Branding in Post Modern World - Essay Example

BRANDING IN POST MODERN WORLD Table of Contents Introduction 3 Branding in Modern and Post modern world 3 Evolution of Branding 4 Conclusion 5 Reference List 6 Introduction Branding, as defined by Philip Kotler, is a ‘name, sign, term, design or symbol or a combination of all of these, intended to identify the products of an individual seller or a group of sellers and differentiate them from that of the competitors’ (Kotler, 2001). Branding provides an identification of a seller; this is what which makes it stand up in the crowd. However, branding over the years has changed gradually. Marketers seek new ways of customer communication to create top of the mind brand recall and simultaneously reduce clutter to a minimum. This study is an approach to the post modern perspective on branding and how it has changed to a culture oriented process; from creating brand image to creating myth. The post modern branding approach has shifted to a realm of hyper reality where the consumers are promised that they would enjoy experiences beyond reality (Firat, Dholakia and Venkatesh, 1994). Branding in Modern and Post modern world In the past decade, branding was centered on the creation of customer’s perception of the product. Advertisements and other marketing communications had the objective of creating a value proposition for the consumers. In the past, the consumer behavior studies have shown a stability in the consumer’s behavior which was based on rationality. Customers are now becoming fickle minded, so the variables used to predict their behavior like, values, attitude, brand preference, social class and income are no longer of any use (Firat, Dholakia and Venkatesh, 1994). The modern culture dictates the attainment of stability, consistency and authentic identification of character. This need for authenticity and stable identity is slowly disappearing in the post modern culture as a result predictability of consumer behavior is also becoming impossible. The consumers have not only, started to change their self concept, attitude, characters, etc without any hesitation but also have started following contradictory value system and lifestyle. Thus we find people of several professional and demographic backgrounds join a same social group. This as a result is eroding the brand loyalty of some top leaders in the industry and helping the challengers to rise to power. A good example would be IBM, which was once a market leader has been dethroned by a number of challengers. The frequent changeability of the consumers is creating discomfort among the consumer behavior researchers. The traditional strategic marketing theory states that the products have certain values and this image of the product is the value proposition perceived by the consumers (De Chernatony, 1999). This theory has led the modernists believe that a product projects an image, so it is necessary to control the related elements of the marketing mix so as to achieve the desirable image position. It was believed that the customer satisfaction comes from the ‘material’ elements of the product. On contrary, a post modernist approach believes that selling the image of the product is more important than selling the product itself. The product image is considered as the marketable entity and the product itself is merely a representation of the image (Zhilinsky, 2014). The post modern approach differs from the modern approach in certain way. The post modernism states that all social experiences are interplay of myth creation which produces regimes of truth. Creating a myth and selling the myth is the primary objective of this approach. The marketing communications are designed on the grounds of hyper reality, promising consumption experiences which are not theoretically possible in real life. For example the television commercials of Axe deodorants are completely based on hyper real grounds, where using the deodorants are supposed to attract girls like magnets (YouTube, 2008). Certain theme parks like the Disney World create a simulation of an unreal experience, which is then believed by the consumers and producers alike. When a certain social group believes and trusts that a product can actually elevate their image to a desired level, then the product actually succeeds in doing so. The success of the hyper real advertisement is dependent on how strongly the public believes in them. A certain brand of jeans gives a social status to its consumer only because that consumer group believes that it can do so. In the post modem era the customer who is the receiver has transformed in to the producer. The product image consumed by the consumer is being reflected in his self image. This self image is carried down to other people in his social group. Here the consumer is acting as a marketer of his self image and in the process he is marketing the image of the brand (Investopedia, 2013). Evolution of Branding Branding process has evolved from a ‘Brand Equity’ centric approach to a ‘Brand Identity’ centric approach. Brand equity is a measure of the customers’ brand preference, brand loyalty and brand acceptability. It is the degree of the brand name recognition (brand recall), strong mental association and perceived brand quality. Achieving high brand equity leads to creation of a strong bond between the consumer and the brand, where a sign or a product name turns in to a personal relationship. Brand identity on the other hand focuses on the consumers’ perception of the brand. It represents the expression of the brand and thus plays a fundamental role in consumer’s brand recognition and differentiation. The visual elements of the brand like the logo, color preference, name, symbol, etc, together identify the brand in consumers’ minds. Brand identity is how a company wants to identify itself. Brand equity, as compared to brand identity, is a broader concept. Marketers are narrowing down their focus on the mind-set of the customers and thus dealing with the perceived image of the brand, which is Brand Identity ( Zhilinsky, 2014). Traditionally, the managerial orientation of branding was based on the product and its perceived image. Gradually this is changing to a cultural orientation where a brand integrates itself within the social culture. The brand plays a significant role in re-shaping the culture, in which it penetrates and understanding a culture is vital in designing a brand. A marketing communication can be made so strong that it can actually change the lifestyle and consumption pattern of a society. Fashion brands have always played a major role in shaping the culture of the society. They have defined the line between what is acceptable to wear and what is not. They are the trend setters which shapes consumers’ norms and value system and ultimately their culture (Jones.2009). Technological giants like Apple, Google and Facebook has changed the way we live our lives. Facebook can be a prominent example of how it has changed the way we communicate and how we portray our “online image”. Brands like Amazon and EBay has changed the way we shop. Harley Davidson has created the concept of biker groups. Its own group is called HOG (Harley Owners’ Group). Culture is the combination shared values and beliefs. It is of primary importance to a marketer to identify and understand the local cultures and philosophies, their consumption pattern before launching a brand. There are examples where a brand is successful in one country but has failed miserably in the other. Wal-Mart could not survive in the German market because it failed to understand the everyday discount shopper of that country. Culture provides the backbone on which households run (Jones, 2009). The hyper realistic post modern conditions create willingness among consumers to represent different self images and liberate the consumers from sticking to a single image. An individual is therefore does not belong to a single cultural group, but he is a representative of many. This makes easier for the marketers to address a much wider target market. The fact that different person from different backgrounds tends to hang out in a single group, makes “word of mouth” spread much faster. The post modernism has not only changed the marketing process but also has a symbiotic effect on the culture of a society. Conclusion Branding has evolved through a gradual process; from product centric to culture centric. The marketing communications involved in the branding process has played a significant role in shaping the culture of a society and society also plays a role when creating the brand image. Traditional companies need to evolve to a more post modernist type, where interaction between the brand and the consumer would create a strong relation. The companies should pay more attention to figure out how to design a brand and how customers would react to it, because in the post modern era, the brand image is more important than the product itself. Using a customer’s self image as a product is quite effective in spreading a positive word of mouth. Due to the advent of social media, communication among consumers has become more important in “buzz” marketing. In an era where consumers’ behavior is unpredictable, big companies must never be complacent, as they can be over taken by other challengers anytime. The product image must appeal to the culture of the consumers and be a part of their life style (Kusum, Lehmann and Neslin. 2003). Reference List De Chernatony, L., 1999. Brand Management through Narrowing the Gap between Brand Identity and Brand Image. Journal of Marketing Management, 151-3, pp. 157-179 Firat, A. F., Dholakia, N and Venkatesh, A., 1994. Marketing in a post modern world. European Journal of Marketing. 29 (1), pp. 41-48 Investopedia., 2013. Investopedia - Brand Management. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 October 2014]. Jones, R., 2009. Brands and Culture, Symbiotic? [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 October 2014]. Kotler, P., 2001. Marketing Management, Millenium Edition, 10/e, 188-189 Kusum , A. L., Lehmann, D. R., and Neslin, S. A., 2003. Revenue Premium as an Outcome Measure of Brand. Journal of Marketing, 67 (10), pp. 1-17 Simmons, G., 2008. Marketing to postmodern consumers: introducing the internet chameleon. European Journal of Marketing. 42 (3), p. 305 Walsh, D., 2013. Social branding: A new paradigm for brands in society. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 October 2014]. YouTube, 2008. New AXE Dark Temptation Commercial US. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 October 2014]. Zhilinsky, V., 2014 Product, Service and Brand Management. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 October 2014]. Read More