MBA Degree Examination

Brand Management
Anna University - Question and Answers
December 2015/January 2016

Part A

1. What is Brand Mantra

Brand essence, also known as a brand mantra, is a short statement that expresses the
core of what that ​brand​ represents or the image it seeks to project. A brand essence
statement is often just two to three words. Although formats can vary, the statement's
tone is most important.

2. What is brand revitalization

The Brand Revitalization is the marketing strategy adopted when the product reaches
the maturity stage of product life cycle, and profits have fallen drastically. It is an
attempt to bring the product back in the market and secure the sources of equity i.e.
customers.

3.What is brand vision

Brand vision and brand values send personal and emotional signals to potential
customers, allowing them to connect with your company and develop loyalty. For
your brand to be successful there must be a clear vision that informs operations.

4.What is brand differentiation

Brand differentiation is the means by which yourbrand is set apart from the
competition, by associating a superior performing aspect of your brand with multiple
customer benefits.

5.List the role of celebrities in brand building

The use of celebrities to advertise a company's products can be part of a creative
tactic called "in ad presenters". Basically a presenter is a person or character used in
their communications that represents and endorses the brand's benefit claims. It is
believed that both the brand and the characteristics of the presenter will mesh to
present a favourable image to the consumer.
6.What is Brand endorsement
Celebrity branding or celebrity endorsement is a form of advertising campaign or
marketing strategy used by ​brands​, ​companies​, or a ​non-profit organization​ which
involves celebrities or a well-known person using their social status or their fame to
help promote a product, service or even raise awareness on environmental or social
matters.

7.List any two examples of brand relaunching

Pepsi
Cadbury India
Maggi

8.Define Rebranding
Rebranding is the process of changing the corporate image of an organisation. It is a
market strategy of giving a new name, symbol, or change in design for an
already-established brand. The idea behind rebranding is to create a different identity
for a brand, from its competitors, in the market.

9.Define Brand leverage

A brand leveraging strategy uses the power of an existing brand name to support a
company's entry into a new, but related, product category. Brand Leveraging.
broadening a company's product range by introducing additional forms or types of
products under a brand name which is already successful in another category.

10.What is brand audit

A brand audit is effectively a health check of the brand to identify and address
problems areas with a net result of helping you turn things around and grow your
bottom line. Brands are like living entities with life cycles.

Part B

11a) “People have more faith in brands rather than products”.Critically examine this
statement with role and importance of the branding.

● Increased credibility.​ Think of all of the brands that you know of. You
probably automatically perceive them as credible simply based on the fact
that they are big, well known brands. Brand work can help increase your
credibility by improving the perception of your business. People buy more
from companies they trust.
● It can make you appear more established.​ Brand work can make your
small business look like a Fortune 500 company, which in turns increases
your credibility, which in turn… ok you get it.
● A sense of sense of stability for your clients.​ You may not have been in
business for the last 25 years, but brand identity work can improve the
perception of your business in the eyes of potential clients. Identity goes a
long way toward establishing trust.
● To comply with expectations and standards.​ These days, brand work is no
longer optional. Brands are so widely used and recognized that good
“branding” and brand standards are expected. Companies that aren’t properly
branding themselves risk losing market share.
● Increase the value of your business (if you plan to sell).​ If you present a
well-rounded business package, including marketing materials and graphics,
your business will look more complete and more attractive to potential
buyers. Brands are one of the most valuable assets a company has, as brand
equity is one of the factors that can increase the financial value of a business
to potential buyers. Many companies put the value of their brand on the
balance sheet.
● Education.​ Educating potential customers on the value of your brand, and
how your brand can solve their problems, will influence their buying
decisions. This is typically done through content marketing campaigns
designed to not only reach, but educate customers and move them through the
sales funnel.
● Differentiation.​ Clearly communicated brand attributes such as mission
statement, value proposition, or pricing can influence customers to buy from
you over your competitor. Brand work will highlight why your company is
unique and what differentiates you from your competitors.
● Perceived Value.​ The way potential consumers perceive your brand or how
they think about your brand will have a huge impact on whether or not they
do business with you. Brand work, especially brand identity work, can help
increase the perceived value of your company by making you look larger or
“more professional”, which in turn increases trust. People buy from
companies they trust.

11b) Explain the system view of brands.What are the challenges and
opportunities imbibed in branding?
 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​. Name brands are sometimes
distinguished from generic or ​store brands​.The practice of branding is thought
to have begun with the ancient Egyptians who were known to have engaged
in ​livestock branding​.​ Branding was used to differentiate one person’s cattle
from anothers by means of a distinctive symbol burned into the animal’s skin
with a hot ​branding iron​. If a person stole any of the cattle, anyone else who
saw the symbol could deduce the actual owner. However, the term has been
extended to mean a strategic personality for a product or company, so that
‘brand’ now suggests the values and promises that a consumer may perceive
and buy into. Over time, the practice of branding objects extended to a
broader range of packaging and goods offered for sale including oil, wine,
cosmetics and fish sauce.

● Today’s branding challenges and opportunities

○ 1 – Considering branding as an asset
○ 2 – Bringing up breakthrough brand concepts
○ 3 – Financial challenges
○ 4 – Creating a digital branding strategy
● Effective brand building opportunities to tap
○ 1 – Define your persona
○ 2 – Having a strong internet presence, especially social media
○ 3 – Blogging for branding
○ 4 – Customer service as a priority
12a) Explain the steps involved in brand image building.List the pros and cons of the
different methods of brand building exercises carried out by the Indian Marketers.
How to Build a Brand

1. Determine your brand's target audience.

2. Define a brand mission statement.
3. Research brands within your industry niche.
 4. Outline the key qualities and benefits your brand offers.
5. Create a brand logo and tagline.
6. Form your brand voice.
7. Build a brand message and elevator pitch.

Advantages :

You can Target a Vast Audience

Tap New Markets

You can tailor Content

It is More Engaging

It is Cost Effective

The Target Audience Can Choose the Medium

Instant Publicity

Measuring ROI is Easier:

Instant Results

Brings Everyone To The Same Level

Brand Building

It is Not Intrusive

The Possibility of Virality

Suitable Across Industries

Round The Clock Availability

Disadvantages :

It is less engaging

It is more expensive

Difficult to measure ROI

12b) With examples explain the strategies adopted by the marketers of Indian brands
when competing with foreign brands.

1. Fairness creams like “Fair & lovely” , exploit the desire of the
‘common’ Indian girl to look fair. There is a sister product of the
above called “Fair & Handsome” that claims to make the men fair
and handsome.
2. A series of very famous ads titled “Men will be Men” by Imperial
Blue liquor under the company Seagram’s (brand of Indian whisky
& Single Malt). I just love their marketing strategy and ad
campaigns.
3. Maggi, a 2 minute noodles by subsidiary by Nestle . Their
marketing campaign was pretty simple,targeting the kids and the
mothers.
4. Vodafone zoozoos which caught the attention of all the age groups.
Their human like characters became an instant hit , thanks to the
superb concept and the simple message they delivered.

5. Another brilliant marketing concept was used by “Surf Excel” , a

detergent brand. It had an emotional connect with the consumers with a
simple tagline “Dirt is good” and aired various ads where kids are shown
playing and having fun in dirt and mud . When they come back home,
either their moms or their grand parents instead of scolding them are
shown having a smile because they have Surf Excel.
6. Health Drink products like Horlicks, Bournvita ,Complan and Milo.
Almost all of them have the tagline “Taller, Stronger & Sharper”. IMHO,
they offered none of them. They just acted as chocolate /flavor powders
to make the otherwise bland milk taste better.
 7. Happy Dent chewing gum came up with a ingenious campaign
showcasing the best use of their product for ‘sparkling’ white teeth. The
ad campaign beautifully shows the bright white smile one gets after
having the chewing gum, which makes every dark night bright.This ad
campaign went on to become extremely popular in a humorous way and
increased the brand presence of Happy Dent.

13a) Explain the role of brand ambassadors in promoting consumer durables

1. Brand ambassadors humanize your brand

2. Brand ambassadors help increase your social reach

3. Brand ambassadors help protect your online reputation

4. Brand ambassadors provide positive word-of-mouth

5. Ambassadors help increase traffic to your website

6. Ambassadors help increase awareness of your brand in regions you’re not

present in

13 b) Out of Syllabus

14a) What do you understand by Brand extension ? Discuss various advantages

and disadvantages.

Extending a brand outside its core product category can be beneficial in a sense
that it helps evaluating product category opportunities, identifies resource
requirements, lowers risk, and measures brand's relevance and appeal.

Advantages :

It increases brand image.

The risk perceived by the customers reduces.

The likelihood of gaining distribution and trial increases. An established brand

name increases consumer interest and willingness to try new product having the
established brand name.

The efficiency of promotional expenditure increases. Advertising, selling and

promotional costs are reduced. There are economies of scale as advertising for
core brand and its extension reinforces each other.

Cost of developing new brand is saved.

Consumers can now seek for a variety.

There are packaging and labeling efficiencies.

The expense of introductory and follow up marketing programs is reduced.

The image of parent brand is enhanced.

It revives the brand.

It allows subsequent extension.

Brand meaning is clarified.

It increases market coverage as it brings new customers into brand franchise.

Customers associate original/core brand to new product, hence they also have
quality associations.

Disadvantages :
 1. Brand extension in unrelated markets may lead to loss of reliability if a brand
name is extended too far. An organization must research the product
categories in which the established brand name will work.
2. There is a risk that the new product may generate implications that damage
the image of the core/original brand.
3. There are chances of less awareness and trial because the management may
not provide enough investment for the introduction of new product assuming
that the spin-off effects from the original brand name will compensate.
4. If the brand extensions have no advantage over competitive brands in the new
category, then it will fail.

14b) Brand is built in the minds of the people.Do you agree? Explain this in the
context of Asian Paints .

Brands are not things; rather brands are a representation of a highly valued idea that
resides in the minds of consumers and stakeholders alike.
Brands represent a set of unifying principles that guide an organization’s behavior
and its manner of delivering experiences customers highly value above the available
alternatives in the marketplace. Strong healthy brands maintain an intrinsic value to
customers that over time translates into tangible financial value for the brand’s
owners.
Consumers care about what a brand represents to them on the ​highest emotional
level​. The physical properties and functional benefits that comprise and define a
brand are of less importance–this explains the difference between Coke and Pepsi,
Chevy and Toyota, Apple and the rest of its competitors.
Sounds simple enough. The trouble is consumer’s minds are fickle. And worse, the
marketplace is a slush pile of competing brands. It’s easy for brands to lose relevance
with customers quickly – especially in our age of instant connections, abundant
choice and consumption. Brands with the sticking power to drive purchase behaviors
over decades consistently lead their tribe of loyal advocates forward through a
compelling value proposition and positioning that transcends the consumer’s inherent
and natural tendencies toward fickleness for the next greatest thing.

Asian Paints has identified themselves as a partner for consumers in creating

beautiful homes. Over the last decade, we have seen wall stencils and textures
becoming an integral part of the home décor. Along with walls, furniture and other
elements, doors also play a key role in accentuating the décor of one’s home. Ideas
for doors is a simple, yet powerful element of a consumer’s decor journey.”

15a) Explain the various ways in which brand performance can be measured ?

The number one value of growing a strong brand is sales. Sticky Brands sell more
faster,
More demand
Higher profits
Less competition
Your sales metrics are an effective measure of brand performance.
A strong brand has a quantifiable impact on sales in three areas:
Volume: The demand for your products and services.
Velocity: The speed a customer travels through the buying process.
Value: The ability to sell at a premium and avoid discounting.
These metrics are the 3Vs, and they’re where I start to measure brand performance.
Volume: Is your company drowning in leads?
Walk into any Apple Store and you’ll see dozens of people examining the devices.
The stores are always busy.
Apple’s brand is so effective that it creates a halo effect. According to the Wall Street
Journal, “Apple draws so many shoppers that its stores single-handedly lift sales by
10% at the malls in which they operate.”Apple’s ability to attract customers is a
measure of its brand performance. High foot traffic translates into higher sales. It’s
estimated that Apple’s revenue per square foot is $6,050, which is double what
Tiffany & Co achieves.
What is the demand for your products and services? Look at your lead generation
metrics to assess Volume.
Velocity: Are customers kicking the tires or making decisions?
A strong brand translates into faster sales. Customers who love your brand are fast,
efficient buyers. They don’t “kick the tires” or shop for the lowest price. They buy,
because they know your brand, like it, and trust it.
Velocity is a relatively easy metric to capture. Track the time it takes a customer to
move through each phase of the buyer’s journey, from inquiry to close.
Your brand will accelerate sales performance, because your customers already have a
relationship with your company. They know it, like it, and trust it, and that means
they’ll make decisions faster.
Value: How often does your sales team discount to win?
Strong brands don’t discount to win. In fact, customers will often pay a premium for
the market leader.
Growing a strong brand is like building a moat around your business. It insulates and
protects your products and services in measurable ways:
Increased perceived value and affinity towards your products and services.
Increased customer attraction and retention.
Decreased price sensitivity.
The moat gets deeper and wider the stronger your business becomes on these three
dimensions.
To measure Value look at pricing metrics. Is your company able to price products
and services at a premium? How often do your sales reps discount to win? How often
does your company run promotions to move the sales needle?
Strong Brands Drive Sales Performance

There is no shortage of metrics to manage your business, but CEOs and shareholders
want to see two things:
Revenue: Is the business growing?
Profit: Is the business making money?
To measure your brand’s performance work backwards from these two questions.
The 3Vs help you quantify brand performance. They will help you see how your
brand is moving the sales needle, and indicate where your brand is succeeding and
where it may be lagging.

15b) Identify a fading brand .What suggestion can you offer to revitalize its brand
equity? Evaluate different approaches which could be used to revitalize the brand and
which strategies are appropriate.

No brand can simply rise and shine forever. At some point, you will succumb to the
strategies of your competitors, the changing desires of your customers, the whims
and wiles of fashion, the shifts in economic activity or the decision of the market to
price you at a level that you deem unfair and that sends damaging signals to the
market. To some extent, any or all of that is beyond your control. The brands that
recover will be those that see what is happening and make conscious decisions to
address what’s happening​. The brands that don’t will fall away.

1. ​Think of the product in new ways​ – when you redefine what something is or could
be, you reframe its context and it’s much easier to redefine what it can be used for.
When you stop thinking of milk as a drink, for example, and start thinking of it as a
food, as ​Fonterra​ did, you change the scope of the product you’re working with in so
many ways.
2. Redefine who you want to be a brand to – if the current audience places a
declining level of value on it, think about who might be able to use it in ways that
enable you to regain value. Starbucks redefined the value of coffee globally by
making coffee hip, urbane and tailored to individual taste. Now they’re looking to do
the same thing with tea. In a world that really does believe it’s seen or searched it all,
discovery is a powerful consumer motive.
3. Change what it looks like – sometimes changing the value of a commodity can be
as simple as changing how it appears to others. Think about the difference in pricing
and perception between bottled beer and beer on tap. However, new packaging alone
won’t make up for a product that doesn’t add value. What it can do is signal the
unrealized value that you want consumers to take up on.
4. Formulate your offer in different ways – the water industry changed how we think
of water by adding vitamins and/or carbon dioxide and then segmenting those offers
to specific audiences. Today, the world spends more than $100 billion a year on
bottled water. What could you do to what you have to make it more than it is right
now?
5. ​Name it in different ways​ – the deer industry in New Zealand renamed its venison
offering “cervena” to differentiate it from deer meat sourced from elsewhere and to
make a strong country-of-origin play. If you’re selling copper and everyone else is
selling copper, what can you call your copper to distinguish it from what people can
source anywhere. Again – renaming alone won’t be enough. In the case of cervena,
the change in name spoke to an idea that consumers were interested in, and
eliminated the concern, amongst American consumers, that they were eating Bambi.
6. Package it in different ways – the red meat industry is now starting to segment its
offer and to assign different perceptions of value to cuts and breeds that not too long
ago would all have just been beef. Angus is a classic example. Others are packaging
along ethical lines to put daylight between themselves and others and to appeal to
consumers who are prepared to pay more for feel good foods. Cage-free and
free-range eggs are part of this trend. (What’s interesting for those interested in moral
labeling, however, is how those terms and others can be defined in some
jurisdictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean what it appears to mean.)
7. Distribute it in different ways – changing the distribution channel can be a highly
effective way to transform your white label product into something valued by a more
specific audience. iTunes rebuilt the value of music by reinventing the concept of the
single into a single digital track and allowing people to buy the music they wanted in
a new way, at a new price. Tablets are having the same effect on books and
magazines – redefining how consumers access content and buy it. It’s a very
different value equation than it used to be – but at least it’s a value equation.
8. ​Price point it in different ways​ – This is a particularly effective approach when
combined with segmentation. Go after various parts of the market with products that
demonstrate various levels of value add and are price pointed accordingly – e.g. a
bulk product at a bulk price, a high end or specialized product priced at a top-end
price, and a consumer focused product that may even operate at flexible price points.
Forced into what was close to a death-spiral for many, the airline industry repriced to
find new ways of achieving yield. First, they cemented the front-end profit by giving
business and first class passengers more space and more comfort to protect margins.
Then they debundled their economy offering, adding new categories like Premium
Economy, cramming in more seats in cattle class and instigating fees for service that
have kept the asking price low whilst charging at every point for things that were
once considered included. This evolution hasn’t exactly been a success from the
travelers’ point of view, but it has certainly forced a rethink on what is paid for, and
how.
9. Wrap a different story around it – ​New storylines​ can change how people perceive
a product. Water, beer and wine have all used stories to engage consumers and to
deliver a new sense of worth. Increasingly, there are opportunities to link
undifferentiated products to differentiating stories around environment, supply chain,
conduct, purpose and cause. Psychologist Dr. Norman Holland, in ​an interview with
Stephen Denny​, explains why: “When we adopt a brand for our own use, we
integrate it into the stories of our daily lives.” Once integrated of course, that storied
brand has new value for buyers because now it’s personal.

April/May 2015

Part A

1. Define Brand
A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other
products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually
marketed. A brand name is the name of the distinctive product, service, or concept.
Branding is the process of creating and disseminating the brand name.

2. Write down the limitations of branded stores

It can be difficult to recognize a store brand as they are often given attractive names
to compete with the rival national brand products.Generally if it's a name you don't
recognize and it costs less, then it's a store brand. For example, the supermarket
where we shop had three different names for its own brand of household soaps.

3. What is called brand vision

A strong brand vision is something that will elevate the course of your brand and
business moving forward. It is not simply a new advertising campaign, or a new look
and feel for the latest promotion. A brand vision is the driving force for everything
your company does and WHY it matters.

4. What are the functions of a brand

To differentiate your organization from those in your field
To show the authenticity of your product or service
To reinforce the values that your company places at the forefront of each action
To unify each department within your organization.

5.What are the benefits of having brand loyalty programmes?

● Customer Retention. The primary motive behind a loyalty program is to
retain customers by rewarding customers for their repeat purchase behavior
● Relevant Customer Data and Consumer Trends
● Higher Cart Value
 ● Reducing Unprofitable Customers
● Better Customer Communication

6. List any three familiar brand promotion strategies

Nike
Ariel India
Paytm Karo

7. What is known as rebranding

Rebranding is the process of changing the corporate image of an organisation. It is a
market strategy of giving a new name, symbol, or change in design for an
already-established brand. The idea behind rebranding is to create a different identity
for a brand, from its competitors, in the market.

8. Write a short note on Brand extension

Extending a brand outside its core product category can be beneficial in a sense
that it helps evaluating product category opportunities, identifies resource
requirements, lowers risk, and measures brand's relevance and appeal.

9.List down the need and merits of brand audit

The purpose of a brand audit is to ascertain how your business is performing in

the eyes of your customers. It offers you the following benefits: Helps you to
determine the positioning of your business and to plan corrective strategies.
Empowers you to discover the strengths and weaknesses of your business.

An analysis of existing strategic, branding, and marketing plans.

Analysing relevant brand, market and marketing research, if available. This
pertains to both the brand under review and the competition.

10.What are the basic functions of a brand manager

A Brand Manager is responsible for adapting a brand strategy for a company's

target market. As the 'brand guardian', brand managers maintain brand integrity
across all company marketing initiatives and communications, and may manage
a portfolio of products.

Part B
11a) Discuss the significance of the brand .Also explain the different types of
brands with suitable examples.

To Buyer :

1. A brand helps buyers in identifying the product that they like/dislike.

2. It identifies the marketer.

3. It helps reduce the time needed for purchase.

4. It helps buyers evaluate quality of products, especially if they are unable to judge a
product’s characteristics.

5. It helps reduce buyers’ perceived risk of purchase.

6. The buyer may derive a psychological reward from owning the brand (e.g., Rolex
watches or Mercedes).

To Seller:

1. A brand differentiates product offering from competitors.

2. It helps segment market by creating tailored images.

3. It identifies the companies’ products making repeat purchases easier for

customers.

4. It reduces price comparisons.

5. It helps the firm introduce a new product that carries the name of one or more of
its existing products.

6. It promotes easier cooperation with intermediaries with well-known brands

7. It facilitates promotional efforts.

8. It helps in fostering brand loyalty, thus helping to stabilize market share.

9. Firms may be able to charge a premium for the brand.

1. Personal brand – Otherwise known as individual brand. The brand a person builds
around themselves, normally to enhance their career opportunities. Often associated
with how people portray and market themselves via media. The jury’s out on whether
this should be called a form of brand because whilst it may be a way to add value, it
often lacks a business model to commercialize the strategy.
2. Product brand – Elevating the perceptions of commodities/goods so that they are
associated with ideas and emotions that exceed functional capability. Consumer
packaged goods brands (CPG), otherwise known as fast moving consumer goods
brands (FMCG), are a specific application.
3. Service brand – Similar to product brands, but involves adding perceived value to
services. More difficult in some ways than developing a product brand, because the
offering itself is less tangible. Useful in areas like professional services. Enables
marketers to avoid competing skill vs skill (which is hard to prove and often
devolves to a price argument) by associating their brand with emotions. New online
models, such as subscription brands, where people pay small amounts for ongoing
access to products/services, are rapidly changing the loyalty and technology
expectations for both product and service brands – for example, increasingly
products come with apps that are integral to the experience and the perceived value.
4. Corporate brand – Otherwise known as the organizational brand. David Aaker puts
it very well: “​The corporate brand defines the firm that will deliver and stand behind
the offering that the customer will buy and use​.” The reassurance that provides for
customers comes from the fact that “a corporate brand will potentially have a rich
heritage, assets and capabilities, people, values and priorities, a local or global frame
of reference, citizenship programs, and a performance record”.
5. Investor brand – Normally applied to publicly listed brands and to the investor
relations function. Positions the listed entity as an investment and as a performance
stock, blending financials and strategy with aspects such as value proposition,
purpose and, increasingly, wider reputation via CSR. As Mike Tisdall will tell you,
done well, a strong investor brand delivers share price resilience and an informed
understanding of value.
6. NGO (Non Governmental Organization) or Non Profit brand – An area of
transition, as the sector shifts gear looking for value models beyond just fundraising
to drive social missions. Not accepted by some in the non profit community because
it’s seen as selling out. Necessary in my view because of the sheer volume of
competition for the philanthropic dollar. ​This paper is worth reading​.
7. Public brand – Otherwise known as government branding. Contentious. Many,
including myself, would argue that you can’t brand something that doesn’t have
consumer choice and a competitive model attached to it. That’s not to say that you
can’t use the disciplines and methodologies of brand strategy to add to stakeholders’
understanding and trust of government entities. That’s why I talk about the need for
public entities to develop trustmarks rather than brands. Jill Caldwell takes this idea
of how we consider and discuss infrastructure further and says we now have
private-sector brands that are so much a part of our lives that we assume their
presence in much the same way as we assume public services. Caldwell refers to
brands like Google and Facebook as “embedded brands”.
8. Activist brand – Also known as a purpose brand. The brand is synonymous with a
cause or purpose to the point where that alignment defines its distinctiveness in the
minds of consumers. Classic examples: Body Shop, which has been heavily defined
by its anti-animal-cruelty stance; and Benetton, which confronts bigotry and global
issues with a vehemence that has made it both hated and admired.
9. Place brand – Also known as destination or city brands. This is the brand that a
region or city builds around itself in order to associate its location with ideas rather
than facilities. Often used to attract tourists, investors, businesses and residents.
Recognizes that these groups all have significant choices as to where they choose to
locate. A critical success factor is getting both citizens and service providers on
board, since they in effect become responsible for the experiences delivered. Most
famous example is probably “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”. ​Other place
brand examples here​.
10. Nation brand – Whereas place brands are about specific areas, nation brands
relate, as per their name, to the perceptions and reputations of countries. Simon
Anholt is a pioneer in this area. ​Some good models comparing nation and place
branding here​.
11. Ethical brand – Used in two ways. The first is as a description of how brands
work, specifically the practices they use and the commitments they demonstrate in
areas such as worker safety, CSR and more – i.e. a brand is ethical or it is not?.
Secondly, denotes the quality marques that consumers look for in terms of
reassurance that the brands they choose are responsible. Perhaps the most successful
and well known example of such a brand is Fairtrade. These types of ethical brands
are often run by NGOs – e.g. WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network.
12. Celebrity brand – How the famous commercialize their high profile using
combinations of social media delivered content, appearances, products and
gossip/notoriety to retain interest and followers. The business model for this has
evolved from appearances in ads and now takes a range of forms: licensing;
endorsements; brand ambassador roles; and increasingly brand association through
placement (think red carpet).
13. Ingredient brand – The component brand that adds to the value of another brand
because of what it brings. Well known examples include Intel, Gore-Tex and Teflon.
Compared with OEM offerings in manufacturing, where componentry is white label
and simply forms part of the supply chain, ingredient brands are the featured
elements that add to the overall value proposition. A key reason for this is that they
market themselves to consumers as elements to look for and consider when
purchasing. In this interesting piece, Jason Cieslak wonders though ​whether the days
of the ingredient brand are drawing to a close​. His reasons? Increased fragmentation
in the manufacturing sector, lack of space as devices shrink, stronger need for
integration and lack of interest amongst consumers in what goes into what they buy.
14. Global brand – The behemoths. These brands are easily recognized and widely
dispersed. They epitomize “household names”. Their business model is based on
familiarity, availability and stability – although the consistency that once
characterized their offerings, and ruled their operating models, is increasingly under
threat as they find themselves making changes, subtle and otherwise, to meet the
cultural tastes and expectations of people in different regions.
15. Challenger brand – The change makers, the brands that are determined to upset
the dominant player. While these brands tend to face off against the incumbents and
to do so in specific markets, “Being a challenger is not about a state of market; being
number two or three or four doesn’t in itself make you a challenger,” says Adam
Morgan of ​Eat Big Fish​. “ … It is a brand, and a group of people behind that brand,
whose business ambitions exceed its conventional marketing resources, and needs to
change the category decision making criteria in its favor to close the implications of
that gap.”
16. Generic brand – The brand you become when you lose distinctiveness. Takes
three forms. The first is specific to healthcare and alludes to those brands that have
fallen out of patent protection and now face competition from a raft of
same-ingredient imitators known as generics. The second form of generic brand is
the brand where the name has become ubiquitous and in so doing has passed into
common language as a verb – Google, Xerox, Sellotape. The third form is the
unbranded, unlabelled product that has a functional description for a name but no
brand value at all. This last form is the ultimate in commoditization.
17. Luxury brand – Prestige brands that deliver social status and endorsement to the
consumer. Luxury brands must negotiate the fine line between exclusivity and
reality. They do this through quality, association and story. These brands have
perfected the delivery of image and aspiration to their markets, yet they remain
vulnerable to shifts in perception and consumer confidence and they are under
increasing pressure from “affordable luxury” brands. Coach for example struggled
with revenues in 2014 because of declining sales growth in China and Japan, two of
the world’s key luxury markets.
18. Cult brand – The brands that revolve around communities of fierce advocates.
Like the challenger brands, these brands often pick fights with “enemies” that can
range from other companies to ideas, but pure-play cult brands take their cues from
their own passions and obsessions rather than the market or their rivals. They tend to
have followers rather than customers, set the rules and ask people to comply and, if
they market at all, do so in ways where people come to them rather than the other
way around.
19. Clean slate brand – The pop-ups of brand. Fast moving, unproven, even unknown
brands that don’t rely on the heritage and history that are so much a part of
mainstream brand strategy. These brands feed consumers’ wish for the new and the
timely. ​Read more about them here​.
20. Private brand – Otherwise known as private label. Traditionally, these are
value-based, OEM-sourced retail offerings that seek to under-cut the asking price of
name brands. They focus on price. There is significant potential though in my view
for these brands to become more valuable and to play a more significant role at the
‘affordable premium’ end of the market. For that to happen, private brands will need
to broaden their appeal and loyalty through a wider range of consideration factors.
21. Employer brand – The ability of a company to attract high quality staff in
much-touted competitive markets. Often tied to an Employee Value Proposition.
Focuses on the recruiting process though it is sometimes expanded to include the
development of a healthy and productive culture. Sadly, given the process obsession
of too many HR staff and the lack of interest from a lot of marketing people to
venture into people-issues, this tends to be a brand in name rather than a brand by
nature. Great potential – but, given the very low satisfaction rates across corporate
cultures globally, a lot more work is needed to realize the full potential of this idea.
11b) Explain the concept of co branding with its objectives ,applications,merits and
limitations.Support the concept with live co branding illustrations from the Indian
context and its impact in the market among customers
OBJECTIVES:
Establish Credibility
Extend Reach
Double Marketing Budget

APPLICATIONS
Cobrandingencompasses several different types of brandingpartnerships, such as
sponsorships. This strategy typically associates the brands of at least two companies
with a specific good or service.” This strategy is often used by companies looking to
communicate with consumers.

MERITS

It costs both brands less to reach a larger audience.

It increases market size.
It can improve a brand’s reputation.
It creates leverage.
There is a shared pool of talent.
Loyal fans feel like they’ve been given more value.

LIMITATIONS
There are usually financial issues that develop.
Sharing reputation isn’t always a good thing.
One company or brand might not be able to keep up.
It can create confusion.
Reduced risk doesn’t mean zero risk.
Some cultures just aren’t compatible.

12a)Enumerate the strategic brand management processes.Also,explain the way in

which a strong brand is built with special reference to Indian brand called Amul with
the reasoning and market understanding

The process of strategic brand management basically involves 4 steps:

1. Identifying and establishing brand positioning.
Brand Positioning is defined as the act of designing the company's offer and image
so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target consumer's mind.
Key Concepts:
● Points of difference: convinces consumers about the advantages and
differences over the competitors
● Mental Map: visual depiction of the various associations linked to the brand
in the minds of the consumers
● Core Brand Associations: subset of associations i.e. both benefits and
attributes which best characterize the brand.
● Brand Mantra: that is the brand essence or the core brand promise also
known as the Brand DNA.

2.​Planning and Implementation of Brand Marketing Programs

Key Concepts:
● Choosing Brand Elements: Different brand elements here are logos, images,
packaging, symbols, slogans, etc. Since different elements have different
advantages, marketers prefer to use different subsets and combinations of
these elements.
● Integrating the Brand into Marketing Activities and the Support Marketing
Program: Marketing programs and activities make the biggest contributions
and can create strong, favorable, and unique brand associations in a variety of
ways.
● Leveraging Secondary Associations: Brands may be linked to certain source
factors such as countries, characters, sporting or cultural events,etc. In
 essence, the marketer is borrowing or leveraging some other associations for
the brand to create some associations of the brand's own and them to improve
it's brand equity.

3.​Measuring and Interpreting Brand Performance

Key Concepts:
● Brand Audit: Is assessment of the source of equity of the brand and to suggest
ways to improve and leverage it.
● Brand Value chain: Helps to better understand the financial impacts of the
brand marketing investments and expenditures.
● Brand Equity Measurement System: Is a set of tools and procedures using
which marketers can take tactical decision in the short and long run.

4. Growing and Sustaining Brand Equity:

Key Concepts:
1. Defining the brand strategy: Captures the branding relationship between the
various products /services offered by the firm using the tools of
brand-product matrix, brand hierarchy and brand portfolio
2. Managing Brand Equity over time: Requires taking a long -term view as well
as a short term view of marketing decisions as they will affect the success of
future marketing programs.
3. Managing Brand Equity over Geographic boundaries, Market segments and
Cultures: Marketers need to take into account international factors, different
types of consumers and the specific knowledge about the experience and
behaviors of the new geographies or market segments when expanding the
brand overseas or into new market segments.
12b) Discuss the brand positioning with its key elements and core identity supported
with live illustrations.Differentiate the brand positioning of Indian brands and foreign
brands in the FMCG sector with suitable examples

Positioning refers to the place that a brand occupies in the mind of the customer and
how it is distinguished from products from competitors.Primarily, positioning is
about "the place a brand occupies in the mind of its target audience".Positioning is
now a regular marketing activity or strategy.

KEY ELEMENTS:

● Target Audience. In B2C, the target audience or market for your brand is the
person who is most likely to buy your product. ...
● Brand Promise. ...
● Brand Perception. ...
● Brand Values. ...
● Brand Voice. ...
● Brand Positioning.
This is usually being accomplished using four types of positioning
strategies:
a. Positioning based on Category
Some of the brands based on category positioning are shown below:
- Tanishq: watches sold as jewellery
- Vaseline: petroleum jelly sold as lip salve and moisturizer
- Waterbury's Compound: iron supplement for protection from
cough and cold
- Sugar free: It is a sugar free sweetener, generally sold to
sugar patients through drug stores. Nowadays it is being
positioned as weight control device for figure conscious
segment being sold through supermarkets
At a category level, products such as sunglasses, wrist watches,
bags, apparels, sports shoes and various communication devices
are being bought and sold as fashion and style accessories.
b. Positioning based on Benefits
The two basic benefits are outlines below:
I. Functional
It is all about how the brand's functional benefits are conveyed.
Some examples are:
- Lifebuoy: Kills the germs you cannot see
- Apex Exterior Paint from Asian Paints: Time proof beauty
- Dabur Chavanprash; Immunity against infections
- M-Seal: Seal all leaks
- Pepsodent: 12 hour protection
ii. Emotional
It is,all about how the customer feels about the brand. Some
examples are:
- Close-Up: Confident
- Johnson &. Johnson: Caring
- Franklin Templeton Blue Chip Fund: Secure
- Axe: Irresistible
- JK Tyres; In control
- LG: Invincible

c. Positioning based on Usage Occasion and Time of Use

Few examples in this category are below:
- Kwallty Walls: Post dinner treat....10 o'clock
- Listerine: Night time rinse....Get fresh tonight
- Babool: Perfect way to start the day....subah Babool ki to din
tumhara
- Clorets: After drinking, smoking, eating....After Anything
Usage can also be used to expand market. An example is Boroplus
which showed occasions such as shaving, nick and cuts, chapped lips,
winter dryness, nappy rash for using the cream. Cadbury Celebrations
was launched to target adult gifting segment.
d. Price - Quality Positioning based on Usage Occasion and Time
of Use
The biggest innovators In this arena are brands like Aiwa and Philips in
consumer electronics category with their aggressive price - quality
proposition. Peter England (the honest shirt) and Westside
(surprisingly affordable) have attempted the same In clothes and
accessories segment. Deccan Airlines, now owned by Kingfisher (low
cost flying) and TATA Indica (more car per car) are other examples In
this category.
13a) Explain the different methods of brand promotions adopted by firms with its
applications ,merits and demerits supported with apt illustrations.
A brand promotional mix is an allocation of resources among five
primary elements:

● Advertising.
● Public relations or publicity.
● Sales promotion.
● Direct marketing.
● Personal selling.
13b) Write a detailed note on the role of brand ambassadors in effective brand
communications and its impact among the customers .
A brand ambassador is a person who is engaged by a company/brand to promote the
brand – giving it more visibility, value, and reach to increase the
Return-On-Investment (ROI).

To begin with, a brand ambassador should have some level of influence – Either paid
or volunteer brand ambassadors. They Must be loyal, they must be genuinely
interested in your brand and they must be willing to live by the brand’s values and
code of conduct.

Here are the 5 Main Roles of a Brand Ambassador in the acronym B.R.A.N.D.

Believe in the Brand:Brand ambassadors’ first point of calling, connection and

communication are to believe in your brand. They are to buy into the brand. If they
don’t believe in the brand, there is very little they can do at the core and cry of being
authentic in this age.

Represent the Brand:The role of a brand ambassador is to represent the brand

whenever they can and wherever they find themselves. An ambassador becomes the
mouthpiece of the brand, in words and in deeds; to positively project the image of the
brand in every way possible.
Authenticate the Brand: A brand ambassador’s role of authenticating the brand
implies making the brand more likable, real to consumers to enable them to trust the
brand and attract more clients. In essence, they humanize the brand by articulating it
genuinely.

Nurture the Brand:To nurture the brand is to help the brand grow to reach more
people, to create more loyal consumers. Brand ambassadors are to bring in more
leads and to replicate themselves creating more ambassadors in their circles of
influence.

Defend the Brand:This means to protect the reputation of the brand. Stand in the gap
of constantly proclaiming the goodwill of the brand, where others want to defame the
brand, an ambassador quickly steps in with the truth. Where there has been a
misconception about the brand, miscommunication of the brand and even instances
where the brand has erred, the ambassador sets in to resolve issues effectively to
elevate the brand’s image.In all, a brand ambassador is to help the brand dominate in
various areas and ways they can use their influence.In conclusion, Brand
ambassadors can either be volunteers or paid individuals to represent the company in
various ways. A staff of a company can become a brand ambassador, and I
personally advise firms to invest in their staff to make them brand ambassadors, it
pays huge dividends. The scary thing is having a staff who doesn’t believe in your
product and services but only exchange his/her time for salaries. It’s a sure sign of
losing your credibility and sinking your business.

14a)Discuss the steps involved in the brand adoption and its current industry
practice.Also ,explain the factors influencing the decision for brand extension

1. Understand the brand: This may seem like a given, but the scenario in which a
company’s CEO — or even the marketing department — misunderstands or can’t
fully describe the brand is all too common. If you can’t succinctly articulate what
your company’s differentiating value proposition is, it’s probably time to sit down
and take a long hard look at what your customers truly want from you.
2. Talk about the brand: It’s wonderful if you and your marketing department can
describe your brand. But unless you spread that information around, it’s not doing
you any good. Make sure you’re regularly communicating about the brand to your
entire employee and customer base. Consider weaving it into a theme that you can
use throughout all forms of events and communications.

3. Live the brand: Think about your company’s day-to-day operations —

manufacturing, customer service, sales, advertising, etc. Does your organization truly
deliver on your ​brand promise​ on a day-to-day basis? Consistently living the brand is
necessary to create external brand adoption. Unless your customers experience your
brand in a consistent way, you can’t expect them to believe the story you’re telling.
So if your brand experience and your brand message are not matching up, you have a
decision to make. Are you going to adjust your brand to fit your operations? Or
adjust your operations to fit your brand?

Over time, if your brand is clearly and consistently defined and executed, internal
and external brand adoption can become a powerful tool to build your company’s
awareness and reputation.

14b) Explain the concept of rebranding and relaunching a brand with suitable
examples

1. The market research indicates quite clearly that the target audience cannot
identify the brand’s strategy clearly. Respondents return table stakes of the
category or generic meanings like “good company” when asked about your
brand meaning.
2. The research uncovers a brand meaning that is highly emotional and resonant
with the target audience but is NOT the meaning you currently claim. If this
value position is not claimed by any competitor in the category, reposition the
brand to own that valuable space.
3. When the research reflects an erroneous or negative value about your brand,
you need​ ​brand repair​. If the brand returns a variety of values and none of
them are negative or contrary to the new position, a brand relaunch without
brand repair is in order.
 4. If the research indicates that the market landscape has significantly changed,
it’s time to change with it.
5. A new competitor enters the category, reshaping the market. Ignoring the
arrival of a new and powerful meaning is how brands (and companies) die.
No brand, regardless of it position in the category, can afford to ignore a sea
change in the category for long. Remaining stationary while a new competitor
reshapes opinions and preferences is a recipe for marketing disaster. The
sooner your brand responds the better.
Brand Relaunch requires an outside-in focus
Focus on the beliefs, ​precepts​, needs and wants of the prospect rather than the needs
and wants of current customers. We’re not suggesting you ignore current customers.
Just know that you own greater message flexibility with your current customers than
you probably believe. To grow market share, however, you must reach those
currently not choosing you.
Changing human behavior is not an easy task. That truth works both ways. It is
difficult to dismiss a current customer through messaging alone. At some point, the
brand would have to disappoint them in performance to actually lose them.
Your new emotional brand promise will need to resonate with current customers as
well. But a focus on existing customers can be the kiss of death. A dance that ends in
failure.
Often current customers are so wedded to your current brand message that they lack
the ability to see outside of their own box. Their own subjective opinion is so
overwhelming that experience clouds any clarity.
The only way you lose them is if a competitor promotes a stronger message. Just like
you are attempting to steal customers from them, they are trying to take yours as
well. But it’s HARD to switch, which is why the single most emotional message you
can boost is the only way to create preference.
15a)Describe the concept of brand equity management and its various avenues of
measurement with live industry examples.
There is no universally accepted definition of brand equity. The term means different
things for different companies and products. However, there are several common
characteristics of the many definitions that are used today. From the following
examples it is clear that brand equity is multi-dimensional. There are several
stakeholders concerned with brand equity, including the firm, the consumer, the
channel, and some would even argue the financial markets. But ultimately, it is the
consumer that is the most critical component in defining brand equity.

6 Ways to Measure Distributed Brand Equity

Brand Awareness
Preference Metrics
Financial Metrics
Output Metrics
Local Marketer Perception Metrics
Competitive Metrics

15b) Discuss the present challenges and opportunities in successfully sustaining

brands and lead to successful brand management .Support your argument with live
industry examples of your choice with Indian and Foreign brands

Challenges :
Treating brands as assets:The ongoing pressure to deliver short-term financial results
coupled with the fragmentation of media will tempt organizations to focus on tactics
and measurables and neglect the objective of building assets.
Possessing a compelling vision:A brand vision needs to differentiate itself, resonate
with customers and inspire employees. It needs to be feasible to implement, work
over time in a dynamic marketplace and drive brand-building programs. Visions that
work are usually multidimensional and adaptable to different contexts. They employ
concepts such as brand personality, organizational values, a higher purpose, and in
general they simply move beyond functional benefits.
Creating new subcategories:The only way to grow, with rare exceptions, is to
develop “must have” innovations that define new subcategories and build barriers to
inhibit competitors from gaining relevance. That requires substantial or
transformational innovation and a new ability to manage the perceptions of a
subcategory so that it wins.
Generating breakthrough brand building:Exceptional ideas and executions that break
out of the clutter are necessary in order to bring the brand vision to life. These ideas
and the execution of them are more critical than the size of your budget. “Good” is
just not good enough. That means making sure you get more ideas from more
sources, and that you make sure you have the mechanisms in place to recognize
brilliance and bring those ideas to market – quickly.
Achieving integrated marketing communication (IMC): IMC is more elusive and
difficult than ever in light of the various methods you have to choose from such as
advertising, sponsorships, digital, mobile, social media and more. These methods
tend to compete with each other rather than reinforce because the media scene and
options have become so complex, so dynamic, and because product and country silos
reflect competition and isolation rather than cooperation and communication.
Building a digital strategy:This arena is complex, dynamic and in need of a different
mindset. The reality is, the audience is in control here. New capabilities, creative
initiatives and new ways to work with other marketing modalities are required.
Adjust the digital marketing focus from the offering and the brand to the customer’s
sweet spot, which is to say the activities and opinions in which they are interested or
even passionate about. Develop programs around that sweet spot in which the brand
is an active partner, such as Pampers did with Pampers Village or what Avon did
with their Walk for Breast Cancer.
Building your brand internally:It is hard to achieve successful integrated marketing
communications or breakthrough marketing without employees both knowing the
vision and ​caring a​ bout it. The brand vision that lacks a higher purpose will find the
inspiration challenge almost impossible.
Maintaining brand relevance:Brands face three relevance threats: Fewer customers
buying what the brand is offering, emerging reasons not-to-buy, and loss of energy.
Detecting and responding to each requires an in-depth knowledge of the market, plus
a willingness to invest and change.
Creating a brand-portfolio strategy that yields synergy and clarity:Brands need
well-defined roles and visions that support those roles. Strategic brands should be
identified and resourced, and branded differentiators and energizers should be
created and managed.
Leveraging brand assets to enable growth:A brand portfolio should foster growth by
enabling new offerings, extending the brand vertically or extending the brand into
another product class. The goal is to apply the brand to new contexts where the brand
both adds value and enhances itself.

Opportunities:
Graphics
EMail
Packaging
Presentation materials
Vehicles
Clothing
Giveaways
November/December 2016

Part A

1.Define viral Branding

Viral Marketing is that which is able to generate interest and the potential sale of a
brand or product through messages that spread like a virus, in other words, quickly,
and from person to person. The idea is for it to be the users themselves that choose to
share the content.

2.When does a brand matter ?

Consumers are becoming more and more fickle with very little brand loyalty, and
with easy access to a vast amount of information at a click of a button, they’re able to
do their own brand and product comparisons before consuming a product making
stronger connections

3.What are the brand elements ?

● Brand identity. Let us begin with the very basic. ...

● Brand image. Brand image is the idea of the brand that people develop in
their minds. ...
● Brand positioning. Positioning is the way a product is placed in the market. ...
● Brand personality. ...
● Brand equity. ...
● Brand experience. ...
● Brand Differentiation. ...
● Brand communication.
●
4.Does global brand differ from National brand ?
Global brands are brands that are recognized throughout much of the world.
Companies intending to create global brands need to do the following: Identify the
relative attractiveness of each market for your brand. Conduct attitude and usage
studies in each country in which you are considering entering.National Brand. The
brand name of a product owned by the producer or distributor which is marketed
nationally is the national brand. They are usually owned and marketed by large
manufacturers. ... National brands usually have a national level distribution system.

5.Who is a brand ambassador?

A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person who
is hired by an organization or company to represent a brand in a positive light and by
doing so help to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant
to embody the corporate identity in appearance, demeanor, values and ethics

6.What is brand consumer exchange

A 'value exchange' between consumer and brand is one of the fundamentals of
modern marketing; the basic transaction of swapping rich data for better experiences,
as a means of facilitating commercial transactions and improving connection and
engagement.

7.What is brand product matrix

To characterize the product and branding strategy of a firm, one useful tool is the
brand-product matrix, a graphical representation of all the brands and products sold
by the firm. In the brand-product matrix all products offered under different brands
are represented by columns

8.Define rebranding

Rebranding is the process of changing the corporate image of an organisation. It is a

market strategy of giving a new name, symbol, or change in design for an
already-established brand. The idea behind rebranding is to create a different identity
for a brand, from its competitors, in the market.

9.What is a brand audit?

A brand audit is effectively a health check of the brand to identify and address
problems areas with a net result of helping you turn things around and grow your
bottom line. Brands are like living entities with life cycles.

10.List the purpose of the brand equity report

Brand equity is a marketing term that describes a brand's value. That value is
determined by consumer perception of and experiences with the brand.That equity
can be transferred to line extensions – products related to the brand that include the
brand name – so a business can make more money from the brand.

Part B

11a) How does online branding of products and services differ from other off line
branding
For a single brand, consistency is critical across online and offline branding. That
includes:

● colors on logos, promotional products, uniforms, in-store signage, website

banners, etc.
● language used when greeting customers in-store, on the phone and in live
chat, as well as in advertising and on the website
● messaging about the product’s and company’s image (luxury, fun-loving,
environment, frugal, ease-of-use, etc.)
● style of images used, which should reflect the overall messaging

Some of the most successful branding comes from putting offline products in front
an online audience. You must be careful when doing so as you do not want to seem
as if you are pushing advertising in front of someone who doesn’t want to see it.
Great examples include Kuretake, Lululemon, and GoPro who put their products
second while ​advertising on social media​. They spend most of their time engaging
with customers as opposed to putting products in front of customers’ faces.

There are differences between online and offline branding. One difference is
typeface. John Wood shares some interesting statistics on ​how people read
differently offline and online​.

Offline, people learned to read with a serif typeface, such as Times Roman. The
letters are more clear and obvious, such as the difference between a lower-case L and
an upper case I.

But online, people scan more than read, and when they read, it’s often on tiny
hand-held devices. They read much better with a sans-serif typeface, such as Arial.

Language is another difference…sometimes. In online chats, customer service should

use the same approach to speaking with customers as in-store sales staff would use,
whether that is formal, ultra polite, casual, flowery, etc.

Another difference is user-generated content, something that doesn’t exist in the

offline world. This can include:

● testimonials
● employee stories
● pics of videos from customers
When planning user generated content, make sure it aligns with your offline
presence. For instance, make sure employees present the same image online as they
do offline. You can’t control the pics or videos that customers send in, but you can
control the context, how those images appear, the frames they are in, the pages they
are on.

Try to build as similar as possible a customer experience when displaying

user-generated content as you do when welcoming customers into your store. Keep
in mind the fundamental elements of your brand with everything you do.

You might have noticed that the differences between online and offline branding are
small. They are no more than tweaks. Your branding works best when customers get
the same messages, the same impression, the same feelings about your brand online
and offline.

11b) What are the functions of business to business branding

B2B Branding​: What Does The Term Brand Mean In Industrial Markets

A brand has grown to mean much more than a logo. Branding begins with the
consistency of presentation that becomes the identity of a company. Beyond this it
represents a consistent value system that a company presents to the world and that is
seen to be that company’s way of doing things. On this branding ladder, the
challenge is to move beyond the graphic symbols and metaphors to get to the more
difficult cultural uniformity that customers and potential customers recognise and
value.

A good test of branding uniformity is to collect business cards from everyone in a

company and lay them on the table. Do the same thing with all pieces of stationery
including compliment slips, letterheads and labels. Put all the company’s adverts and
sales literature on the table. What is the uniformity in layout and presentation? What
variable images do they communicate? Do the presentations look messy and all over
the place? The enemy of branding is the well meaning person within a company who
believes that their concept of a design, image or brand is superior to all others.
Within all of us there is a desire to fiddle with brands and layouts and so potentially,
everyone is a branding terrorist. Whenever you see a good and strong brand you can
be sure that behind it there will be a brand champion who is prepared to be unpopular
if necessary in enforcing the branding rules of that company.

12a)Explain the strategic brand management process in building a strong brand

The process of strategic brand management basically involves 4 steps:

1. Identifying and establishing brand positioning.
Brand Positioning is defined as the act of designing the company's offer and image
so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target consumer's mind.
Key Concepts:
● Points of difference: convinces consumers about the advantages and
differences over the competitors
● Mental Map: visual depiction of the various associations linked to the brand
in the minds of the consumers
● Core Brand Associations: subset of associations i.e. both benefits and
attributes which best characterize the brand.
● Brand Mantra: that is the brand essence or the core brand promise also
known as the Brand DNA.

2.​Planning and Implementation of Brand Marketing Programs

Key Concepts:
● Choosing Brand Elements: Different brand elements here are logos, images,
packaging, symbols, slogans, etc. Since different elements have different
advantages, marketers prefer to use different subsets and combinations of
these elements.
● Integrating the Brand into Marketing Activities and the Support Marketing
Program: Marketing programs and activities make the biggest contributions
and can create strong, favorable, and unique brand associations in a variety of
ways.
● Leveraging Secondary Associations: Brands may be linked to certain source
factors such as countries, characters, sporting or cultural events,etc. In
essence, the marketer is borrowing or leveraging some other associations for
the brand to create some associations of the brand's own and them to improve
it's brand equity.

3.​Measuring and Interpreting Brand Performance

Key Concepts:
 ● Brand Audit: Is assessment of the source of equity of the brand and to suggest
ways to improve and leverage it.
● Brand Value chain: Helps to better understand the financial impacts of the
brand marketing investments and expenditures.
● Brand Equity Measurement System: Is a set of tools and procedures using
which marketers can take tactical decision in the short and long run.

4. Growing and Sustaining Brand Equity:

Key Concepts:
4. Defining the brand strategy: Captures the branding relationship between the
various products /services offered by the firm using the tools of
brand-product matrix, brand hierarchy and brand portfolio
5. Managing Brand Equity over time: Requires taking a long -term view as well
as a short term view of marketing decisions as they will affect the success of
future marketing programs.
6. Managing Brand Equity over Geographic boundaries, Market segments and
Cultures: Marketers need to take into account international factors, different
types of consumers and the specific knowledge about the experience and
behaviors of the new geographies or market segments when expanding the
brand overseas or into new market segments.

12b) What are the four components of brand positioning .Describe the guidelines in
developing a good brand positioning

We believe there are four key components to brand positioning:

● Target customer – the primary audience to whom the brand is designed

to appeal
● Brand essence – the “heart and soul” of the brand
● Brand promise – a promise of relevant differentiating benefits
● Brand personality – adjectives that describe the brand as if it were a
person
Together, these components define the brand. They are codified in a simple format
that provides direction not only for marketing communication and the brand identity
standards and systems, but also for all of the organization’s activities.

Some people would say that the best a corporate brand might hope to own is the
leadership position in an industry. The brand promise would read as follows:
“[Company] is the quality, innovation leader in the [industry.]” I believe that is a
very weak positioning. The strongest corporate brands own something more than
that in consumers’ minds. For instance, Disney owns “fun family entertainment”
while Nike owns “genuine athletic performance.” Nicor owns “unconditional primal
warmth” while Hallmark owns “caring shared.”

here are 7 key steps to effectively clarify your positioning in the marketplace:

1. Determine how your brand is currently positioning itself

2. Identify your direct competitors

3. Understand how each competitor is positioning their brand

4. Compare your positioning to your competitors to identify your uniqueness

5. Develop a distinct and value-based positioning idea

6. Craft a brand positioning statement (see below)

7. Test the efficacy of your brand positioning statement

13a)Discuss about brand loyalty programmes of premium brands in products and

services

The Reality - Loyalty Programs Can Provide Huge Benefits to Luxury Brands.Like
most things, a loyalty program is viewed how you market it. You need to add and
remove things that will make the program synonymous with your brands image.For
example, just changing the name from a “loyalty program” to a “rewards program”
immediately makes the program sound more prestigious. There are many ways that
you can tailor a program for a luxury brand so that it ends up looking like a well fit
suit!

Strategies for Luxury Brand Loyalty

Don’t Focus on Providing Customers Discounts:While shoppers don’t associate

loyalty programs with cheap (non luxury goods) they may draw an association
between discounts and “cheap” goods. Imagine seeing the following on luxury
brand’s site.

Provide Exclusive Experiences and Products:Instead of using points to give

customers a discount, a luxury brand can let customers redeem points for products or
special experiences. In these scenarios you are providing value through addition
rather than subtraction.

Make the Loyalty “Points” Prestigious:Another best practice with a luxury brand
loyalty program, is to name the program and points to reflect your brand image.
Points sound… boring and generic, not the image your brand is going for. Instead
give your points a creative name!

Create Status-Driven VIP Tiers:My final tip for luxury brand loyalty programs is to
include tiers. A tiered program is a way to reward more to your most loyal and
profitable customers, while at the same time encouraging other customers to join
them.A tiered program for a luxury brand ideally has a tier that is only obtainable by
a very select few, around 5%. This tier is highly motivating for a luxury brand
shopper. They want to achieve the highest status they can, but they don’t want others
to be there with them.

1. Creates Added Value to You and the Customer Give your customers something
rather than discounting an order.

2. Lets Shoppers Purchase Exclusive Items or Add-ons That They Wouldn't

Otherwise Have Access To This could be products that are not available in your
traditional store or an experience such as tickets to an event or meet and greet.
3. Has a Creative and Premium Sounding Name for the Program and the Points Be
sure align names with your brand, what you sell, and the emotion you want
customers to feel.

4. Uses VIP Tiers to Make Customers Feel Prestigious:Luxury brand shoppers love
to be on top of the status pyramid, so give them a status based on interactions with
your site/brand.Despite the myth, customer retention is something luxury brands
cannot ignore. According to Luxury Daily the majority of a luxury brands profits
come from the top few percent of customers, but these brands fail to retain even half
of their top customers each year.

13b) What are the avenues available for online brand promotion in social media
.Discuss.

● Facebook. Facebook has been a top social networking site, since its inception
in 2004. ...
● Twitter. Twitter is the next best thing after Facebook. ...
● Whatsapp. ...
● Instagram. ...
● YouTube. ...
● Google+ ...
● Pinterest. ...
● Tumblr.

14a) What are the different types of brand extension .Explain with automobile
brands.
There are eight types, Each has its own unique type of leverage.

● Similar product in a different form from the original parent product. ...
● Distinctive flavor/ingredient/component in the new item. ...
● Benefit/attribute/feature owned. ...
● Expertise. ...
● Companion products. ...
● Vertical extensions. ...
● Same customer base. ...
● Designer image/status.
14b) Describe the process of brand adoption.How does relaunching affect the brand
adopters?
Five-stage mental process all prospective customers go through from learning of a
new product to becoming loyal customers or rejecting it. These stages are (1)
Awareness: prospects come to know about a product but lack sufficient information
about it; (2) Interest: they try to get more information; (3) Evaluation: they consider
whether the product is beneficial; (4) Trial: they make the first purchase to determine
its worth or usefulness; (5) Adoption/Rejection: they decide to adopt it, or look for
something else. Another explanation is that the customer moves from a cognitive
state (being aware and informed) to the emotional state (liking and preference) and
finally to the behavioral or conative state (deciding and purchasing).
Brand Relaunch requires an outside-in focus
Focus on the beliefs, precepts, needs and wants of the prospect rather than the needs
and wants of current customers. We’re not suggesting you ignore current customers.
Just know that you own greater message flexibility with your current customers than
you probably believe. To grow market share, however, you must reach those
currently not choosing you.
Changing human behavior is not an easy task. That truth works both ways. It is
difficult to dismiss a current customer through messaging alone. At some point, the
brand would have to disappoint them in performance to actually lose them.
Your new emotional brand promise will need to resonate with current customers as
well. But a focus on existing customers can be the kiss of death. A dance that ends in
failure.
Often current customers are so wedded to your current brand message that they lack
the ability to see outside of their own box. Their own subjective opinion is so
overwhelming that experience clouds any clarity.
The only way you lose them is if a competitor promotes a stronger message. Just like
you are attempting to steal customers from them, they are trying to take yours as
well. But it’s HARD to switch, which is why the single most emotional message you
can boost is the only way to create preference.

15a)Why is it important to measure brand equity ?Outline the sources and outcomes
of customer based brand equity .

6 Ways to Measure Distributed Brand Equity

Brand Awareness
Preference Metrics
Financial Metrics
Output Metrics
Local Marketer Perception Metrics
Competitive Metrics

Customer-based brand equity has been defined as the differential effect of brand
knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand .Second, brand
equity refers to a global value associated with a brand.

15b) What are the challenges faced by Brand Managers ?Enumerate the brand
management opportunities

Some of the other major challenges encountered by brands are:

○ Ensuring consumer loyalty

○ Time taken internally to react to market developments
○ Ensuring innovation and improvement while keeping a check on the pricing

“These days, a wide number of options are available to the consumers; they have got
a substitute for everything. In such scenario, it is not only tough to attain a loyal
customer set, but also it forces us to deal with new customer sets every time”, says a
brand manager from the FMCG industry.

A few other challenges mentioned are:

○ Packaging: Going for LEPs (Limited Edition products), exclusive packs etc.
You never know why a new consumer came to you and why another
consumer left you, all this may be due to a bright color on the pack, says a
brand manager from the FMCG industry
○ Launching a new brand: You put a lot of man-hours, money behind a new
concept which is never tested, all may go in vain in a day after all your efforts
– FMCG
○ Marketing issues in Print ads, TVCs, digital media, etc.
○ Challenges due to competitors, small players etc.
○ Difficulties in rural marketing (Price vs. Cost)
○ Non reliability of data that comes back to be analyzed
○ Different communicating paths for different consumer sets
○ Waiting till right threshold before quantification of a brand
○ Govt. regulations in public advertising
 ○ Retaining talent vs. hiring new talent

Effective brand building opportunities to tap

○ 1 – Define your persona
○ 2 – Having a strong internet presence, especially social media
○ 3 – Blogging for branding
○ 4 – Customer service as a priority
7. To differentiate your organization from those in your field
8. To show the authenticity of your product or service
9. To reinforce the values that your company places at the forefront of
each action
10. To unify each department within your orga