Brand managementBrand management begins with having a thorough knowledge of the term brand. It includes developing a promise, making that promise and maintaining it. It means defining the brand, positioning the brand, and delivering the brand. Brand management is nothing but an art of creating and sustaining the brand. Branding makes customers committed to your business. A strong brand differentiates your products from the competitors. It gives a quality image to your business.Brand management includes managing the tangible and intangible characteristics of brand. In case of product brands, the tangibles include the product itself, price, packaging, etc. While in case of service brands, the tangibles include the customers experience. The intangibles include emotional connections with the product / service.Branding is assembling of various marketing mix medium into a whole so as to give you an identity. It is nothing but capturing your customers mind with your brand name. It gives an image of an experienced, huge and reliable business.

It is all about capturing the niche market for your product / service and about creating a confidence in the current and prospective customers minds that you are the unique solution to their problem.

The aim of branding is to convey brand message vividly, create customer loyalty, persuade the buyer for the product, and establish an emotional connectivity with the customers. Branding forms customer perceptions about the product. It should raise customer expectations about the product. The primary aim of branding is to create differentiation.Strong brands reduce customers perceived monetary, social and safety risks in buying goods/services. The customers can better imagine the intangible goods with the help of brand name. Strong brand organizations have a high market share. The brand should be given good support so that it can sustain itself in long run. It is essential to manage all brands and build brand equity over a period of time. Here comes importance and usefulness of brand management. Brand management helps in building a corporate image. A brand manager has to oversee overall brand performance. A successful brand can only be creUnderstanding Brand - What is a Brand ?

Brands are different from products in a way that brands are what the consumers buy, while products are what concern/companies make. Brand is an accumulation of emotional and functional associations. Brand is a promise that the product will perform as per customers expectations. It shapes customers expectations about the product. Brands usually have a trademark which protects them from use by others. A brand gives particular information about the organization, good or service, differentiating it from others in marketplace. Brand carries an assurance about the characteristics that make the product or service unique. A strong brand is a means of making people aware of what the company represents and what are its offerings.To a consumer, brand means and signifies: Source of product Delegating responsibility to the manufacturer of product Lower risk Less search cost Quality symbol Deal or pact with the product manufacturer Symbolic device

Brands simplify consumers purchase decision. Over a period of time, consumers discover the brands which satisfy their need. If the consumers recognize a particular brand and have knowledge about it, they make quick purchase decision and save lot of time. Also, they save search costs for product. Consumers remain committed and loyal to a brand as long as they believe and have an implicit understanding that the brand will continue meeting their expectations and perform in the desired manner consistently. As long as the consumers get benefits and satisfaction from consumption of the product, they will more likely continue to buy that brand. Brands also play a crucial role in signifying certain product features to consumers.To a seller, brand means and signifies: Basis of competitive advantage Way of bestowing products with unique associations Way of identification to easy handling Way of legal protection of products unique traits/features Sign of quality to satisfied customer Means of financial returnsA brand, in short, can be defined as a sellers promise to provide consistently a unique set of characteristics, advantages, and services to the buyers/consumers. It is a name, term, sign, symbol or a combination of all these planned to differentiate the goods/services of one seller or group of sellers from those of competitors.Some examples of well known brands are Mc Donalds, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Coca Cola, Kingfisher, etc.A brand connects the four crucial elements of an enterprise- customers, employees, management and shareholders. Brand is nothing but an assortment of memories in customers mind. Brand represents values, ideas and even personality. It is a set of functional, emotional and rational associations and benefits which have occupied target markets mind. Associations are nothing but the images and symbols associated with the brand or brand benefits, such as, The Nike Swoosh, The Nokia sound, etc. Benefits are the basis for purchase decisionated if the brand management system is competentBrand Attributesrand Attributes portray a companys brand characteristics. They signify the basic nature of brand. Brand attributes are a bundle of features that highlight the physical and personality aspects of the brand. Attributes are developed through images, actions, or presumptions. Brand attributes help increating brand identity.A strong brand must have following attributes:1. Relevancy-A strong brand must be relevant. It must meet peoples expectations and should perform the way they want it to. A good job must be done to persuade consumers to buy the product; else inspite of your product being unique, people will not buy it.2. Consistency-A consistent brand signifies what the brand stands for and builds customers trust in brand. A consistent brand is where the company communicates message in a way that does not deviate from the core brand proposition.A

3. Proper positioning-A strong brand should be positioned so that it makes a place in target audience mind and they prefer it over other brands.4. Sustainable-A strong brand makes a business competitive. A sustainable brand drives an organization towards innovation and success. Example of sustainable brand is Marks and Spencers.5. Credibility-A strong brand should do what it promises. The way you communicate your brand to the audience/ customers should be realistic. It should not fail to deliver what it promises. Do not exaggerate as customers want to believe in the promises you make to them.6. Inspirational-A strong brand should transcend/ inspire the category it is famous for. For example- Nike transcendent JerseyPolo Shirt.7. Uniqueness-A strong brand should be different and unique. It should set you apart from other competitors in market.8. Appealing-A strong brand should be attractive. Customers should be attracted by the promise you make.

Product StrategyPeople buy brandsand not products and services. Brands are becoming more numerous and the market is more competitive. Product life cycles are becoming shorter as a result of greater choice and new technologies. It is important toplan and manage both products and brands in order to survive in today's environment.Topics covered in the program, include: the roleof thebrand manager, the development of the product plan;managing mature products- products classifications, product mix, productlife cycle management, the new alternative life cycle model, branding and the development of brand equity, and the introduction to the 4R's;managing new products- the newproduct development process, the packaging decision, marketing metrics, brand valuation, and customer equityBranding challenges and opportunitiesBrands build their strength by providing customers consistently superiorproduct and serviceexperiences. A strong brand is a promise or bond with customers. In return for their loyalty, customers expect the firm to satisfy their needs better than any other competitors.Brands will always be important given their fundamental purpose to identify and differentiate products and services. Good brand makes peoples lives a little easier and better. People are loyal to brands that satisfy their expectations and deliver on itsbrand promise. The predictably good performance of a strong brand is something that consumer will always value.The challenges to brands1) The shift from strategy to tactics: -With the increasing pressure to generate ever-improving profitability, it is often considered a luxury for managers to develop long-term strategic plans. This is further exacerbated by short-term goal setting, which is frequently designed primarily for the convenienceof thefinancial community.2) The shift from advertising to promotions: -As a consequence of the increasing pressure on brand manager to achieve short-term goals, there is a temptation to cut back on advertising support, since it is viewed as a long-term brand-building investment, in favour of promotions which generate much quicker short-term results.3) On-Line shopping: -The Internet is facilitating on-line shopping. On-line shopping is different from traditional mail order because: Brands are available all the time and from all over the world; Information and interactions are in real time; Consumers can choose between brands which meet their criteria, as a result of selecting information which is in a much more convenient format for them, rather than the standard catalogue format.This poses threats to brands, some components of added value, agent or the retail outlet which originally added value by matching consumers with suppliers, may be eliminated.4) Opportunities from technology: -Brand marketers are now able to take advantage of technology to again a competitive advantage through time. Technology is already reducing the lead time needed to respond rapidly to changing customers need and minimizing any delays in the supply chain.5) More sophisticated buyers: -In business-to-business marketing, there is already an emphasis on bringing together individuals from different departments to evaluate suppliers new brands. As inter departmental barriers break down even more, sellers are going to face increasingly sophisticated buyers who are served by better information system enabling them topay offbrand suppliers against each other.6) The growth of corporate branding:-With media inhabiting individual brand advertising, many firms are putting more emphasis on corporate branding, unifying their portfolio of brands through clearer linkages with the corporation, which clarifies the those all the line brands adhere to. Throughcorporate identity programfunctional aspects of individual brands in the firms portfolio can be augmented, enabling the consumer to select brands through assessment of the values of competing firms. Firms developed powerful corporate identity programmes by recognizing the need first to identify their internal corporate values, from which flow employee attitudes and specific types of staff behavior secondly, to devise integrated communication programmes for different external audiences.Strategic Brand ManagementProcessTheBuilding, Leveraging, Identifying, and Protecting Brands (BLIP) processis a new framework for understanding, managing, and organizing thefull scopeofbrand managementtask.It emphasizes the need to consider not just how to build and advertise brands, but how best to leverage them, how to identify the position of that they hold, and how to protect past brand investment.Strategic brand managementis not only a question of building brands, but also using a broader consideration framework when managing established brands. Marketers should consider the BLIP process when managing their brands. To maintain healthy and vital brands, firms need to pay attention to brand building, but should not neglect important issues related to brand leveraging, identification, and protection.It identifies four components of branding :1.Building2.Leveraging3.Identifying4.Protecting Brand1.Building Brand:-As a first step, marketers should define what they want their brand to represent(brand identity). A brand identity can be pictured in the form of a map with concentric circles, with the core defining elementsof thebrand in the center and secondary elements of the brand in an outer circle. Once marketer have a clear idea of the brands identity, they can use marketing tool to build the brand. Using a 4 Ps framework (product, price, place, promotion), marketer can create a promotional strategy that utilizes both promotional advertising and inventive approaches.2.Leveraging Brands:-Marketers want to achieve a return on their investment, and one vital decision is how to best utilize their brand assets. Marketers may choose to leverage some of the brands established equity to createline extension,brand extension, or co-brand products.a.Line Extension :Adding a new form of a product or service is generally regarded as the easiest extension, but is likely to generate low incremental revenue.b.Brand Extension :This type of extension differs from a line extension in that it consist of extending the products or services brand into a new category. A brand extension has the benefits of real growth opportunity, but the drawback is the potential for costly mistakes.c.Co-Branded Products :This method of leveraging brands consist of an alliance of complimentary brands. This can often take the form of ingredient branding. A goodmarketing strategywill consider whether co-branding is appropriate for particular situations.3.Identifying and Measuring Brands:-The questions of identifying brands considers: What does the brand mean to customers? What product associations do customers have and their attitudes toward the brand? A marketer should also consider the non-product associations that accompany the brand.For ex.What colors are associated with the brand? What is the brands personality and what are the perceptions of the brandscountry of origin? Monitoringcustomers impression of all these important elements of the brand plays an important role in brand management.4.Protecting the Brand:-The area of strategic brand management has historically been short-changed, being forgotten as the brand building bandwagon took off. However, it is not taking its rightful place as a key element of strategic brand management. Traditionally, protection come from legal teams whose work with trademark remains an element of protecting the brand but is, by no means, the entire protection needed.designing Brand strategyEverywhere there is revolution and disintegration. Wave after wave of technological innovation comes upon us more rapidly, engulfing us, confusing us more profoundly. Few marketing organizations have successfully navigated through the disruptive forces of globalization and commoditization.There are two fundamental realities marketers face in thisbrave new world:- Ideas are now more valuable than process- Move up the value chain or be cast asideThrough all this creative destruction, in the form of our current economic reality, the dead wood is being cleared from the system, making way for more innovative players to take hold and prosper.Many once beloved and dominant brands have surrendered their leadership position to scrappy startups who offer more. Amazingly, the rulesof thegame change in real time even as we all play along. Improvisation, once shunned by corporate organizations, is now considered an essential strategic business skill.Yet, through all this disruption and confusion, its an exciting time full of opportunity for those big thinkers and dreamers who view it as such. If youre amarketing executivecharged with defining the perception of competitive advantage for your brands, the implications of this disruptive age are of significant importance to your future.Creating relevant and differentiated value for people is less and less derived from the attributes of product features and benefits, and more from the quality of the experience customers have through their association and engagement with your brand.Brands are not things theyre emotional experiences. Creating these experiences, and the use value they offer, is the result of an integrated creative process of design.A focused fanaticism to create enormous value.Design, in all its disciplines (product, process, environment and communication) is a strategic business imperative. For the entire enterprise to receive its benefit in the marketplace, design is the differentiator not a decorative act.Design and the process of design thinking has added billions of dollars worth of market capitalization to those enterprises that understand its significant power and higher purpose to engage and delight customers in ways never before possible. In every leading company, design has become the soul ofenterprise strategy.You dont have to look very far to see brands that apply this principle with phenomenal resultsApple, Nike, Starbucks, Google, Patagonia, BMW, Herman Miller, Target, Gillette, Virgin every one of these enterprises are absolute fanatics about design and its importance to theirbusiness strategy.Whatever the product orservice enterprise, youll find design fanatics at the very top of leading organizationsfanatics who value design as the driver of competitive advantage.Design leaders are not bound by the restrictions of the competitive plane (think cost and commoditization), when they are free to grow and expand by leveraging the love (think passion and devotion) customers have for their offerings.Bake your marketing into big dreams.The stakes are ever higher for marketers. Nothing is more destructive to success than clawing your way to the middle, to the common, to the good enough. It takes big, uncommon dreams to design beloved products, design beautiful environments and design richcustomer experiencesThe biggest dreamers of all are designers and design thinkers. Its their inherent nature to dream. In many ways, marketers ought to think more like designers and dream theseeds ofa bigger, brighter future regardless of the naysayer and quantitative non-believers. Dreams require imagination. Market leaders always have big dreams. Design lights their way forward.The idea economy is especially kind to the dreamers who utilize the discipline of design as an inspiration force for manifesting much loved customer experiences into the real-life marketplace.The functionality or usefulness of a thing is not enough to create devotion to it. The current battle in thesmart phonecategory and the demise of the original category leader proves the point.Nowadays everything works! Everything is good! Its far better to place resources on designing excitement, surprise, delight, passion and uniqueness. Think about, and create beauty. Forgetproduct and serviceattributes, instead, design experiences people love and share. Bake your marketing into your big dream.Make your next product innovation an opportunity to design an experience that people cant live without. Dream big. Never let the metrics of short-term demands weaken the resolve of a big dream still in the goo of creation. Creativity is a process not an event. There is no more room in the marketplace for me-too anything dream dramatically different!Compete. Win. Learn. Together.The Un-Conference:360 of Brand Strategy for a ChangingWorldFeaturing John Sculley October 17-18, 2013 inMiami Beach, FloridaA unique, competitive-learning workshoplimited to50participantsAs in Your marketplace some will win, some will lose,All will lear

Examples of Brand-Positioning StrategyYourcompany brandis the lifebloodof thebusiness: It is a statement of your company's personality and a declaration of company values. With the right positioning strategy, branding creates an indelible impression that allows consumers to engage with a company on a more personal, emotional level. What's more, strong branding elevates awareness of both the company and the products or services it offers. To create this degree of awareness, you can using one of a number of positioning strategies to which you can anchor your brand.

Quality PositioningThe quality of a given product is one of the most important components of a company brand, and can be combined with other positioning strategies rather easily. Since every business is trying to emphasize its commitment to quality, a good way to distinguish yourself from competitors is to narrow your focus to one area of expertise, thereby branding the company as a high-quality and trusted specialist.Value or Price PositioningThere are two ways to approach value or price positioning, both of which are crucially dependent on quality. One approach is to use a high-end tack, which exploits the psychological belief that the more expensive something is, the more intrinsically valuable it must be.You can also cement your brand as the provider of high-quality, value-priced products or services. A good example of this strategy isSouthwest Airlines. In a tough economy, its policy of offering affordable flights as well as promising free checked luggage has allowed it to flourish while other airlines struggle.Related Reading:fBenefit PositioningCommunicating the unique benefits of a product or service has long been a popularbrand position. With this strategy, the goal is to highlight your company's most powerful attributes attributes no competitor can claim and that are valuable to the consumer. Consider the popular and ever-bored Maytag repairman: Maytag built its brand on the benefits of owning a machine that almost never requires repair. Similarly, Colgate toothpaste uses a benefit strategy with an effective message: Brush with Colgate andprevent cavitiesand gingivitis, a benefit promise that appeals to consumers.Problem and Solution PositioningPositioning a brand as the solution to a consumer's problem is also a powerful strategy. The idea is to demonstrate that your company has the power to relieve customers of whatever problem they may be facing, both quickly and efficiently. For example, prepackaged chopped vegetables solve the consumer's problem of time-consuming food preparation in a snap.Competitor-Based PositioningBusiness is nothing if not competitive. Therefore, with this positioning strategy, a company takes aim at one or several competitors to demonstrate its superiority among others offering the same type of product or service.Car insurance companiesoften employ this strategy to establish a powerful brand by comparing their rates or service to those of other companies. The message is that consumers should cancel their old policies and purchase their coverage from a different and better insurer.

Celebrity-Driven PositioningHiring celebrities as spokespeople or to endorse a company's product or service is a popular way to position a brand. The goal is to garner brand awareness and recognition by associating your company with a glamorous individual. While this is an expensive route to take, the consumer tends to trust celebrities implicitly because she's familiar with their faces. This familiarity inspires buyers to follow the celebrity's lead or to emulate him, making this strategy ideal for selling luxury goods or athletic apparelImplications of brand building1.Brand buildingdrastically reduce marketing investment-A strong brand needs lower and lower levels of incremental investment to sustain itself over time. A new, unknown player will have to spend tow or four times the market leader to achieve the same share of mind. Given the huge difference in business volumes, the pressureof thebottom line is much higher for an un-established player.2.Brand building facilitateslong range planning-Ask anybusiness managerat Hindustan Liver (HLL), Nestle or even home grown organisation like Wipro, Hero Cycle, or TVS Group. In an average year his ability to target and budget primary sales would be infinitely simpler than for someone responsible for a relatively un-established brand. The latter gentlemen would be targeting merely on desired volumes-almost always dictated by top management. Strong brand always account for more stable businesses.3.BrandBuildingcommands a premium-As long as there is a distinct value attach to your offering, the consumer will always be willing to pay more for it. That is the only reason why an unknown brand called Titan could command substantial premium over HMT. That is the same reason why a brand like BPL at a higher cost beat the stuffing out of companies like Akai in a T.V. wars last years.4.BrandBuildingbuilds entry barrier-Human being as a species love status quo. Therefore, a brand, which is entrenched in the consumers mind, is very difficult to displace. If for nothing else, the sheer inertia will override any cooing and wooing noises that the new entrant would create. This consequently implies stability of business and therefore stability of revenue.5.BrandBuildingincreases cash flow efficiency-Today, an HLL distributor leaves signed cheque-books with the company to be filled in on material dispatch. This is for most brands with strong franchises even if they be in the agarbatties or Hawai chappal businesses. What more can asmall businessask for?6.BrandBuildingincreases value of the business-Examples abound internationally and today even in India of businesses, which were sold for several time their book value. Phillip Morris bought Kraft from General Force in 1991 for US $13 billion. More than its book value. A little later at home, Coca-Cola paid US $60 M to aquire Thumps-up from Parles. Neither Buyer had any lacunae in manufacturing, finance or human resources. They merely bought business with very powerful brand equities and therefore paid more than the net worth of the businesses.

Role of CRM in building brands

In today's competitivemarket environment, effective brand management becomes imperative in enhancing market share and to attain sustainable growth. To complete the stupendous task, the Indian companies are using CRM (CustomerRelationship Management) as an effective tool. The companies have to retain their loyal customers and also have to attract brand switchers. In the long run, they have to convert the brand switchers into their own brand loyals. To meet this objective and to retain the loyal customers, relationship marketing plays the pivotal role. The effective use of CRM will ensure customer loyalty and convert them into lifelong consumersof theproduct. Today, most of the companies are usingEnterprise Resource Planning(ERP) tools with two important modules like CRM and SCM (Supply Chain Management). The successful companies in India like HLL and Asian Paints have been reaping the fruits of CRM. This paper attempts to bring out the emerging trends and changing dimensions in using CRM as a catalyst for building successful brands in India.In the post-liberalization era, Indian business environment has become very competitive and dynamic. Businesses spend around six times more to acquire new customers than retaining existing customers. Therefore, the companies have to come out with strategies to enhance their customer care and thus keep their customers happy and make them loyal customers. Many of the successful companies have achieved that status by caring about their customers and having clear procedures and training to ensure this. The customer care begins with an understanding of customer need and formulating the marketing strategies to satisfy this need on a continuous basis.

Brand Revitalization strategies

Rule 1: Refocus the organizationRefocusing the organization begins with redefining the brand and business purpose and goals. The brand purpose should be aspirational. At McDonald's, where I held the post of global CMO, we defined the long-term ambition "to be our customer's favorite place and way to eat and drink." For the first three years, the primary focus was on becoming the "favorite place and way to eat." As Jim Cantalupo, McDonald's CEO, liked to say, we would "be bigger by being better." How would we accomplish that?Rule 2: Restore brand relevanceThe brand promise is an articulation of the relevant and differentiating experience that the brand will deliver to every customer, every time. Brand revitalization means defining where you want the brand to be and then deciding how to get there.Over the years,the essence ofthe McDonald's brand was the perception that it was an affordable, convenient brand for families with kids. There were those who said that equity could not and should not be changed. But McDonald's set out to change people's perceptions and go from appealing to the child in your heart to appealing to those with a young-adult spirit at heart.Rule 3: Reinvent the brand experienceTo revitalize a brand, we need to bring the redefined brand promise to life. This is what the five action P's are all about. The five action P's are people, product, place, price and promotion.People come first. Building employee commitment to the new direction, employee confidence, and organizational and employee capabilities are critical factors that influence future success.And it's imperative to inspire those in the organization to believe that the new brand future will happen and that they can help. At McDonald's a new on-boarding communication was created called "Learnin' it. Livin' it. Lovin' it."Product is the next P. Products and services are the tangible evidence of the truth of the promise. When we redefine the promise,product and servicerenovation and innovation are imperative.A disciplined approach to brand extension can revitalize and strengthen a brand. McDonald's extended its product range to include products such as salads, yogurt parfaits and coffee. The Crest revitalizations included extensions beyond cavity prevention to include tartar control, whitening, breath freshening, dental floss, mouthwash,tooth whitenersand toothbrushes.The place is the face of the brand. Whether a store, a website, a retail display, a kiosk or wherever the "place" may be, the experience must be consistent with the intended brand direction. For example, McDonald's embarked on a very ambitious retail reimaging program. It also updated the brand website.Price comes next. The launch of the McDonald's Dollar Menu created an everyday-low-price list of items and enabled the brand to significantly reduce marketing emphasis on on-and-off discounting. Overemphasis ondeals and discountsbuilds deal loyalty rather real loyalty.Promotion comes next. In September 2003, a new global campaign was launched in 119 countries. The common signature theme was "I'm lovin' it," supported by a distinctive set of five musical notes. The character of the communications was designed to reflect the new young-adult spirit of the brand. The following year, McDonald's adopted its first global packaging approach. It's the longest-running theme in thehistory of thebrand.Whether advertising, special events, public relations, online,cause marketing, sponsorships, Olympics, World Cup or other forms of communication, the goal was to be consistent with the new McDonald's brand promise. Disconnected, monthly promotional messages and tactics destroy brands.Rule 4: Reinforce a results cultureMeasuring andmanaging performanceis the eighth P. The McDonald's Plan to Win included three-year, measurable milestones.Creating a results culture means it is important to produce the right results the right way. A balanced brand-business scorecard should include measurable elements such as brand familiarity, brand reputation, employee pride, customer-perceived value, brand loyalty, sales, share and profit.Rule 5: Rebuild brand trustIn this skeptical, demanding, uncertain world, trust is a must. As part of revitalizing a brand, rebuilding trust is critical. Investment in rebuilding trust is an important, challenging marketing imperative. There is demand for more openness, more social responsibility and more integrity. Over the years McDonald's invested in building trust --Ronald McDonald House, environmental responsibility, commitment to employee diversity, local community activities. As the concern with healthful living has grown, so has McDonald's commitment to providing appropriate choices -- for example, salads, apple slices, yogurt parfait, water, juices and milk.Rule 6: Realize global alignmentThe power of alignment is awesome. During brand revitalization, we often talk about the need to get everyone on the same page. But we rarely, if ever, define the page we want everyone to be on. That's the purpose of the one-page Plan to Win, the one-page document that summarizes the eight P's and the desired outcomes.Brand revitalization needs the courage and perspective of strong leaders. Jim Cantalupo was a decisive, committed leader providing clear direction and priorities. Charlie Bell,chief operating officer, was not only a great communicator, his positive attitude was infectious. They were the leaders who led the creation and launch of the far-reaching McDonald's Plan to Win. The vision and positive momentum initiated by Cantalupo and Bell continues to produce results even in a difficult economic environmentBrand PersonificationBrand Personification is an interesting research technique for understanding how a Brand is perceived.As detailedelsewherein this weblog, Brands are multi-faceted Theyre a collection of manyseparateperceptions about a company or product. These perceptions may include attributes like quality, reliability, value-for-money, trustworthiness, prestige, etc.Asking people to detail their perceptions of a Brand is fraught with risk. For starters, many people have difficulty putting into words ethereal concepts. And if you ask them to rate a Brand on a pre-determined set of attributes, youre pre-supposing possibly incorrectly- that those attributes factorat allin their perceptions. You may also potentially miss other key perceptions you didnt think to include in your list.Brand Personification leverages the fact that people usually find it far easier to talk about something they have words and images for such as people, or makes of cars than ethereal concepts like Brands.Its a simple technique to employ. Essentially, you ask your constituencies: If (Company X) were a person, what type of person would they be? Can you describe them to me?Responses to these question will often reveal by proxy the attributes of the Brand. For example, if Company X is described as a kindly 50 year oldfather figure, wearing a well-worn cardigan and slippers,we candeduce that Company Xs Brand attributes will include maturity, comfort and familiarity, perhaps unfashionable, etc. But if Company X is described as a trendily-dressed, attractive 18 year old female, then we can infer that the Brand is fashionable, youth-oriented, etc.To use these inferences further, we can consider whether constituencies will be attracted to, or distanced by, their personification of the Brand. For example, banks would likely be delighted if certain segments of their customer base personified them as a kindly and mature father figure. However, aclothing labeltargeting cashed-up fashion-forward 18-year-olds would have a very different reaction to such a personification!A variation of the personnification technique is to ask consitutencies to describe a Brand as a make of car, or some other set of products with which they are familiar. The Brands they respond with can be just a revealing. For example, if a Brand is described as being like a BMW, we can infer the Brand has attributes which include performance, precision, prestige and quality.As a research technique, personification is useful, but it does have its limits. While it sheds lighton Brandattributesnow, it doesnt help us much in understanding what a Brands attributesshould beThe Big Five PersonalityThe Big Five was originally propounded way back in 1961, but only came into broader use in the 1980s. Since then, it has become a hallmark of marketing and psychology. Everyone who ever took a personality test at work has experienced an expression of the Big Five. The Big Five attributes are: Openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious). Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. Openness reflects the degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and a preference for novelty and variety. Some disagreement remains about how to interpret the openness factor, which is sometimes called intellect rather than openness to experience. Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless). A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior; organized, and dependable. Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved). Energy, positive emotions, surgency, assertiveness, sociability and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others, and talkativeness. Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. cold/unkind). A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident). The tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability. Neuroticism also refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse control, and is sometimes referred by its low pole emotional stability.So much for the history lesson. Now for the 64-dollar question for modern Social brand communities: Do brand personalities all derive from The Big Five, as if brands were themselves people? Or, does each brand create its own unique universe, with its own unique set of core behavior elements driving the brands personality?What researchers have found falls in themiddle ground. Brands personality, in fact, is not derived directly from The Big Five, but neither does it stem from random, unique brand universes. Rather, there appears to be a separate set of universal markers that delineate brand personalities. People dont react to brands as people, but do, if appears, react to brands in a consistent, measurable way, call it the Brand Five.Branding challenges and opportunitiesBrands build their strength by providing customers consistently superior product and service experiences. A strong brand is a promise or bond with customers. In return for their loyalty, customers expect the firm to satisfy their needs better than any other competitors. Brands will always be important given their fundamental purpose to identify and differentiate products and services. Good brand makes peoples lives a little easier and better. People are loyal to brands that satisfy their expectations and deliver on its brand promise. The predictably good performance of a strong brand is something that consumer will always value.The challenges to brands1) The shift from strategy to tactics: -With the increasing pressure to generate ever-improving profitability, it is often considered a luxury for managers to develop long-term strategic plans. This is further exacerbated by short-term goal setting, which is frequently designed primarily for the convenience of the financial community.2) The shift from advertising to promotions: -As a consequence of the increasing pressure on brand manager to achieve short-term goals, there is a temptation to cut back on advertising support, since it is viewed as a long-term brand-building investment, in favour of promotions which generate much quicker short-term results.3) On-Line shopping: -The Internet is facilitating on-line shopping. On-line shopping is different from traditional mail order because: Brands are available all the time and from all over the world; Information and interactions are in real time; Consumers can choose between brands which meet their criteria, as a result of selecting information which is in a much more convenient format for them, rather than the standard catalogue format.This poses threats to brands, some components of added value, agent or the retail outlet which originally added value by matching consumers with suppliers, may be eliminated.4) Opportunities from technology: -Brand marketers are now able to take advantage of technology to again a competitive advantage through time. Technology is already reducing the lead time needed to respond rapidly to changing customers need and minimizing any delays in the supply chain.5) More sophisticated buyers: -In business-to-business marketing, there is already an emphasis on bringing together individuals from different departments to evaluate suppliers new brands. As inter departmental barriers break down even more, sellers are going to face increasingly sophisticated buyers who are served by better information system enabling them to pay off brand suppliers against each other.6) The growth of corporate branding:-With media inhabiting individual brand advertising, many firms are putting more emphasis on corporate branding, unifying their portfolio of brands through clearer linkages with the corporation, which clarifies the those all the line brands adhere to. Through corporate identity program functional aspects of individual brands in the firms portfolio can be augmented, enabling the consumer to select brands through assessment of the values of competing firms. Firms developed powerful corporate identity programmes by recognizing the need first to identify their internal corporate values, from which flow employee attitudes and specific types of staff behavior secondly, to devise integrated communication programmes for different external audiencesAdvantages of brand extension strategy

1.Consumer knowledge: the remaining strong brand used to promote a newproductmakes it less critical to create awareness and imagery. The association with the main brandis already done and the main task is communicatingthe specific benefits of the newinnovation Taylor (2004, p1)2.Consumer trust: the existing well-known-strong brands represent apromise ofquality,useful features etc. - for the consumer. Thus, the extension will benefit from this fameand this good opinion about the brand to create acompelling value proposition in a newsegment or markets=If the general opinionabout the brand is favourable, the behaviour regarding the extension should be the positive aswell. She adds that a successful brand extension can enable to get the customer loyalty. Asatisfied customer by an extension will be more willing to repurchase the same brand. For8example in the sport field, a customer will more likely prefer a brand offering a completeequipment-shoes, outfit and accessories.3.Lower cost: compared to launching a new brand, brand extension strategy is cheaperespecially because the new product use the name ofan already well-known brand.Taylor (2004, p2) said that Studies show that costper unit of trial is 36 % lower and thatrepurchase is also higher with an extensionIndeed, Smith & Park (1992, p296) confirm this ideawhen suggesting that regarding theadvertising effectiveness, it seems for same marketshare, the advertisement budget for brandextension are smaller than for new brands.Aaker (2004, p194) gives some advantages more or less close to Taylor or C. Viot (2007)beliefs:4.Enhancement of brand visibility: when a brand appears in another field it can beamore effective and efficient brand-building approach than spending money on advertising Inaddition, he suggests that the relationship with loyal customers will be strengthen becausethey will use the brand in another context and itis expected as well that they will rather thisbrand to the competitors one.5.Provide a source of energy for a brand: the brand image-especially when the brand isa bit tired- is expected to be reinforced by the extension. Indeed, this latter gives energy to thebrand because it increases the frequency with whichthe brand is associated with good quality,innovations and large range of products. In addition, the customer sees the brand name moreoften and it can strengthen his idea that it is a good one.Thus, C. Viot states that the presence of the brandon a wider number of products shouldimprove the popularity of the brand. The probability of being in contact with the brand bothin the communication and in the supermarkets is more important and then should improvethe brand memorization.6.Defensive strategy: an extension canprevent competitors from gaining or exploiting afoothold in the market and can be worthwhile eventhough it might struggle according toAaker (2004).Microsoft for instance has decided to operate in different areas with the aim of limiting theability of competitors to encroach on core business areasBrand Personality.Its part of how consumers perceive the brand and how the brand differentiates itself from the competition. Accurately understanding brand personality is important to brand success. Thats why we created a vocabulary for quantifying and describing brand personality. Recently weve added a related visual language called Brand Toys.Being able to measure something as importantbut as intangibleas brand personality enables brand owners to ask important questions that can strengthen competitive advantage: What is the brands personality? Is it unique and can it become more unique? Is the personality consistent worldwide? If not, how does it vary?Understanding brand personality also helps select the most appropriate message and media, or more effective and suitable sponsorships or partnerships. Ultimately, understanding a brand personality enables the brand owner to deliver a consistent brand experience that connects with consumers and leaves a deeper and more sustainable impression.Brand personality characteristics often suggest a brands latent appeal. When identified and cultivated they can effectively guide the creative tone of communications. For example, Mercedes is relatively assertive and in control, while BMW is more sexy and desirable. The brands have different and differentiating personalities. Mercedes confidently plays on its heritage with the fitting tagline, The Best or Nothing. In contrast, The Ultimate Driving Machine accurately captures the BMW personalitBrand LoyaltyBrand Loyalty is a scenario where the consumer fears purchasing and consuming product from another brand which he does not trust. It is measured through methods like word of mouth publicity, repetitive buying, price sensitivity, commitment, brand trust, customer satisfaction, etc. Brand loyalty is the extent to which a consumer constantly buys the same brand within a product category. The consumers remain loyal to a specific brand as long as it is available. They do not buy from other suppliers within the product category. Brand loyalty exists when the consumer feels that the brand consists of right product characteristics and quality at right price. Even if the other brands are available at cheaper price or superior quality, the brand loyal consumer will stick to his brand.Brand loyal consumers are the foundation of an organization. Greater loyalty levels lead to less marketing expenditure because the brand loyal customers promote the brand positively. Also, it acts as a means of launching and introducing more products that are targeted at same customers at less expenditure. It also restrains new competitors in the market. Brand loyalty is a key component of brand equity.Brand loyalty can be developed through various measures such as quick service, ensuring quality products, continuous improvement, wide distribution network, etc. When consumers are brand loyal they love you for being you, and they will minutely consider any other alternative brand as a replacement. Examples of brand loyalty can be seen in US where true Apple customers have the brand's logo tattooed onto their bodies. Similarly in Finland, Nokia customers remained loyal to Nokia because they admired the design of the handsets or because of user- friendly menu system used by Nokia phones.Brand loyalty can be defined as relative possibility of customer shifting to another brand in case there is a change in products features, price or quality. As brand loyalty increases, customers will respond less to competitive moves and actions. Brand loyal customers remain committed to the brand, are willing to pay higher price for that brand, and will promote their brand always. A company having brand loyal customers will have greater sales, less marketing and advertising costs, and best pricing. This is because the brand loyal customers are less reluctant to shift to other brands, respond less to price changes and self- promote the brand as they perceive that their brand have unique value which is not provided by other competitive brands.Brand loyalty is always developed post purchase. To develop brand loyalty, an organization should know their niche market, target them, support their product, ensure easy access of their product, provide customer satisfaction, bring constant innovation in their product and offer schemes on their product so as to ensure that customers repeatedly purchase the product.Brand AwarenessBrand awarenessis the probability that consumers are familiar about the life and availability of the product. It is the degree to which consumers precisely associate the brand with the specific product. It is measured as ratio of niche market that has former knowledge of brand. Brand awareness includes both brand recognition as well as brand recall.Brand recognitionis the ability of consumer to recognize prior knowledge of brand when they are asked questions about that brand or when they are shown that specific brand, i.e., the consumers can clearly differentiate the brand as having being earlier noticed or heard. Whilebrand recallis the potential of customer to recover a brand from his memory when given the product class/category, needs satisfied by that category or buying scenario as a signal. In other words, it refers that consumers should correctly recover brand from the memory when given a clue or he can recall the specific brand when the product category is mentioned. It is generally easier to recognize a brand rather than recall it from the memory.Brand awareness is improved to the extent to which brand names are selected that is simple and easy to pronounce or spell; known and expressive; and unique as well as distinct. For instance - Coca Cola has come to be known as Coke.There are two types of brand awareness:1. Aided awareness-This means that on mentioning the product category, the customers recognize your brand from the lists of brands shown.2. Top of mind awareness (Immediate brand recall)-This means that on mentioning the product category, the first brand that customer recalls from his mind is your brand.The relative importance of brand recall and recognition will rely on the degree to which consumers make product-related decisions with the brand present or not. For instance - In a store, brand recognition is more crucial as the brand will be physically present. In a scenario where brands are not physically present, brand recall is more significant (as in case of services and online brands).Brand ImageBrand imageis the current view of the customers about a brand. It can be defined as a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers. It signifies what the brand presently stands for.It is a set of beliefs held about a specific brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers perception about the product. It is the manner in which a specific brand is positioned in the market. Brand image conveys emotional value and not just a mental image. Brand image is nothing but an organizations character. It is an accumulation of contact and observation by people external to an organization. It should highlight an organizations mission and vision to all. The main elements of positive brand image are- unique logo reflecting organizations image, slogan describing organizations business in brief and brand identifier supporting the key values.Brand image is the overall impression in consumers mind that is formed from all sources. Consumers develop various associations with the brand. Based on these associations, they form brand image. An image is formed about the brand on the basis of subjective perceptions of associations bundle that the consumers have about the brand. Volvo is associated with safety. Toyota is associated with reliability.The idea behind brand image is that the consumer is not purchasing just the product/service but also the image associated with that product/service. Brand images should be positive, unique and instant. Brand images can be strengthened using brand communications like advertising, packaging, word of mouth publicity, other promotional tools, etc.Brand image develops and conveys the products character in a unique manner different from its competitors image. The brand image consists of various associations in consumers mind - attributes, benefits and attributes. Brand attributes are the functional and mental connections with the brand that the customers have. They can be specific or conceptual. Benefits are the rationale for the purchase decision. There are three types of benefits: Functional benefits - what do you do better (than others ),emotional benefits - how do you make me feel better (than others), and rational benefits/support - why do I believe you(more than others). Brand attributes are consumers overall assessment of a brand.Brand image has not to be created, but is automatically formed. The brand image includes products' appeal, ease of use, functionality, fame, and overall value. Brand image is actually brand content. When the consumers purchase the product, they are also purchasing its image. Brand image is the objective and mental feedback of the consumers when they purchase a product. Positive brand image is exceeding the customers expectations. Positive brand image enhances the goodwill and brand value of an organization.Brand KnowledgeBrand Knowledge BasicsWhy is creating brand-knowledge important?The Coca-Colabrandwas worth $68 billion in 2009, according to Interbrand. This amounted to more than 50% of the value of The Coca-Colacompany. Creating valuable brands is extremely important to the companys shareholders.

It is a knowledge economy. Brands are the currency of the knowledge economy. Brands are neither physical products nor actual services brands are knowledge products. Successfully creating brands is a knowledge creation process.What is brand-knowledge? Where is brand-knowledge?Kevin Keller defined brand knowledge as awareness of the brand name and belief about the brand image. Valuable beliefs are authentic beliefs consistent and durable. In addition to belief, consumer experience is an important part of brand knowledge. Consumer experience includes emotions, sensations, and activity. Using the terminology of philosophy, beliefs are explicit knowledge meaning they can be put in words, and experience is tacit knowledge meaning it cannot be put in words.

Brand-knowledge both explicit and tacit brand-knowledge primarily is created by both the consumers and the marketer. Other players in brand-knowledge creation include researchers, advertising agencies, marketing consultants,distribution channel partners, and others.Brand- knowledge is created and held both by individual people and by groups.

So, brand-knowledge includes two dimensions: beliefs (explicit) - experience (tacit) dimension individual group dimension

How to create brand-knowledge successfully?Creating brand-knowledge is a process of transforming beliefs to experiences and experiences to beliefs. In addition, creating brand- knowledge requires that marketers exchange information with consumers and that brand-knowledge is transferred between individuals and groups within the organization.

Activating and guiding the brand-knowledge creation process requires five factors.

ContextContext is the culture of the organization. It describes what is important to the brand-knowledge creating organization. This factor represents the purpose of the organization in creating brand-knowledge. An example of a broad context is build brand equity, and an example of a more specific context is adidas corporate mission of help athletes achieve peak performance (adidas, 2010).

Context must be shared by all the individuals and groups across the brand-creation process. Shared context provides a reason and a motivation to interact and advance the brand-knowledge creation process.

VisionVision defines the character of the brand-knowledge that the organization aims to create. Context is the energy that drives the brand-knowledge creation process, vision is the compass that keeps each brand-knowledge creation stage aligned.

Vision applies to both the beliefs and the experiences of brand-knowledge. To be an effective guide across both types of the brand-knowledge, vision includes both a literal element (for belief) and a metaphorical element (for experience). Examples of effective brand-knowledge visions that include literal and metaphorical elements are human healthcare (Eisai) and the third place (Starbucks).

ActivistsActivists are the people who direct the brand-knowledge creation process. Activists interpret the overall context and vision in ways that are relevant for each group in the process in order to create vital links across groups. Activists maintain a focus on the brand-knowledge assets in order to control the scope of the brand-knowledge creation process.

Activists have a deep knowledge of their own groups knowledge assets and capabilities. In addition, activists energetically and skillfully communicate with other groups in the process. Brand managers are important activists in brand-knowledge creation.

AssetsAssets are the brand-knowledge inputs and outputs of the brand-knowledge creation process. Assets include both beliefs (explicit) and experiences (tacit). The output from one stage of the process becomes the input for the next stage of the process. Activists manage these assets to ensure that they are appropriate in scope for the following stage.

It is obvious that assets include all the specifications that go into planning for a brand, as well as the creative output such as designs and advertising. However, assets also include the experiential brand-knowledge of all participants, such as their loyalty or engagement with the brand.

MediaMedia is the location where the brand-knowledge is created or the path by which the brand-knowledge is transferred. It also includes the social rules that govern how the media is used.

Media includes places where participants meet as well as the social rules that govern the meetings. Media also includes the way knowledge is transferred, such as through an intranetBrands vs ProductsCompanies Make Products and Consumers Make BrandsA product is made by a company and can be purchased by a consumer in exchange for money while brands are built through consumer perceptions, expectations, and experiences with all products or services under a brand umbrella. For example, Toyotas product is cars. Its umbrella brand is Toyota and each product has its own more specific brand name to distinguish the various Toyota-manufactured product lines from one another. Without a product, there is no need for a brand.Products Can Be Copied and Replaced but Brands Are UniqueA product can be copied by competitors at anytime. When Amazon launched the Kindle e-reader device, it didnt take long for competitors to come out with their own branded versions of an e-reader product. However, the brand associated with each e-reader device offers unique value based on the perceptions, expectations, and emotions that consumers develop for those brands through previous experiences with them.Similarly, a product can be replaced with a competitors product if consumers believe the two products offer the same features and benefits. Products with low emotional involvement are typically easily replaced. For example, do youreallycare what brand of milk you buy or do you primarily just care that the milk you buy is fresh and includes the fat percentage that you want?Products Can Become Obsolete but Brands Can Be TimelessRemember VHS players? With the introduction of DVD players and more recently DVR devices and streaming video services, VHS players have become obsolete. The same thing happened to 8-track tapes, vinyl records, cassettes, and CDs. Today, most people buy their music in digital format and listen to it on their iPods. The Elvis Presley brand is timeless, but no one buys Elvis music on cassettes anymore.Products Are Instantly Meaningful but Brands Become Meaningful over Time.When you launch a new product, its easy to make that product instantly meaningful and useful to consumers because it serves a specific function for them. However, a brand is meaningless until consumers have a chance to experience it, build trust with it, and believe in it. Thats why the3 steps to brand buildinginclude consistency, persistence, and restraint. It takes time and effort to convince consumers to believe in your brand.Consider Google as an example. When Google first hit the Internet scene it offered a simple product a search engine. That product was instantly meaningful to consumers because it helped them find information online quickly. However, the Google brand didnt become meaningful to consumers until people had a chance to use the Google search engine product and see for themselves that it really was a better search engine. Through those experiences, consumers began to trust that the Google brand could deliver faster and better information online. Today, when Google launches a new product (like Google+ recently), people are quick to try those products because they trust the Google brand.Five strategies for a successful global brand

A new generation of global brands is emerging. Globalisation used to mean identikit high streets, May Day protests and a Starbucks on every corner. But with an international business suggesting strength and stability in the fragile economic markets, global brands are no longer being seen as dominating bogeymen.In April, Forrester Researchs Steve Noble called for companies to create an adaptive global organisation to deal with post-recession pressures. It seems that being global is back on the boardroom agenda.Coca-Cola seems to be taking note, scrapping its local UK marketing director position in May, in favour of a more regional strategy. Kraft has been quick to follow suit. While it will leave a UK marketer position, it has also said it will lead its strategy more centrally from Europe.For brands seeking to join the new set of global brands, there are five strategies that companies need to take into account. These involve creating a strong and consistent brand culture, borderless marketing, internal hubs, a new glocal structure and co-creating with consumers.Marketing Week sets out these five strategies that can help companies embrace the new business of globalisation.1 Build a strong, consistent brand cultureIn the past, a rigid corporate structure was an important element of the global brand. Local markets were in charge of developing their own brand strategies.However, in recent years building a consistent and strong brand culture that remains familiar to consumers wherever it is in the world has become a priority. Tony Effik, chief strategy officer at Publicis Modem, explains: A brand needs a single view of the world, a single philosophy.The rise of digital channels has shifted the brand emphasis from structure to culture, believes Neil Taylor, creative director at language consultancy The Writer. He notes: Social media and viral marketing stop brands doing what they used to do, which was to manage brands in a command-and-control sort of way.It becomes more important that your brand reflects your culture, rather than your guidelines. The brands that have done it well are those that have a strong culture of their own, says Taylor. ASmallWorld is an example of a business that has created a brand which is consistent around the globe (see case study below).Language is an important element in ensuring a consistent brand culture, he adds, citing Innocent Drinks as a good example of a company that has successfully retained a distinctive tone of voice across markets. You read Innocent Drinks in French and it feels just as playful and cute as Innocent in English. Its the same personality.Now anyone can see the companys Facebook page, or videos on YouTube Its forcing brands to question: how do we get a single content story that works across all of those marketsTony Effik, Publicis ModemCompromising your brand culture in a world which is becoming increasingly borderless can have damaging consequences a fact that Google discovered when it launched a self-censored search engine in China in 2006. Its previous search engine in China was subject to government blocks because of the countrys new media policy restricting internet access. Googles mission is to make the worlds information universally accessible and useful. But how does a brand with values like Google set up something in China that sticks to those values?Taylor says: If youre operating in China, the Chinese government doesnt want you to make information universally accessible and useful and it [Google] has naturally ended up compromising.The consumer backlash against Google in other markets was significant. Not surprisingly, customers around the world went: well hold on, we thought you were about this, how can you possibly run that business over there? News will travel and start to damage your brand even in your home market. Since late March 2010, Google has resorted to redirecting search requests from mainland China to Hong Kong, which doesnt have the same restrictions.He suggests that if your culture really is about making information universally accessible then maybe this is something Google shouldnt compromise on.2 Be borderless in your marketingWith the abundance of digital platforms, it is no longer possible for brands to follow different brand strategies in different countries. Companies are being forced to adopt a more unified marketing approach.Marketers need to rethink the term glocal, explains Publicis Modems Tony Effik. Theodore Levitts think global, act local slogan doesnt work in a digital age in the same way, he argues. The way we do global campaigns had to change because digital doesnt respect borders, particularly now with social media. What were finding is that as content moves across borders, brand stories are crossing over internationally.

Open territory: Cokes Open Happiness campaign has a relevance in every countryBrands that dont adopt a borderless approach risk becoming marginalised, warns Stephen Woodford, chairman and CEO at DDB UK. People are much less aware of international boundaries than before. Digital channels are borderless media and therefore brands that operate across such media feel more pervasive and part of the world. If you look at brands like Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola and McDonalds, they are everywhere and have local strength and identity, but also consistency across markets.Having a single identity is important to the success of Santander on a global level, explains Keith Moor, brand director at Santander (see Viewpoint above). The banks UK acquisitions Abbey and Bradford & Bingley have been rebranded so that the Santander brand has a presence across Britain as well as its domestic Spanish market.We wanted the Santander brand to be very well known, to have a single identity globally, so that we can capitalise on other markets and global sponsorships like F1, explains Moor.The recent Nike football advert, timed to coincide with the World Cup, is a good example of borderless marketing, thinks DDBs Woodford. The ad has taken footballers from around the world and weaved them into one story. Its just great stars from around the world, all united by one thing. Its a great example of not a multinational brand, but a transnational brand. It doesnt have any boundaries; its truly global.This process is especially difficult for FMCG brands notes Publicis Modems Effik. In the past, a brand could have one target audience in one country and a different positioning in another. Now anyone can see the companys Facebook page or its Twitter stream or videos on YouTube, as things start to pass from border to border. Its forcing brands to question: how do we see our market? How do we get a single content story that works across all of those markets?If we talk about a new way of operating or a new global brand, it will be a brand that is asking for opinion, that listens to consumers and asks for co-creationAnna Valle, DurexWith this increased interconnectivity, markets that were previously seen as second or third tier must now be treated in the same way as top tier ones, he explains. You had a global brand operating in Uganda and you never really paid much attention to them because they didnt really matter in the grand scheme of things.Somewhere like Uganda really does matter now because a bad interpretation of the brand or a human rights issue affects what you do in London, New York and Tokyo. Now every market is a tier one because tier three markets can come around and bite you on the bottom.The marketing focus for global brands has moved away from division to cohesion, thinks Richard Huntington, Saatchi & Saatchi director of strategy. Instead of looking for what divides consumers up, brands should be looking at what unites them.He says: Marketing traditionally has been focused on differences and segmentations between markets and consumers. If brands start caring about the things that real people care about then those differences seem to disappear.3 Build yourself an internal hubThe need for a unified marketing team is more important than ever. Involving marketers from across the global brand in the overall marketing strategy will engender overall cohesion, says Kip Knight, president of Knight Vision Marketing, who has set up marketing academies for global heavyweights such as PepsiCo and eBay while working at those companies.He says: It doesnt work to simply hand somebody a strategy and say, well good luck with that. They have to feel like theyve had a chance to vet it, to debate it, ideally in person, with others that are equally responsible for the brand. Ultimately, theyve got to feel like they own it. Its not my strategy; its our strategy.By taking this approach, marketers are much more likely to focus on the same goals for the brand, as opposed to feeling like theyve got to go and create their own version of this brand in the market, he adds.

What Is Standardization And Customization In Marketing

Standardization and customization are polar opposites of each other. standardization means "one size fits all." It refers to the tailoring of a marketing program or campaign in such a way that there are enough elements to appease everybody. The target audience is vast. Standardization helps keep the costs low of reaching out to many people. It is employed typically in situations where the product in question is for mass consumption. These products are typically low volume products that makes it economically unfeasible for customization.

Customization on the other hand refers to the tailoring of the campaign according to the needs of an individual or groups of individuals. These are high margin products where the volumes are low and the buyers are few. E.g. If an expensive luxury yacht was on sale then the company selling it could go to the extent of tailoring the marketing efforts according to the needs of specific buyersnternational brand management is dealing with different type of problems. If your company is working in different countries, you have to catch up the customer needs and learn about market characteristics of each country. If you want to be succesful in different countries either you stardardize your product or adapt it for that market.Lets have a look what can be the reasons of productstandardizationandcustomization.Reasons of Product Standardization Economies of Scale Common Consumer Behaviour Consumer Mobility Home Country ImageReasons of Product Customization Climate Biological Differences National Consumer Habits Government RegulationsAs we can see there can be number of reasons forces us to choose one of the strategies.Now we will look for the example of these strategies.One of the succesful example of standardization strategy is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is making business nearly all over the world and they never think about changing their products formula. They have a good advertisement policy and they did it well for each country still they did not change the product.Anywhere in the world the coca-cola has same taste.For customization the best example is Barbie which is icon of America. In product history in 50 years they change Barbie for good. Barbie toys started to produced not only American but also Indian, Jamaican, Japanese, Korean and Italian.The Advantages of Global Branding and AdvertisingConsistencyA primary reason companies position brands in the same way around the world is consistency. The logic is that if brands and products are perceived the same around the world, that position is stronger compared to brands whose perceptions of value vary in different countries. As people travel to different countries, they should hear the same messages they hear about the brand in their home markets.Lower CostsGlobal advertising is typically a lower cost approach relative to customizing brands for each country. This is especially important to small businesses, which typically don't have huge advertising budgets. Since you don't have to constantly redesign and redevelop your brand, you benefit from sameness in strategy and messaging. You do have to adapt the language to fit each country, but the message strategies and concepts can remain constant. Often, the development of ad messages is as expensive, or more so, than the costs of placing ads.Related Reading:What Is Brand-Based Advertising?SynergyGlobal branding allows for synergy that is not possible through individualized approaches in each country. In social media, for instance, global consumers might discuss your products on Facebook and Twitter. With a consistent brand, this synergy of marketplace communication helps your products become more viral thanks to word of mouth. With competing perceptions of your brand and products, this synergy wouldn't exist as customers couldn't as easily discuss your products across the globe. You also have customers that travel and look for global brands in countries they visit.Global TeamsGlobal brands make it easier to set up virtual work teams where advertising employees in each country work together using software tools and forums. This enables sharing of ideas and a wider perspective on what would work and what wouldn't work in positioning the brand on a global basis. In more fragmented, country-by-country branding, this collaboration would produce few fruitsHow to Build a Brand Internationally: What You Need to ExpandWhen businesses try to expand their brand globally, those goals don't change. But there are several steps you should take to make sure that your products or services will have a market overseas, that you can maintain quality in delivering and/or distributing your goods or services, and that your business or product branding meets cultural expectations -- and doesn't insult anyone -- in different parts of the world."The secret is doing your homework," Williams says. "Like any long distance relationship, it's got to be managed and needs more work than something you can see and physically touch, but it's not impossible."

The following steps may help you in building an international brand: Make sure you have a market."Proven success with your current target audience doesn't automatically mean that your new target will connect in the same way with your products or services," Williams says. "Ask your new market the questions you used to build your initial business plan." First and most important, he says, you'll want to determine if a market exists for your product. If so, make sure the want or need isn't already being well met by someone else. If there are existing competitors, what (in the perspective of your potential customers) makes you remarkably different? If there is a market and there are no competitors, make sure you find out why -- are there laws against distributing your products or can consumers buy them through other means? Make sure you can deliver.Make sure you can get your product to, or manufactured within, the new market. "Import and manufacturing laws vary from country to country," Williams says. "Ensure you can make your products reliably and consistently available to your new target markets." Investigate the local laws. You need to make sure your products meet the local standards for construction of components, use of chemicals, disposal of goods, proper labeling of products, etc. Re-examine your business and/or product names.In choosing a name for your business or product, you need to be culturally sensitive if you intend to sell in foreign markets. Make sure product names make sense to customers in your new markets, both in English and in the local translation. Williams, who has done international branding work with Starbucks, recalls how a holiday favorite in the U.S., the Gingerbread Latte, didn't sell well in Germany even though gingerbread was a favorite holiday cookie in that country. Sales of the drink increased dramatically when Starbucks began using the German word for gingerbread and rebranded the drink, the Lebkuchen Latte. If you are considering translating names, don't rely on computer translation. "You don't want what you think is an effective name to mean something opposite or offend potential customers," Williams says. "Work with someone locally who can help make sure you communicate what you intend." Give your logo another look.Similarly, review your logo to make sure that you don't use any wording or symbols that would offend in a foreign market. "Ensure that any logos or symbols you use make sense and don't offend," Williams says. "Do an international search to make sure your logo isn't similar to that of another international company." For example, if you are selling products in some Middle Eastern markets, a logo featuring the face of a woman might not be appropriate. The best way to understand these cultural sensitivities is to consult a branding or design firm -- either a local one or an international firm that can research cultural sensitivities. Understand packaging requirements.If you're selling a product, you need to consider the laws and customs and packaging requirements in your new markets before deciding on packaging for your products. Your packaging may use a clear plastic shell that hangs from a rod, but your competition may package their product in a box that can go on a shelf, Williams says. This may put you at a disadvantage. "If you're selling a packaged product around the world there are incredible hurdles," Roth adds. Shipping food across borders may require you to provide more nutritional information on packaging, in more languages, and there may be laws prohibiting the use of certain products in some markets -- even New York City has a ban on trans fatty acids, for example. Learn the local standards and ensure your packaging includes any necessary regulatory information and meets transportation standards. Register trademarks and domain names.Follow the process in your new market to ensure you preserve patent and trademarks. Thanks to the NAFTA Treaty your marks should already be protected in Mexico and Canada, Williams says. If you're doing business in the European Union filing for a Community Trade Mark (CTM) will protect you. Another consideration is making sure the Internet domain name for your company and product are available. You still want to register a dot-com, which is the most popular domain worldwide for businesses. But you may also consider registering domains using specific country codes -- .nl for the Netherlands or .br for Brazil -- if you are targeting only one or two local markets and plan on providing up-to-date translations of your websites into the local languages.In taking these steps to building a brand internationally, it almost always helps to find local resources to help you understand and enter new foreign markets. You might consider entering into business with a local distributor or retailer in this new market. "It is nearly impossible to understand local culture simply by visiting a country," Williams says. "Find local customers, local translators. Just because you took two years of French in high school doesn't make you qualified to understand the French market nor do French translations. Just as consumers' needs are different in Rhode Island from those in Florida and California, so are the needs of consumers in Paris different from those in Marseille."How To Revitalize Your BrandRevitalizing your brand is not often easy and means assessing where you came from, where you are now, and where you want to go from here. It can often feel like you are starting your branding process over from the beginning, and though it will be a lot faster this time around (there is a lot you already know), you still want to ask yourself the hard questions and begin...well at the beginning. They say itisa very good place to start.1. What are the core values of your business/organization?What are some key words, short phrases, and descriptions that best depict what you do or want to be doing? What do you want your brand to "feel" like? Your brand has a personality and so needs to be thought about like you would a person. It will have a distinct way it talks, sense of humor, things it cares about, positions it agrees or disagrees with, etc. If you are stuck here, sometimes doing a visual exercise likecreating a mood or vision boardis helpful.2. What is the purpose of your work?Has this changed over time? What was it when you started and what is it now? What makes you unique and different from your competitors? What role do you provide in your partnerships with others? (ie. key stakeholders/constiuents/clients/fans, etc. depending on what type of business we are talking about) This information is what becomes your new mission statement and/or company description. 3. What are your goals?What do you want to accomplish over the next 1, 3, 5, 10 years? Think big and keep referring back to your core values, being reminded of what you value and will keep you interested in your work are they same things that will be engaging to other people. Make sure to also think about tangible and actionable goals, ie. things you can quantify and "check-off" when complete. Asking yourself these questions are the beginings of a new strategic plan.4. Who are yourkey stakeholders/constiuents/clients/fans, etc.?What are their demographics? (likes, dislikes,places they go/events they attend, other organizations they are a part of, etc... be specific on gender, age, social/political/cultural activities) Have these people changed since you began, if so, how? Are the people you market to now the same people you want 1-5 years from now? These questions will help youidentify your target market(s)and in turn how you want to communicate your brand moving forward.5. Does your brand identity still "look" and "feel" right?Is the way you talk about yourself (written and visually) still inline with your core values and goals? Are your marketing materials consistent? Do they share the same basic theme and information, and are these clear to your readers/viewers? Either way, if you are considering a brand revitalization, something probably feels off to you, so taking a look at the fonts, colors, imagery, and textures you are using is probably a good idea. This will help you create a new visual language and identity.For a more in-depth exercise than what is listed below see4 Quick Tips For Visual Consistency: A Quick and Dirty Guide to Unifying Your Marketing Materials. Fonts:If your company/organization were a font, which one would it be? VisitMyfonts.comorGoogle Webfontsand type in your core values/key words and see what comes up. Color Palette:In general, what kind of colors are you drawn to and would best portray your core values? Try playing around withColourlovers. Textures:Do you prefer smooth and clean vs. tactile and layered? SeeSubtlePatterns. Imagery:What kind of imagery are you drawn to? What imagery do you thinkbest portrays your core values? Visitistockphoto.Once you have finished going through the steps above, I think you will find you have already revitalized your brand. It is not one simple action that changes things, it is a transformation in how you are thinking about your company/organization and then choosing words and a new visual language that "feels" in alignment. Try to stay focused on your core values before you focus on who you are trying to reach. If you stay grounded in what you value, your purpose, and goals, you will attract the right people to your community. Then it is just a matter of choosing the right marketing channels for sharing and broadcasting. (print, web, social, email, etcbrand hierarchyAbrand hierarchyis a means of summarizing the branding strategy by displaying the number and nature of common and distinctive brand elements across the firms products, revealing the explicit ordering of brand elements. By capturing the potential branding relationships among the different products sold by the firm, abrand hierarchyis a useful means of graphically portraying a firmsbranding strategy. Specifically, abrand hierarchyis based on the realization that a product can be branded in different ways depending on how many new and existing brand elements are used and how they are combined for any one product. Because certain brand elements are used to make more than one brand, a hierarchy can be constructed to represent how (if at all) products are nested with other products because of their common brand elements. Some brand elements may be shared by many products (e.g., Ford); other brand elements may be unique to certain products (e.g., F-series trucks).As with any hierarchy, moving from the top level to the bottom level typically involves more entries at each succeeding levelin this case, more brands. There are different ways to define brand elements and levels of the hierarchy. Perhaps the simplest representation of possible brand elements and thus potential levels of abrand hierarchyfrom top to bottommight be as follows:1.Corporate (or company) brand (e.g., General Motors)2.Range brand (e.g., Chevrolet)3.Individual brand (e.g.. Lumina)4.Modifier (designating item or model) (e.g., Ultra)The highest level of thebrand hierarchytechnically always involves one brandthe corporate or company brand. For legal reasons, the company or corporate brand is almost always present somewhere on the product or package, although it may be the case that the name of a company subsidiary may appear instead of the corporate name. For example, Fortune Brands owns many different companies, such as Titleist, Footjoy, Jim Beam, Master Lock, and Moen, but does not use its corporate name in any of its lines of business. For some firms, the corporate brand is virtually the only brand used (e.g., as withGeneral Electricand Hewlett-Packard). Some other firms combine their corporate brand name with family brands or individual brands (e.g., conglomerate Siemens varied electrical engineering and electronics business units are branded with descriptive modifiers, such as Siemens Transportation Systems). Finally, in some other cases, the company name is virtually invisible and, although technically part of the hierarchy, receives virtually no attention in the marketing program (e.g., Black & Decker does not use its name on its high-end DeWalt professional power tools, andHewlett-Packardcreated a wholly owned subsidiary for its low-priced Apollo ink-jet printers).Protecting Brand EquityThemarketing mixshould focus on building and protecting brand equity. For example, if the brand is positioned as a premium product, the product quality should be consistent with what consumers expect of the brand, low sale prices should not be used compete, the distribution channels should be consistent with what is expected of a premium brand, and the promotional campaign should build consistent associations.Finally, potentially dilutive extensions that are inconsistent with the consumer's perception of the brand should be avoided. Extensions also should be avoided if the core brand is not yet sufficiently strong.Managing Multiple BrandsDifferent companies have opted for different brand strategies for multiple products. These strategies are:Single brand identity- a separate brand for each product. For example, in laundry detergents Procter & Gamble offers uniquely positioned brands such as Tide, Cheer, Bold, etc.Umbrella- all products under the same brand. For example, Sony offers many different product categories under its brand.Multi-brand categories- Different brands for different product categories. Campbell Soup Company uses Campbell's for soups, Pepperidge Farm for baked goods, and V8 for juices.Family of names-