Branding

A brand is a product or a service whose dimensions differentiate it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same need. Consumers may evaluate identical products differently depending on how it is branded. So branding can explain why a consumer would prefer Kissan jam over any other bottle of jam.

Differences in response are a result of consumers’ brand knowledge, all the thoughts,feelings,experiences and beliefs associated with the brand.

Brand equity is the added value endowed on products and services. Customer based equity is the differential effect brand knowledge has on consumer to the marketing of that brand.

Brands can build brand equity in a number of ways:

1)Developing brand elements: Like brand names,slogans are an efficient means to build brand equity.

Kissan’s slogan ‘ deliciously wholesome products for kids to grow’ says all about it’s products.

2)Leveraging secondary associations:

Linking the brand to other information in memory that conveys meaning to consumers.(linking the brand to geographical regions,distribution channels,other brands,characters,spokespeople,events etc.)

3)Internal branding:

Consists of activities and processes that help inform and inspire employees about brands. It goes even further to train and encourage distributors and dealers to serve their customers well. The brand promise cannot be delivered until everyone in the company lives the brand.

Devising a brand strategy

A firm’s brand strategy reflects the number and nature of both common and distinctive brand elements. A firm has three main choices when deciding how to brand a new product:

1)It can develop new brand elements for the new product

2)It can apply some of it’s exisiting brand elements

3)It can use a combination of new and exisiting brand elements

If the firm uses an established brand to introduce a new product,the product is called a brand extension.

In the case of Kissan, it has launched various products (jams,ketchups,juices etc.)under the same brand name.Thus, Kissan is the parent brand or the family brand. One of the advantages of this has been that people buy new products launched under the brand name Kissan because of the image of the brand that they have in mind. On the other hand, one disadvantage could be that people no longer associate with a specific or highly simlar set of products(brand dilution).