BRAND PICTURE:Brand Value Pyramid, Importance of being at pinnacle, From pinnacle to bottom

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Brand Management (MKT624)

Lesson 10

BRAND PICTURE

Brand picture is based on brand image, which has two following components:

� Brand associations

� Brand persona

Brand Associations

Associations refer to attributes the brand carries and benefits it offers to consumers. Persona is

description of the brand in human characteristics. The basics of this concept were discussed in

lecture 3 under brand identity and image. You must be able to express your brand in human

terms like sturdy, reliable, well-meaning and well-serving, stylish, modern, and caring etc.

A brand expressed as reliable must have those characteristics so that it can be perceived as that

by the target market. By the same token, a brand perceived as outdated by the market while the

company thinks of that as modern is at odds with the market perceptions.

The objective is to better understand brand's strengths and weaknesses and have realistic

strategic goals. A long exercise in brand vision as discussed in the preceding two chapters

enables us to understand company's strengths and weaknesses and their reflection on your

brand plans. A clear picture of the brand will emerge out of the understanding of strengths and

weaknesses toward leveraging your brand.

The two components of brand image are expressed graphically in the following figure.

Figure 17

According to Scot Davis, associations are

Brand Image

part of a laddering approach, whereby the

more you ladder up the perceived benefit in

your consumers' mind the stronger is the

Brand Persona

Brand Associations

association1.

He goes on to say that features and attributes

remain undifferentiated in the minds of

consumers unless they translate into

perceived benefits.

He also states that benefits are weak unless

they relate to the customers' central values

and beliefs2.

Example

A chain of schools cannot create

perceptions of good quality education to

Human

Product

children unless its program of teaching

Characteristics

relates to the central values of children's

parents. The values could be a set of

Source: "Brand Asset Management" by Scot M. Davis

good worldly education, knowledge of

basic religious tenets, and high morals. Emphasis on physical training and extra-curricular

activities may also be among the beliefs of the parents.

The education system of the school has to create all the relevant attributes and then deliver

those as benefits for the target market (parents) to perceive that the delivered product is

very much in line with their perceptions. The higher the quality of delivery and substance of

education, the higher the school has laddered up the benefits. Add to that the extra-

curricular activities and the school has further laddered up the benefits.

Brand Management (MKT624)

The concept of laddering up the attributes and perceived benefits can be explained with the

help of the following set of three related examples:

Example 1

Think of a brand of clothing that you may not buy but do think is worth considering. The

reason you think it is worth the space on the market is that it does demonstrate certain

features and attributes that may have appeal for some, if not you. The brand is out in the

market fulfilling need of a certain segment that has to be addressed by some brand(s).

Example 2

Think of another brand of clothing that you desire just to fulfill certain basic needs with no

intention for self-fulfillment. You expect the brand to offer you basic benefits and feel

satisfied. You do not feel the need for projecting yourself. Your concern is all about the

functional benefit that the brand provides. Consider a basic sport shirt in the light of this

example.

Example 3

Think of the best possible brand of clothing with which you associate yourself the most. If

it rings a chord with your emotional values and beliefs, then it is laddered up in your mind

to the highest. Your values dictate that you must look different by way of having expensive

and fashionable clothing and be able to project yourself as a modern, sophisticated person.

What happens is that you start feeling very important and confident thinking you are

projecting the image you deserve.

The laddering up of benefits can be explained wit the help of the following graphic illustration:

Figure 18

Features

refer

demonstrable features and

Features

Benefits

Values

attributes that fulfill basic

needs.

In the second stage, features and attributes translate into benefits, while in the third stage

customer values are also fulfilled along with benefits. Refer to extra-curricular activities

offered by a school with a good education system.

The concept can be summarized in the following words:

� Stage 1:

Demonstrable Features & Attributes.

� Stage 2:

Features & Attributes + Benefits.

� Stage 3:

Features & Attributes + Benefits + fulfillment of values.

We can conclude from the set of three examples that brand associations have different levels in

the mind of consumers. The higher the level the more powerful is the brand. When a brand

addresses your emotional values, it is at its pinnacle.

Getting to the pinnacle should be the objective of all good brands. But then not all brands can

do that. The following figure demonstrates the brand value build-up by way of a pyramid.

Brand Management (MKT624)

Figure 19

Brand Value Pyramid

The emotional,

Most

spiritual, and

meaningful and

cultural values

most difficult

addressed!

to imitate;

hardest to

Values

deliver!

Benefits that must

be provided to

customers!

Benefits

Least difficult

Features & Attributes

Features that must

to imitate and

be demonstrated!

deliver; least

meaningful!

Source: "Brand Asset Management" by Scot M. Davis

Importance of being at pinnacle

Those brands that rule their respective categories and define them are the trend setters; others

follow them to maintain their existence in the market place. The trend setters establish certain

benchmarks not following which means getting your brands out of the playing field and

undermining consumer franchise for them. Not following therefore is risky. Following may

amount to having your brand known as "me-too", meaning a follower without creative

elements.

It is here that the point of differentiation acquires significance and calls for concerted efforts to

rightly identify the dimension of the need your brand is out to address, satisfy that need and get

to the pinnacle.

Leveraging from the pinnacle

The question is why do you have to be at the pinnacle? Companies do not invest phenomenal

amounts of money to be at the pinnacle for the sake of marketing fun! Investments into

branding are done to attain a position from where you can leverage your brand.

Needless to say that it is the brand loyalty that offers your brand the slot at the pinnacle. You

can go for price premiums and introduce new products through the brand power. Eventually,

you want your brand power to translate into profitability and bottom line growth, and increase

the asset value of the brand2. If you succeed in doing so, you define the category in which every

one else is a follower. You enjoy ultimate power.

Pinnacle testifies right image

Any brand at the pinnacle testifies the need it is fulfilling was rightly identified, the identity

was right, its image has been received in the right most way, and the communication was

perfect.

Brand Management (MKT624)

From pinnacle to bottom

There are categories in which all players work hard to win over customers by offering points of

difference with quality. The offerings eventually get so close to each other that they lose the

charm of having had differentiation at one point, thereby reducing the whole category to basic

features and attributes. What once was a differentiated feature offering unique benefits and

values is now commonplace and hence calls for working all over again through the brand value

pyramid.

The renewed working may not mean changing the product all together. It could be done

through various ways of offering meaningful value to the customer, like improving service,

distribution, and management practices. Toyota Corolla is an excellent example under such

circumstances. Its direct competitors offer everything in tangible terms in their models, and yet

Toyota is right on top. The position owes to the unmatchable customer value the brand offers

through better availability of spares, service, and resale price of cars. The extra meaningful

value does not let Toyota lose its exceptional laddering and reduce the model to the first level

of brand pyramid.

Conversely, in many cases of consumer consumables, similarities let brands catch up with each

other and prevent them from offering any meaningful ways of retaining differentiated customer

value. The result is all brands lose their exceptional laddering and reduce the category to the

first level of brand pyramid. Price wars and massive promotions start. Result is shake-outs.

Category gets a new life with the advent of new technology or at least new innovation or a

substitute category of products.

The next lecture continues with the levels of association a good brand should evoke. How

features and benefits should be determined to have the desired associations evoked is the

starting point of the lecture.

Bibliography:

1. Scot M. Davis: "Brand Asset Management Driving Profitable Growth through Your

Brands"; Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint (54)

2. Scot M. Davis: "Brand Asset Management Driving Profitable Growth through Your

Brands"; Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint (56)

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