Brand Image and Brand Salience - Essay Example

 Brand Image Versus Brand Salience Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 1.0Introduction 1 2.0Brand image 2 2.1. Importance of Brand image 3 2.2 Brand Image Consistency 4 3.0Brand salience 4 3.1 Factors affecting Brand Salience 5 5.0 The Product or Business Idea and Mission Statement 6 7.0 Marketing Strategy and Product Positioning to enhance Brand Image 7 8.0 Conclusion 7 References 8 1.0 Introduction A brand can be defined as a version of a given product or service. Brands come in different types. For instance, look-alike brands which functions the same but look different in terms of packaging and name (pepsi and coke) or sub- brand trading under same name, but are distinct in functionality and size packs (leaded and unleaded gas), differentiated brands and brand extensions among others (Ehrenberg et al. 1997). Creating a sturdy brand involves four stepladders namely; creation of an appropriate brand identity, the building of correct brand meaning through strong, approving and distinctive brand associations, third, eliciting positive, easy to get to brand responses and fourthly is forging brand relations with regulars characterized by extreme, lively loyalty. In turn, these four steps are achieved through establishing six brand-building blocks - brand performance, brand judgments, brand imagery, brand salience, brand feelings, and brand resonance which leads to formation of brand equity. Brand equity refers to the value a brand name brings to the consumers, producers and retailers of the brand. The initiating positive attitude of consumers in regard to competing brand is referred to us customer-based brand equity model (CBBE model). Customers strapping involvement with the brand helps a business make long term correlation with the customer. Brand power lies in the opinion, images, attitudes, feelings, viewpoint and experiences in the minds of regulars (Farhana & Islam 2012). The main objective of this paper is to explore both brand image and brand salience in building up customers brand equity. 2.0 Brand image Brand image relate to the current view the customers have about a brand (Nandan 2005). It is a unique multiple of associations that are held in the minds of the targeted customers. It significance shows what a brand stand for presently. According to Stock, (2009) the set of beliefs held about a brand are typically emotional, evolving from an accumulation of contact of a product with consumers (Han 2006). The elements identifiable with positive brand image are unique logo for an image, brand identifier which supports the key values and slogan that describe the brand. The overall impression the consumers’ form comes from all sources. The associations are what result to a brand image. Such image may depict safety and reliability. The consumer does not therefore just buy the product or service but also the image associated to it. Brand image helps the producer to set price, customer base, strategy of the brand plus promotion and packaging (Hubanic & Hubanic 2009). There are mainly six associations and variables that figure a brand image namely; strength, uniqueness, expectations, perceptions and associations, experiences and evaluation (Han 2006) 2.1. Importance of Brand image Brand Image determine shoppers view of the company, affects who shops and uses it product or service. Consumers always expect a affirmative correlation between quality of brand and price. Higher purchaser`s loyalty suggests bigger marketplace share in price in comparison to competitors. In this regard, those that fail to answer the need for an effective brand image are likely not going to survive (Brunso 2002). A less effective brand image calls for wrong acheievements. Company fails to meet it objectives by getting wrong customers or no customers at all. This means less or no profit. All areas of brand image including promotion, prices and attitudes of staff all total up to success or failure of the company (Duck 2010). Good brand image has a function of mental process recognition. This is important in as consumer’s impression of good quality. So, new product from the same firm stands a better chance to do well in the market as consumers are reminded of the company’s policy and function. (Karjalainen 2001). Consequently, results to customer loyalty behavior of repeat purchases and spreading the word of mouth (Sondoh et al. 2007). 2.2 Brand Image Consistency Brand image consistency is important as it assist the company develop a trait and produce integrity in the marketplace. It enhances continual strong relationship in the minds of purchasers. Through brand image consistency, a brand stand out in the crowd due to developed clear and consistent message. It avoids all loopholes for others to use the brand to misrepresent the organization (Worsham 2010). Violating the law of brand image consistency destroys any achieved infiltration of company in the marketplace. Recovering from this loss consumes time and money or it may not happen at all. 3.0 Brand salience Brand salience depicts the extent to which a certain brand visually stands out as compared to its competitors. Thus, it is the degree of how certain brand can be noticed or thought about when the customer is at the situation of buying (Lans, R, V et al. 2008. A major difference should be noticed between brand salience and top of mind awareness, which basically comes into mind of a person when asked to recollect brands within a category. The main importance of brand salience is that company`s brand does not necessarily have to be the number one brand in certain product or service category rather it only has to resonate fully and strongly with clients and consumers. 3.1 Factors affecting Brand Salience There are two factors including quantity and quality that relate to brand salience that get consumers think of a product often. Quantity of memory structures (how many times and size) such as big billboards on the way triggers the mind reminding consumers of a brand. The more the memory structures a brand is linked to, the more the salient the brand, that is, the more it is likely to be thought of during purchase period. Secondly, quality of memory structures affects brand salience as function in reflecting how fresh, significant or value of brand (Romaniuk & Sharp 2004). 4.0 Comparison between Brand image and Brand Salience Brand image is the customers’ general perception of a product whereas brand salience is the customers’ decision on a product at the time of buying. Brand image is an organization`s way to convey their mission and vision especially through logos while brand salience is mainly aimed at calling the purchaser get the product or service, period. Still, brand image is the picture that comes to mind when a certain brand is mentioned while brand salience is the picture that comes to mind on remembering a product when at buying situation. On the other hand, the main relationship between the two is seen in the fact that, both are characterized by relying on both visual and mental power (Ehrenberg et al. 1997). 5.0 The Product or Business Idea and Mission Statement Nutrientas is a food product that is premeditated as a supplement for packed food in lunchbox. With increasingly evident nutritional education, parents are higher and higher becoming concerned on foods their kinds consume away from home. Nutrientas are basically pre-packed foods which contain a complete diet including a protein, vitamin and starch. It comes in a variety of flavors including spring water, cheddar sub with applesauce and even chicken and contains minimal caloric content. The target consumers are pre-school and elementary school children. Though, the product is expected to expand to adult lunch packs that will be more elaborate than the children nutrientas. The mission for nutrientas is to offer superior product to satisfy a large clientele ranging from household to wholesalers. The success of our worldwide operations is centered on the five basics of a customer experience- Price, Place, Product, People and Promotion. Several means will be employed to ensure lasting brand image for nutrientas. 6.0 Company name, Slogans, Image and logo The company`s name “Nutrientas” Nutritious Packs (NLP) already communicate that the company provides nutritious foods. Quality of the food is an important build of brand image. The name is also short, easy to spell as well as to remember. In regard to slogans, Nutrientas will have the tag name “Healthy Solution” to capture the attention of health-minded shopper; who now comprise the largest proportion of customers. The purpose of the tag is also to help time pressed shoppers to spot Nutrientas products more easily. A Nutrientas logo embedded on all everything that comes under the company including on menus, business cards, flyers, company`s cars, bags, employees uniform, in ads and in other marketing materials. The logo also comes in attractive colors scheme which is on all other company properties. In addition to the above, nutrientas stores will do something memorable to set them apart from other competitors. We will always use bags with our trademark theme colour for all our merchandise; hold well publicized special sales during company’s birthdays each year. This will get customers talking about us and will prefer shopping at our stores since they are well fashioned with our eccentricity hence the brand loyalty. 7.0 Marketing Strategy and Product Positioning to enhance Brand Image The of food industry is very competitive currently. Nutrientas as a new entrant has developed marketing strategies that will drive customer traffic through enhance brand image. These included collectibles or incentives given free of charge, market segmentation whereby nutrientas intends to develop different segments as part of it marketing tools (Shuttle 2012) and loyalty programs to achieve customer loyalty through frequency cards where customers will fill every time they make a sale which will be then reward. On product position, nutrientas will employ the benefit strategy whereby focus on the safety of the products with regard to enhancing the overall health of the customers. Reasonable pricing for nutritious, well balanced Nutrientas is the key feature. The safe and secure packing with no spills and leaks plus hygienic as well as durable pack adds to the benefits that will enhance the products brand image 8.0 Conclusion In conclusion, great brands are not by chance. They have resulted from getting creative and planning. Therefore, brand planning is indispensable. Overall, both brand image and brand salience have a great role to play in regard sustainability of brand. They both assist determine the penetration and longevity of product or service in the marketplace. On the other hand, increased technology has come as a way of salvation in easing the enhancement of both brand image and brand salience. This spells better building of brand image for new products. References Brunso, K 2002, Consumers food Choice and Quality Perception. Aarhus, Denmark: The Aarhus School of Business. Duck, S. (2010, 04 26). Why Is Brand Image and Brand Reputation So Important? Retrieved 10 09, 2012, from profitduck.com: http://profitduck.com/why-is-brand-image-and-brand-reputation-so-important/ Ehrenberg, A. B. (1997). Differentiation or Salience. Journal of Advertising Research November/December , Advertising Research Foundation. Farhana, N. &. (2012). Analyzing The Brand Equity and Resonance of Banking Services: Bangladeshi Consumer Perspective. World Review of Business Research Vol. 2. No. 4. , 148 – 163. Han, Y. (2006). Impact of Brand Identity on Percieved Brand Image of The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Port Elizabeth, SA: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Hubanic, A. &. (2009). Brand Identity and Brand Image. Gothenburg: University of Gothenburg. Karjalainen, T. M. (2001). When is a car like a drink? Metaphor as a means to distilling brand and product identity. Design Management Journal. Vol: 12 No: 1 , 66-71. Lans, R. &. (2008). Competitive Brand Salience. Marketing Science. Vol. 27, No. 5, , 922–931. Romaniuk, J. &. (2004). Summary: Conceptualizing Brand Salience. Conceptualizing and measuring Brand Salience. Vol: Volume 4(4) , 327–342. Samuel, S., Caraypo, L., Dorfman, L., & Purciel, M. (2003). Food and beverage industry marketing practice aimed at children: Developing strategies for preventing obesity and diabetes. San Francisco: A report on the proceedingsd from a meeting sponsered by the Carlifornia endowment . Shuttle, R. (2012). Fast foods marketing strategies. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/fast-food-marketing-strategies-3408.html Sondoh, S. L. (2007). The Effects of Brand Image on Overall Satisfaction and Loyalty Intention in The Context of Color Cosmetic. Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1 , 83–107. Worsham, S. (2010, 12 07). The Importance of Consistent Brand Identity. Retrieved 10 09, 2012, from sazbean.com: http://sazbean.com/2010/12/07/the-importance-of-consistent-brand-identity/ Read More