The value of the brand is most likely to stimulate the desire of buyers, and sometimes it might be the essential reasons of merchandising. Klein(2000) mentioned in “Tyranny of the brands” that “the role of branding has been changing…the brand itself has increasingly become the product. For examples, Nike was a sports company, not a shoe company; Microsoft was about communication, not software”. “Ideally, the brand should be conceived as a personality with emotions; or even ethical dimensions.”(Gobe, 2001) Take Nike for instance, it doesn’t only a “sports brand”, its slogan which is well-known as “just do it” represents the admirable behavior and the quality time of exercise.
Another example, besides the attractive appearances of Tiffany & Co. jewelry, the tiffany-blue little box usually symbolizes happiness, the eternal love, and the dream wedding. Moreover, some might even think themselves get closer to Audrey Hepburn because of Tiffany. For these reasons mentioned above, branding could be the vital key to success of promotion, for those who relatively don’t have a history behind their back, unlike the Christian Dior, Chanel, and Tiffany, the innovational new brand such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Top Shop amongst others, the reasons how they achieved their glories are because they know it is important to give an appropriate image behind their brands. Adam Arvidsson (2006) wrote that “the brand aims to ensure that the shared meaning or the social relation that they create more or less conforms to the parameters of brand image.” For instance, putting Top Shop on, then you turn out to be Kate Moss, it feels like you are the super model.
Hence, that is the Brand Public Relations task to know how to shape and maintain a brand with high reputation. In general, the brand derives not only the materials and product itself, but the context of combination image the brand had both in the media culture and in real life.
What aspect of the brand establishes the relationships with the consumer? Is it the celebrity face? The lifestyle association? Or does it entirely depend on the consumer and their aspirations?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the importance of the personality of a brand and feel it is significant to maintaining a relationship.
I think, nowadays, more than ever before branding has become the core for everyone's decision. I think, this is happening because our society pays attention to the image, to the way things look externally and not to what lies beneath. Fashion, in, popular, trendy are only some of the words that can be heard in everyday's life. But is that which matters? I can't reject this reality because to be honest, I am part of it. The only thing I can say is that sometimes I get scared with the power, brands have on people's decision, even on mine. From a company's view, however, this struggle for loyal customers is understandable since it is 5 times more expensive to attract new customers than maintain yours.
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