A Study On Brand Identity Marketing Essay

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015

Yes, because Microsoft is by far one of the most powerful companies in the world. When we X Box, just by nature we think of the name Microsoft that has now become a household name. There is an essay attached that I had that explains this further

What makes people buy one product or service over another? The answer lies in the persuasive power of marketing communications - advertising, public relations, direct marketing and e marketing - working together to achieve a desired result. To remain viable in today's marketplace, many organizations have integrated their unique corporate culture, values and innovations into their brand identity.

Rather than stand alone as a faceless structure, this new wave of companies imparts personality into their brands. This more personal brand message further distinguishes products and services from those of their competitors. A consumer who feels kinship with an organization's core identity is likely to remain loyal to that organization's products or services -- a loyalty unshaken even by intense competition.

The most persuasive and powerful tool to achieve this is branding. Identity is branding. It is has been around as long as human beings have organized themselves. Countries identify themselves with flags and uniforms. Families use crests. Product branding is found on ancient vases with the symbol of the craftsmen that created them, and cattle in the west were “branded” with the symbol of the ranch.

Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational, and cultural image that you associate with a company or a product. When you think Volvo, you might think safety. When you think Nike, you might think of Michael Jordan or “Just Do It.” When you think IBM, you might think “Big Blue.” The fact that you remember the brand name and have positive associations with that brand makes your product selection easier and enhances the value and satisfaction you get from the product.

Brand identity includes brand names, logos, positioning, brand associations, and brand personality. A good brand name gives a good first impression and evokes positive associations with the brand. A positioning statement tells, in one sentence, what business the company is in, what benefits it provides and why it is better than the competition.

The first thing we recognise when we talk about brands is that they are not just names, terms, symbols, designs or combinations of these, although it is true to say that such things can differentiate certain products and companies from others. The additional ingredient that makes a successful brand is personality. Today's leading brands are personalities in their own right and are well known in all societies and cultures as film heroes, cartoon characters, sports stars or great leaders. For today's business the brand comes in the form of a logo.

The secret to successful branding is to influence the way in which people perceive the company or product, and brands can affect the minds of customers by appealing to those four mind functions, or combinations of them. Some brands appeal to the rational part of a person, to the elements of logic and good sense (the thinking dimension) such as toothpaste, which prevents decay and cholesterol-free foods. Others appeal to the senses of smell, taste, sight and sound such as fashion and cosmetic products.

Some brands attract the emotional part of people appealing to the feelings' dimension to which consumers react with feelings of warmth, affection and belonging. Products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and companies like Benetton with its global village branding exemplify these. Cola or even Pepsi-Cola may win blind taste tests over Coca Cola, the fact are that more people buy Coke than any other cola and, most importantly, they enjoy the experience of buying and drinking Coca Cola.

The fond memories of childhood and refreshment that people have when they drink Coke is often more important than a little bit better cola taste. It is this emotional relationship with brands that make them so powerful.

Then there is the strange phenomenon of intuition. Some companies and products are attractive to people who intuitively feel comfortable with them, because they see these brands as an extension of themselves, a good fit to their personality, lifestyle, aspirations and behaviour --companies like the Body Shop, with its environmental approach.

Brands influence consumer decisions to buy in any of the above ways, or through combinations of them, sometimes with tremendous persuasive appeal. The Marlboro brand personality is a good example of how a company understands and combines the physical and emotional elements that appeal to certain customers who live or would love to live a certain lifestyle.

Products such as gold credit cards, watches or prestige items help people to express themselves to others by demonstrating that they are different and have achieved something. They act as extensions of the personality, so it really is "all in the mind", and the key to brand management and development is a clear understanding of what benefits the customer is looking for.

Ask consumers what comes to mind when they hear the name of a big brand such as BMW or Gucci and they will reply with a list of attributes, which go far beyond the physical tangible aspects of product and delivery, but if there is one word, which brings all these things together in people's mind, it is value. Brand associations are the attributes that customers think of when they hear or see the brand name.

McDonalds television commercials are a series of one brand association after another, starting with the yellow arches in the lower right corner of the screen and following with associations of Big Mac, Ronald Mcdonald, kids, Happy Meal, consistent food quality, etc. Brands are also successful because people prefer them to ordinary products. In addition to the psychological factors already mentioned, brands give consumers the means whereby they can make choices and judgements.

Bases on these experiences, customers can then rely on chosen brands to guarantee standards of quality and service, which reduces the risk of failure in purchase. Today's world is characterised by more complex technology, and this can be extremely confusing to people who are not technology minded. Brands can play an important role here by providing simplicity and reassurance to the uninitiated, offering a quick, clear guide to a variety of competitive products and helping consumers reach better, quicker decisions.

Many brands established in the 1930s are still the top brands today. From Coca-Cola to Colgate, Kellogg's to Kodak, we see many examples of the big brands successfully having defended their number one position in their chosen markets and they, along with other famous names, have become synonymous with their industries. By consistent repetition of the most persuasive selling messages, customers will think of the company and buy from them than a competitor. Branding has been called the most powerful idea in the commercial world