In “Brand Nirmalam,” AB Thom Sunil merges traditional Indian philosophy with contemporary modern branding strategies, presenting a novel approach to creating authentic, influential, and successful brands. This literature review examines the relevance of AB’s work in the broader context of business and marketing, emphasizing how the integration of religion and mythology can evolve brand building. The sources chosen for this review include primary texts on branding, ancient Indian scriptures, and existing literature on the application of mythological frameworks in contemporary contexts. This review explores thematic relationships between these sources and the author’s proposals, identifying gaps and potential areas for further research.
Through what can be considered a pseudo-business manual type of writing in “Brand Nirmalam,” AB Thom Sunil proposes a method for creating a genuine and meaningful branding theory and practice by combining lessons from Vedic traditions with post-modern, global-soul business advice. This book critically analyzes how the author’s work fits into the field of business and marketing, focusing particularly on the role of religion and myths in the innovative approach to branding concepts. The sources considered for this work include primary texts on branding concepts, ancient Indian scriptures, and published available literature on the use of mythological frameworks in current organizational processes. The objective of this literature review is to define the thematic affinity of these sources with AB’s proposals, emphasizing the limitations of further research.
The author’s main argument revolves around presenting the notion of Dharma, translated as duty, ethics, and the order in which the universe is governed. Further literature review for this research indicates added value in ethical branding proposed by Gupta and Singh (2018), explaining that ethical branding positively influences brand trust and brand loyalty. Similarly, AB advances the discussion by pointing out that branding a set of values to resonate with Dharma is not only beneficial for business but also aligns well with the consumer’s ethics and virtues. This approach is shared by Sinha (2019), particularly when noting that culturally-based branding approaches are enduring ways to create a strong emotional bond with the audience.
In chapter eight, “Unveiling the Heroic Experience,” AB brings forth the concept of the hero’s journey, made famous by Joseph Campbell. This can be linked to the work found in Fog, Budtz, and Yakaboylu (2005), highlighting the importance of storytelling techniques as part of branding. AB’s interpretations from Indian epics like Ramayana and Bhagavatam add depth to this model, keeping culture in mind. The way the author connects various stages of the hero’s journey, such as the “Call to Adventure” or “Crossing the Threshold,” with branding processes provides a concise roadmap for marketers to create stories that reflect their audience’s hopes and fears.
Other defining factors in AB’s work include the focus on the use of logos and personal branding. He advocates for living in harmony with one’s profession, personal life, and religion, similar to Peters’ concept of personal branding systems as the correct way to achieve career success. By tracking the heroine Maya and depicting her paths of self-realization, love, identity construction, personal and ethical value formation, and social integration, AB demonstrates how individuals can develop as professional leaders. This aligns with the branding concept presented by Ramprasad (2009), which focuses on the wholeness of an individual while self-branding, including personal values as well as career goals. Although the general approach employed by the author to combine Indian roots with modern business world concepts is quite innovative, the sources cited in the work provide appropriate context for the use of each described concept. According to Mackey and Dietrich (2018), the idea of culture and history explains how branding can be brought closer to culture and thus be responsible for creating more timeless brands. The author brings in real-world examples of ancient stories, such as the story of Parijat Vriksha and the educational tale of Rishi Ramanujan, where ancient stories can be translated into strategic actions adopted in the current world—thus giving real-life examples of those theoretical concepts under discussion.
In the book “Brand Nirmalam: A Futuristic Approach for Branding Pioneered by AB Thom Sunil,” the author investigates how branding can be achieved by incorporating concepts from ancient Indian philosophies through the lens of contemporary global marketing. The literature review finds Sunil’s work within the understanding of branding research and establishes how it advances knowledge and theories of branding by innovating practical cues. At the core of the review, the promises and capabilities of applying Dharma and the hero’s journey are discussed, highlighting their potential to create unique and compelling brand stories. To advance this work, future researchers should incorporate their findings and further explore these traditional ideas of seven life knowledge in modern paradigms and cross-cultural perspectives with empirical results. This way, it will be possible to broaden the possibilities of the branding field and bring new insights to its ethical and meaningful approach.
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