![[B] Products And Brands](https://images.ctfassets.net/r30ratzbtbbf/5FodOLVfeCNLs0BhCctuZD/9c44d5dcd72c702a453a0c4444f480fd/PRODUCTS_AND_BRANDS-01.png)
LET'S DISCUSS 📖
A brand is a name given to a product or group of products so that they can be easily recognized.
Here are some frequent combinations with 'brand'.
A. Brand Positioning and Differentiation
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Brand Positioning is to position a brand by emphasizing its characteristics and benefits in relation to other brands.
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Product Positioning is positioning products in a particular way in relation to other and to competing products.
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This can be represented by a positioning map or perceptual map.
Perceptual Map for Chocolate Manufacturers
This demonstrates the price-quality ratio and the analysis of the positioning of the most famous chocolate brands. Lindt is the chocolate of the highest quality, and also it is one of the most highly-priced products. Mars and Ferrero Rocher are in the middle of the chart due to their quality attributes. However, Mars is positioned as a more affordable brand. Ferrero Rocher produces more expensive chocolate, but the quality is lower compared to Lindt. Kitkat, M&Ms, and Cadbury fill the same niche according to the price and quality parameters.
B. Brands and Branding
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Branding is creating brands and keeping them in customers' mind through advertising, product and package design and so on. A brand should have a clear brand identity so that people think of it in a particular, hopefully positive way in relation to other brands.
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Brand awareness or brand recognition is the degree to which people know a particular brand. All the ideas that people have about a particular brand is called brand image.
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Products that do not have a manufacturer's brand name are generic products or generics.
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Goods are the materials and components used to make products, or the products that are made. Raw materials are basic materials from which other things were made.
LET'S PRACTICE! 📝
👂🏻 Listening Exercise
Direction: Listen to the audio and fill in the blanks with the correct words.
Mike
Marie
Well, one thing's for sure, we're going to have to do a lot of advertising to (1.) , and that's going to be expensive. And we may need to (2.) a lot of our luggage for European consumers - that could be very costly, too.
Mike
Yes, but we've allowed that in our budget. Keiko, what difficulties do you think we'll have?
Keiko
Well, we'll need to get the pricing of our products right. But European consumers aren't as (3.) as we are back home, so pricing may not be too much of a problem. I know for a fact people in Europe will pay high prices for luxury goods if they like the design and it gives them status. So, I think we have to develop the Hudson brand as an exclusive 'Made in America' product. That'll mean high prices and a (4.) that our luggage is of high quality and (5.) .
Mike
Hmm. That makes sense to me. Marie, what do you think?
Marie
I don't agree at all. I just don't think Keiko's right. I think we should go downmarket, at very (6.) , and aim to achieve high-volume sales. To do that, we'll need to look carefully at our (7.) . So, its probably time (8.) in the US. The costs are just too high.
Mike
Thanks, Marie. That's an interesting point of view. I think we all feel that we need to position Hudson right in the European markets. Should we go upmarket or downmarket? That's an important decision well have to make.
Keiko
That's true.
Mike
My feeling, too, is we may need to increase the range of our products and (9.) , put in other products - right products, of course, one that fits with our (10.) . We certainly need some new thinking if we're going to succeed in Europe. And our consultants, European marketing, will have plenty of advice for us. I've no doubt.
🗣 Speaking Exercise
Direction: Pick five from the brands in the box. What image or quality that each one have?
| Apple | Samsung | McDonald's | Nike | L'Oreal |
| Coca-cola | Louis Vuitton | Toyota | Marlboro | Pepsi |
| Starbucks | Sony | Adidas | Nestle | HP |
| H&M | Rolex | Huawei | KFC | Burger King |
Ok, everyone, we'll be getting a report soon from the consultants we've hired, European Marketing. But let's think a bit about the problems we may face entering the European markets. Marie, what do you think?