Brands

Learning from disruptive brands: What makes them stand out

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

Mumbai: In today’s competitive landscape, brands need to do more than just survive—they need to stand out. Enter disruptive brands. These are the trailblazers that have redefined industries and altered consumer expectations. But what makes them unique? What can traditional businesses learn from these disruptive innovators? The answer lies in their willingness to challenge norms, push boundaries, and embrace bold, unconventional strategies. Let us uncover the vital insights traditional brands can harness by studying the bold moves and innovative approaches of disruptive companies.

Disruption demands guts: Daring to dream bigger

Disruption, at its core, is gutsy. It’s about doing something that has never been done before, and it requires a certain kind of bravery that not every brand possesses. Disruptive brands take the leap into the unknown, often at great personal and financial risk. They aren’t content with following industry norms or playing it safe—they set out to create their own rules.

Take the example of Airbnb, a company that completely revolutionised the hospitality industry. When the founders initially proposed the idea of strangers staying in each other’s homes, the concept seemed absurd to many. Who would want to open their homes to strangers, or trust a website for lodging? But by sticking to their bold vision, they not only created a billion-dollar company but also redefined how we think about travel accommodations.

The lesson for traditional brands? Disruption requires courage. It’s not enough to think big; you must act on your vision, even when the odds (and sometimes the world) are against you. Disruption is about ignoring the naysayers and believing in your unique idea, even if it hasn’t been done before. This kind of daring is often what separates innovators from the rest of the pack.

Sticking to the vision amidst criticism: A key to phenomenal success

One of the defining characteristics of disruptive brands is their resilience. More often than not, these companies face scepticism, criticism, and even outright rejection in their early days. Everyone seems to put them down, but what sets them apart is their unrelenting belief in their idea. They don’t waver, and instead, they push through the noise to turn their vision into reality.

Tesla, for example, faced enormous criticism when it first introduced electric vehicles (EVs) to the market. Many questioned the feasibility of EVs replacing traditional fuel-powered cars. Yet, despite the scepticism, Tesla stuck to its mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Today, Tesla leads the EV market, and their dedication to the original vision is paying off in dividends.

For traditional brands, the takeaway is clear: resilience is key. Pioneering a new path means encountering resistance, but standing firm in your belief and moving forward despite criticism is what separates disruptive brands from those that give up at the first hurdle.

Disruption is more than just innovation: It can be about marketing

Disruption isn’t always about creating an entirely new product or service. Sometimes, the disruption lies in how you bring that product to market. Being disruptive doesn’t necessarily mean doing something the market has never seen before; it can also mean introducing a new way to communicate with or engage your audience.

A great example is Nike’s ‘Nike+ Run Club’ app. Instead of merely selling shoes, Nike created a digital ecosystem to engage with runners globally. The app allows users to track runs, connect with other runners, receive coaching tips, and set fitness goals. Nike wasn’t just promoting products—they were fostering a community and enhancing the customer experience. This approach went beyond traditional marketing, creating long-lasting brand loyalty by delivering real value outside of the core product offering.

Traditional brands can take a page from this playbook. Disruption doesn’t have to mean turning your entire business upside down. Sometimes, even small changes in how you engage with your audience can yield big results. It’s about thinking creatively and offering something your competitors don’t.

Standing out from the competition: The core of disruption

At the heart of disruption lies the goal of standing out from the competition. Disruptive brands don’t aim to just compete with the market leaders—they aim to replace them by doing things differently. Whether through product innovation, marketing strategies, or business models, these brands find ways to separate themselves from the pack.

Netflix serves as a textbook case. In its early days, Netflix was up against blockbuster, the then-dominant force in the video rental industry. Instead of trying to compete on Blockbuster’s terms, Netflix took a different route—subscription-based streaming. By focusing on convenience, accessibility, and personalised content, Netflix redefined how we consume media and effectively drove Blockbuster out of business.

For traditional brands, the lesson is this: don’t just try to compete—try to innovate in ways that make your competition irrelevant. Find what makes your brand unique, focus on it, and build your strategy around it. This is the essence of disruption.

Learning from the Greats: What Traditional Brands Can Do

So, how can traditional brands apply the lessons of disruption to their own businesses? Here are a few key takeaways:

● Embrace Risk: Don’t be afraid to take bold steps, even if it means veering away from what’s conventional or safe.

● Stick to Your Vision: Be prepared for criticism and scepticism, but don’t let it derail your long-term vision.

● Innovate in Marketing: You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel—sometimes it’s about how you market the wheel.

● Differentiate, Don’t Just Compete: Focus on what makes your brand different and build your strategy around that uniqueness.

Ultimately, disruption is about courage, innovation, and persistence. Traditional brands don’t need to entirely disrupt their industries to learn from disruptive brands, but by adopting some of their core principles, they can position themselves for sustained success.

Embracing the spirit of disruption

In a fast-paced world where consumer expectations are constantly evolving, brands that stand still are bound to fall behind. Disruptive brands aren’t afraid to take risks, challenge the status quo, and reinvent how industries operate. Whether it’s by innovating in product design, marketing strategies, or customer engagement, these brands offer valuable lessons for those willing to learn.

As traditional businesses look to future-proof their operations, adopting the disruptive mindset can offer them a competitive edge. It’s not always about breaking the mold—it’s about creating a new one. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to disrupt.

The author of this article is CPR Global founder Chaitali Pishay Roy.

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.