THE ASSOCIATION FACET:

CONNECT
ASSOCIATION

- is the technique of communicating

through symbolism.

- primary tool used in brand communication and

guides the process of making symbolic connections
between a brand and desirable characteristics as well
as people, situations, lifestyles that can cue the
brand’s image and personality.
 CHUCK YOUNG

“The set of emotional and

experiential association with the
brand that is built up over time.”
 3-WAY PROCESS
-Brands take

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(1)Brand relates to
symbolic meaning
(2)A quality that
though this
(3)Customers value association process.
The associate drivers

1. Symbolism
2. Conditioned Learning
3. Transformation
 The associate drivers

• Symbolism

Through association, a
brand takes on a symbolic
meaning, which means the
brand stands for certain
qualities.
 • Conditioned Learning

Although advertisements sometimes use a cognitive

strategy, they frequently are designed to elicit
noncognitive associations through conditioned learning,
the process by which a group of thoughts and feelings
becomes linked to the brand though repetition of the
message.
 People also
learn by
watching others,
which is called
social learning.
 • Transformation

Transformation, as originally
explained by former DDB
research director Bill Wells, is
what happens when a product
takes on meaning and its
transformed from a mere
product into something special.
It becomes differentiated from
other products in the category
by virtue of its brand-image
symbolism and personality cues.
Association Networks
The association process is built on a network of
associations, called a knowledge structure.

Researchers seeking to determine the meaning

of a brand will ask people to talk about their
associations with a brand and to re-create these
association networks in order to understand how
a brand’s meaning coming together as an
impression in people’s minds.