Strategic Brand Management 1

STRATEGIC BRAND
MANAGEMENT
Prepared By
Dr. M Samir Gopalan

Head Dept. of Management
Indus Institute of Management Studies
Indus University
BRAND MANAGEMENT
Contents
PART- 1: BASICS OF BRAND MANAGEMENT

LESSON 1 THE MARKET AND BRAND BASICS
Introduction, Competitive Forces in the Market, Competitive Strategies
for Market Leaders, Basics of Branding, Definitions of Brands, What is
Branding?, Characteristics of a Brand, Brands and Products, Establishing
a Brand, Benefits of a Strong Brand, The 3 Cs of Branding, Important
factors about Branding
LESSON 2 BRAND EVOLUTION AND VALUE OF BRANDS
Understanding of Brand Evolution, Understanding of the Branding
process, Value of Brands, The Importance of Brand Planning, Issues
Influencing Brand Potential, Eight Dimensions of Brands
LESSON 3 THE BRAND AND THE CONSUMER
Introduction, Why should Businesses try to Build their Brands?, Why it
is Important to create Powerful Brands?, The Nature of Relationships
with Customers, The Organization's Marketing Assets, The Importance
of a Brand, The Brand –Customer Relationship, The Consumer Mindset
PART 2: BRAND PLANNING
LESSON 4 BRAND PLANNING AND BUILDING

The Concept of Customer-Based Brand Equity, Building Customer-
Based Brand Equity, Three Tools to Facilitate Brand Planning: Brand
Positioning Model, Brand Resonance Model, Brand Value Chain Model.
Designing Brand Identity: Brand Touch-Points, Branding Ideals,
Branding Elements, Name, Logo and More
LESSON 4 THE STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT PROCESS
The Elements of the Brand Management Process: Identifying and
Establishing Brand Positioning and Values, Planning and Implementing
Brand Marketing Programs, Measuring and Interpreting Brand
Performance, Growing and Sustaining Brand Equity. Identifying Brand
Associations, Types of Associations
LESSON 5 BUILDING BRAND PORTFOLIOS
Branding Philosophies: The Branded House, Sub-Brands, Endorsed
Brands, The House of Brands. Brand Growth Strategies:
Flanker/Fighting Brands, Line Extensions, Brand Extensions, Successful
Brand Extensions
PART- 3: BRAND EQUITY AND BRAND VALUE
LESSON 6 BASICS OF BRAND EQUITY AND BRAND VALUE

How to Use Storytelling to Promote Your Brand, How to Generate a
Premium Effect, The Various Types of Brand Innovation, How to
Leverage the Sale of Your Brand, Key Factors for Success in Brand
Extension, Examples of Successful and Unsuccessful Brand Stretching,
The Various Types of Brand Architecture: Product- Brand, Branduit,
Range Brand, Umbrella Brand and Endorsement Brand
LESSON 7 BRAND POSITIONING
Introduction, Brand Positioning Defined, Market Segmentation and
Positioning, Developing a Positioning Strategy, Brand Positioning
Strategies and How it Works, Introduction of an international Brand
– Case Study
LESSON 8 BRAND RE-POSITIONING
Introduction, Successful Repositioning, Nine Types of Repositioning,
Brand Extension – Case Study: Keo Karpin, Case Study : Mercedes
Benz
PART 4: BRAND ASSESSMENT
LESSON 9 BRAND EVALUATION

The Brand Audit, Reviewing the Big Idea, Evaluating Advertising
LESSON 10 BRAND ASSESSMENT THROUGH RESEARCH
Brand Identity, Position, Image, Personality, Assessment and Change.
Brand Revitalization; Financial Aspects of Brands; Branding in Different
Sectors: Customer, Industrial, Retail and Service Brands
MBA SEM
IV / X
BRAND MANAGEMENT
PART 1: BASICS OF BRAND MANAGEMENT
LESSON 1
THE MARKET AND BRAND BASICS 03
LESSON 2
BRAND EVOLUTION AND VALUE OF BRANDS 37
LESSON 3
THE BRAND AND THE CONSUMER 65
PART 1 : BASICS OF BRAND
MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The study of brand can never be underestimated .The study of brand should
always be given priority as this will help us in improving the product and will build
a better brand image of the product in the market.
In this part the whole content has been divided into three chapters/Lessons.
Chapter 1 discusses about the market and brand basics, Chapter 2 discusses about
brand evolution and value of brands whereas Chapter 3 discusses about the brand
and the consumer. In Chapter 1 the topics covered are various competitive forces in
market, the competitive strategies for Market Leaders, Basics of Branding,
Definitions of Brands, the characteristics of a Brand, Brands and Products,
Establishing a Brand, Benefits of a Strong Brand, The 3 Cs of Branding, Important
factors about Branding. In Chapter 2 the sub topics covered are understanding of
brand evolution, understanding of the branding process, Value of Brands, The
Importance of Brand Planning, Issues Influencing Brand Potential, Eight
Dimensions of Brands. In Unit 3 the sub topics covered are, Why it is Important to
create Powerful Brands, The Nature of Relationships with Customers, The
Organization's Marketing Assets, The Importance of a Brand, The Brand –
Customer Relationship, The Consumer Mindset.
This part is going to be of great help for the readers of management who wish
to build their career in this field and want to be an entrepreneur of future.
Objective
After learning this part, you will be able to understand:
 Market Environment
 Competitive Forces Prevailing in the market.
 Competitive Strategies for leaders in market.
 Brands, its importance and characterstics.
 Difference between brand and product.
 Benefits of a Brand.
1
Basics of  3 Cs of Branding
Brand
 Process and planning of branding.
Management
Structure
LESSON 1: The Market and Brand Basics
LESSON 2: Brand Evolution and Value of
LESSON 3: The Brand & the Consumer
2
LESSON 1: THE MARKET AND BRAND BASICS
Structure
1.0 Learning Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Competitive Forces in the Market

1.3 Competitive Strategies for Market Leaders
1.4 Basics of Branding

1.5 Definitions of Brands
1.6 What Is Branding?

1.7 Characteristics of a Brand
1.8 Brands and Products
1.9 Establishing a Brand

1.10 Benefits of a Strong Brand
1.11 The 3 Cs of Branding

1.12 Important Factors about Branding
1.13 Let Us Sum Up
1.14 Answers for Check Your Progress
1.15 Glossary
1.16 Assignment
1.17 Activities
1.18 Case Study

1.19 Further Readings

After learning this Chapter you will be able to understand:
 The Meaning and Importance of Market Environment
 How important are Competitive Forces in the Market?
 What are the Competitive Strategies for Market Leaders?
3
Basics of  What are the basics of Brands?
Brand
 What are the definitions of Brands?
Management
 Introduction to Brands
 Importance and Characteristics of Brands
 What are Brands and Products?
 How to Establish a Brand?
 What are the Benefits of a Brand?
 What are the 3 Cs of Branding?
 Important factors about Branding
1.1 Introduction
It has never been clearer that in this shrinking world, countries and regions
and cities have to compete with each other – for tourism, for inward investment, for
aid, for membership of the supranational groups, for buyers of their products and
services, for talent. So there‘s hardly a place left that isn‘t thinking hard about its
brand image, and most are in need of clear, realistic strategies for communicating
and promoting themselves, their culture, their exports, their acts of policy and their
contribution to the global community.
Which consultants or agencies will ultimately lead the field in managing and
promoting these hugely complex and often contradictory mega brands. Is promoting
a country more about policy, management consultancy, public relations, marketing,
CRM, advertising or brand strategy? Or is it a combination of everything that
working with companies has taught us in the last fifty years?
A strong brand is the most valuable asset of many successful companies.

Brands are assets because, when properly managed, they provide a secure stream
of income for the business. But what about your own brand, is it delivering its full
value?
As you work to unlock the potential of your own brand you are facing a wide
range of brand management issues. You are probably asking questions such as:
 What are we trying to achieve?
 Who should be involved?
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The Market
 How do we manage this? and Brand
Basics
 What are the tools and techniques to use?
Here you can read about successful brand management and what worked for
other brands in different situations. You can learn the principles and practices of
successful brand management – and you can unlock the potential of your brand and
apply proven tools and techniques. Here you are provided with proven tools and
techniques - and a complete brand management process - to help you unlock the
value of your brand.
1.2 Competitive Forces in the Market

Effective marketing requires a keen understanding of the macro and
microenvironment, customers and competitors. Competition is becoming intense
with every passing year. Companies need to balance their customer and competitor
orientation in order to be successful in the fast changing environment.
Levi Strauss saw its US sales drop from a peak of $7.1 billion in 1996 to
around $4 billion in 2003 largely due to fierce competition. Its jeans brands,
exemplified by the classic 501, were being hit from all sides: above from trendy,
high-end designer lines such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and GAP; below
from popular, lower-priced private labels such as J C Penny‘s Arizona, and Sears‘
Canyon River Blues; from one side by traditional, entrenched brands such as
Wranglers and urban Lee‘s; and from the other side by hip, youthful lines such as
American Eagle, Bugle Boy, JNCO, Lucky and Diesel. To better compete, Levi‘s
introduced the Signature line to be sold at discount stores such as Wal-Mart and the
more expensive Premium Red Tab line to be sold at upscale department stores such
as Nordstorm and Neiman Marcus. Many marketing experts wondered, however, if
it was too little too late and if the brand would ever reclaim its lofty position. In
India, however, the brand Levi‘s is on the upswing, having reached its number one
position as the most admired jeanwear brand at the Lycra Images fashion Awards
in 2006.
To effectively devise and implement the best possible brand positioning
strategies, companies must pay keen attention to their competitors. Markets have
become too competitive to just focus on customer alone.
Competitive Forces
Michael Porter has identified 5 forces that determine the intrinsic log-run
attractiveness of a market or market segment:
5
Basics of  Threat of intense segment rivalry: A segment is unattractive if it already
Brand contains numerous, strong or aggressive competitors. It is even more
Management unattractive if it is stable or declining, if plant capacity additions are done in
large increments, if fixed costs are high, if exit barriers are high, or if
competitors have high stakes in staying in the segment. These conditions will
lead to frequent price wars, advertising battles and new- product introductions
and will make it expensive to compete. The cellular phone market has seen
fierce competition due to segment rivalry.
 Threat of new entrants: A segment‘s attractiveness varies with the height of

its entry and exit barriers. The most attractive segment is one in which entry
barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Few new firms can enter the
industry and poor performing firm‘s can easily exit. When both entry and exit
barriers are high, profit potential is high but firm‘s face more risk because
poorer-performing firms stay in and fight it out. When both entry and exit
barriers are low, firms easily enter and exit the industry, and the returns are
stable and low. The worst case is when entry barriers are low and exit barriers
are high: here firms enter during good times but find it hard to leave during
bad times. The result is chronic overcapacity and depressed earnings for all.
The airline industry has low entry barriers but high exit barriers, leaving all
the companies struggling during economic downturns.
 Threat of substitute products: A segment is unattractive if there are actual

or potential substitutes for the product. Substitutes place a limit on prices and
on profits. The company has to monitor price trends closely. If technology
advances or competition increases in these substitute industries, prices and
profits in this segment are likely to fall. The arrival and growth of budget
airlines in India has already seen a revision in railway fares and amenities.
 Threat of buyers’ growing bargaining power: A segment is unattractive if

buyers possess strong or growing purchasing power. The rise of retail giants
such as Wal-Mart, Food World has lead some analysts that potential
profitability of packaged–goods companies will become curtailed. Buyers‘
bargaining power grows when they become more concentrated or organized,
when the product represents a significant fraction of the buyers‘ costs, when
the product is undifferentiated, when the buyers‘ switching costs are low,
when buyers are price-sensitive because of low profits or when buyers can
integrate upstream. To protect themselves, sellers might select buyers who
6
The Market
have the least power to negotiate or switch suppliers. A better defense consists and Brand
of developing superior offers that strong buyers cannot refuse. Basics
 Threat of suppliers’ growing bargaining power: A segment is unattractive

if the company‘s suppliers are able to raise prices or reduce quantity supplied.
Oil Companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum
and Chevron-Texaco are at the mercy of the amount of oil reserves and the
actions of oil supplying cartels like OPEC. Suppliers tend to be powerful
when they are concentrated or organized, when there are few substitutes,
when the supplied product is an important input, when the costs of switching
suppliers are high, and when the suppliers can integrate downstream. The best
defenses are to build win-win relations with suppliers or use multiple supply
sources.
Identifying Competitors
A simplistic way of identifying competition is that Unilever competes with
Procter & Gamble, Sony in India with LG, Onida, BPL and so on. However the
range of a company‘s actual and potential competitors in reality is much broader. A
soft drink company competes with other liquids and thirst-drink quenchers for
customers‘ throat-share; a TV company competes with ideas like vacation for the
family or other gifts for loved ones for a share of customers‘ discretionary income.
Also a company is more likely to be hurt by emerging competitors‘ or new
technologies than by current competitors.
 Industry Concept of Competition

What exactly is an industry? An industry is a group of firm‘s that offer a
product or class of products that are close substitutes for one another. Industries are
classified according to the number of sellers; degree of product differentiation;
presence or absence of entry, mobility and exit barriers; cost structure; degree of
vertical integration and degree of globalization.
 Market Concept of Competition

Competitor‘s are companies that satisfy the same customer need. For instance,
a customer who buys a word-processing package really wants ―writing ability‖ – a
need that can also be satisfied by pens, pencils, or typewriters. Marketers must
overcome ―marketing myopia‖ and stop defining competition in traditional category
terms. Coca-Cola focused on its soft-drink business, missed seeing the market for
coffee bars and fresh juice-bars that eventually impinged on its soft-drink business.
7
Basics of The market concept of competition reveals a broader set of actual and
Brand potential competitors.
Management
 Analyzing Competitors
Once accompany identifies its primary competitors, it must ascertain their
strategies, objectives, strengths and weaknesses.
Check your progress 1

1. saw its US sales drop from a peak of $7.1 billion in 1996 to
around $4 billion in 2003 largely due to fierce competition.
a. Pepe
b. Levi Strauss
2. A is unattractive if it already contains numerous, strong or aggressive
competitors.
a. segment
b. fragment
1.3 Competitive Strategies for Market Leaders

We can gain insight by classifying firms by the roles they play in the target
market: leader, challenger, follower or nicher. Forty percent of the market is in the
hands of a market leader; another 30 percent is in the hands of a market challenger;
another 20 percent is in the hands of a market follower; a firm that is willing to
maintain its market share and not rock the boat. The remaining 10 percent is in the
hands of market nichers, firm‘s that serve small market segments not being served
by larger firms.
Many industries contain one firm that is the acknowledged market leader, that
has the largest market share in the relevant product market, and usually leads the
firms in price changes, new-product introductions, distribution coverage and
promotional intensity. Some well-known market leaders are Microsoft (computer
software), Intel (microprocessors), Gillette (razor blades), LG (consumer
electronics in India) and Visa (credit cards).
8
The Market
 Expanding the total market and Brand
The dominant firm gains the most when the total market expands. For Basics
expanding the total market, the market leader should look for new users, uses and
usage of its products.
 Defending the market share

While trying to expand the size of the market, the dominant firm must
continuously defend its current business. In the Indian context, with the opening up
of the economy, the challenge comes from both the domestic and foreign
competitors.
What can the market leader do to defend its terrain? The most constructive
response is continuous innovation. The leader leads the industry in developing new
product and customer services, distribution effectiveness, and cost cutting. It keeps
increasing its competitive strength and value to customers. Consider how caterpillar
has become dominant in the construction-equipment industry despite charging a
premium price and being challenged by a number of able competitors including
John Deere, J I Case, Komatsu and Hitachi. Sony, on the other hand, exemplifies
creative marketing, having introduced many successful new products that
customers never asked for or even thought were possible: Walkmans, VCRs, video
cameras, CDs. Sony is market-driving firm, not just a market-driven firm.
 Expanding the market share

Market leaders can improve their profitability by increasing their market share.
This lead to marketing warfare.
 Other competitive Strategies

Other competitive strategies could be Market-Challenger Strategies, Market-
follower Strategies, and Market-Nicher Strategies.
 Balancing Customer and Competitor Orientations

So far you have seen a stress on the importance of a company‘s positioning
itself competitively as a market leader, challenger, follower or niche. Yet
accompany must not spend all its time focusing on competitors.
The customer-centric companies are in a better position to identify new
opportunities and seta new course that promises to deliver long-run profits. By
monitoring customer needs, it can decide which customer groups and emerging
needs are most important to serve, given its resources and objectives.
9
Basics of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, strongly favors a customer-
Brand centeredorientation: ―Amazon.com‘s mantra has been that we are going to obsess
Management over our customers and not our competitors. We watch our competitors, learn from
them, see the things that they (were doing for customers) and copy those things as
much as we can. But we are never going to obsess over them‖.

1. Many industries contain one firm that is the acknowledged market
a. leader
b. bankrupt
2. What can the market leader do to defend its terrain? The most constructive
response is continuous _
a. Efforts
b. innovation
1.4 Basics of Branding

Why has branding gained so much importance in the past few years? Why are
companies spending lavishly on branding their product?
Tracing the History of Branding

The word ―brand‖, when used as a noun, can refer to a company name, a
product name, or a unique identifier such as a logo or trademark. In a time before
fences were used in ranching to keep one‘s cattle separate from other people‘s
cattle, ranch owner‘s branded, or marked, their cattle so they could later identify
their herd as their own.
The concept of branding also developed through the practices of craftsmen
who wanted to place a mark or identifier on their work without detracting from the
beauty of the piece. These craftsmen used their initials, a symbol, or another unique
mark to identify their work and they usually put these marks in a low visibility place
on the product.
Today‘s modern concept of branding grew out of the consumer packaged

goods industry and the process of branding has come to include much, much more
10
The Market
than just creating a way to identify a product or company. So we can say that and Brand
branding today is used to create emotional attachment to products and companies. Basics
Branding efforts create a feeling of involvement, a sense of higher quality, and an
aura of intangible qualities that surround the brand name, mark, or symbol.
So what exactly is the definition of ―brand‖? Why do we, as consumers, feel

loyal to such brands that the mere sight of their logo has us reaching into our pockets
to buy their products? Why do companies such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM and
Disney seem to achieve global marketing success so easily? Why does it seem such
an effort for others? Why do we, as consumers, feel loyal to such brands that the
mere sight of their logo has us reaching into our pockets to buy their products?
The meaning of brands

Brands are a means of differentiating a company‘s products and services from
those of its competitors. There is plenty of evidence to prove that customers will
pay a substantial price premium for a good brand and remain loyal to that brand. It
is important, therefore, to understand what brands are and why they are important.
Businesses that invest in and sustain leading brands prosper whereas those that fail
are left to fight for the lower profits available in commodity markets.
Fig 1.1 Produce / Image differentialion
11
Basics of
Brand Check your progress 3
Management
1. We can say that today is used to create emotional attachment to
products and companies.
a. Competition
b. Branding
2. Branding efforts create a feeling of involvement, a sense of higher quality,

and an aura of qualities that surround the brand name, mark, or
symbol.
a. intangible
b. tangible
1.5 Definitions of Brands

What is a brand?
 ―A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place,

augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant unique
added values which match their needs most closely. Further more -its success
results from being able to sustain these added values in the face of
competition.‖
 ―A name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, that is

intended to identify the goods and services of one business or group of
businesses and to differentiate them from those of competitors‖.
 ―A mixture of tangible and intangible attributes symbolized in a trademark,

which, if properly managed, creates influence and generates value‖. –
(Interbrand - a leading branding consultancy)
 A product, but one that adds other dimensions that differentiate it in some
way from other products designed to satisfy the same need.
-Rational and tangible
-Symbolic, emotional and intangible.
The psychological response to a brand cans be as important as the

physiological response.
12
The Market
 ―A name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, that is and Brand
intended to identify the goods and services of one business or group of Basics
businesses and to differentiate them from those of competitors‖.
In short, a Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, design, or some combination

that identifies the products of a firm.
The Meaning of Brands

Brands are a means of differentiating a company‘s products and services from
those of its competitors.
There is plenty of evidence to prove that customers will pay a substantial price
premium for a good brand and remain loyal to that brand. It is important, therefore,
to understand what brands are and why they are important. McDonald sums this up
nicely in the following quote emphasizing the importance of brands:
―…it is not factories that make profits, but relationships with customers, and
it is company and brand names which secure those relationships‖
Businesses that invest in and sustain leading brands prosper whereas those
that fail are left to fight for the lower profits available in commodity markets.
Three other important terms relating to brands should be defined at this
stage:
It is very important to be clear about the difference between ―Brands‖ and

―products‖.
Brands are rarely developed in isolation. They normally fall within a business‘
product line or product group.
A product line is a group of brands that are closely related in terms of their
functions and the benefits they provide. A good example would be the range of
desktop and laptop computers manufactured by Dell.
A product mix relates to the total set of brands marketed by a business. A

product mix could, therefore, contain several or many product lines. The width of
the product mix can be measured by the number of product lines that a business
offers.
Managing brands is a key part of the product strategy of any business,
particularly those operating in highly competitive consumer markets.
In its simplest form, a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the
promises of value you or your product make. These promises can be implied or
explicitly stated, but none-the-less, value of some type is promised.
13
Basics of Brand image is defined as consumers‘ perceptions as reflected by the
Brand associations they hold in their minds when they think of your brand.
Management
Brand awareness is when people recognize your brand as yours.
This does not necessarily mean they prefer your brand (brand preference),
attach a high value to, or associate any superior attributes to your brand, it just
means they recognize your brand and can identify it under different conditions.
Brand awareness consists of both brand recognition, which is the ability of
consumers to confirm that they have previously been exposed to your brand, and
brand recall, which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given
the product category, category need, or some other similar cue. Aided awareness
occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person expresses familiarity
with your brand only after they hear or see it. Top-of-mind awareness occurs when
you ask a person to name brands within a product category and your brand pops up
first on the list.
When you think about fast foods and Luxury cars, Mc Donald‘s and Mercedes
Benz come to mind? These brands enjoy strong top-of-mind awareness in their
respective categories.

1. are a means of differentiating a company‘s products and services
from those of its competitors.
a. Brands
b. Products
2. Brands are rarely developed in .

a. Factory
b. Isolation.
1.6 What is Branding?

Branding is the business process of managing your trademark portfolio so as
to maximize the value of the experiences associated with it, to the benefit of your
key stakeholders, especially current and prospective such as:
 Employees
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The Market
 Customers and Brand
Basics
 Stock/Share Holders
 Suppliers
 Intermediaries
 Opinion Leaders
 Local Communities
 Purchasers And Licensees
Experts argue as to which stakeholders should be the main focus of the

branding process, but this is probably the wrong question as their experiences are
all inter-related:
 Employees - the more your employees value your brands and understand
what to do to build them, the more your customers, suppliers, local
communities and opinion leaders will value them. The more attractive your
brands are to potential employees, the more they are likely to want to work
for you.
 Customers - the more your customers value your brand, the more they will
buy your products and services, and recommend them to other people. They
will also pay a premium for them and make the lives of your employees easier.
This, in turn, will enhance the value of your brands to prospective purchasers
and licensees. Research has shown that strong brands are more resistant to
crises of reputation.
 Stock/share holders- strong brands multiply the asset value of your company
(90% of the asset value of some major corporations lies in their intellectual
property), and assure them that your company has a profitable future. They
also allow you to afford to give competitive dividends to your current
stock/share holders.
 Suppliers - suppliers like to be associated with strong brands as this benefits

their own reputation in the eyes of other current or potential customers. You
are therefore likely to get better service at a lower total acquisition cost.
 Intermediaries - retailers, distributors and wholesalers value strong brands

as they improve their own profit margins. They are likely to give you more
―air time‖ and shelf space, thus enhancing further the value of your brands in
the eyes of your current and prospective customers.
15
Basics of  Opinion leaders - the media, politicians and non-government organizations
Brand are more respectful of strong brands.
Management
 Local communities - supportive local authorities can make your life easier
in many ways, and offer you better deals, if you have prestigious brands. Your
local communities provide you with your work force and can be highly
disruptive if they perceive you as damaging their environment.
 Purchasers and licensees - the question prospective purchasers and licensees

ask is ―how much more profit can I get for my products and services
sold under this brand than under any brand I might build?‖ Strong brands can
be spectacularly valuable.

1. is the business process of managing your trademark portfolio so as
to maximize the value of the experiences associated with it.
a. Branding
b. Quality
2. The your customers value your brand, the more they will buy your
products and services.
a. more
b. less
1.7 Characteristics of a Brand

Our definition of a brand adheres to a model which shows the extent to which
a product or service can be augmented to provide added value to increasing levels
of sophistication. This model, views a brand as consisting of fourlevels:
 Generic
 Expected
 Augmented
 Potential
The generic level is the commodity form that meets the buyer, or user‘s basic
needs, for example the car satisfying transportation need. This is the easiest
16
The Market
aspect for competitors to copy and consequently successful brands have added
and Brand
values over and above this at the expected level. Basics
Within the expected level, the commodity is value engineered to satisfy a
specific target‘s minimum purchase conditions, such as functional capabilities,
availability, pricing, etc. As more buyers enter the market and as repeat buying
occurs, the brand would evolve through a better matching of resources to meet
customers‘ needs (e.g; enhanced‘ customer service).
With increased experience, buyers and users become more sophisticated, so

the brand would need to be augmented in more refined ways, with added values
satisfying non-functional (e.g. emotional) as well as functional needs. For example,
promotions might be directed to the user‘s peer group to reinforce his or her social
standing through ownership of the brand.
With even more experience of the brand, and therefore with a greater
tendency to be more critical, it is only creativity that limits the extent to which the
brand can mature to the potential level. For example, grocery retail buyers once
regarded the Nestle confectionery brands as having reached the zenith of the
augmented stage. To counter the threat of their brands slipping back to the expected
brand, level, and therefore‘ having to fight on price, Nestle shifted their brands to
the potential level by developing software for retailers to manage confectionery
shelf space to maximize profitability.
Experienced consumers recognize that competing items are often similar in
terms of product formulation and that brand owners are no longer focusing only on
rational functional issues, but are addressing the potential level of brands.
We can define Brands according to the following dimensions:
1. Its central organizing thought - defining it for internal & stakeholder use in
one sentence
2. Its slogan - defining it for use with customers in one sentence
3. Its personality - what would it be like if it were a human being?
4. Its values - what does it stand for/against?
5. Its tastes/appearance - what does it look like? What does it sound like? What
does it like and dislike?
6. Its heritage - what are the stories you tell about how it all came about/what
sort of brand it is?
7. Its emotional benefits – how it avoids/reduces pain or increases pleasure
17
Basics of 8. Its hard benefits - the ―pencil sell‖
Brand
Brands need to provide customers with a consistent, compelling experience
Management
in order not to confuse them, as confusion leads to doubt. Everyone associated with
the brand must understand its key dimensions in order to deliver this consistent
experience, and it helps if customers can be given a short slogan, which
encapsulates the essence of the brand.
1. The Essence of the Brand

How are you going to describe the essence of the brand to your colleagues
and business partners in one short, memorable, and motivating sentence? What
makes it special?
This is the last and hardest stage of the brand definition process. Try to create
images of what the brand does, and preferably link it to an eternal value such as
friendship, status, belonging, realizing your true self (Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs
could be useful here).
The central organizing thought is not the same as the slogan.
The central organizing thought addresses a core customer value whose

articulation may make customers uncomfortable or even resentful. The slogan
refers to this core customer value but in terms the customer is happy to acknowledge
and discuss.
2. Slogan
How are you going to describe the essence of the brand to your customers in
one short, memorable, and motivating sentence?
This should hint at the central organizing thought, without necessarily
stating it.
As an example, the central organizing thought of the BMW brand is
―competitive achievement‖, but the slogan is ―the ultimate driving machine‖.
3. The Personality of the Brand

If the brand were indeed human, what sort of person would it is - jovial,
serious, sporty, aristocratic, or cunning? (eg Lalitaji of Surf or the Liril Girl)
4. The Values of the Brand

What does the brand stand for? What does it believe in? What would it
make a stand on?
18
The Market
5. Tastes/Appearance and Brand
What does the brand like? What does it look like? What does it wear? How Basics
does it speak?
This will include the iconography of the brand - the icons, the symbols, the
trade dress, the typeface, and the look and feel.
6. Heritage
All great brands have stories about them. Some are favorable, some are less
favorable, but all of them work to explain what the brand is all about. Telling stories
about the brand is one of the strongest ways of communicating the essence of your
brand.
7. Emotional Benefits
What does the brand do for its customers?
These can usually be classified into:
 Avoids pain
 Reduces pain
 Gives pleasure
8. Hard Benefits
What does the brand offer its customers in tangible, quantifiable terms?
These are the benefits as in ―Features, Advantages and Benefits‖.
Brand Awareness is Vitally Important

Brand awareness is vitally important for all brands but high brand awareness
without an understanding of what sets you apart from the competition does you
virtually no good. Many marketers experience confusion on this point.
Strategic awareness occurs when not only does the person recognize your
brand, but they also understand the distinctive qualities that make it better than the
competition. Strategic awareness occurs when you have differentiated your brand
in the mind of your market. This distinction as to why your brand is unique in your
category is also referred to as your Unique Selling Proposition or USP. Your USP
tells your target market what you do and stand for that is different from all of your
competitors.
Brand preference occurs when consumers prefer your brand to competing

brands. Brand preference might be considered ―the holy grail‖ of branding
because it is the result of consumers knowing your brand, understanding what is
19
Basics of unique about your brand, connecting emotionally with your brand, making a
Brand decision that your brand is superior to others for some reason or combination of
Management reasons, and choosing it over competing brands.
You cannot build a strong brand solely through advertising.
Branding is also more than a logo, a color scheme, and a catchy tag line. While
these all are important components in branding, they are simply tactical tools that
help establish and build the brand.
Three other important terms relating to brands should be defined at this stage:
 Brand equity
―Brand equity‖ refers to the value of a brand. Brand equity is based on the
extent to which the brand has high brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality
and strong product associations. Brand equity also includes other
―intangible‖ assets such as patents, trademarks and channel relationships.
Brand Equity is the sum total of all the different values people attach to the
brand, or the holistic value of the brand to its owner as a corporate asset.
Brand equity can include: the monetary value or the amount of additional
income expected from a branded product over and above what might be expected
from an identical, but unbranded product; the intangible value associated with the
product that can not be accounted for by price or features; and the perceived quality
attributed to the product independent of its physical features.
A brand is nearly worthless unless it enjoys some equity in the marketplace.
Without brand equity, you simply have a commodity product.
 Brand image
―Brand image‖ refers to the set of beliefs that customers hold about a
particular brand. These are important to develop well since a negative brand image
cans be very difficult to shake off.
 Brand extension
―Brand extension‖ refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch anew
or modified product in a new market. Virgin is perhaps the best example of how
brand extension can be applied into quite diverse and distinct markets.
20
The Market
Check your progress 6 and Brand
Basics
1. With increased experience, buyers and users become more .
a. Sophisticated
b. Confusing
2. need to provide customers with a consistent, compelling

experience in order not to confuse them, as confusion leads to doubt.
a. Brands
b. Products
1.8 Brands and Products

Brands are rarely developed in isolation. They normally fall within a business‘
product line or product group.
A product line is a group of brands that are closely related in terms of their
functions and the benefits they provide. A good example would be the range of
desktop and laptop computers manufactured by Dell.
A product mix relates to the total set of brands marketed by a business. A

product mix could, therefore, contain several or many product lines. The width of
the product mix can be measured by the number of product lines that a business
offers.
For a good example, visit the web site of Hewlett-Packard (―HP‖). HP has a
broad product mix that covers many segments of the personal and business
computing market. How many separate product lines can you spot from their web
site?
Managing brands is a key part of the product strategy of any business,
particularly those operating in highly competitive consumer markets.

1. Brands are developed in isolation
a. Rarely
b. Oftenly
21
Basics of
Brand 1.9 Establishing a Brand
Management
Public relations are the way a strong brand is truly established and advertising
is how the brand is maintained. If a brand is successful in making a connection with
people and communicating its distinct advantage, people will want to tell others
about it and word-of-mouth advertising will develop naturally- not to mention
writers in the press will want to write about the brand. Once that type of
differentiation is established in the market‘s mind, advertising can help maintain
and shape the brand.
What you need to do in branding is to communicate what the brand

distinctively stands for using as few words or images as possible.
So, branding is all about creating singular distinction, strategic awareness, and
differentiation in the mind of the target market-not just awareness. When you have
been successful, you will start building equity for your brand.
Building a brand
What factors are important in building brand value?

Professor David Jobber identifies seven main factors in building successful
brands, as illustrated in the diagram below:
Fig 1.2 Brand Building
22
The Market
Points of Parity and Brand
Discussion of strategic awareness, points of singular distinction, and brand Basics
equity would not be complete without discussion of brand points of parity. Points
of parity are those associations that are often shared by competing brands.
Consumers view these associations as being necessary to be considered a legitimate
product offering within a given category. Points of parity are necessary for your
brand but are not sufficient conditions for brand choice.
For example, Maruti might produce a wonderful new automobile that uses
advanced global positioning and sensor technologies that render a driver obsolete
by automatically routing the car, adjusting speed for traffic conditions, recognizing
and complying with all traffic laws, and delivering passengers and cargo to the
proper destination without the need for operator intervention. They have invented
the first car with functional autopilot. This is a strong position and unique selling
proposition.
However, unless they have fully considered their brand‘s points of parity with
other products in the category, they probably will not meet with success. Consumers
might expect that at minimum Maruti‘s automobile have four wheels with rubber,
inflatable tires, be street legal, run on a widely-available fuel source, be able to
operate during both night and day in most weather conditions, seat at least two
people comfortably with luggage, be able to operate on existing roads and
highways, and provide a fair level of personal safely to occupants. If their
automobile does not possess these points of parity with competing brands, then it
might be too different and might not be seen as a viable choice or a strong brand.
The lesson here is that differentiation and singular distinction are necessary
for strong brands, but they do not solely make for a strong brand. Your brand must
also measure up well against the competition on expected criteria so as to neutralize
those attributes.
Once you have met the points of parity requirement and then you provide a
unique selling proposition and hold a strong, defensible position, then you have the
makings of a very strong brand.
Something More About Brands

As mentioned earlier, a brand is more than just a word or symbol used to
identify products and companies. A brand also stands for the immediate image,
emotions, or perceptions people experience when they think of a company or
product. A brand represents all the tangible and intangible qualities and aspects of
a product or service. A brand represents a collection of feelings and perceptions
23
Basics of about quality, image, lifestyle, and status. It is precisely because brands represent
Brand intangible qualities that the term is often hard to define.
Management
Intangible qualities, perceptions, and feelings are often hard to grasp and
clearly describe. Brands create a perception in the mind of the customer that there
is no other product or service on the market that is quite like yours. A brand
promises to deliver value upon which consumers and prospective purchasers can
rely to be consistent over long periods of time.
You as a Brand
First of all, you must understand that you are a brand. Your name and who
you are is your personal brand. The brand called ―you‖. The issue then is not
whether you have a brand; the issue is how well your brand is managed.
Brand Management
If a brand is not effectively managed then a perception can be created in the
mind of your market that you do not necessarily desire. Branding is all about
perception. Brand management recognizes that your market‘s perceptions may be
different from what you desire while it attempts to shape those perceptions and
adjust the branding strategy to ensure the market‘s perceptions are exactly what you
intend.
So, you may now have a better understanding of what a brand is and why
awareness about your brand does not necessarily mean your brand enjoys high
brand equity in the marketplace. Brand management is all about shaping and
managing perceptions.

1. relations are the way a strong brand is truly established and advertising
is how the brand is maintained.
a. Corporate
b. Public
2. Professor David Jobber identifies main factors in building

successful brands.
a. Seven
b. Six
24
The Market
1.10 Benefits of a Strong Brand and Brand
Basics
Here are just a few benefits you will enjoy when you create a strong brand:
 A strong brand influences the buying decision and shapes the ownership
experience.
 Branding creates trust and an emotional attachment to your product or

company. This attachment then causes your market to make decisions based,
at least in part, upon emotion- not necessarily just for logical or intellectual
reasons.
 A strong brand can command a premium price and maximize the number of
units that can be sold at that premium.
 Branding helps make purchasing decisions easier. In this way, branding

delivers a very important benefit. In a commodity market where features and
benefits are virtually indistinguishable, a strong brand will help your
customers trust you and create a set of expectations about your products
without even knowing the specifics of product features.
 Branding will help you ―fence off‖ your customers from the competition
and protect your market share while building mind share. Once you have mind
share, your customers will automatically think of you first when they think of
your product category.
 A brand is something that nobody can take away from you.
Competitors may be able to copy your products, your patents will someday
expire, trade secrets will leak to the competition, your proprietary manufacturing
plant will eventually become obsolete, but your brand will live on and continue to
be uniquely yours. In fact, a strong brand name may be your most valuable asset.
Brands help people connect with one another.
 Have you ever witnessed the obvious bond between people using the same
brand of product? If a person wearing a Benetton T-shirt finds another person
wearing a Benetton product, she will have instant rapport with her and
immediately begin talking about their experiences with the brand. How is it
that we can feel such a connection with complete strangers? The answer lies
in the psychological connection people have with a particular brand.
 A strong brand can make actual product features virtually insignificant. A

solid branding strategy communicates a strong, consistent message about the
25
Basics of value of your company. A strong brand helps you sell value and the
Brand intangibles that surround your products.
Management
 A strong brand signals that you want to build customer loyalty, not just sell
product. A strong branding campaign will also signal that you are serious
about marketing and that you intend to be around for a while. A brand
impresses your firm‘s identity upon potential customers, not necessarily to
capture an immediate sale but rather to build a lasting impression of you and
your products.
 Branding builds name recognition for your company or product.
 A brand will help you articulate your company‘s values and explain why you
are competing in your market.
People do not purchase based upon features and benefits

People do not make rational decisions. They attach to a brand the same way
they attach to each other: first emotionally and then logically. Similarly, purchase
decisions are made the same way – first instinctively and impulsively and then those
decisions are rationalized.

1. A brand influences the buying decision and shapes the
ownership experience.
a. Strong
b. Weak
1.11 The 3 Cs of Branding

The benefits of having a strong brand are tremendous. Strong brands charge
premium pricing; they thrive during economic downturns; they attract great
employees, partners and customers; and they can extend into new business areas
with ease. In addition to being able to boast these enviable benefits, strong brands
have something else in common. They all exhibit the ―three Cs‖ of branding.
The three Cs are: clarity, consistency, and constancy.
26
The Market
 Clarity and Brand
Basics
Strong brands are clear about what they are and what they are not. They
understand their unique promise of value. And this promise of value sets them apart
from their competitors.
It differentiates them and allows them to attract and build loyalty among a
desirable set of consumers. Volvo, for example, is clear about their commitment to
safety and security. They are not about speedy sports cars, or about small economy
cars, or about luxury cars.
They build cars for families. Cars those are safe. And they clearly focus their
communication activities on this differentiation.
Nordstrom‘s clarity is around unmatched customer service. And it is clear

from the moment you step into the store. Nordstrom has been able to separate itself
from other retailers through this unwavering commitment to customer service and
satisfaction.
There are several retailers who will sell you a black Armani suit; but only
Nordstrom will turn it into an experience you will talk about with friends and
colleagues.
This clarity guides Nordstrom as they build on their current business. When
they developed their on-line store, they did so in a way to ensure that customers
would experience the same level of service they have come to expect from the
Nordstrom brand.
 Consistency
In addition to being clear about who they are, strong brands are also
consistent. They are always what they say they are.
For Volvo, they are always about safety. They don‘t change their focus from
model to model. When new editions come out each year, they are safe too. And
Volvo consistently communicates that.
Or look at Madonna. Madonna is the chameleon brand of entertainment. She

reinvents herself with each CD that she produces. She didn‘t change for her first
five CDs and then stay the same for the next two. She consistently changes. And
the one thing we can be sure of with regard to her upcoming CD is that it will be
nothing like any of the others she has done before. Madonna‘s ability to change
consistently throughout her career separates her from other entertainers, thereby
strengthening her brand.
27
Basics of  Constancy
Brand
It is not enough to be clear and consistent if you are not always visible to your
Management
target audience. Strong brands are constant; they are always there for their
customers and prospects. They don‘t go into hiding.
For Coke, the world is the target market. That is why you can‘t make it
through a day without being exposed to their bright red color or familiar script logo.
Vending machines, people carrying a coke as they walk down the street, restaurant
menus, product placement in TV shows and movies, billboards and print and TV
advertisements all scream COKE. Coke is a constant in our lives. And Coke is the
world‘s strongest brand. In building and nurturing a strong brand, you have a lot
more to think about than these three C‘s.
But no brand is truly a strong brand if it doesn‘t pass the Three C Test.

1. Nordstrom‘s clarity is around customer service.
a. Unmatched
b. Low
2. For , they are always about safety. They don‘t change their focus
from model to model.
a. Suzuki
b. Volvo
1.12 Important Factors about Branding

 Quality
Quality is a vital ingredient of a good brand. Remember the ―core benefits‖
– the things consumers expect. These must be delivered well, consistently. The
branded washing machine that leaks, or the training shoe that often falls apart when
wet will never develop brand equity.
Research confirms that, statistically, higher quality brands achieve a higher

market share and higher profitability that their inferior competitors.
28
The Market
 Positioning and Brand
Basics
Positioning is about the position a brand occupies in a market in the minds of
consumers. Strong brands have a clear, often unique position in the target market.
Positioning can be achieved through several means, including brand name,

image, service standards, product guarantees, packaging and the way in which it is
delivered. In fact, successful positioning usually requires a combination of these
things.
 Repositioning
Repositioning occurs when a brand tries to change its market position to
reflect a change in consumer‘s tastes. This is often required when a brand has
become tired, perhaps because its original market has matured or has gone into
decline.
The repositioning of the Lucozade brand from a sweet drink for children to a
leading sports drink is one example. Take Liril as another example.
 Communications
Communications also play a key role in building a successful brand. We
suggested that brand positioning is essentially about customer perceptions – with
the objective to build a clearly defined position in the minds of the target audience.
All elements of the promotional mix need to be used to develop and sustain
customer perceptions. Initially, the challenge is to build awareness, then to develop
the brand personality and reinforce the perception.
 First-mover advantage
Business strategists often talk about first-mover advantage. In terms of brand
development, by ―first-mover‖ they mean that it is possible for the first successful
brand in a market to create a clear positioning in the minds of target customers
before the competition enters the market. There is plenty of evidence to support
this.
Think of some leading consumer product brands like Gillette, Coca Cola and
Sellotape that, in many ways, defined the markets they operate in and continue to
lead. However, being first into a market does not necessarily guarantee long-term
success. Competitors – drawn to the high growth and profit potential demonstrated
by the ―market-mover‖ – will enter the market and copy the best elements of
the leader‘s brand (a good example is the way that Body Shop
29
Basics of developed the ―ethical‖ personal care market but were soon facing stiff
Brand competition from the major high street cosmetics retailers.
Management
 Long-term perspective
This leads onto another important factor in brand-building: the need to invest
in the brand over the long-term. Building customer awareness, communicating the
brand‘s message and creating customer loyalty takes time. This means that
management must ―invest‖ in a brand, perhaps at the expense of short-term
profitability.
 Internal marketing
Finally, management should ensure that the brand is marketed ―internally‖
as well as externally. By this we mean that the whole business should understand
the brand values and positioning. This is particularly important in service businesses
where a critical part of the brand value is the type and quality of service that a
customer receives.
Think of the brands that you value in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors.
It is likely that your favorite brands invest heavily in staff training so that the face-
to-face contact that you have with the brand helps secure your loyalty.
 Brand extension and stretching

Marketers have long recognized that strong brand names that deliver higher
sales and profits (i.e. those that have brand equity) have the potential to work their
magic on other products.
The two options for doing this are usually called ―brand extension‖ and
―brand stretching‖.
 Brand extension
Brand extension refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch a
new or modified product in a same broad market.
A successful brand helps a company enter new product categories more
easily.
For example, Fairy (owned by Unilever) was extended from a washing up
liquid brand to become a washing powder brand too.
The Lucozade brand has undergone a very successful brand extension from
children‘s health drink to an energy drink and sports drink.
30
The Market
 Brand stretching and Brand
Brand stretching refers to the use of an established brand name for products Basics
in unrelated markets.
For example the move by Yamaha (originally a Japanese manufacturer of

motorbikes) into branded hi-fi equipment, pianos and sports equipment.
When done successfully, brand extension can have several advantages:
o Distributors may perceive there is less risk with a new product if it
carries a familiar brand name. If a new food product carries the Heinz
brand, it is likely that customers will buy it.
o Customers will associate the quality of the established brand name with
the new product. They will be more likely to trust the new product.
o The new product will attract quicker customer awareness and
willingness to trial or sample the product.
o Promotional launch costs (particularly advertising) are likely to be

substantially lower.
 Brand positioning
As we have argued in our other revision notes on branding, it is the ―added
value‖ or augmented elements that determine a brand‘s positioning in the market
place.
Positioning can be defined as follows:
Positioning is how a product appears in relation to other products in the

market Brands can be positioned against competing brands on a perceptual map.
A perceptual map defines the market in terms of the way buyers perceive
key characteristics of competing products.
The basic perceptual map that buyers use maps products in terms of their
price and quality, as illustrated below:
31
Basics of
Brand
Management
Fig: 1.3 Brand positioning
Types of brand
There are two main types of brand – manufacturer brands and own-label
brands.
Manufacturer brands
Manufacturer brands are created by producers and bear their chosen brand
name. The producer is responsible for marketing the brand. The brand is owned by
the producer.
By building their brand names, manufacturers can gain widespread
distribution (for example by retailers who want to sell the brand) and build customer
loyalty (think about the manufacturer brands that you feel ―loyal‖ to).
Own label brands

Own-label brands are created and owned by businesses that operate in the
distribution channel – often referred to as ―distributors‖. Often these distributors
are retailers, but not exclusively. Sometimes the retailer‘s entire product ranges will
be own-label. However, more often, the distributor will mix own-label and
manufacturers brands. The major supermarkets (e.g. Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury‘s)
are excellent examples of this. Own-label branding – if well carried out – can often
offer the consumer excellent value for money and provide the
32
The Market
distributor with additional bargaining power when it comes to negotiating prices and Brand
and terms with manufacturer brands. Basics

1. is about the position a brand occupies in a market in the minds of
consumers.
a. Positioning
b. Repositioning
2. occurs when a brand tries to change its market position to

reflect a change in consumer‘s tastes.
a. Repositioning
b. positioning
1.13 Let Us Sum Up

In this part we have studied about the meaning and importance of market
environment. Here we look at the latest thinking and best practice in the domain of
marketing and takes a fresh look at the real nature of an organization‘s assets, such as
market share and supplier and customer relationships, all of which are represented by the
brand. Effective marketing requires a keen understanding of the macro and
microenvironment, customers and competitors. Competition is becoming intense with
every passing year. Companies need to balance their customer and competitor orientation
in order to be successful in the fast changing environment. We have even discussed the
importance of Michael porter 5 forces that determine the intrinsic log-run attractiveness of
a market or market segment. We have discussed the brand which means, when used as a
noun, can refer to a company name, a product name, or a unique identifier such as a logo
or trademark. Its origin is in ranch ownersbranded, or marked, their cattle so they could
later identify their herd as their own. The concept of branding also developed through the
practices of craftsmen who wanted to place a mark or identifier on their work without
detracting from the beauty of the piece. These craftsmen used their initials, a symbol, or
another unique mark to identify their work and they usually put these marks in a low
visibility place on the product.
Today‘s modern concept of branding grew out of the consumer packaged goods
industry and the process of branding has come to include much, much more than just
creating a way to identify a product or company. So branding today is used to create
emotional attachment to products and companies. Branding efforts create a feeling of
33
Basics of involvement, a sense of higher quality, and an aura of intangible qualities that surround
Brand the brand name, mark, or symbol.
Management
So in this part we have discussed in very detail about branding hoping it is
going to be of great help for the students.
Answers: (1-b), (2-a)
Answers: (1-a), (2-b)
Answers: (1-a), (2-a)
Answers: (1-a)
Answers: (1-a)
34
The Market
Check your progress 10 and Brand
Basics
1.15 Glossary
1. Image - overall consumer perceptions or end user feelings toward a
company along with its products and services.
2. Corporate logo - the symbol used to identify a company and its brands,
helping to convey the overall corporate image.
3. Stimulus codability - items that easily evoke consensually held meanings
within a culture or subculture.
1.16 Assignment
1. What are the difference between a product and a brand? Give examples.
2. What are the competitive forces that are at work in the market?
1.17 Activities
1. Why are brands important? What relationship does a brand share with a
consumer?
2. List five brands and the emotional benefits they give.
1.18 Case Study

1. List five brands and the perceived benefits they provide.
2. Look around you and describe clearly personality profiles of five brands.
3. Trace the history of ONE old brand and ONE modern brand. Point out the
differences.
35
Basics of
Brand 1.19 Further Readings
Management
1. Marketing Management (Twelfth Edition) – Philip Kotler.
2. The Brand Mindset – Duanne E Knapp. Tata McGraw Hill edition.

3. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding – Al Ries and Laura Ries.
4. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind - Al Ries and Laura Ries.
5. Marketing Warfare - Al Ries and Laura Ries.
6. Competitive Strategy – Michael E Porter.
36
LESSON 2: BRAND EVOLUTION AND VALUE OF
BRANDS
Structure
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Understanding of Brand Evolution

2.3 Understanding of the Branding Process
2.4 Value of Brands
2.5 The Importance of Brand Planning
2.6 Issues Influencing Brand Potential
2.7 Eight Dimensions of Brands

2.8 Let Us Sum Up

2.10 Glossary
2.11 Assignment
2.12 Activities
2.13 Case Study


After learning this Chapter, you will be able to understand:
 Brand Evolution
 The Branding Process
 What is the Value of Brands?
 What is the Issues Influencing Brand Potential?
 The relevance of Brand Planning
 What are Eight Dimensions of Brands?
37
Basics of
Brand 2.1 Introduction
Management
Now at this point, it is worth appreciating how brands evolved.
This historical review shows how different types of brands evolved. There
were examples of brands being used in Greek and Roman times. With a high level
of illiteracy, shops indicating the types of goods they sold. Symbols were developed
to provide an indication for the retailer‘s specialty and thus the brand logo as a short
hand device signaling the brand‘s capability was born. Use is still made of this
aspect of branding, as in the case, for example, of the poised jaguar indicating the
power developed by the Jaguar brand.
The next landmark in the evolution of brands was associated with the growth
of cattle farming in the New World of North America. Cattle Owners wanted to
make it clear to other potentially interested parties which animals they owned. By
using a red hot iron, with a they left a clear imprint on the skin of each of each of
their animals. This process appears to have been taken by many as the basis for the
meaning of the term brand, defined by the Oxford English dictionary as ‗to mark
indelibly as proof of ownership, as a sign of quality, or for any other purpose‘. This
view of the purpose of brands as being identifying (differentiating) devices has
remained with us until today. What is surprising is that in an enlightened era aware
of the much broader strategic interpretation of brands, many of today‘s leading
marketing textbooks still adhere to the brand solely as a differentiating device, for
example, ‗a name, term, sign, symbol, or a combination of them, which is intended
to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate
them from those of the competitors‘. Towards the end of the nineteenth such a view
was justified, as the next few paragraphs clarify.
A consequence of this was that manufacturers‘ production increased, but

with their increasing separation from consumers, they came to rely more on
wholesalers. Likewise, retailers‘ dependence on wholesalers increased, from whom
they expected greater services. Until the end of the nineteenth century, the situation
was one of dominance. Manufacturers produced according to wholesalers‘
stipulations, who, in turn, were able to dictate terms and strongly influence the
product range of the retailer. As an indication of the importance of wholesalers, it
is estimated that by 1900, wholesalers were the main suppliers of the independent
retailers, who accounted for 87-90 per cent of all retail sales.
During this stage, most manufacturers were:
 Selling unbranded goods;
38
Brand
 Having to meet wholesalers‘ demands for low prices; Evolution and
Value of
 Spending minimal amounts on advertising; Brands
 Selling direct to wholesalers, while having little contact with retailers;
In this situation, the manufacturer‘s profit depended mostly on sheer

production efficiency. It was virtually commodity marketing, with little scope for
increasing margins by developing and launching new products.
2.2 Understanding of Branding Evolution

To appreciate how further tiers of brands evolved, one must again consider
the changing nature of the retailing environment. Around the 1870s, multiple
retailers (i.e. those owning ten or more outlets) emerged, each developing their own
range of brands, for which they controlled the production and packaging. These
distributor brands (usually referred to as own labels or private labels) became
common in emergent chains such as Home & Colonial, Lipton and International
Stores. The early versions of distributor brands tended to be basic grocery items.
Not only did the chains undertake their own production, but they also managed the
wholesaling function, with branding being almost an incidental part of the total
process.
The reason for the advent of distributor brands was that, due to resale price
maintenance, retailers were unable to compete with each other on the price of
manufacturers‘ brands and relied upon service as the main competitive edge to
increase store traffic. The multiples circumvented this problem by developing their
own distributor brands (own label). The degree of retailer production was limited
by the complexity of the items and the significant costs of production facilities.
Thus, it became increasingly common for multiple retailersto commission
established manufacturers to produce their distributor brands which were packaged
to the retailer‘s specifications. Before World War II, distributor brands accounted
for 10-15 per cent of multiples‘ total sales, but with multiple retailers accounting
for only 17 per cent of food sales the overall importance of distributor brands was
far exceeded by manufacturer brands. During World War II, distributor brands were
withdrawn due to shortages and were not reintroduced until the 1950s.
One of the consequences of the increasing growth of the multiples was the
decline of independent retailers (i.e. those owning no more than nine shops). As a
means of protecting themselves, some independent retailers joined together during
39
Basics of the 1950s and collaborated with specific wholesalers in symbol/voluntary groups
Brand (e.g. Mace-Wavey Line, Spar). With a significant element of their purchasing
Management channeled through a central wholesaler, they were able to achieve more favorable
terms from manufacturers. A further consequence of this allegiance was the
introduction of symbol/voluntary brands, designed to compete against the multiple
brands. It should also be recognized that the once powerful retailing force of the
Co-op, with its not-insignificant farming and processing plants, also has a long
history of marketing its Co-op brands (albeit with a variety of brand names).
Unfortunately, due to the Co-op‘s inability to adapt to the changing retailing
environment, this sector‘s.importance has fallen. With only an II per cent share of
the packaged grocery sector in 1988 the overall importance of the Co-op brands has
declined.
Whilst distributor brands have their origin in the grocery sector, however,
where in 1988 they accounted for 28 per cent of packaged grocery sales, it should
not be thought that this is their sole domain.
For example, it is estimated that in 1989, over 50 per cent of footwear sales
and almost half of all men swear sales are accounted for by distributor brands. In
the DIY goods sector, approximately a quarter of sales are from distributor brands
and a fifth of furniture and floor covering sales are distributor brands. In the retail
banking sector, where the service ‗manufacturer‘ is also the distributor, distributor
brands are common (e.g. Midland‘s Meridian Multi service Account). In the
industrial sector, it is less common to see distributor brands. Due to the considerable
investment in production, the need to appreciate the technology and the greater
reliance upon direct delivery, with less reliance on distributors.
In the packaged grocery sector, where the first alternative tier to manufacturer
brands appeared, innovative marketing in the late 1970s also led to a further
alternative - generics. In fact, the term ‗generics‘ may be a misnomer since it
implies a return to the days when retailers sold commodities rather than brands. This
trend was originally started by CARREFOUR in 1976, when they launched fifty
‗produitslibres‘ in France, promoted as brand-free products. Some UK grocery
retailers noted the initial success of these lines and thought the time was right to
follow in the UK. At the time there was growing consumer skepticism about the
price premium being paid for branding and with consumer‘s becoming more
confident about selecting what in many cases were better quality distributor brands.
It was thought that in a harsh economic environment, generics would be a popular
alternative to manufacturer brands, further increasing distributors‘ control of their
product mix.
40
Brand
The trust behind generics were that of cutting out any superfluous frills Evolution and
surrounding the product. They were distinguishable by their plain packaging, with Value of
Brands
the marketing emphasis placed on the content, rather than on the promotional or
pack features. On average, generics were priced 40 per cent lower than the brand
leader and approximately 20 per cent lower that the equivalent distributor brands.
Whilst the quality level varied by retailer, they were none the less generally inferior
to manufacturer‘s brands.
Retailers in the UK who stocked a generic range developed a policy regarding

the product, pricing, packaging and merchandizing that only too clearly enabled
consumers to associate a particular generic range with a specific store. One retailer
went as far as branding their generic range (BASICS). But the withdrawal of
generics was not surprising, since consumers perceived generics as similar to
distributor brands. They were not perceived as a unique tier and the weakened the
image, hence the sales. Of the distributor brands of those retailers stocking generics.
Furthermore, as they were perceived to be similar to distributor brands, more
switching occurred with these. Rather than with the less profitable manufacturers‘
brands.
However, it is worth emphasizing that any organization operating in

consumer, services or industrial markets, never has a commodity and is always able
to differentiate their offering, Research has shown that marketing a product or
service predominantly on the basis of the functional performance of the core
product (as was the case with generic groceries), accounts for about 80 per cent of
the costs, yet only 20 percent of the impact. The marketing of generics trims some
of the marginal costs away. But leaves the organization having to compete on
product dimensions that can be easily copied and which have little impact compared
with other attributes (e.g. service, availability. imagery etc.). Any industrial
manufacturers who believe they are marketing a generic product, and therefore have
to offer the lowest prices are deluding themselves, For example, purchasers are not
just buying tanker loads of commonly available chemical for their production
process. They are also buying a reliable delivery service, a well administered
reordering process, advice from the supplier about the operating characteristics of
the chemical, etc. By just considering issues such as these, it is easier to appreciate
the fallacy of marketing generics.
Branding in the 1990s: brand categorization
An advertising perspective
This brief historical review has shown how brands evolved and has also
briefly introduced the idea of the different types of brands. One of the weaknesses
41
Basics of with the current views on branding is that the term is used to encompass a very
Brand broad range of issues encouraging the possibility of confusion.
Management
Two well-known researchers recently pointed out that the problem with
branding is the surprising number of creative directors, planners, account handlers
and clients who have kindergarten knowledge of branding processes and
mechanisms. They are rightly critical of those who regard branding merely as a
process to ensure that the name on a product or service is highly visible. Based on
a consideration of advertisements, they classified brands into nine categories
representing a role in advertising, varying from simple through to complex branding
For example, at the simple end of the scale there are those brands which operate
through straightforward association with the advertising slogan (e.g. the classic
Schweppes). By contrast, at the most complex end of the spectrum, they identify
structural branding, in which for example, objects (scissors, hedge trimmers, etc.).
The figure below shows these researchers‘ (Langmaid and Gordon) interpretation
of brand types.
Simple
 Simple ɑssociɑtion (verƅɑl) e.g. Schweppes .


 Simple ɑssociɑtion (visuɑl) e.g. Old Spice
 Brɑnding devices e.g. Horlicks .
 Brɑnding symƅols e.g. Dulux dog

 Brɑnding metɑphors e.g. 'Austrɑliɑness'
 Brɑnding tone of voice e.g. TSB
 Structurɑl ƅrɑnding e.g. B&H
Complex
Fig 2.1 Langmaid and Gordon’s (1988) brand Typology
However, whilst their typology is of value to advertisers, its overt advertising

bias restricts its value as an aid in evaluating how to employ the other elements of
the marketing mix.
42
Brand
Evolution and
Check your progress 1 Value of
Brands
1. brands have their origin in the grocery sector.
a. retailer
b. Distributor
2. One of the consequences of the _growth of the multiples was

the decline of independent retailers.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
2.3 Understanding the Branding Process

When BMW drivers proudly turn the ignition keys for the first time in ‗the
ultimate driving machine‘, they are not only benefiting from a highly engineered
car with an excellent performance, but are also taking ownership of a symbol that
signifies the core values of exclusivity, performance, quality and technical
innovation.
Purchasers of a prudential insurance policy are not just buying the security of
knowing that damage to their home through unforeseen events can rapidly and
inexpensively be rectified. They are also buying the ‗corporate symbol‘ of the face
of Prudence reminding them of the added values of heritage, size and public
awareness, inspiring confidence and sustained credibility.
Likewise buying an IBM computer is not just buying a device that rapidly
computes data into a format that is more managerially useful, but is also buying the
security of a back-up facility and commitment to customer satisfaction signified by
the three letters of IBM.
While these purchasers in the consumer, service and industrial markets have
bought solutions to their individual problems, they have also paid a price premium
for the added value provided by buying brands. In addition to satisfy their core
purchase requirements, they have bought an augmented solution to their problem,
for which they perceive sufficient added value to warrant paying a premium over
other alternatives that have satisfied their buying needs.
The added values that they sought, however, were not just those provided
through the presence of a brand name as a differentiating device, or through the
presence of brand names to recall powerful advert. Instead, they perceived a total
43
Basics of entity, the brand which is the result of a coherent marketing approach which uses
Brand all elements of the marketing-mix. A man does not give a woman a box of branded
Management chocolates because she is hungry. Instead, he selects a brand that communicates
something about his relationship with her. This, he hopes, will be recognized
through - the pack-design,"her recall" of a relevant advertising message, the quality
of the contents, her chiding of him for the price he paid and her appreciation of the
effort he took to find a retailer specializing in stocking such an exclusive brand. The
same goes for a woman buying a man a special box of cigars.
These examples show that thinking of branding as being ‗to do with naming
products‘, or ‗about getting the right promotion with the name prominently
displayed‘ of getting the design right ‗, is too myopic. In the mid 19805, we came
across Scottowels when we were doing some work in the kitchen towels market.
Managers in the company thought that this was a branded kitchen towel, but
consumers perceived this as little more than another kitchen towel with a name
added - one stage removed from being a commodity. It had a brand name, but
because the rest of the marketing mix was neglected, it had to fight for shelf space
on the basis of price and was ultimately doomed because of the vicious circle driven
by minimum value leading to low price.
There are hundreds of examples of well-known brand names that have failed
commercially. There are even some which are reviled by the public. Such
unsuccessful brands are examples of failure to integrate all the elements of
marketing in a coherent way. Thus, branding is a powerful marketing concept that
does not just focus on one element of the marketing mix but represents the result of
a carefully conceived array of marketing across the spectrum of marketing mix,
directed towards making the buyer recognize relevant added values that are unique
when compared with competing products and services and which are difficult for
competitors to emulate. The purpose of branding is to facilitate the organization‘s
task of getting and maintaining a loyal customer base in a cost effective manner to
achieve the highest possible return on investment. In other words, branding should
not be regarded as a tactical tool directed towards one element of the marketing
mix; but rather should be seen as the result of strategic thinking, integrating a
marketing programmed across the complete marketing mix.
Neither is this a concept that should be regarded as more appropriate for

consumer markets. Indeed, the concept of branding is increasingly being applied to
people and places, such as politicians, pop stars, holiday resorts and the like, whilst
it has always been equally relevant to the marketing of products and
44
Brand
services. Were this not so, organizations such as IBM would be unable to charge Evolution and
significantly higher prices for their computers, which compete so successfully with Value of
technically more advanced machines selling at lower prices. Brands
Strategic branding is concerned with evaluating how to achieve the highest

return on investment from brands, through analyzing, formulating and
implementing a strategy that best satisfies users, distributors and brand
manufacturers.
It is only recently that a strategic perspective on branding has emerged, with
firm‘s beginning to recognize that they are sitting on valuable assets that need
careful attention.
Successful Brands
Successful brands, that is, those which are the focus of a coherent blending of
marketing resources, represent valuable marketing assets. During the 1980s the
value of brands was ironically brought to the attention of marketers by the financial
community: For example, in 1985 Reckitt and Colman acquired Airwick Industries
and put on itsbalance sheet £ 127 million as the financial value resulting from the
intangible benefits of goodwill, heritage and loyalty conveyed by the newly
acquired brand names. While this may have been one of the opening shots to make
organizations aware of the financial value of brands, it was Rank Hovis McDougal
who really brought the brand debate to life. They announced in 1988 that they had
put £678 million on their balance sheet as the valuation of their brand names. In the
same year Jacobs Suchard and Nestle fought for the ownership of Rowntree. At the
time of the takeover battle it was estimated that Rowntree‘s tangible net assets were
worth around £300 m, yet Nestle won control by paying £2.5 bn. This difference of
£2.2 bn represented the value that Nestle saw in the potential earnings of strong
brands such as Kit Kat, Polo, Quality Street and After Eight Mints, etc.
Thus, because consumers recognize and appreciate the added values of
successful brands, they are able to sustain a higher price premium over equivalent
commodity items and generally generate healthy profits.
The ultimate assessor of the real value of a brand, however, is not the
manufacturer or the distributor, but the buyer or the user. Marketers are able to
develop strategies to convey added values to purchasers, but because of what is
called the ‗perceptual process‘ the target audience may well focus on only a part of
the available information and ‗twist‘ some of the messages to make them congruent
with their prior beliefs. For example-should a wallpaper paste
45
Basics of manufacturer show an apparently incompetent DIY householder mixing paste in a
Brand television commercial in an attempt to communicate the smoothness and ease of
Management application of their brand of wallpaper paste, they run the risk of some consumers
interpreting the brand as being ‗suitable for idiots‘. This is one example of the
perceptual process.
It is imperative to recognize that while marketers instigate the branding

process (i.e. branding as an input), it is the buyer or the user who forms a mental
vision of the brand (i.e. branding as an output), which may be different from the
intended marketing thrust. While the marketers talk about the branding effort they
are undertaking, they should never lose sight of the fact that the final from of the
brand is the mental evaluation held by the purchasers or users. Branding, then, needs
to be appreciated in terms of both the input and the out put process.
Brands are successful when developed with a clear statement of intent about
the products or services purpose, the specific group of customers the brand is
targeted at and a commitment to equipping the brand with the right types of
resources to achieve the stated purpose.
For example, Coca-Cola‘s success is partly attributable to a clear

positioning as a refreshing, fun-type drink, targeted at teenagers and backed by a
tradition of quality and continual consumer communication.
Brands deliver a variety of benefits, which for ease can be classified as

satisfying buyer‘s rational and emotional needs. Successful brands are those which
have the correct balance in terms of their ability to satisfy these two needs for
example, cigarette smokers have a variety of rational needs such as seeking the best
value, or best taste, or best quality. Or a certain aroma or achieving relaxation, etc.
The extent to which different brands satisfy particular rational needs will be
assessed by the consumer trying different brands, examining the packaging, looking
at the shape of the cigarette, considering its price etc. Besides these rational needs
they will also be seeking to satisfy emotional needs, such as prestige, or
distinctiveness, or style, or social reassurance, etc. The extent to which different
brands satisfy these emotional needs will be evaluated by consumers recalling
promotions, or assessing who smokes different brands, or considering what
situations different brands are consumed in, etc. To succeed, the marketer must
understand the extent to which their brand satisfies rational and emotional needs
and then develop marketing programs accordingly.
Some may question whether the rational dimension dominates industrial

branding and therefore whether there is any need to consider emotional aspects at
all. Our work has shown that emotion plays and important role in the industrial
46
Brand
brand selection process. For example, some office services managers do not just
Evolution and
consider the rational aspects of office furniture brands they are about to buy, but Value of
also seek emotional reassurance that the correct brand decision might reaffirm their Brands
continual career development or that they have not lost credibility amongst
colleagues through the wrong brand choice.

1. should not be regarded as a tactical tool directed towards one
element of the marketing mix.
a. Branding
b. Packaging
2. is concerned with evaluating how to achieve the highest return

on investment from brands.
a. Strategic branding
b. branding
2.4 Value of Brands

Recalling the discussion in the previous section about brand names; acting as
a means of short circuiting the search for information, consumers appreciate
manufacturers‘ brands since they make shopping a less time-consuming experience.
As already noted, manufacturers‘ brands are recognized as providing a

consistent guide to quality, and consistency. They reduce perceived risk and make
consumers more confident and in some product fields (e.g. clothing, cars)‘ they also
satisfy strong status needs.
Why, then, do so many manufacturers also supply distributors‘ brands? First,

it is important to understand why distributors are so keen on introducing their own
brands. Research has shown that they are particularly keen on distributor brands
because they enable them to have more control over their product mix. With a strong
distributor brand range, retailers have rationalized their product range to take
advantage of the resulting cost savings and much stock a manufacturer‘s brand
leader, their own distributor‘s brand and possibly a second manufacturer‘s brand.
Trade interviews have also shown that distributor brands
47
Basics of offered better margins than the equivalent manufacturer‘s brand, with estimates
Brand indicating the extra profit margin to be about 5 percent more than the equivalent
Management manufacturer‘s brand.
Some of the reasons why manufacturers become suppliers of distributors‘

brands are:
 Economies of scale through raw material purchasing, distribution and

production;
 Any excess capacity can be utilized;
 It can provide a base for expansion;
 Substantial sales may accrue with minimal promotional or selling costs;
 It may be the only way of dealing with some important distributors (e.g. marks
& spencer);
 If an organization does not supply distributor brands, their competitors will,

possibly strengthening the competitors‘ cost structure and trade goodwill.
Consumers benefit from distributors‘ brands through the lower prices being
charged. But it is interesting to note that our own research found that consumers are
becoming increasingly confident about distributors‘ brands and no longer perceive
them as ‗cheap and nasty‘ weak alternatives to manufacturers‘ brands, but rather as
realistic alterative.

1. brands are recognized as providing a consistent guide to quality,
and consistency.
a. manufacturers‘
b. marketers
2. benefit from distributors‘ brands through the lower prices

being charged.
a. Sellers
b. Consumers
48
Brand
Evolution and
2.5 The Importance of Brand Planning Value of
Brands
As the previous sections of this chapter have shown, brands play a variety of
roles and for a number of reasons satisfies many different needs. They are the end
result of much effort and by implication represents a considerable investment by
the organization. With the recent interest in the balance sheet value of brands
companies are beginning to question whether their financially valuable assets in the
form of brands are being effectively used to achieve high returns on investment.
To gain the best return from their brands, firms must adopt a broad vision
about their brands and not just focus in isolation on tactical issues of design and
promotion. Instead, they need to audit the capabilities of their firm to evaluate the
external issues influencing their brand.
Brand planning is an important but time-consuming activity, which if
undertaken in a thorough manner involving company-wide discussion, will result
in a clear vision about how resources can be employed to sustain the brand‘s
differential advantage. Unfortunately, it is only a minority of organizations who
undertake thorough brand planning. Without well-structured brand plans there is
the danger of what we call brand ‗vandalism‘.
Junior brand managers are given ‗training‘ by making them responsible for
specific brands. Their planning horizons tend to be in terms of a couple of years
(i.e. the period before they move on) and their focus tends to be on the tactical issues
of advertising. Pack design and tailor-made brand promotions for the trade. At best,
these results in ‗fire fighting‘ and a defensive rather than offensive brand plan. The
core values of the brand are in danger of being diluted through excessive brand
extensions. For example, one of the key core values of the Ribena brand is vitamin
C yet by extending the brand into other fruits (e.g. Strawberry) this is weakening
the brand‘s proposition and potentially weakening the brand‘s strength.
Internally, organizations may be oblivious to the fact that they are hindering
brand development. Clearly, by not preparing well documented strategic brand
plans firms are creating their own obstacles to success. Some of the characteristics
that internally hinder any chance of brand success are:
 Brand planning is based on little more than extrapolations from the previous
few years.
49
Basics of  When it doesn‘t look as if the annual budget is going to be reached
Brand quarter 4 sees brand investment being cut (i.e. advertising. Market
Management research, etc.)
 The marketing manager is unable to delegate responsibility and is too

involved in tactical issues.
 Brand managers see their current positions as good training grounds for no
more than two years.
 Strategic thinking consists of a retreat once a year, with the advertising agency
and sales managers, to a one-day meeting concerned with next year‘s brand
plans.
 A profitability analysis for each major customer is rarely under taken.
 New product activity consists of different pack sizes and rapidly developing
‗me- too‘ offers.
 The promotions budget is strongly biased towards below-the-line promotional

activity. supplemented only occasionally with advertising
 Marketing documentation is available to the advertising agency on a need to

know basis only.
Brand strategy development must involve all levels of marketing management

and stands a better chance of success when all the other relevant internal
departments and external agencies are actively involved. It must progress on the
basis of all parties being kept aware of progress.
British Airways exemplify the notion of brand development as an integrating

process, having used this to achieve a greater customer focus.
For example, the simple operation of taking a few seats out of an aircraft can
be done with confidence, as engineering are consulted about safety implications,
finance work out the long-term revenue implication, scheduling explore capacity
implications and the cabin crew adjust their in-flight service routines.
50
Brand
Check your progress 4 Evolution and
Value of
1. To gain the best return from their brands, firms must adopt a about Brands
their brands and not just focus in isolation on tactical issues of design and
promotion.
a. broad vision
b. broad mission
2. Without well-structured brand there is the danger of what we call

brand ‗vandalism‘.
a. Strategy
b. Plans
2.6 Issues influencing Brand Potential

When auditing the factors affecting the future of brands, it is useful to
consider these in terms of the five forces shown in Figure below. The brand
strategist can evaluate the intensity and impact of the following brand-impeding
issues.
Fig: 2.2 Forces Influencing Brand Potential
 The manufacturer
It is not unusual for an organization to be underutilizing its brand assets
through an inability to recognize what is occurring inside the organization? Have
realistic, quantified. Objectives been set for each of the brands, and have they
51
Basics of been widely disseminated? Aims such as ‗to be the brand leader‘ give some
Brand indication of the threshold target, but do little in terms of stretching the use of
Management resources to achieve their full potential. Further more, they show every sign of the
executive shying away from accepting brand responsibility. Brand leadership may
result before the end of the planning horizon, but this may be because of factors that
the organization did not incorporate into their marketing audit. But luck also has a
habit of working against the player as much as working for the player.
Has the organization made full use of its internal auditing to identify what its
distinctive brand competences are, and to what extent these match the factors that
are critical for brand success? For example, Swatch recognized that amongst
fashion-conscious watch owners, its distinctive competences of design and
production could satisfy changing consumer demands for novelty watches.
Is the organization plagued by a continual desire to cut costs, without fully
appreciating why it is following this route? Has the market reached the maturity
stage, with the organization‘s brand having to compete against competitors‘ brands
on the basis of matching performance, but at a reduced price? If this is so, all aspects
of the organization‘s value chain should be geared towards cost minimization (e.g.
eliminating production inefficiencies, avoiding marginal customer accounts, having
a narrow product mix, working with long production runs, etc.). Alternatively, is
the firm‘s brand unique in some way that competitors find difficult to emulate and
for which the firm can charge a price premium (e.g. unique source of high quality
raw materials, innovative production, process, unparalleled customer service
training. acclaimed advertising, etc.). Where consumers demand a brand which has
clear benefits, the manufacturer should ensure all departments work towards
maintaining these benefits and signal this to‘ the market (e.g. by the cleanliness of
the lorries, the politeness of the telephonists, the promptness of answering a
customer enquiry, etc.) In some instances, particularly in services, the brand
planning document can overlook a link in the value chain. Resulting in some
inherent added value being diminished (e.g. an insurance broker selling reputable
quality insurance from a shabby office).
 Distributors
The brand strategy of the manufacturer cannot be formulated without regard
for the distributor. Both parties rely on each other for their success and even in an
era of increasing retailer concentration, notwithstanding all the trade press hype,
there is still a recognition amongst manufacturers and distributors that long-term
brand profitability evolves through mutual support.
52
Brand
Manufacturers need to identify retailer‘s objectives and align their brands Evolution and
with those retailers whose aims most closely match their own. With the opening of Value of
Brands
European markets in 1992, some of the major multiple grocery retailers have
already set their sights on growth through market development. Involving
discussions about pan European alliances with other retailers. Brand manufacturers
who have not fully considered the implications of distributors‘ longer-term
objective are deluding themselves about the long-term viability of their own brands.
In the UK, there are numerous instances of growing retailer power, with a few
major operators controlling a significant proportion of retail sales (e.g. groceries,
DIY, jewellery, footwear). The danger of increasing retailer power is that weaker
brand manufacturers acquiesce to demands for better discounts, without fully
appreciating that the long term well-being of their brands is being undermined. It is
crucial for brand manufacturers to analyze regularly what proportion of their brand
sales go through each distributor and then for each individual distributor to assess
how important a particular manufacturer‘s brand is to them.
If this hypothetical example were for a HLL brand, it is clear that the
particular HLL brand is more reliant upon Foodworld than Foodworld is on the
particular HLL brand. Such an analysis better enables manufacturers to appreciate
which retailers are more able to exert pressure on their brand. It indicates that, if the
brand manufacturer wants to escape from a position of retailer power, they need to
consider ways of growing business for their brands in those sectors other than
Foodworld at a faster rate than is envisaged within this distributor.
When working with a distributor the brand manufacturer should take into
account whether the distributor is striving to offer a good value proposition to the
consumer (e.g. Kwik, Save, Aldi) or a value-added proposition (e.g. high quality
names at Harrods). In view of the loss of control once the manufacturer‘s brand is
in the distributor‘s domain, the brand manufacturer must annually evaluate the
degree of synergy through each particular route and be prepared to consider
changes.
Does the manufacturer have an offensive distribution strategy, or is it by

default that its brands go through certain channels?
What are the ideal characteristics for distributors of its brands and how well
do the actual distributors used match these criteria?
How do distributors plan to use brands to meet their objectives?
53
Basics of The brand manufacturer must have a clear idea of the importance of specific
Brand distributors for each brand.
Management
Finally manufacturers must recognize that when developing new brands,
distributors have a finite shelf space and market research must not solely address
consumer issues, but must also take into account the reaction of the trade. One
company found that a pyramid pack design researched well amongst consumers,
but on trying to sell this into the trade it failed - due to what the trade saw as
ineffective use of shelf space.
 Consumers
To consumers buying is a process of problem solving. They become aware of
a problem (e.g. not yet arranged summer holidays), seek information (e.g. go to
travel agent and skim brochures), evaluate the information and then make a decision
(e.g. select three possible holidays, then try to book one through the travel agent).
The extent of this buying process varies according to purchasers‘ characteristics,
experience and the products being bought. None the less, clearly consumers have
to ‗work‘ to make a brand selection.
Brands offer consumers a means of minimizing information search and
evaluation. Through seeing a brand name which has been supported by continual
marketing activity, consumers can use this as a rapid means of interrogating
memory and if sufficient relevant information can be recalled, only minimal effort
is needed to make a purchase decision. As a consequence of this, brand strategists
should question whether they are presenting consumers with a few high quality
pieces of information, or whether they are bombarding consumers with large
quantities of information and ironically causing confusion. Likewise in business to
business markets, it is important to consider how firms make brand selections.
Not only should strategists look at the stages consumers go through in the
process of choosing brands but they also need to consider the role that brands
actually play in this process. For example, a businessperson going to an important
business presentation may feel social risk in the type of clothes he/she wears and
select a respected brand mainly as a risk-reducer. By contrast, in a different
situation, they may decide to wear a Gucci watch, because of a need to use the brand
as a device to communicate a message (e.g. success, lifestyle) to their peer group.
Likewise, one purchasing manager may buy a particular brand, since experience
has taught him that delivery is reliable, even though there is a price premium to pay.
By contrast, another purchasing manager may be more concerned about rapid career
advancement and may choose to order a different brand on the basis that he is
rewarded for minimizing unnecessary expenditure on raw
54
Brand
materials. Success depends on understanding the way purchasers interact with Evolution and
brands and employing company resources to match these needs. Value of
Brands
 Competitors
Research has shown that return on investment (ROI) is related to a product‘s
share of the market. In other words products with a bigger market share yield better
returns than those with a smaller market share. Organizations with strong brands
fare better in gaining market share than those without strong brands. Thus, firms
who are brand leaders will become particularly aggressive if they see their position
being eroded by other brands. Furthermore, as larger firms are likely to have a range
of brands, backed by large resources, it is always possible for them to use one of
their brands as a loss leader to under price the smaller competitor, and once the
smaller brand falls out of the market, the brand leader can then increase prices.
Several years ago, Laker took on the major airlines when he launched his Sky train
on the lucrative trans-Atlantic route. The major players recognized the potential
danger from this ‗no-frills‘ operation and because they had a wide range of
products, they were able to compete at equally low prices, while using their other
routes to subsidize this. Without a range of brands, Laker was unable to compete
and his brand died. Comapare ―no-frills‖ Airlines Air Deccan and the market
competition when it launched.
Brand strategists need to have given some thought to anticipating likely

competitor response. Filofax appear to have been taken by surprise by competitive
activity. When their time organizer became established in the market, they did not
appear to have any short-term retaliatory plans when faced with an increasing
number of, me-too competitors.
 The marketing environment

Brand strategists need to scan their marketing environment continually to
identify future opportunities and threats. For example, will the opening of European
markets after 1992 result in very powerful grocery retailing chains presenting a
considerable threat to weaker brands? Will a shift in the developed countries to a
knowledge-based society lead to ‗armchair shopping‘ facilitated by networked
personal computers? To draw an analogy with military thinking, good surveillance
helps achieve success.
55
Basics of
Management
1 .The of the manufacturer cannot be formulated without regard for the
distributor.
a. brand strategy
b. brand development
2. need to identify retailer‘s objectives and align their brands with

those retailers whose aims most closely match their own.
a. Manufacturers
b. Marketers
2.7 Eight Dimensions of Brands

An eight category of brands
1. Brand as a sign of ownership

An early theme, given much prominence in marketing circles, was the
distinction between brands on the basis of whether the brand was a manufacturer‘s
brand or a distributors brand (own label, private label). Branding was seen as being
a basis of showing who instigated the marketing for that particular offering and
whether the primary activity of the instigator was production (i.e. manufacturer‘s
brand) or distribution (distributors band). However, this drew a rather artificial
distinction; since nowadays consumers place a far greater reliance on distributor
brands - particularly when brands such as Benetton and Marks & Spencer are
perceived as superior-brands in their own right. In fact, some would argue that with
the much greater marketing role played by major retailers and their concentrated
buying power, the concept of USP (Unique Selling Proposition) should now be
interpreted as ‗Universal Supermarket Patronage, with the much greater marketing
activity undertaken by distributors, this typology does little more than clarify who
instigated the marketing.
2. Brand as a differentiating device

The historical review earlier in this chapter indicated that, at the turn of the
century, a much stronger emphasis was placed on brands purely as differentiating
devices between similar products. This perspective is still frequently seen today in
many different markets. Yet with more sophisticated marketing and more
56
Brand
experienced consumers, brands succeed not only by conveying differentiation, but
Evolution and
also by being associated with added values. For example, the brand Cadbury‘s Value of
Dairy Milk not only differentiates this from other confectionery lines, but is a Brands
successful brand since it has been backed by a coherent use of resources that deliver
the added value of high quality offering with a well defined image. By contrast the
one man operation, ‗Tom‘s-taxi Service‘, is based upon branding as a
differentiating device, with little thought to communicating added values.
Small firms seem to be particularly prone to the belief that putting a name on
their product or service is all that is needed to set them apart from competitors. They
erroneously believe that branding is about having a prominent name, more often
than not based around the owner‘s name.Yet there is ample evidence that brands
fail if organizations concentrate primarily on developing a symbol or a name as a
differentiating device.
Brands will succeed if they offer unique benefits, satisfying real consumer
needs. Where an organization has reason to believe that their competitors are
marketing brands primarily as differentiating devices, there is an opportunity to
develop a strategy which gets buyers to associate relevant added values with their
brand name and hence gain a competitive advantage.
Balancing the “functional” and “emotional” elements in branding

3. Brand as a functional device
Another category of brands is that used by marketers to communicate
functional capability. This stemmed from the early days of manufacturers‘ brands
when firms wished to protect-their large production investments by using their
brands to guarantee consistent quality to consumers.
As consumers began to take for granted the fact that brands represented
consistent quality, marketers strove to establish their brands as being associated
with specific unique functional benefits.
A brief scan of advertisements today shows the different functional attributes
marketers, are trying to associate with their brand, for example: VAX, emphasizing
the –carpet -cleaning features or-its less-than-aesthetic vacuum cleaner; SEAT,
striving to convey a good value-for-money proposition; Polycell, seeking the
association of DIY simplicity; and Castrol GTX, representing ‗high technology‘
engine protection. Firms adopting the view that they are employing brands as
functional communicators; have the virtue of being customer driven, (rational)
element of the customer choice, as all products and services also have some degree
of emotional content in the buying process. For e.g. A Post Office
57
Basics of campaign run in 1990 for a predominantly functional brand, advertised the
Brand emotional dimension using the slogan ‗If you don‘t want your burning passion to
Management arrive lukewarm, send it in a Swiftpack‘.
4. Brand as a symbolic device

In certain product fields. (e.g. perfume and clothing) buyers perceive
significant badge value in the brands; since it enables them to communicate
something about themselves (e.g. emotion, status, etc.). In other words, brands are
used as symbolic devices, with marketers believing that brands are bought and used
primarily because of their ability to help users express something about themselves
to their peer groups, with users taking for granted functional capabilities.
Where consumers perceive the brand‘s value to lie more in terms of the- non
verbal communication facility (through the logo or name).they, spend time and
effort choosing brands, almost with the same care as if choosing a friend .It is now
accepted that consumers personify brands and when looking at the symbol values
of brands, they seek brands which have very clear personalities and select brands s
that best match their actual or desired self concept.
For example, in the beer market, there are only marginal product differences
between brands.
Comparative consumer trials of competing beer brands without brand names

present showed no significant preferences or differences. Yet, when consumers
repeated the test with brand names present, significant brand preferences emerged.
On the first comparative trial, consumers focused on functional (rational) aspects of
the beers and were unable to notice much difference. On repeating the trials with
brand names present, consumers were able to use the brand names to recall distinct
brand personalities and the symbolic (emotional) aspect of the brands influenced
preference.
Through being a member of social groups, people learn the symbolic meaning
of brands. As they interpret the actions of their peer group, they then respond. using
brands as non-verbal communication devices (e.g. feelings, status). To capitalize on
symbolic brands, therefore, marketers must use promotional activity to
communicate the brand‘s personality and signal how consumers can use it in their
daily relationships with others. None the less, whilst there are many product fields
where this perspective of brands is useful. It must also be realized that consumers
rarely consider just the symbolic aspect of brands. Research across a wide variety
of product fields ranging from chipboard to watches, showed that
58
Brand
consumers often evaluated brands in terms of both a symbolic (emotional) and a
Evolution and
functional (rational) dimension. Marketers should, therefore, be wary of subscribing Value of
to the belief that a brand acts solely as a symbolic device. Brands
5. Brand as a risk reducer

Many marketers believe that buying should be regarded as a process whereby
buyers attempt to reduce the risk of a purchase decision. When a person is faced
with competing brands in a new product field, they feel risk. For eg.uncertainty
about whether the brand will work, whether they will be wanting money, whether
their peer group will disagree with their choice, whether they will feel comfortable
with the purchase, etc. Successful brand marketing should therefore be concerned
with understanding buyers perception of risk followed by developing and
presenting the brand in such away that buyers feel minimal risk. An e.g of industry
appreciating perceived risk is the pharmaceutical industry. One company has
developed a series of questions which its sales representatives use to evaluate the
risk aversion of doctors. When launching a new drug, the company focuses sales
presentations initially on doctors with a low risk aversion profile. To make buying
more acceptable, buyers seek methods of reducing risk by, for example, always
buying the same brand, searching for more information, only buying the smallest
size, etc. Research has shown that one of the more popular methods employed by
buyers to reduce risk is reliance upon reputable brands. Some marketers,
particularly those selling to organizations rather than to final consumers, succeed
with their brands because they find out what dimensions of risk the buyer is most
concerned about and then develop a solution through their brand presentation which
emphasizes the brand‘s capabilities along the risk dimension considered most
important by the buyer. This interpretation of branding has the virtue of being
output driven. Marketers, however, must not loose sight of the need to segment
customer‘s by similar risk perception and achieve sufficient numbers of buyers to
make risk reduction branding viable.
6. Brand as a shorthand device

Glancing through advertisements today, one becomes aware of brands whose
promotional platform appears to be based on bombarding consumers with"
considerable quantities of information (eg. Guardian Royal Exchange‘s Choices
pension plan). These brands are used as shorthand devices by consumers to recall
from memory sufficient brand information at a later purchasing time. There is merit
in this approach, as people generally have limited memory capabilities. To
overcome this, they bundle small bits of information into larger chunks in their
memory, and use brand names as handles to recall these larger information
59
Basics of chunks. By continuing to increase the size of these few chunks in memory, buyers
Brand in consumer, industrial and service sectors can process information more
Management effectively. At the point of purchase, they are able to recall numerous attributes by
interrogating their memory.
There is, none the less, the danger of concentrating too heavily on the
quantity, rather than the quality of information directed at purchasers. It also ignores
the perceptual process which is used by buyers to twist information until it becomes
consistent with their prior beliefs - an error fatally overlooked by the short-lived
Strand cigarette brand.
7. Brand as a legal device

With the appearance of manufacturers‘ brands at the turn of this century,
consumers began to appreciate: their value and started to ask for them by name.
Producers of inferior goods realized that to survive they would have to change. A
minority, however, changed by illegally packaging their inferior products in packs
that were virtually identical to the original brand. To protect themselves against
counterfeiting, firms turned to trademark registration as a legal protection. Some
firms began to regard the prime benefit of brands as being that of legal protection,
with the result that a new category of branding appeared. Within this group of
brands, marketers direct their efforts towards effective trademark registration along
with consumer education programs about the danger of buying poor grade brand
copies. For example, the pack details on Matchbox products boldly state that
‗Matchbox is the trademark of the Matchbox group of companies and is the subject
of extensive trademark registrations‘, while Kodak packs all carry the advice ‗It‘s
only Kodak film if it says Kodak‘.
Yet again, however, whilst clearly there is a need to protect brands, brand
owners also need to adopt a more strategic approach to developing ways of erecting
defensive barriers, besides being reliant only on legal redress.
8. Brand as a strategic device

Finally, more enlightened marketers are adopting the: view to which we
subscribe, which is that brands should be treated as strategic devices. The assets
constituting the brand need to be audited, the forces affecting the future of the brand
evaluated and by appreciating how the brand achieved its added value a positioning
for the brand needs to be identified such that the brand can be successfully protected
and achieve the desired return on investment. To take full advantage of brands as
strategic devices, a considerable amount of marketing analysis and brand planning
is required, yet many firms are too embroiled in
60
Brand
tactical issues and so do not gain the best possible returns from their brands. All the
Evolution and
strategic issues associated with capitalizing on strategic branding are covered. Value of
Brands
A good example of successful branding through majoring upon a differential
advantage and ensuring the: sustainability of such an advantage was seen in a color
supplement advertisement by Sharp in 1990. This organization evaluated the forces
that could impede their electronic organizer and developed a unique position for
their brand that is difficult for competitors to copy. The technology of the IC card
gave the brand a competitive edge. In a true strategic style, the firm had developed
a brand which it had differentiated from its competitors and had used its corporate
strengths to satisfy customer need better than competitors.

1. Brands will if they offer unique benefits, satisfying real consumer
needs.
a. Succeed
b. Fail
2. Many believe that buying should be regarded as a process whereby

buyers attempt to reduce the risk of a purchase decision.
a. Consumers
b. Marketers
2.8 Let Us Sum Up

In this Chapter we have focussed much on the branding .Here in this Chapter we
discussed the process of branding in very detail.
We have studied that brands succeed when marketers regard them as the end result
of a well-integrated marketing process. To view branding as naming, design or advertising,
is too myopic and such a perspective will shorten the brand‘s life expectancy. Branding is
about the communication of relevant added values for which buyers are prepared to pay a
price premium and which competitors find difficult to emulate. We even studied about the
value of brands in which we discussed the historical evolution of brands has shown that
brands initially served the roles of differentiating between competing items, representing
consistency of quality and providing legal protection from copying. With the advent of
distributors' brands, more experienced buyers and increasingly sophisticated marketing
techniques, eight different types of brands were
61
Basics of identified: a sign of ownership of the branding process; a differentiating device; a
Brand communicator of functional capability; a device which enables buyers to express something
Management about themselves; a risk-reducing device; a shorthand communication device; a legal
device; and a strategic device. To capitalize upon the asset represented by their brand, firms
need to adopt strategic brand planning as a way of life. The model shows the five main
factors that influence brand potential was reviewed. We even discussed about the brand
planning and we have know that brand planning is an important but time- consuming
activity, which, if undertaken in a thorough manner involving company-wide discussion,
will result in a clear vision about how resources can be employed to sustain the brand's
differential advantage. Unfortunately, it is only a minority of organizations who undertake
thorough brand planning. Without well-structured brand plans there is the danger of what
we call brand 'vandalism'.There are different categories of brands and has also highlighted
the inherent weaknesses of each type of brand it also talks about the typology of brands and
the importance of brands in the present day context.
So after going through this detailed discussion the readers would have got a detailed
insight of branding which is going to be of great help for them not only for them curriculum
but also in their career.
62
Brand
Check your progress 6 Evolution and
Value of
Answers: (1-a), (2-b) Brands
2.10 Glossary
1. Brands - names generally assigned to a product or service or a group of
complementary products.
2. Salient - when consumers are aware of the brand, have it in their
consideration sets (things they consider when making purchases), regard the
product and brand as a good value, buy it or use it on a regular basis, and
recommend it to other consumers.
3. Family brand - when a company offers a series or group of products under
one brand name.
4. Brand equity - a set of brand assets that add to the value assigned to a
product.
5. Market penetration - the number of households within an area that
purchased a product as a percentage of total households that bought in that
product's category.
6. Brand metrics - measures of returns on brand investments.
7. Brand extension - the use of an established brand name on products or

services not related to the core brand.
8. Flanker brand - the development of a new brand by a company in a
product or service category it currently has a brand offering.
9. Co-branding - offering two or more brands in a single marketing effort.
10. Ingredient branding - a form of co-branding in which the name of one

brand is placed within another brand.
11. Cooperative branding - a form of co-branding in which two firms create a
joint venture of two or more brands into a new product or service.
63
Basics of
Brand 2.11 Assignment
Management
1. How did the concept of branding evolve? Answer this referring to the
international scenario and India too.
2. What are the different types of brands? Discuss with reference to examples.
3. What are the issues influencing the brand potential?
2.12 Activities
1. What is the importance of brands from a distributor and consumer
perspective?
2. Discuss the eight dimensions of brands.
3. Taking an Indian brand into consideration how many of the typologies does
the brand fit?
2.13 Case Study

Trace the planning that you can perceive that went into the making of any
prominent brand.


6. Competitive Strategy – Michael E Porter .
64
LESSON 3: THE BRAND AND THE CONSUMER
Structure
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Why should Businesses Try to build their Brands?

3.3 Why it is Important to Create Powerful Brands?
3.4 The Nature of Relationships with Customers

3.5 The Organization’s Marketing Assets
3.6 The Importance of a Brand

3.7 The Brand –Customer Relationship
3.8 The Consumer Mindset
3.9 Let Us Sum Up

3.11 Glossary
3.12 Assignment
3.13 Activities
3.14 Case Study

After learning this Chapter, you will be able to understand:
 Why should businesses build their Brands?
 Why it is important to Create Powerful Brands?
 What is the nature of Relationships with Customers?
 What are the Organization‘s Marketing Assets?
 The importance of a brand
 The Brand-Customer Relationship
 The Consumer Mindset
65
Basics of
Brand 3.1 Introduction
Management
The relationship between a customer and a brand is an exchange relationship.
Consumers enter into a relationship on the basis of expected equity and the
desire to increase the predictability of exchange outcomes (Peterson, 1995).
The length and strength of the customer relationship is a result of the relative
value the customer perceives in the brand; in other words, the implied utility
associated with the product features, the tangible value of these features, and the
intangible value the consumer assigns to the brand name. The utility is a function
of the capacity of the brand to consistently deliver an experience in alignment with
the customer‘s expected equity.
Consequently, it reflects the convergences of the customer‘s perceptions and
expectations.
3.2 Why should Businesses try to Build their Brands?

While businesses try and build their brands, there is a definite strategy
involved that will benefit their brands. There are many advantages to businesses
that build successful brands. These include:
 Higher prices
 Higher profit margins
 Better distribution
 Customer loyalty
Businesses that operate successful brands are also much more likely to
enjoy higher profits.
A brand is created by augmenting a core product with distinctive values that
distinguish it from the competition. This is the process of creating brand value.
All products have a series of ―core benefits‖ – benefits that are delivered to
all consumers. For example:
 Watches tell the time
 CD-players play CD‘s
 Toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay, or whitens or freshens
66
The Brand
 Garages dispense petrol and The
Consumer
Consumers are rarely prepared to pay a premium for products or services that
simply deliver core benefits – they are the expected elements of that justify a core
price. Successful brands are those that deliver added value in addition to the core
benefits. These added values enable the brand to differentiate itself from the
competition. When done well, the customer recognizes the added value in an
augmented product and chooses that brand in preference.
For example, a consumer may be looking for reassurance or a guarantee of

quality in a situation where he or she is unsure about what to buy. A brand like
Mercedes, Sony or Microsoft can offer this reassurance or guarantee.
Alternatively, the consumer may be looking for the brand to add meaning to
his or her life in terms of lifestyle or personal image. Brands such as Nike, Porsche
or Timberland do this.
Nike Just Do it logo (as shown below)
Fig 3.1 Nike logo
A brand can usefully be represented in the classic ―fried-egg‖ format

shown below, where the brand is shown to have core features that are surrounded
(or ―augmented‖) by less tangible features.
Fig 3.2 fried-egg
Brand Representation: The “Fried Egg” Format showing Core Brand

Features
67
Basics of
Management
1. Businesses that operate successful brands are also much more likely to enjoy
profits.
a. Higher
b. Lower
2. A is created by augmenting a core product with distinctive

values that distinguish it from the competition.
a. Brand
b. Product
3.3 Why is it Important to Create Powerful Brands?

A brand represents the sum of people‘s perception of a company‘s customer
service, reputation, advertising, and logo. When all of these parts of the business
are working well, the overall brand tends to be healthy. On the flip side, we all
probably know a company that offers excellent products or services, but has a
tarnished brand due to poor customer service.
Let‘s take a look at the important ways a strong brand impacts your business:
1. Branding Improves Recognition

One of major components of your brand is your logo. Think of how we
instantly recognize the golden arches of McDonalds or the simple, but powerful
eagle of the USPS. As the ―face‖ of a company, logo design is critical because that
simple graphic will be on every piece of correspondence and advertising. A
professional logo design is simple enough to be memorable, but powerful enough
to give the desired impression of your company.
2. Branding Creates Trust

A professional appearance builds credibility and trust. People are more likely
to purchase from a business that appears polished and legitimate. Emotional
reactions are hardwired into our brains, and those reactions are very real influencers.
3. Branding Supports Advertising

Advertising is another component of your brand. Both the medium chosen
and demographic targeted for advertisements builds a brand. Too narrow an
68
The Brand
advertising focus, and a company risks being ―pigeon holed‖ and losing their and The
ability to expand into new markets. Too broad a focus and the company fail to create Consumer
a definable impression of the company in the minds of would be customers.
4. Branding Builds Financial Value

Companies who publicly trade on a stock exchange are valued at many times
the actual hard assets of the company. Much of this value is due to the branding of
the company. A strong brand usually guarantees future business. Whether a
company is in the position to borrow funds for expansion or rolling out to an IPO,
being perceived as more valuable will make the process advantageous for the owner
of the company. The greater a company‘s devotion to build its brand value, the
better the financial return from its efforts.
5. Branding Inspires Employees

Many employees need more than just work— they need something to work
toward. When employees understand your mission and reason for being, they are
more likely to feel that same pride and work in the same direction to achieve the
goals you have set. Having a strong brand is like turning the company logo into a
flag the rest of the company can rally around.
6. Branding Generates New Customers

Branding enables your company to get referral business. Would it be possible
for you to tell a friend about the new shoes you love if you couldn‘t remember the
brand? A large reason ‗brand‘ is the word used for this concept is that the goal is
an indelible impression. As the most profitable advertising source, word of mouth
referrals are only possible in a situation where your company has delivered a
memorable experience with your customer.

1. A brand the sum of people‘s perception of a company‘s
customer service, reputation, advertising, and logo.
a. Is not equall to
b. Represents
2. One of components of your brand is your logo.
a. Minor
b. Major
69
Basics of
Brand 3.4 The Nature of Relationship with Customers
Management
Fig 3.3 Nature of Relationship with Customers
The nature of relationships with customers

The above figure also begins to throw light on the nature of the, confusion
surrounding the relationships that organizations enjoys with their customers. It is a
sad reflection on the state of marketing the product, in spite of fifty years of
marketing education, ignorance still abounds concerning what marketing is. The
following are the major areas of confusion:
1. Confusion with the product management. The belief that all, a company has
to do to succeed is to produce a good product still abounds and neither
Concorde, the EMI Scanner, nor the many thousands of brilliant products that
have seen their owners or inventors go bankrupt during the past twenty years
will convince such people otherwise.
2. Confusion with advertising this is another popular misconception and the
annals of business are replete with examples such as Dunlop, Woolworths and
British Airways who, before they got professional management in, won
awards with their brilliant advertising campaigns, while failing to deliver the
goods. Throwing advertising expenditure at the problem is still a very popular
way of tackling deep-rooted marketing problems.
3. Confusion with customer service The ‗Have a nice day‘ syndrome is currently
having its hey-day in many countries of the world, popularized by Peters and
Waterman in ―In Search of Excellence‖. The banks are amongst those who
have spent millions training their staff to be charming to
70
The Brand
customers while still getting the basic offer fundamentally wrong - for and The
example. Many banks are still closed when the public most needs them open! Consumer
Likewise, in many railway companies around the world, while it helps to be

treated nicely. It is actually much more important to get there on time.
Likewise, selling is just one aspect of communication with customers, and to

say that it is the importance of product management, pricing, distribution and other
forms of communication in achieving profitable sales. Selling is just one part of this
process, in which the transaction is actually clinched. It is the culmination of the
marketing process, and success will only be possible if all the other elements of the
marketing mix have been proper1y managed.
The more attention that is paid to finding out what customers want, to
developing products to satisfy these wants, to pricing at a level consistent with the
benefits offered, to gaining distribution, and to communicating effectively with our
target market, the more likely we are to be able to exchange contracts through the
personal selling process.

1. is just one aspect of communication with customers.
a. Selling
b. marketing
2. is just one part of this process, in which the transaction is actually

clinched.
a. Branding
b. Selling
3.5 The Organization’s Marketing Assets

The organization’s marketing assets
Textbook definitions of marketing have emphasized the satisfaction of
identified customer needs as a fundamental article of faith. Various interpretations
exist, but the concept of ‗putting the customer at the center of the business‘
summarizes these viewpoints.
Philosophically, there is little to argue with in this notion. However, it must
be recognized that the ability of the business to produce offerings that meet real
71
Basics of needs will generally be limited to very specific areas. More particularly, what we
Brand find is that an organization‘s skills and resources are the limiting factor determining
Management its ability to meet the market place needs. The example of a slide rule manufacture
being unable to compete in the age of electronic calculators underlines this point.
The strengths and skills of such a company, whatever they may have been, were
quite definitely not in the manufacture of electronic calculators, whereas they may
well have had a strength in marketing and distribution in specialized markets - thus
possibly providing an opportunity to distribute other manufacturers‘ products aimed
at those markets.
What we are in effect saying is that marketing should really be seen as the
process of achieving the most effective deployment of the firm‘s assets to achieve
overall corporate objectives. By assets in this context, we refer specifically to those
assets that might best be described as ‗marketing assets‘.
What are marketing assets? Typically when we talk about assets, we think
first of financial assets, or more precisely those assets that are recognized in the
balance sheet of the business. So, fixed assets, such as plant and machinery, and
current assets, such as inventory or cash, would be typical of this view of assets.
In fact, the marketing assets of the business are of far greater importance to
the long-run health of the business and yet paradoxically rarely appear in the
balance sheet. Ultimately, the only assets that have values, those are that contribute
directly or indirectly to profitable sales, now or in the future. Included in our
categorization of marketing assets would be such things as:
Market ‗franchise‘. Are there certain parts of the market that we can call our
own? The loyalty of customers and distributors will be a factor here.
Distribution network: Do we have established channels of distribution which
enable us to bring products or services to the market in a cost-effective way?
Market share the ‗experience effect‘ and economics of scale mean that for
many companies there are substantial advantages to being big. For example, costs
will be lower and visibility in the market place will be higher.
Supplier relationships: The ability to have success to raw materials, low-cost
components, and so on, can be of substantial advantage. Additionally, close
cooperation with suppliers can frequently lead to innovative product developments.
Customer reactions: ‗Close to the customer‘ has become the motto of the 1990s,
and many organizations can testify to the advantage of strong bonds between the
company and its customers.
72
The Brand
Technology base: Does the company have any unique skills, processes or know-
and The
how strengths that can provide a basis for product/market exploitation? Consumer
It is only through the effective use of these and any other marketing assets
that the company can build successful marketing strategies. There still, of course,
remains the crucial task of seeking market-place opportunities for the exploitation
of this asset base; however, this is an issue which needs to be dealt with in a very
different light.
Nevertheless, if we are to be serious about marketing assets, perhaps

managerially we should treat them as we do ‗financial‘ assets. In which case
questions such as these arise:
How do we value market assets?
How do we protect them?
How do we grow them?

The question of the valuation of marketing assets is complex and
controversial. Traditionally, the only time that an attempt is made to put a financial
value on these intangible assets is when a company is bought or sold. It will often
be the case that one company, in acquiring. Another will pay more than the ‗book
value‘ of the acquired company as represented that is, in the balance sheet. The
accountants‘ answer to this is to treat the difference between the purchase price and
the‘ book value as ‗goodwill‘ and then to write it off against reserves or amortize
it through the profit-and-Loss account over a number of years.

1. The assets of the business are of far greater importance to the
long-run health of the business and yet paradoxically rarely appear in the
balance sheet.
a. Fixed
b. Marketing
2. The question of the valuation of marketing assets is and

controversial.
a. Complex
b. simple
73
Basics of
Brand 3.6 The Importance of a Brand
Management
The importance of the brand
Perceptive readers will already have observed that, so far, we have
deliberately chosen not to make any reference to brands as assets. It will also be
clear by now that depicts brands not just a physical product, but a relationship with
the customer. This relationship is personified either by the organization‘s name, or
by the brand name on the product itself. ICI; IBM, BMW, Kodak and Cadburys are
excellent examples of company brand names. Persil, Nescafe, Fosters, Dulux and
Castrol GTX are excellent examples of product brand names.
The Cadbury brand
Fig 3.4 Cadbury brand
First, when we refer to the term ‗brand‘, we use it to encompass not only
consumer products, but a whole host of offerings, which include people (such as
politicians and pop stars), places (such as Bangkok), ships (such as the Queen
Elizabeth II), companies, industrial products, service products, and so on.
Second, a distinction should be drawn between a ‗brand‘ and a
‗commodity‘. Commodity markets typically are characterized by the lack of
perceived differentiation by customer‘s between competing offerings. In other
words, one product offering in a particular category is much like another. Products
like milk or potatoes come to mind or tin and iron ore. Whilst there may be quality
differences the suggestion is that, within a given specification, this bottle of milk is
just the same as that bottle of milk.
74
The Brand
In situations such as these, one finds that purchase decisions tend to be taken and The
Consumer
on the basis of price or availability, and not on the basis of the brand or the
manufacturer‘s name. Thus one could argue that the purchase of petrol falls into the
commodity category, and whilst the petrol companies do try and promote
‗image‘, they inevitably end up relying upon‘ promotions such as wine glasses and
games to try to generate purchase.
There are examples, however of taking a commodity in making a brand. Take,

for example - Penier Water: the contents are naturally occurring spring water which,
whilst it has certain distinct characteristics at the end of the day, is still spring water.
Yet through packaging and, more particularly, promotion, an international brand
has been created with high brand loyalty and consequently it sells for a price well
in excess of the costs of the ingredients.
Conversely, one can also find examples of once-strong brands which have
been allowed to decay and in effect become commodities. This process is often
brought about because the marketing asset base has been allowed to erode - perhaps
through price cutting or through a lack of attention to product improvement in the
face of competition. One market where this has happened in the UK is in the fruit-
squash drink market. Fifteen or twenty years ago, there were a number of very
strong brands – Sun crush, Kiaora, Jaffa Juice, to name a few. In this market, the
quality of the brand had traditionally been stressed, but a switch in promotional
emphasis occurred towards promotional offers of one sort or another. Price cutting
became prevalent and resources were switched out of advertising which promoted
the values of the brand and into so-called ‗below the line‘ promotional activities.
The main effect of this, twenty years later, has been to reduce the bottle of orange
squash to the level of a commodity to such an extent that the major brands now
retailers‘ own label products:
The figure below depicts the process of decay from brand to commodity as,
over time, the distinctive values of the brand become less clear and thus the
opportunity to demand a premium price reduces. So, today, we find a bottle of
Perrier Water selling at a premium over a bottle of orange squash!
75
Basics of
Brand
Management
Fig 3.5 Produce/Image Differentiation
The difference between a brand and a commodity can be summed up in the

phrase ‗added values‘. A brand is more than just the sum of its component parts, It
embodies, for the purchaser or user, additional attributes which, whilst they might
be considered by some to be ‗intangible‘, are still very real. To illustrate the power
of these added values consider the results of a blind test (ie. where the brand identity
is concealed) in which Diet Pepsi was compared against Diet Coke by a panel of
consumers:
Prefer Pepsi 51 per cent
Prefer Coke 44 per cent

Equal/can‘t say 5 per cent
When the same two drinks were given to a matched sample in an open test
(the true identity of the brands was revealed), the following results were produced:
Prefer Pepsi 23 per cent
Prefer Coke 65 per cent
Equal/can‘t say 12 per cent
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The Brand
How can this be explained if not in terms of the added values that are aroused
znd The
in the minds of consumers when they see the familiar Coke logo and pack? Consumer
Basic features
20%impact, 80%cost
Fig 3.6 Core Product
Added Value
Image, service, styling, support
(80% of the impact but only 20% of the cost.)
The importance of added value
The same phenomenon is also encountered in industrial marketing. In a

commodity market such as fertilizers, the initials ICI printed-on a plastic sack have
the effect of communicating to the purchaser a statement about quality and
reliability, giving ICI a considerable advantage over lesser-known brands.
Often, these added values are emotional values which customers might find
difficult to articulate. These values are given to a product quite simply through the
marketing mix of product, packaging, promotion, price and distribution. All of these
elements of the mix can be used to develop a distinctive position in the customers‘
mental map of the market. The more distinctive a brand position,
77
Basics of however, the less likelihood that a customer will accept a substitute. In commodity
Brand markets, competing products, because they are undifferentiated, are seen by the
Management customer as occupying virtually identical positions and thus to all intents and
purposes are substitutable.
It is thus the case that the most effective dimensions of competition are the
relative added values of competing brands. The core product is purely the tangible
features of the offering usually easy to imitate. The added values that augment the
product and where distinctive differences can be created are to be found in the
product surround, summarized in the figure above. The larger the
‗surround‘ in relation to the core product, the more likely it is that the offering will
be strongly differentiated from the competition.
The Coca-Cola example is one of the best indications of the value of what we
have called the ‗product surround‘. That it is a major determinant of commercial
success, there can be little doubt. When one company buys another, as in the case
of Nestle and Rowntrees, it is abundantly clear that the purpose of the acquisition
is not to buy the tangible assets that appear on the balance sheet, such as factories,
plants, vehicles and so on but the brand name owned by the company to be acquired.
This is because it is not that factories that make the profit but relationship with
customers and it is the brand that secures that relationship.
It might be argued, therefore, that if it is possible to value a company for sale.
Then surely it should be possible to do so on an on-going basis and specifically‘ to
recognize the worth of marketing assets as represented by brands.
The question of asset protection and development is in a sense what marketing

is all about. The stewardship of marketing assets is a key responsibility which is
recognized in many companies by, for example, the organizational concept of brand
management. Here, an executive is given the responsibility for a brand or brands
competing internally for resources and externally for market position. It is but a
short step from this organizational concept to a system of
‗brand accounting‘ which would seek to identify the net present value of a brand
based upon the prospect of future cash inflows compared with outgoings.
One advantage of such an approach is that it forces the manager to

acknowledge that money spent on developing of a brand is in fact an investment
which is required to generate future benefits. There is a strong argument for
suggesting that, for internal decision making and on questions of resource
allocation, a ‗shadow‘ set of management accounts be‘ used, not the traditional
approach whereby marketing costs are expensed in the period in which they are
incurred, but an approach which recognizes such expenditure as investments.
78
The Brand
Buying a major brand nowadays often makes more sense to and The
organizations than launching a new brand with all the uncertainty that this entails. Consumer
This is just one of the reasons why brand valuation has emerged as a major issue in
recent times and why brands are increasingly sought after as assets.
Some of the more spectacular examples f the value of brands as assets can be
seen in acquisitions in which colossal premiums were paid above the balance sheet
asset value. AT&T paid a massive premium for the NCR brand. RHM, taking its
cue from this trend, more than triple its asset value when it voluntarily valued its
own brands and incorporated them on the balance sheet.

1. The between a brand and a commodity can be summed up in the
phrase ‗added values‘
a. Difference
b. Similarity
2. The example is one of the best indications of the value of what we

have called the ‗product surround‘
a. Coca-Cola
b. limca
3.7 The Brand-Customer Relationship

If you had to name a brand of each of the following categories: Soft Drink,
Mobile phone, Detergent powder and Automobile. Answer this before you read
ahead. Now check whether anyone of it matches with the names given here - Pepsi,
Nokia, Surf, and Honda. These are not preferences of consumers. They just indicate
the probability level of brand consciousness in the respective product category.
With global brands around in most product categories, there is an interesting
‗battle of brands‘ in the marketing area. Battle of not just brands but a battle based
on how effectively they have ‗penetrated‘ into the psyche of consumers.
The Indian scenario provides challenges of all kinds to brand managers who
have to conceptually figure out how they ‗can place and sustain‘ their brands in
79
Basics of the minds of consumers. It is simply not warfare between mega-brands. For
Brand established brands, it is a question of enhancing their equity. For others it is a matter
Management of building up the brand image and these will have to be done in a country which is
replete with regional, social, cultural and linguistic variations where the governing
marketing parameters for a given product/market situation cannot always be
predicted.
As is seen in the Consumer Buying Behavior (with regard to any product or

service, especially in consumer products) the consumer is influenced by the
‗brand-pull‘. This may be because of several reasons and could vary across product
categories (from footwear to mobile phones) but certain generalization could be
drawn for the kind of behavior. They may be:
 Historical presence of the product category
 Type of product category
 Social signalling value associated with the product
 Efforts put in by specific brands to build an equity

 Past experience with a brand.
Time Frame
Each of the above factors is not mutually exclusive from this viewpoint of the
‗brand-pull‘. There are traditional product categories like toothpastes, footwear,
audio products, balms, cigarettes and scooters, which have been in the Indian
market (as compared to products like pagers, personal computers and shampoo in a
sachet, electric shavers and credit cards).
Now just think of five very old brands in any of the segment like FMCG or
Electronics.
There have been brands which have carefully built up their brand equity for a
number of years – Colgate, Bata, Vicks, Philips, Bajaj and these brands are likely
to enjoy a higher consciousness in the consumer‘s mind in the respective product
categories. This has a ‗rub-off‘ effect on their relatively recent brand extensions.
There may be a number of brands, which have not built up their equity despite of
their long presence in the market. These brands have gone out of the
‗mind-set‘ of consumers.
Again think of five such old brands that exist since last 20-30 years but have
not been able to create impression in consumers mind?
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The Brand
What follows are the various aspects of nature of relationship of brand with and The
customers: Consumer
a. Product Category
In a new product or service categories, which could be associated with
liberalization, global brands may create a higher level of brand consciousness
among consumers? This may be because of ‗perceived premium‘ associated
traditionally with foreign brand names.
Examples could be Motorola in cellular phones, McDonald‘s in food chains
and Citibank in credit cards or you can name many more in the list.
b. Social Value
In product categories which are relatively old like ready-made garments (this
category has been in existence for a long time but has exploded in the recent years),
an audio products and household appliances, global brand names may make a
greater impact on the customers. In this context, the social signalling value of
products (the visibility a product ahs in the eye of the other customers- consumer
durables are placed generally in the room where visitors are received at homes and
cars which are bought for personal use have more of signalling value than the
geyser, water purifier or contact lens) provides the symbolic association which
consumers look for in attempting to give a spur to their ego. Even in the case of
non-durables (like cigarettes and pens), consumers look for brands which reflect
their lifestyles to the society in general (examples could be 555 cigarettes, Parker
pens, Arrow shirts and Pepsi. Brand building is extremely important in product
categories where the signalling value is high. These are products, which are in the
premiums/ super –premium category and hence the personality of these brands
makes a significant impact on the brand consciousness of the respective segment of
customers.
A good example of the application of mega-marketing (advocated by Philip
Kotler) in the Indian context is the case of Japanese brands. Mega-marketing helps
a brand to overcome marketing barriers when they attempt to enter international
markets. Sony, Sharp, Akai and National brands started advertising in India and
built their brands even before the liberalization process was formulated .As a result
initially, they enjoy a better level of consciousness than brands like Goldstar,
Samsung and Electrolux which are also international brands. Today it‘s the
Samsung, LG, and so on, which are prominent.
Apart from the quality, brand building ensures the emotional linkage and this
plays an important part in consumer decision-making. India, with its markets
81
Basics of fragmented in most product categories, has offered enough scope for brand building
Brand in the respective segments if marketers have had the inclination to build brands.
Management
Vicks very carefully built up it brand from the fifties and carved a niche for
itself as a cold remedy in a balm market where segmentation was totally absent.
This enabled the brand extension over a period of time (to adults and headaches).
Bajaj strongly built a ‗value for money‘ image and this could be very stressful for
the brand if it starts scanning the lower –end of its passenger car market which has
been left untapped. (Maruti was successful and now it is building up-market
brands).
Philips has an interesting brand development history in India and it has been
around for sixty-five years and in a closed economy (not much of specific brand
personality was required). During recent times, its brand development has been in
tune with its product development introduction of a spate of TV models for the
upmarket and entering into household appliances and pagers, to reinforce the
technological prowess that the brand has in global markets in the minds of
consumers. This is a brand which is already on the ‗top of the mind‘ consciousness
level and its trying to create a position even at this level as there are a number of
competitive brands which have an equally good equity.
In the non-durables category, brand consciousness has to be viewed

differently. Colgate, Horlicks, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Ponds, Lux, Farex are all global
brands but they have been very much a part of the consumer psyche because of their
time frame association.
Any brand cannot be successful without consumers support. The success of

any brand depends on brand loyalty showed by consumers. Just think how many
brands of Bath soap or toothpaste you have changed during last 5 years.
Concept of Involvement and Branding
In this era of brand personality, brand extensions and brand equity, marketers
are attempting to raise the emotional level of consumers not only with regard to
brands but also with regard to product categories which were tilled recently
perceived as commodities. Imagery, positioning styles and a host of behavioral
concepts are being attempted. The conflux of branded products in the market
overwhelms the consumers and makes the buying choice difficult.
Each brand is trying to outdo the other by attempting to create different
images for it.
82
The Brand
 Yesterday‘s consumer went to the shop and asked for a new tyre for and The
replacement purposes. Today, the same consumer is faced with a ‗long Consumer
playing radicals, anti – skids and wider ones as choices, thanks to the elevated
levels of association with the product category of tyres.
 The routine change of oil as Lubricants for two and fourwheelers has become
an area of consumer‘s decision – making with consumers asking for specific
brands.
 Bathrooms have become glamour rooms; pepper and salts are ‗Catching‘ up
with customers; ‗Thirty plus‘ citizens are becoming fitness-conscious!
Consumers’ Involvement
It is involvement everywhere with anything from morning tea to air-
conditioners. The concept of involvement assumes significance against the current
marketing scenario. With the battle of brands and minds in any product category,
the consumer spends more time and effort in the purchase of product category,
products, which have been inspiring to him all these years.
The concept of involvement characterizes the difference in the intensity of

interest with which consumers make buying decisions. This has an important impact
on:
 The attention given to marketing communication (especially advertisements).
 The evaluation of information processed by the consumers
 The behavior of consumers in low-involvement buying situations to levels of

higher involvement. While cars, cigarettes, watches, designer wear and
consumer durables (like TV, refrigerator, etc) have been traditionally
associated with high involvement categories, certain commodity items have
got themselves into high – involvement category.
Some Examples
1. Catch introduced branded salt and pepper and followed it by communication
to create involvement.
2. In a country where traditional herbs and pastes have been consumed for ages,
Kotmatsu has targeted its herbal products to the ‗back –to-nature‘ urban
segments.
83
Basics of 3. Apollo packaged its tyres and tubes in reusable tamper proof packs apart from
Brand creating Black Cat, Anti Skid brands – an effort to raise the involvement level
Management of consumers.
MRF‘s Tyredromes and Dunlop‘s spectra wide have also raised the
involvement required for the brand differentiation plane.
4. McDowell has deepened the spirit of involvement by its Minis range of

whisky, rum, gin and vodka brand (in 60 ml sizes).
5. Involvement was created in the glass category by the introduction of Modi

Float Glass (Sheet glass was the only variety available to the consumers till
recently). The company went on a concept –selling advertising campaign by
using a celebrity.
6. Ruchi created involvement in the traditional homemade, low-involvement

category of pickles.
Consumer Involvement and its Market Implications

As you have seen the Consumers involvement, just look at its Market
Implications.
High- Involvement Situations

One important influence, which the concept of involvement has had on the
consumers, is the manner in which consumer‘s process information to determine
the meaning. When a consumer is in the process of buying a TV or a two-wheeler,
he could be in the high involvement situation. He may be interested in knowing the
difference in the brands; he may like to objectively assess the claims made by a
brand in its advertisements. Critical evaluation by the consumer gets combined with
the predisposition of the consumer‘s mind (attitude). A consumer who has received
a ‗word-of‘ mouth‘ reference about a brand from his friends will tend to use it at
this stage. The ‗store‘ image as perceived by the consumer may also matter once
he has finalized the brand. Information, which is consistent with the beliefs of the
consumer, will make him positively oriented towards a brand.
Finally, after the formation of attitude, behavior takes place in the form of
buying the brand.
With all brands offering an acceptable level of quality, marketers can ensure
that consumers perceive the differentiation on the service count. It is not only
important to have good service but also important to communicate the service
arrangements through a variety of ways. Apart from using the popular media, the
point-of-purchase material at he dealers‘ showrooms will raise the level of
84
The Brand
involvement of consumer. Service can also assume other dimensions like the and The
dealer‘s sales personnel ascertaining the proper needs of the consumer and Consumer
proposing a match which will suit the consumer.
Videocon TV has a number of models and the consumer has to be involved

in the ‗awareness‘ phase before he moves on to the next stage in the decision
making process. With several companies following the brand-extension path, it can
be ascertained if a prospective consumer (in a show-room) has been a user of a
brand earlier in some other product category.
A consumer wanting to buy a gift for his son (a TV) may also be user of the
brand in which he is showing interest. The involvement here may shape the attitude
of the consumer towards the brand. He feels happy the brand /store is interested in
finding out how he feels about his association with the respective brand. Even if the
consumer has been having a negative belief about a brand, he may try to give a
‗second chance‘ for the brand because of the involvement created. If he has been
having any wrong perceptions about the brand, they can be corrected.
Low –Involvement Situations

In these situations, (typically surrounding consumables) the consumer may
have little interest in going through the information regarding brands. It is in this
context, marketers are attempting to create interest in their respective brands. Low
involvement situations could also be present in some product categories (durables)
where competition is not very tense. An example is the sewing machines category.
For a long time there have been only a few major players (Usha, Singer) though
there are a number of regional companies. Singer raised the level of involvement
by introducing the Fashion maker, an upmarket version and following it up with a
campaign. Homelite matchstick is another example which created involvement with
value addition.
In the low-involvement category, marketing communication has been used to
bring in a renewed perception about the products with brands image being the focus
of the communication exercise. Taking advantage of the excise structure, ITC
launched Hero cigarettes to target beedi smokers and get them involved in
cigarettes. It used the ‗tinsel‘ imagery.
The consumer, after the awareness stage, tries the product. Unlike the
previous category, attitude about the brand is formed after the product trial
(consumables). If the consumer is satisfied, he buys it again and this pattern could
trigger off brand loyalty.
85
Basics of (Whenever a need is felt – whenever tea is required, a particular brand of
Brand packaged tea may be bought). Even in case of durables, marketers may attempt to
Management raise the low-involvement product to the high-involvement plane.
Marketers are also making use of the ‗self-concept‘ principle to generate

involvement. A consumer‘s aspirational values and the manner in which he
perceives himself influence the degree of personal influence, which he ascribes to
product. In the ball pen category, Reynolds generated considerable amount of
involvement by waving a ‗romantic spell‘ as a positioning strategy for a product
which has been well accepted for its functional utility.
The black box of the consumer‘s mind has several dimensions, which can be
explored by marketers by a judicious mix of concepts and down to earth marketing
practices.
The Challenge - How consumers adopt new products

Consumers witness so many new products being launched in quick
succession. How consumers adopt new products is a challenging question
marketer‘s face today. The time taken for consumers to adopt a new product is vital
as there is a number of brands, which may enter a product category once the viability
for a new product, are established in the market. There have been products which
never caught on (or took decades to catch on) despite of the consumers being
exposed to new product concepts for a sustained period of time.
 Frozen Vegetables: In the sixties, a leading multinational launched a brand

of packaged green peas, which failed. Today Safal, a brand from the makers
of Amul butter, is attempting to create awareness about frozen vegetables.
 Liquid detergents: Ezee has been in the market for a decade but hasn‘t taken
off as have other detergent forms.
 Electric cars which never really caught on in advanced markets (during the
last 25 years) have just been launched in India – Rewa being the first.
 Cornflakes which have been in the market for the last three decades, could
never really penetrate Indian Homes. But with the entry of Kellogg‘s some
awareness seems to have been created.
 Pharmaceutical major Boots introduced Paltab, a soft-drink tablet in orange

and pineapple flavours it the mid-sixties. Till date, no other manufacturer has
attempted to make the product.
For the new products to make an impact on the consumer‘s mind, you have to keep
in mind the following factors:
86
The Brand
 Does the innovation (or the new product) bring in discontinuity in the habits and The
of the consumer? Consumer
 Is the timing right of a specific type of marketing communication?
 Do cultural factors play a major role in the marketing of the concept?
What kind of enhanced value does the product offer to upgrade the
consumer if functional utility is the unique selling proposing?

1. With brands around in most product categories, there is an
interesting ‗battle of brands‘ in the marketing area.
a. Global
b. Local
2. As is seen in the Consumer Buying Behavior the consumer is influenced by

the ‗
a. brand push
b. brand-pull‘
3.8 The Consumer Mindset

Consumer Mindset
Acceptance of New Products
Discontinuity in Habits
As habits are strongly associated with behavior, there are two dimensions to
them physical and psychological.
The growth of the two-wheeler category is an interesting example. Till the
mid-eighties, the category grew at a slow pace. One reason was that consumers were
comfortable with cycles or whatever mode of transport they were used to. Hence
the people were neither motivated nor readily amenable to the idea of using an
engine-based two-wheeler for personal transport. Getting used to the two- wheeler
would have meant getting used to the acceleration, the controls and of course
periodical maintenance and running expenses.
87
Basics of However, consumers exhibit a mindset to accept discontinuity of their learned
Brand habits (physical dimensions).
Management
When life-styles change, there is increased pressure on time and consumers
become mentally prepared to accept new product concepts though it may involve a
change in habits. The assumption is that the new product is not prohibitively
expensive.
The psychological dimension of habits is associated with certain non-

functional, non-physical aspects like taste and preparation, which may be
involvement before the consumption of the product. The penetration of coffee
makers even in the urban markets (South) is an example. Coffee being a
‗hedonistic‘ drink, consumers used to the ‗filter-taste‘ may be wary of changing
the method of preparation by using a machine. The success of rice –grinder Elgi –
Ultra Grind in southern markets is a good example of how a company overcame
this barrier.
This product is a sleek version of the traditional stone grinder. The working
of the machine is such that it convinces the consumer of a standardized taste (applies
to traditional food items of South India).
While changes in the environment and life style could bring changes in the
physical dimension, changes in psychological dimensions are relatively more
difficult to achieve. Instant coffee (pure and chicory mixed) has been in the market
for a long time but hasn‘t penetrated phenomenally inspite of being convenient to
use. Marketing communication can build in lifestyle aspects (apart from
highlighting product attribute - taste it the case of instant coffee) to create an impact
in the minds of consumers. Bru, after hammering down the stereotype of South
Indian coffee, is currently associating itself with contemporary life style.
Acceptance of Marketing Communication

Acceptance of a product category could be associated with the timing of
marketing communication. Consumers have different frames of reference for
different situations.
Westernization has opened up several creative dimensions in marketing
communication. Once a communication is accepted, it is a matter of time before the
product is accepted by consumers who might have been reluctant to try out the
product initially. Herbal brands like Raaga (though the newness in the category is
limited to the branding and packaging) made use of the ‗back to nature‘ syndrome,
which is sweeping across the west.
88
The Brand
The concept of get toothpaste is another example. The communication based and The
on the ‗smile for me…. Close-Up smile‘ ad film did not seem to have any impact Consumer
on the teenage young adults segment it the mid-seventies when the brand was
launched. However the variation of the same theme is widely accepted today and
gel as a category makes up for more than 20 percent of the toothpaste category.
Soya based foods and milk drinks is a new category. Brands have vigorously
attempted to ‗push‘ these products in recent time‘s but without much success. The
reason is the lack of awareness about the ‗soya protein - good health‘ assocition
(though awareness about health in general has improved.
Cultural Factors
These factors can also be associated with the psychological aspects of
discontinuity. Food habits are strongly entrenched in the culture and hence are
extremely difficult to change. Except for Maggi (noodles have a Chinese origin),
there does not seem to be any other food brand, which has succeeded in a similar
manner. Microwave ovens, which have been around for many years now, have a
dismal penetration level. Even you may be apprehensive about using the product
for Indian foods.
Stigma barriers can prevent consumer acceptability of new product like

cigarettes for women (Ms, a cigarette brand which was launched a few years back
was targeted at women professionals).
The personal care products and cosmetics category for women have taken
several years before emerging as a solid market. For such products, marketers need
to aim at a specific ‗niche‘ rather than at huge markets. It is easier for companies
with a strong financial muscle to launch such products, as these will have to be
sustained over a period of time before they start appealing to profitable segments.
Functional Value
New product categories will have a better chance of getting accepted if they
offer a better functional value, which can upgrade existing consumers rather than
create consumers.
When the target segment (upper strata) employs a number of staff for
domestic help at home, what could be the functional value addition from a
dishwasher? Additionally, there is also need to train people hired for domestic
89
Basics of help. Pressure cookers, gas stove, fully automatic washing machines and mixies
Brand have provided functional utility with disrupting the domestic routine much.
Management
Trialability
Cielo opened up a new dimension with its promotional strategy of offering
the car for a test ride for 18 months (for 200 customers). These prospective
customers had the option of returning the car after the test drive period. This
promotional method is suitable from product categories like durables .The
modalities of offering this kind of trialability depends on the product, type of
prospective customers and the launch budget of the company. In certain product
categories where a niche is targeted, this may be more effective than advertising.
This method not only builds credibility of the new product but also helps in word-
of –mouth publicity.
As more and more products appear in the Indian market, breaking the barriers
in the consumer mindset will be as important as the product offering.
The Concept of Perception

Sony – the brand name could usher in images of quality and innovation in the
mind of a person who has never used any product of the brand. Raymond is the
fabric for ‗the complete man‘ and Allen Solley is the designer wear for corporate
executives who prefer an aura of casualness in their corporate setting. Pepsi could
be associated with the ‗fun and frolic moments‘ of the younger generation who‘s
―dil mange more‖ or feels ―yehpyaashaibadi‖. If one wonders about the logic and
reality associated with the various kinds of marketing communication in today‘s
context, the principles of perception could be used to reason out the development
of brand images attempted by marketers.
Principles of Perception
In simple terms, perception is an important psychological process in which
you can add meaning to what has been sensed by your sensory organ. This is
precisely the reason why two individuals have different kinds of perception about
products, brands ideas, places and people. In the marketing context the conditioning
of the consumer‘s psyche over a period of time because of the individual ‗s
exposure to products, brands trends, etc gets associated with the incoming
marketing stimuli, which could be a brand, advertising message, product or a
company‘s name, to complete the process of perception. The conditioning aspect is
the relevant information which is already stored in the memory of the individual.
90
The Brand
Mechanism of Perceptions and The
Consumer
You have to keep in mind that the mechanism of perception, adding meaning
to whatever has been sensed, is not just restricted to the marketing context alone.
Individuals perceive information in a perceptual manner. Perception is not just
limited to visual aspects such as seeing the product or the brand in a retail outlet. It
could get extended to any of the inputs to sensory organs.
For example, just the audio part without the visual of Titan‘s TV commercial
(the background music used in the brand‘s commercial) could trigger of visual
images of the brand‘s commercial in a consumer who has viewed the commercials
many times over a period of several years. This act of completion, which takes place
in a consumer‘s mind, is called ‗completion‘ and this is one of the very useful
principles of perception. A brand of soap, which has been advertising widely in
television and cinema halls for years, attempted this principle a few years back. In
certain markets, it used only the radio medium, and advertised the brand with the
popular jingle (background music tune with the brand name). The brand registered
a high recall rate, and consumers were able to recall the visual images associated
with the popular commercial.
Principles of Proximity
The principle of proximity could be used as a part of a brand image
development. This involves associating visuals which are appropriate to the
positioning of the brand with the brand name. ITC‘s Classic brand of cigarette, a
brand positioned to the upper strata of smoker, is associated with the game polo,
which has an upmarket image. The logic is to associate a visual, which could elicit
perception that will be favorable to the development of the brand image. Peter
England, the value for money brand, has used the proximity principle in its retailing
decisions. It has not followed the exclusive showroom arrangement. In tune with its
value proposition, it has entered into small retail showrooms where the brand is
displayed along with a number of other brands. This enables a consumer to compare
the value aspect of the brand with other brands. It is interesting to note that this
usage of the proximity principle has taken into consideration the other aspects of
the value proposition ‗the honest shirt‘ and a wide range of colors offered.
Recently, there has been a proliferation of shampoo brands in sachets.

Shampoo was a category exclusively associated with upper middle/ upper class
consumers. It was sold in 200ml bottles at selective shops and advertised in
selective media vehicles. The product form (sachets) and the display of these
91
Basics of sachets in millions of small outlets (including rural areas) have radically altered the
Brand perception of consumers of the product category. It is well within the reach of
Management millions of middle –class consumers, and about sixty five per cent of the shampoo
volume is realized through sachets. The proximity in this context is simply the
association of the product/brands with small retail outlets. Currently even premium
brands are launched in sachets, probably to upgrade consumers from value brands.
The compact detergent sub-category (Ariel, Surf Excel) presents another example
where the visuals have used the principle of proximity. Ever since the launch of this
category, both brands have projected the ‗common man‘ visuals, using the candid
camera technique in which middle-class housewives are interviewed at common
place retail outlets.
Figure and Ground

The ‗figure and ground‘ principle is yet another principle of perception which
could be used for formulating advertisement copy. The distinguishing feature of this
principle is that it emphasizes the point that creativity in marketing communication
should not eclipse the message associated with the brand. The ultimate objective of
using creativity in marketing is to develop memorability and a high degree of brand
recall, apart from conveying the proposition of the brand. The message, which
involves the proposition and brand name, should always be the ‗figure‘ in any
advertisement.
Creativity through jingles, humor, or graphics takes the role of ‗ground‘ in

the advertisement.
The Brand - Customer Relationship

You as a Customer must have experienced how the promise of the brand is
delivered through the call center, distribution channels, billing and service
departments - in short, the ―Brand- Customer Relationship.‖ Therefore,
advertising may get the initial sale, but only marketing can keep and retain
customers by making sure the promise is delivered, and from every contact point
possible. It is critical to be consistent across the entire company and conveys the
same brand message and experience.
This is crucial to the development of the Brand-Customer Relationship.

The Brand-Customer Relationship becomes - if properly done - part of the
goodwill and core competency that a brand can leverage in gaining and maintaining
customer trust and business. This relationship can lead to stronger brand equity,
thereby creating a differentiating factor between your brand and the competition.
Strong brand equity allows us to retain customer‘s better, service
92
The Brand
their needs more effectively, and increase profits. Brand equity can be increased by and The
successfully implementing and managing an ongoing relationship marketing effort Consumer
by offering value to the customer, and listening to their needs. Disregarding the
edge that the Brand-Customer Relationship offers in the market place and not
utilizing the benefits and goodwill that the relationship creates will surely lead to
failure in the long run.
Customer service, and the relationship a company has with a customer, is

indeed part of the brand, and it is imperative that it is recognized as such. The
relationship is in many ways the strongest part of the brand. Competitors can copy
packaging, product, ads, etc., but they have a much harder time copying your
customer relationships, and more importantly your customers‘ loyalty. People
aren‘t just buying a product or service from a strong brand; they are buying an idea,
a perception, even a wish. In fact, many customers will pay more time and time
again if they are getting what they perceive as fulfillment of the promise, and a great
experience.
The central brand idea may be static among the entire customer and prospect
bases, but the total sum of the brand idea or perception is rooted in the customer‘s
experiences with the brand itself, and all its messages, interactions, and so on. In
light of this, customer service and the entire marketing effort has a great deal to do
with the strength of a brand. The fundamental strength and success of a brand lies
in its ability - via marketing - to create and cultivate a strong and lasting relationship
with its customers.
Brand-Customer Relationship: The Face of Your Business Strategy

Are brands dead? Well, some are. Brand building, on the other hand, is very
much alive and more critical to a company‘s success. Unfortunately, many
companies fail to understand how to create and manage strong brands. The days of
brand building defined simply by awareness and driven by marketing alone are
over. Visionary companies recognize that responsibility for brand management
belongs with the organization as a whole.
There’s No Escaping Your Brand

A brand is the collective experience of your key constituencies - customers,
suppliers, investors, and employees-and is defined more by deeds than by words.
It‘s what your company stands for and how it behaves with each of these groups.
Which is why developing a brand-customer relationship is so important either you
make the customer experience or it gets made without you.
93
Basics of To create a successful brand-customer relationship, you must develop a
Brand compelling brand identity and customer value proposition, rely on customer
Management perspective, and have the ability to listen and respond appropriately to evolve your
company‘s offerings to meet customers‘ needs and desires.
A strategy is not enough either. The organization must be aligned in ways that
anticipate and fulfill customers‘ emotional expectations at every touch point to
create meaningful relationships and lasting competitive advantage.
Brand Identity-the Touchstone

A brand identity is the centering idea of an organization. It captures that which
you‘d like to become, giving the organization something to aspire to. A common
pitfall for many companies is not taking the time to think about who they are or
what kinds of companies they want to become. While it may be easy to articulate
revenue goals, developing a brand identity requires a different thinking process.
A brand identity should be focused on customer benefits, differentiated from

competitors. Once defined, the brand identity becomes the organization‘s centering
set of associations that it continually strives to create or maintain.
Customer Value Proposition-the Marching Orders

A successful customer value proposition clearly communicates the brand‘s
functional, emotional, and self-expressive benefits. It is delivered in a way that is
superior or unique when compared to competitors. While a brand identity is a big-
picture vision, the value proposition provides the strategy for reaching that vision,
linking the brand to the customer experience.
Here is another place where companies go astray. Organizational structures
often prevent creation of a relevant, holistic customer experience. For example,
departmental goals can too often take precedence and end up disconnected from the
brand. A value proposition must be integrated across the organization so that every
functional area contributes to the overall customer experience.
Customer Perspective-the Continuous Thread

Customer experience is shaped by a series of interactions with an
organization. What products or services are offered? Does the package arrive on
time? Does the help desk answer the phone promptly? If you don‘t take a customer
perspective when creating the customer experience, you‘ll make it much easier for
a competitor to copy your product or service and steal market share.
94
The Brand
You should always base the brand-customer relationship on an outside-in and The
perspective, creating a customer-centric experience. Consumer
Listen, Understand, Respond-the Way to Grow

The final ingredient that binds a customer to your brand in a lasting
relationship is dialogue. Your company‘s brand isn‘t a monolithic, hermetic face
that the organization presents to the world. Rather, it‘s an ongoing exchange where
you listen carefully to your customers, understand what they say, and respond by
modifying your value proposition and extending your businesses appropriately to
fulfill customers‘ desires.
A Brand That Works

Hard work? Yes. The payoff however can be counted in high customer
satisfaction, sales, and revenue. For example, before launching an online store,
Williams-Sonoma wanted to ensure that the customer‘s online experience was
consistent with the catalog and retail brand experience it had carefully crafted. The
company defined new business processes so that every functional area supported
the new channel. This meant working with merchandising, inventory management,
call center, distribution center, database marketing, and financial reporting areas to
make sure that the mail order systems, retail systems, and web site worked together.
Distribution center and retail employees were trained to ensure that customers had
virtually the same experience with the Williams- Sonoma site as they did in a
physical store. The firm exceeded its revenue goals and has been able to
significantly grow its business in this specific channel.
A brand-customer relationship is the bedrock on which great companies rise,
or mismanaged, it‘s the chalk on which mediocre companies fail. Great brands that
aspire to perfect touch points create the coherent experience to which customers
respond.

1. The products and cosmetics category for women have taken several years
before emerging as a .
a. solid market
b. liquid market
95
Basics of
Brand 3.9 Let Us Sum Up
Management
In this part we have studied much in detail about how to build the brands. The lessons
discussed that relationship between a customer and a brand is an exchange relationship.
Businesses that operate successful brands are also much more likely to enjoy higher
profits. A brand is created by augmenting a core product with distinctive values that
distinguish it from the competition. This is the process of creating brand value.The
important point is that a company which fails to think of its business in terms of customer
benefits rather than in terms physical products is in danger of losing its competitive position
in the market. When a customer buys a product, even if he is an industrial buyer purchasing
a piece of equipment for his company, he is still buying a particular bundle of benefits
which he perceives as satisfying his own particular needs and wants. When we refer to the
term 'brand', we use it to encompass not only consumer products, but a whole host of
offerings, which include people (such as politicians and pop stars), places (such as
Bangkok), ships (such as the Queen Elizabeth), companies, industrial products, service
products, and so on.
So after such a long and detailed discussion we have come to know much about the
importance of brand and why should one build brand of his product.
Answers: (1-b), (2-b)
96
The Brand
and The
Check your progress 6 Consumer
Answers: (1-a)
3.11 Glossary
1. Complementary Branding - a form of co-branding in which the marketing
of two brands together encourages co-consumption or co-purchases.
2. Private Brands - (also known as private labels) proprietary brands marketed

by an organization and normally distributed exclusively within the
organization's outlets.
3. Recession - a phase in which the gross national product (GNP) declines for
two consecutive quarters.
4. Positioning - the process of creating a perception in the consumer's mind

about the nature of a company and its products relative to the competition. It
is created by the quality of products, prices charged, methods of distribution,
image, and other factors.
3.12 Assignment
1. What is difference between a commodity and product?
2. Give examples of brand transformation relevant to the Indian market.
3. Describe the ―Fried Egg‖ format for brand representation
3.13 Activities
1. Define : i) core values and ii) added value
2. ―Considering various kinds of marketing communication in today‘s context,

the principles of perception could be used to reason out the development of
brand images attempted by marketers‖. Discuss with examples.
3. Define: i) Brand Perception (ii) Brand Identity
97
Basics of
Brand 3.14 Case Study
Management
List out 10 brands, which are known for good customer care service, and 10 Brands
for bad service. Collect all their advertising and comment on their relationship with their
customers. What are the perceived benefits the customer is getting?

6. Competitive Strategy – Michael E Porter.
98
Summary
Almost every aspect about brand was made very clear to us. In this part the
whole content was divided in three Lessons/Chapters. Chapter 1 discusses about the
market and brand basics, Chapter 2 discusses about brand evolution and value of
brands whereas Chapter 3 discusses about the brand and the consumer.
This lesson was totally focused on brand and that was the only reason why it
has been able to discuss the brand in such a detailed manner. In lesson 1 we learnt
about the market and about the very basics of brand. The second lesson discusses
about how this brand came into existence i.e. there is a detailed discussion on brand
and its evolution. Where as the 3rd and final topic discusses about the brand and its
consumer.
This topic is really going to be very helpful for the students and readers of
this subject.
99
Basics of
Brand Assignment
Management
Short Answer Questions
1. Explain brand.
2. What is brand potential?
3. High involvement and low involvement brands.
Long Answer Questions

1. Give one definition of a brand.
2. Describe the 3Cs of branding.

3. Elaborate on the two basic types of brands given here.
4. State the positioning of five brands in the market place.

5. List out core values of five brands.
6. What are the five forces influencing brand potential?
7. Discuss the concept of ―Customer Involvement‖ with brands.

8. List the major areas of ‗confusion‘ that appear in the brand‘s relationship
with the consumer.
9. List five brands of different product categories and list down their i) core
values and ii) functional values.
10. List five ―low involvement‖ brands and five ―high involvement‖ brands.
100

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STRATEGIC BRAND

Dr. M Samir Gopalan

PART- 1: BASICS OF BRAND MANAGEMENT

PART 2: BRAND PLANNING

LESSON 4 BRAND PLANNING AND BUILDING

PART- 3: BRAND EQUITY AND BRAND VALUE

LESSON 6 BASICS OF BRAND EQUITY AND BRAND VALUE

PART 4: BRAND ASSESSMENT

LESSON 9 BRAND EVALUATION

PART 1: BASICS OF BRAND MANAGEMENT

 Competitive Forces Prevailing in the market.

 Competitive Strategies for leaders in market.

 Brands, its importance and characterstics.

 Difference between brand and product.

1.2 Competitive Forces in the Market

1.4 Basics of Branding

1.6 What Is Branding?

1.8 Brands and Products

1.9 Establishing a Brand

1.11 The 3 Cs of Branding

1.14 Answers for Check Your Progress

1.18 Case Study

1.0 Learning Objectives

 The Meaning and Importance of Market Environment

 How important are Competitive Forces in the Market?

 What are the Competitive Strategies for Market Leaders?

 Importance and Characteristics of Brands

 What are Brands and Products?

 How to Establish a Brand?

 What are the Benefits of a Brand?

 What are the 3 Cs of Branding?

 Important factors about Branding

A strong brand is the most valuable asset of many successful companies.

 What are we trying to achieve?

 Who should be involved?

1.2 Competitive Forces in the Market

 Threat of new entrants: A segment‘s attractiveness varies with the height of

 Threat of substitute products: A segment is unattractive if there are actual

 Threat of buyers’ growing bargaining power: A segment is unattractive if

 Threat of suppliers’ growing bargaining power: A segment is unattractive

 Industry Concept of Competition

 Market Concept of Competition

Check your progress 1

1.3 Competitive Strategies for Market Leaders

 Defending the market share

 Expanding the market share

 Other competitive Strategies

 Balancing Customer and Competitor Orientations

Check your progress 2

1.4 Basics of Branding

Tracing the History of Branding

Today‘s modern concept of branding grew out of the consumer packaged

So what exactly is the definition of ―brand‖? Why do we, as consumers, feel

The meaning of brands

Fig 1.1 Produce / Image differentialion

2. Branding efforts create a feeling of involvement, a sense of higher quality,

1.5 Definitions of Brands

 ―A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place,

 ―A name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, that is

 ―A mixture of tangible and intangible attributes symbolized in a trademark,