New trigger we have this time is brand identity and image. Here is our objectives of the topic:
1. How to build strong brand identity?
- Different between brand identity and brand image
- How to manage the brand identity?
- The most important elements of branding
3. How to follow your brand image and how to keep it consistent?
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1. Building strong brand identity
1.1 Difference between brand identity and brand image
| Brand identity | Brand image | |
| Who? | Generated by the company | Perceived by consumer |
| Symbolise | Firm's reality | Perception of consumers |
| Meaning | Firm's desire | Others' point of view |
| Function | Active | Passive |
| Expectation | Where you want to be | What you really get |
| Result | Firm's promise | Real experience |
| Status | Internal | External |
The strong brand is built on trust. The figure above shows the distance between brand identity and brand image where the more overlapped the two circles have, the more goal has reached. To bridge the gap between the brand identity and brand image, it is necessary to align promises with practical performance a company can bring to its clients.
Source:
- Brand Identity vs Brand Management, MSG Management Study Guide, http://www.managementstudyguide.com/identity-vs-image.htm
- What's The Different Between Brand Image And Brand Identity, Small City Branding Around The World 2012, http://citybranding.typepad.com/city-branding/2012/03/whats-the-difference-between-brand-image-and-brand-identity.html
- Figure 1, Organisations need to rethink organisational structures, Markusrach 2013 http://markusrach.com/tag/branding/
1.2 How to manage the brand identity?
David A. Aaker, a marketing professor at the University of California, author of Building Strong Brands, mentions that there is a need of specific strategy to manage brand identity. He states four perspective to build a strong brand which are a product, an organisation, a person, and a symbol.
The brand-as-product provides functional benefits and probably emotional benefits for customers. Sometimes it is beneficial by creating extra features, extra services or offering something better to customer.
The brand-as-organization is more focusing on organisation, not product nor service "such organisational attributes as innovation, a drive for quality and concern for the environment are created by the people, culture, values and programs of the company".
The brand-as-person means that a brand can be perceives as having a unique personality. This is a more interesting perspective than product attributes. It helps create stronger brands by becoming a vehicle for customers to express their own personalities, form as basic relationship between customers and the brand, and help communicate product attributes.
The brand-as-symbol provides structure to identity and make it easier to gain recognition and recall. It reflects the potential power by three types of symbols: visual imagery, metaphors, and the brand heritage.
Brand management can be also conducted as following process:
- Identify the most important customers
- Understanding customers as what is motivated them and why they choose one brand over many others
- Select a brand position that could bring advantages and translate it to consistent brand identity with intuitive brand architecture, strong name and icon, tagline and reinforces brand promises.
- Develop brand message include elevator speech
- Educate employees about brand knowledge
- Develop an integrated launch and ongoing market plan
- Reinforce brand promise and measure the ongoing equity of the brand to make adjustment if needed (Derrick Daye, 2012)
Sources:
- David A. Aaker, Building Strong Brands 1996
- Derrick Daye, Brand Management: Process and Responsibilities 2012, http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2012/01/brand-management-process-and-responsibilities.html#.Vf_enrRBX6Y
1.3 The most important elements of branding
There are different sources and analyses of brand elements which are all relevant to built a reliable and recognised brand.
The book Living the brand written by Nicholas Ind emphasised brands are about people. There are six key principles are mentioned which is indispensable to have.
1. Align with business objectives
2. Generate high levels of participation
3. Demonstrate leadership commitment over time
4. Develop a brand definition that is engaging
5. Promote a supportive culture and the tools to enable self discovery
6. Measure things that matter
There are other key elements to be considered:
Brand Position: describes what your organisation does, what your unique value is and how a customer benefits from
Brand Promise: things that the organisation promises to deliver to customers. We can consider what customers, employees, and partners should expect from every interaction
Brand Personality: illustrates what the organisation wants its brand to be known for
Brand Story: illustrates the organisation's history, along with how the history adds value and credibility to the brand. It also usually includes a summary of your products or services.
Brand Associations: company's name, logo, colors, taglines, fonts, imagery, etc. The brand associations must reflect brand promise, brand traits, and support the brand positioning statement (Successful Branding)
Consistent in any activities: consistent actions, consistent messages, consistent results, consistent target market (Tito Philips, JNR.)
Source:
- Nicholas Ind, Living the brand 2001
- Successful Branding, Go-to-market Strategies, http://www.gtms-inc.com/Successful-Branding-5-Key-Elements-and-1-Mantra_ep_141.html
- Tito Philips, JNR., 4 Elements of Effective Branding, naijapreneur website http://www.naijapreneur.com/4-elements-of-branding/
2. Reason for rebranding
This list could be reasons for changing the current brand:
- Mergers, acquisitions and demergers
- Repositioning
- Internationalisation
- Changing markets
- Bad reputation
- Conflict with stakeholders
- New CEO
- Outdated image
- Change brand portfolio
- Further development or corporate identity
Top four reasons of rebranding could be:
Figure. four reasons of rebranding
Case study:
YAHOO: 30 days of Yahoo rebranding in 2013 has failed to renew the brand image. It was caused concern from audience for some times but there was no memory of it after a while. One of the reasons was probably that they made a big announcement within a certain time but it was disappointed when the new logo unveiled because it was not as good as people had expected.
Figure 1. Yahoo logos rebranding by years
NIKE: First found in 1964 under name Blue Ribbon Sports. It was planned after that to be changed to Dimension 6 but then it was become Nike instead in 1971, name as a Greek goddess of victory. This change was a result of demerger.
Figure 2. Nike logo
Source:
Wendy Bolhuis, The Top Ten Reasons for Rebranding 2014, http://www.vim-group.com/en/top-ten-reasons-rebranding/
Figure 1. Brand Vietnam, http://www.brandsvietnam.com/6783-Logo-cac-hang-cong-nghe-lon-da-thay-doi-nhu-the-nao
Figure 2. Nike website, http://news.nike.com/news/nike-media-resources
3. Keep the brand consistent
1 Scrutinise the brand
Check over time if the brand is perceived highlight issues that company has expected
Conduct marketing review by getting feedback from clients, understanding their expectations to easily meet them. Also learn new ideas from employees and get their opinions of the company
Adapt with changes and make proper decision
2 Appearance
All consistency in fonts, logos, colo palettes, image, service names and descriptions
Create trust and recognition of brand to show reliability whenever people see the company on emails, adverts, newspapers, brochures, etc.
3 Messaging
Convey the messages that the company expects customers to know.
Brand needs to achieve trust, engagement, recognition
Communicate better with customers by diverse channels and learn their demands in products
Create good impression to customers which help in to increase competitive advantage.
Source:
- Daryl Willcox, HOW TO: Keep your brand consistent, B2B Marketing website, http://www.b2bmarketing.net/knowledgebank/branding/best-practice/how-keep-your-brand-consistent
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