Page 148 - DMGT408DMGT203_Marketing Management

Unit 6: Products, Services and Brands

Culture: Culture includes knowledge, belief, rites and rituals, capabilities, habits, and Notes
values. A brand reflects its various aspects and values that drive it. Culture manifests
various aspects of a brand.

Example: Apple computers reflect its culture. It is a symbol of simplicity, and friendliness.
Its symbol (munched Apple) connotes being different from others and not following the beaten
path. Mercedes symbolises disciplined, efficient, high quality German engineering.

Relationship: Brands are often at the heart of transactions and exchanges between marketers
and customers.

Example: The brand name Nike is Greek and relates to Olympics, and suggests
glorification of human body. “Just Do It” is all about winning, the unimportance of age, and
encourages us to let loose. Apple conveys emotional relationship based on friendliness.
Relationship is essentially important in service products.

Reflection: This refers to defining the kind of people who use it. It is reflected in the image
of its consumers: young, old, rich, modern and so on.

Example: Pepsi reflects young, fun loving, carefree people. The reflection of Allen Solly’s
brand is a typical young executive.
However, it does not by any chance mean that they are the only users. The concept of
target market is broader than reflection.
Self-image: This means how a customer relates herself/himself to the brand. Self-image is
how a customer sees herself/himself.

Example: The self-image of users of Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle is believed to that of be
tough, young males. Users of Nike see their inner reflection in the brand’s personality.

6.3.2 Brand Equity

Brand equity is one of the popular and potentially important concepts in marketing that emerged
in the 1980s. It has raised the importance of the brand in marketing strategy. Many scholars have
expressed their views in defining brand equity.
“Brands have equity because they have high awareness, many loyal consumers, a high reputation
for perceived quality, proprietary assets such as access to distribution channels or to patents, or
the kind of brand associations (such as personality associations).”
—David A. Aaker, Managing Brand Equity, (Free Press 1991)
Kevin Lane Keller defines brand equity:

“Brand equity is defined in terms of marketing effects uniquely attributed to the brands – for
example, when certain outcomes result from the marketing of a product or service because of its
brand name that would not occur if the same product or service did not have the name.”
—Kevin Lane Keller, “Conceptualising, Measuring, and Measuring Customer Based Brand Equity,”
Journal of Marketing, (January 1993)

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