When the term “branding” is mentioned, what first comes to
mind? Perhaps, it is branding a cow, or a brand of clothing, maybe a person or
a company? Every choice, that every person makes,
brands surround us. From the time a person wakes up and puts on their pair of
Toms shoes, Buckle jeans and Guess shirt, drive their Toyota to Starbucks for a
coffee and have lunch at McDonalds, they have already experienced an overload
of brands along their way and will continue to do so. Even the music on the
radio, from Lady Gaga to Bruno Mars, is marketed and branded. According
to the Oxford dictionary, there are 15 definitions for this one word. However,
the definition that most often applies today is; “The
promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.”
Branding
goes beyond the product, it is about the customer, and developing a
relationship with the customer. Ispos, a brand specialist firm, summarized the
link between people and brands: “Brands have meaning. Brands have personality.
Brands have attitude. And because people so often identify with, relate to, and
define themselves by them, brands have influence.” A brand is more
than a logo, or slogan. Your brand needs to create feelings and emotions, it
needs to have life, and be able to create a memory within the consumer. Seth
Godwin said “it should inspire, lead, and tap into the brand’s passions so
you’ll tap into your customers’ passion and build a committed following.”
Merchandising
professionals have spent years researching the way people shop, in order to
most efficiently set up displays in stores, and utilizing impulse buys at
checkout lanes. Zig Ziglar said, “People don’t buy for logical reasons. They
buy for emotional reasons”. Understanding the thoughts and shopping
patterns of consumers will help marketers be able to create a stronger brand,
with consumer loyalty. When I worked for a Harley-Davidson dealership in their
general merchandise department, we had a program of videos and tests that
employees could take to become certified in merchandising. The Harley-Davidson
motor company knew the value of teaching their employees the value of Brand
Loyalty and merchandising.
Understanding
branding is necessary for a business to better market their product or services
to their target audience. A company will create their identity with a brand;
the people will create the meaning to go with that identity. Every
day, there are brands we will know, recognize, and feel passionately about just
by seeing a picture or hearing a phrase. An apple with a bite taken out of it
is easily recognized as Apple products. It does not matter if it is an iMac, an
iPad, or an iPhone; you know that one little picture belongs to this family of
products. A picture of a swoosh check mark would make most people immediately
think of Nike. These brands and millions of others just like them, are a part
of our every day lives. These logos however, are not the brand; they are a
symbol that represents a brand. These brands become a part of our
daily lives. The images of these brands have the ability to make you hungry,
happy, comfortable; they impart you with feeling and emotions.
However,
companies can also make mistakes with their branding, and marketing. Sometimes
they will have to find themselves struggling to salvage the pieces of a
campaign gone wrong, or years of a business going down hill and needing to be
changed and re-branded. Starbucks, one of the largest coffee store businesses
in the United States recently launched a social media campaign called:
#RaceTogether. The campaign was designed to open up the lines of
communication about race, segregation, inequality and diversity. This campaign
in theory was a good idea, but the company was left with a lot of backlash over
the campaign and quickly pulled it. Consumers ultimately did not want to
discuss such a heavy topic over their cup of morning coffee. Others felt the
company did not have a right to discuss race. With new businesses and new
products being launched at increasing speeds, your brand can determine your
odds of survival. A brand must enter the market with the same strength of an
established brand or be able to build a brand name in a hurry, get consumer
awareness, understanding, and preference fast enough to survive.
Not all
brands succeed and survive. Some brands have even been known to commit unintentional
suicide. In the 1970’s Atari was one of the fastest growing companies taking
the world by storm with a whole new generation of home gaming. However, in 1982
Atari was overly eager about their new game release ET. It not only flopped on release, it is considered to be one of
the worst video games ever made. Atari buried millions of unsold copies of the
game in the desert. Two years later in 1984, the gaming division of Atari was
sold. This downfall left the doors wide open for a new game developer
to take Atari’s place. Nintendo entered the picture and for many years was the
leading home game console system. As an avid gamer, I have watched the gaming
console trends grow and change over the years. I was too young when the death
of the Atari happened to be fully affected by it. I do however remember the
Sega Dreamcast coming into the picture in the late 90’s. The Dreamcast was a
powerful machine with ahead of its time graphics. Unlike the Atari, it is
unknown what exactly killed the Dreamcast. There are many speculations, as to
what caused a premature death, however, one thing is true; even with how short
lived that console was, it has a cult following that holds strong today.
Brands
are a big deal. Modern day consumerism, and mainstream media have paved the way
for a whole new world when it comes to branding. With today’s marketplace
containing more products than ever before, people will choose and pay higher
prices for products they have heard in and trust. With this trust, people will
have brand loyalty. If all of the products in a category are the same and do
not offer any distinct differences, customers will then just choose whichever
one is the lowest price.
Because
of the Internet, consumers are no longer limited to geographic location for
shopping. This worldwide shopping availability has opened up a whole new market
and has allowed brands to dominate the marketplace over no-name products. Along with online shopping availability, brands are now able to utilize
social media to promote their brands. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a
part of most of the world’s daily life. By using these tools, brands can buy
advertisements, run contests, and generate a whole new level of brand loyalty
that was not there before. Many brands are using hashtags and encouraging their
customers to post about their brand on social media using these hashtags. This
drives even more traffic to these brands and continues to encourage brand
loyalty.
Brand
loyalty is strong enough, that it can win over a taste preference. In 2003,
researchers conducted an experiment labeled “The Pepsi Challenge.” In a blind
taste test, panelists were give Coke and Pepsi and told to choose which one
tasted better. Pepsi won hands down. However, when the panelists were told
which one they tasted first, three quarters of them choose Coca-Cola. This is
the power of the brand winning out over the taste. Having lived in
the south, I have seen this hold true. Coca-Cola will win every time over Pepsi
if they are told which one is Coca-Cola. It is common when going out to a
restaurant to hear your waitress ask you, “What kind of Coke you would like to
drink,” meaning, do you want Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, etc.
On your
next grocery store trip, pay close attention to your choices you make. Do you
buy the same kind of butter, cheese, bread, and toilet paper, every time? Or do
you choose a different brand each time? In a world of uncertainty, remains one
constant: the brand. It will always be there front and center of everything.
The difference between the brands that survive and prosper and the brands that
struggle and fail are in the branding.
-
Branding for Dummies.
Oxford
Dictionary Online, Oxford Dictionary, - http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/brand?q=branding#brand__18
“Starbucks #RaceTogether Falls Apart: Social Branding
Lessons Learned.” -http://www.commpro.biz/marketing/branding/starbucks-racetogether-falls-apart-social-branding-lessons-learned/
“10 Huge
Brands That Committed Suicide.” - http://www.businessinsider.com/10-brands-that-committed-suicide-2013-3#atari-inc-1
Basics of Branding
Branding Your Business
The Definitive Book of Branding
