Basic Branding
When we make a choice at a store about what to buy, there is usually a lot more at play in our minds than even we realize. Celebrity perfumes are generally successful not because they necessarily smell better or because the celebrities who make them are particularly good at creating perfume. But simply having that celebrity associated with the perfume gives that fragrance an image—of status, of coolness, of luxury, or some other such impression that is related to that celebrity. And if consumers relate to that image or aspire to make it part of their lives, they are more likely to buy it. The same goes for all images that appear in any advertisements—they are not there just to look pretty or appealing to the senses. They also appeal to something deep within the type of customer the company is targeting—a feeling, a personal value, a wish or aspiration, or a lifestyle.
Psychology
While some of us would like to think we are immune to the influence popular culture or advertisements have on our decision-making skills as consumers, marketing in this way really is based on the psychology of how we process information. The truth is that we make hundreds of decisions every day, small and large, and are bombarded with information everywhere that has some say in how we should make our decisions, whether it is values that we hold within ourselves or our family, influence from friends or co-workers, messages from the media, advertisements, the news, or the internet. When you walk into the aisle in the supermarket for laundry detergent, you are presented with dozens of options for detergent, sometimes at different prices, sometimes not, and all with different colors and claims on the packaging. How will you decide what to buy? We all try different routes—some rely solely on products they have used in the past or recommendations from others, some just choose the cheapest product no matter what. But for many of us, when there are so many important decisions to make in life, we often look for “shortcuts,” or assistance in making decisions so that we can more easily process all the information we have gathered. What branding does is create an easy reminder for what a product stands for so that we can instantly think of it when we see that product in the store, hopefully making our decision easier. The stronger and more positive that association is, the more often we will buy it over something else that has no association at all, even if the products themselves are very comparable.
Benefits of Association
Creating a brand image is not easy, cheap, or quick, unfortunately. Companies like Coca-Cola have spent a lot of money over a lot of years to become arguably the most recognizable brand in the world, through many avenues (advertising, distribution, sponsorships, endorsements, etc.). This becomes a real challenge for small or startup businesses to compete in the marketplace. But even though building a brand is no small task, small companies can make a big leap of progress in developing an image for themselves by branding by association. By simply building a relationship with another company (or public figure or non-profit organization, etc.), a company can quickly tell the general consumer what that company stands for. And often times if you can find a company or person who can also benefit from the relationship, the partnership can cut down on costs and both parties win.
Example Ads
When we make a choice at a store about what to buy, there is usually a lot more at play in our minds than even we realize. Celebrity perfumes are generally successful not because they necessarily smell better or because the celebrities who make them are particularly good at creating perfume. But simply having that celebrity associated with the perfume gives that fragrance an image—of status, of coolness, of luxury, or some other such impression that is related to that celebrity. And if consumers relate to that image or aspire to make it part of their lives, they are more likely to buy it. The same goes for all images that appear in any advertisements—they are not there just to look pretty or appealing to the senses. They also appeal to something deep within the type of customer the company is targeting—a feeling, a personal value, a wish or aspiration, or a lifestyle.
Psychology
While some of us would like to think we are immune to the influence popular culture or advertisements have on our decision-making skills as consumers, marketing in this way really is based on the psychology of how we process information. The truth is that we make hundreds of decisions every day, small and large, and are bombarded with information everywhere that has some say in how we should make our decisions, whether it is values that we hold within ourselves or our family, influence from friends or co-workers, messages from the media, advertisements, the news, or the internet. When you walk into the aisle in the supermarket for laundry detergent, you are presented with dozens of options for detergent, sometimes at different prices, sometimes not, and all with different colors and claims on the packaging. How will you decide what to buy? We all try different routes—some rely solely on products they have used in the past or recommendations from others, some just choose the cheapest product no matter what. But for many of us, when there are so many important decisions to make in life, we often look for “shortcuts,” or assistance in making decisions so that we can more easily process all the information we have gathered. What branding does is create an easy reminder for what a product stands for so that we can instantly think of it when we see that product in the store, hopefully making our decision easier. The stronger and more positive that association is, the more often we will buy it over something else that has no association at all, even if the products themselves are very comparable.
Benefits of Association
Creating a brand image is not easy, cheap, or quick, unfortunately. Companies like Coca-Cola have spent a lot of money over a lot of years to become arguably the most recognizable brand in the world, through many avenues (advertising, distribution, sponsorships, endorsements, etc.). This becomes a real challenge for small or startup businesses to compete in the marketplace. But even though building a brand is no small task, small companies can make a big leap of progress in developing an image for themselves by branding by association. By simply building a relationship with another company (or public figure or non-profit organization, etc.), a company can quickly tell the general consumer what that company stands for. And often times if you can find a company or person who can also benefit from the relationship, the partnership can cut down on costs and both parties win.
Example Ads
A great example of brand associations is advertising from Gap. Gap positions itself as a retailer that sells great quality basics, and is known for t-shirts and jeans. Yet in its advertising, it often features very simple photographs of different celebrities wearing Gap clothes, personalized in their own style. The ads feature a wide variety of celebrities with very different styles, showing that with Gap's clothing, anyone can take basics and work them into their own style. Shown here are Will Arnett and Amy Poehler from a 2007 print ad.
Another example is shown here, in a video ad for the American Cancer Society, featuring John Wayne. This association is one of ultimate "coolness and masculinity," suggesting that one should not feel less cool or manly for getting a cancer screening or checkup, or for giving up smoking. This is most likely based on research that people may not be getting screenings because they feel too embarrassed (although I can't confirm that). Ironically, John Wayne did commercials for cigarette companies like Camel in the 50s, and is well-known for his many years of smoking and his battle with lung cancer. This makes his message for the American Cancer Society even more influential.
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