Branding Essay Example

Branding

Student No

Branding

Introduction

Branding is one of the building blocks of any business. It is through branding that businesses stand out in a crowded marketplace. Through branding, companies communicate to their customers on what to expect from them. It details who they are, who they want to be, and how individuals perceive the business. It is important that companies brand themselves based on their offerings, which can be in terms of cost, quality, and value. For example, iPhone is known to offer its customers the latest innovation and technological features in the smartphone market. Companies ought to guide their brands jealously.

Question 1

Egypt was a popular destination before the Arab Spring. Millions of tourists around the world used to flock the country to view some of it ancient civilizations such as old towns and structures such as the Pyramid. However, the Arab Spring, a people revolt that had affected most Muslim countries in North Africa and some in the Middle East severely affected the country’s tourism activities. Many of the travelers around the world canceled tour trips to Egpyt. In fact, some tour operators such as Delta Air Lines, EgyptAir, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Gate 1 Travelers among others canceled their trips to the country. Arguably, Egypt is an established brand when it comes to tourism. What Egypt needs to do is reenergize its brand among the old clients who used to visit it annually and target new ones through marketing activities.

Question 2

People love luxury brands because they offer them with status and style. Burberry is an example of the world’s leading luxury brand (Conner 2017). Established in 1856, Burberry is a global British luxury brand with a history of innovation, craftsmanship, and design. It is made up of five lines that are men’s, women’s, children’s accessories, and beauty.

There are unique characteristics that are exhibited by powerful brands such as Burberry. First, they have limited number of staff despite serving the global market (Mazzalovo and Chevalier, 2013). Secondly, they are about the design and communicating a message. In this case, individuals who wear Burberry seem to be expressing their social class since some of its clothes do not come cheap. Thirdly, some customers are allowed to interact directly with the designers to make specifications. Since it serves high-end clients, Burberry allows its designers to make contact with their clients. Using the luxury segmentation model, I would place Burberry under the feeling category. Basically, people identify with the brand because of its sophistication, social approval, and comfortableness. I would also fit Burberry in the judgment category as it is a global brand with a rich heritage. It is a well-known brand with high-quality product offering.

Based on the previous luxury brand of your choice, is there an impact from counterfeiting? Is this a good impact or a bad impact? Briefly explain

Like other luxury brands, the main challenge facing Burberry is counterfeiting. Retail outlets around the world sell fake Burberry products to unsuspecting customers. For example, Burberry sued a company known as Women’s Wear Daily for selling items having falsified Burberry trademarks including replicas of the brand’s check and its equestrian knight design (International Business Times UK, 2017). Besides this, some Chinese sites using Burberry name to sell fake Burberry goods have been found guilty of trademark infringement. Counterfeiting negatively affects the revenue of companies making luxury brands. The International Chamber Commerce puts annual counterfeiting loses of the industry at 7.5 billion. Customers who knowingly purchase the counterfeit products further fuel the illegal activity. Counterfeit goods also affect the company’s image since most of the illegal brands do not represent the value that the company is known to produce. The more people walk on the streets with fake Burberry products, the more common the brand appears.

Question 3

1. Physic: Burberry is main identified with ochre double breasted trench coat, gabardine, and checks.

2. Relationship: the brand exhibits class and elegance.

3. Reflection: it reflects elegance, timeless, modern, and sophisticated British look.

4. Personality: Burberry is regarded as smart, savvy, pragmatic, elegant brand

5. Culture: The brand is known for its waterproof qualities, practicality, resistance, and poshness.

6. Self –image: Burberry is a perfect mix of class and modernity. It sells products that are fashionable, updated, and smart.

Burberry is a leading global luxury retail brand. It is carried in boutique stores and franchises across the world where its clothes, fragrances, and cosmetics are sold. It is a global brand with a rich heritage. The brand is mainly identified by its original British heritage and is recognized by the iconic trench coat, Prorsum horse logo, and trademark check (On Burberry n.d.). Burberry has been able to maintain its brand name for more than 200 years.

Conclusion

In general, companies should work on establishing their brands. They have to make sure that their brands are consistent with the values that they prophesy to offer. Business should always be on the lookout for counterfeit products that mimic their brands. Fake products not only cuts on a company’s revenue but also affects their image

Reference List

Conner, C. (2017). The luxury brands that bring home the bling — pg.1. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fgdi45elhfm/the-luxury-brands-that-b/#36a6b0ab4125 [Accessed 16 Apr. 2017].

International Business Times UK. (2017). Burberry Wins Counterfeit War, Awarded £63 Million in Damages. [online] Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burberry-wins-counterfeit-war-awarded-63-million-343212 [Accessed 17 Apr. 2017].

Mazzalovo, G. and Chevalier, M. (2013). Luxury brand management. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

On Burberry. (2017). Brand Identity. [online] Available at: https://brandburberry.wordpress.com/assignment-1-brand-identity/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2017].