Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation was at the forefront of yet another interactive session on Saturday, September 18. This time on deciphering branding.
Conducted by the Isha Leadership Academy, the workshop saw inspiring discussions by some 121 business leaders from different countries, along with a few leading brand strategists in India, on brand purpose, brand positioning and branding through creative communications.
ILA, which focuses on fostering leadership as an inherent process, was formed by the Isha Foundation to provide the finest leadership education.
Sadhguru, who spoke at the event, shared his insights on how to exploit the power of branding for a cost-effective business. He talked about the importance of having a motive before going for a brand strategy. “Instead of a plan, have a purpose. If your heart is invested in purpose, your head will generate enough plans…. Plan is a limited way to handle life, if you have a strong purpose for a fulfilled life,” said Sadhguru.
Leading strategists who attended the event included Saurabh Mishra, co-founder and managing partner, Branding, Azendor Consulting, Alpana Parida, founder and CEO, Tiivra Ventures, Babita Baruah, MD, Global Team Blue India, and Dheeraj Sinha, CEO and CSO, Leo Burnett.
Said Mishra, “Brand purpose is not just about brand communication. It should be at the core of everything that your business does, including product, marketing and culture.”
Baruah, meanwhile, talked on how it is important to apply thoroughness while understanding one’s brand positioning. “Positioning is about communicating to customers the benefits of engaging with a brand,” she said.
The event was hosted by Anisha Motwani, brand and innovation expert, Storm the Norm Ventures. “People have a soul. Brand is the soul of business,” she said.
Last week the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition that sought directions to Isha Foundation to not collect funds from people for its Cauvery Calling project. The initiative, which began in 2019, is aimed at supporting farmers to plant 242 crore trees along the Cauvery basin.
A division bench of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Sachin Shankar Magadum observed the requirement for afforestation and praised the Isha Foundation’s efforts towards this objective. “Planting trees on a barren land is not a crime,” read the verdict.