Branding & Positioning
 A Brand gives a product a
distinct identity
 A Brand consists of all the features that make
up a product’s image
 Brands are created using names, logos,
slogans to convey the product’s personality
or position
 Unbranded products are called commodities
Ex. Wheat, Oil, Minerals (Iron Ore, Gold, etc)
Benefits of a Good Brand…
 Brand leadership often maintained over
long period of time
 Easy for consumers to identify goods or
services
 Assures purchasers of consistent quality
 Can be advertised and recognized
 Reduces selling time and effort
 Reduces price comparisons
 May be only thing that a competitor
cannot copy
Brand Examples
Auto Industry
Branding
Brand names are either …
 corporate dominant
or
 product dominant
Branding
 Corporate dominant names include
the name of the manufacturing
company in the brand name or as the
name of the product (Roots, Nike,
Hollister)
 Product dominant names try to
connect a product with its positive
attributes (Zest soap, iPhone,
PlayStation)
Branding - Logos
Logo is the term for all of the symbolic
ways to create a brand:
 Includes trademarks, brand marks,
logotypes & corporate symbols
Logos have 3 basic forms:
 Monogrammatic Symbols
 Visual Symbols
 Abstract Symbols
Branding - Logos
Monogrammatic Logos:
consist of the stylized writing of the
company’s or product’s initials.
Branding - Logos
Visual Symbols:
Usually line drawings of people,
animals or objects
Branding - Logos
Abstract Symbols:
 Shapes that carry a visual message
but are not identifiable objects
 They convey a vague product
association
Brands in common language...
 Some brand names are so successful
they become part of our everyday
language...can you name some:

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Ziplock
Band Aid
Xerox
Vaseline
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Kleenex
Q-tip
Jell-o
Others...?
World’s Most Valuable brands
Private label brands…
 A private label is a brand that a retailer
creates to exploit their corporate image
 Only that retailer can sell it
 It allows them to differentiate
themselves (And control price and
quality)
Examples:
 Loblaw’s “President’s Choice”
 Shopper’s Drug Mart’s “Life” brand
Brands and Slogans
 A slogan is a short, catchy phrase
that is always attached to a
company/product’s name and logo
Captain Obvious’ Examples:
 Nike: ______________
 McD’s: ______________
Brands and Slogans
 Good Slogans ….Are short (7 words or
less)
 States the brand name
 Tells the consumer what the
company/product does
 Is catchy and memorable
 Carries a positive message
Successful Slogans…
Refreshing a Brand…
 Companies will make changes to products in an
effort to create or stimulate ‘brand awareness’
 Ex: change package, target market, ads…
 Milk-”Drink Milk...Love Life” imparts a healthy
association with milk. It would be difficult to reposition milk as a trendy drink
 Mountain Dew was transformed from a drink
associated with “Hillbillies”, to one associated
with extreme sports enthusiasts.
 Foreign markets require special product and
brand positioning due to cultural, political,
religious and economic factors
Extending a Brand…
 Brand extension involves using an established
brand’s success to introduce a new but
SIMILAR product
 Example: Humpty Dumpty chips logo used to
extend in the snack market (Ringolos)
 The idea is for consumers to buy the new
product because they will think it has the same
quality as the older and more established
product used in the brand extension
 Any others?
Brand Extensions Cont’d…
Extending a Brand does not always
work…
Bic Underware
Harley Davidson Perfume
Licensing a Brand…
 Some companies license the use of
their brand identification to other
companies for a fee:
 Example: Dolby Sound used in music
equipment, etc
 Celebrities often license the use of
their names to endorse products
 Can you think of any?
Co-Branding
 When two or more brands combine
and cooperate for their mutual benefit
 Example: Crest and Scope, Wal-Mart
and McD
 Any others?
See “Twenty Co-Branding Examples”
Brand Acquisition…
 Just what the title implies
 Rather than developing a new brand,
a company may (with enough $$)
buy an existing brand
 Important to note that there are no
changes
 Examples: Nike purchasing Bauer,
Google purchasing YouTube