brand management - brand personality_timothy mahea

8/7/2019 Brand Management - Brand Personality_Timothy Mahea

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UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ASSIGNMENT

DMA 607: BRAND MANAGEMENT

NAME: TIMOTHY MAHEA

REG NO. D61/70146/2008

SUBMITTED TO: MR. MUTUGU


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QUESTIONS

1. a) What is brand personality?

Brand personality can be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a given

brand. Such characteristics include: gender, age, socio-economic class, psychographic, emotional

characteristics, as well as classic human personality traits as warmth, concern and sentimentality.

b) Show how brand personality is created by using both product-related

and non product related characteristics.

Just as the perceived personality of a person is affected by nearly everything associated with that

person-including his or her neighbourhood, friends, activities, clothes and manner of interacting-

so too is a brand personality. Product related characteristics can be drivers of brand personality.

PRODUCT RELATED CHARACTERISTICS

1. Product category (bank)

Product related characteristics can be primary drives of a brand personality. Even the product

class can affect the personality. For example; a bank or an insurance company will tend to

assume a stereotypical banker personality i.e. competent, serious, masculine, older and upper-

class. An athletic shoe like Nike or Reebok might tend to be rugged, outdoorsy, and adventurous

as well as young and lively.

2. Package or Feature (gateway computers)

Package or feature also influence brand personality. For example, the pilsner lion symbol

indicates the strength of the beer.

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3. Price (tiffany)

High priced items or jewels might be considered wealthy, stylish and perhaps a bit snobbish.

4. Attributes (embassy light or pilsner ice light)

If a brand is light (such as pilsner ice light or coca cola light) the brand personality might be

described as being slender and athletic.

NON- PRODUCT RELATED CHARACTERISTICS

1. User imagery

User imagery can be based on either typical users (people we see using the brand) or idealized

users (as portrayed in advertising elsewhere). User imagery can be a powerful driver of brand

personality in part because the user already is a person and thus the difficulty of conceptualizing

the brand personality is reduced. For example, the upscale of Mercedes is influenced by user

imagery, and also the sexy, sophisticated personality of Calvin Klein are similarly influenced by

user imagery.

2. Sponsorships

Activities such as events sponsored by the brand will influence its personality. Haagen-Dazs

helped create a prestigious, upscale personality with its sponsorship of several opera

performances under the theme dedicated to pleasure, dedicated to the arts. Energizer helped

create Longer how of service by sponsorship of long distances in Kenya.

3. Symbol (Marlboro- country, pilsner-lion)

A symbol can e a powerful influence on brand personality because it can be controlled and have

extreme strong associations. Apples bitten apple, the Marlboro cowboy, the Michelin man, and



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the Maytag repairman all help to create and reinforce a personality for their brands. Pilsner lion

symbol shows that it is a strong alcoholic drink.

Unlike real people, cartoon character symbols rarely generate unfavourable surprises, and they

do not age. The Pillsbury Doughboy, for example, is likable and will reflect the desired attributes

such as freshness, in exactly the same way for as long as the company desires. In addition, the

character can be revised as needed; for example, the doughboy got thinner, more active and more

enthusiastic over the years.

4. Age (Kodak)

How long a brand has been in the market can affect is personality. The new brands tend to haveyounger brand personalities than old brands e.g. apple- young and IBM- older. It is also common

for a major or dominant brand to be seen a stodgy and old fashioned, a brand for older people.

5. Ad style (obsession)

Sometimes the advertising style can affect the brands personality. Adverts which show a lot of

actions give the brand a warmth personality e.g. Calvin Klein.

6. Country of origin (Audi)

A German car like Audi might capture some perceived characteristics of German people (such as

being precise, serious, and hard working). Some countries are famous for some particular

products. Consequently, products from those countries are said to be better in the aspects famous

for those countries. For instance, Germany is better for good engineering while Italy is famous

for leather goods; France is known for- cooking, perfume, wines, and fashion.

7. Company image (the body shop)



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Some companies are known for excellent quality. Consequently, products from there will have a

high quality personality.

8. CEO (Bill Gates of Microsoft)

Some companies have very strong CEOs and/or founders. The strong personality of the CEO is

seen in the company and also in the brands. Richard Branson in Virgin Atlantic has an influence

to the brand identity of Virgin Atlantic by being the founder. The same case applies to Bill Gates

of Microsoft. Julius Kipngetich of Kenya Wildlife Services is a good example here locally.

9. Celebrity endorsers

Many famous celebrities have been used to endorse brands either by saying something aboutthem or using them. By so doing (or by association) they are saying that those brands are the best

or the liking of the celebrity is passed over to the brand. Also, the personality of Bill Cosby can

transfer to the brand (Jell-O) who has been used severally in their Ads.

c) What are the reasons for using brand personality in brand building?

Why use brand personality?

The brand personality construct can help brand strategists by enriching their understanding of

peoples perceptions of and attitudes toward the brand, contributing to a differentiating brand

identity, guiding the communication effort and creating brand equity.

Enriching understanding

The brand personality metaphor can help a manager gain in-depth understanding of consumers

perceptions of and attitude towards the brand. By asking people to describe a brand personality,

feelings and relationships can be identified that often provide more insight than is gained by

asking about attribute perceptions. The arrogant and powerful personality ascribed by some to



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Microsoft, for example, provides insight into the nature of the relationship between Microsoft

and its customers.

Contributing to a differentiating identity

Strategically, a brand personality, a part of a core or extended identity, can serve as the

foundation for meaningful differentiation, especially in contexts where brands are similar with

respect to product attributes. Brand identity not only defines the brand but the product class

context and experience. Advertising agencies such as Young & Robicam and Ogilvy & Mather

routinely include a brand personality statement as part of their brand positioning strategy.

Guiding the communication effort

Tactically, the brand personality concept and vocabulary communicates the brand identity with

richness and texture to those who must implement the identity with richness and texture to those

who must implement the identity-building effort. Practical decisions need to be made about not

only advertising but packaging promotions, which events to associate with, and the style of

personal interactions between the customers and the brand. If the brand is specified only in terms

of attributes associations, little guidance is provided.

Creating brand equity

The ways a brand personality can create brand equity are summarized by the three models

illustrated below:

Brand personality also helps in creating brand equity and brand.


BRAND PERSONALITYHOW IT CREATES BRAND

EQUITY

RELATIONSHIP BASICMODEL

SELF-EXPRESSION MODEL

FUNCTIONALBENEFIT

REPRESENTATION MODEL


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2. a) Discuss the principal rationales for a change in

identity/execution.

One of the key issues in managing brands over time is the decision to change an identity,

position, or execution. Changing any one of the three can be expensive and damaging. All

identity change is more fundamentally, but a change in position and execution can be disruptive

as well.

RATIONALE 1: The Identity/Execution was poorly conceived

All ill-conceived or off-target brand identity/execution can usually be diagnosed early by

measures of customer interest, brand perceptions, brand attitudes, and sales. Disappointing sales

and share trends can be a particular strong signal. For instance, several of the Smirnoff

campaigns (such as the reigning vodka series) also were considered to be ineffective and were

thus short-lived

RATIONALE 2: The Identity/Execution is obsolete

This occurs due to changes in consumers tastes. Markets are not static and brands do not exist in

a time capsule. Customers tastes and company culture evolve, technology present new

challenges, and competitors enter and leave the market. The environment of a brand can shift so

drastically such that an identity/execution that has been successful can become ineffective. For

example, Kentucky Fried Chicken Brand, after years of success began loosing customers because

it was associated with high fat and cholesterol content.

RATIONALE 3: The Identity/Execution appeals to a limited market



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If the identity/execution is working well but addresses a market that is limited and perhaps

shrinking, there may be a need to change the identity in order to reach a broader market. Johnson

and Johnson showed it when it redefined its baby shampoo as a product for those who need a

mild shampoo they can use every day. A market can be expanded by establishing a new

application e.g. toothpaste or cooking fat.

RATIONALE 4: The Identity/Execution is not contemporary

A brand identity that is still relevant and meaningful may appear old-fashioned and stodgy. For

instance, Barclays bank was forced to change its logo that had an eagle that looked hostile with

its craws out to one that looks polite and friendly. Similarly, KCB was also forced to change the

lion that looked like it was ready to attack.

RATIONALE 5: The Identity/Execution is tired

A brand identity/execution that has been used over time may become boring to customers. This

will happen if variants on the execution are used. As a result it can fail to attract attention and

ultimately loose its effectiveness. Further, when the identity remains the same for years, lively

ideas for presenting that idea can become scarce. Competitors with more exciting identities and

ways to communicate them have an advantage. In such a case, an identity/execution can be

newsworthy. A company that needs successful repositioning its brands is more likely to make

headlines, thus stretching the brands market shillings.

b) Why is it hard for marketing managers to maintain consistency in

identity/execution for a long time?



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There are substantial forces above and beyond the benefits of consistency that bias managers

toward change and away from maintaining a consistent identity. One set of forces relates to

psychological factors that influence managers decisions regarding brands; the second involves

strategic misconceptions or false assumptions about the existing brand identity/execution.

THE MINDSET OF THE MANAGERS

Problem Solver/Action Oriented

Managers in charge of brands are generally bright, creative people within a culture that

emphasizes findings and solving problems and detecting and responding to trends in the market.

And there are always problems and new trends to address. Market share, even for the best of

brands in the best of times, will face dips and competitive pressures. New trends in distribution,

customer motivations, and innumerable other areas are continually emerging.

Managers who believe they are aggressive and capable should be able to improve the situation,

and that usually means changing one of the drivers of brand equity. The prime candidate for

change is the brand identity, position or execution. The temptation is to dig in, diagnose the

problem or tend, and take action even when the action course may actually end up hurting the

brand.

High Aspirations

Managers of various brands usually have high aspirations of how to improve the performance of

the brand. They are expected not only to do as well as last year; the goal is always to do better,

especially in terms of sales and profits. If the brand is to improve on prior performance, an

obvious implication is that something must be done differently. Changing the identity/execution

is the option.

Owned by predecessor Identity/Execution



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The pressure to change can be resisted by people who are committed to the brand vision and its

execution. However, the identity and its execution were likely developed by others (sometimes

long gone), especially if the brand has had a reasonable long run. A new, transistent brand

manager will have no pride of ownership and little involvement in the identity/execution. The

conclusion that the brand and its message are not responsive to current market, and that a major

improvement is possible, is thus personally painless.

STRATEGIC MISCONCEPTIONS

A new Identity/Execution is Ineffective

In some situations it takes time for an identity/execution to wear in. customers need to get used

to the concept, and the execution needs to be refined. A brand identity is not like a TV show that

starts slow, develops a growing following, and only after two or three years becomes a hit. It can

take that long for the audience to build, and for the characters to find their niche and become

familiar to the audience. During that time, characteristics may be added, deleted, or modified as

the show settles into style

A new Paradigm Requires a new Identity/Execution

Managers, by instinct and training, are always examining the market for trends. A major

challenge is to determine which of these trends represent a fundamental shift in the market. Even

when a paradigm shift is accurately detected, it is not always clear that the brand strategy should

change. The old strategy, even if found to be inappropriate for a major segment, may still

represent a better strategy than alternatives.



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There is an upside of maintaining an existing identity in the face of a new paradigm recedes and

there is a resurgence of the old one. In addition, it avoids the risk that the revised identity will

fail because it is too little, too late or because it was executed badly.

A Superior Identity/Execution can be found

Brand managers evaluating whether to change identities sometimes overlook the fact that much

more is known about the existing strategy and execution than about any proposed alternative.

Thus, the warts of the existing strategy are clear while problems with the untried proposal cannot

be predicted, often making the proverbial grass seem greener almost anywhere else than where

the firm is now. Alternatives are not necessarily better, and may at best result in similar share

and profitability figures.

Customers are Bored with a Tired or Stodgy Identity/Execution

In most circumstances, its those managing the brands who get bored with an identity or

execution, not the customers. The fact is that an insider can get bored and even irritated with an

execution- and when they do, they assume the customers are as well. Many managers are likely

to see more repetition of their brands advertising than any target group. In fact, by the time a

consumer first sees a new campaign; those who work with the brand have probably seen it

hundred of times.

If boredom is being claimed as a reason for changing strategy, the brand management team

should do the research necessary to see if the consumers really are the ones who are bored.

The Panic Attack

When change seems necessary, the most difficult thing to do is to remain calm and analytical.

With all of the pressures described above, the gravitation towards change is difficult to resist,

especially when the market is seeming to demand it and sales are slipping. However, precipitous



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action which can sometimes resemble panic is often the opposite of what is needed when

considering a change to a long-standing brand identity.

The core identity and execution are often harder to improve on than is assumed and there shouldbe a heavy burden of proof placed upon alternatives to the status quo.

3. Using the example of Black Velvet Whiskey Brand Identity format,

prepare the brand identity of a beverage brand with which you are familiar.

Guinness Brand Identity

Guinness is a popular dry stout beer that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725

1803) at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is based on the porter style that originated in London

in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive

feature is the burnt flavour which is derived from the use of roasted barley. For many years a

portion of the drink was aged to give a sharp lactic flavour. Arthur Guinness started brewing ales

from 1759 in Leixlip, then at the St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland. Although Guinness

may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby.

It has been around since the year1759 which is a symbol of maturity and long heritage. They

have used the brand personality of Michael Power to bring out their brand identity and the

association with power. In their adverts, they have associated it with football and the ability to

discover inner strength.

Guinness uses the harp of Brian Boru as its trademark. This harp from approximately the 14thcentury, which is on view at Trinity College, Dublin, has been a symbol of Ireland since the

reign of Henry VIII (16th century). Guinness adopted the harp as a logo in 1862; however, it

faces left instead of right, as in the Irish coat of arms.



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Guinness's iconic stature is partly due to its advertising. The most notable and recognisable series

of adverts was created by Benson's advertising, primarily drawn by the artist John Gilroy, in the

1930s and '40s. Benson created posters that included phrases such as "Guinness for Strength",

"Lovely Day for a Guinness", "Guinness Makes You Strong," "My Goodness My Guinness," (or,

alternatively, "My Goodness, My Christmas, It's Guinness!") and most famously, "Guinness is

Good for you". The posters featured Gilroy's distinctive artwork and more often than not featured

animals such as a kangaroo, ostrich, seal, lion, and notably a toucan, which has become as much

a symbol of Guinness as the harp. The latest advert is a discordic musical inside the pint, with the

new slogan "17:59, it's Guinness time".

Core Identity

Product attribute: Energy, Power and Strength

Price/quality: A cut above average price (is priced above the average cost of other beers

in the market)

Extended Identity

Product scope: A beer with a long heritage and quality assured

Local/Global: An imported brand

Symbol: A harp of Brian Boru facing left (has been a symbol of Ireland since the reign of

Henry VIII - 16th century); the signature of Arthur Guinness and the dark bottle

Personality: Masculine, spirited, intelligent, rugged and sophisticated

Taste: unique taste that is like no other it can only be Guinness

Users: A broad age spectrum (not restricted to older males) but youthful middle aged.

Value Proposition

Functional benefits: gives you the power and intelligence

Emotional benefits: feeling encouraged, rewarded, relaxed and successful

Self-Expressive benefits: Brings out the power in you (makes you discover your abilities).


brand management - brand personality_timothy mahea

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