Choosing Brand Elements to Build

Brand Equity

A presentation by:
Varqa Shamsi Bahar
 Introduction about brand elements

• Brand Elements create a Brand Identity.

• Differentiable brand identity elements enhances
brand awareness.
• So Brand elements are the ingredients to create a
foundation of brand equity by establishing brand
identity.
• Upon this foundation: strong favorable & unique
brands associations are created which elicits
positive brand judgments and feelings.
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Associations are linked to the brand element

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Presentation Outline
• Characteristics of brand elements.

• Tactics for choosing brand elements.

• Digging into each brand elements

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 Introduction to brand elements

• Brand Names & URLs

• Logos & Symbols
• Characters
• Slogans & Jingles
• Packaging.

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The test of brand elements

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 Six characteristics of brand elements

1. Memorability
Marketer’s offensive strategy
2. Meaningfulness to build brand equity

3. Likability
4. Transferability
5. Adaptability Defensive role for leveraging
and maintaining brand equity
6. Protectability

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 Criteria: Memorability

• Brand elements should inherently be

memorable and attention-getting, and
therefore facilitate recall or recognition
(brand awareness).

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Criteria: Memorability; examples

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Criteria: Memorability; examples

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 Criteria: Meaningfulness

1. General information about the nature of the

product category (descriptive): can be vital to
create brand awareness and salience.

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 Criteria: Meaningfulness

2. Specific information about particular attributes

and benefits of the brand: can be vital in
creating brand associations brand image.
E.g.1 the jingle of Dove damage therapy.
E.g.2 The brand name “zerocal” suggest
something about the product ingredient.

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Criteria: Meaningfulness of brand name “Saaf”
and “Madina”.

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Criteria: Meaningfulness of brand name
Quikr.com

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 Criteria: Meaningfulness of brand name Google

• The word ‘google’ is a modification of the word

‘googol’ which means “one followed by a
hundred zeros”
• Hence the brand name refers to the huge
quantity of data that google can search.

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 Criteria: Meaningfulness of brand name Intel

• The word ‘Intel’ is a combination of the words

“intelligent” “electronics”.
• The name suggests that it is an electronics
company that delivers “intelligent” products.

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 Criteria: Meaningfulness of brand name Vodafone

• The word ‘Vodafone’ is a combination of the

words ‘voice’ ‘data’ ‘fone’
• The word refers to the capability of Vodafone
to deliver voice and data through phone lines.

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 Criteria: Likability

• Do customers find the brand elements likable

and appealing? Fun & Interesting?

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Criteria: Likability; examples

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 Criteria: Transferability

1. How useful is the brand element for line or

category extensions?
e.g.

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 Criteria: Transferability

2. To what extent does the brand element mean

the same across geographical boundaries?
Sometimes using symbols is better across
boundaries.

Be very careful of cultural mishaps! When going global, the cultural content
and linguistic qualities of the brand should be carefully analyzed.
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Criteria: Transferability

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 Example of a mishap!

• When Gerber first started selling baby food in Africa, they used
the same packaging as in the USA with the cute baby on the
label. Later they found out that in Africa, companies routinely
put pictures on the label of what’s inside because most people
can’t read!

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 Criteria: Adaptability

• The more adaptable and flexible the brand element, the easier
it is to update it to keep the brand more contemporary, fresh
and appealing to the consumers. .
• For example, logos and characters can be given a new look or a
new design to make them appear more modern and relevant.

What is this element on

the left?

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 Criteria: Adaptability; Discussion

• Discussion: When you change the packaging

what do you do?

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Criteria: Adaptability; example

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 Criteria: Protectability

Marketers should:
1. Choose brand elements that can be legally protected internationally.

2. Formally register chosen brand elements with the appropriate legal

bodies.

3. Vigorously defend trademarks from unauthorized competitive

intrusion.

Otherwise the brand will lose its competitive edge e.g. of Chaka v/s
Wheel.

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Criteria: Protectability

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Tactics for choosing brand elements

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 Factor: Brand Name; classifications

Landor’s brand name taxonomy:

1. Descriptive (describes functionality literally in
the brand name): ZeroCal, Qatar Airways.
2. Suggestive (suggestive of a benefit): Close Up
toothpaste, Head and shoulders shampoo.

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 Brand Name classifications

3. Compounds (combination of 2 or more

words): PriceWaterhouseCoopers,
GrameenPhone.
4. Classical: e.g. Jaatra.
5. Arbitrary: Real words with no obvious relation
to the company/product: e.g. Apple, Orange.
6. Fanciful: words with no obvious meaning: e.g.
Pepsi, Cefiro, Lexus.
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 How a “Brand Name” can enhance brand
awareness?
1. Simplicity and ease of pronunciation and spelling

– Short name facilitates recall: e.g. MUM, Ruchi.

– Long names can be shortened to ease recallability: Coke, SCB, chevy, HSBC.
– When a name is difficult to pronounce, initial marketing effort should be
devoted to educate customers to the proper way to pronounce the name
(Alpenliebe, whirlpool, sense of balance)

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 How a “Brand Name” can enhance brand
awareness?
2. Familiarity and meaningfulness: so that it can tap
into existing knowledge structures.
• People in their memory know names of places, birds,
cats, objects etc: Example: Dove, cat, Vanish, saaf, fit.
• So consumers have to do less learning to understand
the meaning of the brand name and remember the
band name as well. Hence, Memorability is
enhanced which enhances brand awareness.

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 How a “Brand Name” can enhance brand
awareness?

3. Differentiated and Unique: It’s necessary to

enhance brand recognition.
• So that the brand name is different from the
rest of the herd.

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 How a “Brand Name” can create brand
associations?
• Brand Associations: The brand name can re-enforce
an important attribute or benefit association.
• Obsession perfume will make people madly attracted
to me.
• Saaf Dishwashing powder saafs dishes
• Spring Air Freshener will give nature’s fragrance
• Caress soap is a “gentle” soap for my skin.
• Blossom detergent will give “fresh scent to clothes”
• “Compaq” computers are “small” computers.
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 Alphabets can also create associations

Alphabets used to denote characteristics:

• “X” connotes extreme, youthful, risk-taking
– ESPN’s X-Games.
• “Z” connotes a sense of speed.
– Hero Honda’s CBZ and Karizma.

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 Factor: URLs

• URL (uniform resource locators) specify locations of pages on

the web and are commonly referred as domain names.
• Keep it as simple as possible so that it is memorable which in
turn will facilitate brand awareness - brand recall is critical for
URL.
• In some cases consumers should know the website URL even
without any marketing effort. E.g. adidas.com, nike.com
• Register the URL for protection purpose.
• Discussion: In marketing communication terms what is the
internet?

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 Factor: Logos and Symbols

• Visual elements play a critical role in building

brand equity, especially brand awareness .
• It is an indicator via which consumers can
differentiate brands in terms of origin,
ownership, or associations (example: a bitten
apple, bunny rabbit).
• Strong, favorable & unique brands associations
are engraved within the logo/symbol.

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Example of brands with strong word marks
(logo) and no accompanying symbol
Example of brands with strong symbol
 More benefits of Logos and Symbols

• Can be transcended across geographical boundaries

and cultures (easier when it is a symbol).
• Can be a medium through which brand equity is
leveraged across other product categories - Dettol,
Parachute, Kool.
• When the name is long and cumbersome, logos
could more easily appear as an identification
device.
• E.g. National Westminster Bank
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 Factor: Characters

• Characters represent a special type of brand

symbol: one that takes on human or real life
characteristics.
• Plays a role in ad campaigns and packaging.
design.

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 Factor: Characters benefits

• Because they are often colorful and rich in imagery,

they tend to be attention getting (brand awareness).
• Expresses key brand associations (cushelle, white plus).
• Valuable Licensing properties providing direct revenue
and additional brand character exposure –All Disney
Characters.
• The brand character can build relationships with
customers (attitudinal loyalty)– Commander Safeguard
case.

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White Plus – Teeth Guardian

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 Case Discussion: Safeguard Pakistan

• Beauty soap segment Antibacterial segment

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Enter Commander Safeguard....

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Case Discussion: To kill or not to kill Louie!

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 Factor: Slogans

• Slogans are short phrases that communicate

descriptive or persuasive information about the
brand.
• Can be present in advertising, packaging or any
other outdoor branding and POP (point of
purchase) locations.

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 Factor: Slogan benefits

1. Help create brand awareness:

e.g. to the category, usage, purchase consideration.
2. reinforce the brand positioning and desired brand
associations & POD:
“Magic – Dur Hok Mukher Durgondho”.
“Life takes VISA”.
“Spring – Live Inside the Fragrance”.
Discussion: Is it important for slogans to have a “sales call”?
– “If you don’t have an iphone, well you don’t have an
iphone”.

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Slogans create brand awareness: category

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Slogans create brand awareness: recallability (usage
+ purchase situation)

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Slogans create brand awareness: recallability (usage
situation)

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Factor: Slogans

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Factor: Slogans

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 Slogan Quiz

– Because you’re worth it

– The ultimate driving machine
– When it absolutely, positively has to be there
overnight
– No more tears
– When you care enough to send the very best
– Take Care
– The most effective insect killer
– Be 100% sure
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 Factor: Packaging + labeling

• From the perspective of both the firm and consumers,

packaging and labeling must achieve a number of
objectives:
– Brand recognition (brand awareness)
– Convey descriptive and persuasive information (brand
knowledge)
– Facilitate product transportation and protection (stability
tests)
– Assist at-home storage (even at retail end)
– Aid product consumption (easy to use e.g. revive flip top cap).

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 Packaging at the point of purchase

• If the packaging look is not at par or better than the

competition…that’s a basic mistake. E.g. Spring vs Angelic.

• Check if the packaging details is understandable from afar

from the retail shelf.

• Even if consumers are not aware of the brand …the superior

packaging creates +ve perceptions about the brand instantly.
This is why packaging is sometimes called “the last salesman”.
• With a good packaging you can charge higher from the
consumers!

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Packaging at the point of purchase
Discussion: analyze these packaging

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Packaging at the point of purchase

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Packaging at the point of purchase

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Packaging at the point of purchase

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 Factor: Jingles

• Jingles are musical messages written around the

brand. Typically composed by professional songwriters,
they often have enough catchy hooks and choruses to
become almost permanently registered in the minds of
listeners—sometimes whether they want them to or
not!
• Jingles are perhaps most valuable in enhancing brand
awareness.
• Remember the “classical conditioning”?
• Also explains the benefit (functional + emotional)
through a song.
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