chp 4: brand elements to build equity
• Tarnishment
A different company employs the mark in order to degrade its quality, such as in the context of a parody
memeroability
Basically achieving a high level of brand awareness (Easily recognised and easily recalled.) For example the Cookie Time cookie monster is easily recognisable and sticks in peoples mind.
Trademarks protect from DILUTION
- A weakening or reduction in the ability of a mark to clearly and unmistakably distinguish the source
transferability
: Measures the extent to which the brand element adds to the brand equity for new products or in new markets for the brand. First point - Within and across product categories - Can the brand element be transferred to other products easily, Just Juice would be a hard Brand Name to transfer to Beer if they were to extend their product line. Point 2 - Across Geographic Boundaries and Cultures - For example your brand name might mean something bad in another culture. EG: When Pepsi started marketing in China its slogan "Pepsi Brings you back to life," translated to "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave."
• Cybersquatting
An unaffiliated party purchases an internet domain name consisting of the mark or name of a company for the purpose of relinquishing the right to that domain name to the legitimate owner for a price
key tactics in choosing different brand elements:
Brand Names - If it's meaningful it may be difficult to transfer to other product categories/extensions Logos and Symbols - Visual elements play a crucial role in building brand equity and especially brand awareness Characters - Represent a special type of brand symbol, one that takes on human like traits. Generally introduced through advertising and package design, look at all the breakfast cereals with characters! Slogans - Short phrases that communicate descriptive or persuasive information about the brand. Packaging - Is the activity of designing and producing containers or wrappers for a product. packaging must • Identify the brand • Convey descriptive and persuasive information • Facilitate product transportation and protection • Assist in In-home storage • Aid Product Consumption
different types of brand elements
Brand elements, aka brand identities are those trademarkable devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand. The main ones are brand names, URL's, LOGOS, Symbols, Characters, Spokespeople, Slogan, Jingles, packages and signatures. Marketers should choose brand elements to enhance brand awareness, facilitate the formation of favourable and strong brand associations or elicit positive feelings.
Blurring
Happens when the use of an existing mark by a different company in a different category alters the 'uniqueness and distinctiveness' of that mark. (Maybe Watties putting something similar to the Nike Swoosh on their cans.)
likeability
Fun and interesting, rich visual and verbal imagery, do the customers find the brand element aesthetically appealing? For example the KFC Colonel, he's easily recognised, reminds people of the finger licking good taste of KFC and is visually pleasing.
general criteria for choosing brand elements
In general there are 6 criteria for choosing brand elements: Memorable, Meaningful, Likeable, Transferable, Adaptable and Protectable. The first 3 are a marketer's offensive strategy and build brand equity, the later 3 play a defensive role for leveraging and maintaining brand equity in the face of different opportunities and constraints.
legal issues surrounding brand elements
Legally a brand name is a "conditional-type property" protected only after it has been used in commerce to identify products (goods and services). Basically a trademark is put in place so consumers don't get confused. For example Weet-Bix is a trademark
rationale for 'mixing and matching' brand elements
Meaningful brand names that are visually represented through logos are easier to remember than without reinforcement. The entire set of brand elements makes up the brand identity, the contribution of all brand elements to awareness and image
meanignful
Two key points - Descriptive and persuasive! Does the brand element suggest something about the product category, the need satisfied or the benefit supplied? Does it have persuasive meaning and suggest something about that kind of product?