THE VALUE OF BRAND REINFORCEMENT

By Seun Adeogun

Do you ever imagine why Coca-Cola spends so much on advertising and sponsorships without going to sleep for once? Did you just ask why Procter & Gamble spends more than $100 million annually on marketing research and intelligence gathering for its brands? The company devotes $1.8billion to its brand research and development? And about $5 billion a year on advertising? 

Many a brands has been built over years ago and are still stealing the show. Brands like Coca-Cola, Time Magazine, Mercedes Benz, Disney, etc. still maintain their leadership category despite strong competition from challenging brands in their respective categories. One reason why it is so is their ability to constantly revaluate, research and reinforce their brand equity. They equally strive to improve their dominance by constantly measuring their brand equity to help them ascertain brand performances within the market place. No matter how small your brand is, a little effort should be devoted to continuous evaluation and reinforcement of your brand.

The ability of high flying brands to measure their brand equity has given them the opportunity to ascertain the necessary innovations and slight adjustments needed to re-empower their brands. This helps them avoid some sort of reduction of the total financial value accrued to their brand. This notion however calls for careful and effective management of brands.

The power of a brand can be re-enforced by consistently communicating the essence of the brand-its representation, relevance, benefits and superiority, etc. This obviously, is (or can) done through creative marketing actions or programs.

 A successful brand remains a successful brand provided it continuously dominates its market category and continually reinforces what makes it stand out as a leader amongst other brands. Nothing fails like success. For a brand to continually maintain its lead or possibly take over the leadership in its category, successful, it must continually and stylishly reinvent itself in the right direction as a better solution provider as against other brands. This is made evidence as it makes effective moves in coming out renewed with new and compelling market offerings and ways it markets them.   

A brand that however fails to revaluate and reinforce eventually lost its market leadership to the more serious ones.

How do you reinforce your brand?

To reinforcing your brand, you can come out with creative marketing programs that have the ability to fortify the brand by reinforcing the brand essence and worth. This enables the brand generate more awareness hence strengthening its image and presence in the market place.

Apart from research and development or product innovation, such mix of marketing programs can help breathe more life into the brand equity. Some of the mix of strategic marketing programs may include but not limited to: Advertising, Trade shows, Events and sponsorship, Talent hunting and development, reality TV shows, promotions, exhibitions, etc.

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A   Advertising: Brand advertising plays a cogent role in reinforcing brands within the marketplace. It has a unique ability to simplifying brand worth through broadcast & narrowcast, online & offline, on pack and off pack advertising messages.

§        Exhibitions: Exhibition is also a vital platform through which a brand can be reinforced through exhibitions your brand is demonstrated and tested as buyers and shoppers come in contact with your brand as showcased. You can allow your brand participates in exhibitions or better still organise one for customers and prospects. Many a brand has taken opportunity to reinforce their brands through this medium.  

  

            Events and Sponsorship: Events and sponsorship is another viable medium used in

§        strengthening your brand. Virtually all brand’s targeted audiences can be reached through via event sponsorship. The obvious areas of sponsorship are sports, arts & culture, music and entertainment, education, community festivals and broadcast, etc.

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      Merchandising: this is another platform for brand reinforcement. Merchandising techniques such as display and store designs are vital communications tools that can guide customers, buyers and prospects towards making purchases.

 

P   Promotions: Promotional activities for brands are also a viable technique in reinforcing brands. Brand Promotions goes a long way to strengthen brand attraction, relationship and loyalty. Rewarding customers, providing additional incentives encourage customers to maintain their bond with the brands.

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      Brand Extensions: this strategy has been used by companies to reinforce their brands. This should be considered provided the parent brand is strong in the marketplace.

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      Public Relations activities: Public Relations techniques are also vital in reinforcing brands. They can be used to complement other brand reinforcement techniques.

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      Essentially, product improvement, effective customer relationship management, modernised Brand Identity and brand Repackaging, road shows, endorsement, workshops and seminars, etc. can also be used to exhibit your brand for the benefit of reinforcement.

Conclusively, good communications (tangible & intangible) reinforces brand equity. Succeeding and high flying brands are never left unevaluated and unenforced. Brand evaluation and reinforcement plays effective and efficient roles in helping brands maintain and sustain their worth and equity within the marketplace else it diminishes. Brand should make use of strategic marketing programs and initiatives to reinforce brand promise, core benefits, brand superiority and advantages amongst other things.

Article previously publish on Yinka Olaito’s Branding Gravel Blog in 2010.