A brand is a design and name given to a specific product. It makes the product an entity through which it is identified. In the current global market, branding is essential because it helps the products of the company stand out among the thousands more in the same industry. The idea of branding is to help the product stand out.
The benefits of branding are endless however, there are five major benefits that have been outlined by markets (Keller, 1-16).
Consumer recognition- it is the most important benefit of branding. Consumers expect a given product from a specific company to meet their needs. Having a strong brand means that it is easy to recognize. Consumers are more likely to choose it while shopping because of their ability to recognize it.
Competitive edge- brand name and logs offer a differentiation aspect. Consumers are in a position to recognize as well as back the product. In doing so, they increase the sales and associate the product with effectiveness which is a competitive advantage. The more the recognition, the more the brand grows hence elevating it above those of the competitor.
Loyalty and shared values- because of elevation by consumers, more and more want to try and gain similar satisfaction as those before. Potential consumers shift from other brands and start consuming the brand. Over time, they identify the brand as the one that meets their needs and hence creates loyalty (Jackson & Shaw, 245-251).
Credibility and ease of purchase- a well-known brand has better credibility with the consumer. They attach aesthetic value to that brand making it easily marketable. Consumers believe in the ability of the product to meet their needs. Over time the trust they build with the product transforms to loyalty.
The ease of purchase refers to the ability of a consumer to recognize the product. The affiliation to brand colors, logos and design help the consumer in associating it to what they are looking for without mistaking it with a supplementary product.
Competitive environmental
For P. Johnson, USP defines the success of advertising campaigns in its environment. Europe stands as the center of fashion which makes competition stiff making it necessary to the company to create a personal brand.
Each advert that has been produced by the company proposes to the consumer through depiction of products and the idea behind them. It ensures that each advert is the best and competitive by making it strong enough to move the consumer to try them.
USP creates fashion identity. In an environment full of different complementary brands, it is necessary to stand out. It is why P. Johnson ensures uniqueness and customization of products is part of their marketing strategies. The design strategy is used by organizations today as an approach towards achieving the company goals. In London fashion industry, achievement of consumer needs is the driving force. Competition is ensuring that their products are innovative and competitive. They go beyond the basic label that consumers identify the brand with to formulate products the meet the expectations of the consumer.
Major competitors in the industry such as Paul Smith, Temperley London, Viviene Westwood, Lulu Guinness and Stella McCartney all have a branding department that works with innovation to create designs they are market competitive. Environmental factors such as trends are important in creating the brand. The advantage of having a brand that is competitive is the ability to be a market leader who can set trends in prices and intricate of tailoring (Okonkwo, 2-5).
The above brands are currently the most desirable in the market. Stella McCartney designs, for instance, are mainly focused on celebrity dressing. Her work has been so important that the brand has been used in Paralympic games in 2016. The Lulu Guinness which focuses on accessories complements looks. The artistic designs have been a brand that is easy to recognize through extensive selling in major stores across the country. Any person who knows fashion knows Vivienne Westwood as a national treasure. The designs are noticeable immediately sported because of the uniqueness of the designs and the fabric used. On the other hand, P. Johnson major competitor is the Sir Paul Smith designs which have been named as the kings of men fashion in London. Their trademark stripped shirts, the wallets and accessories all come in handy when dressing men for any occasion.
Brand awareness
It is the ability or extent to which the market players recognize a given brand. It is vital in the study of a company’s consumer behavior, brand management and advertising. Strategic development requires an understanding of the awareness in order to determine the target market as a way to influence customization. Importantly, consumers cannot buy unless they are first aware of the product presence. The amount of awareness indicates the product life, the attitude towards that product and the usage it has. These factors tell whether the product is feasible in the market.
Brand image
P. Johnson as a brand is viewed as an all men clothing company. Their focus as seen from their marketing styles creates the image of a modern elegant man. Consumers associate the brand with imagery of success and class. The success of the brand is underlined in the way the consumer views it and how they perceive their products.
The brand image is basically an impression that a consumer has in his or her mind regarding a particular product or service. It is a component of both what is real and the imagination of the consumer. It is something that marketing creates over time through continued advertising and consistency of themes. The definition can only be expressed via consumer description of how they understand and view the brand in question (Ross & Harradine, 306-325).
Consumer profiling
Consumer profiling refers to the ways in which a supplier defines the consumer categories. The purpose of this is to help in advertising and targeting during production. Market segmenting is based on consumer profiling so that different products are sold in different locations and price differentiation can be applied. P. Johnson aims at creating of the right consumer profile from feasibility tests and understanding of the potential customers, and defining the ideal consumer of each product before it is launched. They have achieved this by understanding of the target markets’ different lifestyles, preferences, tastes and stages in life. These traits will tell who is more likely to associate with the brand and their willingness to purchase.
Figure 1: Product Life cycle curve
Brand positioning
The positioning of a brand is done by the consumer. By purchasing and utilizing P. Johnson products, consumers rank the designs based on their own experiences and their feelings towards them. In many cases, the position becomes vital as it influences potential consumers given that in fashion, products are considered to the theory of the consumer.
Brand expression
The brand expression is the tone, voice and message sent by the design. It is what the brand represents to the market. The message offered is sometimes unspoken but expressed in terms of the attributes attached to that brand or the mapping message the defines the brand. Each concept that is used in designing and how the brand is marketed will tell of the message being expressed.
Brand evolution
Over time, the brand logo, the promises and perceptions of the company can be worn out. It is vital that a company continues re-branding so that to remain competitive. Re-branding normally comes in hand with a new product development or alteration of the existing ones to a more modern expression. P. Johnson has however maintained their brands and logo to sustain the client loyalty. Changes are minimal and evolution is seen through creation of different departments that offer differentiated products.
Globalization and market trends are the main reason why P. Johnson has had to add new sections to their business. They need to evolve in order to meet the consumer market and the newer generation that has different fashion taste.
Extension of Floris perfume
P. Johnson focuses on men designs. With numerous products that cover almost all aspects of clothing needs, they need to add complementary aspects that will allow them to compete at the same level with others. Where companies like Paul Smith have additions of watches, wallets and other accessories, P. Johnson utilizes the services of Floris perfumers to complement their products. Each company recommends the other helping in marketing and increase in sales. The company has the ability and probability of buying shares or taking over the perfume franchise as a way to increase its brand presence in the market (Romeo & Dodds, 112-117).
Communication plan
Merger of franchise like this has to be communicate to the consumers which can only be done through a strategic communication plan. P. Johnson should start with a situation analysis so as to get the relevant information and gather the requirements. It is done through brainstorming between the two companies, creation of a survey with a focus group which also acts as a feasibility test then definition of the objectives.
The objectives give the specifics of the new contract, the influence on quality of products the measurable benefits, the time of communication, achievement possibilities of the communication and the realistic nature of the products.
The next step is defining the audience. P. Johnson has to consider her members, the consumes, associates and the local authorities to be involved. Media representation also acts as a key indicator of the spread of the message to be communicated.
Identification of the media channels, establishment of time frame and result evaluation are the implementation stages of the plan. The evaluation can be done weekly, monthly or as desired by the marketing department at P. Johnson.
Conclusion
Branding is the key to better performance in the market. Recognition creates loyalty while the quality of the products can only be recognized through association by the consumer. Through branding, P. Johnson has taken its position and market share allowing it to stabilize presence and sales. The business environment is such that trends are always changing which requires the company to change with it. Through branding it can sustain its position and market share. Feasibility tests of the market and creation of loyalty through elements of branding are the key to sufficient competition and development of a sustainable business.
Work cited
Jackson, Tim, and David Shaw. Mastering fashion marketing. Palgrave Macmillan,( p. 245-251)2008.
Keller, Kevin Lane. "Reflections on customer-based brand equity: perspectives, progress, and priorities." AMS review 6.1-2 (2016): 1-16.
Okonkwo, Uche. Luxury fashion branding: trends, tactics, techniques. Springer, (p. 2-5) 2016.
Romeo, Jean R., and William B. Dodds. "The effects of brand quality and price on the evaluation of brand extensions." Proceedings of the 1996 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference. Springer, Cham, (p. 112-117). 2015.
Ross, Jill, and Rod Harradine. "Fashion value brands: the relationship between identity and image." Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal
15.3 (2011): 306-325.
[ПW1]
include Chapter 2:Fashioning an identity.In fashion brands (pp21-30)1st ed london. Kogan page /tugante,M (2014)
