Meaning of Branding
After producing goods, the producer provides sign or mark to justify ownership of the products. The same sign or mark is called brand. In other words, the name, sign, symbol or digit or letter is called branding of products. As various types of products enter in markets, every company or firm tries to give separate identity of the product and firm. So, |
Products branding makes easy to a company to have product positioning. Its products and customers also feel easy to demand for the products. Healthy competition makes market management easy and strong. So, branding of the products is an important task. It reflects the features of the product. The brand of Brighter Tooth Paste reflects teeth become bright, if pasted with it. Brand / name of any product should be short, easy to pronounce and attractive so that it can be kept in mind by the customers. This makes both customers and producers feel easy in dealing. The combined activity of mark, trademark, brand etc. is called branding of product. It can be mentioned as follows:
1. Brand
Brand is the combined form of name, mark, word, sign or symbol used to as an identity of the product.
Different experts and writers have defined Brand in different ways. Important definitions have been given as follows:
According to Prof. Philip Kotler, “Brand is the name, term, symbol, or design or a combination or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.”
2. Brand name
Brand name is the word, sign, symbol or letter which can be easily pronounced. Washing soap Diyo, bathing soap Liril, Cammay, Lux etc. can be taken as examples of brand name.
According to Prof. Philip Kotler, “Brand name is that part of brand which can be vocalized.”
3. Brand mark
Brand mark is the sign used to popularize product which can be identified easily by the customers but cannot be pronounced.
Prof. Philip Kotler has defined it as, “Brand mark is that part of a brand which can be recognized but is not alterable such as a symbol, design, or distinctive coloring and lettering.” The feature of attractiveness should contain in the product.
4. Trade mark
An established trade mark permitted by law, rules and regulations used to identify any production by a company is called trade mark. This mark becomes legal mark. It is protected and recognized by law. An owner of the company has the full right to use such mark. Trade mark can be legally recognized and protected only after getting the company registered from government office.
According to Prof. Philip Kotler, “Trade mark is a brand or part of brand that is given legal protection because it is capable of exclusive appropriation.”
For example, Dettol, Nycil, Break etc.
Characteristics of Branding
Branding of any product becomes very challenging. Different aspects should be considered while branding a product. If suitable brand is not given to any product, the product cannot live long in market. So, while branding a product, quality, features and characteristics or nature of the product should be studied. Branding should reflect the characteristics as follows:
1. Attractive
Branding of any product should be attractive. If brand name is attractive, customers are attracted to such products. As the customers themselves are attracted, much amount should not be spent on promotional activities. If the brand name is enticing, customers remember and call the name of such products. As a result, the name becomes popular among them.
2. Product features
Branding should reflect the features of the products. If brand reflects the feature of the product, various information can be obtained about the products. For example: GoGo Detergent Powder, Brighter tooth paste etc.
3. Short and simple
Brand name of any product should be simple and short. If it becomes short and simple, it can be easily pronounced and remembered. But if it becomes complex and difficult to pronounce the customers cannot remember nor pronounce. As a result, the product does not become popular. Diyo Soap, Puja Soap, Brighter tooth paste, Baba biscuit etc. are some of the examples of short, simple and easy brand names.
4. Easy to pronounce
The brand name of any product should be easy to read or pronounce. The brand name should be easy to pronounce for all levels of customers such as educated, uneducated, children, young, old, men, women etc. Difficult brand name to pronounce makes customers feel difficult. As a result, the product becomes popular.
5. Distinctive
Brand name should be very new and distinctive from competitors’ products. If the brand name becomes similar to competitors’ products, there arise difficulties in marketing mix. Customers also may be confused. So, brand name should be new and distinctive.
6. Suggestive
Brand name ‘Safa Sabun’ suggests that it makes cloth clean, if washed with it. Similarly, A.M. P.M. – Tooth Brush suggests that teeth should be brushed in the morning and evening.
7. Registrable
Brand name of product should be registrable. It should not be similar to those which have been already registered by other companies. Similarly, brand name which has been banned by law of any country should not be kept. If the brand name could not be kept separate and distinct from others, the producing company cannot have right of sole ownership. Besides, repeated brand name or already used brand name should not be used. If done so, promotion of the product cannot be made with the unqualified brand.
8. Avoidance/ lack of obscenity
While branding of any product, social values and norms should be specially considered. It should not be obscene and should avoid obscene word, sign or symbol. Even unknowingly if such obscenity is used the whole society boycotts such products. So, brand name for the product should be selected carefully so that every class, group, and society can accept it.
9. No hurting religious feelings
The brand name of a product should not hurt the religious feeling, tradition, values and norms of society. Brand of product should be kept respecting religious feeling and belief of any group of society. If any such mistake is done in selecting brand, the related religious people feel hurt in their religious belief due to which marketization of the product gets hampered.
10. Memorable
When once the brand name of a product is heard, it should be easily remembered. The brand name should be able to leave impression on the customers even when it is heard once. If such brand name is kept, trust and loyalty of customers to the product becomes long lasting.
Objectives of Branding
One of the many important functions of marketing is product branding. Name, symbol, sign or letters given to the any product by its producer for separate identity are called branding. In this age of business competition, its importance cannot be underestimated. Branding to any product has important objectives. They are as follows:
1. Business organization related objectives
Business organizations give brand name to their products. They give brand name to achieve the following objectives.
- Safety from competition: Business organizations give brand name to their products so as to make easy to positioning and advertise the product. It helps customers to know about quality and features of the product. In this way, the product can be saved from unhealthy competition.
- Promotion: Business organization should conduct promotional activities. Brand of the product greatly helps in conducting such activities. Brand also helps to know about price and features of the product. So, production organization aims to promote the product while giving brand to the product.
- Brand loyalty: The customers can get information about the feature, quality, price, aim and utility of the product. They can easily know about the company and its products. In this way, the objective of a company is to make customers loyal to brand name by maintaining quality.
- Product mix expansion: Quality product is first given brand name. In this way, product line or products can be expanded in markets. New products can be easily taken to target markets. So, the business firms have their objective to expand products mix.
- Legal protection: The brand name of the product registered by fulfilling legal requirements cannot be used by any other producers or companies. But such brand name can be given on hire, lease, or can be sold to any company to use it. So, the concerned company forms its objective to have legal protection.
- Product positioning: In order to positioning any product, it should be given brand. It can be easily distinguished on the basis of brand. Loyal customers can be provided sufficient description by comparing brand of the products. So, every company forms its objective of product positioning.
2. Society related objectives
Every company determines some important society related objectives. They can be mentioned as follows:
- Consumers’ welfare: While buying branded products, the rights of the consumers remain secure. Consumers can get legal remedies if they have been given wrong or false information, or found any defect in the products. If some wrong products are sold to customers, the company should take responsibility for it. So, the producer company has the objective to give special attention to the interest of the consumers.
- Environmental protection: The companies which give brand to their products also become equally careful towards environment. They try to protect environment. In fact, the products of the company which do not pay attention toward protection of environment may be boycotted by the society. So, the producers themselves form objective to protection of environment.
- Social welfare: Popular and reputed companies/firms conduct social welfare activities while branding their products. Such activities contribute to the interest of the society and welfare of the companies themselves. The society accepts the products of such companies with priority.
3. Customer related objectives
The producer company also forms customer related objectives. Such main objectives are mentioned as follows:
- Product identification: The customers can easily identify and adopt the branded products. They take decision to buy products by comparing with other company’s products on the basis of brand. While taking decision to buy such products, there does not remain possibility to be confused, cheated or misled. Hence, the producers make their objective to give exact introduction or their products.
- Price stability: The producers always aim to maintain price stability. The price of the branded products is fixed by the producers themselves. So, the price of such product does not change frequently. The producers try to keep price stable for long time.
- Quality stability: The producers try to maintain stability in quality of the branded products. If quality of the product declines for any reason, the customers’ attitude towards such products becomes negative. Hence, the customers can always get opportunity to get high quality products. So, the producers try to maintain stability in the quality of branded products.
- To maintain the prestige: All the branded products make customers’ prestige high. When the quality products enter into markets, the customers feel satisfied with the quality products, due to which their image also heightens.
Reasons For and Against Branding
1. Reasons for Branding
Branding of product gives satisfaction to customers besides enhancing image of the company. As only quality products are given brand name, it has more importance. This task also plays an important role for society including customers. There are many reasons for branding products. The main reasons are as follows:
- Product identification: The customers can easily identify / recognize branded products. They can easily buy branded products whichever they want. They do not become bewildered to buy. There does not remain possibility to be cheated. So, products should be branded for the protection of the customers.
- Price stability: The price of the products is fixed by the production company itself. The price of branded products does not fluctuate frequently. So, price of such products remains stable. That’s why, the producer gives brand name of the products.
- Quality stability: The producers give brand name only to the quality products. They make policy not to give brand name to the quality less products. Quality of branded products does not decline. So, firm or company tries to maintain quality so that the customers can always get quality products.
- Regular supply: Producer, at first, gives brand name to the products. Such branded products are regularly supplied to target markets. The customers can easily get demanded products. Products are given brand name with the intention that products demanded by customers become available in market.
- Demand creation: Information about quality, feature and price etc. is given in branded products. Brand promotes sale of the products. It creates demands by attracting possible customers. It also encourages customers by appealing them to buy products.
- Time saving: Branded products do not take long time for selection. Customers can give prompt purchase order by mentioning brand of the products whichever they like. As adequate information can be found in the branded products, selection of product becomes fast, time is saved. So, products are also branded for time saving.
- Prestige: Branded products heighten the customers’ prestige. Branded products increase customers’ dignity in society. So, producers give brand name to their products to help to increase customers’ prestige and dignity.
2. Reasons against Branding
After the production of goods, it should be branded. Branding of product per unit price can also increase. Some producers supply their products to target markets without giving brand name. Some products become difficult to give brand name to their nature. So, producers may adopt a policy not to give brand name of such products. There are many reasons against branding; the main reasons are mentioned as follows:
- Increase in price: Branded product may be more expensive than unbranded ones. Brand name should reflect the quality and features of the products. Promotional activities also should be conducted for the branded products, due to which per unit price of such products becomes higher. So, decision can be taken not to give brand name to the products to save for high price.
- Low quality: Some products are not branded due to being unable to maintain quality. Customers also do not believe in products whose minimum quality cannot be maintained. Once they have bought and used, they do not buy such products again. So, brand name should not be given to some products.
- Perishable products: While giving brand name to any products, their nature also should be considered. These types of products should be sold promptly. Such products may be perishable. An arrangement should be made to sell such products without giving brand name. Vegetable items, fruits etc. should not be branded. They are perishable goods. So, they should not be given brand name.
- Homogeneous products: Many companies may produce same type of products. It becomes difficult to identify which product belongs to which company. Raw materials, paddy, wheat, millet, maize or all the food stuffs are the examples of such products. They cannot be distinguished by branding. So, such homogeneous products should be sold without branding.
- Legal procedure: Legal procedure should be fulfilled for branding. Government prescribed legal procedures and requirement should also be carefully considered. It needs to spend time and money for fulfilling such requirements. So, some production companies decide not to give brand name to their products to avoid legal troubles.
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