Brand Onion:

Brands are multilayered, like the rings of onions as illustrated in the figure below:

Brand Essence

At the heart of a brand is what is trendily known as the brand essence. This is the brands basic identity, that central heart of the brand without which the brand cease exist. Skoda like to run a

campaign listing the attributes of the many varities of engines available for their cars, ending with the query ' Looking for an engine that will make your trousers vibrate at 50 meters? Sorrywrong showroom'

http://careers.mediacom.com/us/Search/Detail/default.aspx?JobId=15902

A key component of Volkswagen Groups global success is evident on the year on year continual growth of Škoda. Its sales, market reach and media investment continues to grow and now represents a very exciting time at Škoda HQ. With its marketing activities defined under the motto “Simply Clever”, the appointment of new global marketing leaders and a new global Fallon creative appointment, Škoda are looking to ensure they step out of their bigger family siblings, and grow their market share universally. “Simply Clever” are words which are much more than the core of the brand; they capture the essence of Škoda AUTO’s mission and shape products and processes. For our customers, “Simply Clever” stands for practical, sophisticated and smart solutions.

Brand Proposition/ Benefits:

A brand is a promise of benefits. The proposition is this promise, an explanation to the customer of what they are going to get for their money. These benefits are both rational and emotional or symbolic. The rational aspects refers to functional benefits of the product , service or company.

Brand Personality

A brand personality is a powerful part of your brand and something that needs careful thought.

what he does with it. He loves brown. And egg sandwiches.

Now apart from the potential ‘excitement’ of unlocking the secret behind Keith’s nocturnal computer activities, are you

looking forward to Keith turning up? No, not really. Poor Keith lacks personality*.

*Brand Glue would like to make it clear that they in no way feel that people called Keith lack personality, personal

hygiene or taste in clothes.

WHAT IS BRAND PERSONALITY?

People connect with personalities, and different personality traits can be more or less appealing depending on the

people you like and connect with.

It’s the same with brands. People can’t help associate human personality traits with brands, whether they like a brand

or have no connection at all. Like humans every brand has a different personality, and brand personality will be viewed

differently by different people.

Take Dyson as an example. Brand personalities you might associate with it could be:

Clever

Forward thinking

Creative

Meticulous

Innovative British inventor

When pushed you could regard it as sexy! After all as vacuum’s, fans and hand dryers go they look pretty special.

Competitors will have their own brand personality and you’ll need to ensure yours is different. It’s true too that sectors

will have types of brand personality that many brands in the sector will gravitate towards. Some though will break the

mould to stand-out – think Virgin Money and First Direct in the banking sector.

WHY BRAND PERSONALITY MATTERS

People buy products from brands they connect with, and the process of connection is done on a few levels:

Does the product functionality fulfil the need?

Is it the right price?

Does it have the right image and personality?

People are still influenced even when they claim brand is not important to them, and don’t care if it’s not trendy or the

one to have. Take Skoda cars, once joked about in the long distant past, but now making cars that win awards.

 Skoda are creating a brand personality that is thriving: solid, dependable machines that are just as good as their rivals

but with smaller price tags. Personality is no less important in this case as people like the thrifty, dependable and

mechanically savvy personality that Skoda promote. They’ve also made the cars (brand) a lot ‘cooler’. Bingo. More

customers.

Changing perceptionsHow then has the public responded to the transformation at Skoda? Skoda clearly has a major task to change the

public’s perceptions, which for many are still rooted in the past. The key to altering the public’s perception is making

people aware of what is happening at Skoda with the company and the cars and to convey the company’s personality

and strengths. Research has shown Skoda’s brand personality to be:

Normal

Friendly

Human

Having a sense of humour

Honest

Accessible and uncomplicated.

It is this personality and image that Skoda communicates through its advertising and publicity. Skoda’s advertising

campaign has revolved around showing consumers what changes have taken place in the company and cars and these

advertisements have been led with the strapline:

“We’ve changed the car.Can you change your mind?”

The emphasis has been on the partnership with Volkswagen and the value for money pricing. The safety, reliability and

quality of the cars has also been highlighted through components being supplied by Europe’s top manufacturers

(Siemens, Bosch, Lucas, Blaupunkt, Continental etc).