Brand is the perception consumers hold in their head about a product, a service, an organization, a cause, or an idea. Brand building is the deliberate and skillful application of effort to create a desired perception in consumer’s mind (DeMers, 2013). A brand is a promise to consistently deliver certain benefits to the customers. Brand signifies quality, evokes desire, tells us about the manufacturer and helps us belong (Kotler & Keller, 2016). Building a brand is more than designing a cool looking product and logo (Davis, n.d.).
The form versus function in making a brand successful is an ongoing debate. Those who believe on form argues that the product design and aesthetics make the brand successful while the opponent argues that product performance is the key to brand success. I think the form and function goes hand in hand. However, if I need to choose one, I will go with the product function ability. Our product should perform exceptionally well so that the people will start using the brand name as a verb.
At first, we might choose a product looking at its design and physical features but if it fails to perform as expected, we will not repurchase it. Researches in consumer behavior shows that consumers choose products that reflect who they are and who they are not. Likewise, researches on brand identity reveal how meaning can be transferred from a brand to those who selects the brand (Townsend & Sood, 2012). Thus people prefer quality over looks of product.
Consumers purchase products to satisfy their needs and wants and their choice is highly influenced by their personality, social environment and culture they are a part of. The aesthetics can help to attract one time customers but if we want to create a loyal consumer base for any product or serviced, there is no alternative on focusing on the performance of the product (Lew & Sulaiman , 2014). For example: If we want something good and durable, we will not buy the product with "Made in China” tag because unfortunately Chinese products are not renowned for their quality. People are willing to pay premium price for the product with good performance even if they do not look much attractive. IPhone is an example for this. People use IPhone because of its high performance standards rather than its look.
Having said this, I believe that product form should follow the intended function of the product to gain competitive advantage over other products of similar nature and be a successful brand.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management. London: Pearson.
Lew, S., & Sulaiman , Z. (2014). Consumer Purchase Intention toward Products Made in Malaysia vs. Made in China: A Conceptual Paper. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences , 37-45.
Townsend, C., & Sood, S. (2012). Self-Affirmation through the Choice of Highly Aesthetic Products. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 39 (1), 415-425. doi:10.1086/663775
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Brand is the perception consumers hold in their head about a product, a service, an organization, a cause, or an idea. Brand building is the deliberate and skillful application of effort to create a desired perception in consumer’s mind (DeMers, 2013). A brand is a promise to consistently deliver certain benefits to the customers. Brand signifies quality, evokes desire, tells us about the manufacturer and helps us belong (Kotler & Keller, 2016). Building a brand is more than designing a cool looking product and logo (Davis, n.d.).
The form versus function in making a brand successful is an ongoing debate. Those who believe on form argues that the product design and aesthetics make the brand successful while the opponent argues that product performance is the key to brand success. I think the form and function goes hand in hand. However, if I need to choose one, I will go with the product function ability. Our product should perform exceptionally well so that the people will start using the brand name as a verb.
At first, we might choose a product looking at its design and physical features but if it fails to perform as expected, we will not repurchase it. Researches in consumer behavior shows that consumers choose products that reflect who they are and who they are not. Likewise, researches on brand identity reveal how meaning can be transferred from a brand to those who selects the brand (Townsend & Sood, 2012). Thus people prefer quality over looks of product.
Consumers purchase products to satisfy their needs and wants and their choice is highly influenced by their personality, social environment and culture they are a part of. The aesthetics can help to attract one time customers but if we want to create a loyal consumer base for any product or serviced, there is no alternative on focusing on the performance of the product (Lew & Sulaiman , 2014). For example: If we want something good and durable, we will not buy the product with "Made in China” tag because unfortunately Chinese products are not renowned for their quality. People are willing to pay premium price for the product with good performance even if they do not look much attractive. IPhone is an example for this. People use IPhone because of its high performance standards rather than its look.
Having said this, I believe that product form should follow the intended function of the product to gain competitive advantage over other products of similar nature and be a successful brand.
References
Davis, R. (n.d.). 7 Keys to Building a Successful Brand . Retrieved from Business Collective: businesscollective.com/7-keys-to-b... 18
DeMers, J. (2013, November 12). The Top 7 Characteristics Of Successful Brands . Retrieved from Forbes: forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013... 7
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management. London: Pearson.
Lew, S., & Sulaiman , Z. (2014). Consumer Purchase Intention toward Products Made in Malaysia vs. Made in China: A Conceptual Paper. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences , 37-45.
Townsend, C., & Sood, S. (2012). Self-Affirmation through the Choice of Highly Aesthetic Products. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 39 (1), 415-425. doi:10.1086/663775