Brand Building and Special Purpose Advertising

What's a Brand?

• A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer.

• Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising.

• Brands are mainly distinguished from generic goods.

Types of Brands

I. General Approach

Brands can be classified based on what they are and how they present. Brands can be widely classified based on various factors like business operandi, business style, business theme, business type and nature and many more. Let's understand types of brands from a general perspective.

1. Individual Brand: A branding strategy where products are given brand names that are newly created which are not connected to names of existing brands sold by the company. Eg. The Coca Cola Company has Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta, Minute Maid, Sprite, Powerade, etc.

2. Umbrella Brand: A branding strategy where products are given recognition with the use of corporate brand name mainly as a prefix. Eg. Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Eclair, Cadbury Cocoa Powder, Cadbury Bournvita, Cadbury Shots, Cadbury Five Star, etc.

3. Service Brands: Brands rendering intangible services assuring solutions for emerging problems are service brands. Eg. Zomato, Ola, OYO, L&T, etc.

4. Corporate Brands: These are products offered by popular organizations under one corporate name without any particular name for the product. Eg. Tata Motors, Tata Salt, Tata Tea, etc.

5. United Brands: A strategic brand name when organizations unite with a common business objective. This can be more of a corporate name and the same name is prefixed for its products and services. Eg. Future Generali, Vodafone Idea, ICICI Lombard, etc.

6. Event Brands: Events can become brands when they strive to deliver a consistent experience that attracts consumer loyalty. Examples include conferences the TED series, sporting events like the IPL, IIFA Awards, etc. The strength of these brands depends on the experience of people attending the event.

7. Geographic Indicator Brands: Place of origin can also be used as a branding strategy. This becomes effective when the mentioned place is a hub for manufacture / cultivation of such products. Eg. Kanchipuram Sarees, Chennai Silks, Kolhapuri Chappal, Kashmiri Apples, Himalayan Water, Air India, etc.

8. Media Brands: Brands involved in providing media services so that other brands get limelight. Eg. Zee Media Network, CNN, Indian Express Ltd, Republic Media Network, etc.

9. E-brands: Brands providing services through web can be called e-brands. These organizations can be an e-commerce company. Eg. amazon.com, Behrouz Biriyani (Cloud Kitchen), bookmyshow, bigbasket, etc.

II. Based on Characteristics

1. Disruptive Brand: Challenges the current ways of doing things and introduces new concepts that substantively change the market.

2. Conscious Brand: Is on a mission to make a positive social or environmental impact or enhance people’s quality of life.

3. Service Brand: Consistently delivers high-quality customer care and service.

4. Innovative Brand: Consistently introduces advanced and breakthrough products and technologies.

5. Value Brand: Offers lower prices for basic quality.

6. Performance Brand: Offers products that deliver superior performance and dependability.

7. Luxury Brand: Offers higher quality at higher price.

8. Style Brand: Is differentiated through the way its products or services look and feel, as much as or more than what they do

9. Experience Brand: Is differentiated through the experience it provides, as much as or more than the product or service.

AIDA Model

AIDA is marketing model that describes the steps a customers goes through in the buying process. The model was developed by an American businessmen Elmo Lewis in 1898. The objective of developing the model was to gauge the interaction between seller and the concerned buyer. The model lays certain ways of converting an consumer into a customer. Four hierarchial process like first grabbing attention, then generating interest, followed by creating a desire to buy and finally persuade so nicely that the the viewer gets convinced to buy i.e. take an action.

Grabbing ATTENTION: When it comes to selling a product, advertisement plays a pivot role. For an advertising campaign to be effective, it should be able to grab a quick attention of the audience. This can be acquired by creating attractive headlines, benefits, emotions, colorful ad creative illustrations, funny cartoons, beautiful scenery, soothing background color, popular and loyal personalities, appropriate music and motion, best color combination, contrast, size, layout, etc.

Generating INTEREST: A marketer should make use of such content in an ad which can develop interest in the minds of the viewers. This can happen only if the buyer wishes to watch or read the advertisement further. Hence, this step comes only after grabbing attention. The marketer should understand the viewer's perspective and create distinct buying motives such as love and affection, pride and possession, comfort and convenience, sex and romance, special features, utility, price, distribution, brand, etc.

Creating DESIRE: Creating a desire to buy is very important for a marketers so as to get a lead for business thereby increasing sales, market share and profits. Making the product features enter into people's mind is very important to react to this stage and this involves a lot of understanding of consumer behavior. Things like product features, positive effects of the product, performance of the product and product demonstration, after sale services, promotional offers, testimonials & reviews by society, stakeholders and users along with existing brand image.

Securing ACTION: Action under the AIDA model can be interpreted as an outcome which requires high level pursuance. This is the stage where the viewer finally converts into a customer. Several points in an advertisement like set of instructions, limited availability of stock, discounts of quick purchases, other immediate benefits, etc. are shown so as to make the audience to take a call. This has become highly possible in digital advertising which allows a user to explore and immediately place an order after watching an ad.

How Advertising develops Brand Image?

Let's understand Brand Image first!

Brand image is the current perspective of the consumers about the brand. It is the position of a brand in a consumer's mind. It can be a set of idea and beliefs possessed by consumers about a particular brand. This is formed only because of an association with the brand, which can be in any form like attribute, theme, benefits, characters, message, etc. Advertising plays a very important role in bringing light to a brand. A brand can become unknown to known only because of timely advertising. When quality advertisements are delivered in the market, it tends to ignite viewer's minds and become an asset for the advertiser. Things like creativity, endorsers, tag line, theme, logo and symbols, jingle along with the quality of the product makes a brand look brighter in the market and that's how a brand develops brand image.

Advertising Factors

1. Creativity: The level of creativity in an advertisement makes it look unique and attractive than usual. Creative contents can be well remembered and retained in the audience's minds thereby creating a quick recall value for the brand. This enhances the a positive image about the brand in the minds of the audience.

2. Ambassador / Endorser: Development of brand image also depends on the person endorsing the brand. It's quiet usual and common that popular celebrity endorsed ads run exceptionally well in the market. A brand can also have a brand mascot which represents that particular brand. In short, brand ambassadors tend to improve brand image and remembrance in the minds of the audience.

3. Media Selection and Scheduling: Advertising involves selection of the right media and scheduling an ad at the right time in the right way to the right audience. This hammers the viewers enhancing placement of brand in their minds. When an ad is displayed during the right season, it becomes need of the hour and hence, uplifts brand. Eg. ads of cycle when there is a price rise in fuel.

4. Symbols: Brand symbols and logos at times are so pleasing that they create a permanent impact in people's mind. When symbols are displayed with a meaning, it creates an impression on the viewers and automatically enhances brand image. Eg. Amazon logo has alphabets covering from a to z.

5. Sponsorships: When brands sponsor in for programmes and events, it gains popularity and respect in people's mind. Even if not attention and respect, but a sponsoring brand always earn quick recall value and top of mind awareness due to its regular advertisements and name call out. Eg. Mobile Premier League (Gaming App) has sponsored Big Boss on colors HD. This creates a continuous focus on MPL thereby making its name very familiar to the viewers, thereby enhancing its brand value.

6. Size of the Ad: Ad size also play an important role in enhancing brand image. Viewers don't mind watching creative and informative television and video ads up to 15 to 30 seconds which brings them close to the brand. This closeness enhances brand awareness and brand name retention which again improves brand image. Eg. Fans of Alia Bhat wouldn't mind watching her ad of Vicco due to it's informative and appealing nature. Similarly, MDH and LG Steam Technology.

7. Quality of the Ad: Quality ads are usually the ones which are short and crispy, informative, creative, high defines, celebrity endorsed, high defined background or vfx or classic interiors. Eg. ad of Scam 1992 on Sony channels. Ad of Chyawanprakash (Sugar free Immunity)

8. Humor: Ads with humor also attract viewers for the fun element in it. It is believed that humor content always create laughter and engages viewers creating happiness. Eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJBRlmTRmg

Non - Advertising Factors

There are a list of non - advertising factors that influence the level of brand image in the market. Let's understand some of them.

1. Promotional Offers: Many organizations enhance their image by pushing their products / services in the market at special offers. This can be discount, cash back, free offer, gifts, scratch cards, vouchers, etc. which attract consumers to a great scale. PAYTM and Google Pay are classic examples of having in app promotional offers especially cash-back and vouchers which develops anticipation in user's mind and creates top of mind situation for the brand.

2. Supply Chain: Supply Chain is also one of the non-advertising factor for boosting brand image. Wider the supply chain of a product, wider is the reach, thereby facilitating availability of goods. A supply chain for a consumer good need to be so deep that it also covers rural regions and thus establish a market there. Consumer products like Parle-G, Colgate, RIN, Maggi, etc. are so widely supplied that their product reaches remote markets and automatically earn monopoly and preference over other (non-available) products.

3. After Sale Service: If consumers are considered King of the market, then after sale service would be an essential as well as an integrated part of goods and services so supplied. Effective and timely after sales services creates a closer bond between the consumers and the brand thereby enhancing brand value and image. Maruti Suzuki has always been delivering quality and reasonable products with no compromise on after sales services which has help them to enhance their brand image among the masses.

4. Product Performance: In reality, brand image highly depends on the performance of the product. Products which are highly stable and effective tends to create a close bond between the consumer and the brand, thereby lifting brand image. Unstable and ineffective / defective products cannot capture and retain consumer attention as the consumer may shift brand due to bad experience. In Indian markets, there is a quote "Chale toh chaand tak, nahi toh raat tak" for dumped Chinese goods which is not good for a brand to achieve fame.

5. Product Price: Quoting optimum price for the right product in the right market always creates a soft corner for the consumers about value for money. Consumers usually expect more for less payment. And if payment is more, then more is expected. Hence, price also pay an important role in managing brand image of a product. REDMI has been a popular smart android phone marketer in India mainly for it's low price and high value delivery. On the other hand, apple products offer premium quality stuffs thereby creating trust and pulling high economy consumers who are quality conscious.

6. Corporate Image: A company's image also matters in gaining public attention and converting consumers into customers. A very good corporate image of a parent company will always make marketing job possible for it's brands. Nestle holds a very popular image in India and worldwide. This image has helped Nestle to promote it's products effectively in various markets without much barriers.

7. Packaging Style: The way how a product is packed plays a vital role in not only attracting consumers but also allows them to know and connect to the product. Attractive and convenient packaging enables facilitates better compassion and easy handling respectively thereby enhancing brand value. Too Yum owned by RP Group provides an attractive and premium packaging for its baked snacks attracting consumers to try it. Also, ketchups / chutneys / sauce / pulps / paste etc. packed in pichkoo pouches makes it easy and convenient to use.

Brand Equity

Brand equity is a marketing term that describes a brand’s value. Its a value that a company gains from it's brand recognition. This value is determined by consumer perception towards experiencing a brand and it's products. If people highly think and approach a brand for it's quality and promises, it has positive brand equity. But when a brand consistently under-delivers and disappoints the customers, it has negative brand equity. Companies can create brand equity for their products by making them memorable, easily recognizable and superior in quality and reliability. Heavy ad campaign also help to create brand equity.

Eg. Dettol Handwash and Sanitizer, Apple iPhones, Harward, Royal Enfield, Prestige, etc.

Factors Influencing Brand Equity

There exist a lot of market driven forces that can influence brand equity of a certain product or service. Let's understand one by one.

1. Brand Image: Brand image refers to the current position of a brand in the consumer's mind which can be favorable or adverse. A favorable brand image denotes customer delight whereas an adverse brand image denotes unsatisfied customer. These extreme scenario covers brand equity. A brand with a better brand image due to it's hybrid brand strategy would have a positive brand equity and brand undergoing crisis will have negative brad equity.

2. Brand Identity: Brand identity talks about how recognizable a brand is in contrast to its fellow competitors. Having an appropriate brand identity facilitates effective brand positioning in the market and hence improves brand equity. But a brand will low recall value is sure to struggle with it's positioning strategy due to negative brad equity. In most of the markets, people prefer products which are identifiable and creates a value for the brand.

3. Brand Awareness: Brand awareness and brand identity aren't same. The only difference is brand awareness measures the degree of product recognition by consumers through it's brand name. Whereas identity differentiates a product with others in the competition. A brand can achieve more awareness through consumer engagement programmes especially on social media.

4. Brand Loyalty: Brand loyalty is the chances of a particular customer buying the same brand without switching into other brands. Products delivering high value can retain customers for a long period of time thereby enabling goodwill and brand reputation. More customer loyalty, positive is the brand equity. In reality, every business organization aims to develop it's own brand loyalty by breaking other's brand loyalty.

5. Brand Association: Brand association are certain qualities that can be remembered and recognized by the buyers at the time of buying. Such positive and favorable associations provide a reason to the buyer to prefer this product over others in the market. Such positive qualities create top of mind awareness among the audience and persuades them to take an action. Eg. 2 minutes is associated to Nestle Maggi, French Fries is highly associated to McDonalds, Mirchi is associated to 98.3 FM, etc. So, a brand having a positive association enjoys positive brand equity and vice versa. Brand association makes more sense with the following points:

• Brand Mascot - Mascots are real or fictional characters endorsing a brand. Being real, cartoon or imagery characters, they get well imprinted in audience's minds and facilitates identity and recognition of a brand. Globally, many brands have mascots. Eg. Zoo Zoo for Vodafone, Fido Dido for & Up, etc.

• Brand Logo and Tag Lines - Effective brand logo and tag lines also play fair in shooting up brand equity by creating a quality impression on the viewers. When logos are sensible, then create an appeal. And when tag lines are meaningful, they enhance persuasion.

• Check the form below and test your brand skills.

Brand Crisis

Brand Crisis is a situation where a brand passes through a tough time perhaps, due to allegations or adverse claims made on it. Fault in product, inappropriate advertising, exaggerated claims, high price, quality compromise, violation of product standards / compliance, etc. can lead to a negative brand equity. During such time, it becomes very difficult to sustain in the market as consumers start switching over brands, breaking loyalty. This creates an opportunity for competing brands to splash their advertisements in the market to pull over consumers. Brand crisis leads to a tremendous fall in the market value of a brand undergoing crisis and creates utmost difficulty to regain the lost value. Brand images are very delicate and is subject to destruction on account of one wrong step. Famous brands like Dominos, Nestle Maggi Noodles, Toyota, Wolkswagen, Pepsi, etc. have undergone such stages and have very well mitigated them with their advocacy strategy and intensive marketing.

Effects of Brand Crisis

• Negative Brand Equity

• Loss of brand value

• Adversely impacts Corporate Image

• Can mount up penalties and fines for the Company

• Affects market share of a brand

• Call off of products from the market

• Face boycott of brand

• Awesome opportunity for competitors

• Aweful situation for the company and its stakeholders

Management of Brand Crisis

• Crisis Management Plan should be framed to be implemented under revival process. Enormous research should be done to identify the loopholes. Advise should be taken from internal and external technical experts and consultants to create an advocacy plan.

• Crisis Management Team should be formed comprising of expert members from marketing, public relations, media and most importantly, legal.

• Social Media proves a vital tool for mass communication where the corporate can try to engage with the audience. The company can take up active measures to interact with audience advocating their point by proving self right or accepting fault.

• Effective PR Campaigns should be conducted as a part of remarketing policy. Special ads should be promoted and focused interaction should be enhanced so as to gain the lost touch with the customers.

• Recall the Product, if found faulty so as to not affect more consumes in the future.

• Public Apology and Compensation should be initiated effectively as this would make the audience feel company accepting it's responsibility.

Special Purpose Advertising

Rural Advertising

Advertising of consumer and capital goods carried out in rural regions with intentions of making business and acquiring markets is called rural advertising. Rural regions in India comprise of more than 60% of India's population and contribute to near around 46% of total national income. Where there is population, there exist market. And hence, rural regions prove to be a classic and a first hand market for many marketers and advertisers. Rural regions in India these days are well equipped with mediums of communication like television, radio newspapers, internet, etc. and this makes it a potential market for advertising. Besides this, outdoor advertising in towns and villages are also areas where advertising takes place. Events like local mela, demonstration, announcements, folk performances, stage theatres, villagers participation and explanation, etc. are some of the popular and traditional ways of spreading brand awareness and advertising in rural areas. Some of the rural advertising strategies are mentioned below:

• Influencer Strategy: Under this strategy, promotion is done through a users of the product. It seems to be more like a testimony based advertising where a renowned person spreads the word so as to create an influence in the villages. The influencer can be a Trader, Priest, Teacher, Sarpanch, Landlords, Religious Leaders, Babas, Political Leaders, etc.

• Participatory Strategy: Here, product promotion is done by organizing events where villagers are called as guests and content is shown to them on LCD projectors by mere explanation. This strategy makes the advertiser to involve and interact with the audience so a to create a deep understanding and convert them in to potential customers.

• Show-N-Tell Strategy: This strategy is very much like participatory strategy where the only difference is that this strategy focuses to educate villagers about brands and product utility. It can mainly be a social message or product or service.

• Product Demonstration Strategy: In villages and towns, local marketers gather crowd and demonstrate what they have got. This pulls a lot of attraction where spot sales can be done. This strategy is highly effective as it involves continuous gathering of people and one person's purchase can influence others.

Political Advertising

Political advertising are advertising strategies adopted by political parties towards promoting their visions, missions and ideologies to the public, thereby creating an influence on the voters. This can be seen from various perspectives where the political party is in power and when not in power. A political party in power can advertise it's achievements and public services offered under it's ministry so that maximum hearts can be won and a political image can be created. Whereas, a party not in power can advertise and run campaigns to gain views and awareness. Besides all this, various other things like social welfare information, public appeal, invitation for events, wishes for organizing cultural events, sports, birthdays, condolence etc. publically displayed by a political party also is a kind of advertising. The most important media used here are television, newspapers, radio, posters, banners, hoardings, internet, SMS, etc. In India, each political party has a symbol / logo for it's representation and even this can be treated as a way of communication and hence forms a part of it's promotion campaign. As per an article published on Economic Times dated 27th August 2020 , the Bhartiya Janata Party has emerged as a single largest spender on digital advertising on global platforms like Google and social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Campaigns like 'Mann ki Baat', My First Vote for Modi and Nation with NaMo have been heavily promoted on Facebook which has enabled the party to spread it's wings among the youth masses.

Advocacy Advertising

Advocacy advertising is a strategy adopted to convey a strong message to the audience aggressive style. Such an advertising style is targeted on areas such as social concerns, health, brand crisis, economic issues, sovereignty environment and politics. Through such an advertising strategy, a massive concern can be raised among the audience with respect to the idea. It can also help a brand to correct and improve market's negative attitude due to it's poor past performance. Most of the times, advocacy advertisements are argumentative or controversial, which may throw questions on the public for gaining attention and concern. Can be mainly promoted on social media, television, newspapers, outdoors, etc. A good example of advocacy advertising can be advertisements of The Indian Army on social media, television and newspapers showing their strength, valor, power, integrity, respect and compassion towards country and country men. Also, advertisements on preserving environment and wild life sue to massive extinction of resources due to it's exploitation can be a kind of advocacy advertising.

Corporate Image Advertising

Advertising undertaken by a Corporate entity so as to promote itself i.e. it's own name is called Corporate Image advertising. Having a strong corporate name and image plays a very crucial role in influencing the market participants. A company can generate trust and equity from it's ad viewers and regular customers and that becomes very essential to promote it's own brands. As an example, Nestle holds good name and fame among global masses because of its corporate cum brand advertising. Advertisement of every Nestle product consist not only the brand name but also the parent company name i.e. Nestle. Many Insurance Companies in India promote their Corporate name only so as to enhance corporate identity and recognition. This helps them in the future to easily and effectively sell their popular products and services. Companies with large economies of scale generally go for such advertising where focus is made on research and development, manufacturing units, no. of employees, foreign collaborations, supply chain, market position, recognition, list of products and services offered, social responsibility steps taken, etc.

Green Advertising

Green Advertising is an advertising strategy which focuses on promoting product or services along with raising environment concerns. The ad doesn't really promote an eco friendly product, but there is strong message in the ad showing concern that the brand is in the favor of sustaining environment. This kind of advertising can generate a kind green mark in the eyes of viewers and can educate them with importance of showing love and care towards the environment. Green advertising can be carried out in multiple ways. Either by way of showcasing that the product is made of natural resources like Patanjali, Himalaya, etc. The other way can be to crate an impact on the consumers about the companies concern over environment degradation and create an awareness through ads. Eg. Idea – Use Mobile Phones, Save Paper and Nike- Give All, Take Everything and Apple iPhone 12 with environmental report card is a perfect example for green advertising.

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