My job description is that of a market researcher - I conduct primary research on upcoming office spaces in order to study the market potential in and around Calcutta. As a result, I have to travel a lot. Take for instance the restaurant that I came across the other day, close to Garia township in East Calcutta. Clearly a restaurant targeted to attract LIG to MIG individuals, they had two sections - the AC and the non-AC sections. Now when you are targeting these segments predominantly in Asia and mostly in the Indian subcontinent, you are looking at the most value conscious customer segments. If you are not delivering magnificent value at low costs, you are potentially looking at losing them. While catering to that demand, most such businesses would not focus on expanding the scope of their operations to the same. Today however, customers have become increasingly self conscious - anything that does not appeal to their ego or seems to ruffle it will result in an opportunity loss. So, this clever restaurant deals with the entire AC - non-AC situation in a very simple fashion. They call their non-AC section the open-air, close to nature section. Now, that is improvisation. You see they are not only purveyors of food items, they are delivering you the experience of sitting in the open and enjoying the lovely sunshine (and the heat, but then that's the trick - to not mention the obvious.) The CVP of the restaurant is the experience, and the memories that you will create and take back from the place - in addition to the good food at dirt cheap prices.
Let's take you somewhere slightly south. One look at the CVP of the dentist's - you see he is offering you more than just the cure to toothache or tooth decay. That's his core service. Beyond the core service, lie the actual service, the expected service, the augmented and the potential service. Now you could be the biggest fish in a little pond by miles - but if you do not think about tapping the higher offering that you can diversify into, you will be eaten by the next big fish that comes along because now, you are in an ocean. So, it is no longer the cure to the toothache or the tooth decay. His office is called the Smile Solution center - he promises you: relief from dental issues (that have been plaque-ing you

There's so much that a profoundly thought out positioning statement, a slightly thoughtful tag line can do for your business. I think the positioning statement of one's offering is what ultimately goes a long way in establishing the foundation for a much vaunted, much sought-after brand equity that we are ready to pour millions for.
Now, we have two examples of where and how you can go wrong. The furniture shop that promises to deliver the best metal furniture to your house, is named - and wait for it - Irony. Seriously? While I am a sucker for tongue-in-cheek humour, I think this is taking it a tad too far. I will, at the end of the day, have a laugh about it - but I am most certainly not going to be very gullible while buying my furniture. Ironic, hm.
And then there's the newly opened restaurant - called "Yummraj". Its positioning, the most that I can make out, is that it offers yummy food to its customers. They could have stopped there. No, they took it up a notch by naming their restaurant after the feared God of Death in Hindu mythology. What did they do? They drove away the particularly superstitious generation of the city. Now I realise that their offerings are aimed at certain target segments. But is there a point in being * to such an extent? Or are they being plain naive? I am for one, not eating at that direct portal to hell. God save me.
Enough brand-bashing for the day.