International Consumer Brand

A common assignment on International Consumer Brand may be to select an international consumer brand that is available all over the world. Paper Masters suggests setting up your overview of a brand in the way that you see below.

1. Compare, contrast, and critique the brand-building initiatives in each market.
2. Are there any changes that you recommend?
3. What is standard?
4. What is customized?
5. Consider brand elements, marketing strategies, advertising, and secondary associations in your analysis.

Requirements for International Consumer Brand Research Paper:

1. The report must be no more than 8 double spaced pages (excluding appendices)
2. Papers are expected to be grammatically correct with no spelling or typographical errors.
3. Errors, sloppy presentation style, and poor writing will result in grade reduction.
4. Relevant materials: (eg. packaging, pricing information, pictures of distribution presentation, advertisement etc.) needed to compare/contrast most effectively.
5. Some info to help format the paper (compare and contrast each subject for the brand in both countries (for instance the Coca-Cola brand in Brazil and Canada).

There are three ways to build a brand:

BRAND ELEMENTS

Brand elements (brand identities) are trademarkable devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand.

1. Brand name
2. Logos
3. Symbols/characters
4. Jingles/slogans
5. "Other attributes"

Brand Values

Associations that characterize the 5 to 10 most important associations or dimensions
of a brand.

1. Taste
2. Premiumness
3. Tradition
4. Winning spirit
5. Friendship
   

brand knowledge

1. Brand AwarenessRelated to the strength of the brand node or trace in memory, as reflected by consumers' ability to identify the brand under different conditions
2. Brand RecognitionReflecting the ability of consumers to confirm prior exposure to the brand Brand RecallReflecting the ability of consumers to retrieve the brand when given the product category; the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of probe as a cue
3. Brand ImageConsumers' perceptions of a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumers' memory
   

How to select a brand element for an
International Consumer Brand Research Paper:

1. Memorable
2. Easily recalled & easily recognized
3. Research suggests that unusual images/characters or words are easier to recognize and more familiar images/characters and words are easier to recall.
4. Meaningful
5. Descriptive
6. Persuasive
7. Fun & interesting
8. Protectable
9. Legally
10. Adaptable
11. Flexible
12. Updateable
13. Transferable
14. Across product categories
15. Across geographies/cultures
    

SECONDARY ASSOCIATIONS

Those associations related to other entities to which a brand is linked. May lead consumer to assume/infer beliefs they have for external source also holds for the brand.

2ndary Associations can be created by linking the brand to

1. Companies (i.e., through branding strategies)
2. Countries or other geographical areas (i.e., through identification of product origin)
3. Channels of distribution (i.e., through channels strategy)
4. Other brands (i.e., through co-branding)
5. Characters (i.e., through licensing)
6. Spokespeople (i.e., through endorsements)
7. Events (i.e., through sponsorship)
8. Other third-party sources (i.e., through awards or reviews)

Country-of-origin Associations
Many countries have become known for expertise in certain product categories or for conveying a particular type of image. Those associations related to other entities to which a brand is linked. May lead consumer to assume/infer beliefs they have for external source also holds for the brand.

Brands can benefit from a country-of-origin associations. (eg. Brazil & soccer ball, Canada & hockey pads) There are both positive and negative 2ndary associations. Brands may be harmed from country-of-origin associations. More than one country can share the same "country-of-origin" expertise What a country expects its natural "county-of-origin" advantage may not be believed by other countries.

How can you link a county-of-origin association to your brand? Good examples of brands to choose from are listed here:

• Directly embedded in the brand name
  
• Irish Spring Soap
  
• Gucci
  
• Linked to the brand name
  
• Baily's Irish Cream
  
• Dominance in advertising
  
• Fosters Beer
  
• Presence on packaging

A few thoughts from the class on category management.

Consumers may have drastically different ways to view a brand in a product category. Marketers must take these into consideration when designing marketing programs. This can be exaggerated when branding internationally. The global aspect complicates "consistent global positioning"-one of the criteria for building a global brand. Eg. In Canada Tropicana competes with oranges- but not in Brazil. It maybe competes more with an orange drink! It is necessary to be included in a categorization to be included in a purchase. Eg. When entertaining, Heineken may compete more with wine than with other beer. Placement in a category affects how consumers see the brand. (Eg. There is an association that forms based on which section the drink is in - Murberry drink looks like pop.)