Brand elements
Various types of brand elements
● Brand names
● Logos and symbols
● Characters
● Spokespeople
● Slogans
● Jingles
● Packaging
Brand names
• A brand name can have a significant influence on the perception that consumers have
of a product.
• Consist of one or more words, a combination of letters or just one letter – forms a
unique name that represents the company’s market offering.
• Often captures the main theme or key associations of a product.
Some important considerations:
• The name should make the product recognisable.
• The name should provide a positive, relevant meaning to the brand.
• The name should be difficult to imitate.
• A name which is only a description of the product should be avoided – replaced with a
name that will distinguish the brand.
Can be existing words that describe the function of the product/service.
• Can also be existing words suggestive of a benefit or function that the brand offers.
• Existing works can be used illogically or with no link to their semantic meaning.
• A brand name can be a hybrid – a name formed out of two or more words.
• Some brand brand are classical (i.e. Latin, Greek etc).
• Brand names can be a neologism – new word created especially for the brand.
• Some brand names are formed with a collection of letters that form a
message/description of what the organisation offers (i.e. acronyms).
Logos and symbols
• NB!Visual elements of a brand play a critical role in terms of brand equity and
awareness.
• Logos or symbols range from corporate names or trademarks written in distinctive
form.
• Often trigger a reaction from customers – brand building associations
(positive/negative).
Benefits of using logos
• Logos are versatile, because they are non-verbal often translate well across cultures.
• Logos can be used when the full brand name is difficult to use for any reason.
• Logos can be easily adapted over time to achieve a more contemporary look.
Characters
• This is a shape that takes on human or real-life characteristics.
• Often introduced to consumers in advertisements.
Advantages
• Characters are usually whimsical and amusing.
• The right character could enable a brand to break through a competitive marketplace.
• Characters can be used to communicate key benefits of the brand through their
personality and behaviour.
• If the character has human elements, consumers can relate more readily to the
character = increases likeability and helps position the brand.
• Human elements could also make it easier to consumers to form relationships with the
brand.
• Characters can become a valuable licensing property, resulting in direct revenue as
well as brand exposure.
• Characters that represent the brand rather than a specific product, may be transferred
to new product categories
Spokespeople or brand representatives
• Many brands prefer to use actual human beings/celebrities to promote their brands.
• Mostly common in the beauty and cosmetics industry.
• The main advantage of celebrity endorsers – achieve heightened awareness of a
brand.
• Marketers should determine whether the benefits of using a celebrity endorser will be
the high cost of securing the endorsement = as compared to the of possible negative
publicity
Jingles
• A jingle is defined as a short song, usually mentioning a brand or product benefit, and
if often used in advertisements or commercials.
• Jingles are valuable in enhancing brand awareness, as consumers are likely to
rehearse (mentally) or repeat catchy jingles = increased memorability.
Packaging
• Branding aims to set apart one brand from another in the mind of a consumer =
objective of packaging is to visualise, verbalise, and demonstrate expertise.
• Packaging should be strategically developed to encourage the consume to purchase
the brand – important brand communication vehicle.
Functions:
• Logistics and marketing function
• Communicating value and reinforcing the brand message
• Visual elements
• Informational elements
Criteria for selecting brand elements
As a marketer ask yourself the following?
• Memorability
• Meaningfulness
• Likability
• Transferability
• Adaptability
• Protectability
Memorability • Main purpose of brand equity to achieve hight level of brand awareness.
• Memorable brands are easily recognised.
Meaningfulness • Brand elements can take on any meaning (descriptive or persuasive).
• Creating brand image/positioning is dependant on how brand elements are conveyed.
Likability • Refers to the concept that brand will be more effective if consumers like them
visually/verbally.
• If portrayed as ‘fun’ likely to be more memorable.
Transferability • Refers to the extent to which the brand elements add to the brand equity of new
products.
• Less specific names are usually easier to transfer across brand categories.
Adaptability • Consumer values/opinions change over time – brand elements need to updated.
• Beneficial to use more adaptable and flexible brand elements.
Protectability • Important that brand elements are protected legally and competitively.
• Register brands with legal bodies (CIPRO) to hinder unauthorised competitive
infringements.
Packaging
Group factors affecting consumer decision-making (discuss)
● Opinion leaders (celebrities)
● Reference groups (sport teams or book clubs)
● Culture (product brand)
● Family (countries or regions)
● Individual factors
● Learning ability (learnt behaviour)
● Motivation (needs vs wants)
● Attitude
● Personality
● Perception
● The feel of the brand
● Packaging
Opinion leaders (celebrities)
• Those individuals that consumers look to before making decisions (i.e., celebrities).
• Most people are influenced by individuals who are much closer – in terms of
association to us.
• Typically, any individual that we look to before making a purchase.
Reference groups (sport teams or book clubs)
• Most consumers are influenced by groups of people when making purchase decisions.
• Can include formalised associations (sport teams or book clubs).
• Often, we tend to purchase products/brands that will help us to fit in/gain approval with
the reference group
Culture
• This represents one of the biggest reference groups.
• Our culture influences our purchases by making some products/brands taboo –
acceptable for purchase.
• Can influence the purchase of products from certain countries or regions.
Family
• Our families influence our purchase decisions daily – we purchase items just to please
them.
• Can influence consumer purchase by “forcing” members to buy certain brands = by
providing information about which brands are reliable and have worked in the past.
Individual factors
• The are factors that are internal to the individual who is making the decision.
• Decided on by the individual rather than outside influences.
Learning ability
• We know what products satisfy our needs and which companies align themselves with
our values (learnt behaviour).
• As marketers need to remember that every message sent to potential customers can
teach them (consumers) something about the organisational products or business.
Motivation
• Most people have certain needs (needs vs wants).
• Marketers must attempt to stimulate consumers’ needs ~ motivated to purchase our
products.
Attitude
• As consumers we have developed attitudes towards products and brands which are
stable and difficult to change (based on learnt behaviour).
• Marketers use positioning to encourage positive attitudes towards their brands.
Personality
• This is regarded as the way in which we react to the events, influences and variables
that we encounter daily.
• Marketers use market segmentation to identify certain personality types amongst
consumers – then design brands and marketing communication to appeal to those
personalities.
Perception
• Describes the way in which individuals ‘perceive’ (experience and understand) the
world around them based on their physical senses (i.e., sight, sound, smell, taste and
touch).
• Perception is the link between the consumer and the brand = packaging. Perception is
the process by which people select, organise, and interpret information to form a
meaningful picture of the world, through the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch
and taste
The feel of the brand
• Branding is not just something that occurs on a package, but sometimes the package
is the brand.
• It allows consumers not only to see the brand but also to feel it.
Packaging
• Packaging is the material that is used to wrap goods.
• Packaging is about wrapping goods for protection during distribution (marketing
perspective).
• Packaging performs a variety of functions.
Packaging (discuss and example)
1. Protection: Packaging forms the outer layer that protects the product from
damage
2. Containment: Packaging is used to ‘contain’ all the individual products
3. Size and quantity management: Packaging can be used to manage the specific
quantities/size that a consumer purchases
4. Information: Packaging is used to convey information about the
product/organisation and other products to the consumer
5. Distribution: Well-designed packaging is easy to transport and easy to store
6. Marketing: Packaging can be an important marketing tool that differentiates one
product from its competitors
Types of packaging (summarize and practical example)
1. Individual packaging
2. Family packaging
3. Speciality packaging
4. Reusable packaging
5. Multiple packaging
6. Kaleidoscopic packaging
BRAND POSITIONING
What is brand positioning?
• Entails the act of positioning the brand image in such a way that it inhabits a specific,
valuable place in the minds of consumers that are targeted.
• Positioning clarifies a brand’s – essence, unique characteristics, similarities to
competitors’ products and reasons consumers should use the brand.
• NB! For marketers to identify a target market on which to focus and nature of their
competitors.
• Also be able to identify similarities and differences.
Reasons for positioning a brand
• Positioning is a key marketing concept based on the principle that all choice are
comparative.
• A consumer makes a choice when selecting a brand.
• The brand elements and brand identity express the brand characteristics – positioning
is competitive.
• Positioning influences the choices consumers make in terms of purchasing.
Identifying and establishing brand position
• Marketing managers need to manage their brands in order to increase the company’s
market share in order to gain a prestige position amongst competitors.
Target market
• Important to define and segment a market – allows a target market to be chosen.
• Behavioural, demographic, psychographic and geographic segmentation. Defining the
competitors
• Conduct a competitive analysis to be able to identify which target market will be the
most profitable
Identifying and establishing brand position Similarity to competitor brands
• Important to examine the similarity of their (own) offerings in relation to competitors –
specific characteristics. Difference to competitor brands
• Attributes that consumers strongly associate with a particular brand compared to a
competing brand.
The positioning process (Describe)
Step 1: Establish the competitive context in the consumers’ minds
Step 2: Identify the key differentiating factor
Step 3: Demonstrate the brand difference to the consumer
Step 4: Select an appropriate positioning method
Step 5: Communicate the position to the consumer
Guidelines for positioning a brand
• Marketers must consider how to define and communicate the competitive frame of
reference.
1. Defining and communicating the competitive frame of reference
2. Points of similarity and difference
3. Further guidelines for successful positioning
Further guidelines for successful positioning
Guidelines for positioning a brand (aid example and describe)
The following criteria can be conducted when positioning a brand:
• Relevance
• Distinctiveness
• Coherence
• Commitment
• Durability
• Clarity
