Conceptualizing the ‘brand’

Brand Theme
 Brand as a legal instrument
◦ Protection against imitators
 Brand as a logo
◦ Too preoccupied with the product
 Brand as a company
◦ Opportunity for achieving a coherent focus across the brand portfolio
◦ Conveying consistent message to all stakeholder

 Brand as a shorthand
◦ Simple & Strong brand name provides memory shortcuts
 Brand as a risk reducer
◦ Consumer’s risk
◦ Contract between organization and consumer
Brand Theme
 Brand as an identity system
◦ Brand as more than sum of its part
◦ Brand management begins with strategy and a consistent vision. Its central
concept is brand identity, not image
◦ Identity protects against competitors
◦ Reaps economic benefit
◦ Reinforce a meaning behind a brand
◦ Identity relates to the desired positioning and not how it is perceived i.e.
the brand image
◦ Strategy according to all stakeholders
 Brand as an image in consumer’s mind
◦ Image definition of a brand
◦ Strategy according to consumer’s opinion

Effective brand management needs to balance supplier’s activities with

consumers’ perceptions
Brand Theme
 Brand as a value system
◦ Personal and cultural values
◦ Heritage, personal experience etc.
 Brand as a personality
◦ Brands as symbolic values ( such as the association with the
kind of people using them) that users value beyond their
functional utility
 Brand as a relationship
◦ Logical extension of brand personality
◦ Brand is the expression of relationship between consumer and
product
 Brand as adding value
 Brand as an evolving entity
Three Key interpretations
 These themes are not mutually exclusive

 ‘Brand’ is a multi-dimensional construct

 Every brand theme was found to take the

perspective of either the organisation’s staff,
or customer, or both groups.
Conceptualizing the brand

Growing career good transport

Responsible Confidence

training Power

De Chernatony and Dall’ Olmo Riley ( 1998)

Conceptualizing brand
 Every brand exists by virtue of a continuous
process whereby senior managers specify
core values which are enacted by the
organisation’s staff, interpreted and
redefined by customers whose changing
behaviour influences managers views about
more appropriate ways for staff to live the
brand ‘s value.
Defining brand
 The brand represent a dynamic interface
between an organisation’s action and
customer’s interpretations.

 The ‘Brand’ can be defined as a cluster of

functional and emotional values, which
promises a particular experience.
Defining brand
 This definition of brand is universally
applicable across context within which
offerings ( company, countries, products,
services, politicians etc) are branded.
Managing Brands- Key
decisions issues
The Kodak Story
 What were the key decisions issues and good
decisions taken by Kodak management to
build the brand ?
Coca- Cola
 What were the bad branding decisions taken
by Coca Cola in 1985 ?
The Kodak Story.. Decision issues
 Trouble with a component
◦ Decide whether to recall the product or not
 Introduction of Kodak Instant Camera
◦ Decision of using it to reinforce Kodak association
 Stretching Kodak brand name
 Dealing with private label
Good Branding (Kodak) decisions
 Decision of patenting for a dry plate
 Financially risky decision of recalling the plates
 Marketing a camera that made photography
accessible to all
 Advertising decisions
 Decision to distribute its product outside US
 Decision to return Kodak Instant Camera in
exchange for disc camera & other small items
 Decision to combat aggressive pricing strategy
of competitors
Branding decision ( bad & good)
 Reacting to competitors in haste
◦ Replacement of Coca Cola flagship cola brand with a new
formula
 Coca cola announcement of return of old formulation
 Ignorance of emotional appeal
 Advertising and packaging of new coke failed to clearly
differentiate the new brand and communicate its sweeter
quality
 What the brand meant to the consumer in totality
 Psychological response to a brand can be as important as the
physiological response to the product
Why is it difficult to build strong
brand
 Pressure to compete on price
 Proliferation of competition
 Fragmentation of markets & media
 Complex brand strategies & relationship
 Short term pressure
Price
 Power of strong retailer
 Value sensitive customer
 Reduced category growth
 Overcapacity (often caused by new entrants

and by old competitors hanging on)

 Sales promotion cost
Competition
 Sales growth for brands only by taking away
competitor’s market share
 Globalization
 Low priced competitors
 Brand Extension
 Deregulation
Fragmentation of market & media
 Brand Proliferation
 Media Fragmentation

◦ Clutter
 Conflict and lack of co-ordination
◦ Adv, PR, Event sponsorship, promotion, trade
shows, direct marketing, package design, corporate
identity, direct mail for a single brand ..
 Confused customer
Complex brand strategies
 Brands extension
 Ingredient brands- Hershey chocolate syrup,

Intel micro processor

 Corporate brand – GE, Samsung, Coke
Short Term Pressure
 The objective of the firm is to maximize
stakeholder value
 Managers are motivated to make current

performance look good

 Management style is dominated by short term

orientation
 Annual budgeting emphasize short term

profits
Summary
Branding decisions are taken to address issues related to
 consumer

 elements of brand

 brand performance

 brand loyalty

 switching of brand

 advertising, positioning

 defining brand

 price

 competition

 fragmentation of market and media

 complex branding strategy

Thank You !