1.

ALL ABOUT BRANDING

The term brand means different things to the different roles of buyer and seller, with
buyersgenerally associating brand with a product or service, and merchants associating brand
withidentity. Brand can also identify the company behind the specific product -- that's not just
abiscuit, that's Britannia biscuit. This use of brand puts a "face" behind the name, so to
speak,even if the "face" is the result of advertising copy and television commercials. This use of
brandalso says nothing of quality, just the buyer's exposure to the brand's PR and media hype.
For thetypical merchant, branding is a way of taking everything that is good about the company
--positive shopping experience, professionalism, superior service, product knowledge,
whateverthe company decides is important for a customer to believe about the company -- and
wrappingthese characteristics into a package that can be evoked by the brand as signifier.
1.1 Introduction to Branding
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “A name, term, sign, symbol or
designor a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or
group andto differentiate them to those for competitors”. A brand is thus a product or service
that’s adds aDimension that differentiates it in some way from other products or services
designed to satisfythe same need. These differences may be functional, rational, or tangible-
relate to productperformance of the brand.
Branding has been around for centuries as a means to distinguish the goods of one producer
tothose of another. The earliest signs of branding can be traced to Europe where the
medievalguilds required that craftsmen put trademarks on their product to protect themselves
andproducer against inferior quality substitutes. Also in fine arts branding began with artists
signingtheir works. Brands today play a number of important roles that improve the consumer’s
livesand enhance the financial value of firms.
Brands identify the source or maker of the product and allow consumers-either individual or
organizations- to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. Consumers
may

evaluate the identical product differently depending how it is branded. Consumers lean about
thebrand with its past experience and the marketing program. As consumers lives becomes
morecomplicated, time starved the ability of brand to simplify decision making is invaluable.
Brandsalso perform valuable functions for the firm. First they simplify the product handling and
tracing.Brands help to organize inventory and accounting records. The brand name can be
protectedregistered trademarks. The intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can safely
invest in thebrand and can reap the benefits over a long period of time.
Brands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the
productagain. Brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and
createsbarriers to entry that makes it difficult for other firms to enter the market. This brand
loyalty cantranslate into willingness to pay higher price. In this sense branding can be seen as
powerfulmeans to secure a competitive advantage. Brands represent enormously valuable pieces
of legalproperty that can influence consumer’s behavior. Strong brand results in better earnings
andprofit performance for firms, which in turn, creates greater value for shareholders.
How do you “BRAND” a product? Although firms provide the impetus to brand creation
throughmarketing programs and other activities, ultimately a brand is something that resides in
the mindof the consumers. A brand is a perpetual identity that is rooted in reality but reflects
theperceptions and perhaps even the ultimate choice of the consumers. Branding is
endowingproducts and services with the power of brands. To brand a product, it is necessary to
teach theconsumers “who” the product-by giving a name. Branding involves creating mental
structuresand helping consumers organize their knowledge about products and services in a way
thatclarifies their decision making and in process provides value to the firm
Branding can be applied virtually anywhere a consumer has a choice. It is possible to brand:
•
A physical good (Nestle soup, Pantene shampoo or Maruti Swift),
•
A service (Kingfisher Airlines, TATA AIG medical insurance),
•
A store (Big Bazaar, BATA stores),
•
A place (The state of Kerala, Pushkar Mela),
•
A person (Shahrukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar),
•
An organization (UNICEF or BCCI),
Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational, and cultural image that you associate withthe
company or a product. When you think of Volvo, you think of safety. When you think ofNike,
you think of Michael Jordon or ‘Just Do It’. When you think of IBM, you think of ‘BigBlue’.
The fact that you remember the brand name and have positive associations with that brandmakes
your product selection easier and enhances the value and satisfaction you get from product.
While Brand X cola or even Pepsi-Cola may win blind taste tests over Coca-Cola, the fact is
thatmore people buy Coke than any other Cola. The fond memories of childhood and
refreshmentthat people have when they drink Coke is often more important than a little bit better
cola taste.It I this emotional relationship with brands that make them so powerful.
Q4. Do you think nowadays Brand Mascots are losing importance to
Brand Personality?
4
Brand Mascots are losing importance to
Brand Personality (X-axis)
Yes
No
Don’t No
No.
of

respondents

(out of 35)

Y-axis
12
18
5
%
34.29%
51.43%
14.29%
Interpretation: 51.43% of the total people surveyed had the opinion
that
Brand Mascots are not losing importance to Brand Personality whereas
14.29% had no opinion regarding the same
Q5. Which is your most memorable toon mascot?
5
Most Memorable Toon Mascot (X-axis)
Amul
Butter Girl
Fido Dido
Chintamani Any Other
No.
of

respondents

(out of 35)

Y-axis
30
5
1
0
%
85.71%
14.29%
2.86%
0
Interpretation: on the basis of the survey conducted 85.71% of the
respondents opted for Amul Butter Girl as their most memorable
toonmascot followed by Fido-Dido and Chintamani with 14.29%and
2.86%respectively

Q6. Why do you think this Brand Mascot is most memorable one?
6
Reason for Amul Butter Girl being most memorable
(X-axis)
Long
Lasting
Cute/
Happy
Good
Animation
Attention
Seeking
Innovative
No.
of

respondents

(out of 35)

Y-axis
12
5
4
7
4
%
34.28%
14.28%
11.42%
20%
11.42%
Interpretation: According to the survey conducted Amul Butter Girl is
the most memorable toon mascot because it has been in the market since
avery long time and also it is very attention seeking because it is
alwaysrelated to the current affairs