There’s something I often say to clients behind closed doors: Your brand isn’t just what you say. It’s how you respond when policy speaks first.
In India — with its intricate bureaucracy, layered regulatory thinking, and high-stakes industry shifts — policy is never just a backdrop. It’s the stage. And yet, too often, brands treat it like noise in the wings. A missed memo. A compliance line item. When in fact, policy is one of the most powerful brand levers available to any business — if only they knew how to listen, engage, and lead.
Let me explain.
When Policy Enters the Room Before You Do
Think of any industry-defining moment in India over the last decade — whether it was demonetisation, GST, data localisation debates, drone regulation, ESG frameworks, or ONDC in e-commerce. What shaped public perception? Not just how businesses operated — but how they responded to policy.
Some went silent. Some panicked. The smart ones? They read the signals, responded with intent, and rewrote the narrative.
Because when a new policy drops, it becomes the new language of the market. And brands that don’t speak it fluently risk irrelevance.
Policy Strategy Is Brand Strategy — You Just Didn’t Call It That
Most founders, CXOs, and communication heads think of brand building in terms of campaigns, content, and customer experience. But let’s pause for a moment.
What truly builds long-term brand trust?
- A fintech that’s seen as regulator-aligned and secure.
- A logistics firm that pre-empts environmental guidelines and adapts before it’s mandatory.
- A platform that doesn’t just comply with data norms — it helps shape them.
All of this is policy strategy. But most of it is branded as “leadership” or “ethics” or “vision”. The truth is, the most enduring brands in India are those that treat public policy as a design input, not a compliance constraint.
It Starts Inside: The Policy–People–Perception Loop
Let’s break this down.
- Policy shifts — A new regulation, a government signal, or a whitepaper draft.
- People interpret — Your legal, ops, comms and leadership teams absorb, panic, debate.
- Perception forms — Internally (employees feel uncertain), and externally (media, investors, stakeholders notice your stance — or silence).
This loop spins fast. And if you don’t own the narrative at each stage, someone else — often your competitor — will.
Proactivity Is the New Credibility
In India’s policy ecosystem, engagement is not a luxury — it’s a brand opportunity. Public consultations, policy forums, regulator roundtables — they’re not just for lobbyists or legal heads.
They’re for brands who want to be heard before they’re judged.
The moment a company contributes to shaping policy — even through an op-ed, a whitepaper, or a comment submission — it elevates itself from market player to industry voice.
And voice, in today’s noisy world, is everything.
So What Should Brands Do Differently?
- Integrate policy thinking into the C-suite — not just legal, but comms and strategy.
- Build content that explains policy to your ecosystem — employees, customers, partners.
- Treat every policy event as a brand moment — not a crisis or a checkbox.
Final Word
I’ve sat in NCLT courtrooms watching companies crumble. I’ve worked with regulators, fintechs, and policy bodies trying to build the future in real time. And I’ve advised clients on brand positioning during high-stakes moments — first as a communications strategist in one of India’s top PR firms, and later from inside the corporate corridors as a Vice President leading brand and reputation.
If there’s one truth I’ve learnt, it’s this:
Policy isn’t outside your brand. It’s inside your every move.
The question is — are you listening strategically, or reacting defensively?
If your brand is ready to build a strategic voice grounded in policy, governance, and reputation, feel free to reach out to us at Konsult Komal — you can write to me at komal@konsultkomal.com or call on +91 96371 33902.