Introduction:
The creation and management of identity, image, and perception related to a company, product, or individual is called branding services. Branding services represent brand strategy, logo design, messaging, and marketing materials for establishing a unique and memorable presence in the market. The economy of the country is rapidly growing with intensified competition. So, the necessity of effective branding services has become indispensable for companies to stand out in the market compared to other companies or industries. In India, navigating branding services plays a vital role in shaping the visibility and identity of enterprises across multiple sectors. However, the implementation of the tender processes can be daunting if they do not have a clear roadmap. Therefore, this article explores the key aspects related to branding services in India while providing insights into the demand for executing tenders.
Annual assessment of branding tenders:
Market demand, industry trends, and economic conditions are the crucial factors that stimulate annual assessments of branding tenders in India. The statistics also vary by year when evaluating branding tenders. In 2023, 444 tenders were published to promote branding services in India. 173 government agencies took the initiative to execute these tenders. Among 444 tenders, the first position-holder state was West Bengal with 81 tenders. Assam released 55 tenders, while UP and Delhi issued 48 and 32 bids, respectively. Out of these 444 tenders, the Public Works Building and the NH Department announced 40 tenders to stand in the top position. Whereas, the Information and Cultural Affairs Department shared 31 tenders to promote branding services.
Tenders related to the arrangement of temporary pandals:
Among the 444 tenders published by 173 government agencies, 49 were related to the arrangement of temporary pandals. The Public Works Building and the NH Department of Assam released a tender notice regarding the arrangement of temporary pandals, dias, barricades, branding, temporary V.V.I.P., and V.I.P. toilets, etc. in connection with the Inauguration Ceremony of All India Institute of Medical Science, Guwahati. Again, the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam published a bid notice stating the arrangement of temporary pandals, dias, barricading, and branding in connection with the inauguration ceremony of Medical College, Kokrajhar (Electrical Work).
Tenders regarding the selection of branding services:
Last year, 39 tenders were notified regarding the selection of various agencies interconnected with branding services. For example, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation advertised a bid notice to select an agency for co-branding partnerships with APTDC for the establishment of an Amrut Kiosk in Andhra Pradesh and the selection of a co-branding agency for the promotion of Pilgrim Tourism in Andhra Pradesh for the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. Again, a tender related to the selection of media advertising agencies was notified by Agartala Smart City Ltd. (Urban Development Dept.) in Tripura. Besides, the Daman district in Daman and Diu published a tender notice for the selection of an advertising agency for the execution of creative branding for the G20 Meeting in Diu (only for agencies empaneled with SPOTAC, Tourism Department DNH, and DD). The Department of Sports in Delhi also advertised a bid notice for the selection of a digital branding and communication agency. The Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission Lucknow released a notice regarding the selection of an event management agency for management. A few vehicle branding tenders were advertised as well.
A Total of 30 tenders were advertised for branding with metro. The Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Limited advertised a tender for Licensing of Semi-Naming Rights in Egmore Metro Station. The Delhi Metro managed by Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited adopted a co-branding strategy. A different branding strategy was adopted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The MMRDA sought to select an agency which will pay for licensing of station naming and branding rights for Mumbai Metro Line 2A and 7 select stations.
Branding Tenders for Licensing:
12 tenders were released for the licensing of branding services in India last year. To give a clear view of this, an illustration of the tender notice released by the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited for licensing of co-branding rights for eight metro stations of the Kanpur Metro Rail-Priority corridor in the UPMRC network as per the scope of work can be included. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority in Maharashtra released a tender stating the licensing of station naming and branding rights for Mumbai Metro Line 2A and 7 selected stations. Whereas, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. in Kerala advertised a bid for licensing semi-naming rights in Kaloor metro station.
Estimated budget regarding branding tenders:
Of the many branding tenders issued during the last year, the estimated budget was published for a few of the tenders. For example, the Madhya Pradesh Indian Oil Corporation Limited, released a bid notice with a budget of 44.25 lakh for the supply, transportation, and fixing of glow sign branding boards for SERVO branding at Bazaar counters and garages under MPSO, as recorded in the data statistics released by the agencies.Besides, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation released a notice to select an agency for co-branding partnerships with APTDC for the establishment of Amrut Kiosk, with a contract value of 2.5 crores.
Live Tender Assessment:
On April 25, 2024, 13 live tenders were advertised for branding services in India. In this, the state of Rajasthan took the first position by calling for 5 tenders. Whereas Delhi was at 3, Uttar Pradesh was at 2, and the rest were Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab with 1 each.
Conclusion:
As the analysis shows, many branding tenders were advertised spread across India. The government agencies take especially the agencies such as the Indian oil and Karnataka Soaps and Detergents limited take branding very seriously. The branding is important especially since the government owned enterprises need to compete with the ever aggressive private sector. Also, the government sought to earn revenue out of leasing its valuable public spaces where private sector agencies can advertise their products. Such licensing provided the government with the much required revenue.
