The power of a brand

A brand can be defined by The Business Dictionary as:

“Unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these, employed in creating an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors”
– Business Dictionary (2019)

Consuming the Journal of Management article written by Hodis (et al., 2015) prompted me to think about the power of brand in today’s society. The concept of a ‘brand’ engulfs itself into every facet of the modern era, from business to sport or from influencers to marketers. The truth is, a brand is not just what consumers perceive a company to be but a wholesome picture of every aspect of a company including brand perception, positioning and differentiation. In a digital age that is already saturated by brand information, it is imperative for brands and company’s alike to create differentiation.

The article also highlights the influence of global digital brands such as Facebook has on consumers. By implementing a four-segment framework below, companies can establish a brand marketing strategy purely based on these segments for their target market.

By utilising these strategies, not only Facebook, but each social media platform can create value and approval from their consumers engagement. Thus, for a brand to create a continued growth they must adhere to their own target demographic and tailor a marketing strategy around this idea. Each demographic of consumers will respond differently and this concept is imperative to a successful digital marketing campaign.

Which segment do you fit in?

Personally, I am a connection seeker. I complain about influencers and their lavish lifestyles constantly, but find myself intently following their every move and seeking that connection to their lives. I believe that most people in this category unwittingly wish they lived an influencer lifestyle but either a) are too lazy to try, b) afraid of what people may think or c) have totally given up on the idea due to saturation of the influencer market.

Consequently, influencers portray their own type of ‘brand’ that is publicised daily. Quite frankly, the problem with this form of marketing is that over time genuineness can fade or build along with the brand. Once consumers are exposed to an allotment of information about an individual it is then up to that person to continue with that belief and find company’s that align with the same values.

Once consumers are faced with conflicting values of an influencer, ingenuity arises and cracks will appear. Social media itself can be such a damaging place to be for that very reason and it is very difficult for the public to recognise a fake brand from a genuine one.

Here are some interesting articles about ‘fake’ influencers:

References:

BusinessDictionary.com. (2019). Which of your friends needs to learn this term?. [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand.html [Accessed 6 Aug. 2019].
Hodis, M., Sriramachandramurthy, R. and Sashittal, H. (2015). Interact with me on my terms: a four segment Facebook engagement framework for marketers. Journal of Marketing Management, 31(11-12), pp.1255-1284.

Digital Marketing