About this short course

Brand management in highly competitive and dynamic markets, will only be effective if the brand itself stays close to its core values and uniqueness. It must focus on specific market segments and capture a competitive positioning in the mind of the customer. Brand positioning describes how a brand can effectively compete against a specified set of competitors in a particular market. Brands span multiple product categories and therefore can have multiple distinct, yet related, positioning statements. To bind them together, marketers develop what is called a brand mantra which reflects the ‘heart and soul’ of the brand or product category. Some of the more famous mantra’s include BMW’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” and Disney’s “Fun Family Entertainment.”

As a marketer or brand manager, you need to choose a number of brand elements to facilitate the process of consumer brain mapping. These elements will also play a key role in positioning your brand and building brand equity. Consumers over a period of time must be able to identify the brand through brand elements, like the famous Nike SWOOSH.  Effective brand elements communicate the points of difference a brand holds in comparison with its competition. Good brand elements have recall power. For example, a half-eaten apple, steadily identifies with the brand ‘Apple’.

Once brand elements have been established, marketers need to develop brand touchpoints to facilitate interaction or communication between the brand and its customers. Brand touchpoints are normally crafted and constructed by the brand to engage their customers, and to give them the best brand experience possible. All brand touch points should be designed in such a way that they are consistent with the rest of the brand.

All brand elements, touchpoints, positioning and mantras must also be communicated internally. This is known as internal marketing. Employees need to hear the same messages that you send out to the marketplace.

The main idea behind internal marketing is to earn employees’ enthusiasm by creating an emotional connection to the brand.

Internal marketing is just as important as external marketing when it comes to motivating and engaging employees and when done right, ensures that employees are providing high-quality service to customers while helping the company to grow, prosper and maintain its brand positioning.

You will learn about:

• The concept and process of brand positioning
• Choosing the brand elements to build brand equity
• Brand touchpoint management
• Internal Marketing