Types of Branding

Prof. Shweta Soman

1. Individual brand
• Individual branding is a marketing strategy in which every product a
company sells has its own unique brand name. The policy helps
establish a unique image and identity. It also helps make a brand
occupy a distinct position relative to rival brands, i.e., positioning.

• Individual branding is a brand marketing strategy where a parent

brand gives a product a new identity, a unique brand name, and
allows it to function independently. It helps build a unique product
an image in the market, contributes to the brand's positioning over
competitors, and defends its reputation.
• Advantages of individual branding:
• the parent brand’s reputation won’t be affected if the product fails;
• opportunity to use various marketing methods;
• companies can use different approaches to reach customers and serve them;
• brands can produce lower-quality products without influencing the image of products from the
parent brand;
• brands can be positioned differently as corporate identity is reduced;
• the opportunity to obtain multiple levels of customer loyalty.
• Disadvantages of individual branding:
• a higher risk of instability within the parent brand;
• a new brand name can require significant costs;
• lack or absence of regular customers;
• increased number of human resources;
• lack of acknowledgment;
• customers questioning the quality of the products.
2. Service Brands

• A service brand develops as companies move from manufacturing products

to delivering complete solutions and intangible services. Service brands are
characterized by the need to maintain a consistently high level of service
delivery. This category includes the following:

Classic service brands (such as airlines, hotels, car rentals, and banks)
• Pure service providers (such as member associations)
• Professional service brands (such as advisers of all kinds—accountancy,
management consultancy)
• Agents (such as travel agents and estate agents)
• Retail brands (such as supermarkets, fashion stores, and restaurants)
Organization Brands

• organizational branding is the mechanism used to shape, cultivate,

and evolve your brand. It involves many elements, including your
name, logo, tagline, website, colors, collateral, messaging, positioning,
graphic elements, social media, and other outreach platforms.
Branding an organization is a never-ending process, always evolving
alongside your business. And sometimes it is necessary to
rebrand an organization if it needs a competitive edge, has pivoted
its mission, or has been in business for a long time.
• Branding is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, whether we realize
it or not. Branding an organization or business is critical to its success.
• Why is Branding an Organization or Business Important?
• Organizational branding offers an abundance of advantages, including:
• Recognition – Consumers are more likely to support a business or organization they are familiar with,
even if that recognition is minimal. They are also more likely to keep coming back to that brand and
encourage others to do the same.
• Focus – Branding helps you concentrate on your goals and avoid getting distracted by efforts that don’t
support your organization’s branding strategy.
• Cutting through the clutter – Consumers are busy and have short attention spans. You have limited
opportunities to get their attention. Your brand must be powerful and compelling to capture them and
help them remember you.
• Standing out – Competition is fierce on the global marketplace. Your target audiences are faced with
many options, so your business or organization needs to distinguish itself from the others.
• Clarity for your core audiences – Organizational branding helps those who matter most to you – your
employees, customers, and supporters – know who you are, what you value, and what they can expect
from you.
• What Makes Organizational Branding Successful?
• There are several elements that make an organization’s branding strong, including:
• Uniqueness – Effective branding helps distinguish your brand from others in the space.
• Authenticity – Powerful branding is genuine. It tells your audiences who you are and
reinforces it with each interaction, further establishing long-term connection. It solidifies the
notion that consumers will get what they expect from you.
• Relevance – Your branding should communicate how it adds value to the lives of your
customers and supporters.
• Consistency – Strong branding evolves to meet the needs of its audiences and changing times,
but it does not change for the sake of change. Your target audiences need consistency to build
and maintain their relationship with you.
• Audacity – Compelling brands are not afraid to make decisions and be who they are. They
occasionally take tactical risks to gain the competitive edge.
Personal Brands

• A person can be considered a brand. It can be comprised of one

individual, as in the cases of Oprah Winfrey or Mick Jagger. Or it may
be composed of a few individuals, where the branding is associated
with different personalities. With the advent of the Internet and social
media, the phenomenon of personal branding offers tools and
techniques for virtually anyone to create a brand around themselves.
Group Brands

• Group branding happens when there is a small group of branded

entities that have overlapping, interconnected brand equity. For
example, the OWN group brand of the Oprah Winfrey Network and
the brand of its known members (Oprah and her team) are strongly
connected. Similarly, the Rolling Stones represents a group brand that
is strongly associated with the personal brands of its members (most
enduringly, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie
Watts).
Event Brands

• Events can become brands when they strive to deliver a consistent

experience that attracts consumer loyalty. Examples include
conferences the TED series; music festivals like Coachella or
SXSW; sporting events like the Olympics or NASCAR; and touring
Broadway musicals like Wicked. The strength of these brands depends
on the experience of people attending the event. Savvy brand
managers from product, service, and other types of brands realize the
power of event brands and seek to have their brands associated with
the event brands through sponsorships. Event sponsorship is now a
thriving big business.
Geographic Place Brands

• Many places or areas of the world seek to brand themselves to build

awareness of the essential qualities they offer. Branded places can
range from countries and states to cities, streets, and even buildings.
Those who govern or represent these geographies work hard to
develop the brand. Geographic branding is used frequently to attract
commerce and economic investment, tourism, new residents, and so
on.
Private-Label Brands

• Private-label brands, also called own brands, or store brands, exist

among retailers that possess a particularly strong identity (such as
Save-A-Lot). Private labels may denote superior, "select" quality, or
lower cost for a quality product.
Media Brands

• Media brands include newspapers, magazines, and television

channels such as CNN.
E-Brands

• E-brands exist only in the virtual world. Many e-brands, such as

Amazon.com, have a central focus on providing an online front end
for delivering physical products or services. Others provide
information and intangible services to benefit consumers. Typically a
common denominator among e-brands is the focus on delivering a
valued service or experience in the virtual environment.