WHAT_IS _A_BRAND?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet.”
(William Shakespeare)
In the business context, the answer on the same question is quite different. According
to Hans G. Gueldenberg, CEO of Nestlé Deutschland “names are road signs that help
people find orientation in the jungle of supply.”
In today’s world, ‘name sells’. For instance, a car is a car and the its purpose is
commuting from point A to B. Nevertheless, when a car is a Mercedes or a BMW, the
perception changes. It’s not viewed just as a mode of transport but it’s attached to
one’s status or prestige. And that’s exactly what a brand does. It not only gives
recognition to the company but helps customers create an identity for themselves.
As said by Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, “A brand for a company is like a
reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”
According to American Marketing Association (AMA), brand is a “name, term,
sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods
and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those
of competition”. For a customer, a brand is all the emotions and ideas associated
with a product or service that creates a distinct customer experience. It includes
all things real or perceived, rational or emotional, physical or sensory, thought or
felt, whether in form or function, planned or unplanned. The power of the brand
depends on how well a product can invite the customers and how long can it reside
in their minds.
Other ways to define a Brand
1st definition
A brand is a name, term, symbol, design, or combination of these elements that is
intended to identify the goods or services of a seller and differentiate them from their
competitors.
2nd definition
A brand is the intangible sum of a productʹs attributes: its name, packaging, and
price, its history, its reputation, and the way itʹs advertised.
3rd definition
“Branding is a practice…that has always existed above and beyond all other
business strategies. It is an organizing principle so broad yet so defining that it can
shape and direct just about everything a company does, and, most important, how it
does it.” Scott Bedbury, A New Brand World
4th definition
Brands are sponges for content, for images, for fleeting feelings. They become
psychological concepts held in the minds of the public, where they may stay forever.
As such you can’t entirely control a brand. At best you can only guide and influence
it.
Branding is a powerful message that speaks to who we are, what we want and who
we want to be.
Brands humanize the product or service and give it a personality all its own.
THE_NEED_FOR_BRANDING OR WHAT_MAKES_BRANDS_SUCCESSFUL
Earlier, branding included logos and advertisements. But nowadays, brand is much
more than a name or a logo. A brand is no longer just about image projection. It is
about the company as a whole. Branding distinguishes a company, product or
service from the rest and creates a lasting impression on the consumers.
To be able to deliver the expected quality, successful brands put a strong emphasis
on the following:
• Reputation = a brand always reflects a certain image in public
• Customer Service = relation to customers after they purchase a brand
• Promise to customers = whether a brand will meet customers’ expectations
• Price of the product = one of the major factors in customers’ purchasing decision
• Attitude = of the product; what kind of image it sells
• Logo = graphic representation or symbol of the brand’s image and message
• Product line = how a product is improved in time
A brand is not just a logo, ad campaign, spokesperson or slogan. Rather a brand is a
product of the millions of experiences a company creates with employees, vendors,
reporters, communities, and customers—and the emotional feelings these groups
develop as a result of their experiences.
In order to maintain their brands successful, companies need to:
Use web‐based social networking to exchange information (social media sites –
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn…) since marketing on those sites is on the constant
increase as is social networking online. Studies have shown that people connected on
those sites spend more money online than an average buyer. In today’s uncertain
economic conditions, business owners are finding it necessary to become even more
creative in order to successfully brand their products and services. Money is tighter
in many households due to job loss and/or reduced wages. As a result, consumer
expectations are rising as they seek newer and more advanced tools to meet their
desire for the latest and best, despite financial limitations.
Enable fast consumer feedback. Today, information travels faster than a few
decades ago and companies need to adjust their marketing strategy to the new
tendencies in communication. That means advertising in the media used by the
younger generations and adjusting their customer service operations to fit the latest
technological development (open forums and chat lines, invite consumers to send
text messages, etc.).
Anticipate customers’ needs. A basic business principle has always been that the
most successful businesses are those that know how to anticipate their customers’
needs, and then fill them. In some ways, narrowing rather than expanding one’s
brand has become the target of today’s marketplace due to conservative spending
and meeting the wants and needs of customers who are able to pay.
Narrow the brand instead of expanding it (in times of recession consumers spend
conservatively and focus their attention on meeting the basic day‐to‐day needs so
they look for products that will meet those needs).
Create web site with precise product information.
Brand should be truly reflected in the logo and the tagline (=a slogan or phrase
that captures the essence of a brand’s promise to consumers).
Use a variety of advertising methods – newsletters, tote bags(given away at
events, promotions and openings), personal phone calls, direct marketing (leaflets
in the post)
Organise seminars and webinars
Upload personal details and contact information on the web page to speed up
information flow.
Inspire customer interaction – post surveys, open forums, invite customers to
blog.
Offer customer testimonials – personal statements make product or service
Provide excellent customer service
WHAT_IS_BRAND_MANAGEMENT?
Brand management is the process of creating and sustaining brand equity. Brand
management includes–developing a strategy that successfully sustains or improves
brand awareness, strengthens brand associations, emphasises on brand quality
and utilisation. It represents a sophisticated business process to maintain the
unique mix of physical attributes and intangible values that distinguishes one brand
identity from the other.
Therefore, brand building and brand management have become critical issues for
firms competing within industries. Over the last decades, brand evolved from a
simple product attribute to that of a value creator for the entire firm. A brand can
be anything – a person, product, country, company, etc.
Brand management is not just about building brands, but also managing and
establishing them. Marketers should consider maintaining healthy and vital brands
and firms need to pay attention to brand building. They should not neglect
important issues related to brand leveraging, identification, and protection.
Successful brand is an important strategic marketing tool for a firm. Effective
brand management includes constant endeavour of a firm to choose the ways for
realising the brand potential and enhance its value. As a result, it can create
sustained competitive advantage and a successful strategic positioning through
continued investment in quality, communication and customer relationships. The
basic message to management is that brand is an instrument,
not only a goal and, if it used efficiently, it causes creation of
valued intangible assets – customer capital.
TYPES_OF_BRANDS
There are six types of brands – Product, Service, Organisation, Person,
Event and Geography.
1. Product Brands – The brand that is associated with a tangible product, such as
a car or a drink. This can be very specific or may indicate a range of products. It is
further divided into individual product (Ex: Coca‐Cola) and product range (Ex:
varieties of Colgate toothpaste).
2. Service Brands – The brands that deliver complete solutions and intangible
services besides manufacturing products. Service brands are about what is done,
when it is done, who does it, etc. It is much different than product brands, where
variation can be eliminated on the production line. Even in companies such as
McDonald’s where service has been standardised down to eye contact and smile,
variation still occurs.
3. Organisation Brands – Organisations are brands, whether it is a company that
delivers products and services or some other group. Thus, Greenpeace, Mercedes
and the US Senate are all defined organisations and each have qualities associated
with them that together constitute the brand.
4. Person as brand – Person brand is focused on one or a few individuals and is
associated with personality.
• Individual – A pure individual brand is based on one person, such as a
celebrity actor or a singer. The brand can be a person with a carefully
crafted projection (eg. politicians)
• Group –In particular, when this is a small group and the individuals are
known, the group brand and the individual brand overlap. For example,
the brand of a pop group and the brand of its known members are strongly
connected (eg. The Beatles).
5. Event – Events have brands too, whether they are rock concerts or the Olympics.
Event brands are strongly connected with the experience of the audience, for
example, musical pleasure.
6. Geography – Areas of the world also have essential qualities that are seen as
characterisations, and hence also have brand. These areas can range from countries
to states to cities to streets and buildings. Those who govern or represent these
geographies, develop the brand (e.g. Japan, US).
TRANSFORMATION_OF_A_BRAND_TO_AN_EXTRAORDINARY_BRAND
Most of the companies manage to build brands. But, the question is – What is the
secret of the long life of such brands? There are companies that have established
brands which are loved by the customers and have been for decades. Such brands
become icons.
Iconic Brands
Iconic brands are part of our culture. They are easily recognised
by their logo. These brands spend a lot of money on marketing to keep their image
perfect. These iconic brands are top of mind brands and often win a bigger market
share. For example, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Dell, Coke, Pepsi, and American
Airlines have a significant place not just in the market, but also in the consumer’s
minds. But, there are few phenomenally extraordinary brands that build an
everlasting relationship with the customers. They ideally are called cult brands.
Cult Brands
Cult brands understand that their brand belongs to the customer.
Only the customer’s voice counts. A successful cult brand embraces its customers
by anticipating their basic human and spiritual needs. As a consequence, cult
brands achieve a level of customer loyalty unprecedented in traditional business.
These brands have no substitutes. Examples are: Oprah, Linux, Southwest
Airlines, IKEA, Harley Davidson, Apple, Star Trek, Volkswagen
Beetle, Cuban Cigars. They are profitable even in unfavourable market conditions
because of the powerful relationships they have with their customers.
CORPORATE_BRANDING
Corporate branding refers to a company applying its name to a product. The
product and the company name become the brand name. The company can advertise
several of its products under a single brand name in a practice referred to as family
branding or umbrella branding.
By using corporate branding with a successfully marketed product, a company can
familiarize consumers with its products and may create brand loyalty. If the public
likes one product from this company, then they may seek out the brand name when
buying other products. Corporate branding is usually only successful if the company
is well known and sells reputable products with a positive image. One of the
disadvantages of corporate branding is that the company can become identified with
only one type of product.
To consumers, corporate branding represents a level of quality that they have come
to expect from the company. They will expect every product with the same brand
name to have the same level of quality that they are familiar with. The company can
increase sales by comparing one of their more popular products with a similar
product by another company, showing sales figures to back up their promise. The
value of the brand is determined by the profits the products have made. If profits are
high, then the manufacturer is able to charge more for their product.
When applying corporate branding to a product or products, companies need to
follow a few guidelines. A corporate brand should be easy to recognize and attract
attention. It should also be legally protectable and suggest the company or product
image.
Ideally, the brand should be easy to pronounce and easy to remember. A premiere
brand product typically costs more to purchase than an economy brand. Consumers
are paying for the name and the quality of product that name guarantees.
There are a few extensions to corporate branding. One brand name may be used for a
number of products in family branding, or all the products may be given different
brand names in a practice called individual branding.
When large retailers buy goods in bulk and then put their own brand name on them,
this is called store branding, label branding, or private branding.
Co‐branding is when two or more manufactures combine to sell their products.
When a company sells the right to use their brand name to another company for use
in another location or for non‐competitive purposes, this is called brand licensing.
Corporate branding has the ability to make a product very successful. If the brand
name has a track record of a guarantee of quality, then there are huge amounts of
money to be made by using the name. However, just one shoddy product under the
brand name may cause bad word of mouth, affecting sales of all the other products
under the same name and causing irreversible damage to the company.
On the other hand, if a company launches a successful brand, which in time achieves
high sales numbers and proves its high brand value, then consumers tend to show
loyalty to other similar products made by the same manufacturer.
**ATTENTION**NEW VOCABULARY**
o Track record: a record of achievements or performance;
an executive with a good track record.
o Premiere brand: the most valuable and the most expensive brand of all other
similar brands in the category.
o Economy brand: cheaper version of a brand by the same company or cheaper
brand by other producer.
o Shoddy: cheap, poorly built, made of bad materials;
*shoddily ‐ In a shoddy manner, lacking quality and done poorly, usually in a
cheap and low quality way.
o Irreversible /ɪr.ɪvɜ.sɪ.bl ̩/:not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous
condition
Smoking has caused irreversible damage to his lungs.
o Word of mouth / by word of mouth: in speech but not in writing.
All the orders were given by word of mouth so that no written evidence could be discovered
later.
o Brand value: the amount that a brand is worth in terms of income, potential
income, reputation, prestige, and market value. Brands with a high value are
regarded as considerable assets to a company, so that when a company is sold a
brand with a high value may be worth more than any other consideration.
STORE_BRANDS
Certain brands of products that are only available at a particular store, usually a
chain store, are called store brands. Store brand products are often available for a
discounted price, and are popular with those trying to keep their spending to a
minimum. In some stores, they can even make up 40 to 50 percent of the total sales,
and may be 15 to 50 percent cheaper than the national name brand products.
Store brands are usually similar in quality to the name brand products, although
some food products may be of a slightly lesser quality. Paper and personal products
usually perform just as well, if not better, than name brand items. The packaging for
store brand items is usually very close in resemblance to name brand merchandise,
with the same colours often used for both products. Stores will often put their store
brand on the shelves right next to the comparable name brand product, encouraging
shoppers to quickly and easily compare the prices and ingredients of the two items.
The manufacturers of name brand products are very often the manufacturers of
similar store brand products. This does not necessarily mean that the recipes used for
the two products are the same. In other cases, the products may be made
individually by a manufacturing plant owned by the store chain itself. By comparing
the ingredient lists from the products of national and store brands, consumers can
decide how similar the two products really are, and if the difference in price is worth
the possible difference in quality.
Store brands allow stores to sell products for a better value than many of the name
brand items. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that store brand
products do not need the advertising that national brands do. The stores do not
create special marketing campaigns for these products. They are often included in
fliers and specials, but very little extra money is spent on advertisements. This saves
the company, and consumers, a lot of money.
Consumers have very different opinions on store brands. Some are very loyal to
certain name brand products, and refuse to try cheaper alternatives. To others, the
money saved is more than worth any reduced quality. Many people, however, fall
somewhere in the middle. There are some products that they feel are worth the
money for getting name brand quality, such as cereal or paper towels, but are more
than willing to use the cheaper alternatives for other items, such as condiments,
desserts, and dairy products. The quality of many store brand products has
improved greatly over the past decade, making it easier for consumers to get the
quality they expect for a more reasonable price.
READING: OUTSOURCING PRODUCTION, p.8 (Course book)
What is outsourcing?
Business process outsourcing is what happens when one company decides to hire
another company to handle certain business activities.
When business process outsourcing first began, it was restricted to the payroll
process. Today, many businesses still outsource their payroll processes; however,
there are many other processes that are being outsourced.
Business process outsourcing is an intricate process for companies. When companies
decide they want to use outsourcing, they must select a vendor and create contracts.
Companies then transition that part of their business smoothly to the new company.
Some of the main business processes of companies that are being outsourced include
human resources functions, financial processes, administration processes, call centre
and customer service activities. When a company decides to use business process
outsourcing, they normally create a contract with another company that establishes
the length of time for which the business process will be outsourced. Larger
corporations establish outsourcing contracts that last for multiple years and can cost
millions of dollars.
Most business process outsourcing involves hiring a company in another country to
handle the work. This is also called offshore outsourcing because a segment of the
business is eliminated in the home country for financial reasons. Offshore
outsourcing has grown in controversy because of the economic and political
implications involved in this practice.
Corporations that choose business process outsourcing to move jobs overseas often
look into transferring their business processes to countries that have substantially
lower currencies. Most of the corporations that are using business process
outsourcing are located in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Some of the most popular countries that profit substantially from business process
outsourcing are China, India, and the Philippines. These countries are especially
popular for outsourcing and are able to make substantial financial gains and
improve their economy and overall quality of life.
Business process outsourcing is becoming a primary method in which companies can
communicate with other nations for their benefit. Unfortunately, outsourcing often
has a negative effect on the home countryʹs economy.
The main outsourcing purpose is cutting production cost by transferring jobs to
lower paid foreign workers. The growing unemployment rate worldwide is related
to this outsourcing trend.
The negative effects of outsourcing are obvious. As western workers lose their jobs to
cheaper overseas labour, their spending must reduce to minimum level of surviving.
This, in turn, will reduce sales and services in domestic national, thereby affect other
people incomes.
When many people losing their jobs as a result of outsourcing, there are fewer
payroll tax receipts and fewer contributions to Social Security and Medicare.
Government revenues mainly depend on income and sales tax. Reduction in these
areas adds to more payments going for unemployment benefits which will result in
increasing government spending.
Article “Made in Europe”: find terms that match these meanings:
1. A trade name of a company that produces a brand of clothing.
2. Raise, move upwards
3. The difference between the sales and the production costs including the
overheads.
4. Countries with lower currency value and cheap labour.
5. Facilities that belong to the company that produces certain goods.
6. A business deal or document giving permission to somebody to produce
something under their name.
7. To make new again, to reestablish.
8. The value of goods when they reach the store.
9. Of a high social class, preferring extremely high standards.
10. The best or the most important store idea, building, product, etc. that an
organization owns or produces.
1. 11. (when talking about companies and banks) based in a different country
with different tax rules that cost them less money.
11. Very near.
12. Place where the production takes place.
13. Public representation or perception of a product.
KEY: 1. Fashion label; 2.To lift; 3. Gross margin; 4. Low‐cost markets; 5. Company‐
owned plant; 6. Licensing arrangement; 7. Renew; 8. Retail value; 9. Snob; 10.
Flagship store; 11. Offshore; 12. Round the corner; 13. Manufacturing location;
14. Brand image.
“Made in Europe”: Are these statements true or false? Explain.
All the top super luxury brands are outsourcing their production.
Coach has been shifting their production to low‐cost markets for some years.
Burberry decided not to outsource their production to Asia but to keep it all in
England.
Sanyo opened a flagship store in Ginza to satisfy its snob customers who demand
Burberry products ‘made in Europe’.
The Japanese believe that quality products are exclusively made in Japan.
The CEO of Prada believes that their goods have to be ‘made in Italy’ to maintain
high quality standards and to express Italian style.
CASE_STUDY: CAFEROMA
BACKGROUND FACTS
o Caferoma is a well‐known coffee brand made by a company called PEFD, based
in Torino, Italy
o Brand image: Italian‐style coffee, exclusive product for people who love ground
coffee, has strong taste, costs more than every other brand of ground coffee in
the market.
PROBLEMS THAT THE BRAND IS FACING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
o Market share has declined () by almost 30%
o Consumers have become less loyal to brands and more price conscious
(they are rather buying economy brands than premiere brands)
o Supermarkets are selling own‐label brands at much lower prices
o There are lot of ‘copycat’ products – cheaper Italian‐style brands that have
established themselves as a strong competition to high‐end brands like
Caferoma.
o Caferoma’s brand image seems to be outdated, no longer exciting and new.
DESCRIBING CAFEROMA’S PROBLEMS BY USING THE DATA IN GRAPHS
1. Caferoma’s market share has declined substantially in the last year.
2. In comparison with Caferoma, top five European coffee brands have increased
their market share significantly.
3. Other coffee brands on the market have been holding their market position
strongly, showing no significant increase in market share.
4. Supermarket own‐label brands are also maintaining their market share stable
showing no changes in the last year.
5. When compared to the situation two years ago, it is evident that Caferoma
reduced its sales in the last year.
6. The strongest decrease in sales is evident in the percentages of sales in
supermarkets where sales of Caferoma fell by almost 20 percent.
7. Sales in hotels also show a slight decrease by less than 10 percent, although
the situation is not as serious as in supermarkets.
8. Although the sales in restaurants and specialist shops had been low even two
years ago, in the last year they showed a slight increase in sales, particularly
specialist shops which report a moderate increase of slightly over 10 percent in
the last year.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
o Repositioning the product – changing the brand image to appeal to different
market segments.
o Reduce the price – to reach the medium price range.
o Create new advertising campaign – relaunch the brand.
o Sell Caferoma under different brand names at lower prices
o Allow supermarkets to sell Caferoma under their own brand labels
o Create a new product under the Caferoma brand – introduce instant coffee or
decaffeinated coffee under the Caferoma brand name.
o Allow makers of coffee equipment to use Caferoma brand on their goods for a
licensing fee – goods like cafetieres, percolators, coffee machines, cups, coffee
mugs, sugar bags, etc.
LISTENING 1.6: Listen to the conversation between Caferoma’s Marketing
Manager and the Sales Director and fill in the gaps in the text below:
MM: Marketing Manager
SD: Sales Director
MM: Pietro, can I ……………………… with you? I’ve just been talking to Gina
Delassi, Majestic’s new Purchasing Manager. They are going to
……………………………….. with us. They won’t change their mind.
SD: That’s fifty percent of our business: we can’t …………………………………
What reason did they give for ………………………….. ?
MM: Café Velvet has just ……………………………………………. and Majestic’s
Head Chef is ……………………………… it. They are ………………..Café Velvet in
all their hotels.
SD: Are you talking to other…………………………….. ? Any idea on who we can
get to ……………………..our product? We need to …………………………………..
about our new campaign.
MM: Our department has already …………………………. a shortlist of possible
……………………………………..and we have …………………………………….. to
target supermarkets. We aim to put these plans………………………………… next
week.
SD: Don’ t forget to ……………………..other hotel chains.
KEY: have a word / cancel their contract / afford to lose them / cancelling / launched
a new advertising campaign / endorsing / introducing / hotel chains / endorse / talk
to the supermarkets / brainstormed / celebrity names / drawn up an action plan /
before the board / survey.
Reposition verb
(Marketing)
to present a product in a new way so that it will attract more or different customers
The parent company intends to reposition the brand as sportswear, rather than fashion.
repositioning noun
Percolator
an appliance in which coffee is percolated (made in a container in which hot water passes
through coffee)
Focus group
A form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions,
opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or
packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to
talk with other group members.
It's difficult for a small supermarket to compete against/with the big supermarkets.
Both girls compete for their father's attention.
Competitive, Competitory
involving competition or competitiveness;
Ground (coffee)
Coffee made into small bits, very much like powder.
I think she's very conscious of being the only person in the office who didn't have a
university education.
He gradually became conscious (of the fact) that everyone else was wearing a suit.
Price-conscious (adjective)
knowing how much things cost and avoiding buying expensive things
price-conscious shoppers
Label
a piece of paper or other material which gives you information about the object it is fixed to
Remember to put some address labels on the suitcases.
Washing instructions should be on the label.
Listening 1.6
Draw sth up
to make or write sth that needs careful thought or planning:
to draw up a plan/list/contract
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. Use the words below to complete the sentences 1‐5.
demand / consumers / respond to / factors / consumer tastes / decision making /
complementary / advertisers /
1. Producers and ……………………. use a variety of methods to try to influence
…………………………………… and preferences, and through that, demand.
2. Tastes and preferences and the price of substitute and ………………………..
products influence …………………………… for goods and services.
3. Distinguishing fact from opinion in advertising enhances
consumer…………………………….. .
4. People ……………………………advertising in various ways.
10. power brand j. How a product is similar to that of a
competitor.
KEY: 1‐e; 2‐h; 3‐j; 4‐a; 5‐i; 6‐c; 7‐f; 8‐b; 9‐d; 10‐g;
DISCUSSION ACTIVITY
a. Name a product that is advertised by a celebrity.
b. Why do companies use celebrities in ads?
c. Name a product that is endorsed by an authority, such as a doctor, a pharmacist,
a nutritionist, a mechanic, a teacher, a police officer, and so on.
d. Why do companies use authorities in ads?
e. Name a product advertisement that focuses on a claim that everyone else
consumes the product.
f. Why do companies advertise in this way?
g. Name a product advertisement that compares the quality of similar products.
h. Why do companies advertise in this way?
ANSWERS
b. They think that celebrity ads will influence consumer tastes and preferences for the
product, and, therefore, increase consumer demand for the product.
c. toothpaste, pain relievers, food supplements, frozen foods, teaching aids for
children, anti‐calc machine powder, etc.
d. They think that an endorsement by an authority will influence consumer tastes
and preferences for the product, and, therefore, increase consumer demand for the
product.
e. Levi jeans, Guess, video game systems, various toys, washing‐up liquids, fabric
softeners, etc.
f. They think that the ad will influence consumer tastes and preferences; consumers
will want what everyone else has, and the demand for the product will increase.
g. Cars, pain relievers, other over‐the‐counter medications, stain removers, washing‐
up liquids, home and furniture equipment.
h. If consumers think the quality of one product is higher than another, they will
substitute one product for another, and the demand for the high‐quality product will
increase.
LISTENING, COURSE BOOK, P.7
Why brands matter
Complete the passage below with the terms you heard on the audio track.
Brands are all about ………………… .You know what a ………………………., what
it means, whatʹs it going to ……………………… and you actually trust it to deliver
time and time again. So in a world of…………………………………., a brand can
give you something to ………………………..– itʹs a kind of …………………….. in
the darkness.
You can …………………. that we donʹt need brands, that weʹd all
…………………………..in a world where nothing is branded and we all wear
……………………………… and buy oats out of sacks and have no choice over who
we ……………………………..or what TV channels we watch. And I think one thing
about brands is they add a lot of ………………………………………. and fun, as well
as giving you ………………………………….things.
KEY:
1.trust; 2. brand is about; 3. deliver; 4. endless choice; 5. fix on; 6. beacon (like a ray of
light that shows you the way in the dark); 7. argue; 8. be better off; 9. blue overalls (a
working suit in one piece worn when doing physical work to keep dirt away from
your clothes); 10. bank with; 11. colour and enjoyment; 12. the power to choose.
GLOSSARY OF NEW TERMS
COLLOCATIONS WITH ‘BRAND’:
Brand (noun)
a name given to a product or a group of products so that it can be easily recognized.
(e.g. Drugs can be sold under different brand names across the EU.
When it comes to soft drinks, Coca-Cola is the biggest selling brand name in Britain.)
(e.g. This range is substantially cheaper than any of the other own brands available.)
(e.g. The strategic strong point of Harley Davidson’s marketing plans is the strong
brand recognition enjoyed by their products.
Brand awareness provides customers with a degree of reassurance.)
Brand promise
what people (clients, consumers, end-users) expect from a brand.
Brand essence
The most fundamental aspect of a brand. It is often possible to express this in a single
word or phrase.
Brand parity
How a product is similar to that of a competitor.
Co-branding
The use of the brand names from two different companies on the same product.
Power brand
The marketing strategy in which every product in a company’s range has its own brand
name.
Brand preference
when consumers prefer one brand to another.
Brand image
all the ways in which people think about a brand OR how a brand is perceived in the mind
of the customers and what they associate with it.
Brand equity
the value of a brand to its owners, as shown on a firm´s balance sheet OR the value that a
brand name and symbol ads to a product or service.
Branding
refers to the image or impression that a company creates for its products, usually through
advertising.
(e.g. As we enter the 21st century, companies are placing greater emphasis on branding
and marketing.
French Connection, the fashion retailer is a good example of how skilful branding can
invigorate trading.)
Brand positioning
a firm can position a brand by emphasizing its characteristics and benefits in relation to
other brands. Firms create a positioning map to show how different brands are positioned
in relation to one another
(e.g. in the case of breakfast cereal a firm creates a positioning map to demonstrate how
their brand compares to other varieties of cereal that already exist at the market, in
price, energy value, calories, etc.)
Brand differentiation
when a company designs a product in a way that distinguishes it from competitors´
brands and communicates the comparative benefits to customers in its sales
documentation, advertising, etc.
(For instance, a UK mobile phone company ran a campaign addressed to the ´hard-
nosed businessman´. This was an effort to differentiate its business services from those
for private users and from business services from less-targeted services offered by other
mobile phone companies).
Brand stretching
Or brand extension is when a company uses an existing brand name for new types of
product. Marketers say that this can go too far and lead to
brand dilution (– making the brand less powerful.)
(e.g. A good example of brand stretching is when tobacco companies use non-tobacco
products such as the Marlboro Classic clothing range to promote a particular brand of
cigarette.)
Stretching (verb)
1. to make money last longer or buy more than planned
(e.g. The sale of the entertainment division would clear the company´s stretched
balance sheet).
2. (Marketing) + an object
if a company stretches a brand, they use a successful brand name to sell new types of
products or services.
Brand architecture
This means creating „brand realm“ - the sphere or “space” in which the brand exists.
Determining brand realm is a systematic way of organizing the identity of the different
products, messages, or elements of an organization so that people both within and outside of
the business understand how its clients or customers are being served. Brand realm also
provides a solid framework for a business to manage future opportunities so that the new
ventures are strengthened by their association with the value and equity invested in current
activities.
The advantage of having a solid brand realm is that it’s easier and less expensive to add to the
equity of an existing, strong brand than launching a new effort.
Brand realm gives structure to—and communicates the relationships between the company
including its divisions, business units, joint ventures, as well as its products and services, all
with the objective of adding value to the brand.
It is designed around the needs and interests of external audiences rather than internal ones.
**Trademark**
A word, phrase or symbol that represents a company or identifies a product or is registered to
protect against its use by another party.
Product launch
the introduction of a product to the market
Product lifecycle
the length of time people continue to buy a product
Product range
the set of products made by a company
Product placement
when products are used in films or TV programmes
Product endorsement
the use of a well-known person to advertise a product
(e.g. Sports stars earn a lot of money every year from product endorsements, especially
for high-profile sports equipment and soft drinks.)
Market leader
The best-selling product or brand in the market.
Market follower
The second best-selling product or brand in the market.
Market positioning
The process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target
market for its product, brand, or organization.
Market research
The process of obtaining information about what consumers want and need.
Market segment
A group of customers of similar age, income level, and social class; a sample group of
potential product users.
Market share
A percentage of sales of a product in a particular market.
Market value
The price which a seller might reasonably expect to get for goods, services or securities on the
open market
(e.g. We are constantly on the lookout for products that offer the best value for money.)
Mid-range (adjective)
(for various types of products): not the cheapest or most expensive, not the best or worst, etc.
Stylish (adjective)
attractive or well arranged
Reliable (adjective)
Something or someone that is reliable can be trusted or believed because they work or behave
well in the way you expect
Is your watch reliable?
reliable information
Gideon is very reliable - if he says he'll do something, he'll do it.
Opposite: unreliable
Reliability (noun) /rɪlaɪәbɪl.ɪ.ti/
Rolls-Royce cars are famous for their quality and reliability.
Reliably (adverb) /rɪlaɪә.bli/
I am reliably informed that you have been talking about resigning
Fashionable (adjective)/fæʃ.ən.ə.bl ̩/
popular at a particular time
a fashionable nightclub/restaurant
fashionable ideas/clothes
Fashionably (adverb) /fæʃ.ən.ə.bli/
fashionably dressed
Well-made (adjective)
1. skilfully built or constructed: a well-made sofa.
2. strongly built; well-built: sturdy, well-made youngsters.
Hype (noun)
refers to the media coverage (television, radio, etc.) telling the public about a product or a
service and about how good or important it is.
(e.g. marketing/media hype; Despite all the hype surrounding the new model of the palm
computer, sales have been slow.
Hype (verb) (informal: hype sth (up))
to advertise sth in a way that you exaggerate its good qualities, in order to attract greater
attention of the public.
(e.g.The opening of the new wing of the Faculty was hyped up in the media as an important
event.)
Inflated (adjective)
(often referring to prices being too high): very high; much higher than normal or reasonable.
(e.g. Customers no longer want to pay highly inflated prices for luxury items.
Future forecasts were based on inflated expectations about the rise in Internet sales.)
Bank
(usually used as a noun but it can be a verb)
[+ object]: to put money into a bank account
(e.g. She is believed to have banked nearly $20 million for the movie.
[without object]
to have an account with a particular bank
Deliver
(this word has numerous meanings in various contexts, but the following meaning results
from the context the word is used in here):
to produce, provide or achieve sth that people expect or that will benefit sb/sth
(e.g.The company delivered strong financial results last year;
We are committed to delivering real value to shareholders)
Course book, p. 8:
Reading: Outsourcing production
Outsourcing (noun)
the process of arranging for sb outside a company to produce goods or provide services for
that company
the outsourcing of catering; cost savings from IT outsourcing; outsourcing contracts/deals
outsource (verb)
(e.g. We outsource all our maintenance operations.)
Insourcing (noun)
the process of producing goods or providing services within a company rather than buying
them from outside
(e.g. The company has benefited from the insourcing of services previously performed from
outside suppliers.
insource (verb)
We insource our training.
Offshore (adjective)
based in a different country (refers to the idea that certain countries have less strict laws and
lower taxes than some other countries, such as the USA)
(e.g. China has become the largest offshore supplier of computer components to US
companies.)
Offshore (verb)
to move part of your company’s operations to a foreign country, for example to reduce the
cost of labor
(e.g. It is believed that around $25 million may have been offshored in the last 3 years.
Our company has offshored approximately one half of its operations to Middle East
countries.)
Offshore (adverb)
(e.g. In the recent decades we have witnessed many multinationals moving their production
and assembly lines offshore.)
Customer base (also consumer base, less frequent) noun [C, usually sing.]
all the people who buy or use a particular product or service
We need to appeal to a wider customer base. ;
End
point or level that is the highest or lowest in a particular range
These two products are from opposite ends of the price range.; We are aiming at the
premium (= very expensive) end of the market.
the bottom/high/low/top/upper end
the budget/cheap/expensive/premium end
Overpriced
too expensive; costing more than it is worth:
Their goods are high quality but overpriced. overpriced shares
opposite:
Underpriced
cheap; costing less than it is worth
underpriced exports/stock
Market segment
(Marketing)
a group of possible customers who are similar in income, age, habits, etc
Schools are a growing market segment.
products produced for one particular group of customers
Their strongest market segment is in small notebook computers.
Aim verb
o try or plan to achieve sth
We are aiming at/for 2 000 new customers by next year. ; They aim to increase sales by
20%. ; The government is aiming at a 50% reduction in unemployment.
Floor
the area in a factory, shop/store, stock exchange, etc. where things are made, displayed or
traded
The new stores will increase our floor space by 45%.
2. CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT (based on the case study in your Course
books)
After discussing the Caferoma brand in class, you need to write an e‐mail to
Caferomaʹs Managing Director, Mario Cumino and explain what course of action you
agreed on during the meeting with your marketing team. Use the ideas offered in the
Course book.
To help with your e‐mail writing task, there is a Phrase Bank posted on the web,
containing phrases and expressions used in writing. Download that document,
you may need it for your future assignments.
You can also consult the Writing file on page 133 in your Course books.