Well, I suppose this depends on how you define “building a brand.”
Creating a brand is creating the image of the product in the marketplace. Brand building, according to the Business Directory is: “Enhancing a brand's equity directly through advertising campaigns and indirectly through promotions such as cause championing or event sponsorship.”
I don’t entirely agree with this definition as equity is also built by great service and a good product. One thing is clear - branding building enhances the psychological aspect of the brand.
Creative ads have the ability to emotionally seduce the viewer into buying the product, according to Mathew Bull. Well, that is if you want or need the product. The Cremora ad, flighted 25 to 30 years ago, was a creative ad. Consumers still remember, “…it’s not inside it’s onnnnnn top.”
Brand building is the responsibility of the operations people as well as the marketing people. No matter how good this Cremora ad was, if the product was unacceptable and was never in stores due to distribution problems, POW!! There goes the brand! The brand experience also helps to enhance a brand image.
Consumers today are bombarded by millions of messages and as a result, their ad needs to stand out in the crowd. Creative advertising does this. The creative use of media is also important to break away from the clutter.
Brands that have an emotional appeal also defy the downturn in the economy, are more robust and usually sell better than their competitors. But consumers do not make their decisions rationally, even though we all believe we do. There is no real difference between Coke or Pepsi, Mercedes or BMW, Colgate or Aquafresh but consumers choose one over the other. Neuroscience has shown that our brains recognize these brands more instinctively, especially if there is an emotional attachment.
Without proper research, to develop a good strategy and a good brief, John Hunt states that “a great ad always espouses a human truth that resonates with people.” That is why ads such as ‘the Zimbabwean’, have won so many awards. The emotion and truth resonates with the judges. I am pre-empting here but I am sure that an ad for the Haiti relief effort will do really well at the Cannes Ad Awards next year.
Good creative ads that can resonate with the consumer will often build a brand. All the other elements also need to be there such as distribution, product and a price that the consumer perceives to be reasonable.
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I agree Oresti, creative advertising is just one part of the building process, but more importantly the consumer will still buy that brand regardless of the creativeness so long as the brand delivers what it offers based on past experience. But on the flip side, because we are all individuals, a person may lean more towards the more creative brand rather than the trusted brand, simply because of the ideology behind the creativeness of the brand, like the vision or what the brand stands for.
ReplyDeletedepends on the brand aswell
ReplyDeleteI agree. But also think that a lot of brands tend to win back loyalty and aware through creative advertising. but in the turn of events we have witnessed that silly adverts tend to make an appeal aswell e.g MAC washing powder. The consumer appeals to truth thats forsure, awareness can be gained from well axegerated advertising aswell. e.g Nissan Hardbody.
ReplyDeleteWell, i'm looking at my cup and i realise that i don't know any cup related ad only under retaile stores. The need in that categroy will always be there, i mean what's a home without a cup? i think the most important part or a rewarding part for that matter in brand building are the margins. Creating good ads is part of promiting the brand but if there is no target market or a need for it then,it will always be one of those good ads.
ReplyDeleteWhile a creative advertisement could surely enhance a brand it is the customer's total experience with the brand that is the deciding factor. Despite MTN and Vodacom having some of the most creative ads of the past few years they tend to annoy me with unwanted phone calls, bad service in their shops, etc. CellC, despite having occasional signal failures have impressed me with the great service I have experienced on many occasions - so though I may enjoy a rival ad more it does not encourage me to change brands...
ReplyDelete