Best practice: Brand Equity/Merkbeleving

The advent of the internet, online sales, and Social Media brings countless possibilities.
Brands can present themselves through new media and can respond faster and better
to the needs of the consumer. It happens regularly that brand campaigns go viral when
their new campaign or product is launched. How do you ensure an optimal online brand
experience and how do you become a strong brand? I explain it to you on the basis of
different models.

Kevin Lane Keller has developed a model for Brand Equity (brand experience). We will
discuss this later in this article. First, we look at a few examples of how to build a strong
brand:

The following four things are urgent for developing a strong brand:

1. Simplicity:

Obama used only two words in his campaign for the presidential election: Hope and
Change. Two simple words that represented a great ideology. With these words Obama
responded to the dissatisfaction of the Americans and promised future change and hope.

2. Consistency:

Be consistent in your communication. Pepsi has changed her logo about ten times.
While the Coca Cola logo is still the same as when the brand was launched. The
Coca Cola brand is assessed as a more positive brand than the Pepsi brand, while
Pepsi scores better in taste tests.

3. Creativity:

The Coca Cola logo remains the same, their campaigns are always creative. Without
changing their ideology and basis, they continue to surprise consumers.

 4. Relevance:

IKEA presents itself as a cheap brand, but every time you visit IKEA you spend a lot
of money. Still, you always leave with a positive feeling when you score a hot dog for
50 cents after paying. You have the feeling of being cheap while this does not have
to be the case with your purchases.

When you start a new brand or want to innovate with an existing brand you have to
think carefully about your brand identity. You do this through a Brand Platform. A
Brand Platform is based on business logic, consumer insight, an image of the future
and clarity for everyone.

The Brand Platform Model consists of the following elements:

1. Vision: what is our goal?

Nokia's vision is, for example: 'Connecting people' is to bring people into contact with
the things that matter, whatever that is for everyone personally, and to offer them the
opportunity to get the best out of every moment, always and everywhere.

2. Core competencies? What are we the best at? 

For example, IKEA says: "We are the first to design agencies in Bangalore" and thereby
pretend to be cheap.

3. Differentiation: how do we distinguish ourselves from others?

Starbucks doesn't just want to be a coffee pourer but says, "We are not in the coffee
business to serve the people, we are in the people business to serve the coffee."

4. Key consumer: who do we focus on?

Nike focuses on athletes and by athletes, Nike means anyone who owns a body.

5. Core values: what do we believe in?

Google says: focus on the user and everything else will follow.

6. Personality: what is our character?

Starbucks presents itself as a luxury brand where coffee is not just coffee but an experience.

7. Mission: why do we do this?

Apple's mission is: to make work easier

8. Brand promise: why should you choose us?

Apple: You can become the owner of the nicest, easiest-to-use modern computers and
electronics.

Now you know that simplicity, consistency, creativity, and relevance are important values ​​
for a strong EIA. You now know how to create a Brand Platform model for your own brand.
We will now look at the Brand equity model of Kevin Lane Keller. This model is different
from what we discussed above. The model focuses on the consumer experience when
they come into contact with a brand.

 1. Identity: Who are you?

The first step is creating brand awareness. You want your brand to stand out and people
recognize it. This is the first step in the consumer process. In addition, the consumer must
associate with your brand.

2. Meaning: What are you?

The second step is about what you are as a brand. This concerns product characteristic
but also the psychosocial needs of the consumer. Product features include price, quality
and appearance. Psychosocial values ​​are, for example, exclusivity and fair trade production.

3. Response: What about you?

What do I think about you? The consumer wonders. The consumer gets a certain feeling
from your brand, the brand evokes emotions. Brand evaluation is both rational (brand
judgment) and emotional (brand feelings). There is also a social aspect to it. When a
consumer has a good feeling about the brand, he will recommend the brand to friends
and family and perhaps on Social Media. If the feeling is negative, the same will happen.

4. Relationships: What about you and me?

How does the consumer as a person want to have a connection with the brand? Does
he feel connected to the brand? Would he enter into a long-term relationship with the
brand? Buy something from the brand? Men who have chosen a certain beer brand will,
in many cases, remain loyal to this beer brand. A long-term relationship between consumer
and brand is created.