Fundamentals of branding theory. Brand DNA or what your brand consists of Factors influencing brand image

Introduction 2
Branding - branding technology 4-12
1.1 Concept and history of branding 4
Brand development 13-36
2.1 Market Analysis 13
2.2 Identifying Brand Benefits 20
2.3 Developing a brand positioning strategy 22
2.4 Brand image development 29
2.5 Developing brand attributes 31
Methods for assessing brand equity 37
A practical situation (case study) considering a real problem: Brand development and evaluation of its effectiveness on the example of a company 42
Conclusion 63
List of sources used 65

The work contains 1 file

After determining the degree of attractiveness of the new market, analyzing the existing brand portfolio, assessing the strength of competition in the product category of interest, the final decision is made to create a new brand.

Also, in the analysis of the market situation, it is possible to determine the expected market shares depending on the order in which the brand enters the product category using Peckham method.

The first brand in the category gets 100% market share. The brand following it can count on a decrease in the leader's share to 58%, receiving 42% of the market (the ratio of market shares is 42:58 = 0.72). The third brand in a row can expect to reduce the shares of the first and second brands to 45 and 32%, respectively, and capture 23% of the market, etc. (Table 2)

Tab. 2. Goods for industrial use and

consumer durables, %

Entry order	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
First brand	100						100
Second brand	58	42					100
Third brand	45	32	23				100
Fourth stamp	39	28	20	14			100
Fifth brand	35	25	18	13	9		100
Sixth mark	33	24	17	12	8	6	100

Tables 2 and 3 present averages of possible limits for brand share growth in a product category with two adjustments: it is not always possible to immediately determine the moment when a new product category emerges from a segment of an existing product category. For example, the product category “chocolate bars” has grown at the intersection of the categories “chocolate candies” and “chocolate”. Also, these tables do not take into account the diversity factor of the dominant market models.

Tab. 3. Prepackaged consumer goods, %

Entry order	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
First brand	100						100
Second brand	58	42					100
Third brand	44	31	25				100
Fourth stamp	36	25	21	18			100
Fifth brand	31	22	18	15	14		100
Sixth mark	27	19	16	14	12	11	99

According to the number of companies operating in the market, define four dominant market models: pure competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, monopoly. To analyze the level of market concentration, five brand or forty brand concentration indicators are used. For example, a five-brand concentration rate in the UK beer industry is 70%, in another country it could be 25%. These figures indicate the level of market monopolization, different opportunities and development strategies for a new brand of beer in different countries and regions. The actual area of competition, that is, its true segment, is often difficult for a brand to determine. For example, the total share of Heineken beer in the American beer market is 2%, among imported beer - 40%. Where does the brand compete in the US - in the beer product category or in the imported beer segment? The choice of category and segment depends on the positioning of the brand in

specific country. It is also difficult to determine the market share if the brand is stretched over several product categories.

2.2 Identification of brand benefits

Brand DNA. - the essence of the brand, which carries the internal and external advantages of the brand and conveys them to the target audience.

The main components of brand DNA are:

rational benefits;
emotional benefits;
brand offers;
brand image.

Rational Benefits(a) - these are those positive aspects of the brand (of the product or service itself), which are perceived by consumers through logical thinking. These are the main brand qualities that stem from the stable qualities of the product itself.

Emotional Benefits(b) are aimed at satisfying the spiritual needs of the buyer and do not affect the area of rational thinking. They are what make a brand unique and shape its identity.

branded suggestions(c) A concise summary of the brand's rational and emotional benefits. It includes a description of potential consumers, all the benefits of the brand, as well as criteria for determining them.

Brand image(d) is inextricably linked with all three previous elements and is formed on their basis.

A brand image is the component that requires the most time and maximum literacy on the part of the manager, it takes decades to form it, and at the same time it is destroyed quite simply. In order to make the image accessible to the consumer, a special character can be created and used to embody this brand.

A step-by-step brand DNA strategy is the basis for a competent and effective brand positioning in the market.

2.3 Developing a brand positioning strategy

Having made a market analysis, having identified market segments and identifying the advantages of the brand, the company proceeds to product positioning, that is, to determine the consumer perception of the company's offer based on criteria that are important to him.

Product position- this is the opinion of consumers, target segments regarding the most important characteristics of the product. It characterizes the place occupied by a particular product in the minds of consumers in relation to the product of competitors. This should take into account the positions taken by competing products and companies.

When positioning, the most important characteristics for the consumer are used, which he focuses on when making his choice.

The positioning process is carried out in the following steps:

Definition of target segments
Selecting target segments
Determining the values associated with the product
Developing a product that lives up to these values
Assessment of the positioning of competing brands in target segments
Choosing an image that distinguishes the brand from competing brands
Implementation of the communication function and development of other elements of the marketing mix.

One of the possible means for determining the position of a product in the market are perception maps, the axes of which are the core consumer values (CVP), which reflect the relative positions of competing brands and companies (Fig. 2)

The development of a positional map can be represented as the following steps:

1. Determining the set of competing brands

2. Determination of the attributes that consumers will use when choosing a brand (qualitative research)

3. Conducting quantitative marketing research, as a result of which consumers assign a certain number of points to each brand on the most important characteristics

4. Displaying the location of the goods on the positional map

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Variable

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Less Variable More

Rice. 2. Map of perception

An important place in positioning is occupied by differentiation, which means the choice of one of the important functional characteristics of the product (service), or the formulation of the benefits from its use, or the creation of an additional product characteristic and benefits from its use. Certain positioning criteria can be distinguished. The most unexpected criteria are suitable for positioning, since the idea of a trademark is directly related to consumer psychology. Positioning criteria can be size, gender, price, age, social group or subculture, time of day, nationality, regional affiliation, opposition, method of distribution, etc. Positioning is the anchor that allows people to distinguish between sales offers and remember them. You can search for the difference of your brand by any criterion that is significant for the consumer and arising from the specifics of a particular market niche. It is useful to compare the position of your brand with data from the analysis of marketing communications of competitors.

Quality can become a differentiating idea only in exceptional cases, because in a competitive market the quality of a product is a prerequisite, and not a difference among similar products. Let us recall the successful launch of the Dovgan brand, whose creators violated all branding rules in a few years and the brand has sunk into oblivion. "Protected Russian quality" - positioning, which in an empty market gave the brand a wide scope for action with the only limitation - the quality of the product must really be high. The trademark "Dovgan" has proved its success in the high-quality vodka market, which was facilitated by a competent advertising campaign and a wide distribution network. Clear positioning and advertising appropriate to the chosen position and target audience predetermined the temporary success of this brand. However, the path of its further development cannot be considered professional. The diversification that took place was too fast, the brand was stretched over an excessive number of segments of the food market, as a result, its image was washed out. The brand was "stretched" into an unimaginable number of products: only in the food market under it, more than 130 types of products were sold on the basis of franchising. If initially the Dovgan brand was positioned as an exclusive one and its distinctive feature was proclaimed the high quality of the product, then in the context of expanding the brand for beer, kvass, pasta and other food products, this positioning no longer coincided with the price niches and target audiences of new products. The position of exclusivity did not find a response among consumers of pasta, beer, sausage. The appearance of the brand in low price segments pushed away the solvent audience of Dovgan vodka from it. The result of such an unreasonable expansion was the oblivion of the brand and the collapse of the business.

Have you ever thought, Where do fashion designers get inspiration? and why in each new collection we still clearly trace the characteristic features of this or that fashion house? All this comes from the fact that designers are interested in the absolute recognition of a fashion brand and try to adhere to the brand's DNA in each collection.

Brand DNA- this is a marketing method of positioning a brand, which is a charter: certain colors, ornaments and silhouettes.

What does it include concept of "brand DNA"? In order to understand this issue, we need to understand that a brand is not a person and he cannot “put on” the classics today, and tomorrow put on a glamorous velvet suit.

Each brand always has a very clear and simple positioning, the average customer should know why he goes to this store.

Each fashionable and well-known brand has its own idea and framework that allows it to develop. Also do not forget about the legend and aesthetics, according to which all work is carried out as a whole.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton in 1854 tried in every possible way protect your products from fakes.

But only after the death of Louis, his son Georges Vuitton had the idea legendary monogram canvas.

In 1895, brand designers under the direction of Georges Vuitton designed the legendary canvas with monograms which were very difficult to copy.

“First, he drew the initials of the company: intertwined, but clearly distinguishable letters LV. Then he supplemented them with a flower with four pointed petals, inscribed in a rhombus with concave sides, and the same flower in a contrasting design. Placed in the center of the circle, a flower with four rounded petals was the finishing touch.”

The image was patented and subsequently became Louis Vuitton trademark.

To this day, designers again and again turn to the origins of the Monogram. She has long entered the history of the House of Louis Vuitton, and now predetermines its future.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear

Gucci

Brand history Gucci begins in 1904, after the founder of the brand Guccio Gucci, having worked at the Savoy Hotel, was inspired by the beauty of leather bags and suitcases of guests.

Returning to Florence, Gucci opens his first workshop.

1947 the legendary bag with bamboo handles appeared, which is updated annually in each Gucci collection.

Signature Gucci print- repeatedly repeated initials of the founder of the brand Guccio Gucci, was created back in 1933 by one of the six children of Guccio Gucci, but they began to promote it as the basis of the brand's foundations only in the last ten years.

Prior to this, the main print of the brand was a green and red stripe., the idea of \u200b\u200bwhich was borrowed from the girth - a belt that serves as a mount for the saddle.

Gucci Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear

Burberry

The trademark of the brand is the famous "English" cage Burberry.

The cell that first associated with bully culture, and later became a symbol of Britain.

The combination of black, white and red colors on a sandy background. Actually this "Nova Check" colorway

Trench coats invented Thomas Burberry, on the eve of the First World War very quickly gained immense popularity. And with them, the cell.

Trench coat from Burberry, originally conceived as a practical accessory for military ammunition, it quickly turned into a style icon and in 1955 earned the Queen's Award from Elizabeth II.

The colored checkered lining was, in fact, the only decoration of the trench coat, echoing the traditional colors of English blankets, thus reminding of the comfort of the abandoned home.

Burberry Prorsum Resort 2015

Chanel

Chanel girl- such a phrase will not confuse anyone. She can be sensual and pragmatic at the same time. It is this paradox that is embedded in the DNA of the brand.

The house of Chanel is one of the few that immaculately maintains a precise balance between brand DNA concepts, archival achievements and fashion trends, including economic trends.

Iconic Chanel style elements: cage, tweed, boucle, cold blue, gray and pink shades, pearls and white collars, sheath dresses. All this is certainly present in every new collection of Karl Lagerfeld.

There are a lot of tweed jackets, but you can always recognize Chanel jacket among any others anywhere in the world and at any time.

The first jacket was created many years ago by Mademoiselle Chanel, and Karl creates six times a year 10-12 jackets- different cuts, colors, types of tweed, and the jacket is always in fashion.

Chanel Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear

Kenzo

Kenzo collections are travel through time and space, through paintings and musical works.

Floral patterns, ethnics, eclecticism - Kenzo signature style features, the DNA of a brand that has remained unchanged for four decades.

We owe the appearance of this style Takada Kenza.

However, he brought a lot Antonio Marras, has been designing Kenzo collections for six years now.

Thanks to respect for the heritage of Kenzo, Antonio Marras managed to delicately present his vision of the fashion house and at the same time not retain the entire vision of Takada.

What makes brands so recognizable and how to create your own brand? Photo interbrand.com

Hermes prompted Princess Diana to line up for her handbag. The Coca-Cola brand name is the second most recognizable word in the world, after "okay". The Apple brand is able to bring to orgasm with just the announcement of an outgoing product. What makes us recognize these brands out of a thousand - defines the brand's DNA.

What is brand DNA or B rand DNA ?

A strong brand is formed through deep essence and emotional attachment. It is characterized by recognizable features. After all, you need to identify a brand not only by a logo, slogan or melody, but even by aroma, silhouette, lines or curves, color combinations or associative pictures. Marketers know how to use all six senses to bring you into that brand DNA. Especially fashion houses succeeded in this - Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and others. Car concerns, brands of watches, gadgets, cosmetics, perfumery can also boast of indicative brand DNA - there are a couple of successful examples in any field.

Having once occupied a characteristic niche in the eyes of the consumer, it is difficult to knock out such a market player. Symbols such as a bitten apple, a Playboy bunny or McDonald's song "I`m lovin` it" are firmly planted in the consumer's mind and form a preliminary choice. This works especially “with a bang” in the niche of expensive goods: the buyer justifies for himself why he is ready to pay $1000, and not $100 or even $10.

I'm sorry I didn't recognize

Remember the joke about the woman in intensive care? A voice from above tells her: "I give you 10 years of life." The woman jumped up from the bunk: “Well, that’s all, I’ll live the remaining ten for myself!”. She did rhinoplasty, enlarged her breasts, pumped up her lips ... She left the plastic surgeon - and her truck was hit. She gets to heaven and asks: "Lord, you promised 10 years." The voice replies: “Sorry, I didn’t recognize it.” “If a similar situation happens to a brand without a strong DNA, it will also die. Remember that no rebranding, logo change, redesign, new collections or innovations can kill a well-chosen brand code. The set constant must be recognized by the consumer unquestioningly. To do this, brand DNA is reinforced with an ideology - a pre-calculated set of statements and legends that reflect the needs of the target audience. Brand ambassadors who go hand in hand with the brand (often from its very origins) are great at increasing awareness. They also become part of the brand's DNA. Take Charlize Theron for J'adore by Dior - more than 10 years together!

How to develop brand DNA

The main task is to connect the trademark and the products it produces with an invisible thread. Times will change: fashion, technology, innovation, but the DNA of the brand must still clearly convey the essence and speak with the consumer in one understandable language. Here are 5 tips to help you create brand DNA.

Collect the best

Brand DNA is a constant. Therefore, do not get attached to modern trends. First of all, select the rational advantages that are inherent in your brand itself - quality, experience, price, reliability, etc. In a word, everything that appeals to the logic of the buyer and forces him to make a rational choice in favor of reasonable arguments. At the same time, do not forget about the distinctive feature, because every second one positions itself as “super high quality” and “mega unique”.

Engage the senses

Think about what the buyer will receive after the purchase, what sensations, status, feelings await him. Now visualize and verbalize your "message". At this stage, those elusive strings are determined, for which the brand pulls even with the most insignificant or veiled mention of itself. Often, well-known brands turn the purchase or use of their products into a whole ritual. I want to touch it, to become a part of it!

Get ahead of the negative

Working with brand perception is almost one of the most important. Find out the opinions of different consumer groups about your logo, name, products, advertising, etc. Highlight all negative factors. They can manifest themselves in stereotypes, misplaced expectations, ambiguity, or ill-formed images. Now try to level them to the maximum. Of course, only a $100 bill can please absolutely everyone. But to correctly identify and remove the sharpest corners is real. For example, Burberry, which, with its perfect brand DNA and seemingly perfect reputation, has found its world-famous trench coats and plaid pattern chosen by mafiosi and football hooligans. The ideal solution was rebranding, while the style and style remained the same. Thanks to a powerful celebrity advertising campaign, the very presentation of Burberry has changed. The company moved to a new level of perception, the negative was eliminated.

Create a brand image

Start with associations. Thanks to them, you will penetrate into consciousness and leave a deep imprint there. Maybe your trademark is associated with an object, a mood, a country or a celebrity? Now pepper the brand image. To reflect the needs and beat on emotions. Let the consumer bite his elbows and laugh, cry and lust at the sight of your symbols. Remember that lively interest and admiration support the image better than anything.

Make contact

It's time to look at your brand from a new angle. Abstract and "walk" through all the tools of marketing communications: advertising, branding, PR ... Do you think the audience will recognize your brand if they do not have a logo on them? Remember, the connection must be clearly traced: from the products on the shelves of the stores to the design of the office space. One look - and the potential buyer should understand what brand he is dealing with. This is brand DNA.

Finally, let us recall the words of the British businessman, founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson: “It is pointless to strive to become the largest brand. It is much more important to become the most respected brand.”

From season to season, looking through the collections of fashion houses with an impressive history, critics wonder if the designers have retained the brand's DNA in their creations. Why is this question so troubling to their inquisitive minds? The fact is that for the last couple of decades, designers who have become at the helm of such brands as Dior or Balenciaga have been expecting the most interesting variations on the theme of the history of the House. But what is a designer supposed to do with all this legacy and an impressive pile of archive files? Scrupulously study and use in further work, or mentally burn them in your head and move in a completely different direction?

The DNA of the brand is the recognizable features of the fashion house: silhouettes, shapes, prints, colors, as well as individual accessories and specific things, thanks to which, in fact, this house became famous. Recall the recent story of the departure of Alexander Wang from the post of creative director of the French House of Balenciaga. We tend to believe that Wang tried his best to create something in the style of the great Cristobal, but, alas, the fact that he did not renew his contract suggests that he did not manage to develop a concept for the development of the brand that would suit Kering.

In the photo: Cristóbal Balenciaga 1959 and Balenciaga spring-summer 2015

The second, more successful example of work in the no less legendary French House is demonstrated by the Belgian Raf Simons. He set himself the task of studying the alphabet of the brand created by Christian Dior, rethinking the couture traditions of the House and, ultimately, adapting them to the aesthetics of our days. Raf, for example, has repeatedly successfully experimented with the iconic "Bar" jacket, and, perhaps, the most famous New Look silhouette in the history of fashion.

In the photo: Christian Dior 1951 and Dior Haute Couture fall-winter 2014/15

But Mark Zanini was unlucky: the Italian stayed on as creative director of the revived Schiaparelli House for exactly a year and managed to create two collections. He relied on the eccentricity of things, in a word, he tried to do everything the way Elsa herself would do it, often looking into archive files. But, unfortunately, even the widespread use of acid pink did not give the desired results.

Pictured: Schiaparelli Couture Fall 2014 and Schiaperelli 1974

There is one designer in this whole story who, after joining the fashion house, changed absolutely everything, including the name of the brand, and this played into his hands. Guess who we are talking about? Of course, about Hedi Slimane: within the framework of the House of Saint Laurent, he made a real revolution. Today, the brand's clothes look like they belong to an insanely rich, but also insanely sloppy and careless musician: Slimane is betting on reckless youth.

In the photo: Saint Laurent spring-summer 2013 and Yves Saint Laurent 1980

Analyzing these cases, we can conclude that the success of the brand consists of the talent of the designer, a lot of luck and the competent use of archives. And now all eyes are on promising newcomer Alessandro Michele, who, by the way, takes the DNA of the Gucci brand very seriously, combining the original Gucci and versions of Tom Ford and Frida Giannini in his collections, resulting in something completely new.

Brand structure

.Brand DNA model

3.Building brand-consumer relationships

1. Brand structure

The foundations of branding theory were laid down and developed by University of California professor David Aaker. The various definitions of the term "brand" include nine main aspects, ranked as they appear in the branding literature:

.the image of the brand in the mind of the buyer (1956);

.goods differentiation mechanism (1960);

.means of individualization (1985);

.added value of goods (1986);

.legal instrument (1987);

.identification of goods by the buyer (1991);

.identification of the manufacturing company (1992);

.product identity maintenance system (1992);

.an entity that develops over time, from the brand as a concept of the manufacturer to the functional and emotional elements of the product perceived by the buyer.

The value formed by the brand and being the basis for its choice and consumption is created by the manufacturer by building and maintaining a consistent system of codes and signs. A brand in the modern sense is a complex organism, a strategic tool for a company to stimulate sales. Fine-tuning the brand at every stage of its creation, focusing the entire system on the initial idea, and active use of the results of consumer research can provide the brand with a comfortable existence for the foreseeable future. The transformation of a product in the manufacturer's warehouse into a brand in the mind of the consumer is easy to imagine in the form of a "Brand Bulb" diagram (Fig. 1).

In plain language brand- this is everything that comes to the mind of the client regarding the company and its products when he sees its logo or hears its name. That is, a set of associations that add to the perceived value of a company's products.

EXAMPLE: Brand

Mineral water brands: "Arkhyz", "Mercury", "Shishkin Les", "Essentuki", "Lipetsky buvet". Milk brands: "House in the Village", "Prostokvashino", "Lianozovskoye", "Vkusnoteevo", "Merry Milkman". Sausage brands: "Dymov", "Rublevsky", "Velkom", "Klinsky", "Mikoyan", "Ostankino".

Brand Essence

Essence(lat. Essentia) - something constant that is preserved in a phenomenon with its various variations, including temporary ones.

The essence of the brand (or "brand essence", or "brand DNA", or "brand concept") is the idea, the germ, as well as the framework and boundaries that allow the brand to develop. Being the main characteristic of the goods of this brand, the essence is what the buyer notes with each act of consumption of the goods. This is its key component, expressed in a simple way. The main value and significance of the brand for market entities.

In addition, the term can be seen as a key brand promise conveyed in simple and distinctive words; the most important thing in brand identity.

The essence of the brand is its core, the basic elements that cannot be changed.

EXAMPLE: Brand Essence

Brand Platform

Brand Platformis a tool for formulating a unique set of brand elements that will allow the company to differentiate itself in the market. Key elements of the brand platform: brand legend and mission, individuality, vision.

brand legend- this is the history of the emergence / creation of a trademark (and subsequently a brand), set out in the form of an interesting story and based on historical facts. The legend determines the "age of the brand", tells its fate and largely determines its further development.

Brand Mission- the purpose of the existence of the brand in the market, presented in the most general form and often expresses the main reason for the existence of the organization.

A brand vision is a prediction of the future market, the place and role of the brand in it.

Brand personalityis the expression of brand associations through personal characteristics.

Most consumers perceive brands as living images. Brands as individuals have their own character, different from other brands, as well as values and attitudes.

Therefore, the typical products sold under a particular brand and the actions (advertising) performed by it can also be attributed to individuality.

EXAMPLE: Brand platform

VTB brand platform: - Mission: We provide international level financial services to make the future of our clients, shareholders and society as a whole more secure. - Personality: VTB Group is a leading international financial group of Russian origin. - Vision: VTB strives to become a champion in all target markets. - Values: customer trust, reliability, openness, versatility, our team. Brand platform "Blend-a-med": - Mission: Healthy and beautiful smile for life. - Personality: Caring and energetic specialist in the field of dentistry. - Vision: Leadership in the oral hygiene category.

Brand identity and positioning

N.N. Litvinov comes to the conclusion that brand identity: 1) is a strategic concept of brand personalities, its external expression, a set of its identifiers; 2) reflects characteristics unique to the brand that motivate the buyer; 3) plays a key role in the process of brand recognition by consumers; 4) forms its uniqueness; 5) is the main element of the brand management motivational vertical, which forms the brand model and image.

Strong brands that have a strong impact on customers and have long become something more than just a product for them have their own characteristics at four levels: functional, personal, social and cultural. First seen in advertising or on store shelves, a brand is just a labeled product, most of the meanings of this brand are limited to a functional plan.

Personal and social plans are rarely equal in terms of expressiveness. The predominance of one of these two levels is usually determined by the specifics of the product category. If the product is intended for personal consumption, enjoyment, or expression of one's individuality, then the personal plan is more significant. In goods or services created to take care of someone, establish certain relationships or maintain status in society, the social plan prevails over the personal one. Finally, the cultural plan touches on the features of traditions, history, nationalities, style, fashion, ideals and social norms.

The concepts of brand positioning and brand identity have common goals: to increase differentiation and make it easier for the consumer to buy a branded product. However, there are also significant differences between these concepts. First, positioning is focused on the product or service itself. Secondly, it does not reflect the full meaning of the brand and does not express its full potential. Positioning provides the consumer with a meaningful reason to buy based on the rational and emotional benefits of consuming the product.

The characteristic features (identity) of the brand, in addition to the functionality of the product, include important psychological, social and cultural aspects that significantly affect the preferences and choice of consumers of a branded product, so brand positioning is a secondary concept in relation to brand identity. The brand positioning process is an adaptation of the system of its characteristic features to specific market conditions - the specifics of competitors' offers and consumer demand.

Brand positioning- this is the main difference that creates a brand advantage in a particular market sector at a specific time, which must be conveyed to the target audience using communication tools.

Brand positionis the basis of his entire communication campaign. Brand positioning is based on three main elements: target audience, brand benefits and differentiation from competitors.

The target consumer segment of the brand is defined in general terms based on the brand platform and refined through market research. Description of the target audience usually includes socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, marital status, income, and others), lifestyle, behavior patterns and needs.

The role of benefits (advantages) of the brand are identifiers that reflect the expectations of consumers and are unique. Usually, when describing the benefits of a brand, two main categories are considered: rational-functional and emotional-value. Rational-functional characteristics mean emphasizing the advantages of the product itself (composition, appearance, technical characteristics) and the convenience of its use (as well as the convenience of packaging, points of sale, etc.). Emotional-value characteristics include the attributes of a strong brand: the emotions that a person will experience when buying and consuming the brand, and the values behind the image of the product.

Differences from competitors are also classified into two categories: rational-functional and emotional-value. High-quality effective brand positioning is always preceded by a deep analysis of customers and their needs, as well as competitors and strategies for their behavior in the market.

EXAMPLE: Brand identity

Apple brand positioning - "Think different": 1. Target audience: "Aimed at those who can and want to afford to think differently." 2. Benefits: Style, ease of use, high technology. 3. Differences from competitors: Opposition in everything. Lacoste Brand Identity Prism: 1. Physical Details: Colors. Crocodile badge 2. Personality: Well balanced. Authentic. Serene. 3. Culture: Aristocratic ideals. Sophistication and simplicity. Sports and classics. Individualism. 4. Relationships: Valiant. Accessible. 5. Reflection: Men and women dressed discreetly but stylishly. 6. Self-image: I am discreetly elegant. I always look proper, but somewhat loose. 7. Brand essence: Chic.

Visualization and creative

After defining the brand platform and writing the positioning strategy, the brand manager receives a ready-made "brand operation manual" (brand book), i.e. a collection of rules and frameworks by which the brand will live. This summary of brand development will help answer many of the questions that are asked daily: "Is the advertising campaign appropriate for the brand?", "Should the new product be launched within or outside the existing brand?", "How can a brand change the style of its communications while remaining true to itself?" ?" and others. brand positioning trademark

Any further actions of the brand must be consistent with the brand book in order to avoid "brand dilution"!

The important thing about symbols and logos is that they do not help identify the brand so much as the brand identifies with them. When companies change their logo, it usually means that either they themselves or their brands will change - since they no longer fit with their previous style, they want to start modifying it.

EXAMPLE: Visualization

Corporate identity "Jack Daniel s" reflects the brand's ultra-premium positioning, authenticity and masculinity.

EXAMPLE: Creative

For the "Baby Inside" print series, French creatives used images of the Evian babies from the Guinness World Records' most successful advertising virus. Fashion photographer Nathaniel Goldberg took pictures of ordinary people in T-shirts with babies. In the place where their heads were supposed to be, there are the heads of adults. Which conveys the main message of the campaign "We're all babies inside" ("We are all babies inside") and is consistent with the global slogan of Evian water - "Live Young" ("Live young").

Brand associations.

brand associations- the result of a communication campaign to promote the brand in the minds of consumers. Specialists also single out the "brand semantic code" - the subjective emotional and value perception of the brand by consumers. Often the associations differ from those originally incorporated in the communication message, since the transmission of these messages through communication channels and the individual perception of information by each consumer impose certain "noises" on the message.

EXAMPLE: Brand associations

Associations with the Arkhyz brand: 1. mountains, Caucasus, nature 2. mountain river, mountain springs, mountain mineral water 3. pure high-quality mineral water Associations with the brand "Mercury": 1. astronomy (planet, space, ships) 2. pure high-quality mineral water 3. pure tasty water Associations with the Novoterskaya Tselebnaya brand: 1. healing/healing water, sanatoriums 2. pure high-quality mineral water 3. mountains, mountain water

Image / image of the brand.

Brand image- this is the image of the brand that has developed in the mind of the consumer, the latter's idea of the merits or demerits of the product

It is formed from associations with the brand, broadcast in the advertising message, the brand image in the eyes of the people around the consumer, and also under the influence of influence factors in the head of the representative of the target audience, the image of the brand is formed. This is how the target audience really perceives the brand.

EXAMPLE: Image / brand image

Kodak brand image: The name "Kodak" is unmistakably associated with photography and is a guarantee of the quality of its products. Ease of use and excellent quality of the resulting photographs are the basis of the company's image.

Description of the image of the brand "Veres" by buyers:

Good reputation of Veres products, absence of scandals negatively affecting the brand's image: "I have not heard any scandals related to this Veres brand"; "She has a good reputation, that she is not the first year on the market, that there is a large assortment, that all friends and acquaintances use it, [manufacturer] Russia, as far as I know"

Reasonable Affordable Price: "Although the price didn't matter to me, it's cheaper for the price…."

A wide range, representation in stores: "in my opinion, these products are made according to homemade recipes, original ones, maybe from some quality vegetables and some new methods of sterilizing the process are used there, since it differs from other companies, in my opinion look. That's why I say that she found the golden mean, does not contain any additives, dyes. Indeed, I got the impression, in fact, she was tasty, always desired on the table, I think so. Some domestic, rationed conservation processes are used."

Taste qualities, stable high quality of products: "In general, it attracted my attention with its appearance and variety, that is, eggplant and zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes ..."

Convenient attractive packaging: "It's delicious. It's reliable... It's not as scary as it is. It's convenient. If you're looking for some product on the shelf, you'll always see it. From a purely feminine point of view, again, the packaging is I have these jars in the kitchen for beauty, some are already used for all sorts of different cereals"

Factors influencing the brand image.

A company whose influence on brand formation is manifested through points of influence, i.e. in the form of articles about it and advertising, price / quality of the product, politeness of the employee, the work of the technical support service, official statements by the management regarding public issues.

Influence groups - industry experts, celebrities (famous people), as well as various associations and associations, whose independent opinion often has an impact on brand formation no less strong than the company itself.

Popular culture: Societal or industry norms filter people's perceptions - both clients and influence groups.

Customers who form their own independent idea about the product and influence the opinions of other people. Often, the situation of consumption has a decisive influence on the attitude towards the brand of individual consumers.

Brand equity

Brand tracking marketing research allows you to measure the brand image that has developed in the minds of the target audience through various metrics.

The most popular brand metrics are:

ü Brand awareness (spontaneous)

ü Brand awareness (induced)

üBrand Attributes

ü Buying and Consumption Experience

ü brand associations

ü Positive attitude towards the brand

ü Brand Preference

ü Perceived brand positioning

ü Brand loyalty

ü Intention of brand purchases in the near future, recommendations to the brand

Based on these metrics, brand capital is formed - a strategic asset of the company, the market power of the brand.

The greater the company's brand equity, the stronger its position in the market and, accordingly, the greater its value.

This term has many interpretations. Feldwick offers the following classification of the various meanings of the term "brand equity": the total value of the brand as an independent asset when it is sold or entered into the balance sheet;

an indicator of the strength of consumer attachment to the brand;

a description of the associations and beliefs of consumers associated with the brand.

Thus, brand equity increases the likelihood of choice by customers, increases brand loyalty and "protects the brand from the threat of competitors." Strong brands typically provide higher margins and better access to distribution channels, as well as a broad platform for product line expansion.

Brand value

A brand is a specific intangible asset. It affects the choice of buyers, employees of the organization, investors and even government officials. Many companies now include information about brand acquisitions on their balance sheets. Some companies have used this technique to strengthen investor relations by demonstrating the brand's value in generating guaranteed cash flow and using that value as a measure of financial performance.

There are many models for determining brand equity that take into account the results of consumer research. In order to assign a certain financial value to the brand, the behavior and opinions of consumers that affect the economic performance of the brand are monitored and expressed in measurable parameters. Such models come in varying degrees of complexity, but all of them are designed to explain and interpret the perceptions of brands by consumers that affect consumer behavior. For this, a wide range of perception metrics is used.

In the course of statistical modeling, which differs in the degree of structure and depth, these indicators are organized in a hierarchical order, forming a kind of transition from awareness to preference, and then to purchase. Also, metrics can be distributed based on their impact on the overall consumer experience, which creates a single metric or brand equity score. It is assumed that a change in one of the indicators or a certain combination of them affects the behavior of the buyer, which, in turn, affects the financial value of the brand. Understanding, interpreting and measuring brand equity is critical to establishing brand equity.

EXAMPLE: Brand value

TOP-10 most expensive brands in the world according to Interbrand:

70.452 (billion $) 64.727 (billion $) 60.895 (billion $) 43.57 (billion $) 42.808 (billion $) 33.578 (billion $) 32.015 (billion $) 29.495 (billion $) 28.731 (billion $)26.867 (billion $)

TOP-10 most expensive brands in the world according to MBO:

114.260 (billion $) 86.383 (billion $) 83.153 (billion $) 6.344 (billion $) 67.983 (billion $) 66.005 (billion $) 57.047 (billion $) 52.616 (billion $) 45.054 (billion $)44.404 (billion $)

2. Brand DNA model

Determining the DNA, that is, the unique components of the brand, is the key to starting the process of consistently providing a service whose quality is fully consistent with it. This is a concept that the leaders of most organizations are trying to understand, at least outside of marketing departments. Many management teams are looking for a simple and fast solution that can be easily integrated into the existing business infrastructure.

brand DNA(A. Ellwood's approach) is the essence of the brand, a set of its internal and external characteristics that determine its uniqueness.

The main components of brand DNA are:

ü Rational benefits;

ü emotional benefits;

ü Brand offers;

ü brand image.

Rational Benefits- these are those positive aspects of the brand (of the product or service itself), which are perceived by consumers through

logical thinking. These are the core qualities of a brand that come from

stable qualities of the product itself.

Emotional Benefits- aimed at the satisfaction of spiritual

the needs of the buyer and do not affect the area of rational thinking.

They are what make a brand unique and shape its identity.

Brand offers- a summary of the rational and emotional benefits of the brand, expressed in a concise form. It includes a description of potential consumers, all the benefits of the brand, as well as criteria for determining them.

Brand image -is inextricably linked with all three previous

elements and is formed on their basis.

The brand image is the component that requires the most time and maximum literacy on the part of the manager, it takes decades to form, but at the same time it is destroyed quite simply. In order to make the image accessible to the consumer, a special character can be created and used to embody this brand.

Brand DNA Environment:

ü Business - culture- a set of factors that characterize the business practices adopted in a given business sector and determine the principles of activity followed by companies operating in this market. Business culture determines the range of possible strategies that a company can use when interacting with consumers and competitors (the degree of activity, innovation, riskiness of the strategy). The adopted business culture also determines the internal corporate principles of brand management (questions of motivation and stimulation of brand managers, principles of strategic development of brands, etc.)

ü consumer culture- a set of factors that characterize the consumer environment: consumer values, established traditions, accepted way of life, i.e. non-material and material factors of people's daily life. Consumer culture sets the aesthetic, emotional, and rational codes upon which brand messages must be based.

ü Personal image- a set of factors that describe the image of the direct target consumers with whom they associate themselves - how they see themselves or would like to see themselves, the personal "I" of the consumer. Consumers seek to express their image through purchases and consumer behavior (what they buy, where and how). Personal image defines the preferred image of the consumer, which the brand should be identical to. All characteristics of the brand must correspond to the personal image of the consumer (characteristics of the product itself, price factors, brand communications, points of sale, etc.)

ü social image- a set of factors that determine the socially oriented image of target consumers - how consumers would like to look in the eyes of other people (relatives, colleagues, friends), the social "I" of the consumer. The perception of the social image of the consumer is associated not only with direct communication with other people, but also imaginary ("what would others think if they knew what products I use"). Understanding the social and personal image of the target consumer allows you to form a more voluminous idea of consumers and create a brand image that will take into account the various hypostases of the consumer "I" depending on the situation and the purpose of using the branded product.

A step-by-step brand DNA strategy is the basis for a competent and effective brand positioning in the market.

Brand positioning is a managed process aimed at determining the position of a brand among competing brands existing in the minds of consumers. Proper development of DNA and brand positioning will help in the future to focus the brand on those advantages that will distinguish it from competitors and formulate its stable position in the mind of the consumer.

3. Formation of brand relations with the consumer

The search for the necessary product, the choice of a particular brand is an active process in the mechanism of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. The effectiveness of this process depends on the relationship of the consumer with this brand, rethinking the information received, knowledge and perceptions of the consumer about the purpose and quality of the product. The effectiveness of branding depends on how close the relationship is formed between the brand and the consumer. In the system of relations "brand - consumer" the main element is a person, so the mechanism of relationships depends on many factors.

In the system of relations "brand - consumer" the main element is a person, therefore the mechanism of the relationship between the brand and the consumer is probabilistic in nature and depends on many factors.

Personal value orientations. When modeling value orientations in brand symbols, it is necessary to take into account:

· value orientations of the individual, on which the orientation of the activity of the individual in relation to the brand will ultimately depend;

· the fact that the value orientations of the individual, i.e. its social orientations, beliefs, ideals may change throughout the life cycle of the brand.

Each person has their own value orientations, which are based on generalized ideas and opinions that are meaningful to him. However, what is valuable to one may be of little value to another. Therefore, it is very difficult to compare and express the value orientation of different people in one symbol.

When building a brand, highlight the main value orientations of the individual as a consumer, to which he aspires and which he perceives as an important part of his personality.

When analyzing and developing value orientations for a brand, it is necessary to be guided by the areas of activity in which these values are realized through certain keywords, namely: health, culture, well-being, family, recreation, etc. This approach allows you to build a brand model that will contribute to the formation of a strategic relationship between the consumer and the brand. An advertising message from a brand can refer to different values. However, one of them is leading, for example, the ad "It's good to have a house in the country" symbolizes mainly the values of family and home, and the message about chewing gum - the values of health. The consumer emotion evoked by the advertising message is instantaneous and reflects the quality of the relationship between the brand and the consumer, as well as the effectiveness of brand and product information. American psychologist Robert Platchik compiled a classifier of consumer emotions and actions caused by brand messages (Table 1).

Table 1. Emotions and reactions to brand messages

This classification made it possible to build a range of different human emotions and depending on the basic elements "satisfaction - expectation" and "acceptance - disgust". This approach allows you to build a marketing model of the brand's communication process.

Motivational-need properties of personality . Human needs are diverse, but each person is characterized by a certain system of needs, including dominant and subordinate, conscious and unconscious needs. At perceived needa person clearly represents the brand and what he wants to buy. At the core unconscious needlies the attraction, i.e. a person only feels that he lacks something and feels a desire to acquire it. The brand communication process enhances the sense of need and increases the likelihood that the buyer will be more motivated to enjoy the purchase of the product.

The motives of human behavior are based on needs. In this case, motives should be understood as the motivating properties of the brand that affect the behavior of a person, as a result of which he acts and acts, i.e. buys products.

The choice of a particular brand is an active process that requires the buyer to logically rethink the information of the brand. To make the right choice, a person must have information that helps him determine his attitude towards the brand. Attitude towards the brand, in turn, is formed on the basis of brand value orientationsmeaningful to the consumer, and the attentive attitude of the brand to the consumer. Only in this case, you can count on the respectful attitude of the consumer towards the brand, as this causes positive feelings and emotions in him. Thus, the mechanism of the relationship between the brand and the consumer is implemented through brand motivation, the logical conclusion of which is a loyal attitude towards the brand.

External environment . The interaction of the consumer with the external environment is the emotional self-identification of one's own content with the external features of the product through motives, needs, interests, desires, ideas, preferences and satisfaction.

The appearance of the product becomes a symbol of a person's need, since he emotionally identifies himself with the product. This self-identification is instantaneous, and the consumer instantly measures his capabilities on the basis of ideas and a mental assessment of the correspondence between the appearance of the product and its own content.

In order to correctly identify and model brand attributes, it is necessary to quality characteristics of the brandthat satisfy the interests and needs of the consumer.

Various methods of sociological research are used to develop a brand project. First, on the basis of test material and marketing communications, the necessary information is collected, which is then analyzed by the research team. Upon completion of the analysis, a brand project is developed that reflects the qualitative characteristics of the product and its external design.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the search for the necessary product, the choice of a particular brand is an active process in the mechanism of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. The effectiveness of this process depends on the relationship of the consumer with this brand, the rethinking of the information received by the consumer, the knowledge and perceptions of the consumer about the purpose and quality of the product.

Different products have different quality characteristics depending on their purpose. If the product belongs to the category of food products, then its main features are taste, smell, color; if to durable items - reliability, durability, strength, resistance to external influences, safety.

Thus, the qualitative characteristics of the goods are specific and diverse and depend on the purpose of the goods.

The qualitative characteristics of the product differ from the qualitative characteristics of the brand in that they are closely related to the satisfaction of the needs of the individual.

The brand, in turn, is characterized by the following features:

· functional- those that reflect the qualitative properties and purpose of the product in the content of the brand. These signs allow the consumer to identify their consumer interests with the use of the brand;

· social- a trademark that symbolizes the properties of a product and is aimed at meeting the needs of a particular social group;

· individual- value orientations of the brand, aimed at the individual and his interests, in which the brand is identified with its content;

· brand communication- the ability of a brand to evoke emotions and form relationships with consumers.

The effectiveness of the communication process and the life cycle of a brand depend on the interaction of all these features and how delicately they are reflected in its symbol.

List of sources used

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