What is a brand?

 What is a brand? 

 Brand Positioning

 Formally… A proprietary trademark for a specific product or service 

 Conceptually… A “contract” from the company to its customers; A promise of specific benefits, quality, and value. A relationship. 

 A positioning statement defines the value proposition of product to the target market. ◦ Target Market [For Whom] 

◦ Point of Difference [Reason to Buy] 

◦ Points of Parity [Frame of reference] 

 Positioning is implemented through all elements of the marketing mix: product, price, promotion, place. 

 Should focus on a few key benefits [unique selling proposition] 

 Position must be defensible. 

 Positioning requires making choices.

 Are POD desirable to the customer? 

◦ Is POD Relevant (ex: consumers didn’t care about clear cola, or “unbreakable chips”) 

◦ Is POD Distinctive? (distinctive and superior ) 

 Can you deliver the POD to the customer? 

◦ Feasibility (affordable? Possible? E.g., can airlines deliver on-time arrival?) 

◦ Communicability (evidence to communicate?) 

◦ Sustainability (internal commitment, difficult to attack; must be consistent at any point in time andover time)