What is a Brand?

1.???? Introduction

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The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design,

or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.” A brand is thus a product or service whose dimensions differentiate it in some way from other products or services designed to satisfy the same need. These differences may be functional, rational, or tangible related to product performance of the brand.

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2.???? Role of Brands:

Consumers may evaluate the identical product differently depending on how it is branded. They learn about brands through past experiences with the product and its marketing program, finding out which brands satisfy their needs, and which do not. As consumers’ lives become more complicated, rushed, and time-starved, a brand’s ability to simplify decision making and reduce risk becomes invaluable:

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a)???? Offers a firm Legal protection through trademark

b)???? Forms Level of Quality

c)???? Provides Competitive Advantages

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3.???? Brand Equity Model:

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The concept of Brand Equity refers to the value that a brand adds to a product or service. This value can stem from consumer perception, experiences, and the brand's overall reputation. A well-known model to understand and build brand equity is Kevin Lane Keller’s Brand Equity Model, also known as the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model.

This model breaks down the process of building a strong brand into four levels, each with corresponding steps. These levels and steps form a pyramid:

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a.???? Brand Identity (Who are you?)

Salience: This is the foundation of the pyramid. It involves creating brand awareness and ensuring that consumers can recognize and recall the brand. Key questions include:

Are customers aware of your brand? Can they recall and recognize your brand under different conditions?

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b.???? Brand Meaning (What are you?)

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Performance: This step focuses on the actual performance of your product or service. It involves attributes such as quality, reliability, durability, and service effectiveness. Questions to consider:

Does your product/service meet customer needs? How does it compare to competitors?

Imagery: This is about how your brand meets customers' psychological and social needs. It includes the brand’s personality, values, and associations. Key questions: What kind of person uses your brand? What associations and imagery do customers connect with your brand?

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c.????? Brand Response (What about you?)

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Judgments: This refers to customers’ personal opinions and evaluations. This includes quality, credibility, consideration, and superiority. Questions to address:

Do customers perceive your brand as high quality? Is your brand credible and trustworthy? Feelings: This involves emotional responses and reactions to your brand. It includes feelings such as warmth, fun, excitement, security, social approval, and self-respect. Key questions: What emotions does your brand evoke? How does your brand make customers feel?

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d.???? ?Brand Resonance (What about you and me?)

Resonance: This is the pinnacle of the pyramid and involves creating a strong relationship with customers. It includes behavioral loyalty, attitudinal attachment, sense of community, and active engagement. Questions to consider: Are customers loyal to your brand? Do customers feel a strong connection to your brand?

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4.???? Brand Value Chain

BVC is a structured approach to the sources and outcomes of brand equity. Brand Value creation starts with the marketing program the firm makes to approach customers. Next and as result of the program, customers perception will change through the way the brand performs in the market. Finally, the investment community the performance, replacement cost, purchase price in acquisitions, etc. to arrive at the brand value.

The marketing program consists of three sets of multipliers:

a. Competitive superiority

b. channel support

c. Customer size and profile

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5.???? Emirates Case Study:

Emirates Airlines has successfully built a strong brand name globally through a combination of strategic initiatives, superior customer service, innovative marketing, and consistent brand messaging. Here are key factors that have contributed to the strength of the Emirates brand:

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A. Marketing Strategy:

The launch of the airline came in 1985 with the Dubai government as the sole owner and the sole investor. Early services extended to 60 destinations in 42 countries throughout Europe, Middle East, Far East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The positioning strategy of Emirates airline is based on its mission statement “to be the best airline we fly and offer consistently high-quality value for money service on every route”. Its strategy is benefit-oriented and focuses on offering unique services. Emirates’ positioning is global, innovative and high quality for value for money. To reach that position, Emirates Airlines strives to gain a competitive advantage by offering unique services for its customers on the ground, in the air and on arrival. Emirates airline is at the forefront of aviation technology, and it is known for its modern fleets, wide-bodied aircraft, in-flight entertainment, and special promotion campaigns. A multinational crew was recruited, a modern fleet purchased, and an overall quality image was promoted. The airline took off and managed within a fairly short period of time to expand its destinations network, achieve high returns, boost technology and enter new markets. Emirates’ foray into new markets was a subject of envy for major global carriers, who had till then perceived Emirates as a global airline based in the Middle East and not an Arab airline operating abroad.

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B. Strategic Behavior

Emirates Airlines has skillfully managed to build a strong brand through its strategic focus on differentiation, relevance, esteem, and knowledge. Here's how they have achieved this in relation to each aspect:

a)???? Energize differentiation (Comfort): measures the degree to which a brand is seen as different from others, and its perceived momentum and leadership.

b)???? Relevance (A380 and ICE): measures the appropriateness and breadth of a brand’s appeal.

c)???? Esteem (Loyalty – Skywards): measures perceptions of quality and loyalty, or how well the brand is regarded and respected.

d)???? Knowledge (Publicity – Advertisement): measures how aware and familiar consumers are with the brand.

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C. Brand Performance:

The company has positioned itself as a leader in the airline industry in services (ICE onboard system is one of the most innovative entertainment systems in the airline industry), technology and comfort. The company’s goal to stretch and grow the destinations coverage is directly affected by its marketing strategy and brand positioning globally and marketing mix.

Although it is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Emirates’ biggest challenge is to ensure that its brand continues to be relevant and consistently adopted throughout the organization. If you symbolize the mission statement as Emirates did with its’ name “Brand” which was the claim – “Committed to the highest standards in everything we do” – then this is a challenge that should keep them on their toes, if they want to be true to that statement.

D. Shareholders Value:

The Emirates Group is a subsidiary of the Dubai government investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates Airlines is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

While detailed recent financial data may not be available, the Emirates Group's annual report provides a snapshot of the company's performance. Here are some typical highlights:

-??????? Revenue Growth: Emirates often reports substantial year-on-year revenue growth driven by passenger and cargo operations.

-??????? Profit Margins: The company's profit margins can vary based on external factors such as fuel prices and global economic conditions.

-??????? Fleet Expansion: Continued investment in new aircraft enhances operational efficiency and capacity.

-??????? Route Network: Expansion into new markets and increased frequency on existing routes support revenue growth.

The group has recorded a profit every year (except for a few years during second year, and covid crisis) and growth has had been mostly above 20% a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size almost every four years since.

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