Brand Identity (PBL 3)

The problem we found during the third PBL is: How to transfer a brand identity in order to maximise profits?
The learning objectives that came out of this problem are:

1. What is branding/brand identity/brand image?
2. Methods, how to, brand identity models.
3. Good/bad examples.

What is branding/brand identity/brand image?
The Business Dictionary defines branding as the process which is involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaign with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.
According to Entrepreneur, branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.

The Business Dictionary defines brand identity as the visible elements of a brand, such as colours, design, logotype and symbol, that together identify and distinguish the brand in the consumers' mind.

According to the Management Study Guide, brand image is the current view of the customers about a brand. It can be defined as a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers.

Brand identity and brand image are not the same. Below you can see the differences between this two according to Management Study Guide.

Methods, how to, brand identity models
Entrepreneur says that to define your brand, it requires at least answers to the following questions:

• What is your company's mission?
• What are the benefits and features of your products and services?
• What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
• What qualities do you want them to associate with your company? 

When you have defined your brand, you can get the word out. There are a few simple, time-tested tips to do this:

• Get a great logo that you place everywhere.
• Write down your brand messaging: every employee should be aware of your brand attributes.
• Integrate your brand: branding extends to every aspect of your business, from how you answer the phone to what your salespeople wear to your e-mail signature. 
• Create a voice for your company that reflects your brand. 
• Develop a tagline: write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand. 
• Design templates and create brand standards for your marketing materials: use the same colour scheme, logo placement and look. 
• Be true to your brand: customers will not return to your if you do not deliver on your brand promise.
• Be consistent! 

Brand identity was mentioned for the first time in Europe by Kapferer in 1986. Professor Jean-Noël Kapferer represents brand image as a six-sided prism.

The six aspects of this prism are divided into two dimensions:
1. The constructed source vs. the constructed receiver: a well-presented brand has to be seen as a person as well as the stereotypical user.
2. Externalisation vs. internalisation: a brand has social aspects that define its external expression (physique, relationship and reflection) and aspects that are incorporated into the brand itself (personality, culture and self-image).

Kapferer says the following about his model: "Strong brand are capable of weaving all aspects into an effective whole in order to create a concise, clear and appealing brand identity."
The aspects of the Brand Identity Prism are the following:

• Physique: the set of the brand's physical features, which are evoked in people's mind when the brand name is mentioned. This has to be considered the basis of the brand. 
• Personality: the brand's character. This can be realised by using a specific style of writing, using specific design features or a person. 
• Culture: the system of values and basic principles on which a brand has to base its behaviour. Many associations are linked to the country of origin. 
• Relationship: a brand can symbolise a certain relationship between people. 
• Reflection: this references to the stereotypical user of the brand and it is the source for identification. 
• Self-image: this is a kind of a mirror the target group holds up to itself. For example, Lacoste users see themselves as members of a sports club, even if they do not actively play any sports, and a Porsche driver will think that others will think he is rich because he can afford such a car. 

David A. Aaker's brand identity elaboration model is intended to elaborate the identity of a brand. The idea is to convert the aspirational image a brand is to emanate into four elements:

1. Strategic imperatives: a strategic investment in a business resource or programme needed to achieve or maintain the required image. What systems and programmes must the company implement to make that what they are known for happen? 
2. Proof points: programmes, initiatives and resources which are already available within a company that can be deployed to make the identity tangible. 
3. Internal role models: programmes, events, stories or people that fit the brand identity and can reinforce it. 
4. External role models: these are found by assuming a wider perspective, for example by looking at other brands and companies. These external role models have a greater impact on the brand. 

By elaborating the four elements mentioned above, a clear picture of the brand identity emerges, with clearly identified weaknesses a company needs to work on.

Examples
A good example of a company who has a clear brand identity is Starbucks (based on the Brand Identity Prism of Kapferer).

• Physique: Starbucks is product-oriented, has good quality coffee and has a soft and cosy atmosphere (green colours).
• Personality: Starbucks is quality-oriented, traditional and federative.
• Culture: commitment and respect are being central within Starbucks.
• Relationship: within Starbucks, this is known as proximity, personalisation, friendship and conviviality. 
• Reflection: the typical user of Starbucks is connected, qualitative and traditional. 
• Self-image: the users of Starbucks see themselves as quality-oriented, environmentally and ethically responsible. 

The first bad example of brand identity is Urban Outfitters. The store sold a "vintage" Kent State University sweatshirt, featuring fake blood splatters. This was a bad idea because in 1970 four students died at Kent State during an anti-war protest.

Another bad example is Pizza Hut. In 2009, Pizza Hut tried to rebrand by calling themselves "The Hut". However, Pizza Hut is known for their pizzas so this attempt was predicted to go wrong.

The iced tea company Arizona tried to sell cheese dip products. Obviously, this was a bad idea, because the brand was clearly ill-suited for this new market: Arizona tea drinkers did not really want a cheese dip product.

On National Women's Day, Bic tells women to think like a man.

23 April 1985: Coca Cola announces that they are changing the formula for the world's most popular soft drink. This is the first formula change in 99 years, but the consumers felt a bond with their Coca Cola and they did not want anyone, including The Coca Cola Company to change it.
By June 1985, Coca Cola was getting 1.500 calls a day on its consumer hotline, compared with 400 a day before the taste change. People seemed to hold any Coca Cola employee personally responsible for the change.
In July 1985 Coca Cola announces that the "old" Coca Cola returns and the consumers applauded the decision.

Sources
Aaker (2010), Improve your brand I.D., accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.eurib.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Documenten/PDF/Identiteit_en_Imago_ENGELS/s_-_Brand_Identity_Elaboration_model_van_Aaker__EN_.pdf

Business Dictionary (2016), Brand identity, accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand-identity.html

Business Dictionary (2016), Branding, accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/branding.html

Cikin, Z., (2014), Kapferer Brand Identity Prism, accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.slideshare.net/Zeynepkn/kapferer-brand-identity-prism

Entrepreneur (2016), Branding, accessed 9 September 2016, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/branding

Management Study Guide (2016), Brand Identity vs. Brand Image, accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/identity-vs-image.htm

Management Study Guide (2016), Brand image, accessed 9 September 2016, from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/brand-image.htm