Up the Ladder

Nokia Rises to Number Five
In recognition of the substantial improvement in its performance in 2007, Nokia has been ranked the world's fifth most valuable brand after Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM and General Electric. In 2006, it held the sixth position.

Nokia accounts for 64 per cent of the industry profit and has 38 per cent market share worldwide. Its total global revenue in 2007 was $51 billion with China contributing $5.9 billion and India $3.6 billion.

India's market is expanding at a huge pace, with different players reaping the benefit. For its part, Nokia has invested $210 million to set up a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, India.

Nokia is now exporting 'Made in India' cell phones to more than 50 countries.

The LG Strategy

G Group has strengthened its public relations structure by simplifying it, which is expected to save time and energy when making decisions. According to the group its public relations department will take charge of brand strategy management.

LG has created a 'brand management council,' bringing together 13 high-ranking brand officials of its key affiliates, including LG Electronics, LG Telecom and LG Chem. This whole initiative is expected to give a boost to LG's brand imager



Branding the Sarkozyan Way

The state visit to Britain by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni has been dubbed 'brand building tour' by some quarters and that for good reason. It not only made the French President's wobbly image steady and strong outside his country but also transformed his wife Carla into the most glamorous First Wife since Jackie Kennedy, the wife of the late US President John F. Kennedy.

The visit had all the ingredients of a soap opera. It started with the British press printing naked pictures of Sarkozy's wife, a former super model, singer and actress and at the same time portraying all the negative image of the French President. By the next day however, the reverse note had begun to be struck; Carla's pictures were dignified and highlighted with her positive sides while the French President appeared more substantial and stronger as the leader of his country. So flawless was The Sarko Couple Show that media specialists began to wonder who was behind the show - that is who did the PR for the couple.

For a politician or a product, public relations plays a vital role in building a brand or an image. A good politician employs an efficient PR team that understands the media, can manipulate it and get it to work for the boss. And that is what the French President did. "Clearly, Sarkozy is a formidable communicator who employs a talented PR team. Everything the president does seems aimed at maximum PR impact," says Mark Borkowski in a Media blog, adding that the man pulling the strings for Sarkozy is Thierry Saussez, a veteran political operator who has had a hand in many election campaigns. The team also has other important players like Franck Louvrier and Laurent Solly and an outer circle of 80 communication consultants who have been constantly working for the better image of the President, his family and the country as a whole. Apart from establishing strong ties with TV channels and the Press, Sarkozy's PR team has sought to address negative coverage on the web, recruiting Nicolas Princen as 'cyber spin doctor' to counter internet attacks on the president, writes Mark. "The French media is becoming wary of the PR muscle leveraged on the press and television. At a recent press conference, a flock of 600 journalists was on hand to quiz the president but very few asked any probing questions. As time passes, it will be interesting to see if the hype generated by Sarkozy's London tour will convert some of his detractors. Clearly, political style over substance is the new French vogue."

Mark thinks Sarkozy's private life is offered up as a sacrifice. "Ricky Jay, the legendary magician, once wrote that a fundamental of magic is that at one point two things are happening: what appears to be going on and what really is going on. Magicians call it misdirection: they direct attention to what is irrelevant away from what is crucial. Sarkozy epitomizes the art of misdirection, assisted by his own glamorous Italian version of Debbie McGee.