Consumer Behavior: Brand Personalities - Essay Example

? Consumer Behavior: Brand Personalities Contents Introduction 3 Literature Review 4 Theoretical Background 4 Brand personality in postmodern branding dynamics 5 Analysis of Brand Personalities of Samsung, Nokia and Apple 8 Brand personality of Samsung 8 Brand personality of Nokia 9 Brand Personality of Apple 10 Assessment of whether the brands are reflecting appropriate personalities to attract their target markets 10 Samsung 10 Nokia 11 Apple 12 Recommendation & Conclusion 13 Reference 13 Introduction Brand personality can be described as the collection of human attributes linked with a brand (Aaker 1997). The development of brand personality is the decisive aspect for brand accomplishment as it assists to set apart a particular brand from others, builds up the emotional characteristics of a brand and enhance the individual significance of a brand to the customer. Despite the fact that brand image development is undeniably a grave challenge to brand managers, there has not been much research to assist brand managers in making a choice between different strategies. There are large numbers of researches that have been accentuated on brand personality (Okazaki 2006; Venable & Rose 2003). Nevertheless, the most important focus of these researches has been on the consequences and outcomes of brand personality or on dimension factors. There have not been much studies revolving around how brand personalities are build up as well as how they can be augmented. There are a numbers of constituents that are required during the process of branding, and brand personality is one of the crucial elements. By bestowing a brand with a definite personality, brand managers attempt to differentiate it with brands having identical product characteristics. In the earlier period, researchers have accentuated on finding out how the brand personality is connected to qualities of human beings, or on the building up of brand personality from diverse societies and cultures. With the intention of fortifying the association between an organization and its customers, brand managers across the world have endeavored to build strong brand personalities for their respective brands. Figure1: Attributes of brand personality (Source: Rakocevic, 2011, p.13) The brand attributes of brand personality includes Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness. Literature Review Theoretical Background The conventional observation is that personality traits tend to get connected with a brand by means of the people who stand for it or symbolize it. Examples of such representatives can include a usual consumer of a brand, the organization's human resources or Chief Executive Officer, and the brand’s endorsers. This approach of building brand personality is termed as the direct way, since the personality traits of the individuals related with the brand are transmitted straightforwardly to the brand. It is on the basis of the concept that the traits of human as well as brand personality share comparable conceptualization. On the other hand, Aaker (1997) stated that brand personalities can be developed in diverse ways. Opinions of human personality qualities are deduced on the foundation of a person’s behavior, physical attributes, outlooks and viewpoints in addition to the demographic character (Park 1986). However, opinions of brand personality qualities have a more varied foundation. The personality traits of brands can be shaped by any form of contact that the customer has with the brand be it direct or indirect. This implies that personality traits can be connected with a brand by means of product group associations, product-linked attributes, brand name, sign or logo, promotion approach, price, as well as distribution conduit. Therefore, there are various basis of brand personality. Hence, the vital aspect is how brand managers comprehend and employ the various traits to build up the preferred personalities for their respective brands. Brand personality in postmodern branding dynamics The perceptions related to a product play a crucial function in the present day customers’ choices. In the present day market, commercial products often act upon as communal personality markers, in addition to performing as carriers of serviceable qualities. There are a number of miscellaneous meanings as well as symbols related to products hovering in the market. Hence, customers require specific brand personality to simplify their decision-making in terms of such products and their brand characteristics. As a result, organizations in general and brand managers in particular, are required to make their branding actions similar in temperament with the interests of the consumers. Furthermore, they need a methodical as well as wide spread management for the various aspects of a brand. Brand personality has been formulated and progressively structured upon to accomplish a number of of those requirements in a more planned way. Brand personality is a notion related to branding that elucidates an aspect of branding dynamics which is associated with the unique characteristics of the brand. Brand personality is the heart of contemporary branding dynamics, which accomplishes a comprehensive purpose in the communications amid the customers and the organization as well as the communication within the organization. Brand personality acts as an effectual device for contact between consumer and the organization. It enables a company to recognize brand perceptions of the customers by means of its projection practices with the help of metaphor. Marketing as well as Brand managers can then utilize customers’ opinions to enable their marketing policies to become more accentuated on the needs and requirements of consumers. It also offers a constructive research technique for consumer researches. Alternatively, brand personality acts as a guiding principle across the company for communication related to brand connotation. It assists organizations to communicate their brand meaning to the consumers, which or else would not be simple to recognize and share. Brand personality builds the brand implication comprehensible as well as contemporary by including vigorous, expressive, and practical elucidations for the crucial and conceptual brand identity. The most exclusive and valuable role of brand personality comes from the combination of its aforementioned functions. Consequently, it aids organizations to materialize brand management policies that are oriented to the needs and perceptions of the consumers and the market as a whole. Such a holistic approach is very critical in the branding dynamics of today’s business. Brand Association with Clients The digital uprising has had an immense impact on the rivalry between various brands, the way customers assesses these brands, in addition to providing additional information pertaining to products to the consumers. As a result, it has become all the more crucial for organizations to develop their brand personalities so that the consumers can effectively distinguish their offerings from the rest. Price had been a very crucial aspect of business, on which organizations had been competing with each other. It is a vital component in the process of decision making by the consumers, particularly due to the depressing economic conditions that are prevailing currently. Nevertheless, with the rise in competition amongst the various brands, it has become increasingly complicated for the customers to make out the best offers. Hence, with the rise in competition and change in the perceptions of customers, price has lost its position as the decisive positioning aspect of a brand. It has rather become a more generic parameter in terms of branding a particular product. An organization has to make sure that its offerings stand out as unique and exclusive in the market. Such a perception amongst the consumers would make the product as well as the brand very striking to the target consumers. Nevertheless, brands are hardly ever exclusive in terms of their functionality. Most often the exclusivity of a brand depends on how it is portrayed by the organization and its brand managers in addition to how it is perceived by the customers. Even if organizations come up with unique products with exclusive advantages, it is copied almost immediately by the competing organizations in the market. This had intensified the pressure on the organizations to develop their brand personality in such a manner that they can associate efficiently with a wide base of consumers. As a result, the present day organizations have started concentrating more on the relationships and associations customers have with their brand in addition to the requirement to focus on common values with their target consumers. Previously, organizations had not focused on the association of their brand with the consumers. However, lately it has become increasing imperative for the organization to focus more on this intangible aspect of branding, in comparison to the other tangible aspects such as price or product. The associations are crucial in context of developing appropriate brand personalities and hence organizations are required to express a complete understanding of the values and lifestyles of their customers. This would act as an initial point for the building up of an efficient brand personality in terms of developing a priceless association with the consumers. In order to accomplish such a relationship with its consumers, an organization is required to regard its offerings as primary and the sales of its offerings secondary. Additionally the organization would have to position its service as the integral aspect of the consumers’ experience with its brand. Such an approach is based on cross-strategies and associations build on such strategies would be bonded in such a strong way that it would be difficult for the rival organizations to pull way the customers of the company (DDB Worldwide Communications Group, n.d). Analysis of Brand Personalities of Samsung, Nokia and Apple Brand personality of Samsung Samsung over the years have become the most admired global brand with a unified vision of the company. Among the five brand personality, Samsung follows brand excitement, imaginative, innovative and stylish. Samsung is known for its innovation and stylish design. Samsung is the most imaginative brand and to become the most appreciated brand of the people globally. Samsung carries out a consistent and aggressive branding and aims to grow into one of the premium brand with a commitment to an innovative customer focused segment. Samsung is among the topmost brand in the consumer durable goods especially the mobile segment. Samsung again fulfills the excitement factor with its exciting thinking and this is through contribution towards the sports, academic development and culture through various programs. Samsung poses a huge brand personality and it puts into practice its brand personality in order to attract its customers. Brand personality of Nokia Nokia has been known for its sincerity towards its product, competence, sophistication and of course for its ruggedness. Nokia is a brand which is presumed by the customers a brand which is sincere towards its production and development. Nokia being a topmost brand is presumed to be down to earth, honest towards its customers. At the same time Nokia over the years have introduced a range of smart phones nd has proved to be successful in the category of smart phones. Nokia has been able to introduce as well as bring in to the market attractive product with competitively priced and with differentiation with Windows Phone. Therefore it can be said that Nokia can also be categorised as innovative (Nokia, 2011, p.5). Nokia also follows the brand personality of competence. Nokia is successful and is the most reliable brand in the minds of the customers along with its quality (Majumder, 2010, p.115). It has been noticed that whenever a brand comes to the mind it has to be Nokia if not only Nokia. Nokia has targeted the middle class, as well as the upper class people. The set are very attractive and at the same time its tough which implies that it tends to follow the last attributes of brand personality which is ruggedness. A mobile phone of Nokia is assumed to be tough and stronger. Nokia with its ability to increase its rate of innovation, execution of the new product and launching of the competitive innovative products has proved to be a competitive advantage for the brand. Brand Personality of Apple The brand personality of Apple emphasises on the fact of making the live of people easier and Apple is a company with genuine connection with the customers. Apple brand personality follows the following attributes; it’s stylish, cool, friendly, easy going, intuitive, innovative and casual. Apple products are known for its style and innovation. Innovation is the competitive advantage of Apple and it is through innovation that Apple has been able to capture market share in the mobile phone market. Apple product are friendly they are easy to operate but most of the customers feel that apple products are complicated to operate. Apple is best known for its smart phones and also iPhones. Assessment of whether the brands are reflecting appropriate personalities to attract their target markets Samsung As a part of the excitement brand personality, Samsung is growing along the global enterprise in IT and Electronics. Samsung has established partnership and are cooperating with some of the global leaders in different sectors such as IBM, Sony, Intel, Microsoft and others. Secondly, Samsung seeks cooperation with some of the global premium brand. It is through design that the company has step forward in the process of becoming a global brand. With the introduction of unprecedented premium and developing products with world class designers Samsung delivers experience to its customers, in short products which the customers will be product to own it. Samsung collaborated with Armani, the top fashion designer in order to launch LCD TV and mobile phones. Samsung plans to renew as a widely premium and admired brand by introducing products with innovative concepts and marketing activities with cooperation with the leading global brands. Samsung presents a unique experience with the cutting edge digital products. In order to give customers a good experience with Samsung products, Samsung operates showrooms where the buyers of Samsung can experience, touch and see the products. The outlets of Samsung tend to attract the tourist travelling globally. For the convenience of the travelers, Samsung has installed PDPs and LCD in all the major international airports such as Hong Kong, China, London and others. In addition Samsung has installed mobile phone sculptures in about more than 20 international airports. Samsung promotes it’s on site marketing activities and maintains the brand leadership by becoming the brand that the customer thinks at the mind. With its exciting brand personality, Samsung aims to share a dynamic energy through sporting activities and with emotional experience by conducting cultural events with customers to enhance the global harmony and also the quality of life of its customers. Samsung is an official partner for the Olympics games. With a consistent sponsorship in the Olympics Games, Samsung contributes towards humanity and also promotes sporting events. Apart from Olympics, Samsung is also an active sponsor for local sports. Next factor is innovation, the R&D is critical for Samsung Electronics as it is through innovation that Samsung is moving towards becoming a global leader. Samsung with strategic investment towards its R&D and also with a strong commitment towards the development of creative talent, the company continues to deliver strong and powerful technologies as well as solutions which would provide a competitive advantage to the company in the future (Samsung, n.d). Nokia Nokia has been performing well and with its pleasing brand personality has been able to attack the target customers. The target customers of Nokia belongs to all age groups, both male and females. The slogan of Nokia such as “We call this human technology” “Only Nokia Human technology enables you to get more out of life” and “Connecting people” tends to emphasis the technology created by human and thus conveys a personality of trust among the customers. The ads play an important role towards the contribution of brand personality. Another personalization of Nokia is the designs that it uses and its services and functions. The faceplates that Nokia uses along with the use of various colors can be changed according to the personality, lifestyle and also mood of the customers. The touch pads of Nokia add on to the feeling of closeness and friendliness depicting its brand personality. Nokia has been successful in the process of lending personality for its products without giving any proper names. It’s not only the quality but also the customer relationship that belongs to the image of Nokia. Through its brand personality Nokia has been able to attract its target market and acting responsibly Nokia has been able to improve the risk, reputation, legal compliances, and efficiency such as cost, quality and productivity (Anonym, 2008, p.11). Apple Apples customers have become a part of the family of Apple. As a result mistakes made by apple are easily forgettable by its customers and this is because of the brand personality that Apple has developed over the years. Apple has not only built up a successful image of its brand but at the same time love and trust for its customers. And this is one of the major reason why as to there are huge bookings, advance bookings even before Apple launches a product. The customers trust and love the brand and this is shown from the amount of sales that apple products are sold each year. Apple tends to play with the sensuality of the customers which according to the brand is the right way to attract its target customers (Rakocevic, 2011, p.13). Recommendation & Conclusion Based on the brand personality analysis topmost brands, Samsung, Nokia and Apple, it can be said that among the three brands Nokia needs to reposition its brand and add on few more factors to its brand personality. The customers prefer brands which are stylish and innovative whereas Nokia has not been able to mark its presence in the sector of innovation and style as Samsung and Apple has made. A customers would regard Apple the most innovative and stylish brand following Samsung. Nokia does not come into the picture. Though Nokia has been trying to be innovative, somewhat the customers are not able to link themselves with the brand. And more over with different ranges of price introduced by Samsung, people prefer a brand which would suit their looks, style statement and at the same time affordable. Therefore Nokia should focus more into innovation and stylish features in order to attract the target customers. However it can be concluded that it is important for brands to perceive the brand personality in order to connect to its customers. Apple has done it through adopting the brand personality such as style, innovation, friendly and cool. Similar is the case with Samsung, which has become the most powerful brands over the years and continue to make innovation and attract customers with its stylish looks products. Nokia has also been investing in its R&D and it is suggested to Nokia that it needs to invest and put more focus on the personality of the brand as per the customer’s wants and desires. Reference Aaker, D. A. and Joachimsthaler, E. (2000), Brand Leadership: The Next Level of the Brand Revolution, New York, NY: Free Press. Aaker, J. (1997), Dimensions of Brand Personality, Journal of Marketing Research, 34 (3), 347-356. Anonym. (2008). Nokia Case Study: How Can Nokia Maintain Its Market Position in the Mature European Market? GRIN Verlag. DDB Worldwide Communications Group, (No Date), Brand Personality. Retrieved from http://www.brandchannel.com/images/papers/406_Brand_Personality_final.pdf Majumder, R. (2010). Consumer Behaviour: Insights from Indian Market. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Nokia. (2011). Annual Report 2011. Retrieved from http://i.nokia.com/blob/view/-/1015984/data/3/-/form20-f-11-pdf.pdf. Okazaki, S. (2006), Excitement or sophistication? A preliminary exploration of online brand personality, International Marketing Review, 23 (3), 279-303. Park, B. (1986), A Method for Studying the Development of Impressions of Real People, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 907-17. Rakocevic, I. (2011). Brand Personality. GRIN Verlag. Samsung. (No Date). Brand marketing. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/lv/aboutsamsung/corporateprofile/download/07_SEC_07AR_E_brandmarketing-sponsorship-rd-productgallary-design.pdf Venable, Beverly T., Gregory M. Rose and Faye W. Gilbert (2003), Measuring the brand personality of non-profit organizations, Advances in Consumer Research, 30 (1), 379-380. Read More