The Marketing Mix: Products, Brands and Their Distribution - Essay Example

“Fournier is quick to point out that all brand relationships are subject to change because of personal, environmental, and managerial factors.” (Aisner, 1999) Relationships are not stable as it can even be harmed with a bad experience from the brand. In short it undergoes all the usual stages of a product lifecycle. For a person, having relationship with a brand is no different than having relationship with a person. Just like a person comes across many people, he/she comes across various brands too.

It is any single or many features of a brand that helps a person to get associated with it. “Prospects are attracted to brands that show promise of uniquely meeting their important emotional needs, not merely their rational requirements.” (McEwen, 2004) It can definitely be said that relationship happens when the company deliver a better brand experience to the customers. It sustains until the brand continues to maintain the pace of brand promises just as a normal human relationship ends with poor interpersonal understanding.

Sustainability is an important factor as at any point of time a competitor can challenge the brand experience offered by a relationship brand. Analysis of Cartier and Harry Winston The concept of customer’s relationship with a brand can be discussed in the light of world’s leading jewelry brands Cartier and Harry Winston. . As per the research of Fournier, having relationship with brands refer to the customers being associated with a brand for a long period of time. It is true for Cartier that the satisfied Cartier customers will continue to be a Cartier customer.

The brand value and brand offering of Cartier is such that it is an aspiration for existing and prospective customers. Cartier never compromises on its core brand promises. Being a premium brand it is in fact a relationship brand for the rich class of the society though they now introduce affordable jewelry for the common people. The case is not very different with Harry Winston, which is a favorite name for most celebrities. “Founded in 1932, Harry Winston is the inventor of modern couture jewelry and is known as the “King of Diamonds” and “Jeweler to the Stars.

”” (Harry Winston, 2011) It enjoys a brand value more than that of Cartier. It delivers exceptional brand promises to the customers through finely crafted diamond jewelry. Due to the huge price tag, Harry Winston jewelry is not usually affordable to the common people. It is a pure luxury product. By observing both the cases it can be seen that both the brands scores well in terms of customer satisfaction and brand value. But still it is difficult for a customer to have a deep relationship with the brand.

The main reason is that it is a luxury product and a customer aspires to buy it because of his/her esteem needs. Such an intention cannot account for relationship. In the case of low cost products or day to day usage products, there is scope for establishing a relationship. Do Consumers really have relationship with brands? Fournier’s study shows that customers can have relationship with brands. Various other