Why is Branding a Big Deal Today?

In today’s fast-paced society, businesses are seeing vast changes with how their businesses are run, compared to 50 years ago. Companies today have become so information rich, and the economy has moved away from a mass production model (i.e. Ford) to a mass customization model (i.e. the apps on your iPhone). While technology continues to advance, it's really been pushed to the limits to provide maximum efficiency and productivity for their customers.

Because of the limits that lie within businesses' attempts to provide the latter qualities, companies are currently forced to look elsewhere in order to make themselves stand out from competition. "Creativity" and "innovation" are sources of many ways in which businesses attempt to be seen as prominent. Currently, many businesses are looking to innovative strategies not only within the company (such as with management and procedures), but they are also thinking of more creative products and means of advertising for those products; hence, the emergence and importance of branding. Because much of the playing field has been leveled out in regards to the access of knowledge with the spreading of the internet, creativity and brand management have become the essential drive for successful business.

So the million dollar question is: how are businesses doing it? The important point for companies to realise is that purchasing a product has symoblic meaning for the customer. People want to know what the product looks like, what 'group' of people buy it, and what people are saying about it. Just yesterday I was speaking with a fellow MBA and he asked me how to play iTunes on the professors Mac. My first question was "Wait, don't you have an iPhone?!" When he said "No" and in fact, he had zero Apple products, my jaw dropped to the floor. What 20 something year old doesn't own an Apple product?! (This statement is sort of California specific because I realise that there are a lot of other products once you get out of the US).

At any rate, the bottom line is that consumers attach a feeling with the product, and this feeling resides as a large determination point in whether or not the product will be purchased. Companies who know how to target a group of people and attach positive feelings to their products will help to separate the “good” from the “great” companies.

Beauty Pressure

Here's a provocative video on the beauty industry from Dove. I wish more brands could adopt messages that were aimed to raise women's self esteem, rather than the majority of marketing aimed to tell us what women should look like or what women should wear - brands like Abercrombie.



Below is an advertisement from A&F. Despite their "all American" brand, the company sells more sex appeal than anything. The brand utilises attractive models with rock hard bodies to sell their clothing line. Obviously consumers want to buy a brand that they relate to - and what person doesn't want to be sexy?

While I have to admit that they've done a fantastic job, I think it sells the wrong image for young people, especially young girls - not to mention that their products are WAY overpriced. At any rate, here is the commercial:



I think that both of the brands pose a really interesting and different view of beauty, and they market the brand accordingly. I've got a lot more to say about A&F, so look forward to more posts on them!

Welcome!

Hello world. So I've started this new snazzy MBA blog, and I'm hoping to look at marketing over the next two years. Specifically, I'm hoping to focus on brand management, brand loyalty, product marketing and how social media fits into all of it. I'm also hoping to cover issues we discuss in class, or relevant business matters.

So I guess I should briefly tell you where I came from and why I'm here now. I did my undergrad at UC Santa Barbara with a double major in English and Communication. I loved Santa Barbara, but felt like I really needed to get out of the country when I graduated. I was lucky enough to land a job with NB Real Estate in London. I started as a Marketing Analyst on the brokerage floor, which gave me great experience with the Corporate Consulting division of the business, as well as the office and industrial sectors. Corporate Consulting was a lot of fun because I started working with them when the markets first began contracting.

Then I was offered the opportunity to work in their Marketing Department and launch their first e-marketing campaign, rebuild their website and come up with the contents and features on the site (i.e. news articles, email marketing, blogs, etc.) Because I was well versed in my social media, I started to realise that they had a big need for a marketing plan. So I put myself to work and started devising a strategy. The company had rebranded in 2007 and were still trying to get their feet on the ground with what to do next. So in my last few months with the company I researched what competitors were doing and got the chance to advise top management! It was quite an honour, and they began to see the importance of social media and the impact that it could have (both positive and negative) in the near future. When I left they started to adopt my strategy and even started a 'net natives' group for young people to come up with new ideas and advise the directors about what's new, what's changing, and what they should be paying attention to.

At any rate, the experience was beyond rewarding, and I have been so fortunate to work with a lovely group of people. It really gave me a solid perspective from the UK and Europe, as well as commercial real estate. Sadly, I had to leave them! Hopefully our paths will cross again some day soon.

Now I am in my 7th week of my MBA at the University of San Francisco. I know. Where did the past 7 weeks go? I'm not quite sure either, but it's going well so far. There is a lot of work, and I am still trying to get to grips with it all. I've met many interesting people with a wide variety of backgrounds - a lot of international students too, which I love!

Anyway, I've got papers and finals. Time to go buckle down and complete the assignments.