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Branding Competition

Unleashing the Power of Branding

Introduction

Rivalry and competition in a global business environment is tough and achieving a unique position in the market, as well as having a name and brand, which customers would recognizes and not forget, is a competitive and sometimes a daunting task, and is becoming more and more difficult and expensive. In any scenario such as corporations, small to large enterprises around the world are increasingly becoming aware of the enhancement and superiority value, not only with what branding can provide but also how you can work constantly towards enhancing their brand value and reputation. This may be to gain a market and also acquire a particular market trend of people for repetitive customers including service and loyalty. Branding and the role of brands, as traditionally understood, have been very important from every company perspective.

A brand can convey personality, speak or even boast about a buyer’s value. At the same time, they human mind can associate the brand with different product and service related attributes such as organized, durable, reliable and pleasurable (Macrae, 2001).

As an illustration, someone looking to purchase a Mercedes may value high performance, luxury/prestige as well as safety. Hence, a brand may attract people whose actual or desired self-images are matching with that of a brand. As many literature and research is available on the subject of branding, the scale of benefits, which can be attributed directly or indirectly to branding, is yet to be clearly defined.

So on that note, this brief will look at analyzing how much a role emotion plays in branding and insight into different branding techniques as well as how brands differentiate themselves. During this process, we will assess the vital role (involved and played) of internal customers as brand advocates.

The importance of power and value of branding is increasingly been realized within the academic and management community. The importance of shaping an organization image as clear vision by its intended audience is the reason this brief focuses on the internal audience. There will be thorough discussion into Loyalty, as a customer’s loyalty often relates to a brand’s core strength. The research will also try to examine the correlation between brand and customer perceptions, and what can be done to strengthen that core relationship between the two to not only attain customers’ expectations but also exceed it.

The focus is not only on the role of branding but also how it has changed over the past few years. It will examine how the concept of branding has transformed in the wake of changing business environment and in a competitive and more demanding environment. It also looks to assess the effectiveness of branding within the current business climate and today’s business world, to analyze how customers develop an opinion about a brand (thought process and influence process) and how loyalty and branding are interlinked.

Literature Review

A series of rapid transformations within all industry sectors in recent years, are having a profound effect on how industry providers must now use methods to approach departments such as their marketing and sales. International low level but comprehensive competition, the differences in new technologies, product and services, monopolies, reformed regulation, and flattened prices are all significant factors.

The best ways is through something called: effective branding. The brand is not only a verbal abut also a visual identity of how companies and businesses communicate not only features but also benefits of their products and/or services to not only their target audience (customers), but also prospective customers (buyers), and/or business influencers. The brand includes their innovative and unique log, tag line, brand statement strategy (ies) and/or promise, including: series of communication their would rely about their distinctive products and/or services. A brand plays an important role in market economy not only it benefits ultimate consumer but also to the company itself.

Branding has been a central and vital element in the introduction, growth and successful development of organizations. They are seen to take the guesswork and uncertainty out of choosing, so long as they are operated within strict guidelines to ensure that the brand offer is identical. This uniformity is seen to bring benefits not only to the customer but also to the operating company. The research will look into the various brand functions and will point out the more relevant functions in the organizational context. It will also try to bring out any other function which the brand may perform.

Companies when their build their unique brand, the most important factor they face nowadays as well as more challenging is that of the marketing objective(s). A strong and winning brand has major distinctive equity and permanent value. As a result, in-depth planning including: thought and analysis must go into not only building and creating the brand but also in communicating the brand over a time frame.

History of Branding

Branding has emerged quite a lot between 1990’s and 2000 – specially a significant emphasis (not only on companies and their products) but also on governmental organisation (municipalities), ad hoc campaigns, universities as well as on non-profit organisations and “individuals” [according to BSI, 2006], “Branding has became ubiquitous” [BSI, 2006].

However in this modern age, we have something called modern day branding; this is on a 50+ years timeline and it is in its infancy (modern day branding started off in the 1950’s). Modern branding was formed or developed (or so called) born of the television and the need for drive consumption to a mass market. Communicating with a vast market required (and still requires nowadays) some form of broadcast (TV, Radio and Internet). Also it has been reported that the drive to differentiate a product on a shelf is a driving force behind “branding” methodologies and the rise of agencies.

Branding has focused on product and communications for over five decades. A huge appeal to people is that, the fundamental requirements and needs for which branding prompted (originated) from, it came as a consequence and/or a result into assuring honesty, provide some type of quality assurance, identify and (declaration) source (of) and/or factors not only as hold producers, but also like ownership and manufactures responsible, including: differentiation, a type of unique identification and/or to only generate but also to create emotional bonding.  Introduction to Brands

Branding

Many successful brands have not only created in the past – but still creates not only a special but also a unique relationship with its customers, this is because they are based just not on clear physical (tangible) benefits, but as well as, on intangible attributes that suggests – “strong emotional responses” [CIM, 2007]. Branding is a complex process with a simple goal. It is the creation and development of a specific identity for a company, product, commodity, group, or person and is carefully designed to present qualities that its creators believe will be attractive to the public’. (Baker, 2002; pg 112) Kotler (2002) defines a brand as an identifiable product augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant unique added values which match their needs most closely. Its success results from being able to sustain these added values in the face of competition. This definition emphasizes three aspects of a successful brand, the brand is dependent on customer perception, perception is influenced by the added-value characteristics of the product and the added value characteristics need to be sustainable. The brand, thus, plays a crucial role in helping the consumer to infer the consumption benefits pertaining to a specific product. Various researches carried out by Ernst and Young (1999) have also endorsed the fact that a product’s brand name is an important factor in a customer’s decision to buy products. Strong brands championed by passionate leaders have become the body and soul of the modern business (e.g McDonald’s etc). It is strongly being believed that branding will become one of the most prominent drivers of value in future.

This so-called “brand loyalty” has made in the past a substantial impact in on a companies performance. It also had a positive impact on the economy in general. [CIM, 2007].

There are seven steps in understanding how branding works and also same steps are taken in creating a successful brand(s). These are as follows:

• Defining the Brand –Defining your brand is more than just logos and packaging.
• Understanding the Type of Brands: applying branding is not just implementing the brand – such as on frequently purchased products, but to rollout and implement to every sphere of your business – “information, e-commerce, services and anything and everything in between” [CIM, 2007].
• Very important – get to know how your brand works: Deliver the promise- achieve total customer loyalty and influence the choice(s) – Branding is not about the external facets of a service or a product, it is much more than making things look good. CIM, 2007].
• Branding attributes are not only easily copied and difficult to protect, but essentially something must be done and/or (achieved) to differentiate the brand. In the wake of rising competition, where firms are competing against each other to establish distinctive competence, ‘branding strategy’ can be used as one such differentiator. Eg. Apple’s branding strategy concentrates on depicting its image as an innovator. This differentiates it from other technology competitors who try to establish a different brand identity.
• Managing and Revitalising the Brand: The natural position of a brand over a period of time – is in a decline state, as the perception of the market, and/or its competitors, catch’s up and overtakes. However, if having an effective management and a plan in place, a brand can be preserved (sealed). Similar to the lifecycle which the products and services have, brands can have their own life-cycle. Eg. Organizations may have to project a different brand identity after a certain period of time (depending on external market factors). Brands, too can have a foundation (framework) and revitalize (freshen up) their image – in accordance of the market and the climate (demand) in the economy.
• How to create and manage the branding portfolios: How many typical brands should a company have? While there has been no consistent answer to this question among academic circles, it is largely believed the more sub-brands a company has, the more it stands a chance of getting noticed. But, at the same time, researchers argue that its equally important to manage the portfolio of brands. The key to a successful portfolio of brands is to balance and effectively manage the brands.
• Measuring the brand performance: Brands and branding is a key element and an asset to any company and/or business but their intangible nature makes them difficult to measure and quantify [CIM, 2007]. Companies should remember and make it an imperative task in measuring their brand, as it gives an early indications to their (companies) future and their profit trends, and it also assists brand managers when it comes to decision making as well as it can be vital in investor relations.

As covered earlier - brands and branding is just not an identity - brands have always been and/or are (and) will be customers experiences (more: unique customer experience). A brand is normally built and created from a variety of diverse and different experiences (medium)

Each of the medium displayed in the above diagram - has its own brand attributes and this changes constantly and appropriately. The fundamental and main rule of branding is that you not only need to be consistent across the medium (media), but also need to exceedingly meet their power. Eg., “if a particular advertisement works television (successfully) and/or on out-door advertising – this doesn’t necessarily mean it would work online”[BrandChannel 2003]. When drawing and coming up with a plan, design and management strategy for your brand it is imperative that the brand and branding itself makes a consistent promise to the customers / clients. The promises then have to be matched to actions and it should be made sure that the promise if fulfilled. Brands can be also regarded as an interactive medium - the stronger the relations, communications and value, the stronger the brand are. Stronger and robust brands gives companies to manoeuvre, especially at crises situations (re-branding)- for example, at the time of product or services recall. Thus, we can believe that brands are “conceptual and emotional”[Inderscience, 2005].

Definition: What is a brand?

One principal definition of a brand is as follows [Emerald, 2005]:

A brand is a combination of a logo or a design, it can also consist of a name or a combination of the three, that is projected to link the goods and/or services of one’s business or a cluster of businesses to act as a differentiators.

[PWC 2002] reported that (Wolff Olins) a leading and the most influential branding consultancy {The Company who did the branding for the London 2012 Olympics and does branding for GE’s product and services}, defined a brand as:

From these quotes, you can clearly get an overview that, firstly with regards to branding; you have an emblem (an identify) –{motif} that links to goods (products) and/or services – which is owned by a business and/or a group of businesses- that exclusively differentiates from its competitors. All this can only happened – if it’s only properly managed – and has created an influence and generated some kind of value (internally) and by its customers – and only – this will generate the return on investments and cap the profits – drive sales to its customers as well as meeting the key points indicator – for the market the business is in – and see it inline with the current trends and market perceptions – to outright its competitors and win the hearts of its customers – where then the loyalty would be in-place – so a repeat of products and/or services would be available.

It is widely believed and has been established as a fact businesses and corporate companies, which spend and maintain leading brands normally evolve and thrive (do well) – not only their achieve ROI (return on investments) and cap their profits and hit sales high but also achieve those relationship with customers (loyalty) so end-to-end customers keeps returning to that brand, while the ones which fails not only are left to struggle but also battle for the lower profit margins in their respective markets.

Here the world’s top 10 brands will be looked into in 2002 (measured by value):

The ‘Top 10 brands’ data depicted above raises some crucial questions-– for instance - why do businesses and companies, likes the instances of Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM and Nokia appear to attain a international marketing success and hit sales cap so high so easily and rapidly? And why does it emerge for others an extra effort? The other question from the consumer’s point of view is why do we feel (consumers), feel obliged as well as loyal to brands such as the above – as soon as we are insight of their logo and/or motto – we are reaching deep into our pockets to buy their products? These questions are further answered within this brief.

Brand Value

Brand value is determined by an understanding of likely future performance and predicted cash flows. Stakeholders concerned with brand equity are the customers, the distribution channels, media and other stakeholders like the financial markets and analysts, depending on the type of company ownership. It is worth pointing out that it is the customer’s subjective evaluation of the brand that builds brand equity. First, customers develop more favorable attitudes toward the brand and therefore are more likely to purchase the brand. Second, customers have increased positive feelings for the brand and therefore are less likely to purchase a competing brand. Third, the customer’s positive attitude and feelings toward the brand also increase the likelihood that the customer will recommend the brand to others, thereby increasing the probability that another customer will choose the brand. (Rust et al., 2006, cited in Web 5). The study will not delve deep into the different metrics as it is beyond the scope of the research but it will refer to brand equity from time to time to point out the strength of the brand.

Corporate Branding

To create and manage a successful corporate brand it is imperative that you know your brand inside –out and it has to be so that this “one” shot you have stimulate and inspires confidence as well as a belief in your company and its products and/or services - across the board and over a wider array of involved and involved factions, arrays ranging from industry regulators to employees, and even suppliers and manufactures.

A report published in 2002 highlighted that it is imperative that corporate companies remember the three key words to be successful in creating a cooperate brand: Research, Planning & Leadership, and Consistency [Brand Channel, 2002] - to this corporate companies need to make sure and they need to remember as well as adhere to the below listed points – which would lead to a successful brand – these points are as follows:

• Research: It is imperative that companies and businesses research their product and/or services as well the market (the perception) and also define things which differentiate from their competitors and are aware of not only the competition but also be aware of the consequences - this can be done in-line with the companies employees, customers and stakeholders.
• Planning and Leadership: For any corporate brand to be successful and to win the hearts of customers, leadership commitment is an absolute must. Once the management (leadership) is in place, and that you are aware and know what you want to achieve with your corporate brand, only then, you must start planning.
• Consistency: For any corporate brand to be truly successful and to win its customer’s hearts and reserve them (they customers), brand building should be ongoing rather than something done at regular / irregular intervals. The process should have the backing and support of everyone, involved in and with the business.

Keeping a Product Young and Fresh

One of the important variables of any brand management scenario – is that to need to keep the brand upto date – “if there is any instances that would kill a brand, it’s often age” [Gordon - Pringle, 2001]. Brand products and/or services doesn’t need to be revamped or redesign fiscally, however it is vital that the branding which it represents (including the market its in) the product and/or service requires brand revival or called “revitalisation” [Marketing, 2003] so that it receives and gets the appeal required (to sell), from audiences (consumers).

The ageing of products makes the brand less exciting and the brand identity starts to lose ground and momentum. It is rare but also sometimes true that to get products and/or services from companies which shock consumers – and rarely need re-branding for a quite longer period of time, however, there is always something in the pipeline for all products and/or service – which is an expiration date of that (product/services), in serious necessity of an image and a vision overhaul. Branding is not about just getting it right and advertising and marketing – it is also further about “keeping a product and/or services young, fresh and appealing at all times”. Therefore, businesses need to remember to “fresh branding” as it is required in requisition to keep an ageing product and/or services fresh, young and revitalised.

Illustration

The brand identity and value concept discussed earlier in the text is highlighted with the Subway brand. Subway is a reputed fast food brand selling sandwiches, salads etc. It emphasizes its brand identity on the basis of trust. It believes that if the brand is trustworthy, it reduces anxiety and doubt in the customer’s minds. When a ‘health’ food like sandwiches and salads are advertised by an entirely unknown name, consumers are much more cautious about buying it than if it comes from a name they know (e.g Subway). Consumers don’t want to comprise their health, therefore do not trust an unknown name because there is no guarantee that the lesser known name will meet their dietary expectations. On the other hand, when they know a brand, they are certain of the product meaning their expectations. However, this building of trust in the sandwich and salad market is not instantaneous , it takes time. Only if the food adheres to customers needs, they will come back to do a repeat purchase and eventually turn loyal and at the extreme end will act as a brand enthusiast and advocate. To achieve this position, the fast food chain has to be fairly consistent in their offerings. Most fast food chains know that keeping the long-term trust of the customer is central to their success and many companies do deliver this trust (e.g McDonald’s, Subway). ‘In interactions between people and organizations there has to be a congruency between what is offered and what is delivered. This is the basis of trust’. (Macrae, 2001; pg 82). Brands are increasingly being used by fast food companies to create a bond with their customers.

Branding after a Recall Crisis

When product and/or services gets recalled and go through something so-called a recall crisis, this clearly states that the product and/or service is a failure – and due to this the increasing and/or collection of startling products and/or services failures – regarded as a crises – and on this capacity when it reaches maximum – the entire industry looses its “niche” – a “niche” is a very important factor in branding as well as in marketing.

A current issue faced by many large companies and businesses is that whenever one product and/or service brings flaw or attention – consumers will also notice other products and look at, for problem areas in other products and/or services, it all becomes a target for a so-called “recall uproar”. [Brand Channel, 2002].

It has highlighted by researchers in the past that the public sometime and will excuse recalls. But only if manufacturers and suppliers are swift in confronting the situation (which starts a recall) and by being extremely careful to avoid as well preventing another instances of recalls and more naming, shaming and blaming, when the orignal and initial out lash has expired, then that is the time when you get everyone across the board including management and pull your marketing team together and spend as much resources as possible on recovering the brand and come up with a unique and winning campaign which enables to pull in sales and win back the consumers faith in the product and/or services “spread very positive publicity about the brand and product in question” [Power PR, 2006].

Design and Emotion Branding

Many of the very successful and thriving companies and businesses have used in the past, the “four pleasures framework”[CUG, 2006] in their products, services and marketing development processes. The framework is a common structure and a method of tool used by many companies and businesses – specially the successful ones from many sectors.

The fundamentals of products and/or services are that it should bring pleasure and satisfaction to those who purchase and use them and profit ROI to those who create them – to this in achieve companies and businesses must connect with the consumer in a convincing and winning manner. In creating an effective, efficient and innovative products and/or services can be achieved by designing products and/or services that meet both practical (realistic) and emotional requirements. This can be achieved by having a inner (deep) and thorough understanding of people (consumers) requirements and needs, this can be achieved by designing the products and/or services for that people, so that the consumers will want to buy and that they will find it useful and enjoyable and so that customers and (consumers) become loyal to the services/products and comes repeatedly for consumer purchase.

The four pleasures framework – includes and which- divides (differentiate) maps human (consumer) experience and enthusiasm into the following four sectors (areas):

• Physiology or called “Physio Pleasure”: This is to do with the body - pleasures are derived from the senses. In regards to products and/or service, physio pleasure would normally cover: tactile and olfactory (senses) properties as well as ergonomic (human interaction) issues.
• Sociology or called “Socio Pleasure”: This is a based on a customer’s satisfaction of a product and/or services - derived in- relation with others. Products and/or services may guide and help businesses and companies to enhance or make possible specific social environment or conditions a winning place - and may confer with social or cultural status on the user (consumer).
• Psychology or called “Psycho Pleasure”: This type of pleasure is based around people’s (consumers) cognitive and emotional reactions, including their reactions to the products and/or services that they use.
• Ideology or called “Ideo Pleasure”: This relates to people’s values. It is important that the values embodied in products and/or services are consistent as well as reliable with the values of those for whom they have been designed and catered for.

Below is an example of well-established companies that over the years have used the framework for their strategy for branding: these consist of companies as varied as:

• Starbucks
• Gillette
• Nokia
• Proctor and Gamble
• Unilever
• Microsoft
• Masterfoods
• Philips Electronics
• Rexam Packaging

Brand Positioning

The term brand positioning is where, how customers look at a (the) brand (product and/or service) within the market or sector there are in and it is also where they get to know what similar products and/or services offered by the competitors.

Normally, the approach taken by many companies and businesses is that brand position can be achieved through advertising and promotions in a way to inspire and influence consumer’s perceptions of a particular companies brand(s).  However, in today’s business world of busy agendas and non-stop communications, companies and businesses need to find different ways (thorough as well as diverse) to position their brand(s).  By not only listening but also understanding to customers requirements and needs and making changes internally as well as externally, “you can build your brand position organically” [BrandCurve, 2007].

Organic (orignal) brand positioning is a re-active strategy process, this is because it requires to not only listen to the customers needs, but also, it is an effective strategy for communicating the product and/or service to the customer(s).  It is imperative to position the brand as you need to also look at everything that affects the branding image - (or have influence on), and therefore, customer’s perception of the brand. A range of areas you can possibly look at is, from advertising, pricing to customer service, and possibly every part of the business –normally some form of effect is there for customer’s overall perception of your brand.

Below are three major steps on how to develop your brand position organically:

• Firstly, understand your customer’s current perception (gain an insight) of your brands position.
• Then, determine what you want your customer’s perception of your brand to be.
• And, finally define and execute the changes within the business structure, so that it will meet customer’s needs and finally, create the desired perception of your brand among the customers (consumers).

As a result, an overview is that if any of your customers senses the brand as representing in either poor customer service or portraying poor marketing, you need to make sure that the necessary changes is implemented to ensure that the market you hold of (customers) will get first class customer service going forward, and also making sure that your customers hear about these changes – Basically, make the essential (needed) internal changes to meet your customers needs, which will in turn have customers leading to the brand experience.

Branding Timeline

Earlier reports have shown that it takes the same time to create and build a brand as it takes a company and/or business to build a reputation (with consumers) [BrandChannel, 2003]. The complexity of this theory is not that you have to be focused and your brand strategy is in place, but making sure that the strategy is differentiated and consistent across the board, all the time. It can take years to come to the main focus and it is imperative that it all depends on the memory (re-call) and honesty of the brands target audience.

For example, [BrandChannel, 2003] reported that it took around 15 years for the company - sports wear giant: Nike, to build not only one of the strongest but also the most successful global brands (in its sector), and this is because it had:

(1) A focus on brand positioning and bran differentiation

(2) And was consistent 360-degree, specifically in delivering

(3) And finally had an association with and had “Michael Jordan,”[BrandChannel, 2003].

Brands - Brand Names

Brand names are where you have the branding names which consumers identify the legacy of the product and/or service. It is also where it represents some kind of brand identity for product and/or services for companies and businesses. This chapter does a detailed theoretical discussion on the theory of how brand names are chosen and identify the importance. The theory in marketing recommends that there are normally three main types of brand names, these are:

Family Brand Names:

A family brand name is where the company is founded on legacy – and a family brand name is normally used for all products across the board (range). It has been mentioned that all products and/or services that use the brand can benefit from this by building customers trust, confident and loyalty to the family’s brand name. Some good examples include brands in the food industry: including the likes of cereal company Kellogg’s, and such as Heinz and Del Monte. The disadvantage within using the family brand names as well as family brands itself - is that, if one of the product and/or service gets bad publicity or fails in the market then it would create a problem and damage the status and reputation of a whole range of brands (products) across the board.

Individual Brand Names:

An individual brand name is where it has a unique identity and doesn’t relate to and/or doesn’t identify a brand with a specific company or business. In an example, for instance take the scenario of Heinz. Heinz is regarded as a leading global food manufacturer and supplier with a very strong family status in its market and has a valuable and winning world-class brand. However, it also operates and trades under many well-established individual unique brand names. “For examples take Farleys (baby food), Linda MacCartney Foods (vegetarian and vegan meals) and Weight Watchers Foods (diet and slimming meals as well as health supplements)”[BrandCurve, 2007].

However, you would ask the ultimate question on this is that why does a huge successful company likes of Heinz uses individual and unique brand names when it already has such a strong family brand name, right! – This is because of several factors and reasons – however the main factor why a brand needs a separate unique identity distinctive to the family brand name, is that:

The product and/or services may be in competition in a new market segment (division) where if failure occurs - could harm and damage the main family brand name.

Combination of Brand Names:

The idea of a combinations of a brand name is to provide some association or connection for the product and/or services with a strong family brand name but preserving some motion of distinctiveness, so that customers (consumers) know what they are getting. A good example of combination brand names includes Microsoft Office and Microsoft XP in personal home and business computing software and Heinz Pet Foods and Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Some features of good name branding - a good brand name should include and companies should adhere to these points:

• Suggest optimistic and encouraging associations at all times.
• Be straightforward to reveal and recall.
• Suggest product and/or service benefits.
• Be unique and distinctive.

A use of numerals is recommended [BrandCurve, 2007] when accentuating technological features.

Do not violate or infringe existing brand names, which are registered.

Internal Branding

With each passing day, more companies and businesses are pronouncing it important to increase their workers understanding and dedication and support of their brands essence, assurance and integrity. They are aware and they know that they must achieve and attain integrity between what the brand articulates about itself and how it actually behaves as well as performs. Therefore, they must understand that consistently and reliability in delivering the brand promise (contract and assurance) at each and every phase of customer communication is imperative and critical to their success.

Given below is a list of some of the regularly occurring collective problems (issues), that companies and businesses encounter (come across) when trying to implement new brand management strategies and/or programs:

• When senior management team are not focused on the branding itself.
• When senior management has a minimal awareness and short attention span.
• When some senior leaders and mangers are not involved and/or approved (brought) into the brand management - concept at all.
• When companies and businesses is very fragmented and resilient (opposed) to change.
• When businesses and companies just focuses internally.
• When businesses and companies - systems and operations do not support the brand.
• When the brand communication is focusing only on one of many among all the corporate communications.

According to [Adair, 2005], the following should be imperatively be addressed, to establish the necessary change required:

• Business Vision and Mission – is where you ask are they compatible with the brand essence and promise?
• Business Planning Process – is where you ask is it (business) linked to the brand planning process?
• Business Values, Culture, and Behaviour – is where you ask is the provision in place - do they support the brand personality, promise and essence?
• Recruitment - are you vetting and selecting the correct people for delivery in accordance to the brand promise?

Internal Communication Channel – is where you ask are you using correct methods internally to communicate brand priorities, strategies and positioning?

Performance Appraisal – is where you need to ask yourselves - do you provide a means of channel - feedback on how well individuals as well as groups are delivering against the brand promise?

Rewards and Recognition – is where you ask do you recognize and reward people who have furthered and exceeded major brand goals? Do you compensate and remunerate people for achieving the brand objectives?

Customer Experience Management

Customer Experience Management (CEM) is the system (practice) where you capture customer experience information, wherever and whenever it occurs and happens, and constantly provisioning it to people in businesses and companies - who can make it possible for business changes, based on that information.

Every time a customer networks and interacts with the business and the company, whether it is by telephone, seeing the ad, visiting the website or visiting the store, it is the results of a type of customer experience – and this experience is remembered by the customer. The key or sources to people involved in this interactions are; customer service agents, or through direct mail, website, advertising or online chat – these are called “touch points”. Each and every touch point is an opportunity and prospect for companies and businesses to satisfy their customers by fulfilling the brand promise.

Customer Experience Management is a solution and a system which uses a feedback channel, information collected from the customers directly at “touch points” to assist in the answering questions for the likes of: What was the customers experience during each interaction, how did the customers find it? Was it good or bad? You can then use this to initiate positive changes from the customers’ answers.

It has been mentioned by many branding companies that today’s consumers and businesses have apparently many available choices as well as alternatives of products and/or services, that are difficult to differentiate. As a result of this, it is essentials for companies and businesses to find ways to set them apart (differentiate), so that they can attain and retain customers to continuously stay competitive. Customer Experience Management is also known for a practice where you continuously closing the differences between the customers promise and the customer experience delivered (provision).

Just as companies and businesses thought it was reliable to “get rid of” the CRM lexis, a new term and word has recently entered the marketing environment – a so-called relationship vocabulary – Customer Experience Management - CEM.

To some companies and businesses, CEM is just another motto created and invented by management consultants and CRM software suppliers. To some people it is of building a strong 1-to-1 relationships, especially with high growth potential customers, with high value.

A more integrated and co-ordinated approach to CEM, is that a key and a pitch between building a successful relationship management strategy and its consumers. It is imperative that it is also be a key factor of the brand management strategy.

Traditional marketing channels are built using brand expectations - the delivery of this takes place through customer interactions. No matter what the products and/or service are, people will remember experiences more than products and/or services, especially the very good or very bad experiences the customers have had.

Brand Market Perception

In assessing a brands perception in the market, one of the first steps for strategic marketing is (assuming it is an existing brand), that through talking to the market you can achieve the brands perception in the market. It is more about communicating to the customers; it is also more about communicating to those who influence the customers.

According to [Marconi, 2000], after discussing to the strategic influencers within a group of influences, you gain vast market perspective about a brand. It assists the companies and businesses to lay and position the foundation for developing a strategic marketing plan for that brand. In general, the rule is you speak with 40 to 50 members of this Circle of Influences. To achieve this type of brand market assessment - it may take about 60 to 90 days to do

Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty is where the initiative of a customer to choose one business and/or product over another for a particular need and/or reason.  In an industry, where goods are packaged and customers can be seen as exuding “brand loyalty”, because they tend to prefer and selects a certain brand of toothpaste more often than others.  Customers may express and articulate (communicate) high satisfaction levels with a company in a survey carried out, but you need to remember whatever the results – satisfaction may necessarily transform into “loyalty”. The loyalty, satisfaction relationship is asymmetric, customer satisfaction does not necessarily imply customer loyalty (customer satisfaction is at an all time high; customer loyalty is probably at an all time low) (Oliver, 1999).

Customer Loyalty has developed and converted into an expression for the end result of many marketing methodologies and tactics, where customer data has been (is) used.  In the likes of Database Marketing, Marketing Permission, Marketing Relationship or CRM, and what its is really about is that trying to increase “customer loyalty” therefore, getting customers to indicate and select to buy or visit more.  Increased and augmented, customer loyalty is the end factor as well as result, the desired and required advantage.

Customer loyalty is an effect of well-managed customer retention and preservation programs; customers who are carefully targeted by retention programs exhibit and show higher loyalty to businesses and companies.  Many of all the customer retention programs rely on communicating with customers, providing them with encouragement to remain active, loyal and choosing to do business with a company.

Organization, want customers take action and want them to look and remember the ad campaign, visit your website, make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter.  And as soon as and they do it for the first time, the companies and businesses have captured them - you want them to continually do business with you, specially since you paid huge capital to get them to do business with you for the first time.  Companies don’t want to pay huge capital the second time.  “Loyalty is about creating a customer who engages in profitable behaviour”[BrandChannel, 2006].

Most companies and businesses used something called “customer data and models”, which were able to predict, which customers are most likely to respond to and become loyal, it doesn’t matter what kind of front-end marketing program the businesses and companies are running or how you put it together and present it to the customer.  The whole point of these systems is that the data will tell you who to promote to and how to save valuable marketing capital in the development process of creating customers that are loyal to you longer.

There are many strategize and plans for successfully achieving loyalty with customers – all companies and businesses should ask themselves do you have a detailed and precise plan for building customer loyalty? The following four factors will greatly influence, the organizational capability in building a relationship with their customers:

• Product and/or services, which are extremely differentiated from the competitors.
• Where price is not the primary buying factor and higher-end products is.
• Products and/or services with a very high service element.
• Having multiple products and/or services for the same customer (markets).

Future Brand Issues

The future of brands is not permitting the link to the future of business. As reported by [Roberts, 1997] the future of brands is the future of business only if it’s regarding sustainable wealth creation - Furthermore, because in this day and age the interaction of brands with society, the future of brands is also not permitting linked to the future of society.

The likes of the many successful telecommunications and technology brands have already revealed how fast they can progress in the market (their are in) if they understand and act on consumer and business trends in the correct way for instance looking at Nokia, software giant Microsoft and the likes of Intel. Their main challenge is to maintain their position (rank in the market there are in as well as status of the product) and sustain their value.

Therefore, these companies and businesses as well as many other - mainstream successful companies and businesses have to not only continuously innovate but also critically deepen and extend - the “brand relationships” with customers further than the level of technological competency. This is because if they want to hold the long-term value, they will have to implement and portray the brands in a way that they will need to be emotionally as well as technologically appealing.

Another factor on the future of branding is that the current brands, which are product based, will find it difficult than services and/or retail brands - to extend and broaden the necessary relationships needed with their audiences (customers). This isn’t because these companies and businesses are investing in their marketing support and systems in retail distribution, instead of spending it on consumer communication. It is also, because in the current climate and in their current form, they are short and in deficit especially in the ability to control the total customer experience and so connect their audiences as fully as possible. Chapter 9 of this brief highlights the increasing importance of experience in brand positioning, and we should expect to see in the future many more manufactures and retailers: [BrandChannel, 2006] product based brand companies developing their own retail experience and direct relationships with their consumers, both offline and online.

Approach Adopted or Research Method

Auditing the Brand

If anybody Google’s the word’s “Brand Audit” [Avery, 2005], you will find that everybody describes and characterize it differently. You will find that some of the suggestions you will find is that a brand audit to be basically a visual audit of marketing materials. It has been reported that other people claims that an appraisal of verbal terminologies of the brand should be included. Some also requires more complex quantitative revision and studies, meanwhile others rely on qualitative research methodologies.

In spite of the methodologies and protocols that are used to ultimately judge and be used appropriately for the brand in question, it is recommended that every brand audit and that stage it includes a close assessment of certain and/or all of the following factors:

• The perceptions of the brand’s external partners and customers.
• How the internal stakeholders perceive the brand.
• A thorough review of the competitors and their strategies for brand communications.
• A 360 degrees view and review of other ways people experience the brand direct touch points.
• A review of how brands communicate
• An examinations of budgets and investment allocations.

In regards to the foundation and framework of brand auditing , it is imperative for organizations to define the scope of brand audit in the wake of the brand situation. Here are some of the determining factors:

• What is the practicality in investing for brand auditing?
• The numbers of people involved, how many?
• What category or market does the brand compete in and how crowded and congested is it?
• In terms of competitors - how big is the brand in comparison?
• Geographically - How far does the brand reach?
• How is it purchased and how is the brand sold?
• Who are the brands channel partners and customers?
• In terms of lifecycle - where is the brand placed?
• How well is the underlying and main business doing?

By answering the above questions in advance as possible, the brand audit is certain with assurance, to deliver insightful, informative and actionable information to help you build brand advocacy.

Companies and businesses need to remember: There is no brand until a company and/or business has made a clear vision, connection and demonstrated the return from a specific market segment. Successful companies and/or businesses are only in business to not just to make money but to provide value to the marketplace.

Initially start-ups always must focus on marketing in order to win and succeed and achieve and gain a place in the market. Marketing must always support corporate principles and set standards. Departments in likes of Human Resources must do the same internally - to support, build and maintain the attributes of the brand with all current and potential employees.

A brand is not only a commodity that successful and winning companies and businesses can buy. A successful and powerful brand is an extremely highly valued asset that the best companies and businesses build on – for firstly themselves, then for their customers and then the markets (their represent) that they serve and/or are in.

How you can Achieve Effective Brand Differentiation

If designed, created and manage as well as maintained correctly, properly, efficiently and effectively, brands would normally promise a more relevant differentiated benefits to its target audience and/or market – (customers). It is imperative and also advisable that when it comes – companies and businesses should carefully choose in-force the (and) most powerful and successful benefit(s) that in return will not only result in brand preference, but also in brand insistence.  That is ultimately; not only the brand will be superficial but also be the only feasible solution for the consumers need.  So to put it in another way, the customer will not go for and/or pursue substitute (go for something different) if the brand is not available.

The brand benefits are those that are very important to the target customer, supported by organizational strengths, and not being addressed by the competition. General idea is that the brand attempts to own only one or two key benefits, because that is all the audience and/or a customer will remember.

A statement of brand’s promise can look something like this:

• Only [brand] delivers and provides [unique differentiating benefit] to [target customers]

Below are some of the most common foundations of brand differentiation [unique differentiating benefits] includes:

• Their main values should be aligned with the customer’s values, as this is imperative.
• It should reinforce the customer’s inner understanding of the way in which the customer perceives.
• It should deliver a unique and distinctive product purchase or usage experience.
• It should tell an engaging and interesting story about itself.
• Its founder has to be unique, and should posse’s admirable qualities.

Do a Check-up on your Brand!

Among other challenges, one of the major ones faced by many companies and business in the current climate and in the current market – is that creating a premium brand is that not only maintaining a strong and vigorous balance between growing the business but also maintaining a position and concurrently showing consistency, effectiveness and efficiency in their brand communications initiative. This is mainly because of the fact that premium brands, “have a way of compelling on a life of their own”.

During the process of brand positioning, the people backing the brand (the back office staff) become engaged. Normally they take ownership and get down to the business – form selling and gaining profits/losses etc. The competition and the market react fast. Then the category develops and evolves. Over a period of time, employees come and go. New members of staff (employees) and/or so-called players aren’t always effectively and effectively initiated. Experienced and more involved employees are often too busy to become aware of, or simply forget why staying accurate and more real to the brand is imperative.

This annual review can be taken in a number of forms. There is the full brand audit that, in many cases, is complete overload. Except there are some kind of formation of clear signs that the brand is under-performing, then it is imperative and recommended that a quick but thorough check-up is carried out way before obligating to a more comprehensive in-depth brand audit.

Another Challenge - The Annual Brand Check Up

Here’s how it works:

Around about ten people can be chosen at random for an informal discussion. Some can be from your companies and/or businesses; others may be and/are customers (clients), others also can be end users and/or clients, if you can identify them, as non-users of your brand but users in the category. It is also recommended and advisable that you include at least one person from marketing and one person from sales – but not any of the directors.

It was cited in the review of literature that loyalty and branding are closely associated. Loyalty comes from a firm’s core offering and their products and the way it satisfies its customers. In order to feel loyal to an organization, a customer must feel that all his need and desires are not only satisfied, but intelligently predicted and understood. Brands must understand the value of this customer-centric vision which helps to earn loyalty in the long term. Brands also rely on brand ambassadors. Every corporate brand needs champions which are found within the company. They are its employees. But, no brand can be developed solely based on internal values and desires and the brand needs to be responsive to external forces which needs to be balanced with consideration for internal dynamics.

Brand Development Process:

These steps are recommended and should be used in developing a brand:

Step 1: Identify the brand attributes

Step 2: Develop a branding strategy

Step 3: Implement the brand strategy

Step 4: Launch the brand

Step 5: Verify the brand and maintain it

Step 6: Change behaviours and understandings inside and then change communications

Step 7: To manage the brand, build an infrastructure

Step 8: Measure the brand performance

Step 1: Identify the brand attributes

Review your existing brand expectations even (if the brand already exists).

• Current Brand Audit: Review the existing brand performance KPI - in-targeted market even (if the brand already exists) and also all media.
• User Audit: Identify and develop consumer profiles. This would normally include their needs, goals, aspirations, concerns, motivations and preferences.
• Medium Brand Audit: Review existing brand attributes of the medium (media).
• Brand Integrating and Focusing: Identify any overlaps of the brand attributes between the product and/or service and its all mediums (media). Noting: that the brand attributes should have a variance – between the type of media and how customers respond to them.

Step 2: Develop a branding strategy

• Identify the key medium (media) types.
• Identify the necessary key audience communications.
• If necessary develop product and/or services or unique corporate visual identity.
• Develop the brands voice.
• Identify the key interactions (features) of product and/or services or even the company and the business.
• Concurrently synthesize the total customer experience for your target audience.
• Have it tested – the brand and the visual identity (if necessary) (market testing).

Step 3: Implement the brand strategy

• Develop the key interactions around your branding strategy.
• Incorporate and include new unique identity and interactions (may be ongoing and/or phased in/out).
• Have these interactions tested (user testing).
• Distinguish key promotions, mediums, and influencers.

Step 4: Launch the Brand

• Launch new unique identity (if required) in all media, maybe including advertising (may be ongoing and/or phased in/out).
• Make announcements reach out to press and media
• Spread launch promotion to different media types.

Step 5: Verify the brand and maintain it

• Ongoing Brand Audits: At frequent and regular intermission validate, verify brand performance via market testing strategies (surveys, questionnaires, focus groups etc.).
• Continuously improve and develop (improve) brand experiences accordingly, in all key mediums (media).

Step 6: Change the behaviours and understandings inside and then change communications

Step 7: manage the brand; build an infrastructure (have a brand commission?)

Step 8: Measure the brand performance

Five steps in branding

The steps below highlight a five step method branding that businesses and companies can implement. It will also help them in maintaining the brand to improve their sales and profitability:

• Identify and priorities the target markets: the first foremost step is to focus and concentrate on establishing a thorough and in-depth understanding of one or more of the selected target markets – where you want to have it created (what market) and also seek and gain an awareness so that companies and businesses can make an impact. Most companies and businesses must imperatively priorities and select, their target market vigilantly as well as also by preparing unique and tailored marketing programs to cater for them. To achieve this, you not only identify your market(s) but also summarize distinctive groups of buyers who require and/or per a variety of products and marketing mixes. For instances via by the means of examining the psychographic, demographics and behavioral factors and differences among buyers/distributors.
• Acquire an efficient and effective brand positioning strategy: the next step is important in creating a powerful and a winning brand in regards to only in credibility but also awareness and this is to determine not only where but also how you will be able to not only best position the offerings within the market place accordingly but also ask yourself are you ready to adjust this in relation to the market climate - and also be aware of and in achieving a competitive advantage. Most companies and/or businesses are constantly looking for distinctive competitive advantage or distinctive competence.
• Establish a clear vision and brief brand identity: The factor of visual and verbal identity of the brand is imperative as well as critical to the awareness and perception that it creates for the products and/or services within the define marketplace. The primary and/or core objective at this moment in time and at this stage is to develop and maintain the brands identity by targeting the audiences so that they can and/or will understand, recognize and believe in.
• Produce extensive brand alertness and integrity: Once the brand identity has been convene and established, the next foremost step is to spreading the word about your brand and in creating a 'thrill' in the marketplace for your products and/or services.
• Provide a positive brand experience: the final stage is quite simple that you will need to make sure that the brand lives up to its promise and/or claim. This is through delivering the brand experience. The brand experience normally is where the companies and businesses cover all viewpoints of the customer relationship building and sales life cycle.

How to Achieve Market Leadership

This question arises, especially in the current market climate - why does vendors and channel partners are so far off? It this because it all depends for not only having the required business model alignment between technology companies (vendors) but also due to because solution providers (the channel) viewing the world differently.

Vendors see their specific offerings as the centre of the known universe. Unfortunately, whether software, hardware, or services, these offerings are (at best) a piece of the Solution Providers (channels) worldview depicts, the closer the vendor value proposition gets to the SP’s business model, the greater is the alignment (and ultimately share of mind and wallet) that the vendor will get by going to market with the SP.

This is reliant on the vendor offering.  Below are some strategic points:

1.When advertising and selling anything compound into the venture when the vendor piece of the contract is significant, tag team - co selling is the leading model.

2.When selling anything peripheral that is not complex, pure resell is the dominant model.

3.When a vendor offering is a material part of solution sales into the mid market, the SP typically resells.

Implementing Strategies in the International Market - There are six key guidelines for international expansion which companies need to be following for marketing and branding success:

• PREPARE: Before any launch, prepare effectively. Making sure that the business addresses the uniqueness to consumer needs and surveys the foundation before tailoring a business. Prepare and Plan from the start to go international. Also by making sure that you assess the company's and businesses culture, the management team, and the international experience. Gain knowledge and be open to change and involve internationally oriented leaders from the key development markets.
• SCALE: Building a more scalable, flexible business model is imperative. And by also making sure all practices and protocols is revised and expanded in response to market changes including: technology and commercial business environment. Coming up with and planning a business model that can be replicated and simulated in new international countries, continents and markets without inventing more.
• INTEGRATE: In today’s market climate not only technology but also commercial issues are not the only issues. Engaging marketing as well as strategic branding as a more central and most important part of your management process is also imperative.
• EDUCATE: Where and how to get the products/services. Convey the benefits that the company brings to consumers. Build marketing and branding programs for the new markets. Engage the distribution channels as they have in-depth knowledge of local behaviors, tastes and attitudes. Make your own judgments, but also listen carefully to others, avoid the so-called “not-invented-here syndrome”.
• TRACK: Start off with a well thought product and/or service, have a close eye and monitor the market feedback channels and track consumer awareness and responses, and constantly improve the business model and replicate and formulate best practices.
• DELIVER: Delivery is imperative on your promises to not only to your consumers but also to your distribution channels. This is done and achieved by under delivering and over promising including: trust and confidence in your business. Allow the likes of distribution channels to communicate best experiences to the customers.

Findings

This chapter examines and reflects what we have covered in the previous chapters. The major points that have been highlighted as a part of this study are:

• Branding and brand managing has been in co-existence for more than hundred years at least, and has developed into a modern day hypothesis (concept) that not only be applied to anything from products and/or services to companies and businesses but also nowadays on non-profit organisations concerns and even nations.
• All well created, managed and maintained brands have amazing economical value and normally not only are the most effective but also much more efficient creators of sustainable wealth. This is because not only it understands the value of a brand, but also knows how to create more value and cap, as this is essential management information.
• All brands, if it is to be successful and win the hearts of consumers needs to achieve a clear vision and positioning, possible uniquely articulated through a name, a logo, an identity and all aspects of products and/or services including behaviour. For corporate effectiveness and efficiency, the brand can be used as a clear managing framework for not only portfolio management but also on business unit relationships.
• American today owns most of the worlds greatest and winning brands, because of America’s free commercial, political and social systems. However, the knowledge and practice of what creates and builds great brands can be and will be (is now being) functionally applied internationally.
• The winning brand communications are harder to justify, implement and measure are no less important - in order, they are often the most imperative fundamentals.
• If a company plans an investment in a long term brand strategy, it must implement that so-called protection dynamically, increasingly on an international basis.
• All the leading global brands have, can, and should, assist the wider audience (public), not only understand but also seek awareness the benefits of globalization and free trade. They can only do this and get involved – and not only open up, but also collectively educate and behave well and their know about their benefits. They also need to be aware and need to make sure that they continue to innovate.
• A brand needs better and socially greater measures of success. Commercial social responsibility not only is about genuinely solving problems but also all about brand status management.
• Asia has shown and still showing every possible indication of becoming a global brand generator, this is because not only showing heritage in areas such as personalised product and/or services and holistic and complimentary health but also in regards; of cost benefits in manufactured product and services brands.

Discussion & Conclusion

From the analysis of the secondary and primary data collected, it can be safely concluded that, to be successful, a brand must possess some distinctive properties:

• Relevance to the market: The brand must stand for something that is meaningful to the target market and must encompass the total experience of doing business with the customers.
• Consistency of behavior: Customers must be able to depend on the brand to deliver the same experience every time. Because the market experiences the values through the brand, the only way customers will truly become loyal to a brand is through the company’s dedication and consistency.
• Relationship-building: A brand should understand that the brand is not just a logo or an advertising strategy. The strength of any brand is in the relationship between the company and its customers. The stronger the relationship, the more business they will do. It is then all the more likely for customers to refer their friends and family. It is utmost important for a brand to connect emotionally to the customers.
• Customer Loyalty getting transformed into brand loyalty: The test of a brand is the strength of the loyalty it generates. If a brand emotionally engages its target market and encourages repeat purchase, it will ultimately result in brand loyalty.
• Reputation is priceless: The only way to stay successful in fast food business lies in establishing a good reputation and a strong brand helps to do that. Brand reputation works as a strong marketer by communicating the relationship it has with people who have done business with the brand, and the target market in general.
• Good brands stand the test of time. To develop a brand that lasts a lifetime, companies have to go beyond what they do right now and differentiate their brand. They have to think long term. All major brands, no matter what they sell or how they change over time, can rely on their brand equity to build on a foundation of consumer trust.

If brands are to be successful in establishing a place of trust and relevance in the consumer's mind, half the battle is already won. The more the customers believe in the brand, the more it will spread throughout the niche market without the company having to push it. The brand should be clear, distinctive, easily understood, it should express a unique, compelling benefit. Brands are like people, when one decides to build a brand it is said to be the same waiting for the birth of our son, Kapferer, J. (2001). Therefore, brands must seduce in order to have success, but it’s impossible to seduce everybody.

The future of branding is that, you need to know and forecast all changes in people’s (consumers and customers) needs and expectations. In creating of new trends and alternatives, it is the main key points in the 21st century.

The basic rule will still apply, which is the emotional content of the brand with no physical evidence of customer benefit, which will mean an even shorter lifecycle for brands. Brands, which have and will survive, be those who make the customers life simpler and easier while ensuring not only maximum consumer benefits but also support lifestyles.

This is the power of the branding. The value of the brand exists in the power to generate venture capital through margins and market share growth, they bring: premium pricing; reduced risk; augmentation and new products.

The main objectives for businesses and companies is that they brand and themselves should be reinforced, united and associated inline with operations, and should have the driving force through it processes and throughout the company – ranging from management to the bottom of the chain – in where ever and every where and whatever way possible – in which consumers (customers and clients) comes into contact with the business and/or company – the branding process shouldn’t just be about the motto – the logo and catchphrase and colours – more over it should be viewed and considered a strategic asset for creating a world class winning and successful recognised companies.

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• http://conflict911.com/resources/Customer_Service/more8.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.megaessays.com/essay_search/customers_rely.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.digitaloutput.net/content/ContentCT.asp?P=664 (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.businesstown.com/marketing/index.asp (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://garden-decor.enaza.com/Garden-decor-oakland.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.leemanpartners.com/customer_loyalty_and_retention.htm (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.melissadata.com/eNews/MarketingAdvisor/articles/0512/4.htm (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.pphshop.com/pph_articles.htm (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.priceperhead.com/articles/january/building-your-busine ss.htm (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.relationships911.org/Customer_Service/more5.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://w ww.lhsystems.com/topic1/2006/sep_newsletter.htm (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.theloyaltyguide.com/ (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://search.bnet.com/search/G2E+Future+Watch+Series.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.smithandjones.com/content738.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.thewisemarketer.com/books/information.asp?id=60 (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/brand_positioning/index.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.smithandjones.com/resources/ (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.globelink.ca/mediacentral/dispatch/current/ (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.smithandjones.com/content736.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.smithandjones.com/content737.html (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.mycustomer.com/item/132906/2040 (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.brandchannel.com/forum.asp?bd_id=11 (accessed 01 Sept 2007)
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/toc/0749420693 (accessed 01 Sept 2007)

Books are listed by author, date, title, place of publication (where applicable), publisher:

(some of these sources are follow references from the internet resources used above)

• Aaker, D. A. (1991) Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name New York, Free Press.
• Aaker, D.A. (1994) Brand management, Harvard Business School London, Kogan Page.
• Aaker, D. A. (1996) Building strong brands New York, Free Press.
• Aaker, D. A., Joachimsthaler, E. A. (2000) Brand leadership London, Free Press.
• Alden, E. (2001) Brands feel the impact as activists target customers Financial Times, July 18th.
• Ambler, T. (1997) Do brands benefit consumers? International Journal of Advertising, Vol.16 (3), pp.167-198.
• Arnold, D (1992) The handbook of brand management London, Century.
• Baskin, M. and Earls, M. (2002) Brand new brand thinking: Brought to light by 11 experts who do London, Kogan Page.
• Bennie, A. (2000) Building brand dynasties: Family trees that will last Market Leader, No 10, pp.55-58.
• Blackett, T. and Boad, R. (1998) Co-branding: The science of alliance Basingstoke. Macmillan.
• Brown, A. (1998) DirectLine: How does your brand smell?  British Brands Group, Issue 6.
• Court, D. (1996) uncovering the value of brands McKinsey Quarterly. No.4, pp.176-178.
• Cowley, D. (1996) Understanding brands: By ten experts who do London, Kogan Page.
• Crainer, S. (1995) The real power of brands: Making brands work for competitive advantage London, FT Pitman Publishing.
• Davidson, H. (1997) Even more offensive marketing: An exhilarating action guide to winning in business West Drayton, Penguin.
• Davidson, H. (2002) managing the organization brand Market Leader, No. 17, summer, pp. 23-27.
• de Chernatony, L. (1989) Understanding consumers’  perceptions of competitive tiers – can perceived risk help? Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.4 (3), pp.288-299.
• de Chernatony, L., Daniels, K., Johnson ,G. (1994) Competitive positioning strategies mirroring sellers’ and buyer's perceptions Journal of Strategic Management,  Vol.2 (3), pp.229-248.
• de Chernatony, L., McDonald, M. (1998) Creating powerful brands in consumer, service and industrial market 2nd Edition. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann.
• de Chernatony, L., Dell’olmo R.F. (1998) Modelling the components of a brand European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 32 (11/12), pp.1074-1090.
• de Chernatony, L., Dell’Olmo Riley, F., Harris, F. (1998)  Criteria to assess brand success Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 14 (7), pp.765-781.
• de Chernatony, L. (1999) The challenge of service branding: Knowledge management to the rescue Journal of Brand Management, Vol.6 (4), pp.271- 277.
• de Chernatony, L. (1999) Brand management through narrowing the gap between brand identity and brand reputation Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.15 (1-3), pp.157-180.
• de Chernatony, L., Harris, F. (2000) Developing corporate brands through considering internal and external stakeholders Corporate Reputation Review, Vol. 3 (3), pp.268-274.
• de Chernatony, L. (2001) Succeeding with brands on the Internet Journal of Brand Management, Vol.8 (3), pp.186-195.
• de Chernatony, L., Segal-Horn, S. (2001) Building on services characteristics to develop successful services brands Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.17 (7-8), pp.645-669.
• de Chernatony, L. (2002) Would a brand smell any sweeter by its corporate name? Corporate Reputation Review. Vol. 5 (2/3), pp.114-132.
• Doyle, P. (1989)  Building successful brands: The strategic options Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 5 (1), pp. 77-95.
• Doyle, P. (2002) Marketing management and strategy 3rd Edition. London, Prentice Hall.
• Duncan, T., Moriarty, S. (1997) Driving brand value: Using integrated marketing to manage profitable stakeholder relationships New York, McGraw-Hill.
• Fitzgerald, N. (2001) Life and death in the world of brands Market Leader, Vol. 14, Autumn, pp.17-22.
• Feldwick, P. (1996) Defining a brand London, Kogan Page.
• Franzen, G., Bouwman, M. (2001) The mental world of brands Henley-on-Thames, World Advertising Research Center.
• Gad, T. (2001) 4-D branding: Cracking the corporate code of the network economy London, FT Prentice Hall.
• Grewal, D., Levy, M., Lehmann, D. R. (2004) Retail Branding and Customer Loyalty: an overview Journal of Retailing Vol. 80, No. 4, pp. 9-34.
• Gilmore, F. (1999) Brand warriors: Corporate leaders share their winning strategies  London, Harper Collins Business.
• Goodchild, J., Callow, C. (2001) Brands: Vision and values Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
• Gordon, W. (1996) Accessing the brand through research London, Kogan Page.
• Hart, S., Murphy, J. (1997) Brands: The new wealth creators London, MacMillan.
• Ind, N. (2001)  Living the brand: Why organisations need purpose and values Market Leader,  No 15, pp. 40–43.
• Irons, J. (1997) The world of super service Harlow, Addison-Wesley.
• Jones, J. (1999) How to use advertising to build strong brands  London, Sage.
• Kapferer, J. N. (1992) Strategic brand management: New approaches to creating and evaluating brand equity London, Kogan Page.
• Kapferer, J. N. (1997) Strategic brand management: New approaches to creating and evaluating brand equity 2nd Revised Edition. London, Kogan Page.
• Kapferer, J.N. (2001) Re-inventing the brand: Can top brands survive the new market realities London, Kogan Page.
• Keller, K. (2002) Strategic brand management. 2nd Revised Edition Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall.
• Kunde, J. (2002) Unique: Now or never – the brand drives the company in the new value economy London, FT Prentice Hall.
• LePla, J.F., Parker, L.M. (2002)  Integrated branding: Becoming brand-driven through company-wide action London, Kogan Page.
• Lury, G. (2002) Brandwatching: Lifting the lid on the phenomenon of branding 2nd Revised Edition. Dublin, Blackhall Publishing.
• Macrae, C. (1996) The brand chartering handbook : How brand organisations learn Harlow, Addison Wesley.
• Macrae, C (1991) World class brands Harlow, Addison Wesley.
• Mihailovic, P.M., de Chernatony, L. (1995) The era of brand culling: Time for a global rethink? Journal of Brand Management, Vol.2 (5), pp.308-315.
• Mitchell, A. (2001) Right side up: Building brands in the age of the organised consumer London, Harper Collins.
• McCrum, A. (2000) Brand names today compared to those 100 years ago Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 8 (2), Nov, 111-120.
• McDonald, M. (2002) Marketing plans: How to prepare them how to use them 5th Edition. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann.
• McEnally, M. R., de Chernatony, L. (1999) The evolving nature of brands: Consumer and managerial considerations Academy of Marketing Science Review. Available from http://www.amsreview.org/articles/mcenally02-1999.pdf [Accessed 23/08/07]
• McFarland, J. (2002) Branding from the inside out or from the outside Harvard Management Update.
• Murphy, J. M. (1991) Branding – a key marketing tool Basingstoke, Macmillan Press.
• Nilson, T. H. (1998) Competitive branding: Winning in the market place with value added brands Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
• Perrier, R. (1997) Brand valuation London, Premier Books.
• Perry, A., Wisnom. D. (2003) Before the brand : Creating the unique DNA of an enduring brand identity Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill.
• Porter, M. (1998) Competitive strategy: Techniques for analysing industries and competitors New York, Free Press.
• Pringle, G., Gordon, W. (2001) Brand manners: How to create a self-confident organisation to live the brand  Chichester, John Wiley and Sons.
• Quelch, J. (1999) Global brands: Taking stock Business Strategy Review, Vol 10 (1), pp. 1-14.
• Ramsey, W. (1996) Whither branding?  The Journal of Brand Management, 4 (3), pp.177-184.
• Randall, G (2000) Branding: A practical guide to planning your strategy London, Kogan Page.
• Rust, R., Zeithaml, V. (2000) Driving customer equity: How lifetime customer value is reshaping corporate strategy New York, Free Press.
• Schmitt, B., Simonson, A. (1997) Marketing aesthetics The strategic management of branding, identity and image US, Fireside.
• Smith, S., Milligan, A. (2002) Uncommon practice: People who deliver great brand experience  London, FT Prentice Hall.
• Stagliano, A., O’Malley, D. (2002) Give up the ghost in the machine: How to let brands speak for themselves London, Kogan Page.
• Stobart, P. (1994) Brand power London, Interbrand/Macmillan.
• Taylor, D. (2002) The brand gym: The practical workout for boosting brand and business Chichester, John Wiley and Sons.
• Temporal, P. (2002) Advanced brand management: From vision to valuation Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
• Thomson, K., De Chernatony, L., Arganbright, L., Klan, S. (1999) The buy-in benchmark: How staff understanding and commitment impact brand and business performance Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.15 (8), pp.819-835.
• Tollington, T. (2002) Brand assets Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
• Torella, J. (2000) Stop thinking, start doing retail branding Canda, Malcolm Lester Publishing.
• Trout, J., Rivkin, S. (1997) The new positioning Maidenhead, McGraw Hill.
• Trout, J., Ries, A. (2001)  Positioning: The battle for your mind Maidenhead, McGraw Hill Education.
• Uncles, M. (1996)  BBC World Series – Integrated communications for brands Addison-Wesley.
• Willmott, M. (2003) Citizen brands: How good business can be good for business Chichester, John Wiley and Sons.

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