity also places a sharper focus on four critical business lines: personal
grooming, furniture, property and appliances. The younger Godrejs call this the 'Hero
Businesses'. "We want to build a Godrej experience around these businesses that would
compel consumers to choose us over others," says Nisa. "We will invest
Rs 100 crore in the next one year on the Hero projects," adds Tanya.

Besides the brands, the younger Godrejs also want to impose their youthful ideas and
personalities on the rest of the Godrej organisation. "This is more than a new logo. It has
more to do with the philosophy and culture of the organisation," says Navroze. It will all
be about having a younger mindset, and the focus in the coming months will not only be
on being able to attract younger consumers, but also to attract younger employees.

But are the rank and file, and the group's professional managers, taking the new orders
from the young Godrejs well? Maybe, maybe not. Despite repeated requests, the
company refused even a single interview with business heads and professional managers.
When we pressed the issue, they suggested we drop the story.

Analysis :

Nevertheless, the way the young Godrejs approach this challenge is very different

from the way professional managers would tackle it. The personal pride the trio has taken
in the Godrej name adds a new dimension to everything they do. For 25-year-old
Navroze Godrej, it's payback time. "When you grow up in the midst of continuous
discussions of how to expand your family business, you automatically develop an
interest. Then comes a time when you want to give back," he says. He was inducted into
Godrej & Boyce after he finished his undergraduation in communications from Boston
College. "We have never been pressurised to join the family business. But it is our duty
to take the assets forward," says Nisa.

Bala Balachandran, Distinguished Professor of Management, JL Kellogg School, who is

also an independent director on the board of Godrej Consumer Products, says the siblings
supplement and complement each other well. "In these days of team leadership, one
brings marketing savvy (Tanya), the other oversees strategy and alliances (Nisa) and the
third (son, Pirojsha, currently studying at Harvard) brings the financial and accounting
soundness".

Adi Godrej gives them a free hand. "I feel the fourth generation has a strong belief in
Godrej's values and they are also passionate about creating a change," he says.

Unni Krishnan of Brand Finance, who has worked closely with both generations of the
Godrej family, adds the two generations complement each other brilliantly. "Adi Godrej
is astute in understanding shareholder values and financial implications, while the
younger generation is passionate about brands. They value consumer relations and are
extremely concerned about the long-term value of their brands." This balanced focus
between shareholder returns and a passion to build brands is an asset, says Balachandran.

Back at the Vikhroli boardroom, we wrap up the interview with the three siblings with
one parting question: "How are you different from your parents?" Navroze, the youngest
and freshest in the business, giggles as he replies: "We are much cooler than them."
Tanya, who has been around for 15 years, is quick to intervene. "We quite reflect our
parents, but we are just a little more contemporary. We have a better understanding of
younger Indians," she says diplomatically. Even young scions need experience to become
seasoned.

Last fortnight, the Rs 9,000-crore Godrej Group did something it has never done before:
changed its brand identity. Flanked by daughter and executive director and president,
marketing, Tanya Dubash, chairman of the Godrej Group Adi B Godrej, unveiled the
group's colourful new logo before the media and said, "With our new initiatives, we are
targeting a growth of 25-30% annually. The purpose of the whole exercise is to make the
Godrej brand relevant and contemporary. Tanya is the chief architect of the project."

Shedding its "frumpy old lady" image (chairman Adi Godrej admitted in a 2002 press
meet that a Godrej as a brand has the image of "a frumpy old lady" and is looked upon
as "an industrial brand"), the 111-year-old Godrej Group now sports a logo in bright
colours-green, blue and ruby-a far cry from the staid look it has donned since the Group
was founded at Lalbaug, central Mumbai, in 1897. In sync with its new logo, the group
has also repositioned the master brand around the proposition of "Brighter Living".

And that's not all. The Group has drawn up a fresh marketing strategy to rejuvenate the
Godrej brand both in the domestic and in the international markets. According to Godrej,
"Since we are on a global growth path, we wish to have a new brand identity that has an
international appeal. Currently, 20% of our total revenues come from the overseas
market."

It's not difficult to see why the head of India's foremost business group is keen to change
popular perception of the group. His fast moving consumer goods enterprise, Godrej
Consumer Products took its first tentative step in the global business arena in October
2005, when it snapped up the Middlesex-based Keyline Brands in a Rs 130 crore deal.
Keyline Brands, which has a personal care range that complements that of Godrej
(talcum powder, shaving cream, hair colour), was expected to give Godrej brands a no-
fuss entry into mom-and-pop stores and supermarkets of countries like the UK. The aim,
as stated by the Group then, was to earn at least 50% of its revenues from businesses
outside India by 2010.

To this end, the group has outlined a new portfolio management strategy "to maximise
the value of the Godrej brand and associated businesses". According to Tanya Dubash,
the idea, at the end of the day, is to also appeal to a younger mindset. "Placing
progressive consumers at the centre of our product and brand development, we have
created a contemporary and aspirational lifestyle brand by repositioning the master
brand around the promise of Brighter Living," explains Dubash.

But why is the Group looking to the West? The answer is simple. The market for
personal grooming categories is far bigger. For instance, the size of the hair colour
market in India is just around Rs 550-600 crore. In the UK, it is al least five times that
size. Of course, Keyline's hair colour brands are not that big. But what it offers is a
readymade distribution channel.

In a bid to forge a link between brand investments and business results, the group has
created dedicated teams to generate ideas for growth. For starters, the group has set up a
strategic marketing group to manage the Godrej brand as one entity. "We have also
formed a FMCG Portfolio Group to leverage cross-business synergies to achieve our
goal, Vision 2012, a tripling of revenues. Also, we are looking at propriety consumer
insight to develop brand positioning and growth model," informs Dubash.

The Group hopes to create a strong brand franchise through new plans for product and
brand development, retail channel strategy, communication and talent management. In
the first phase, the group is planning to build the Godrej master brand in tandem with the
four businesses of personal grooming, furniture, property and aerospace. "Our core focus
will be on our four businesses, Hero Businesses. We are investing in driving
performance of businesses that leverage the Godrej expertise, experience and equity,"
explains Dubash.

This aggressiveness was long overdue. Among the largest family-owned businesses in
the country, the Group's legacy of innovation dates right back to early days when it
started its journey from a garage-like shed adjacent to Bombay Gas Company Works
manufacturing locks. Godrej quickly became a household name, and went on to become
a national symbol of innovation offering an array of products that ranged from security
equipment to soaps produced, for the first time, from vegetable oil.

According to an industry analyst based in Mumbai, increasingly, Indian conglomerates

with global footprints are opting for monolithic brand identities that synergise group
companies and create international appeal. Jagdeep Kapoor, chairman and managing
director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, thinks the Godrej Group's effort is well-timed.
"The group has chosen the right time to release its new image riding on the excitement
generated by the IPL matches."

To be sure, the group has joined the Indian Premier League brandwagon to draw
attention to its new avatar. "We are a core sponsor of the IPL television broadcast. It's a
great vehicle to convey our message," says Dubash.

To drive home the positioning, the Godrej Group is getting ready to launch an
aggressive multi-media ad campaign in a week. Advertising major JWT India has
designed the Godrej Group's new advertising campaign. "We will be launching a
corporate film to showcase our new positioning. In fact, our new mass media campaigns
will show how we have changed," informs Dubash.

Not everyone is impressed though. A leading brand consultant based in Mumbai says,
"A logo change by itself is not enough. A logo is what a logo does. What I mean is, what
it will do in terms of actual implementation will decide the value of the logo."

United colours of Godrej

Ever since the Godrej Group was founded at Lalbaug, central Mumbai in 1887, the
group had sported a traditional logo that's common for all its business ranging from steel
cupboards, soaps, hair dye, refrigerators, edible oil and furniture. The group has now
opted for a new brand identity to acquire an international appeal in global markets. "We
have gone a brand identity makeover for the first time since inception," says Godrej
Group executive director and president, marketing, Tanya Dubash. "We have
modernised out brand identity to make it distinct and vibrant. For instance, the colour
green in our logo connotes growth and harmony with the nature, while blue signals big
ideas and innovation. Finally, ruby stands for passion, energy and endurance."

Prior to the move, the group's different companies sported corporate logos in different
hues and sizes. While Godrej Agrovet had its logo in green, Godrej Consumer Products
sported a blue logo. Other companies in the Godrej fold (Godrej Properties, Hershey
Godrej Beverages & Foods, Godrej Global Solutions, Godrej HiCare, Godrej Sara Lee
and Godrej &

Boyce Manufacturing) also sported different logos in different colours till last year. In
2007, the group had harmonised the corporate logos of its eight companies under a
single entity in blazing red.

A four-pronged strategy

The Godrej group has identified four businesses as Hero Businesses:

* Personal Grooming: The idea is to invest in hair colours as a marquee category in its
personal grooming portfolio through specific projects in the next six months. Leverage
strong brands like Cinthol.

* Properties: The Group plans to build its presence in the real estate market as a brand
that actually "delivers on imagination across a portfolio of residential and commercial
projects".

* Furniture: To drive growth in the home and office business and focus it as a lifestyle
brand.

* Appliances: The objective is to benefit from the group's technological capabilities.

Lock, stock and barrel

Originally, a lock manufacturing firm founded by Ardeshir Godrej, over a century of

existence the Godrej Group has branched into areas as diverse as insecticides, personal
care, agri products, security systems, home appliances, office equipment, machine tools,
chemicals and real estate. Incidentally, in 2002, the group had commissioned a study
whose results indicated that Godrej was seen as a "an industrial brand".

So two years ago the Group appointed global brand consultancy firm Interbrand to
reposition the Godrej brand with a makeover strategy that projects the Group as modern
as well as contemporary. "We started with a detailed understanding of the Godrej brand
over the course of 18 months across all stakeholders with Interbrand UK as consultant,"
says Tanya Dubash, the mastermind of the Godrej makeover. "We studied the Godrej
brand across employees, consumers, investors and business partners and redefine our
approach to harnessing the brand's intrinsic strengths," she adds. The result: a new logo
in green, blue and ruby and a new brand proposition, "Brighter Living".