Branding is part of strategic management, and the primary responsibility of the brand is not merely communicating with customers, luring their attention, but representing the company. Nevertheless, for most firms, marketing and corporate communications are the most powerful, but not the only, branding tools. That is why, in order to achieve the greatest benefit for the company, the communicator must have a global vision of the brand, its essence, role, features. Branding may be perceived as an action aimed at creating a long-standing choice in favor of a product founded on the joint influence on a customer of trademarks, packaging, and advertisement, unified by a particular notion, which distinguishes the product from rivals. It should also be mentioned that the concepts of brand and trademark should not be confused; the former is a broader concept. In addition to the name, images, and certain symbols, the brand also includes the product Continue reading
Brand Management
The Economic Significance of Brands as Marketing Resources
The contribution of trademark and the brand they signify to the economic growth can also be analysed in terms of a brand as a marketing resource. When used as a marketing tool, a brand bears some significance and is viewed in different angles by the marketers, who are also the owners. A brand is a trademark, symbol, design, a term, a name or a combination of all whose main intention is to identify the goods or service of a particular seller or a group of sellers and distinguish them from other goods. It attracts value termed as brand equity. Brand equity refers to indirect and the direct worth accumulated to the profit connected with the brand. The value of the brand is appreciated when the consumer gains the knowledge of the same through marketing efforts. Brand knowledge refers to feelings, descriptions, familiarity, discernment’s, and beliefs that are linked to the Continue reading
Keller’s Brand Equity Model or Brand Resonance Model
A brand is defined as a name, term, sign symbol (or a combination of these) that identifies the maker or seller of the product. In order for a brand to succeed in the ever increasing market, brand building activities such as promotion and advertisement must be conducted in order to gain awareness to establish and promote the company. Financially, Brand Equity is described as the total value of a brand which is a separable asset – when it is sold or included in a balance sheet. Kotler (2013) defines Brand Equity as the “differential effect that knowing the brand name has on customer response to the product or its marketing.” Aaker (1991) defines Brand Equity as, “a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand, its name and symbol, that add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or that Continue reading
Case Study of Nike: Building a Global Brand Image
Brand History The idea of Nike began way back in the 1950s. A track coach by the name of Bill Bowerman was at the University of Oregon training his team. Bill was always looking for a competitive edge for his runners, like most of us today look for any advantage we can get. Bill said he tried using different shoes for his runners as well as trying other things to try and make his athletes better. Bill tried to contact the shoes manufactures in attempt to try out his ideas for running shoes. This however failed. In 1955 a track runner by the name of Phil Knight enrolled at Oregon. Phil was on the track team under Bill. Phil graduated from Oregon and acquired his MBA from Stanford University. Phil went on to write a paper that talked about how quality shoes could be made over in Japan and they Continue reading
Brand Attributes – Meaning, Components and Importance
In order to understand the meaning and importance of brand attributes, and their contribution to the creation of memorable and attractive brands, it is important to understand the significant difference between products and brands. A product is purely a physical thing, defined by physical attributes. For example, cola is a physical product made from a combination of caramel, caffeine, sugar, carbonated water and other colors and flavors. In contrast, a brand is a defined image and name associated with a specific firm’s products, and used to differentiate these products from those of competitors. As a result, a brand effectively represents the promise of quality for consumers, and the promise that a product will meet certain standards and expectations. At the same time, a brand can also represent a conceptualization of the values that a product espouses, hence how these values can differentiate one product from another, and influence a consumer’s Continue reading
Case Study: Apple iMac Ad Campaign
In the late 1990s technology analysts speculated that Apple Computer, Inc.’s fate hinged on its new personal computer the iMac. Apple’s share of the worldwide desktop-computer market had plummeted since 1995, the last year the company had been profitable. Ever greater numbers of consumers were buying personal computers (PCs) that ran on Microsoft’s Windows operating system rather than Apple’s version. Although Apple had pioneered user-friendly computers, the company had not introduced a consumer-targeted computer since 1992. Hoping that its stylish new iMac would propel Apple back into this vast segment of the market, Apple released its iMac ad campaign. The iMac ad campaign consists of a series of seven television commercials. These commercials advance Apple Computers newest generation of personal computers: the iMac. The iMac is a personal computer that is an AIO unit (All In One) and is housed in a translucent white and green case. Apple has attempted Continue reading