Coke, Budweiser and Nike - How Brands Become Icons - Literature review Example

How Brands Become Icons Introduction Branding is one of the key strategies often employed by businesses to capture the attention of consumers. Consequently, brands are all over and thus, they have become a familiar part of many people’s lives. But as Lury (2011, p.150) points out, some brands present something more than a product or a service to the consumers in that they tap into a collective desire or anxiety of a society and as a result, they develop a unique status which leads to functional benefits to a business. According to Holt (2004, p. 3), these brands develop identity myths which address the created desires or anxieties. Further, they challenge people to adopt certain generally accepted ways of thinking and behaviour. Over time, these brands eventually become imbued in people’s consciousness and cultural practices. When this happens, all people, both individually and collectively, wish to associate with the identity of these brands and thus, they gain superiority over other related brands from other sellers. In other words, such a brand becomes cultural brand or an icon in a society. Hence the ‘how brands become icons’ concept which is well brought out in the theory of cultural branding by Douglas B. Holt refers to a thorough enquiry into the process in which a cultural brand is created (Holt 2004, p. 3). According to Holt (2004, p. 4), it usually takes a lot of time and resources for a product to attain iconic status and this explains the fact that this status is enjoyed by relatively few brands. In view of this, this discussion seeks to examine the process through which brands become icons. To enhance better understanding of the concept, this paper illustrates the aforementioned process by looking at how Coke, a brand of Coca-Cola Company developed to become a long time cultural brand. How a brand becomes an icon To clearly understand how brands become icons, it is vital to first gain an insight into the conceptual meaning of the term ‘brand’. Usually, the term brand is understood to refer to the subject or the markers related to the subject of sale (a product or a service). However, as Middleton (2010 p.3) notes, that the term brand is not just a good or service. Actually, it means much more than that. Also, it does not just denote the logo that is associated with a good or service. According to Middleton (2010, p.4), brand is about meaning. Precisely, a brand has to do with everything that customers and prospective customers think, say, feel, read, hear, watch, imagine and hope about a product, a service or an organization. Further, Holt (2004, p. 3), who holds a similar view, argues that the term ‘brand’ is formed when brand markers are filled with customer experiences. Formation of a brand is a process which involves advertisements, events or films which use a product or a service. In the end, people learn and talk about the product or service in conversations. Sometimes, a story emerges which wins consensus in the understanding and ideas about a brand. As Holt (2004, p. 4) points out, it reaches a point to which people value the brand “as much for what they symbolize as for what they do.” In other words, at that point, the brand becomes embedded in a people’s culture and consciousness (Tilde & Bjerre, 2009, p. 216). Notably, some brands which have attained this status such as Coke, Budweiser and Nike are imbued with stories that customers “value for their identity value.” Often, the consumers find these stories valuable in constructing their own identities and thus, they use the associated brands as objects of self-expression. In other words, these brands help consumers to express themselves and how they want to be especially because they embody ideas that these consumers admire. According to (Holt, p. 4, 2004), such brands eventually “become consensus expressions of particular values held dear by some members of the society.” Holt (p. 4, 2004) further points out that studies indicate that consumer “desires and anxiety linked to the identity are widely shared across a wide fraction of a nation’s citizen.” The reason for similarity is because individuals construct their identities in response to the same historical changes that influence them collectively as a society. To attain this unique status, most of these brands are supported by the power of the media usually through advertisements. These brands tap into a collective desire or anxiety in a society. In particular, they develop myths that address the collective desires and anxieties within a society. As Cayla and Arnould (2008, p. 93) further explain, brands create imaginary worlds which offer escape from every day life. As Holt puts it, “Identity myths are useful fabrications that stitch back together otherwise damaging tears in the cultural fabric of the nation. In their every day lives, people experience these tears as personal anxieties. Myths smooth over these tensions helping people create purpose in their lives and cement their desired identity in place when it is under stress.” A good example is the famous Coca-Cola ad from 1971 “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” This ad voiced a desire to overcome deep divisions that existed in American society which were created by the Vietnam War (Shmoop, 2010 p. 7). Over time, consumers learn that the myth exists in the markers of a product or service such as, name, logo and design elements. Eventually, the brand becomes a symbol and part of the myth. When consumers use the product, they feel that they are experiencing a bit of the myth. They use the brand as a means of addressing their identity burdens addressed in the myth. They forge strong emotional connections with the brand. In other words, to such consumers, the product or service becomes a cultural brand. This is how a brand becomes an icon. How Coke developed to become an icon Coke is a carbonated soft drink produced by the Coca-Cola Company. This product was first introduced in United States in 1866 and later spread to more than 200 nations through a franchising model (Ohmann, 1996, p. 8). Coca-Cola, (or Coke, as it is commonly referred to) has been an undisputed long-time leader in the soft-drink industry in the United States, so much that a consumer in a restaurant who wants a cola drink is programmed to ask for a Coke, in preference to other brands from the same industry. This explains why Coke is considered to be an icon. According to Holt (200, p. 22), Coke developed extraordinary emotional attachments with its customers early from the 1950s to the 1980s. Initially, Coke used to be advertised as a brand that could cure hangovers, a stimulant for the brain for “brain workers” and as a nerve tonic (Holt 2004, p. 21). Though these tactics had significant impact on the sales of Coke, they did not lift the brand to a status it was later to attain during and after the Second World War. According to Holt, during the war, 64 of Coca-Cola Company bottling plants used to supply more than five million bottles of Coke to the military troops on the front line who used the brand as part of their celebrations for their successful efforts. According to Holt (2004, p. 22), “American troops would treat the scarce bottles of Coke with religious zeal, drinking with a ritual confirmation of their national pride.” Generally, they perceived Coke as a source of courage, heroism and a source of energy for American soldiers. As a part of the results, Coke became associated with United State’s spirit of “can do” attitude. Remarkably, many consumers of Coke during that period formed emotional bonds with the brand. Holt asserts that the formation of emotive relationships with the brand was spurred by identity myths that were associated with Coke and which had been communicated to consumers through publicity and advertisements. Immediately after the war, Coca-Cola followed a global trend of simplified art and culture while marketing its brand (Eldred, 2008, p. 21). Coke ads put in form of posters became very simple, understandable and accessible to people and were also very bright and appealing. In the 1950s, Coca-Cola took to the media (radios and television) to continue spreading its brand imagery. To achieve its target, Coca-Cola commonly made use of ad campaigns and long-term slogans such as “It's the Real Thing," ‘Things go better with Coca-Cola', 'Life Tastes Good' and ‘A taste of America’. Like the American flag, Coke became a symbol of what Americans were fighting to achieve after the war. When a service man took Coke, they saw it as a drink which was linked with the happier days before the Second World War and as a perfect example of the society that Americans were trying to propagate and preserve (Cox, 2008, p. 117) According to Holt (2004, p. 23) after the war, there emerged myths which led to functional benefits to Coca-Cola: “A country willing to sacrifice its sons and daughters to save the world for democracy, a country with a unique industrious spirit able to outpace the axis powers in building war machinery, and a country with the tenacious ingenuity to out-science the enemy in the race to the atomic age”. As they took Coke, consumers could identify with collective feelings of national solidarity embraced by America after the war. As a result, consumers of Coke in United States formed an emotional bond with the drink which continued through to 1980s. Holt further explains that the formation of bonds was basically due to the identity myth that had been put forward in association with Coke. In addition, during the post war period, American government together with large companies sponsored introduction of new living space, between the crowded urban version and the rural small towns in America. Coca-Cola played a very significant part in the formation of this suburban life. According to Dahlén et al (2009, p. 269) this clearly coincided with the changes that Americans wanted. After the war, it was apparent that Americans generally expected stable employment opportunities to emerge brought about by a pumped up economy. Based on this huge leverage, Coca-Cola was able to build its brand and to become an indisputable leader of global branding for the re-born world. According to Wasko (2011), in early 1950s, Coca-Cola joined The Movement for the Rights of African Americans and featured them in its ads such as Olympic Champions and Harlem Globetrotters. In 1955, Coca-Cola featured the first African American lady, Mary Alexander, a student from Clark University in its ads. This was contrary to the social standards held by Americans then. By daring to take this step, Coca-Cola communicated a very clear message to American society that it is “accessible to every one in spite of their skin colour and social status” (Holt 2004, p. 23). This implied that Coca-Cola was eager to connect and reach to all people in America, which meant that it was about time that America had to stop humiliating fellow Americans and treating them with prejudice. That way, Coca-Cola won more support especially from Americans who felt that the ad had addressed their daily problems. Again in 1963, Coke put up a multifaceted campaign through different media such as radio, TV and print media with a famous slogan “Things Go Better with Coke.” This campaign was a corroborative campaign with sport celebrities and American singers who were famous at the time such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Jan and Dean and The Coasters. Together, they performed the Coke jingles using their own style. This song gained an overwhelming support with a lot of audiences requesting that it be played again after debut in the radio or TV in the media (Sparke, 2004, P. 205). It demonstrated that coke was a solution to the many recurrent problems that people encounter everyday such as stress and boredom. Significantly, this ad lifted Coke further and helped the brand to maintain superiority. According to Holt (200, p. 23), things did not go very well with Coca-Cola in the late 1960s. American culture was highly shaken by unrests following the Vietnam War, civil strife and the problems that were created by the middle class who lived in the suburban life that was supported and partly sponsored by Coke. These events negatively affected the popularity of Coke in United States. As Brown and Patterson (2000, p. 133) explain, when cultural disruptions occur, iconic brands face a threat of fading in relevance unless they re-invent their myth. This makes emotional branding different from cultural differences and this is what makes a brand iconic. Further, according to Holt (2004, p. 23), these scenario clearly demonstrated the unique properties of iconic brands. As noted earlier, these brands derive their value from how well the myths they represent respond to tensions in a societal culture. Holt explains that “when there are tumultuous cultural shifts, the brand’s myth loses steam.” These shifts are also known as cultural disruptions. When this happens, cultural brands have to reinvent themselves, failure to which they fade in relevance. Hence, Coca-Cola had to re-invent by revising the Coke myths that existed before. Consequently, Coke came up with a new ad which was much more effective than any other before. This appeared in TV as “‘I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke’ or the ‘Hilltop’ which was produced in 1971 and was ranked top three among all Coke ads that had been produced ever before. The video for this ad sees dozens of young people of different nations singing on a hilltop. It began with two fresh-faced and short-haired girls singing, “I’d like to buy the world a home, and furnish it with love. . . .” Initially, this ad was largely perceived as a game changer. In fact, this slogan was tested first in Europe where it gave disappointing results. However, tests based in United States gave overwhelming responses. According to Carah (2010, p. 23), that ad became an instant classic with a lot of people requesting that the video be played again after its debut on television. In other words, the consumers formed a new myth, “Hilltop,” shot on an Italian hillside. Using this ad, Coca-Cola managed to communicate a new message to the world: that it had grown into international company, operating in many countries, but preserving its youthful spirit. This was not the last time that Coca-Cola worked to re-invent its brand. During 1970s and 1980s, Coca-Cola assisted Americans in solving a racist strife problem. According to Holt (as cited in Sparrow 2009, p. 300), during the period of racial segregation, Coke was seen to provide a magical salve which helped to end racial divisions which existed in America. Coke produced an ad which portraying Joe Green, who was then the most feared American defender in football demonstrated the need for American society end racial conflicts (Sorensen, not dated). The ad showed a confrontation in a dark tunnel in which a black man physically intimidated a white child. But it was later learnt that the man’s actions were driven by affection to the white child. That way, Coke communicated a clear message of love and affection for all people. In summary, Coca-Cola derived functional benefits from the numerous and powerful identity myths that it created and which used to speak to American ideals. Through their spirits, these myths always assisted Americans to overcome certain problems. Consequently, Coke became a symbol of the myths they believed in, which led them to develop emotional attachment with the brand. That way, Coke became an icon in United States. Thus, although Coke still enjoys an iconic status in United States today, it owes this achievement to many years back in 1950s through 1980s. Conclusion In conclusion, this discussion demonstrates that term brand does not just refer to the subject or the markers related to the subject of sale (a product or a service). Instead, it denotes everything that customers and prospective customers think, say, feel, read, hear, watch, imagine and hope about a product, a service or an organization. A brand is formed when brand markers are filled with customer experiences. The process of formation of a brand involves the use of advertisements, events or films about a product or a service to the extent that people learn and talk about the product or service in conversations. As noted in this discussion, it is one thing for a product or a service to be an established brand and it is another thing for it to be an iconic brand. For a brand to become an icon, first there emerges a story which wins consensus in the understanding and ideas about the brand. As it has been illustrated with the incidents that led into Coke becoming an icon in early days, it reaches a point to which people value the brand “as much for what they symbolize as for what they do.” In other words, the brand becomes embedded in a people’s culture and consciousness. As in the case of Coke, consumers find the stories about the brand to be valuable in constructing their own identities and thus, they use the brands as objects of self-expression. The myths expressed in these brands help consumers to express themselves and how they want to be, especially because they embody ideas that these consumers admire. Over time, consumers learn that the myth exists in the markers of a product or service such as name, logo and design elements. Eventually, the brand becomes a symbol and part of the myth and when consumers use the product or the service, they feel that they are experiencing a bit of the myth. The case of Coke has demonstrated that consumers resort to using the brand as a means of addressing their identity burdens addressed in the myth. Eventually, they forge strong emotional connections with the brand. That way, the product or service in question becomes a cultural brand. A brand that succeeds through the process demonstrated in this discussion becomes an icon in a given society. References Brown, S. & Patterson, A. (2000) Imagining marketing: Art, aesthetics, and the avant-garde, Routledge, Oxan. Carah, N. (2010) Pop brands: Branding, popular music, and young people, Peter Lang, New York. Cayla J. & Arnould, E. J. (2008) “A Cultural Approach to Branding in the Global Marketplace,” Journal of International Marketing, American Marketing Association, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 86-112. Cox, J. (2008) Sold on radio: Advertisers in the golden age of broadcasting, McFarland, North Carolina. Dahlén, M., Lange, F. & Smith, T. (2009) Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach, John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex. Eldred, M. J. (2008) The Emperors of Coca Cola, Lulu.com Holt, D. B. (2004) How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding, Harvard Business Press, Massachusetts. Lury, C. (2011) Consumer Culture: Consumer Culture, Second Edition, Rutgers University Press, Cornwall. Middleton, S. (2010) Build a Brand in 30 Days: With Simon Middleton, The Brand Strategy Guru, John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex. Ohmann, R. N. (1996) Making & selling culture, University Press of New England, Wesleyan University. Shmoop, (2010) History of Drugs in America: Shmoop US History Guide, Shmoop University Inc, Shmoop University. Sorensen, N. A., (not dated), “For it’s a jolly good cola: The slow Coca-Colonization of Denmark after 1945,” available from http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//Files/Om_SDU/Institutter/Ihks/Projekter/Amerikansk%20paa%20dansk/m_ARTIKEL/jollycola_en2.pdf (5 August 2011). Sparke, P. (2004), Redefining identities, an introduction to design and culture: 1900 to the present, Routledge, Oxan. Sparrow, P. (2009) Handbook of international human resource management: Integrating people, process, and context, John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex. Tilde, K. C. F. & Bjerre, M. (2009) Brand management: research, theory and practice, Taylor & Francis, New York. Wasko, J., Murdock, G. & Sousa, H., (2011) The Handbook of Political Economy of Communications, John Wiley and Sons, West Sussex. Read More