Alexis  Glears  

JAC  230    

March  1,  2011  

 

The  Management  of  Brands  

Before  Justin  Beiber  became  the  teenage  heartthrob  that  young  girls  love  today,  he  was  just  another  kid  with  a  YouTube  video  and  a  dream.  The  catchy  songs,  a  hit  new  movie,  and  even  his  signature  haircut  has  allowed  Justin  to  create  this  image  of  a  commercial  teen  idol.  Through  the  use  of  a  successful  marketing  technique  called  branding,  Beiber  has  thrived  in  the  competitive  music  industry.  Branding  is  a  marketing  technique  that  allows  creativity,  produces  a  relationship  with  the  consumers,  and  is  very  persuasive.  Because  of  these  reasons,  branding  is  effective  and  creates  successful  products.  

Creating  a  brand  works  so  well  in  a  capitalist  economic  system  because  it  calls  for  a  free  market.  Sellers  are  allowed  to  sell  as  many  of  any  type  of  product  as  they  would  like  and  buyers  can  choose  from  these  options.  This  makes  it  a  competitive  market.  A  product  can  be  branded  in  a  way,  shape,  or  form  by  any  means  necessary  for  their  consumers  to  believe  that  it  is  the  right  brand  to  choose.  By  creating  a  brand  for  the  company  or  product,  it  allows  consumers  to  see  their  values.  It  tries  to  “associate  with  the  brand  a  set  of  attributes,  emotions,  symbols,  activities,  and  behaviors  in  consumers’  minds.”  (O'Barr)  For  example,  a  company  may  reduce  the  size  of  their  water  bottles.  Then,  they  market  this  as  being  eco  friendly  to  display  their  values  in  the  environment.  A  more  specific  example  would  be  NASCAR’s  alcohol  advertising  policy.  NASCAR  is  famous  for  auto  racing  and  the  big  advertisements  that  companies  place  on  cars.  As  people  are  watching  their  favorite  racer  speed  around  the  track,  they  are  constantly  watching  a  company’s  logo  and  possibly  remember  that  company  when  shopping  at  their  local  grocery  store.    NASCAR  has  a  firm  stance  on  not  only  drinking  and  driving  but  for  underage  drinking  as  well.  No  driver  that  is  under  the  age  of  21  is  allowed  to  drive  a  car  with  alcohol  advertisements  displayed  on  the  car.  People  will  recognize  this  value  and  continue  to  support  their  brand  because  of  this.  With  these  common  values  that  are  shared  culturally,  companies  can  bond  with  consumers  over  a  cause  which  forms  a  much  needed  relationship  between  the  company  and  the  consumer.  

A  relationship  connects  two  entities  together  with  a  similar  or  related  purpose.  In  the  case  of  companies  and  consumers,  this  all  changed  after  the  production  era  of  the  early  20th  century.    Before,  there  was  a  shortage  of  goods  and  products  available  so  consumers  were  forced  to  buy  what  was  sold.  There  wasn’t  a  lot  of  competition  so  they  only  had  the  option  to  buy  from  that  one  company.  Also,  producers  were  “unknown  to  consumers.”  (O'Barr)  As  companies  started  mass  producing,  competition  developed  and  companies  needed  a  way  to  separate  themselves  from  all  others.  Branding  was  a  great  strategy  for  doing  this.  Companies  started  to  brand  themselves  as  consumer  friendly.  Burger  King  said  it  best  with  their  slogan  “Have  it  your  way.”  Marketing  strategies  that  attract  and  keep  more  consumers  were  being  developed  that  made  it  more  easy  and  efficient  to  choose  their  brands  over  others.  They  positioned  themselves  as  a  brand  that  was  for  the  best  interest  of  the  consumer.  By  doing  this,  consumers  feel  as  if  they  are  important  and  have  influence  in  the  company.  This  positive  relationship  creates  brand  loyalty  and  customer  retention.”Good  name  certifies  good  quality.”  (O'Barr)  Consumers  will  remember  this  great  treatment  that  they  received  and  will  return  to  this  company  for  future  

Alexis  Glears  

JAC  230    

March  1,  2011  

purchases.  Companies  make  programs  like  frequent  flyer  miles,  free  store-­‐to-­‐home  shipping,  and  coupons  to  gain  this  desired  loyalty.  It’s  all  about  how  the  company  treats  the  consumer.  Apple  is  a  good  example  for  this  brand  loyalty.  They  started  with  the  creation  of  the  first  personal  computer.  They  branded  themselves  as  the  cool  and  hip  computer  company.  This  brand  prospered  in  comparison  to  the  big,  bulky,  and  older  competitor  PC.  Everyone  wants  to  have  the  freshest  and  new  technology  that  is  in  the  market.  Apple  created  their  brand  around  this  concept.  When  they  created  a  green  marketing  plan  of  recycling  used  Apple  products,  they  gave  customers  money  back  and  a  percent  off  their  next  Apple  purchase.  Small  initiatives  such  as  these  make  the  customers  loyal  to  the  brand.    When  they  see  an  Apple  product  they  will  most  likely  choose  it  over  a  competing  brand.  They  will  consequently  not  even  try  to  explore  other  options  due  to  their  consistent  satisfaction  with  Apple  products.  They  trust  Apple  will  continue  to  serve  their  valued  customers  like  they  had  in  the  past.    Because  of  this  close  relationship  and  brilliant  advertising  tactics,  companies  make  persuade  consumers  into  believing  that  their  products  are  the  most  effective.  

The  goal  of  advertising  is  to  make  the  consumer  to  purchase,  want,  or  take  action  on  your  product.  Brand  marketing  further  enhances  this  sense  of  need  for  the  product.  By  marketing  their  brand  as  the  best  in  the  market,  companies  must  persuade  you  to  believe  that  the  competition  doesn’t  compare.  Fast  food  companies  such  as  McDonalds,  Burger  King,  and  Wendy’s  have  been  rival  companies  for  years.  They  constantly  produce  ads  that  claim  they  have  better  quality  products  and  provide  faster  and  better  service  compared  to  their  competitors.  They  use  slogans  like  Wendy’s  “Fresh  never  frozen”  and  “You  know  when  it’s  real”  campaign.  They  were  claiming  that  all  the  other  competitors  make  their  food  from  frozen  products  and  simply  warm  them  up  for  their  customers.  Companies  will  do  whatever  it  takes  for  customers  to  choose  their  product  over  another.  “Manufacturers  attempted  to  differentiate  their  products  from  the  competition  by  placing  trademarks  on  them  and  making  claims  on  packaging  and  in  advertisements  about  the  unique  qualities  of  their  brands.”  (O'Barr)  

In  conclusion,  brands  are  an  effective  marketing  tool  that  altered  the  way  the  marketing  and  advertising  world  operated.  It  allowed  the  market  to  be  creative  and  differentiate  itself.  Producers  were  “unknown  to  consumers.”  (O'Barr).  I  personally  believe  brand  marketing  is  the  best  way  to  market  a  product.  People  like  personality.  They  relate  to  brands  that  have  the  same  values  and  beliefs  that  they  stand  for.  Unless  the  generic  brand  is  cheaper,  they  usually  associate  brand  names  with  quality.  They  have  substance  and  brand  equity.