How A Brand Image Can Be Ruined By Its Own People

In a highly competitive business environment, the only sustainable option is to build a brand that attracts certain types of buyers with quality products catering to their interests. Or to put it simply, brand image is key for long-term success. Unfortunately, too many brands make simple mistakes that can undo years of marketing exercises and not even realise it. The one I want to talk about here is how brand image is ruined/tarnished by its employees and affiliates. 

I recently attended the Indian MotoGP and due to event circumstances, my tickets were adjusted to a different stand at the Buddh International Circuit. Mind you, these were far from the more affordable tickets and had a lot to live up to. My new seats were in a stand that had been rebranded as the Yamaha stand with massive tapestries and flags all around.

The MotoGP is a three-day event with the main race on the final day. The first two days, casual fans did not bother to show up so that meant the stand was at half-capacity at its most crowded which did not intefere with my experience of the event. Expectedly, the stand was entirely full on the final day, but not with ticket holders. Instead, a good chunk of the people there were clearly in association with Yamaha India, either as employees or their friends, or business associates and affiliates.

These people clearly did not purchase their tickets and simply got them for free for their link to the brand, which is a cool opportunity for them. However, most of these people had never attended an event like the MotoGP and had no clue about the appropriate decorum to be followed to ensure everyone has a good time. The main issue? Standing up and blocking the view of everyone behind, lap after lap. 

I can understand this behaviour as a result of the excitement, especially for the start and finish of the races happening at the track. But to simply stand up and stay standing to block the view of those behind, like a bunch of idiotic meerkats is not acceptable. Some had taken to standing permanently in the stairway which was also a safety hazard. 

Not only did Yamaha India not make the effort of training their people, who are representing the brand in their company colours and uniform-like tees, there was no one present to shepherd them either. Worse yet, there were affiliates of Yamaha India that were actually encouraging the crude behaviour and actively participating in it.

A few heated exchanges broke out, one that I was a part of as well, and still there was no corrective action by any Yamaha representative present. What truly made me lose all composure was when a particular group of burly morons argued that they were standing because of those in front who were blocking their view. The fact that you would argue with someone who is technically in agreement with you about a problem than to act on those who are causing the problem, shows exactly what kind of personality traits are cultivated in this country, and how those in power have come to be.

To make matters worse, I got to see the virus of disgusting behaviour taking seed in the children of those misbehaving adults. They were encouraged to stand up on the seats, and unchecked for causing discomfort to other attendees. Then there were the types who treated an empty seat ahead as a footrest, not caring of the mess their shoes were making on someone's potential seat or to have their feet barely a foot or two away from another person's head. If someone did that to them, I'm sure they would take umbridge but showed no respect for the venue or the decorum of a stadium event.

Not to sound too naive or idealistic, I understand that culturally, India is not exactly full of people who know how to respect the space and boundaries of others. But this wasn't just the people, it was about the brand that these people were representing so poorly. A brand whose products I still have an affinity for, but I probably will never buy from them directly after what I witnessed at the Indian MotoGP. 

So, from now till the foreseeable future, I have a negative impression of Yamaha India because of the public misbehaviour of those associated with the brand on that afternoon. Furthermore, this is the last time I spend my hard earned money to attend an event like this, despite my passion for motorsports. I'd rather just buy cheaper tickets to be there and hope that it can't be worse than what it was last time. 

Thanks Yamaha India, for putting a dark blotch on an otherwise incredible weekend of my life.