Interbrand’s ‘Arenas’ concept aims to redefine competition across sectors

When Interbrand celebrated its 10th anniversary in India last year, the global brand consultancy chose the moment to unveil a concept called ‘Arenas’. This new approach, introduced by the Omnicom-owned agency, was created to reshape how companies think about competition.

Traditionally, businesses have viewed competitors as those offering similar products or services within their own industry or category. However, Interbrand’s ‘Arena-thinking’ approach challenges this conventional mindset by suggesting that rivals can come from any sector or category, as long as they meet the same customer needs.

This fundamental shift in strategy is not just a theoretical exercise. A year and a half after its introduction, Interbrand India and South Asia’s CEO, Ashish Mishra, told Campaign that Arenas is now an integral part of the consultancy's branding framework.

“Arena-thinking is pivotal to Interbrand’s new way of approaching brands. It’s about helping companies make iconic moves in a constantly shifting marketplace,” Mishra said. “It’s an evolving set of practices that builds the confidence needed to push brands into new territory.”

The agency, which began its branding journey five decades ago, believes that Arenas reflect the changing nature of human motivation and expectations, pushing brands beyond traditional category limits. According to it, market categories have historically been shaped by the tangible aspects of business—the products companies make, the people they serve and the channels they operate in. “These categories are simply boundaries created by markets,” Mishra explained. "But in today’s world, those boundaries don’t always make sense anymore.”

The example of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who in 2017 famously named sleep as the streaming platform's biggest competitor, embodies the core idea of Arena-thinking. In this approach, competition transcends industry definitions, challenging brands to look at their business from a broader, customer-centric perspective.

Arenas in action

A prominent application of Arena-thinking in India has been with Reliance Industries' Jio. Despite four years of development, the brand had struggled to establish a compelling identity and previous efforts by various agencies had failed to convince Reliance leadership.

Interbrand stepped in and used its Arena-thinking methodology to shape Jio into a brand designed for the future. By collaborating with consumers in real-time, the agency was able to uncover key human truths—emerging desires and behaviours that would resonate deeply with India’s growing digital population.

“At the start, the focus was all about Jio’s 5G readiness and technological advantages,” Mishra recalled. “But Arena-thinking pushed us to go beyond that, to define Jio as an extensible brand—one that could evolve beyond the immediate technology narrative.”

This approach reportedly impressed the company to such an extent that it now envisions Jio as a brand capable of surpassing the Reliance name itself. “We didn’t just create a brand; we created a movement. We’ve democratised digital life for over 1.4 billion people,” Mishra said with pride. He noted that Interbrand’s success with Jio reflects the flexibility of Arena-thinking, which allows brands to adapt to an ever-evolving marketplace by avoiding rigid definitions.  

More than just a concept

Arena-thinking isn't limited to new or emerging brands; established companies are also finding value in this fresh perspective. Mishra cited the example of a popular healthcare brand that wanted to become a household name, without divulging its name. By applying Arena-thinking, the agency helped the company integrate its product portfolio under a single, master brand, unlocking economies of scale and setting it on a growth trajectory.

One might assume that clients would resist being categorised into specific Arenas, but Mishra noted that the opposite has been true. “Brands have been highly responsive to the Arenas concept because they see it as a way to add value,” he said.

Historically, businesses have sought growth through incremental brand extensions within their own categories. But Arenas encourages them to think beyond these traditional boundaries.

Mishra points to Amazon as a global example and Jio as a local one. “Ask clients which categories they think Amazon or Jio belong to, and it’s hard to define them within a single category,” he explained. “That’s the power of Arena-thinking. It allows brands to explore new avenues for growth, even if it requires them to operate outside their traditional areas of expertise.”

Navigating the challenges

Of course, shifting a brand into a broader Arena isn’t without its challenges. Mishra acknowledged that such moves often require cross-functional collaboration, new investments, and even board-level alignment. “It’s not just about marketing,” he said. “You need to have the right people, the right technology, and the right resources in place. But once you do, the results can be transformative.”

Interbrand’s Arena-thinking has already started to gain traction with some of India’s biggest brands. Many conglomerates, including The Tata Group, Godrej Industries Group, The Mahindra Group, and the Aditya Birla Group, have built their portfolios using principles similar to Arenas, albeit informally.

According to Mishra, these companies have long pivoted on the trust they’ve built with consumers, which transcends individual product categories. "They’ve been doing it for decades, but now we’re providing a more structured framework for others to follow," he noted.

The future of Arenas

Interbrand’s Arenas framework includes 12 different categories, which brands can operate in. While all 12 are relevant in India, Mishra expects certain Arenas—such as Express, Play, Taste, and Thrive—to resonate more strongly with the country’s evolving socio-cultural landscape.

He also emphasised that brands can operate in more than one Arena at a time, depending on how they meet consumer needs. “Take Nike, for example,” Mishra said. “If it were to pivot on its high-performance reputation and set up heart clinics, it could legitimately succeed in that Arena as well.” Similarly, Jio currently operates in the Connect Arena but also has a presence in the Move, Fund, and Play Arenas.

With the success of Arena-thinking in India, Interbrand is now focused on expanding its regional footprint across the Asia-Pacific region. Mishra noted that collaboration with other Omnicom agencies is playing a key role in strengthening Interbrand’s presence.

“Arenas, along with our Iconic Moves framework, are becoming powerful tools for us,” Mishra said. “These platforms, combined with our 'Best Global Brands' IP, are helping us drive growth for both our partners and ourselves.”

As India’s branding landscape continues to evolve, Interbrand’s Arenas concept is positioning itself as a vital tool for companies looking to stay competitive in an increasingly complex market. By encouraging businesses to think beyond traditional categories, Arenas is helping brands unlock new growth opportunities in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.