The impression of relationship in branding!

The issue of ‘relationship’ is gaining importance in the branding area as consumers construct an image of themselves in relation to the brands that they use on a daily basis. Some researchers said that an individual’s long-term orientation towards a ‘relationship’ based on satisfaction with the brand as well as the weak competitor situation in terms of product development, customization, and value-added services.

A brand manager is one who has responsibilities for building a strong, favorable and unique image in consumer’s minds at the top as compared to other alternatives available. He/she are the one who has understands the importance of understanding the notion of ‘relationship’ between consumer involvement and brand perception. There must be an active ‘relationship’ between brand personality and brand attitude.

Brand Personality is the attribution of human personality traits (seriousness, warmth, imagination, etc.) to a brand as a way to achieve differentiation. Which done usually through the long-term and above-the-line advertising, appropriate packaging, and graphics. While brand attitude is refers to what a person feels or believes about something related to a brand. Additionally, brand attitude may be reflected in how a brand acts based on its beliefs. Once formed attitudes can be very difficult to change for a brand as show trustworthiness, reliability and integrity just like human beings.

Consumers always try to match the price of brand and its perceived value in their minds all the time. They identify which product attributes, as well as other variables and contribute the most and the least to the price. So a good marketer should focus on that the branding strategy becomes less about market share and more about emotional ‘relationship’. Consumers use brands less as bundle of benefits and more as ideas that create social meaning and that have the power to generate community acceptance.

One approach for better brand to develop long run relationship with consumers can be the celebrity endorsement which is quite a common now-a-days. Nevertheless, it’s too risky in certain circumstances for a brand to survive with prestige as when the celebrity may face a scandal. 

It is interesting to know that in relationship branding there exist more than one stage and consumers attach with the brand at different levels like some may have only sense of belongingess and other might have active engagement phase. The company should prepare its brand to have a leading edge, emphasize and fulfill its customers’ needs & wants significantly to maintain or even strengthened the relationship paradigm.