the thin line between love and hate and brands

8/10/2019 The Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Brands

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The Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Brands

A companys brand is undoubtedly the most direct and simple way to convey that they aredeserving of your hard-earned cash and loyalty. It could be a simple word, symbol, and/or color schememeant to convince us that despite a seemingly unlimited amount of options out there, this is the one wewant. No, this is what we need , and by God, we need it right now. And well keep on needing it for a verylong time. More than anything else, if a company can make their brand into something instantly

recognizable and ever present in a consumers mind, the sound of ringing cash registers will be loud andplentiful.

Make no mistake about it, we see them everywhere. On every street corner, on the side of everyhighway, they make an appearance even on our shoelaces. Some of them are so prevalent and present inour everyday life that theyve become ubiquitous, consequences be damned. Companies and marketerslook for every opportunity to drive their brand message home. Some brands are so powerful that thebrand name has replaced the generic product name almost completely. We do not ask for facial tissues,we ask for Kleenex. When we need something to pu t on our cuts and scrapes, we will ask for a Band -Aid and not an adhesive bandage. On one hand, this is the best thing that could ever happen to a brand,

but on the other hand, it can be a blow to their reputation. Negative customer feedback, even if it is notdirected at one of these specific genericized brands, w ill have an important impact and can hindercommunication and message transmission.

Brands matter, plain and simple, not because of how easy to pronounce or how pretty they are(although that is debatable), but because of the message they want to convey. Among other things, asuccessful brand will tell consumers something about quality and consistency, and stories andexperiences can be built based on a products special qualities (Kotler, Armstrong, 2010). Last night I sawa commercial about a certain luxury car and their SUVs and how they are taking the truck to the mosttreacherous and dangerous roads in the world only to prove how strong and rugged (but still luxurious,mind you) that car is. This company wants to tell us a story about how much this particular brand oftruck can do just about anything. Therefore, a brand is not simply a name. It is a set of added values thatoffer important benefits to the consumer, which can be functional or psychological (Roman and Maas,2003).

It is all about creating and building brand equity. In simple terms, brand equity is the value overand above the value of the generic version of the product (Solomon, Marshall, and Stuart, 2012). Ineveryday terms, buying a pair of sneakers for 30 dollars more because of acertain swoosh reflects Nikesbrand equity. That swoosh, that brand, is enough to make you spend that extra money. But what does abrand need to have in order to get you to shell out those thirty bucks? First of all, the brand needs tostand out amongst its peers. The brand has to be relevant to its consumers (or potential consumers)needs. Consumers have to have a solid knowledge about the brand, and of course, the brand has to berespected (Kotler, Armstrong, 2011). If a brand can achieve all of those things, then its brand equity willgo through the roof, which in turn benefits the company in many different ways, among them consumerloyalty (the most important one), leverage, and defense against competition. When I go to my localsupermarket, I pretty much know what brand of whatever I need to purchase I am going to look for. Ifmore likeminded people are looking for the same brand, then the company gains negotiating power withthe supermarket, because it knows its brand has created that loyalty. When brand equity is strong


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enough, it is usually enough to trump their competition as well, even if a new or competing brand canfulfill those needs in a better way.

A great example of this is Apple. According to Interbrands 201 1 rankings of the top 100 globalbrands, they are the 8 th most valuable brand in the world. MIllwardBrowns Brandz ranking has themlisted even higher in fact, higher than anybody else at number 1. While many people dispute thevalidity of these rankings, there is no doubt that Apple is the cream of the crop no matter how you slice it

(no pun intended).

I have restrained myself and only own a single one of their products, which I have had to replaceonly once (my iPod). My sister and her family, however, are a completely different story. My sister ownsa MacBook Pro, an iMac, an iPad, and an iPhone. My brother-in-law owns an iPhone, a MacBook Pro, andan iPad. My niece owns an iPhone, and both my nephews own iPods. I like to think that I am a tech-savvyconsumer, and when it comes to my devices and gadgets, I am very careful and will choose quality overbrand name every time (well, almost). As far as hardware goes, I know for a fact that there are better andcheaper mobile phones, laptop computers, desktop computers, and tablets than what Apple has on themarket. Apples products are very expensive, their software and applicatio n ecosystem is incredibly

obtuse and walled in, and their peripherals and accessories are expensive and hard to come by (unlessyoure at an Apple Store). So, what gives? What does Apple do then to meet every single one of theconsumer perception dimensions that a brand needs to fulfill in order to increase that equity? Applestands out because of its industrial design, its simplicity, its innovation, and its wonderfully identifiablelogo. They are relevant because they not only meet their customers needs, they have created entirelynew needs with the introduction of products like the iPod and the iPad, and they revolutionized thesmartphone market with the iPhone. People know about Apple products because of their cleveradvertising, word-of-mouth, celebrity endorsements, and because they are unmatched when it comes tocreating buzz and hype about product launches. Think about where Apple was before they introduced theiPod. Now think about the hype and hysteria that abounds when they announce a new product launch. Asa matter of fact, sometimes they do not even need to announce anything! Their rabidly loyal consumerbase just expects Apple to release a new iPhone or a new iPad and they go berserk. Does any company inthe world do that? Of course not. Simply put, Apple not only changed the game but they have becomedominant in the game. They sold millions and millions of a product that did not even exist a day before itwas launched (iPad)! In bold and simple terms, Apple played ball and won. They changed everything.

But not everybody has the resources or capacity to do what Apple does. In fact, Apple is uniqueand their story is great because of the fact that they were close to going under at one point, and wererescued by their own incredibly smart tactics as well as by a consumer base that was ready for something

new, something innovative, something great, and most importantly, something cool . The Apple earlyadopters were sick of Microsoft (Windows) and Sony (Walkman/Discman) telling them what to do, sowhen Apple launched the first colorful all-in-one iMacs and followed it up with the iPod, they jumped onboard, and have never looked back. That is one of the things I have noticed about Apple users. They arefiercely loyal, sometimes to a fault. Even though I am tempted every time I see the latest and greatestApple product, I have so far managed to be smart and get more bang for my buck buying the alternative.However, I understand that loyalty, and Apple has done more than enough to deserve it.

Smaller, newer companies have a treacherous road ahead if they want to create some of thatbrand equity. They have to deal with a cluttered playing field, full of hard headed and veteran opponents


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that take no mercy and will defend their turf vigorously and sometimes unfairly. Some of them areincredibly successful, like Twitter, who did a little bit of what Apple did and created an entirely new nichefor their brand. Others start off so strong and build such a following that they are gobbled up almostimmediately. Facebooks acquisition of Instagram is a clear example of this as Mark Zuckerberg wastedno time and opened up his wallet to the tune of one billion dollars. Big fish usually win, but there aresome things that the little guys can do to make an impact.

For small businesses launching a new brand, there is no way they can compete with the Fortune500 companies, at least not initially. So what can they do? Or rather, what should they do? There are fivesimple steps to get started, according to Mike OToole (2008):

Clarify your position define the single thing your company stands for to your customers. Tell your story Its all about emotion, and creating it. Bring it to life Dont just tell the story, live it. Make it integral and essential to your company. Start building before they buy Create a brand impression before the customer makes a decision. Measure your efforts Dont get stuck. Ask your customers, check your statistics, monitor your

social media outlets. Make changes whenever necessary and get it right.

These five things, as simple as they seem, can be the proper way to start building a strong brandand creating brand equity.

A common mistake that is made when trying to capture and create brand equity isreferred to insome circles as brand oversaturation. Those who think that no publicity is bad publicity say brandoversaturation does not exist. Those who think that no publicity is bad publicity are thrilled when theysee their brand plastered on themost unlikely and unusual places. Companies that have been successfulfor years and years, beloved by a lot of people and known the world throughout, are guilty of this. When Iam watching a baseball game, I do not want to see my favorite player with swooshes on every available

space on their uniform, but I am sure Nike does. I am sure Nike wants to see more of them, because themore swooshes people see, the more Nike products they will buy. Television shows and movies areblatant with brand placement also. Ever notice what kind of drink Simon Cowell has in front of him whenhe is about to kick off somebody from American Idol? For many people, it borders on the offensive and isdownright vulgar. Personally, I have seen it get worse, and its starting to get to that point.

Some people, like the beloved and reviled street artist Banksy, have had enough. To some, he is acriminal. To others, he is one of the finest contemporary artists in the world. He makes his homesomewhere in England, but his artwork has been displayed in many places around the world. He is asmysterious as he is talented, and outside his innermost circles, nobody knows who he really is. Therehave been countless articles written about this man, stories and anecdotes that have attempted topinpoint both his identity and his motivation. As most street artists, he is known only by an alias. His artshows have attracted dignitaries and celebrities, and his pieces have sold for millions of dollars. He is apublished author and entrepreneur. As a person who uses the street as his canvas, and who is bothcunning and observant, he delivered a missive in his 2004 book Cut It Out aimed at advertising andbrand placement. Colorful and expletive language aside, his point is this:


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The advertisers are laughing at us. They make dumb commercials and make us feel inadequate aboutourselves to make a quick buck, yet we cant do anything about it. We are powerless and defenselessagainst this barrage that insults and demeans us in every sense.

Heres what Banksy goes on to propose:

Any advert in a public space that give you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. Its yoursto take, re-arrange, and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is likeasking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.

You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you espec ially dont owe them any courtesy.They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They neverasked for permission; don t even start asking for theirs (2004).

That is the line then. Companies have to be adept at walking along that line so they do notoverwhelm their potential consumers, but at the same time they have to maintain a strong brandpresence to create that brand equity. As a consumer, heres what I want. I want to be respected and notlooked upon as just another wallet with feet. I do not want my intelligence insulted or want to be hit overthe head with a brand.

As a professional, I get it. I understand what needs to be done. I know that at the end of the day,the bottom line has to be black. I also understand that loyal customers and a companys ability to attractnew ones, is the best way to get that bottom line in the black. Companies want these customers to comeback every time, as fast as they can, and never go away. They have to be careful, connect with customersemotionally and try to resist the urge to turn into the Incredible Hulk whenever they want to sell a pair ofsneakers. In order to get customers talking and turn a brand into something more than a flash in the panor something seen as negative and offensive, companies have to be innovative, dynamic, and aware.Companies have to connect in such a way that existing consumers and potential consumers will happilyplunk down their money, not because of how well a product is made, but because of how great a productmakes them feel about themselves. It is all about that emotional connection.

When I was a child growing up in Mexico, my mothers solution to a lot of my ailments was todrink a Seven-Up soda. If I had a tummy ache, she would tell me to calm down and drink a Seven-Up.Whenever I fell down and scraped my knee, or when I was angry and threw a tantrum, a Seven-Up did thetrick. Obviously, Seven-Up has no medical properties and there is absolutely no science behind the factthat it made my headache feel better. I know that, because I am a smart person, and Seven-Up is a softdrink. But you know what? Whenever I get a headache now, as an adult? Yeah, I will take a pill, but you

know what I wash it down with?A nice, cold, Seven-Up.


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References

Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing (13th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: PearsonPrentice Hall.

Roman, K., & Maas, J. (2003). How to Advertise. New York, NY: St. Martins Press.

Solomon, M., Marshall, G., & Stuart, E. (2012). Marketing: Real People, Real Choices (7th ed.).Upper SaddleRiver, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Banksy. (2004). Cut It Out. Weapons of Mass Distraction Publishing.

Interbrand. (2012). Best Global Brands 2011. Retrieved fromhttp://www.interbrand.com/Libraries/Branding_Studies/Best_Global_Brands_2011.sflb.ashx onAugust 2, 2012.

MillwardBrown. (2012) Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2012. Retrieved fromhttps://www.millwardbrown.com/brandz/2012/Documents/2012_BrandZ_Top100_Report.pdfon August 2, 2012.

OToole, M. (2012). Five Steps to Building Brand Equity for the Small Business. Retrieved fromhttp://www.marketingprofs.com/8/building-brand-equity-for-small-businesses-otoole.asp onAugust 2, 2012.