Branding

M8. Branding

Authors/ Frameworks

 

Neumeier

Baines et al, 2022

Keller’s Brand Pyramid

Aaker 1997

Bechter et al 2016

Alvarez 2016

Brown 2016

Fill and Turnbull 2016

Main Body

 

Branding

  • Creates a position and perception in consumers’ minds, to differentiate from competitors even with similar factual elements through added value, and become the consumer's immediate associated thought
  • Tells a story to create shortcuts in consumer understanding of perceived differences
  • Customers UNDERSTAND (Neumeier)
  • What
    • Name, symbol, design that has a differential advantage
    • Positioning in consumer minds where the perception carries a meaning
    • The customers understand what the business has to offer
  • Why is branding important to consumers
    • Identify offering: don’t need to think, established thoughts/preferences, bond decisions
      • Differentiate from competitors
    • Reduce perceived risks: trust, experience
    • Gauge quality
    • Inform offering source: COO (biases)
    • Reduce search time, aids decisions
  • Why is it important to managers
    • Firm valuation (goodwill, trade marks, etc)
      • That is legally protected
      • Equity branding
    • Encourages premium pricing/maximise output
    • Differentiate proposition from competition
    • Develop trust and loyalty through relationship bonds
      • Also with other businesses (cross selling)
    • Integrated marketing communications, a coherent corporate identity
  • Who is a brand (types)
    • Manufacturer, distributer, generic
    • Non commercial entities
      • Ideas (#metoo), people (Calvin Klein), places (I heart NY)

 

Equity Branding

  • Branding creates value that can translate into financial profits
  • Measured in terms of finance (balance sheet) or marketing perspectives (minds of customers, facilitated decision making)
    • Listens to what people are saying
    • Engagement and involvement (likes/comments/criticisms)
  • Value chain
    • Framework for tracking investments in branding, using different performance indicators, integrating the two measurements

 

Developing a Successful Brand

  • Keller's Brand Pyramid (building blocks)
    • Identity (awareness, needs)
    • Meaning (links points of parity/difference to performance, brand image)
    • Response (perceptions: judgements/feels)
    • Relationships (attachment, foster activeness, engagement)
  • Challenges of Keller's Brand Pyramids that need to evolve
    • Information is more accessible
    • Cocreation is more influential
    • Online connectivity is changing relationships
  • Keller argues the brand's name and perception are more valuable than property, plant and equipment
  • 3Ps of Branding (Fill and Turnbull 2016)
    • Promise: delivering functional, emotional, social benefits
    • Position: association occupied in people's minds
    • Performance: communicate promise for an awareness and understanding

 

 

Brand Elements

  • Unique associations forming positive judgements
  • Senses, logo, pattern, symbol, font, colour, tag line, language
  • Transferrable recognised across items and countries
    • Adaptability
    • Can be protected

 

Brand Personality Dimensions and Archetypes

  • Big 5 Personality Dimensions (Aaker 1997)
    • Sincerity (Local wine)
    • Excitement (Disney)
    • Competence (Apple)
    • Sophistication (Dubai, Chanel)
    • Ruggedness (New Zealand, Land Rover)
  • Personality Archetype (Bechter et al, 2016)
    • Freedom, Ego, Order, Social
    • Personality archetype expanding on Aaker
  • Reposition to change personality (Lucozade)
  • Anthropomorphism (Alvarez, 2016)
    • Brand personalities through characters, human like feeling
      • Interpersonal processes in consumer brand relationships
      • Human interactions transferred to brand
    • Development of the storyline, more quick to identify
      • Engagement, revenue
      • Form relationships as reflect sense of self (materialistic/ insecurities)
        • If this breaks/ends very bad
        • Relation forms: guilty, communal
        • Particularly effective with elderly, heightened emotional attachments
    • Michelin man: fat to fit, Compare the Market: meerkats
  • Partnerships with other brands/ films for compatible association that fits brand and consumer personality
    • Jurassic World and Land Rover
  • Why are Personalities used
    • Match brand's we consume to fit our own personality; brands bare human like qualities (Brown, 2016)
    • Consumers use brands to fulfil interpersonal needs and insecurities (Alvarez, 2016)
    • Brand ambassadors can be used
    • Emulating personality, harmonises and connects brands to people, as they can consume to represent their own or ideal self

 

Brand Architecture

  • Strategy helps marketers determine new introductions and what elements to use
  • Defines the breadth and boundaries of the brand (awareness and image)
    • Breadth - think of the product over all offerings
      • Depth is only thinking of the product within the category
      • E.g. breath - all drinks, depth - orange juice
        • So achieving breadth is a great success
  • Brand extension
    • Expanding within the industry (easy jet, easy hotel, easy currency)
  • Brand stretch
    • Expanding out with the industry (easy food, easy gyms)
  • House of Brands
    • Conglomerate distinctive brands from their parent
    • Nestle, Heineken
  • Branded House
    • Branded clearly alongside each other (easy, virgin)

 

Brand Positioning

  • Strategic activity to differentiate and distinguish a brand, for consumers to understand and remember it
  • Points of Parity
    • Sharing competitor features
  • Points of Differences
    • Reasons we buy, competitive advantage
      • Rational/functional vs symbolic/emotional benefits
      • Tangible vs intangible offerings
    • M&M vs Bueno
  • PoD/PoP links to Keller's brand pyramid imagery and performance

 

 

Strategies (Aim for Breadth over Depth)

  • Positioning - links to Keller's pyramid for successful branding
  • Architecture and Breadth - links to consumer's understanding
    • Corporate Branding
    • Family Branded House
    • Individual House of Brands
  • Brand Extensions
    • Line extension
    • Category extensions (brand stetch)
  • Personality - encourages 3Ps

 

 

B2B and Services

  • Employees add to the brand experience (Baines et al, 2022)
  • Service branding aids customers to understand the value associated with the service offering
  • B2B
    • Increasing importance as buyers make decisions on their emotional and self expressive benefits, not their utilitarian, rational needs
  • Multinational businesses must ensure a consistent brand image is maintained, for clear understanding and recognition