Choosing Brand Elements to Build Brand Equity

Brand Elements
Brand Elements also known as brand identities are trade mark able devices that serve to
identify and differentiate the brand.
The brand elements are brand names, URLs, Logos, Symbols, Characters, Spokespeople,
Slogans, Jingles, Packages and Signage.
Brand Element can be chosen to enhance brand awareness, facilitate the formation of strong,
favorable and unique brand associations or elicit positive brand judgment and feelings.
What consumer would feel or think if they only knew about its brand name, associated logo,
and other characteristic.
Brand element provides positive contribution to brand equity.
Criteria for Choosing Brand Elements
There are 6 criteria in choosing brand elements
a. MemorabiIity
Brand elements should be memorable that will facilitate brand recall or recognition
b. MeaningfuIness
Brand elements should be chosen whose meaning enhances the formation of brand association.
General information about the product category:
a. To what extent brand elements suggest something about product category?
b. How likely would it be
Specific nformation about particular attributes and benefits of the brand
a. What extent does the brand element suggest something about the particular kind of product that brand
the brand would likely? Key attribute or benefit
c. LikabiIity:
How much would consumer like the brand?
Fun & nteresting
Rich Visual & verbal imagery
Aesthetically pleasing
/. TransferabiIity
To what extent brand elements add brand equity of new product the brand elements
introduced either within the product class or across product class.
To what extent does the brand element add to brand equity across geographic boundaries and
market segments.
e. A/aptabiIity:
Because of change in consumer values and opinions brand element also needs to be updated over time.
Brand elements should be more adaptable & flexible so that its easier to update.
Eg. Giving a new look to logos, symbol & characters.
f. ProtectabiIity:
Protection of brand elements in legal sense:
a. Choose brand elements that can be legally protected on an international basis.
b. Formally register them with the appropriate legal bodies.
c. Defend trademarks from unauthorized competitive infringement.
Need to reduce the likelihood that competitors can imitate the brand by creating a derivative based on salient
prefixes or suffixes of the name, emulating the package look or other actions.
ption & Tactics for Brand Elements
ran/ Name:
Brand name captures the central theme or key associations of the product.
Brand name can be effectively short hand means of communication
Brand name becomes so closely tied to the product in the minds of consumer.
Brand names are systematically researched before being chosen.
Naming Gui/eIines
Selecting a brand name for new product is certainly an art and a science.
Brand awareness is improved to the extent which brand names are chosen that are
Simple: Should be simple and within the grasp of common peoples.
easy to pronounce or spell
meaningful: should suggest the product features, quality and content of the product.
different
distinctive & unique: should be distinctive should enable consumer to distinguish from array of other products.
Short: should be short
Suitable: name should be suitable for other line that may be added to the product line in future
Recognizable: should be recognizable once a consumer buys.
Registerable
Decent
Naming Procedure
$tep 1:Define the bran/ing objective. t is important to define the ideal meaning that brand should take. Role of the
brand in entire marketing program must be understood as well as having in depth description of the target market.
$tep 2: Generating as may names/ concept possibIe. $ource of name couI/ be
a. Company management b. Employees c. existing or potential consumers
d. ad agencies e. professional name consultants or computer based naming companies
$tep 3:Names must be screene/ base/ on bran/ing objectives an/ marketing consi/eration.
Eliminate the following:
a. Names that have unintentional double meaning
b. Names that are unpronounceable, already in use, too close to existing name
c. Names that have legal complications
d. Names that represent an obvious contradiction of the positioning.
$tep 4: CoIIecting more extensive information on each of the final 5 to 10 names. Extensive legal search.
$tep 5: Consumer research is carried out to confirm management expectation as to the memorability and
meaningfulness of the names.
$tep 6: Finally based on information from all above steps management can choose the name that maximizes firms
branding and marketing objectives.
&#Ls( &niform #esource Location) are used to specify locations of pages on the Web and are
also commonly referred as domain names.
URL can be obtained by paying registering & paying
Logos & $ymboIs:
Though brand name is the central element of brand, visual brand elements often plays a critical role in building brand
equity.
Logos have a long history as a means to indicate origin, ownership, associations.
Logos may vary from corporate names or trade marks ( ie word marks) , distinctive form, entirely abstract logos.
Examples of brand with
strong word marks include Coca-cola, Kit Kat.
abstract logos Mercedes Star, Rolex, Nike
Non Word mark logos are also often called symbols.
enefits:
1. Because of visual nature, logo and symbols are easily recognized and can be valuable to identify the product.
2. Logos are versatile. Logos are often nonverbal. They can be relevant and appropriate in range of product category
3. Abstract logos are often useful when the use of full brand name is not possible.
4. Logos could more easily appear as an identification device on check books, litrature, signage and promotional
materials.
Updating logos however is important to make gradual changes that do not loose the inherent advantages of the logo.
Characters:
Characters represent a special type of brand symbol that takes on human or real life characteristics.
Brand character come in different forms:
a. Animated: Budweiser Frog, Momo Man of Bakery Caf, Pillsbury Poppin.
b. Live Action Figures: Cowboy of Marlboro, Ronald Mc Donald
Benefits:
1. Since brand characters are colorful and rich in imagery, they tend to be attention getting.
2. Brand character can be useful for creating brand awareness.
3. Brand character can help the brands break through the market place clutter.
4. Human element of the brand character can help to create the perceptions of the brand as
being fun, interesting & so forth.
5. Will be easier for consumer to have relationship with brand via brand character.
Demerits:
1. Brand character may be so attention getting and well liked that they dominate other brand
elements.
2. Characters must be updated over time.
$Iogans- PunsIine:
Slogans are short phrases that communicate descriptive or persuasive information about the brand.
Slogans often appear in advertising and can play important role in packaging & other marketing
programs.
Like brand name they are extremely efficient , shorthand means to build brand equity.
Slogans can function as useful to consumers grasp the meaning of the brand .
enefits:
1. Slogans can be devised in number of ways to help brand equity.
2. Slogans can help to reinforce brand positioning.
3. Slogans often become closely tied to advertising campaign and can be used as tag lines.
Designing $Iogans:
1. Slogans should be designed so that they contribute to brand equity in multiple ways.
2. Slogan should be interpreted in terms of product performance.
3. Slogan can contain meaning that is relevant in both a product related & non product related
sense.
&p/ating $Iogans:
Slogans are easiest brand element to change over time there is more flexibility in managing them.
a. Recognize how the slogan is contributing to brand equity, if at all, through enhanced
awareness or image.
b. Decide how much of this equity enhancement if any is still needed.
c. Retain as much as possible the needed or desired equities still residing in slogans while
providing what ever new twist of meaning are needed to contribute to equity.
ingIes:
Jingles are musical message written around the brand.
Made by professional song writers, music composer. They often has catchy tunes.
Jingles can be extended musical slogans.
Jingles can communicate brand benefits, personality, feelings.
Jingles are most valuable in terms of enhancing brand awareness because of repetition.
Because of their catchy nature, consumer may mentally rehearse or repeat the jingle.
Well known jingle can serve as a foundation for advertising for years.
Packaging:
Packaging involves the activities of designing and producing containers or wrapper for a product.
Early human used leaves and animal skin to cover and carry food and water.
Glass container first appeared in Egypt in early 2000 BC
Objective of Packaging
1. dentify the brand.
2. Convey descriptive & persuasive information
3. Facilitate product transportation and protection
4. Assist home storage
5. Aid product consumption
enefits:
1. Packaging can have important brand equity benefits for a company.
2. Container Service
3. Easy Handling & Movement
4. Prevention of damage & Loss
5. Convenience
6. Easy dentification
7. Cost reduction
8. Differentiation
9. Promotional device.
eatures of Goo/ Packaging
1. Truth in packaging
2. nformative
3. Transparency
4. Protective
5. Attractive
6. Convenient
7. Economical
Types of Packaging:
1. Family Packaging: Use of identical packaging for all products or the use of packages
with some common feature.
2. Reuse Packaging: f packaging is done in such a manner that container can be reused .
3. Multiple Packaging: f different products are contained in a single package.
4. Distribution Packaging: Packaging adopted to prevent loss or damage in the distribution
process.
5. Consumer Packaging: The package in which product reaches to consumer.
$ome key points in Packaging
1. Package design has become more recent years as brand proliferation continues and
advertising is seen less cost effective.
2. mportance of packaging at the point of purchase can be seen by recognizing that average
supermarket may be exposed to upto 15,000 items.
3. Package design has become an integral part of product development and launch.
4. Designers often refer to the ' shelf impact' of package.
5. ne of the important visual design element is color. Package color can affect consumers
perception.