How Eicher, Crompton Turned Bullet And Butterfly Into Big Brands

What’s in a brand? Well, brand is a powerful communicator. Often, it survives its creator and owner. A brand has the capacity to trigger universal appeal. Sometimes, a brand requires to be freed from the clutches of its owners. That’s very important for its longevity. That is easier said than done, however. It takes the owner to think and act beyond personal wishes to make an institution out of his/her brand. Indeed, an owner/creator has to have a strong sense of objectivity and courage. A couple of top brands from Chennai not only survived the test of time but have also become truly national now. In the 90s, scalability issues saw the late S Viswanathan let go Enfield, the company his family founded. His son Kapil has gone to create Krea University. Today, Enfield under Eicher has taken the iconic bike Bullet to a new height. Bullet is a global brand now. Not long ago, the owners of Butterfly had chosen to let Crompton take over the company. Butterfly is a household name in the kitchen appliances spaces in the Southern part of India. With Crompton stepping in, Butterfly has taken a national wing. Being successful in business is one thing. It’s statesmanship in them that tests the longevity of their brands.