CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING BRAND ELEMENTS

Group Members:

Sikandar Ali Syed Syedah Ume Haani

CHOOSING BRAND ELEMENTS TO BUILD BRAND EQUITY

Brand elements, sometimes called brand identities, are those trademarkable devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand. The main brand elements are brand names, URLs, logos, symbols, characters, spokespeople, slogans, ingles, packages, and signage. !ndependent o f the decisions made abo"t the prod"ct and ho# it is marketed, brand elements can be chosen in a manner to b"ild as m"ch brand e$"ity as possible. That is, according to the c"stomer%based brand e$"ity model, brand elements can be chosen to enhance brand a#areness& facilitate the formation of strong, favorable, and "ni$"e brand associations& or elicits positive brand "dgments and feelings. The test of the brand%b"ilding ability of brand elements is #hat cons"mers #o"ld think or feel abo"t the prod"ct i f they only kne# abo"t its brand name, associated logo, and other characteristics. A brand element that provides a positive contrib"tion to brand e$"ity, for e'ample, #o"ld be one for #hich cons"mers ass"med or inferred certain val"ed associations or responses.

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING BRAND ELEMENTS

!n general, there are si' criteria in choosing brand elements (as #ell as more specific choice considerations in each case)* +.,emorability -.,eaningf"lness ..Likability /.Transferability 0.Adaptability 1.2rotectability

The first three criteria memorability, meaningf"lness, and likeability can be characteri3ed as 4brand b"ilding5 in nat"re and concern ho# brand e$"ity can be b"ilt thro"gh the "dicio"s choice of a brand element. The latter three, ho#ever, are more 4defensive5 in nat"re and are concerned #ith ho# the brand e$"ity contained in a brand element can be leveraged and preserved in the face of different opport"nities and constraints. The follo#ing sections briefly consider each of these general criteria.

Memorabi i!"
A necessary condition for b"ilding brand e$"ity is achieving a high level of brand a#areness to#ard that goal, brand elements can be chosen that are inherently memorable and therefore facilitate recall or recognition in p"rchase or cons"mption settings. !n other #ords, the intrinsic nat"re of certain names, symbol, logos and the like their semantic content, vis"al properties, and so on may make them more attention getting and easy to remember and therefore contrib"te to brand e$"ity. 6or e'ample, naming a brand of propane gas cylinders 7Bl"e Rhino7 and reinforcing it #ith a po#der%bl"e mascot #ith a distinctive yello# flame is likely to stick in the minds of cons"mer.

Mea#i#$%u #ess
Besides choosing brand elements to b"ild a#areness, brand elements can also be chosen #hose inherent meaning enhances the formation of brand associations. Brand elements may take on all kinds of meaning, varying in descriptive, as #ell as pers"asive, content. 6or e'ample brand names co"ld be based on people, places, animals or birds, or other things or ob ects. T#o partic"larly important dimensions or aspects of the meaning of a brand element are the

e'tent to #hich it conveys the follo#ing* Ge#era i#%orma!io# abou! !&e #a!ure o% !&e pro'u(! (a!e$or") !n terms of descriptive meaning, to #hat e'tent does the brand element s"ggest something abo"t the prod"ct category8 Ho# likely #o"ld it be that a cons"mer co"ld correctly identify the corresponding prod"ct category or categories for the brand based on any one partic"lar brand element8 !n a related $"estion, does the brand element seem credible in the prod"ct category8 !n other #ords, is the content of a brand element consistent #ith #hat cons"mers #o"ld e'pect to see from a brand in that prod"ct category8 Spe(i%i( i#%orma!io# abou! par!i(u ar a!!ribu!es a#' be#e%i!s o% !&e bra#') !n terms of pers"asive meaning, to #hat e'tent does the brand element s"ggest something abo"t the partic"lar kind of prod"ct that the brand #o"ld likely be, for e'ample, in terms of key attrib"tes or benefits8 9oes it s"ggest something abo"t a prod"ct ingredient or the type of person #ho might "se the brand8

Li*abi i!"
The associations s"ggested by a brand element may not al#ays be related to the prod"ct. Th"s, brand elements can be chosen that are rich in vis"al and verbal imagery and inherently f"n and interesting. !ndependent of its memorability and meaningf"lness, ho# aesthetically appealing do cons"mers find the brand element8 !s it inherently likable, vis"ally, verbally, and in other #ays8 !n other #ords, in dependent of the partic"lar prod"ct or service, ho# m"ch #o"ld cons"mers like the brand element8 !n terms of these first three criteria, a memorable, meaningf"l, and

likable set of brand elements offers many advantages. Beca"se cons"mers often do not e'amine m"ch information in making prod"ct decisions, it is often desirable that brand elements be easily recogni3ed and recalled and inherently descriptive and pers"asive. ,oreover, memorable or meaningf"l brand names, logos, symbols, and so on red"ce the b"rden on marketing comm"nications to b"ild a#areness and link brand associations. The different associations that arise from the likability and appeal of the brand elements also may play a critical role in the e$"ity of a brand, especially #hen fe# other prod"ct%related associations e'ist. :ften, the less concrete the possible prod"ct benefits are, the more important is the creative potential of the brand name and other brand elements to capt"re intangible characteristics of a brand.

Tra#s%erabi i!"
The fo"rth general criterion concerns the transferability of the brand element%in both a prod"ct category and geographic sense. 6irst to #hat e'tent can the brand element add to the brand e$"ity of ne# prod"cts sharing the brand elements introd"ced either #ithin the prod"ct class or across prod"ct classes8 !n other #ords, ho# "sef"l is the brand element for line or category e'tensions8 !n general, the less specific the name, the more easily it can be transferred across categories. 6or e'ample, Ama3on connotes a massive So"th American river and therefore as a brand can be appropriate for a variety of different types of prod"cts, #hereas Toys5R5Us obvio"sly does not permit the same fle'ibility. Second, to #hat e'tent does the brand element add to brand e$"ity across geographic bo"ndaries and market segments8 To a large e'tent this depends on the c"lt"ral content and ling"istic $"alities of the brand element. 6or e'ample, one of the main advantages of non meaningf"l names (e.g., ;''on) is that they translate #ell into other

lang"age since they have no inherent meaning. The mistakes that even top companies have made in translating their brand names, slogans, and packages into other lang"ages and c"lt"res over the years have become legendary. <ompanies m"st revie# all their brand elements for c"lt"ral meaning before introd"cing the brand into a ne# market.

A'ap!abi i!"
The fifth consideration concerns the adaptability of the brand element over time. Beca"se of changes in cons"mer val"es and opinions, or simply beca"se of a need to remain contemporary, brand elements often m"st be "pdated over time. The more adaptable and fle'ible the brand element, the easier it is to "pdate it. 6or e'ample, logos and characters can be given a ne# look or a ne# design to make them appear more modern and relevant.

+ro!e(!abi i!"
The si'th and final general consideration is the e'tent to #hich the brand element is protectable = both in a legal and a competitive sense. ,arketers sho"ld* +. <hoose brand elements that can be legally protected internationally. -. 6ormally register them #ith the appropriate legal bodies. .. >igoro"sly defend trademarks from "na"thori3ed competitive infringement. Another consideration is #hether the brand is competitively protectable. !f a name, package, or other attrib"te is too easily copied, m"ch of "ni$"eness of the brand may disappear.