Running Head: BRAND ELEMENTS AND BRAND ASSOCIATIONS 1

Brand Elements and Brand Associations

ABMTC

Submitted By: Sunil Jain

Roll No: DBA-OCT 18-38233

Running Head: BRAND ELEMENTS AND BRAND ASSOCIATIONS 2

Brand Association 

We always try to associate a brand with certain items and then only buy it.Thus we try to form an
image in minds of a particular brand Its unique property becomes the differentiator for
competitor .It is the in-depth seated brand in customers mind. That is something positive related
to brand in the consumer mind. It is when the name of product comes in the consumers mind it
automatically switched to the name of a Brand.

There can be three types of Brand associations: Meaningful, Different and salient.

Brand associations are formed on the following basis:

 Customers contact with the organization

 Advertisement;
 Word of mouth and publicity;
 Price
 Celebrity/big entity association
 Quality of the product
 Products and schemes offered by competitors
 Product class/category to which the brand belongs
 POP

Example –

 Quick food means Maggi,

 Tooth paste means Colgate,
 Soap means Lux,
 Antiseptic means Dettol,
 Cheap soap means Lifebuoy,
 Pain relief means Iodex,

There are secondary brand associations as well. They link brand to sources such as company, the
country or other geographical regions as well as other brands.

Role of Brand Elements in forming Associations

Brand Elements help in facilitating unique brand associations. Brand Elements are divided into 2
roles: Offensive and Defensive strategy.
Running Head: BRAND ELEMENTS AND BRAND ASSOCIATIONS 3

Brand elements, sometimes called brand identities as well, are those trademark able devices that
serve to identify and differentiate the brand. The main brand elements are brand names,logos,
symbols, characters, spokespeople, slogans, jingles, packages etc.

Brand elements can be chosen to both enhance brand awareness and facilitate the formation of
strong, favourable,and unique brand associations also.

A number of broad criteria are useful for choosing these brand elements to build brand equity
(1) memorability, (2) meaningfulness, (3)aesthetic appeal, (4) transferability (5) adaptability and
flexibility over time, and (6) legal and competitive protectability and defensibility.

Example:
1)Noodles is referred to as MAGGI in Indian market. Maggi is strongly associated with 2
minutes time. And nowadays referred as Meri Maggi as new marketing strategy. Thus, these
elements of brand forms a distinct association in mind consumers of Nestle Maggi.

2) For example, if I think of Nike, what comes into my mind is

 activewear
 the Nike swoosh
 the Nike outlet store near my house
 black and white
 sweat
 athletics
 the feeling of energy, excitement, anticipation
 my favorite pair of workout shorts

Thus, these brand elements used by Nike give a definite association is consumers mind.

References:

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2009). Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson
Prentice Hall.