MARKETING QUESTIONS

Question One: Using Brands to Build Customer Relationship

Introduction

A brand refers to a name, design, symbol or other features that distinguishes one sellerâ€™s goods and services as being distinct from those of the other provider. A brand name, on the other hand, refers to the part of the brand that can be spoken such as letters, words and numbers. Branding is an important concept in business that every business organization must appreciate in order to remain competitive in the already competitive global economy. Buyers recognize and evaluate their favorite products based on their brand identities. Similarly, sellers need to use brands in order to achieve repeat purchasing as well as promote brand loyalty among customers.

Brands have increasingly become part of the intangible asset for organizations. In order for the brands to be useful to the companies, however, they must first provide value to the customers (Dibbs, Simkin, Pride & Ferrel, 2016). The bigger question, for most companies is how to make the brands valuable to the customers. This paper seeks to seeks to analyze the role of brands in creating good relationship with customers.

Value from product innovations

The success of brand depends on its ability to create an uncontested market space. In the highly information-rich economy, customers have full access to the information about almost all the products in the market. Therefore, brands can only set themselves apart based on quality and price (Dibbs, Simkin, Pride & Ferrel, 2016). The customers define their relationship with a brand based on the economic balance between what they pay for the products versus the value they can derive from the product. Companies must find new and innovative ways of creating competitive opportunities and establishing lasting relationship with the customers.

Speaking the language of customers

The aim of any brand should be to relate with the customers in a more personal way. Brand managers must familiarize themselves with the language of the target customers. For example, brands that target kids must appreciate what the kids say and how they say it. Many corporate brands around the world have adopted the technique of appealing to their customers through the customersâ€™ preferred language. For example, IHOPâ€™s â€œPancakes on fleekâ€ has since created the image of a charming, funny and relatable brand for the IHOP brand.

Showcasing Customers

Customers love to associate with brands that other people also find useful. In order to appeal to the customers, therefore, marketers must make the customers imagine themselves using the brand (Francisco, Vigaray, & Monali, 2016). One of the way of arousing this excitement among customers is by using the existing customers in their marketing adverts. Such a move should show happy customers who are satisfied with the brand, the same way companies like Apple have done in their marketing approach.

Appleâ€™s marketing has been focused on showcasing how the customers interact with their products. For example, Apple adverts would show a bunch of happy customers enjoying their iPhones. Such a trick has a significant effect on the consumer psychology, and hence can make them find Apple brand appealing. By having a close touch with the customers, such as calling them by name, Apple has been able to create a strong brand relationship with the customers. The marketing approach makes customers feel closer to the brand.

Modern marketers have adopted the use of online brand communities such as blogging communities where existing customers are encouraged to share their good experience and positive feelings with the brand (Dibbs, Simkin, Pride & Ferrel, 2016). Social media has become an important platform where existing customers can share their feelings and experience with the brand products, hence enticing the prospective customers to join the community and share the happiness.

Premium packages for customers has been used in creating lasting relationship with customers. There are many companies that have created premium packages meant for establishing community of customers with elite status within an organization. This technique not only locks customers to the organization, but also creates a lasting relationship between the brand and the customers. Amazon offers Amazon Prime, which is a special package for loyal customers. For a little subscription fee, customers have a chance to join a vibrant community of elite customers valued by the organization.

Having a hospitality mentality

Customers love brands that have personal touch with them. The culture of hospitable treatment of customer is predominant in the hospitality and hotel industry, but can be borrowed by other brands in the other industries. The customer experience with the brand in whatever form should be made special and unforgettable by the customer. For example, companies should ensure that they have an impeccable customer care service to make sure that customers are always satisfied.

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