8Minute Talk show — Keivan Shokrani Brand Manager at Goldiran

Mansour Kiarash: Hi, we are beside you with another 8-minute talk show. Dear Keivan Shokrani, brand manager at Goldiran. Hello, dear Keivan. You are welcome.

Keivan Shokrani: Hello, I am glad that I’m here. As we have only 8 minutes, it’s better to spend it on our interview.

Mansour Kiarash: What does a brand manager do?

Keivan Shokrani: Some may think a brand manager works on the logo. But he should progress the brand identity. It depends on the company that you are working with that the brand architecture is the house of brands or branded house or the combination of them. When there are several brands you play the role of a product manager. But when there’s only a brand like some electronic products, in that case, you have different duties. You should pay more attention to the brand identity and don’t infringe on its privacy, both visual and the identity of that activity. They may play a role in the CSR or Branding activities (of course, there’s a different definition for branding activity). Branding activity doesn’t include Billboards. The brand definition is complicated and multidimensional, and everyone looks at it from his view. So we can also say that brand managers are both versatile and nobody.

Mansour Kiarash: we see that Hyundai produces some product and attach its logo on all of its products, such as a ship or a doormat. This kind of branding is in eastern countries. But branding in western countries is different such as P&G.

What is the difference between them?

Keivan Shokrani: we can’t relate it to being western or eastern. If the brand is international, these things won’t matter. The target that you mentioned is brand architecture which there’s a time that some famous companies like LG, Sony, and so on, have a brand and attach it to their products. But there’s a time that some companies have many sub-brands like P&G or Unilever. The brand manager who works at Unilever and owns Signal has more responsibilities in the product field, and he involves in the product survey. But in other brands like LG and Sony, they have to preserve corporate brand and the identity that the brand has formed during its career. The difference between the 2 mentioned groups is that in LG and Sony, the activities are more spiritual than the other group. Because they talk about abstract concepts, and they don’t consider them as products.

Mansour Kiarash: Is Gplus the other version of LG?

Keivan Shokrani: No, Goldiran produces Gplus, and it is the exclusive representative of LG in Iran. Hence, they aren’t related to each other in the brand field. If they solve the country’s restrictions and LG returns to Iran, LG and Goldiran can work together. The birth of Gplus and the exit of LG in Iran were at the same time, so people engaged in this misunderstanding that LG and Gplus are the same.

Mansour Kiarash: When does a brand manager reach the highest level?

Keivan Shokrani: it depends on the brand. If a brand can seize the customer’s heart and mind, it should be proud of itself. When people choose a product not because of discounts but because of the brand, Then the brand manager can be proud of his act.

Mansour Kiarash: When is a brand manager on the wrong way?

Keivan Shokrani: this question has many aspects, and I can answer this question with different examples. But the most important option is the dependency of the brand on discounts that causes a brand failure, and people buy the products just for the price sensitivity. In that situation, a brand manager hasn’t done his job well, and this is just my point of view maybe some people think that discounts are very important. That’s the brand manager’s fault when a brand can’t reach efficiency without discounts.

Mansour Kiarash: What study resources would you introduce to us?

Keivan Shokrani: its good to read new books but I read In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays by Bertrand Russell several times. It is fascinating how a philosopher pays attention to the philosophy of work and the time that we spend on it. Including professional studies, a brand manager must develop his general information because the brand is the building block of human society. We are dealing with brands the whole day, and form our identity with brands.

Mansour Kiarash: Excellent! Thanks for accepting our invitation.

Keivan Shokrani: Thanks for your invitation.

Mansour Kiarash: You’re welcome! We talked to a successful manager and will talk to others, too.