Consider the essence of the brand, since this word is often used in everyday vocabulary.
This term appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. At the end of the last century, many Western European and American marketers worked to improve their companies, and in Eastern Europe they only got acquainted with this concept. Not everyone currently has an idea of its true meaning.
What is a brand?
Marketers differently consider the essence of the concept of "brand". For example, the American professor D. Aaker, who is a specialist in modern marketing, is convinced that the brand, name, logo, design, trademark, packaging are an integral part of the brand.
It is this information that is used by the consumer, with its help he identifies a service or product, distinguishes it from similar products of competitors.
F. Kotler believes that the essence of the concept of a brand is associated with providing a stable income for a manufacturing company over a long period of time.
Brand Importance
At present, it is not enough for manufacturers to produce quality products; it is necessary to present their goods to customers so that even the most capricious consumer has a desire to purchase certain goods.
Marketers should make the product attractive to ordinary customers. Psychologists are convinced that the maximum effect can be achieved if you influence the emotional state of a person.
That is why marketers began to develop concepts of mental impact on the average consumer, thanks to which a complete picture of the product is formed in the minds of potential buyers, prompting a person to purchase the products offered to him.
Term basis
It is this “picture”, which consists of emotions, feelings, imagination, opinions, marketers call the brand.
The essence of the brand is made up of associations, values, stereotypes. Its goal is to most accurately meet the preferences and expectations of the average consumer.
Brand Quality Levels
Analyzing the essence of the brand, marketers identify several levels of its quality:
- functional quality or purpose, that is, the brand’s ability to fully fulfill the functional purposes that are established in accordance with general standards;
- individuality of quality or value of the goods is an indicator of the degree to which the brand corresponds to the value attitudes, the particular worldview of ordinary customers;
- social quality (respect for consumers) enables customers to feel their belonging to a social class, to receive recognition and approval;
- communicative quality involves the ability to establish communication with consumers, maintain their interest in the services and goods offered.
Brand classification
To understand the essence of brand and branding, it is necessary to consider their types. The most common is the American classification, in which several groups are distinguished.
For example, a company that has received recognition from numerous consumers releases a new product under the same brand. In this situation, the main task of the manufacturer is to increase the assortment, increase the number of consumers. Brand extension is the use of an existing name that has gained popularity in a particular industry.
The essence of the brand is that the company does not need to spend material and time resources on the development of a new trademark, as it is already recognizable and promoted.
In order to get a positive rating about the proposed product, it is important to make it recognizable. Advertising is a great chance for any manufacturer to declare their activities. In practice, the essence of the concept of a brand is much more complicated. Both its history and the present are associated with the release of new products based on those that consumers liked.
For example, a company produces washing powders only for those washing machines that have a vertical loading option. Customers, knowing the name of the company, will purchase the products of this particular company.
Umbrella brand
What is such a brand? The essence and significance of this type is the release of various types of goods under one name. The company gets the opportunity to save its financial resources due to the fact that there is no need to spend money on the promotion of the name. The base brand will become an umbrella support, and in some situations it will be retained as part of the overall name-building campaign.
Marketers did not agree on the use of such "umbrellas." Some believe that they are similar to the brand with the extension. But none of them deny the fact of a positive impact on the economy of material resources of the enterprise, the ability to “develop” the market for a new service or product. Basically, “umbrellas” try to use those firms that are engaged in the production of various equipment.
Line brand
The essence and classification of brands represents this type as the release by a company of new products under an “advanced” name, slightly different from that originally offered by this manufacturer.
The online brand provides an opportunity to increase the number of customers, increase sales, without putting extra effort. Basically, the products are so typical that marketers do not need to come up with new advertising strategies or create additional advertising campaigns.
We analyze the essence and application of the brand and trademark. They should be perceived as one, so that it is easier for the buyer to remember the products offered.
Product brand
It is he who is considered the most successful species. In order to ensure a win in any situation, professionals try to invent their own brand for each type of product. The essence and value of it in emphasizing the uniqueness of goods. Thanks to this approach, a company can occupy a certain niche in the market, win the love and trust of ordinary customers.
The process of brand building is a complex and lengthy process, requiring significant financial and time costs.
What is the essence of a personal brand? A personal, recognizable product is enough for any large company. It is thanks to the quality work of marketers that companies such as Beeline and Coca-Cola have become recognizable to millions of consumers.
When choosing the type of brand, as well as the strategy by which the company will promote it, it is necessary to take into account the manufacturer’s capabilities and the goals he pursues.
The essence of the brand, the creation and promotion of new products, all this is aimed at helping consumers in the recognition of products, the formation of loyalty. In addition, such a strategy helps facilitate the development of new categories and industries.
What is a Path of Exile? The essence of the brand is to offer users a gaming product. He became recognizable and loved precisely thanks to competent promotion on the wound.
What attracts Path of Exile? How to make brand identity recognizable? To cope with these tasks, it is necessary to think over not only the appearance of the product offered to consumers, but also pay attention to the advertising campaign.
Professionals who are involved in the development of the name believe that it is necessary to select additional attributes in order to make the products recognizable and in demand among numerous consumers.
In order to understand the essence and application of a brand and a trademark, we note that as such distinctive parameters one can consider design, name, symbols, fonts, thanks to which one can distinguish a product or service from competitive offers.
What is the symbolic essence of the brand in modern culture? The essence of the brand, an example of which we will take on the basis of the Kola company, confirms the importance of creating a reputation, image, image of the product, the company itself in the eyes of potential consumers, the public, and business partners.
For this representative of the company, they not only promote products, but also pay considerable attention to social programs, with the help of which a positive attitude to the products offered by this company is formed.
This is how brand positioning is carried out. The essence, tasks, methods may vary slightly, but their essence is to create a single image of a product or service that will be unique and useful to consumers.
The main strength of this concept is precisely its unique usefulness. How many people will have an idea about your brand depends on how many customers the company will have.
Components
Let us analyze the definition, essence and features of the brand of the territory. To begin with, it’s important to come up with a good name. It should be well remembered, able to evoke positive associations among consumers.
For example, the Vologda Oblast has developed for its region a memorable brand - Santa Claus. In addition, the visibility of the symbol, logo, which will complement its sonorous name, is important.
Description (descriptor) is an explanation for consumers. For example, the phrase “everything for the office” explains that the company sells consumables.
In addition, marketers take corporate values into account when inventing a new brand. This is necessary to build a system of interaction with partners, employees, and business representatives. Each value has a clear description that aims to represent the company as responsible, reliable.
Brand positioning involves finding a specific niche for placing services or products on the market, and promoting them. To achieve a positive result, it is important to analyze the situation on the market, as well as the functioning of competitors. For this purpose, systematic marketing research is carried out, a detailed consideration of the proposals of other companies is carried out.
Brand identity implies the expression of the main idea of its developers in the form of one short phrase, which will create a strong connection between the name and the buyer. For example, symbols can be considered as an identity tool. They are those vivid images that will become a vivid demonstration of the core values and attributes of the brand being developed.
For example, Apple is associated with the identity of Steve Jobs, a characteristic sign makes recognizable brands of modern vehicles.
Particular attention is paid to brand functionality. It must have impressive functional value. In an accessible and simple form, the consumer must understand what exactly he acquires, how he will be able to use the purchased goods.
We can’t ignore such an important point related to the development of a new brand as promises and offers.They should inspire the buyer with confidence that he is making a successful purchase. For example, the purchase of Adidas sportswear is positioned as the first step towards a beautiful and slim figure.
Marketers use a variety of ideas, methods of promotion, brand support, which should be a powerful weapon in giving consumers the impetus to make purchases.
Currently, advertising is the main means of promoting services and goods. But there are other, no less effective methods of promoting products on the market, for example, the creation of their own information resources, corporate consulting centers.
Registration Features
At present, it is difficult to find a company on the market that does not have its own individual logo, advertising syllable. The owners of the company are well aware that without a brand it will be difficult for them to compete fully with other market players.
But it’s not enough just to come up with a name for your products, services offered, it is important to provide legal protection to the brand. How to solve this problem? In our country, there is a special department (Rospatent) whose functional responsibilities include the registration of new trademarks and advertising slogans.
Let us dwell in more detail on the algorithm of actions of those entrepreneurs who have decided to protect their brand from encroachment by unscrupulous competitors.
Of course, you need to start with the development of a unique logo. Currently, there are many design agencies that offer their qualified servants to come up with original and memorable brands. Specialists of such companies have access to uniqueness verification systems, therefore, the risk of refusal to register a name is significantly reduced, when Rospatent employees indicate low uniqueness of the declared brand as a reason.
There are certain prohibitions that are not known to ordinary entrepreneurs associated with the development of their own brand. For example, phrases and words that could offend the dignity of representatives of different religions and nationalities should not be used in the title. In addition, it is not allowed to use in individual logos works of world art culture: paintings, sculptures, books, etc.
After all issues related to the shape, size, colors, additional elements that will be associated with the brand are settled, you can proceed to the next step. It consists in checking the uniqueness of the created logo. In order to minimize the risks that we described above, professionals recommend contacting Rospatent itself or with special patent companies that have access to the databases of this government agency to verify the uniqueness of the brand.
When conducting an independent check, the applicant will be able to use only a limited number of databases that contain only those logos that have already been registered with Rospatent. The database with marks under patenting, unfortunately, is closed to ordinary users.
Then you can proceed to the most crucial stage - preparing a package of documents for submitting them for registration to Rospatent. On the website of the body that is involved in the registration of trademarks, there is a list of those documents that must be present in the application package. In addition to the application written in the prescribed form, a detailed description of the registered logo is attached.
Black-and-white or color photos, a copy of documents confirming the applicant’s right to register the trademark, as well as the original bank document on payment of the state fee must be provided.In the Russian Federation, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs can use the right to register their own logo. If a group of persons worked during the development of the logo, all of them should be indicated in the application.
You can submit documents for registration of your own logo in person, or use the services of a patent representative, having previously concluded an agreement with him. The second option is preferable for those people who do not have enough free time for correspondence with representatives of Rospatent and for providing additional documents to this office upon request.
If the company plans to conduct business outside our country, an international brand registration is carried out. In this case, the logo will be provided with legal protection not only in the territory of the Russian Federation, but also in those countries that are included in the Madrid Treaty. Depending on the registration option chosen, the size of the state fee for carrying out registration actions will vary, as well as the time for patenting.
After about 8-10 months, the applicant receives a certificate according to which he is recognized as the sole owner of this logo. The validity of such a letter of protection is ten years from the date of application for registration.
Conclusion
In the twentieth century, only large European companies had their own brands, which realized the importance of product recognition among consumers.
In the age of computer technology, almost all enterprises, even small private companies, have their own corporate identity, recognizable by consumers logo. In addition to attracting consumers, the functions of the brand include protecting products from attacks by competitors.
A brand is not a beautiful thing, a product; it is a trademark that allows a potential buyer to choose products.
Marketers by this term mean a set of emotional, social, functional promises to the consumer, allowing the brand owner to receive a systematic and stable profit from sales.
Many manufacturers who are seriously thinking about the development of their companies are interested in increasing sales, trying not to think of individual brands, but to produce a variety of products under one brand name.
This allows them to save material resources when developing a primary logo, to use much more products under one sign, for example, offering a series of products for skin care of the face and body.