UNIT III

BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
Brand image Building – Brand Loyalty programmes – Brand
Promotion Methods – Role of Brand ambassadors,
celebrities – On line Brand Promotions.

Dr.P.S.Venkateswaran,
Professor,
PSNACET
 Brand image: Introduction
• Brand image is 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
• The main elements of positive brand image are-
• logo, slogan, Tag line, Design
• Brand image is the overall impression in
consumers’ mind that is formed from all
sources
• Volvo is associated with safety.
• Toyota is associated with reliability.
 BRAND ASSOCIATIONS
• Brand association is anything that is ‘linked’ in
memory to a brand. The following types of
associations are:
(i) Product attributes
(ii) Life-style/personality
(iii) Intangibles
(iv) Customer benefits
(v) Relative price
(vi) Use/application
(vii) Celebrity/person
(Viii) Product class
(ix) Competitors
(x) Country/geographic area
 BRAND IMAGE BUILDING
Three ways the BIB are happening in the
Corporate world:
• Strong brand image,
• Strong corporate image
• Hybrid of both the brand and corporate
image.
 How to Build a Brand
1. Identify your brand’s target audience
2. Establish a brand mission statement.
Nike tagline: Just Do It.
Nike’s mission is: “To bring inspiration and
innovation to every athlete in the world“.
3. Research brands within your industry niche.
4. Key qualities & benefits your brand offers.
Apple - key qualities is clean design
key benefit is ease of use.
5. Create a brand logo & tagline
A strong brand style guide will include the following things:
• Logo size and placement
• Color palette
• Typography and fonts
• Iconography
• Photography/image style
• Web elements
6. Brand voice or Communication
A brand voice could be:
- Professional,
- Friendly
- Service-oriented
- Authoritative
- Technical
- Promotional
- Conversational
- Informative
7. Build a brand message
Brand development process goes beyond logo and tagline :
– who you are,
– what you offer, and
– why people should care.
8. Build brand personality
– Sincerity (down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, cheerful)
– Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date)
– Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)
– Sophistication (upper class, charming)
– Ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough)
 BRAND LOYALTY PROGRAMS
• Loyalty programs are designed to optimize
every customer contact by offering an
incentive to his buying behavior.
• The main objective of these programs is aimed
at the highest end customer’s retention.
 Types of Customer Loyalty Programs
1. Point Program
– The point program is the most common program and it
is the simplest one.
“Spend more to get more”
– Every time a customer makes a purchase in-store or on
your website, they get a certain amount of points
depending on the size of their purchase.
– These points are translated into some type of reward.
– Whether it is a discount or a special customer
treatment, customers seems to work toward collecting
a certain amount of points to redeem their reward.
2. Spend Program
– Customer get loyalty credits for the amount they spend
at a business.
– It is an effective way to increase transaction amounts.
3. Tiered Program
– Rewards initial loyalty and encourages more
purchases.
– Customers get points whenever they purchase
something.
– The more points they receive, the higher loyalty level
they will reach.
– Higher the level, the more rewards they will get.
4. Paid Program – VIP member club
– Customers pay a monthly or annual fee to join your
VIP member club with access to special services,
discounts or unique opportunities.
5. Value – based Program
How do you reward your customers without rewarding
them?
• The reward when choosing the value-based program is
to connect with customers on a deeper level by creating a
strong and ethical relationship with them.
• EX:
– Let’s imagine that you run an online pet store and you know that
your audience values animal welfare.
– One thing you may do it, is to start a loyalty program, similar to
the point system, where customers’ purchases translate into
currency.
– Then, every time a customer makes a 50€ purchase, you would
donate 5€ to an animal rescue organization.
6. Partnered Program
– While providing your customers with value that is relevant
to them and goes beyond what your company can
exclusively offer them, you are showing them that you truly
understand and care about their needs.
7. Game Program
– A good idea is to turn your loyalty program into a game
application to encourage repeat purchases, increase customer
loyalty, entertain customers and help strengthen your brand’s
image in a more entertainment way.
8. Hybrid Loyalty Programs
– A hybrid loyalty program is a combination of more than
one type of loyalty systems. You may merge 2 different
systems such as the tier and the game program, where
customers reach new levels of loyalty every time they
complete a new level in your game.
 BRAND PROMOTION METHODS
• Billboards
• Brochures
• Commercial
• Online Advertising
• Print Ads (magazine, newspaper)
• Radio Ad – How to create a Radio Ad for little to
no cost.
• Signs and Flyers
• Sponsor
• Sweepstakes or (Online)Contests
• Website
• Word of Mouth (WOM) – Marketing using WOM
 BRAND AMBASSADORS &
CELEBRITIES
• Brands promoted through renowned people
from various fields like sportsmen, cine stars a
• Both brand ambassadors and celebrity
endorsers are responsible for creation of
archetypal images in the minds of the
consumers which relate to a primary function
in their life.
• Celebrities have a long marketing history.
 CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS
• Celebrities are people who enjoy public
recognition by a large share of a certain group
of people whereas attributes like
attractiveness, extraordinary lifestyle or
special skills are attractive.
 FRED
• Familiarity (target market is aware of him, finds him
friendly, likeable and trustworthy);
• Relevance (which says that there should be a link
between the endorser and the product as well
between the endorser and the audience);
• Esteem (the polio endorsement, for example, is
successful as the masses see him as a credible
name-face-voice);
• Differentiation (in all his projections, he is seen to
be one among the masses, and yet he towers above
them. He is different). His appeal is universal, lesser
mortals merely cater to specific niches…
 Reasons for Celebrity endorsements
• Instant Brand Awareness and Recall.
• Celebrity values define, and refresh the brand
image.
• Celebrities add new dimensions to the brand
image.
• Instant credibility or aspiration PR coverage.
• Lack of ideas.
• Convincing clients.
 Compatibility between the celebrity and brand image
• Celebrity’s fit with the brand image.
• Celebrity—Target audience match
• Celebrity associated values.
• Costs of acquiring the celebrity.
• Celebrity—Product match.
• Celebrity controversy risk.
• Celebrity popularity.
• Celebrity availability.
• Celebrity physical attractiveness.
• Celebrity credibility.
• Celebrity prior endorsements.
• Whether celebrity is a brand user.
• Celebrity profession.