Summary of an article: Building brand without mass media

Market fragmentation, rising cost, and new media channels that let individual bypass
advertisements seem to be associate against the traditional marketing. To build a strong brand
depending on a mass media campaigns was possible in the past. Several companies have come
up with alternative brand-building approaches and making a way in the post-mass-media time. A
company must have a clear brand identity with depth and texture so that customers can get a clear
message about the business. An effective brand identity should be related to the business’s vision,
culture and values. The Body Shop’s core brand identity is in essence its profits with a
principle philosophy. It collect loyalty with its support of environmental and social causes.
Instead of advertising, Haagen-Dazs opened classy ice-cream parlors in eye catching, upscale
location. It also obtained placing for the ice-cream in quality hotels and restaurant with the
contract that the ice-cream name be featured on menus. Haagen-Dazs followed additional
approach like distributing branded freezers in food retail stores; and also providing sponsorship in
different cultural programs to fuel word-of-mouth communications. Whenever a strong brand
identity is lacking, a brand is like a ship without a rudder. A reputed successful company Farggi
name had too many association and messages, it strategy has too many elements that confuse
customers and now Farggi is lagging.

The role of visibility in creating brand equity is undervalued. Brand visibility can indicate
leadership, success, quality, substance, and even excitement and energy all before the product
comes into play. Strong brands find ways to achieve visibility by building and supporting the brand
identity. Hugo Boss built its brand identity by choosing its sponsorships carefully. Hugo Boss was
the highest ranked for having a quality of uniqueness and for having customers who usually
considered the brand when purchasing clothes. The core identity of a swatch is to provide a watch
at low price with excellent Swiss quality and with a stylish, fun, youthful, provocative, and joyful
brand personality. SMH took Swatch in a targeted campaign to boost visibility and make a clear
brand image, reconsidering a product category and revitalizing the entire Swiss watch industry.
SMH choose sponsorship carefully so that can help to boost the brand image among the targeted
customers. Benetton began with a logical identity that conveyed youth, cultural diversity, racial
harmony, and world peace. United Colors of Benetton campaign deviate from brand identity, it do
not convey brand identity. Benetton’s art director produced images for Benetton’s communications
campaigns, it was very successful at creating publicity and visibility, Toscani’s work appeared
conflicting with Benetton’s and instead of building the brand and increasing sales, it disaffected the
target market and Benetton retailers.

Cadbury funded a theme park tied to its history in the chocolate business. Visitors learn about the
origin of cocoa and chocolate, how Cadbury’s empire began and grew. The theme park offers
hundreds of opportunities to sample the company’s expansive line of chocolate products. Cadbury
World strongly links the taste experience to the brand’s history. Cadbury has gained additional
brand building through press coverage and word of mouth. Nestlé had successfully employed key
business units to manage its worldwide corporate brands. Each business unit create a global brand-
identity plan. A brand manager implement the brand plan with the approval of the business unit.
Buitoni marketing effort was designed to strengthen brand awareness, Buitoni became the cook’s
Italian-food consultant. Buitoni gave free recipe booklets, discount vouchers, Italian-lifestyle
information packet and a full-color quarterly newspaper, who responded to its offers and join the
Casa Buitoni club. Since the club’s initiation, membership has grown firmly through word of
mouth and different marketing efforts. The toll-free line builds relationships between the brand and
club members and provides valuable customer feedback to the company and help to increases
customers loyalty.

Developing a set of alternative approaches to brand building isn’t easy, however, particularly for
companies that have long depend on media acquire as the vital element of their brand-building
efforts. Creative approaches used by companies in other markets may suggest effective brand-
building techniques that also provide differentiation from competitors. One person or team inside
the organization should have the responsibility for the brand. The charge is to create a strong, clear,
rich identity and to make sure that the implementation groups, whether inside or outside the
company, understand that identity. When alternatives to mass-media advertising are driving the
brand-building process it is particularly important to have a brand champion with the ability,
authority, and incentive to ensure that the brand identity is being delivered consistently across
multiple media. The Swatch and Haagen-Dazs programs both benefited from pilot testing. Pilot
testing is done to gain confidence in programs that seem risky. Senior managers should monitor the
results of the effort. With full dedication and commitment from senior managers, alternatives can
be worth the time and investment. A single and continuous measure of brand equity helps
companies to understand the contribution of alternative-communication vehicles in building
brands. And careful monitoring can reveal how to expand those vehicles to serve the company
best.