Lecture 2: Branding & identity Flashcards
The boundaries of branding as a commercial activity have changed dramatically over time. Some of the elements influencing these trends include:
- Historical and cultural events
- Political contexts
- Economical and financial conditions (e.g. rising vs depression)
Branding in the 19th century
Industrial Revolution = mass production
Most products are just products (e.g. the one toothpaste, the one type of cookies made by the local baker…)
Branding becomes a tool to:
- Inform the consumer that a product exists
- Guarantee a certain degree of quality
Branding in the 20th century
Two world wars + aftermath: from poverty and lack of resources to a new economic growth
Massive technological innovation, but expensive goods
Monopolies, seller’s market
Branding is instrumental:
- It informs consumers of where a product comes from, or how it is made. Focus is on the product and its characteristics
Branding in the 1960s/1970s
In these two decades we see both an economic boom (1960s) and the first global oil crisis (1970s)
This abundance of goods on the market makes it more of a buyer’s market ->
products are available at different price points
Branding is part of marketing:
- can be helpful to establish product ranges
Marketing segmentation also emerges as a practice around this time
Branding in the 1970s/1980s
Over-saturation of the market = there are more products than people wanting to buy them
Brands are less indicative of product quality, more indicative of the company image
Trends in branding go in two opposite directions:
- Focus on consumers’ perceptions of brand image
- Decision-making based on what maximized the value of the brand (brand equity)
Branding in the 1990s and 2000s
Early/mid signs of globalization outsourcing, cheaper goods from abroad, broader markets
Megabrands (e.g. P&G, PepsiCo) emerge, opting for different branding options. Services also becomes an important part of branding
The internet
Branding follows two trends
- Identity based branding
- Combination of outside-in perspective (image) and inside-out perspective (employees + competence)
Branding in 2010 to now
Economic crisis (2010-2012) + a pandemic + climate change
Broader consumer awareness + easy control over claims
Wider expectation from brand
Other influences over time in branding?
1954-1957:
- USA after the war
- Baby Boom
- TVs are no longer a luxury, but they are in Black and White
1960s:
- Certain competitor launches a children-targeted campaign featuring a famous clown character
Early 2000s:
- After one last attempt at relaunching the king that is heavily rejected by the Internet, company is consulted to go for a modern food-centric approach
2020 and onward:
- Y2K trend and nostalgia marketing
Brand identity - Buurman et al. 2017
What are symbolic values?
Consumers (but more broadly stakeholders) of a certain organization attribute a value to its brand because it defines a degree of belonging based on the creation of a common ground of understanding
Explain the identity theory of Erikson
Identity results from a psychological development process
Psychological + social mechanisms = crisis!
From the management of a crisis -> identity
Solution to crisis remain with an individual and define their entire life
Explain the identity theory Interactionism
I = individual characterisitcs of a person
Me = image of a person has of themselves through interactions with others
In most cases there is no congruence between I and Me; identity forms by adjusting self-perception to social perception
Explain the identity theory Patchwork identity
From a temporal point of view: identity is not a linear process, but rather an adjustment of experience to the existing identity concept
From a content point of view: Individuals cover different roles in society, and have to coordinate partial identities which constitute a person’s overall identity
What is the defintion of Brand (Meffert & Buurman, 1996)?
a bundle of functional and non-functional benefits which, from the target group’s point of view, differentiate the brand from competing offers in a sustainable way
What is the difference between brand identity and brand image?
Brand identity = all characteristics which define the brand, according to internal target groups (= those who define the organization from the inside)
Brand image = identity of the organization as established by all of its audiences, over time
What are the determinants of Brand identity?
Vision (where are we going?) -> Personality (how are we communicating?)
Origin (where do we come from?) -> Competences (what are we capable of?)
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Personality + Competences + Values (what do we believe in?)= Offer (What are we marketing?)
What is brand promise?
all benefits relevant to the purchase that are offered to the target group
What is brand behavior?
products and services offered within a brand + advertisement
what are brand needs?
what consumers expect from the brand
what is brand experience?
interactions between consumers and brands at different touch points
What is brand origin?
refers to where the brand comes from, and often hints at the history of the brand
What are the 3 different kinds of Brand origin?
- Geographical origin = what country does the brand originate from? (Can be actual or perceived)
- Company origin = who were the founders and what were their values?
- Industrial origin = what industry did the brand start operating in?
What is Brand vision?
Forward-looking, i.e. what are the objectives of a brand (brand targets) and how is the brand going to achieve them?
If well formulated, includes guidelines for employees to identify competences essential to the fulfilment of the vision
What are Brand competences?
What is a brand capable of? What can its employees do?
Often expressed into how much more consumers are willing to pay compared to other brands
What are Brand values?
What does the brand believe in?
Delivers to consumers non-functional benefits, such as the perceptions of a company as authentic and consistent
