BRANDING: AN INDISPENSABLE STRATEGY FOR PRODUCT
MARKETING
1
Ela Kumari,
L.N.Mishra College of Business Management, Bhagwanpur Chowk, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India – 842 001.
2
Gauhar Fatma
L.N.Mishra College of Business Management, Bhagwanpur Chowk, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India – 842 001.
ABSTRACT
This research paper focuses on the role of branding in marketing. In this paper we have
tried to throw light on how the brands have become a style statement in today’s era and what are
the factors which are responsible for the success of brand and for the failure of brands. We
found problem that exists is what we can describe as the marketing meltdown. Not only is the
product universe expanding while the consumer universe is shrinking, products and services also
become more and more interchangeable. The result of this is that price often becomes the
decisive factor in purchasing decisions. A further aspect behind the marketing meltdown is the
information overload. Consumers are flooded daily with such a high quality of information that
they can digest only a very small amount of it. This information overload is one basic reason
branding is becoming more important and other prominent problem is that consumers now have
more choices so unless a brand is very prominent in its features and positioning there are less
chances of acceptance from the customers. We have discussed this topic in detail by conducting
a survey covering customer’s perception about brand, brand attributes and brand extensions.
Products, branding, brand extensions, customers
LITERATURE REVIEW
Branding and the role of brands, as traditionally understood, were subject to constant
review and redefinition. A traditional definition of a brand was: “the name, associated with one
or more items in the product line that is used to identify the source of character of the item”
(Kotler 2000, p. 396). The American Marketing Association (AMA) definition of a brand is “a
name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and
services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors” (p. 404). Within this view, as Keller (2003a) says, “technically speaking, then, whenever a marketer
creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand” (p. 3). He
recognizes, however, that brands today are much more than that. As can be seen, according to
these definitions brands had a simple and clear function as identifiers.
Brands were just another step in the whole process of marketing to sell products. “For a
long time, the brand has been treated in an off-hand fashion as a part of the product” (Urd e
1999, p. 119). Kotler (2000) mentions branding as “a major issue in product strategy” (p.404).
As the brand was only part of the product, the communication strategy worked towards exposing
the brand and creating brand image. Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) mention that within the
traditional branding model the goal was to build brand image, a tactical element that drives
short-term results. Caperer (1997) mentioned that “the brand is a sign -therefore external- whose
function is to disclose the hidden qualities of the product which are inaccessible to contact” (p.
28). The brand served to identify a product and to distinguish it from the competition.
INTRODUCTION
We are living in an age of brands and all the modern thinkers of this age opine that the
customer is king. Among all the crucial job of marketing is the job of creating and retaining a
customer and no doubt the best way of creating and retaining customer is by building strong
Brand = Product + Images
This equation clearly conveys that product related image will always be an important part
of brand. When consumer purchases a product they are also purchasing its image. Positive brand
image increases the value of the brand. A brand is much more than the mere products it stands
for. When a product carries a special attributes of the notional images then it becomes brand.
When we think of a brand we not only think of the physical product but we also associate it with
the images it conjures, for e.g.
1. Fair & Lovely = Fairness cream promises fair and lovely skin
2. Goodnight = Mosquito repellant offers good night’s sleep
Branding has an interesting history of its own. The Norse meaning of the word brand is
„to burn‟. The story goes back to the cowboy days in USA the cowboys would go to ranches and
leave their cattle for grazing. Often the cowboys were engaged in gaming and by the evening
when the cattle came back from the ranches they were unable to identify their own and others so
there was an invention in which a hot iron bar with a typical mark was put behind each of the
cattle and subsequently they were able to identify their own cattle. Hence idea of brand as „to
burn‟ is derived from wild cowboy practices so brands essentially do identification function. A
brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of these that identify the maker
or seller of a product or service from that of others. Branding is the process by which companies
distinguish their product or offerings from competitors. Marketers develop their products into
brands which help to create a unique position in the minds of customers. A brand is created by
developing a distinctive name, packaging and design, and arousing customer expectations about
the offering. Branding helps buyers in many ways. Brand name helps consumers identify
products easily and buyers who always buy the same brand are very much assured that they will
get the same features, benefits, and quality each time they buy. It eliminates imitation products ,it
helps to create and sustain brand loyalty to particular products.it helps in price differentiation of
products The intensive brand promotion undertaken by marketers of various products have made
specifically asks for Colgate or Close-Up. No woman asks for bath soap, she wants her brand.
Brand name is the mantle the products put on. A good brand is an invaluable asset for the owner.
In marketing brand name is a major selling tool and one of the most important components of the
„total product personality‟. Branding is a major problem in product strategy. Perhaps the most
distinctive skill of a professional marketer is their ability to create, maintain, protects and
enhance brands.
PERCEPTION
Perception is the way that individuals select, organize, and interpret data to create a
meaning for themselves.it is a cognitive process. Customers usually view goods based on their
perception since they do not buy the goods all the time after giving a thought. Thus, a brand can
be seen as a prejudice (Arnold, 1992 referred to in Natalie Ann Ryan, 2002). Consumers initially
have feelings towards a brand before they even consume it (Butte and Burton 2002 referred to in
Natalie Ann Ryan, 2002). The perception of the brand image is very important, since consumers
analyze the personality of a brand, and then creates meaning out of the brand message (D. Aaker
and A. Biel, 1993 referred to in Natalie Ann Ryan, 2002). To perceive quality of the brand,
consumers often look at price (Upshaw, 1995 referred to in Natalie Ann Ryan, 2002).
In general, consumers want brands that offer them high quality at a reasonable price. A
firm‟s way of sales promotion can have either a positive or a negative influence on the consumer‟s perception of the brand‟s quality. It also has an impact on the brand images (Usunier,
1993 and 1994). For example, a firm that always has price promotions can let a consumer to
perceive the low quality. Conversely, if consumers see special offers from a brand once in a
while, they will feel more rewarded for being a customer. By advertising this way, the firm can
keep the consumer‟s perception of quality that they have for the brand, while also keeping a
positive image of the brand in the consumers mind (Aaker and Biel, 1993). It is important that a
brands identity matches the consumer‟s image of the brand because this determines whether a
brand will gain the trust of consumers, and whether the brand will succeed or not (Temporal and
BRAND ATTITUDES
Evaluating the brand with respect to its perceived ability to meet currently relevant needs.
Relevant brand needs may be negatively oriented( problem removal, problem avoidance,
incomplete satisfaction, normal depletion) or positively oriented( sensory gratification,
intellectual stimulation or social approval).household cleaning products often use problem
solution-food products on the other hand often use sensory oriented ads emphasizing apatite
appeal.
The Overall evaluations of the brand in terms of its quality and the satisfaction it generate
will create attitudes for the brands. The brand attitude will tell what people think about a product
or service, whether the product answers a consumer need, and just how much the product is
wanted by the consumer. Knowledge of brand attitude is very helpful in planning an advertising
campaign. The paper defines attitude as the internal evaluation of an object, a stronger brand
attitude would not only lead to buying a specific product but the willingness to pay a premium
price for that.
BRAND EXTENSION
To keep a brand fresh amidst all the competition, many companies release new products
under the same brand name called brand extension. With the cost of introducing an entirely new
brand often being prohibitively high, brand extensions represent a strategic tool marketing
manager use to exploit that asset. Another way to keep the brand distinct in today‟s fierce
competition is to change the brand‟s identity as a whole for example a very well known brand
changed its name from Apple Computers to „Apple‟ „when it started making other products
besides computers.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A total of 30 individuals (15 male and 15 female) participated in this research. We
conducted our research in the age group 18-25 and we noticed responses from the customers as
detailed below:-
i. When asked about the type of product
40% said that they use branded products
60% said they prefer unbranded products
ii. When asked about the important factors for preferring one product over the other
60% said they prefer product on the basis of price
30% said they prefer product on the basis of quality and features
10% said they prefer product on the basis of social factors
iii. When asked the respondent to explain their attitude toward an unbranded hand wash.
36.6% said it was useful most of the time, and another 30% said it was very useful
40% said it was necessary most of the time
46, 7% said it was not at all symbolic
43.3% said it was a little valuable
iv. When asked the respondent to then explain the attitude towards the “Dettol” hand wash.
36.7% said it was useful most of the time, and another 33.3% said it was very useful
40% said it was necessary most of the time
46.7% said it was a little symbolic
43.3% said it was a little valuable
Result:- The results for the unbranded hand wash and the branded “Dettol” hand wash are quite different. This is because hand wash as itself is a utilitarian product, meaning it has a
branded, it tends to take on a more symbolic nature and less of a utilitarian nature. While both
hand wash were seen as useful and necessary, the respondents said that the unbranded hand wash
was mostly not symbolic and not valuable, while the branded “Dettol” hand wash was said to be be more symbolic and valuable than the unbranded one.
Questionnaire No. 2 (Product – Detergent Powder)
i. When asked respondents their familiarity with the laundry detergent brand, “Tide”.
100% are familiar with the laundry detergent brand, “Tide”
16.7% think of Tide as more than just a laundry detergent
ii. When asked respondents respondent‟s thoughts on the brand extension of “Tide” laundry detergent to Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover.
90% completely agree that Tide To Go fits well with the characteristics of “Tide” laundry detergent
86.7% completely agree that Tide To Go has many similar qualities as “Tide” Laundry detergent
100% completely agree that it makes sense for Tide laundry detergent to create Tide To Go
93.3% completely agree that Tide To Go will benefit from “Tide” laundry detergent
93.3% completely agree that Tide To Go is associated with the existing products of “Tide” laundry detergent
100% completely agree that it was a smart move for “Tide” laundry detergent to create Tide To Go.
Result:- These results indicate that the majority of respondents think Tide To Go fits
well with “Tide” laundry detergent. The most successful branding extension occurs when the new product “fits” with the consumer‟s attitudes about the parent brand. Therefore, because a
stain remover pin fits into the same category as laundry detergent, it is likely that Tide To Go
CONCLUSION
When consumers believe that a brand is credible, they repeatedly purchase the brand, and
develop a commitment to the brand. So branding is an ongoing process of monitoring brand
perception to ensure that a brand is always meeting consumer expectations and evolving with
consumers‟ changing needs. The challenge for marketers in building a strong brand is ensuring
that customers have the right type of experiences with products and services and their
accompanying marketing programs so that the desired thoughts, feelings, images, beliefs,
perceptions, opinions, and so on become linked to the brand image. With the changing world
consumers have now also become more individualized and in order to succeed, brand must
realize that. Whichever way you look at, brands today are the most demonstrably powerful and
sustainable wealth creator in the world. Brands have a powerful way of endurance. The best of
them stay in the consumers‟ mind space for generations.
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