A SHORT AND SPLENDID GUIDE TO A BRIGHTER GODREJ
The world is on its toes. Turning. Changing. Evolving. As India moves forward, so does Godrej. In your hands is a guide to inspire you to lead Godrej into the future. Because you - and your 20,000 colleagues - have your finger on the switch that can make Godrej brighter. So here’s our little brand book about big ideas. A map as much as a manual, we hope it motivates you to make the most of today, and more of tomorrow.
Go for Glory. Godrej.
In India, we grow up with Godrej. Soaps and locks. Hair color and refrigerators. Godrej is behind us, ahead of us, around us. For over 110 years, Godrej has been a company India counts on. So, how did we stand the test of time? Simple: By never resting on our laurels. We adapt. We advance. We keep in step with the rhythm of our times. We know that the current music is as much an electronica track as it is an afternoon raga. But our evolution is never at the cost of the great, good things Godrej has always stood for: trust, integrity and humility. What distinguishes us from the competition is our remarkable past. But we also know that we owe the future our sincerest best. Like it or not, we’re only as good as what we do next.
IN STEP WITH TOMORROW As Godrej gets older, our customers get younger. Our 400 million customers are as much an ambitious farmer in Gurdaspur as a dreadlocked hipster in Goa; as much a devoted housewife in Nasik as a sleepy-eyed software programmer in Hyderabad.  To keep pace with our customers we must learn the words of their songs and the steps to their dance. Young Indians, talented and ambitious, progressive and positive, are taking a bow on the global stage. As the spotlight shifts on India, Godrej cannot just be a part of the parade, but lead it... So stretch. Become supple. Be agile. Challenge the status quo. Take on today. And say hello, salaam, namaste, and sat sri akal to tomorrow.
The Vision of our Brand Godrej is not what ‘we’ say it is. It’s what our ‘customers’ believe it is. You can’t buy reputation. You have to earn it. We’re a little chuffed to say that we don’t know many companies that have been around for as long as we have – and continue enjoying a franchise as large as we do. But success should not make us complacent.
BRIGHTER LIVING Brighter Living rejoices in the light of life. Brighter Living is our determination to dazzle our customers with original products and incomparable service. Brighter Living fuels up on our faith in a fantastic future.
Every one of us at Godrej is a champion of Brighter Living. Because what’s good today for our customers will ultimately be great for us. Nothing delights us more than a delighted customer. So we’ll always go the extra mile because we know that what goes around comes around. Everyday we endeavor to send out the brightness. And know it will come right back.
BRIGHTER BUSINESS It’s not just consumers who benefit from the idea of brighter living. When we live and work ‘bright’ all our stakeholders and business partners benefit from and enjoy working with us.
BRIGHTER LIVING
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Brighter living comes from within Brighter Living is all about turning on the tube lights in our head and in the heads of our customers. These are our brand values. How will you use them to bring our brand to life?
EXPRESSION Speak. Dance. Sing. Be a brighter you. Give our customers the products and services to express themselves too.
EXPERIENCE
PROGRESSION
EMPATHY We’ll take small steps and giant strides as we walk hand-in-hand with our customers into the future. We believe that our every customer is a star.
Clue into the heart of modern India. Take a moment to know your customer. Feel. Read. Listen. We’re here because they’re here. Say shukriya.
We don’t just sell products. We create products that astonish and we provide services our customers will never forget. So make everything we do an experience of excellence. Inhabit brilliance.
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LEAD THE WAY AND SHINE We’re working days, nights, and the afternoon to give our customers their every rupee’s worth. We think like mavericks . We constantly innovate. We want our customers to say, maan gaye, yaar. The race for the future is not for the faint-hearted: so step up or step out. Challenge prejudice. Confront convention. Evolve always. The only way in life is forward. So pull yourselves by the bootstraps and gallop ahead.
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PROGRESSION
“ Progression leads to individual ownership, it makes your attitude positive, improves your standard of living and your thought process. When we better ourselves, we better our country.� Team Precision Systems
PROGRESSION Not only are we getting better, we’re getting bigger. You think of Godrej as such an integral part of India - like bhangra or the kurta - that you might not know that over 20% of our business is done overseas. We’re taking on the world, but as is Godrej’s forte, we’re doing it without too much of a tamasha. If we weren’t blushing right now we’d tell our customers that our presence in over 60 countries means that they are at home with Godrej no matter where they go.
COUNTRIES AND COUNTING...
PROGRESSION
THE KEY TO SUCCESS Godrej wasn’t an overnight hit. Our founding father, Ardeshir Godrej tried - and failed - with a few businesses before he struck gold with the locks business you know today. Instead of quitting when he hit a roadblock, he chose to keep on keeping on. He knew that the harder you fall, the higher your rise. Like Ardeshir Godrej, we too must channel patience and perseverance to take setbacks in our stride and carry on. Nothing should stop us - not even the fear of failure. Make mistakes - just don’t repeat them. Without darkness, there can be no light. So: Dream. Think aloud. And in color.
NEVER LET FEAR HOLD YOU BACK. LEAD THE WAY AND SHINE.
EXPRESSION
BEDHADAK BOLO Think big. Express big. And big at Godrej means many things. Speak your truth. Be authentic. Run. Climb Kilimanjaro. Tell a story. Have paani puri. Free your mind. Know your heart. Think boldly. Become the inspiration you seek. Our every product is the language with which customers express themselves, make a statement, establish their taste. Work with your customers to give them the gear they need to tell the story of their lives. Take a deep breath and bedhadak bolo. In speaking your mind lies the power of all transformation.
EXPRESSION
“ I identify with the idea of expression. Only if you express yourself freely and allow others to express themselves freely can you progress, be empathic or deliver a Brighter Living experience. Without expression, there is nothing.� Nikita Aneja
EXPRESSION Expression is like bathroom singing: we all do it our way. We found Godrej washing machines churned out lassi in Punjab. Our hair dyes color buffalos; apparently, the darker the buffalo, the higher its price. Mosquito mats are tossed in to fire to send out powerful fumes to keep pests at bay. Our products serve an entirely unexpected purpose than what they were made for. Not that we’re against being astounded. We’re just tickled that our customers think more creatively than we do. So we’re keen to step up to the plate and anticipate the unanticipated. The possibilities of humanity will never cease to amaze you. Just keep your imagination on its toes. Keep wondering.
Expression
inspire love Are our customers in love with the Godrej brand? Do their eyes light up with pride when they speak about our creations? Do you hear the josh in their voices when they step into our store? The best publicity is a happy customer, and the easiest way to strengthen a brand is to solidify unstinting loyalty. Word of mouth speaks louder than an hour of promotion on prime time TV. A customer’s satisfied smile is stronger than any billboard hoarding money can buy. Excellence needs no advertising. What can you do today to make someone love Godrej just a tiny bit more? LOVE (verb). To have a crush on. To take a shine to. To be completely fida over.
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EMPATHY
MAKE TIME TO CONNECT What makes a Bollywood film a raging success when it’s screened in Russia? Why do we weep when we listen to Italian opera? Because our feelings are a shared universal code, uniting us across culture and language. At Godrej, we’d like you to feel for your customer. Know their thoughts. Understand how a product is part of their world. Hair color might help a prematurely greying man to get a hot date. The temperature control panel on an AC could rescue a marriage. A safe doesn’t simply store valuables, it also secures what is invaluable... like your son’s first crayon drawing... and the little green glass bangle your mother gave you on your fourteenth birthday. So the next time you speak with your customer, read between the lines. Get into their shoes. And think from their dil. Before you know it, like a Bollywood film, you’ll be a Super Hit.
EMPATHY
“ No matter where you go, if you say you are from Godrej you are identified as someone to be respected. People will trust you.” Neha Parmar
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EMPATHY Are you listening? Sometimes a fridge is not just a fridge: it’s a marvel of thoughtfulness. Let’s talk about our Eon fridges for a second. Not only are they exquisitely crafted and built to survive a hurricane, they also showcase the attention we pay to our customers (because, you know, we love them). We see our customers return from the bazaar. It’s 32 degrees outside. They’re tired. They don’t really want to unpack bhaji right that instant. So we put a series of little hooks in our fridges - which means they can open the fridge and hang their shopping. And they can chill for a bit. Write a letter. Watch a music video. Have an iced chai on us. Anyone can make the grade. But only a select few can set a standard. At Godrej we’re delighted to tell our customers that we’re keeping our ears peeled. We want to keep listening to our customer and create small and big “hooks” that make them love us.
What big (and little) hooks are you creating for your customers?
EMPATHY
SHARE THEIR WORLD Everyone leads busy lives. But it’s only when we make time for other people that our lives become truly rewarding.
USE HUMOR Laugh with people, and at yourself. Lighten up. Tickle your funny bone. We’re, like, really serious about this.
ADMIT MISTAKES
BE A REVOLUTIONARY Change the world. But have fun. Recycle. Switch to CFL bulbs. Give daan to your animal shelter. And, hey, don’t forget to dance like no one’s looking.
Own up to your errors so you won’t repeat them. Every time you fail, it’s only practice for the big time. Smile!
GET CLOSER TO PEOPLE. MAKE TIME TO CONNECT. SPEAK FROM YOUR DIL Be authentic. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Shams get found out. So be open with people. Put yourself out there. You have nothing to lose but your self-consciousness.
LISTEN Move out of the office to where your consumers are. Ask them how they live, work, celebrate, cry, learn and laugh. Don’t come back till you ‘understand’. Then act on it.
EXPERIENCE
see the bigger picture Transform every ordinary moment into an extraordinary experience. We owe it to our customers to be nothing short of spectacular. Every word you speak must vibrate with conviction and emotion. Every action must convey consideration and intelligence. People may have come to buy a sofa - but they’ve also just met you. So make the interaction the best takeaway of the brand. It’s a little like eating the best pav bhaji on the block: every time you think back to it, your mouth will water from the experience of having eaten it. So let’s give our customers the Pav Bhaji Experience. Make their mouths water. Make them hunger for more. And make them come back.
EXPERIENCE
“ Brighter Living is about enriching the quality of life for our customers. Giving them a ‘wow’ moment with every product. Take our Eon refrigerators. When people buy one, they show it off to friends and family. It’s a fantastic, world-class product.” Mangesh Ambre
EXPERIENCE Are we creating products or experiences?
Almirah When a father buys a Godrej almirah for his daughter’s wedding trousseau, he’s wishing her safety and his deepest love. He can’t bear to watch her leave his home, but he also knows the only way to really love someone is to let them go.
Cinthol When Hrithik has a shower with Cinthol he is not just washing up. He is also singing. And enjoying his alone time. He is preparing to experience the rush of 24 hour confidence.
Chandrayaan-I When a rocket soars into the sky it’s not just an object shooting off into outer space, but the pride of the nation in motion. It is your imagination’s most public flight. Soar with it.
Experience
everyone at godrej is a ceo (Chief Experience Officer). It’s up to each one of us to make the Godrej experience as rewarding for our customers as possible. That means focusing on all the little details and touchpoints. From technology and packaging to our customer help desk, everything must be perfect. And while you’re focusing on the details, always keep in mind the bigger picture. Because creating a beautiful experience is like a relay race everyone has to do their bit to win.
FOCUS ON THE DETAILS. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
What happens when it all comes together? It’s difficult to tell what goes into a magic trick. How did a rabbit get into a hat? How could doves come whooshing out of the wizard’s sleeve? A great brand is a lot like the experience of watching a perfect magic trick: it occurs seamlessly because the magician and all his assistants - made sure everything was in place. We are absurdly lucky. Because we bear witness to an exciting moment in Indian history. We’ve gone from Buniyaad to Baywatch in the blink of an eyelid. We relish Jain burgers as much as we do mozzarella dosas. We listen to Punjabi hip-hop. We download shlokas from the internet. This is the tomorrow we have been waiting for all our lives. This is Brighter Living. This is Godrej.
Now it’s over to you Lead the way and SHINE. BEDHADAK BOLO. Make time to connect. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE. That’s the way to Brighter Living.
POCKET BOOKLET OUTSIDE SPREAD
the way to brighter living
Brighter Living is all about walking the talk and putting brilliance into motion. So here’s our little action booklet to instigate you. Feel free to redefine genius. After all, you’re here to take the status quo to the cleaners. And back.
THE POCKET BOOK OF BRIGHTER LIVING
POCKET BOOKLET INSIDE SPREAD
PROGRESSION
EXPRESSION
EMPATHY
EXPERIENCE
NEVER LET FEAR HOLD YOU BACK. LEAD THE WAY AND SHINE.
Show the world who you arE. BEDHADAK BOLO.
GET CLOSER TO PEOPLE. MAKE TIME TO CONNECT.
FOCUS ON THE DETAILS. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
• Challenge. Confront. Change. • Be the headlines. Predict next year’s headlines. • Falter. Fail. Fall. Then, pick yourself up and get going. • Move, stretch, run: it’s good for your heart. • Think, innovate, act: it’s good for your head. • Believe in freedom. Boundaries exist only to be crossed.
• Ideas are more important than titles. • Stand up. And speak your truth. • Always encourage the faintest voice in the chorus. • Seek criticism. And then grow with it. • Give your customers the gear to express themselves. • Love. Inspire it. Earn it, Keep it.
• Borrow shoes. So you’ll know where the loafer pinches. • Listen. Listen. Listen. • Simply always do the right thing. • Be an ally to your customer. Share. Enlighten. Understand. • Live with your customers for a week. • Laugh. Spread joy.
• You are a CEO: Chief Experience Officer. • A good product is not good enough. Aim for an extraordinary experience. • Perfect every touch point. • Being authentic is the best present you can give yourself. And others. • The Pav Bhaji Experience: keep your customers coming back for more.