Brand Identity

and Position
What is Identity

 The Brand Identity Prism

 Aaker’s Brand Identity Framework
Graphic Identity Charter

 Symbol
 Logo
 Design elements
 Colour
 Mascots
 Characters
 Ambassadors
 Taglines
Identity and Image

 Identity is about sender

 Image is about receiver
 Image may be at variance with reality
 Image may be aligned to what customers want, not
what the brand is in reality
 Customer favoured image changes, identity is more
stable
Positioning Diamond

 For What Benefit/ Reason to believe

 For Whom
 Use Occasion- When
 Against whom What Benefit For Whom

When
Against Whom
Unilever Brand Key
Each brand must spell out
 The competitive environment
 The Target
 The consumer insight on which the brand is based
 The benefits brought by the brand
 Brand values and personality
 The reasons to believe
 The discriminator – the single most compelling
reason to choose
 The brand essence
Unilever Brand Key
Oil of Olay (A P&G Brand)

 The competitive environment: Moisturising Creams

 The Target: 35 + Women
 The consumer insight on which the brand is based: Fear of
Aging Skin
 The benefits brought by the brand: Decelerates Skin Aging
 Brand values and personality: Care, Scientific Knowledge
 The reasons to believe: Regenerist
 The discriminator – the single most compelling reason to
choose: No other brand in the category
 The brand essence: Anti Aging Skincare Powered by
Research
Brand Identity Prism
Six facets that define the brand
Physical Product

Relationship with User Reflection:

Customer Public Expression

Culture of Origin User Self Image

Personality of
Origin
The Physical Product

 Features
 Attributes
 Differentiators
 Appearance
 Packaging
Relationship

 Nike-Do It
 Coca Cola- Value happiness
 Lacoste- Be elegant and sporty
 Gillette- Use the best
 Apple- Let technology work for you
 LG- Enjoy the good things in life
Personality of the
Originator

 Resonance of the brand-

origin
 Who is the sender?
 Reflected in
communication style
 Sometimes depicted as a
person
Culture of the Originator

 American, German, Japanese, Indian

 Set of typical beliefs and behaviours
Customer Reflection

 An imagery customers can relate to

 A psychological identification
 Not the aspirational persona
 Not the self image
. User Self image

Competent, Sincere, Creative, Elegant, Achiever

Brand Physique: Lacoste

 Tennis
 Airy
 Sporty but elegant
 Fashionable
 Non Formal
Physique and Personality
of Originator: Coca Cola
 Physique- Drink, Packaging,
Availability
 Personality of Originator -
American, Happiness,
youthfulness, Friendliness,
Warmth, Sportiness
Personality of Originator
 Nature of communication
 Tone and language
 Copy, fonts, colours, visuals
Personality of Originator
 Nature of communication
 Tone and language
 Copy, fonts, colours, visuals
Personality of Originator
 Nature of communication
 Tone and language
 Copy, fonts, colours, visuals
Culture of Originator
 Apple, Google, Intel-
Silicon-valley
 Citibank, Ralph Lauren-
US East Coast opulent
lifestyle
 Louis Vuitton- fascination
with social class- a
French belief system

Ralph Lauren Polo Restaurant,

NYC
User Reflection

 Not just good quality jeans

 Unconventional lifestyle
 Adventure
 anti materialism
 Nature/ wild
 All I need is all I got
 Prestige- not common
place
User Self Concept
User Self Concept
User Self
Concept
Use of the flagship product-
The Brand Exemplar
 Benefit class
 Customer type
 Product quality
 Style
 Design for functionality
Exemplar
All Products
Flagship Products
Brand Exemplar
 Lacoste – Tennis Shirt
 Nike- Running shoe
 Apple – iPhone
 Nivea- Round blue box
 Maybelline – Eye make up
 L’Oreal – Shampoo and hair dye
 Dove- Bathing Bar
 Maruti Suzuki – Swift
Coca Cola
Physique Bottle, Dark Liquid, Carbonated, Unique Taste

Personality of
Not defined
Sender

Culture of American Values- Freedom, Equality, Achievement,

Sender Competitiveness

Relationship Be happy, Spread happiness

Positive, Amiable, Well meaning, Sociable, Typically

Reflection
young, maybe famous

Self Concept Westernised person

Maggi
Physique Pack, Cubical product, Tasty

Personality of
Not defined
Sender

Culture of
Western- Wholesomeness, Efficiency, Universal
Sender

Eat healthy, Eat tasty, Eat economically, Eat

Relationship
conveniently

The Homemaker from a normal home- Neither wealthy

Reflection
nor poor

Self Concept Caring Parent

Lacoste
Physique White Knitted Tennis Shirt

Personality of
Jean Rene Lacoste, Top tennis player, Classy, Elegant
Sender

Culture of
French: Elegant, Aristocratic
Sender

Relationship Be fit, play physical sport, Be self assured and elegant

Reflection Physically Fit, Elegant dresser, Caucasian, Young

Self Concept Modern, Westernised

Apple (1984)
Flagship Product: Apple Macintosh
Physique Apple Logo
Personality of Energetic, Athletic, Rebellious, Individualistic
Sender Strives for personal freedom , Fearless

Culture of
Silicon Valley American
Sender

Relationship Change the world for the better

Reflection Ordinary people who do more with extra ordinary products

Competent, rebellious person. I am Different

Self Concept
Apple (Think Different)
Flagship Product: Apple Macintosh
 Here’s to the Crazy Ones
 The misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers
 The round pegs in the square holes
 The ones who see things differently
 They are not fond of rules
 And they have no respect for the status quo
 You can quote them, disagree with them, Glorify or verify them
 But you cannot ignore them
 Because they change things
 They push the human race forward
 And while others see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
 Because only those who are crazy enough to think that they
can change the world, do
Rolex (Achieve Greatness)
Flagship Product: Rolex Datejust Watch
Physique Crown Logo

Personality of Committed, energetic, Inspiring

Sender Achievement driven

Culture of
Swiss Precision, Western Achievement Orientation
Sender

Live to inspire others

Relationship
Strive to surpass your own past achievement

An aspirational persona for individuals of every

Reflection
demographic

Self Concept I want to be the best I can be

Rolex (Achieve Greatness)
Flagship Product: Rolex Datejust Watch

 How is Greatness achieved?

 Is it when you win your first tournament?
 Or when you achieve your lifetime’s ambition?
 Or where you inspire others?
 Maybe when you always ask yourself – What
next?
Tata Steel

Physique Tata steel logo

Personality of
JRD Tata, Ratan Tata/ Competent Steel Worker
Sender

Culture of
Parsee, Philanthropic
Sender

Reach out to others

Relationship
Strive to improve your living conditions

Reflection Professional Engineer

Self Concept I want to improve the living conditions of those whose lives I touch
Tata Steel

 Parivaron mein khushali laate hain

 Sukh ka sandesha pahuchaate hain
 Raahat ka raasta dikhate hain
 Har khel mein safalta paate hain
 Nayee Disha Mein Badhte Hain
 Jeevan mein raang laate hain
 Ispat bhi hum banate hain
Maruti Suzuki
Flagship Product: Swift Desire, Wagon R + Gipsi, Omni, Vitara

Physique Range of Value Cars

Personality of
Highly Competent Producer
Sender

Culture of Best of Indian and Japanese Cultures: Benevolence, Technological

Sender Expertise

Relationship Experience the convenience of personal transport

Wide range of demographies

Reflection
Easy to relate to all characters in the advertisement

Self Concept Average Value Seeking Person

Brand Charter for
Marketing
Communications
 Tool for decentralized decision-making
 Types of marketing actions
 Types of brand ambassadors
 Emotions to be used
 Nature of narrative in body copy
 Colours
 Mix of cognitive and emotional appeals
Brand Identity
Structure
Brand Identity Structure

 Core Identity : Central Timeless essence of the

Brand – Remains constant as the brand travels to
new products and markets
 Extended Identity : Brand Identity elements
organised into cohesive and meaningful
groupings – Provides texture and completeness
The Identity Structure

 The Core Identity

 The Extended Identity
Core Identity

 Johnson & Johnson : Trust and Quality

 3M : Innovativeness & Practicality
 Maruti Suzuki : Value and Quality
 Mercedes : Performance and Prestige
Core Identity

 What is the soul of a brand

 What are the fundamental beliefs and values that
drive the brand
 What are the competencies of the organisation
behind the brand
 What does the organisation behind the brand
stand for
Sometimes a slogan can
capture the core identity
 Avis : We’re number 2, we try harder
 BMW : The Ultimate driving machine
 Lexus : Relentless pursuit for perfection
 IBM : Building a Smarter Planet
 Nokia : Connecting People
The Extended Identity

 Provide Texture and Completeness

 Fills the picture
 Adds Details
Nike Brand Identity

Core Identity
Product Thrust Sports Fitness
User Profile Top Athletes
All interested in fitness and Athletics
Performance Performance Shoes, Technological Superiority
Enhancing Lives Through Athletics
Nike Brand Identity
Core Identity
Product Thrust Sports Fitness
User Profile Top Athletes
All interested in fitness and Athletics
Performance Performance Shoes, Technological Superiority
Enhancing Lives Through Athletics

Extended Identity
Brand Personality Exciting, Spirited, Cool, Innovative, Aggressive
Brand Ambassador Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Serena
Williams
Slogan Just do it
Emotional Appeal Exhilaration of athletic performance
Symbol Swoosh
Character The Runner
Culture American, Achievement orientation
Brand Symbols
Amazon
 Powerful river
 Unstoppable flow
 Strength
 Power
 Richness
Brand characters
animals
 Scottish grouse- Scotch Whisky
 Prancing Horse- Ferrari
 Kingfisher- Beer
 Jaguar – Car
 Mustang - Car
Competitive
Frame of
Reference
Competitive Frame of
Reference
Example: Beverage
 Product Type- Cola Drinks
 Product Category- All Cold Drinks
 Product Class- All Beverages
Cok
e vs
Peps
i
All Colas
All Cold
Drinks
All
Beverages
Creating a
New
Category
Creating a New Category

Example: Apple iPhone vs Cellphones

 Cell Phone plus Internet Connectivity Device Plus
iPod
Creating a New Category

Example: Apple iPod vs MP3 Players

 Easy to handle
 Great Design
 1000 Songs memory
 Cheap and easy to Download from iTunes
Creating a New Category

 Not just an improved product

 Jumping the Curve
Multiple
Positioning
Frames of
Reference
Multiple Positioning Frames
of Reference: Watch or
Jewelry ?
Multiple Positioning
Frames of Reference
 BMW
 Luxury and Performance
American Cars
 Performance without Luxury- Dodge Ram
 Luxury without Performance- Cadillac
Dodge Ram-Performance
Cadilla
c-
Luxury
BMW-
Performance and Luxury
BMW
Performance and
Luxury
Titan

 Value Watches
 All Watches
Tanishq

 Accessories
 Jewellery
Southwest Airlines

 Other Airlines
 All transportation
Starbucks

 Coffee Shops
 Private Clubs
Uber

 Taxi Services
 Chauffeur Driven Cars
Multiple Positioning
Frames of Reference
 Exclusive and Ubiquitous- L’Oreal
 Powerful but Safe- Subaru
 Exclusive and Affordable- Maybelline
 Effective but Mild- Savlon
 High Performance but User Friendly- Windows OS
 High Quality but Inexpensive- Maruti
Category
Membership
Category
Points of Parity
Category Points of Parity

 Category Points of Parity shared with all other

brands in that category
 Necessary to establish Category Membership
Announcing Category
Membership
 Communicating Category Benefits
 Comparison with Exemplars
 Product Descriptor
Announcing Category
Membership
 Communicating Category Benefits
 Nirma, Saridon, Dr. Fixit
 Comparison with Exemplars
 Micromax vs Apple, Apple vs IBM
Announcing
Category
Membership
Using
Descriptors
US Air
US Airways
Club
Wago
n
Covair
Greenbrier
Sports
Wagon
Category Points of Parity

 Category POP must be established before POD is

established
 Example: Tata Nano had to establish that it was a
proper car before it could establish that it is an
attractive proposition because of low price
Category Points of Parity

 Nivea Shampoo had to establish it was a proper

shampoo before it could establish it was a
shampoo gentle on the skin
Category Points of Parity

 AMD had to establish it was at par with Intel

before it could establish POD with Intel
Category Points of Parity

 Category characteristics could change over time

 Brands have to continuously upgrade to maintain
category POP
Category Points of Parity

 Example: Banks have to constantly introduce new

products like Credit and Debit Cards, Insurance
products, Mutual Funds, Loan Products AND
 Facilities like Online Banking, ATMs, Wealth
Advisory, DMAT services and Relationship
Managers
 In order to be considered part of the category of
modern bank.
Tata Nana

Competitive Frame
of Reference: All
Small Cars
POP
Nano is a Car-
Though Small
Tata Nana

Competitive Frame
of Reference: All
Small Cars

POD
Will fit your Family
Tata Nana
Fuel Efficient- POD
Establishing Category
Membership-Lumia
Follow up with POD
Follow Up with POD
Competitive
Points of Parity
Competitive Points of
Parity
 Designed to negate the competitor’s Point of
Difference
Competitive Points of
Parity
 Identify areas where competitor is trying to
establish points of difference
 Establish parity
Competitive Points of
Parity
 Tata Motors Nano established its durability and
Quality Credentials before establishing its Value
Positioning
Competitive Points of
Parity
 Visa established the Prestige Positioning to be at
par with American Express, then established wider
acceptability as Point of Difference
Points of Difference

 Establish Parity with Competitor where the

Competitor is Differentiating
 Establish Differentiation
Subaru: Competitive
Points of Parity
 Subaru established parity with Toyota and Honda
in Quality and then established the rugged All
Wheel Drive Positioning
 Subaru established Safety at par with Volvo and
then established positioning as an intelligent car
which will avoid accidents in the first place
Subaru: Competitive Points of Difference
Subaru: Competitive Points of Difference
Miller Lite Beer
POD

Everything you
wanted in a
Beer……
And Less
POP Shine
POD Dandruff
Combined POP and POD
Unique Selling Proposition

 Every Brand must have a Proposition

 The Proposition must be something that the
competitor does not or cannot offer
 The Proposition must hold value for the customer
End of Section