Elaborating, Karwal said that corporate branding is an integrated process that is planned strategically. ``Corporate brands who have no plans, no strategic focus are `accidental' brands. They happen haphazardly,'' he said.

In order to maximise effectiveness, Karwal suggested that a corporate brand must be understood well by all key audiences-customers, analysts, the media and even employees. ``If everyone in your company understands your brand's promise and knows that he or she will be rewarded according totheir personal commitment to the promise, company politics and issues of personal turf begin to disappear.''

Emphasising the role of top management in corporate branding, Karwal suggested that a ChiefCommunication Officer should head the corporate communications department with direct access to the CEO and CFO. He also called for stronger communication and marketing skills in the next generation CEO.

On the power that corporate brands wield, Karwal said that as consumers reach for these brands, are willing to pay a premium, and are less dependent upon economic conditions-such companies maintain good cash flow. Besides, their share prices rise and consumers assign more trust and quality to such brand value.

In contrast, Virat Tandon, account director, Trikaya Grey, elaborated on brand extensions and said that strong brands can be leveraged following the imperatives of brand extensions. ``Brand extensions are all cogs of a bigger wheel-effort on one cog impacts others.'' Explaining with the help of various tools proprietary to Grey, such as the Grey Brand Finger Point and Grey Brand character which forces thorough analysis of the brand, Tandon stressed that brand extensions must add incremental volumeto product sales.