At the present stage of market development, successful promotion of a product is impossible without creating a positive image of it in consumer perception. Therefore, the brand image is the subject of constant attention of a marketer or brand manager. Its creation and maintenance requires knowledge of special technologies called branding. Let's talk about what are the basic principles of brand image formation, what are its features and why is it needed at all.
Concept and image structure
It has long been known that a person is often judged by his image, which develops under the influence of actions, speech, appearance. With the advent of marketing, this knowledge is transformed into a concept of image. By this concept is meant an image purposefully or spontaneously developed among consumers about a person, product, company. In marketing, image is a tool of psychological influence on target audiences. The formation of a favorable image of an object - a product, a politician, an organization - becomes a way to attract buyers. Therefore, the brand image is a means of influencing the mass consciousness.
Image structure
Product image includes a set of ideas, stereotypes, archetypes about the object. In that case, when the consumer can easily answer the question: what kind of product is this, we can talk about the formed image. Also, the complex of image characteristics includes visual and verbal components, as well as a set of consumer properties and physical parameters. The concept of brand image includes a set of emotions that a product evokes in a consumer.
Image Features
The image of a product, person or organization is necessary so that representatives of target audiences easily recognize it. Therefore, the first most important function of the brand image or organization is to identify the object. Every day, the consumer meets with many products, and in order to make a purchase, he needs to understand what are the features of this product or manufacturer. The image helps the consumer remember the product according to some individual characteristics, for example, by name, logo, color, with which he has certain associations.
The second function is differentiation. The consumer must distinguish between products in the same product category. For example, how do juices differ in one price category? First of all, it is the image. The third function is idealization. A well-formed image helps to endow with special characteristics for which a person is willing to overpay. If he is sure that the juice of a certain brand is natural and tasty, then he will not look for a replacement for him and will buy the goods, even if he will cost a little more than analogues. Thus, the main function of the image is to help in obtaining additional profit, it becomes a sales tool.
Brand concept
Any product seeks to gain a foothold in the memory of the consumer. To do this, he needs a recognizable and meaningful image, called the brand. Under this concept, specialists mean a complex of representations, opinions, associations, emotions in the perception of the consumer associated with a particular object. The term "brand" comes from a Scandinavian word meaning "scorched sign, brand." At the present stage, the concepts of brand and trademark are converging, which is incorrect from the marketing point of view. Since brand formation is one of the stages of product promotion, not every trademark is a brand. In this perspective, a brand is understood as a mental education formed by the consumer, this is an image of a product, a set of ideas about it. The physical carrier of the brand is the product and its corporate identity. In theory, brands can take shape spontaneously, but today it is usually the result of a lot of work on its formation and promotion. The brand image is of great importance for the existence of a product or service.
Brand Features
Marketing is aimed at promoting goods from producer to consumer, and branding is an important tool in this activity. A positive brand and company image ensure high and stable sales of goods, loyal consumer attitudes. The main function of a brand is the recognition of a product or organization. The consumer, for some elements of the corporate identity or for some attributes, must remember what the specifics of the product are, his image must come to mind in his memory. This greatly simplifies the shopping process. For example, if a consumer finds himself in a store where there is not a single familiar brand, then he does not know how to choose the right product. And the presence of an established brand helps him remember the product, perceive it as familiar, and therefore more credible. In this regard, we can talk about the second function of the brand - this is the formation of consumer loyalty. The brand also helps the product or organization to stand out from the competition, this function is called differentiation. The consumer is well aware of the differences between, for example, cars of different brands, and the formed brands of these brands are responsible for this.
Branding
Work on the development, maintenance and promotion of a brand is called branding or brand management. This is an activity to create a long-term preference for goods by consumers, based on various tools that shape its image. The brand image is the result of a diverse effort by the brand manager. Branding can be considered as a highly effective technology for influencing the consumer with the help of packaging, corporate identity, advertising messages and other communications, with the aim of gaining and retaining the consumer. The high demand for branding is due to the constant growth of various commercial appeals aimed at the consumer, the abundance of brands in all product categories, blurring the differences between products.
The principles of image formation
Branding involves a systematic and focused work to create an image of the product in the perception of the consumer. The main principles of brand image formation are as follows:
- Purposefulness. Image formation should be correlated with the goal set by the producer of the goods.
- Sequence. There is a technology for creating an image and creating a brand that should not be violated.
- Guaranteed high quality product. To create a positive brand image, it is necessary to provide a high-quality set of consumer characteristics of the product.
- Realism. The image must have a factual basis, it must reflect the real quality of the product.
Stages of creation
The formation of a brand begins with an assessment of the market situation, an analysis of competitors, an assortment of goods, and consumer characteristics. Next, an ideology of the image is developed, which is concentrated in brand positioning, the essence of the brand is determined, and a strategy for its development is developed. Next comes the stage of determining the values and attributes of the brand. The following stages of creating a brand image are associated with the creation of visual and verbal characteristics of the brand: packaging, corporate identity, slogan, advertising appeal. Further, a brand development strategy and a program for managing its image are developed. Then, on an ongoing basis, work is carried out to monitor the state of the image and measures are taken to support and correct it, if necessary.
Image platform
Positioning and segmentation are the two pillars on which a successful brand rests. To create an image, it is necessary to briefly formulate the essence and concept of the brand. Positioning will become the ideological basis for all communications of the brand, to create its verbal and visual components. Positioning may be associated with the benefits that the product brings to the consumer, at its price, at its origin, on the method of delivery to consumers. It should be easily understood by the consumer the essential feature of the product. Segmentation is the division of consumers into groups according to socio-demographic and psychographic parameters. It is necessary in order to clearly identify the audience in which the brand image will be formed. The brand’s mission and brand values also make up the image platform. They become a condition for the formation of brand identity and consumer recognition.
Visual concept
At the next stage, visual characteristics of the brand image are developed: corporate identity, color, font and logo. They must be consistent with the positioning of the brand, reflect its mission and values. The consumer remembers the visual components best of all, therefore they should be simple, semantically filled and understandable to the consumer. Target audience should easily recognize brand values and brand positioning in a corporate style. Corporate identity should provide for the growth of the brand, that is, it should always be promising, since with these visual elements the brand must go through a large stage of its life. Carriers of corporate identity are advertising products, company documents, packaging, souvenir products, staff uniforms, business cards, etc.
Image management program
To create an image of the product, all marketing tools are used. The creation of the brand image begins with advertising and PR communications. These are the most familiar tools that help to attract the attention of consumers to the product, to inform target audiences about the advantages and features of the brand. Also, all brand communications influence the image. Image management begins by debugging the process of selling and servicing goods. At this stage, sales points are formed, merchandising technologies are applied. Consumer perception of a brand is influenced by its reputation. Therefore, in the image management program, technologies of public relations are necessarily applied: social and charity events, journalist publications, special events, exhibition activities. All this allows you to maintain and strengthen the image of the product.
Factors Affecting Image
The image of the product consists of many elements. The brand image is affected by the competence and professionalism of the staff. All debugged brand communications can be destroyed in an instant by a rude or illiterate seller of goods. The image is also affected by staff engagement. Employees of the company are carriers of a corporate image. They must be convinced of the quality of the goods sold, the reputation of the company and the prestige of their work. Then they will be able to translate these feelings into the external environment. The image of the product is affected by the atmosphere and atmosphere in the office, store, point of sale or service. To the greatest extent, the image of the product is formed during its use. therefore, the product must comply with the claimed parameters. In addition, the brand’s image is influenced by the information field that surrounds it. It is formed by advertising messages, information in the media, the opinions of authoritative people and reference groups for target audiences.
Image and consumer behavior management
The brand is necessary in order to influence the choice of the buyer. The basic principle of marketing is recognition of the consumer as independent in their choice of product and purchase decision. However, the possibility of influencing his decision is recognized. This is precisely the purpose of creating the brand image. A successful image helps the consumer decide in favor of buying this product. The buyer is always more pleasant to buy a well-known product, which in the public opinion is recognized as prestigious and worthy. For the image, the buyer is willing to pay extra money. For example, juice in simple packaging with an unknown name is almost impossible to sell at the same price as the well-known, well-known juice. A favorable image allows you to keep customers even in times of crisis. People are reluctant to abandon brands that they consider worthy of their standard of living. Therefore, a positive brand image is the most important means of forming a pool of loyal consumers. A company that is trying to build long-term relationships with its customers should spend resources on building a brand image. The process of creating the image of a company and its goods in the perception of the consumer is today almost an indispensable condition for the successful existence of a brand in the market.