objectives: (1) to find necessary theoretical information from the marketing Keywords marketing, sensory branding, fashion, clothing brand, customer behavior Pages brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr that means '' to burn by
As quotes from the World Business Rank, fashion business, which is categorized as In Indonesia, there are eight online fashion brands within similar targeted market Cotton Ink has not find the right positioning based on its customers yet
objectives: (1) to find necessary theoretical information from the marketing Keywords marketing, sensory branding, fashion, clothing brand, customer behavior Pages brand is derived from the Old Norse word brandr that means '' to burn by
It is worth emphasising that Baptist World Aid does not conduct site inspections of factories Therefore, company grades are not an assessment of actual
She clothes naked babies 15 At last, I, Gerald, word you find must be at least two letters long See if you can A stopping place on a railroad line; depot 13
the Case of Local Fashion Brands among Young Consumers brand-related concepts such as brand loyalty and word-of-mouth Dobni, Dawn and G Zinkhan (1990) "In Search of Brand Image: a Foundation Analysis", in NA Advances in
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SE SORYMARKETI GI CREATI GACLOTHI GBRA DHowcanaclothingbrandattractcustomers?Bachelor'sthesisValkeakoskiInternationalBusiness2017AnnaGorbunova
ABSTRACTInternationalBusinessValkeakoskiAuthorAnnaGorbunovaYear2017SubjectSensoryMarketinginCreatingaClothingBrandSupervisor(s)MerjaHelinABSTRACTThepurposeofthisthesisistoprovideinformationwhichcanbeusefulforbeginnersenteringthebusinesssphereoffashionandfordesignerswhowanttoestablishtheirownclothingbrand.Theresearchquestionofthisthesisis''Howcanaclothingbrandattractcustomers?''Togetananswertothisquestionisextremelyimportantinordertogainameaningfulcompetitiveadvantageinbuildingasuccessfulclothingbrand.Tosolve thisproblemtheauth ordetermine dthefollowingresearchobjectives:(1)tofindnecessaryth eoreticalinf ormation fromthemarketingfield,inparticular,frombrandingandconsumerbehavior;(2)toconductresearchbyi nterviewinggurusinthe sphereo fdesignandmarketing,andclothingbrandowners,aswellasconductingasurveyamongconsumerstoknowtheirattitudetowardsshopping;(3)toanalyzereceiveddatafromtheinterviewandthesurvey,andcompareittotheory;(4)andonthebasisoftheresearchedinformation,giverecommendationsabouthowaclothingbrandcanattractcustomers.AmongtheinterviewparticipantswereJohnBoddy,whohadachancetoworkwithAlexanderMcQueen,andDrMichelleLawrence,ProfessorofFashionMarketingatFalmouthUniversity,UK.Theresearch showedthataclothingbrand shouldhaveanattractivewebsitewithaneasynavig ationsysteman dcusto merservice .Theattractivenessofaclothingbrandishiddeninitsauthenticityandcanbecreatedwiththehelpofthesensorybranding.Keywordsmarketing,sensorybranding,fashion,clothingbrand,customerbehavior.Pages56pagesincludingappendices12pages
CONTENTS1INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................11.1BackgroundInformation.....................................................................................11.2ResearchQuestion..............................................................................................11.3ResearchObjectives............................................................................................21.4ResearchMethods..............................................................................................31.5ResearchOrganization........................................................................................32THEORETICALSTUDY...................................................................................................42.1Brands.................................................................................................................42.1.1WhatisaBrand?.....................................................................................42.1.2TheOriginoftheBrand...........................................................................62.1.3WhyareBrandsImportant?....................................................................72.1.4TheDiffere ncebetweenProductsandBrands.How to''Brand''aProduct?WhatisaStrongBrand?...........................................................................82.1.5HowtoBuildaStrongBrand.................................................................112.1.6BrandIdentificationandBrandAttachment.........................................142.1.7BrandAuthenticity................................................................................142.1.8BrandMeaning......................................................................................162.1.9AlternativeBrandBuilding....................................................................172.2ConsumerBehavior...........................................................................................182.2.1ConsumerMotives................................................................................182.2.2Perception.............................................................................................192.2.3SensoryBranding...................................................................................202.3OnlineBranding................................................................................................262.3.1OnlineBranding.....................................................................................272.3.2InternetandWebsiteQuality................................................................272.3.3E-Marketing/Video-Marketing............................................................292.4Fashion..............................................................................................................312.4.1FastFashion...........................................................................................312.4.2SlowFashion..........................................................................................323RESEARCHRESULTSANDMETHODS.........................................................................343.1CurrentSituation...............................................................................................343.2InterviewResults...............................................................................................353.2.1DesignerJohnBoddyandMarketerDrMichelleLawrence,UK............353.2.2ClothingBrand''Ô'',Brazil.....................................................................373.2.3PIHKACollection,Finland......................................................................383.3SurveyResults...................................................................................................394RESEARCHANALYSIS.................................................................................................414.1AnalysisofCompetitorsinSaint-Petersburg/SWOT.......................................414.2AdvantagesandDisadvantagesoftheBigFashionCorporations.....................434.3ZARAandH&M.................................................................................................444.4ChallengesandStrengths..................................................................................45
11 I TRODUCTIO Brandshavebeenaroundpeopleforcenturies,beingsomethingmorethanjustamark,theycancommunicateinformationabouttheproduct,itscharacteristicsandbenefits,andevenmore.Brands'capabilitiesarevast,buttorecognizethemandmanageinfullmeasureistheskillthateverymarketeriseagertomaster.1.1 BackgroundInformationTheauthoriswritingthisthesisinordertoapplytheresearchresultsforthefutureownclothingcompanywhichtheauthorisplanningtoestablishinRussia, Saint-Petersburg.Thecompanywillprodu cewomenswe ar,whichwillbesoldonline.Theproducedclotheswillbeoftheownclothingbrand,andtailoredinSaint-Petersburg.Aftergainingitsclientele,thecompanywillopenastoreinthecityandselltheproductsalsothere.ThetargetcustomergroupswillbewomenofcertainagecategoryfromSaint-Petersburgandalsofromabroad,forthispurposethewebsitewillbeavailableinseveralforeignlanguages.Thefuturecollectionwillhavethreedifferentlines.Thefirstlinewillbeclothingoftheclassicalstyleforwomenfrom27+yearsold.Thelinewillcontainshirts,jackets,blousesanddressesmadefromnaturalmaterialssuchascotton,li nen, viscoseandwool.T hecolors prevailinginthe collectionwillbemostlycalmandpastel,butitwillalsoincludesomefabricswithvividcolorsandprintsforshirtsandblouses.Thesecondlinewillbeclothingofthecasualstyleforgirlsfrom18to26yearsold.Thelinewillcontaint-shirts,denimjackets,dresses,blousesandskirtsmadefromnaturalcottonandknittedfabrics.Mostlyvividcolorswillprevailinthisline.Thethirdlinewillbemostlyforwomenfrom18to35yearsandwillberepresentedbyhomeclothing,pajamasandunderwear.Itwillbemadefromnaturalcottonandknittedfabricsofthecalmcolors.1.2 ResearchQuestionBeforetheestablishingoftheownclothingcompanythatwillsellclothingoftheownbrand,theauthorneedstofindtheanswertothefollowingquestion''Howcanaclothingbrandattractcustomers?''Astheauthordoesnothaveenoughknowledgeaboutthebrands,howtocreateabrandandmakeitattractiveforthepotentialcustomers,theresearchisneededtobemade. 2Theaimofthisresearchistounderstandwhatstandsbehindasuccessfulbrand,whatreallyattractscustomers,whatarethecomponentsthatcanmakeabrandattractiveandhowmarketingcanhelpincreationofanattractiveclothingbrand.Duetothelimitationsofthisthesis,thisresearchdoesnothavetheaimtoinvestigatehowtobuildabrandstepbystep,orhowtochoosetheproduct,place,priceandpromotionforthebrand(4P's),orhowtomakeamarketentryforthebrand,neitherhowtomakeaclothingbrandvisibleonline.Thesetopicsaretobeinvestigatedlateron.Theaimofthi sresearc histofi ndthosechar acteristics,benefitsorcomponentsthatwillhelptobeginthecreationofaclothingbrandthatwillgivedirectioninwhichthefutureclothingbrandshouldbedeveloped,thatwillhelptocreateemotionalbondwiththeconsumersandgiveastrongcompetitiveadvantage.1.3 ResearchObjectivesToanswe rtheresearchques tion,thef ollowingobjectivesshouldbeachieved:(1)doatheoreticalstudyinthemarketingfield;(2)conductresearch(interviewsandasurvey);(3)analyzetheoreticalinformationandtheresearchresults;(4)giverecommendations.Objective1Astheauthorisplanningtoestablishanownclothingbrandandhasnotenoughknowledgeaboutthattopic,thetheoretical studynee dsconductinginthesph ereofmarketing,inparticular,branding.Inthetheoreticalresearch,theauthorneedstogivedefinitiontoabrand,findoutwhatarethecomponentsofabrand,whyitisimportanttocreateabrand,whatisthedifferencebetweenabrandandaproduct,andwhatisabrandedproduct.Thebasicinformationabouthowtobuildabrand,andsomeotherimportanttheoreticalknowledgewillalsobeneeded.Besidesthat,theresearchintheconsumerbehaviorwillbevaluable,asitiscrucialtoknowwhyconsumersdovaluebrands,howtheydoperceiveabrand,andhowabrandimageisbeingcreated,andalsohowmarketerscaninfluenceconsumerpurchasedecision.Astheclothingbrandwillbesoldonline,itwillneedhavingawebsite.Itmeansthatthetheoreticalresearchaboutonlinebranding,website,ande-marketingisnecessarytodoinordertoknowhowtomakeaclothingbrandattractiveonline.Astheauthorisplanningtoproduceandsellclothes,itmeansthatsomebasictheoreticalstudyinthesphereoffash ionisal sowillbevaluableinformationinordertolearnhowtomakeaclothingbrandattractivefromafashionperspective.Objective2Thesecondresearchobjectiveistocollectprimarydataviainterviewsandasurvey.Theinterviewsshouldbetakenamongpeoplewhoarefamiliarwiththeresearchtopic.Itcanbebrandowners,andsomegurusinthe 3sphereofthedesignandmarketing.Theinterviewswiththemwillhelptolearnfromtheir experiencein buildingabrand, andinteractionwithcustomers.Asurveycouldbeconductedamongconsumersinordertodefinetheirattitudetowardsshopping,famousandnewclothingbrands.Objective3Thethirdobjectiveistolinkreceivedinformationfromthetheoreticalstudyandprimary datafromth einterviewsandasurv ey,and makeanalysisofit.Thismatchwillletlookattheproblemfromthethreesides:(1)fromtheoreticalperspective,(2)fromexperiencedpeopleperspective,(3)andfromconsumerperspective.Besidesthisanalysis,itisusefultodetectpotentialco mpetitorsandmakeacompe titoranalysis,byidentifyingtheirstrongandweaksides.Objective4Onthebasisoftheconductedanalysis,itwillbepossibletoachievethefourthresearchobjective,togiverecommendationsaboutthewayhowaclothingbrandcanattractcustomers.1.4 ResearchMethodsTocollec tinformation,theauthor willuseexploratoryresearch.Themethodsofthedatacollectionthatcanbeusedduringtheresearch,arethesecon darydata,primarydataandonline information databases.Secondarydatacanbeextractedfr omvari ousmarketi ngbooks ,inparticular,aboutbrands,onlinebrandingandconsumerbehavior.Primarydatacanbecollectedviainterviewswiththebrandowners,marketinganddesigngurus,andv iaasurvey conducte dam ongconsumers.Asthe clothingbrandwillbesoldonlineandthewebsitewillbeavailableindifferentlanguages,itmeansthatpoten tialcus tomerscouldbeinternational,soitwouldbeusefultoconducttheinterviewsandasurveyamongpeoplefromdifferentcountries.1.5 ResearchOrganizationThethesisconsistsofsixchapters,referencelistandthreeappendices.InChapter1,theauthorg ivesbackground informationaboutthe futurecompany,explainstheneedoftheresearch,definestheresearchquestion,andtellsaboutthemethodschosentocollectthedata.TheresearchstartswiththetheoreticalstudyinChapter2.InChapter3,thereareresultsfromtheintervi ewsandasu rvey,andinChapter4thereisresearchandcompetitoranalysis.InChapter5,theauthorgivesrecommendationstotheresearchquestion,andinChapter6,theauthormakesaconclusion, 4givingtheanswertotheresearchquestion.Inthepartoftheappendices,therearesomepictures,surveyquestionsandreceivedanswers.TheresultsofthisresearchwillbeusedbytheauthorinestablishinganownclothingbrandinSaint-Petersburg.Thisresearchcanalsobeusefulforthebeginnersinthebusinesssphereorforthedesignerswhowanttostarttheirownclothingbusiness.2 THEORETICALSTUDYInthisparttheauthorwilldevelopthethemeaboutwhatisthebrand,whenandhowitappeared,includingwhatabrandbelief,brandimageandbrandmeaningsare.Thetopicsaboutonlinebrandingandtypesoffashionwillalsobecoveredinthischapter.2.1 BrandsWhyarethebiggestcorporationsintheworldforsomanyyearsfocusedonbuildingabrand?Maybebecauseastrongbrandisthekeytotheirsuccess?InthispartofChapter2,theauthorwillfindouttheimportanceofthephenomenonofabrand.2.1.1 WhatisaBrand?Consumers,orcustomers,haveneeds,whichtheywanttosatisfy.Andproductscanactassolutionstothatcustomers'problem.Tobecomeaproblemsolution,aproductshouldhavecertainbenefitsandattributes,inotherwords,productshavetobeabletosolvetheproblem.(Kotler,180.)Brandattributesarecharacteristicsofaproduct(Keller2008,56).Forexample,theattributesofahotelcanbelocation,price,atmosphere(Kotler2000,180).Theidenticalproducts,inthiscasehotels,canbeevaluateddifferentlyiftheyhavedifferentattributes(Keller2008,9).Thehotelsmayhaved ifferentl ocations,pri cesandatmosphere.Ifaconsumerthinksthatonehotelhasabetteratmospherethantheotherone,itmeansthattheconsumerformedabrandbeliefthatthishotelisbetterintheattributeatmospher e.Anu mberofconsumer'sbeliefsaboutthathotelwillformintheheadoftheconsumerthebrandimageofthishotel.Theconsumer'sbrandimageofthehotelisbasedonhispersonalthoughtsandperceptionsaboutthathotel.Inthiscase,thehotelanditsnamearethebrand.Abrandpointstowhoisthesellerormaker.(Kotler2000,180.) 5AccordingtotheAmericanMarketingAssociation,abrandisaname,term,sign,symbol,ordesign,oracombinationofthem,intendedtoidentifythegoodsorservicesofonesellerorgroupofsellersandtodifferentiatethemfromthoseofcompetitors(Kotler2000,404).Anameof,forexample,ahotel,itssymbolorlogocanbeabrand.Thebranddoesnothaveexpirationdatesthatisthedifferencebetweenthebrandandpatentsorcopyrights.Abrandisnotonlyanameoralogo,itisalsoaseller'spromisetoabuyer.Throughthebrand,asellerpromisesthathisproducthascertaincharacteristicsandbenefits,italsopromisesquality.(Kotler2000,404.)Inotherwords,abrandisapromiseofvalue.Brandingcreatesauniqueidentityforaproductandmakesitdistinctiveinthemarketplace(Wells&Burnett&Moriarty,70,163,164.)Abran dcontainsseveral meanings.Someofthe mwerealreadymentioned,theyareattributesandbenefits.Forexample,theattributelocationofahotelcouldhavesuchbenefitthatthecustomerdoesnothavetospendalotoftimeormoneytogettotheotherhotel.Locationandthepossibilitytosavetimearetheattributeandbenefit.(Kotler2000,404.)Brandbenefitsarethepersonalvaluethatconsumersattachtotheproductattributes(Keller2008,56).Thebrand'sessenceformssuchmeaningsofabrandasvalues,cultureandpersonality.Thevalueofthehotelcouldbesafetyorstatus.Thishotelcanpromisethatitistotallysafetostaythere.Italsocanberepresentativeofacertainculture,forexample,Americanculturewithhighquality.Thishotelorthecustomerswhoarestayingtherecanbeassociatedwithsomekindofpersonalityorobject,forexample,ahotelcanbeassociatedwithapalaceandthecustomersofthehotelwithsuccessfulbusinessmenofacertainage.Thesearepersonalityandusermeaningsofthebrand.(Kotler2000,404.)Itisimportantforthemarketerstotakeintoaccountthatcompetitorscancopyattributesofabrand.Therecanbeseveralhotelswiththesamelocationandpricecategory.Consumersaremoreinterestedinbenefits.Itisbettertopromotethebrandonseveralbenefits,notonlyonone.(Kotler2000,405.)AccordingtoBembridge(2012),attributesorfeaturesandbenefitsofabrandarethebaselinesandmusthaves,buttheycanbeeasilycopied,thecompanyshouldoffersomethingmorethanbenefitsandfeatures.Hebelievesthatabrandneedstohaveasoulandsuchvaluesthatcanresonatewiththeconsumers'soulsandalsoto haveemotionalconnectionwithcustomers.Bembridgequotedthatpeoplewouldforgetwhatyousaidordid,buttheywouldnotforgethowyoumadethemfeel.Heissurethatthefirs tstepto become moresuccessful intoday'senvironmentistodefinethebrandbelief.Hesaysthatthecompanyshouldhaveabeliefwiththattheconsumerswillidentifythemselves.BembridgebroughtSteveJobsasanexample,hewastellingpeoplethat 6theywerenotmakinggreatcomputers,buttheywerehelpingtheiruserstochangetheworld.2.1.2 TheOriginoftheBrandInthisparttheauthorresearchesthehistoricaloriginsofbranding.Inreality,brandingandtrademarksexistalreadyforcenturies.ThewordbrandisderivedfromtheOldNorsewordbrandrthatmeans''toburnbyfire,''astheownersoflivestockmarkedtheiranimals.(Keller2008,1,43.)AncientEgyptiansmarkedtheirlivestockwithhotirons.IntheMiddleAges,thisprocesswasspreadinEur opeand,c enturieslater,inth eAmericanWest.Suchbrandi nghelpedranche rstoseparatecattle incommunalrangesandalsohe lpedherderswith qualityliv estocktodistinguishthemselvesfromranche rswithinferioranimals.(Millman2011,2.)Craftsmenputstampsontheirhandcraftedgoodstosignit,forthebuyersitmeantqualitymarkandshowedwhowastheproducer.SuchmarkswerediscoveredonearlyChineseporcelain,potteryjarsfromancientGreeceandRome,andongoodsfromIndiadatingbacktoabout1300B.C.(Keller2008,43.)Infinearts,brandingbeganwhenartistsstartedtosigntheirworks(Kotler2000,408).Brandreputationhelpedbuildbetterbusinessalreadysinceancienttimes,andsincethenhascontinuedtheroleofthebrand,abarometerofvalue.ThefirsttrademarkedbrandintheworldisBassAle.Ithappenedin1876,whentheUnitedKingdompassedtheTradeMarkRegistrationAct,andBassAlesubm itteditsnow quintessentialredtriangle fortrademarkstatus.Thatactgavebusinessesthepossibilitytoregisterandprotectabrandmarkersothatanyothercompanycouldnotuseasimilaricon.Inaddition,thetrademarknumberonewasinnovativeinitsappearanceinEdouardManet's1882masterpiece''AbarattheFolies-Bergère''(seeFigure1)andPabloPicasso's1912painting''BouteilledeBassetGuitare''(thatcanbetranslatedas''ThebottleofBassandtheGuitar''). 7Figure1. EdouardManet's1882master piece''Abarat theFolies-Bergère.''ThetimewhenBasscameinthesepaintingsisnotcoincidental,asinthelate19thand early20thc enturiesb randsspreadrapi dlyandbecame significantlywovenintotheday-to-daylife.Theappearanceofthefasterandmoreefficienttransportationshelpedalotinthecreationofnationalandglobal brands.TheIndustri alRevolutionsignifican tlyimproved manufacturingandcommunications.And thiscause dthefirstmass-marketingachievementsbycommercialartistsandadvertisingagencies.Andnowwearelivinginaworldwithmorethanonehundredbrandsofbottledwater,theUni tedSatesishometoover forty-fivethousandshoppingmalls.(Millman2011,2,3.)Thefirstdocumentedevidenceonthepositiveeffectsofbrandingwaspublishednotsolongago,onlyaroundsixtyyearsago,inthe1950s.Consumerswerereadytopaymoreforbrandedproducts,evenifthenon-brandeditemswereofthesamequality,appearance,andtaste.Mostoftheknowledgewehavetodayaboutbrandinghasitsrootsinthe1950sand1960s.Inthe1970sand1980sevolvedstrongorientationtowardabuildingabrandaroundits''personality,''forexample,bygivingadesignershirt,acaroracomputervalues,feelings,andassociationsinordertodistinguishitfromitscompetitors.Sincethattimetherehavenotbeenanyseriouschangesinhowconsumersperceivebrands.(Lindstrom2010,21.)Scientistsandanthropologistsagreethathumansarepackanimalsthatiswhywefeelsaferingroups,andwhywehaveadrivetotelegraphouraffiliationsandbeliefswithsymbols,signs,andcodes.SuchpsychologistsasHarryHarlowandJohnBowlbyprovedthathumansfeelhappierandbetteraboutthemselveswhenourbrainsresonatewithotherlike-mindedhumans.Andtheprospe ctthatthespeed ofbrands' growthandthenumberofpeoplewhobuybrandswillslowdownisremote.Brandingisahistoryofconstantmovementandwherewewillbeintwentyyearsisuncertain.Itmayseemesoteric,butitiscertainthatourideasaboutwhoweareand howwerel atetotheu niversehelpus deco debetween PatagoniaorPradawhenweshop.(Millman2011,4,5.)2.1.3 WhyareBrandsImportant?Aswecanseebrandsprovidealotofinformationtotheconsumersabouttheproducerandqualityofaproduct.Brandshelpconsumerstomakeapurchasedecision,especiallyifcustomershadapositivepastexperiencewiththatbrandandtheyknowthatthebrandcansatisfytheirneeds.Brandsareimportantfortheconsumers,becausetheyreducerisksandsearchcosts.Ifconsumerstrustthebrandandaresatisfiedwithit,theydonotneedtospendtimeandmoneyforfurthersearching.(Keller2008,6.) 8Theotherreasonwhybrandsareimportantfortheconsumersisthatitcanhelpthemtocreatetheirself-image.Somebrandsareassociatedwiththecertaintypesofpeopleandcanreflectcertainvalues.Withthehelpofthosebrandsconsumerscanshowotherswhatkindofpersonstheyareorwanttobe.(Keller2008,8.)Brandsbringbenefitsnotonlytoconsumers,butalsotofirms.Brandscanhelptoprotectthefirmfromthecompetitorsbyattractingcustomersandmakingthemloyal.Italsocanhelptosegmentthemarket,buildgoodimageandbeacceptedbycustomersifthefirmdecidestolaunchanewproductorbrand.(Kotler2000,408.)Infact,brandsforthefirmscanbecomeavaluableproperty,whichcaninfluenceconsumerbehavior.Brandsarenotonlysymbolsofacertainqualityfortheconsumers,butalsobrandscandifferentiatetheproductfromtheotherpr oducts,ifth atproduct hasuni queassociationsandmeaningsinthemindoftheconsumer.Uniquefeaturesoftheproductsuchasthebrandname,manufacturingprocesses,packagingandsooncanbeprotectedlegally,sothatforthefirmitisworthinvestinginthebrand.(Keller2008,9.)AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,56),Madden,Fehle,andFourni er(2006)documentedthatbrand sarefinanciallyvaluabl eassetsthatreducecashflowinstability.2.1.4 TheDifferencebetweenProductsandBrands.Howto''Brand''aProduct?WhatisaStrongBrand?Firstofall,itisimportanttoanswerthequestionifproductsandbrandsarethesamethingsorthereisadifference?Toanswerthisquestion,oneneedstoknowthedefinitionofaproduct.Aproductisanythingweoffertoamarketforacquisition,use,orconsumptionthatmightsatisfyaneedorwantofacustomer.Aproductmaybeaphysicalgood(automobile,forexample),aservice(anairline),aretailoutlet(adepartmentstore),aperson(apoliticalfigure),anorganization(anonprofitorganization),aplace(acity)andanidea(apoliticalidea).(Keller2008,3.)Andwhatisabrand?Abrandismorethanaproduct,becauseitcandifferentiatetheproductfromotherproductsthatsatisfythesameneed.Thedifferencemayberationalandtangibleorsymbolic,emotionalandintangible.Abrandedproductmaybe(FordTaurusautomobile),aservice(UnitedAirlines),astore(BodyShopspecialtystore),aperson(JuliaRoberts),aplace(thecityofLondon),anidea(freedomofspeech).(Keller2008,5.)Whyshouldafirmbuildastrongbrand?Thefirmshouldbuildastrongbrand,becauseitcaninfluencethecustomerdecision-makingprocess,strongbrandhelpsbuildimageandmakeeasiertheprocessoflaunchinganewbrandandbecomeacceptedbyconsumers(Kotler2000,408). 9''Thebrandissomethingthatresidesinthemindsofconsumers''(Keller2008,10).Itmeansthatthepowerofbrandsalsoresidesthere.Thepowerofbrandliesinconsumers'knowledgeaboutthebrand,whatcustomershavelearned,felt,seen,andheardaboutthebrands.(Keller2008,48.)Thisisthebasicassumptionofthecustomer-basedbrandequity(CBBEfurther)model,whichhelpstoanswerthequestionabouthowtobuildastrongbrand.Thebrandequityisamarketingconceptthataroseinthe1980sandelevatedtheimportanceofthebrandinmarketingstrategy.Brandequityisatooltointerprettheeffectofvariousbrandstrategies.Fundamentally,brandingisallabouthowtoprovideproductswiththepowerofbrandequity.(Keller2008,37.)Brandequitydependsonwhatresidesinthemindsofconsumers(Keller2008,49).Buttherearenocommonviewpointsabouthowtomeasurebrandequity.Mostobserversagreethatbrandequityc onsistsofthemark etingeff ectsuniquelyattributedtoabrand.(Keller2008,37.)InConsumerBasedBrandEquity(or Mentalbrandequity)th elargerole playemotions (Hansen,Christensen2010,156).Tobuildastrongbrand,marketershavetobesurethatcustomershavetherightexperiencewiththeproductandthatdesiredthoughts,feelings,images,beliefs,perce ptionsandopinionsarelinke dtothebrand.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,84),Keller(1993,2007)claimsthatattheheartofbuildingbrandequityiscreatingdistinctive,favorablebrandmeanings.Whenconsumersreactfavorablytomarketingactivityforthebrand,itmeansthatabrandhasapositivecustomer-basedequity,iftheyreactlessfavorably,abrandhasanegativecustomer-basedequity(Keller2008,48).Customer'sknowledgeaboutthebrandcanbecreated,forexample,throughsuchmeansaspastexperiences,marketingactivityforthebrandorwordofmouth.Customer'sknowledgeorimpressionsaboutthebrandorproductcanchangecustomer'sperceptionsofaproduct.Forexample,clothesmayseemtofitbetterandthewaitinabanklinemayseemshorter.(Keller2008,49.)Thevalueand futureofabrand depends onconsumersandth eirknowledgeaboutthebrand.Brandknowledgeconsistsoftwoconceptsinmarketin g,theyarebrandawarenessand brandimage. Brandawarenessistheconsumer'sabilitytoidentifythebrand.Brandimageisconsumer'sperceptionsaboutabrand andbrandassociationsinconsumermemory.Association smayreflectcharac teristicsoftheproductoraspectsindependentoftheproduct.Forexample,thefirstassociationsthatmightcometothemindaboutApplecomputersare''userfriendly''or''creative.''(Keller2008,51.)Associationsformbrandimage.Forexample,Mercedes-Benzmanagedtocreateassociationto''status''(Keller2008,53).Initsturn,brandawarenessconsistsofbrandrecognitionandbrand 10recallperformance. Brandrecognitionistheconsumer'sab ilitytorecognizethebrandinastore.Brandrecallistheconsumer'sabilitytorestorethebrandfromthememorywhentheproductcategorywasgiven.Theexamplecouldbewhenconsumerthinkswhattoeatforbreakfast,heorsherecall sthecertai ncerealb randname.Br andawarenessinfluencestheformationofassociations.Associationsmakeupthebrandimage.(Keller2008,54.)Tobuildapositivebrandimage,marketersshouldlinkstrong,favorableandunique associationstothebrand inthememoryofconsumers.Consumerscanformbrandassocia tionsthroughdi rectexperience,informationfromothercommercialsourcesandmediavehicles,fromwordofmouthandbyassumptionswhichconsumersmakeaboutthebrand,itsname,logooridentificationwithacountry,person,placeandsoon.(Keller,56.)AccordingtoMalhorta(2015),Aaker(1997),Keller(1998,2003),MitchellandOlson(1981)claimthatbrandassociationsconsistofbrandawareness(recognitionandrecallofthebrand),brandattitude(evaluationofabrand),brandimage(perceptionaboutabrand),andbrandpersonality(asetofhumancharacteristicsassociatedwiththebrand)(Malhorta2015, 235).Brandassociati onsshouldbeuni que.Uniquenessofassociationshelpsconsumerschoosethebrand.Brand'ssuccessdependsontheuniqueassociations.(Keller2008,59.)Abrandimageisamentalimage,itisincustomer'smindsanditreflectshowtheyperceivetheproduct,whattheythink,feelabouttheproduct,howtheyvalueit(Wells&Burnett&Moriarty,163).Knowledge-buildingprocessdepend sonsuchfactorasleverag ingsecondaryassociations.Brandassociationscanbelinkedtosomeotherobjectsthathavetheirownassociations.Forexample,ifthebrandislinkedtoacountry,thebrandbecomesidentifiedwiththatcountryandconsumersmayconcludethatthebrandsharesassociationswiththatcountry.Marketerscanborrowassociationsforthebrandanditcanhelptobuildbrandequity.Knowledge-buildingprocessalsodependsonchoosingbrandelements.Brandelementscanbe:brandnames,URLs,logos,symbols,characters,packaging,andslogans.Eachof thebrand elementshasitsownadvantagethatiswhymarketerscanevenuseallofthem.(Keller2008,40.)AccordingtoLavoie(2017),today 'scon sumerslookbeyon dlogos,slogansandadvertisements.Theyarebuyingmorethanjustproducts,theyarebuyin gacompan y'sidentity.Nowadaysthe c ompany'sprinciplesareveryimportantforconsumers.Buyingfromacertainbrand,consumerssupportthatbrandandtheyseethemselvesinthatbrandandtheywanttobesurethatthebrandreflectstheirpersonalvalues.TheConestudy,theResearchonconsumers,foundthat80percentofglobal 11consumerswouldliketobuyaproductfromanunknownbrandifithassocialandenvironmentcommitments.Todayconsumersarenotjustbuyingaproducttosatisfytheirneeds,theyaresearchingwhomtheywanttosupport.Theimpactofabrandontheworldisveryimportantnow.2.1.5 HowtoBuildaStrongBrandAccordingtotheCBBEmodel,describedbyKellerinhis''Strategicbrandmanagement''(2008,60),therearefoursequencestepstobuildabrand.Theyarebrandidentity(answerstothequestionwhoyouare);brandmeaning(whatyouare);brandresponses(whatacustomerthinksaboutthebrand)andbrandrelationships(itisaboutcustomer'sassociationsaboutthebrandandconnectionbetweenthecustomerandthebrand).Thebrand-buildingprocesscanbeillustratedinaformofapyramidthatconsistsofsixblocksorstepsandonthetopofwhichthereareonlythestrongestbrands(seeFigure2).Figure2. Keller'sConsumerBasedBran dEquitySystem(Hansen,Christensen2010,157).Thefirstblockorstephasthenamebrandsalience.Itmeasurescustomer'sawarenessofthebrand.Itanswersthequestionhoweasilyandoftenthebrandcanevokeinthecustomer'smindunderacertaincircumstance.Thesecondblockisthebrandperformance.Thisblockdescribeshowwelltheproductsatisfiescustomer'sneeds.Itanswerssuchquestionsashowstylishoreffectivethebrandis,orhow muchacu stomerlikestheproduct?(Keller2008,60.)Thethirdstepofbrandbuildingisthebrandimaginary.Itdescribeshowthebrandsatisfiescustomer'spsychologicalorsocialneeds.Itisabout 12intangiblesideofthebrand.Consumer sformimageryassociationsthroughtheirexperience,advertising,wordofmouthandothersourceofinformation.Therearefourmainintangiblesthatcanbelinkedtoabrand.Theyareuserprofiles, purchaseandusagesituations,per sonalityandv alues,experiences.(Keller2008,65.)Forexample,Niveaskincreamhasarichbrandimagery.Its intangibleassociationscanb efami lyexperiences,multipurpose,classic.Suchdemographicfactorsasgender,age,raceandincomecanbecomeabaseforthecustomerassociationsofauser.SuchproductsasVenusrazoror Secret deodorantshave''fe minine''associations.Abrandcantakeinpersonalitytraitsand,likeaperson,showitselfasa''modern''or''exotic.''Abrandpersonalitycanbeformedwiththehelpofadvertising,actorsintheadandevokedemotionsfromthead.(Keller2008,66.)Consumersoftenchoosebrandswiththebrandpersonalitysimilartotheirownordesiredimage(Keller2008,67).Thefourthstepisbrandjudgments.Whatcustomersthinkorfeelaboutthebrandiscalledbrandresponses.Brandresponsesthatwereformedfromthecustomer 's''head ''arethebrandjudgments,andbr andresponsesoriginatedfromthecustomer's''heart''arebrandfeelings.Customersmakefourtypesofjudgmentsaboutthebrand.Theyarejudgmentsaboutthequality,credibility(orhowmuchcustomerstrustthemakers ofthebrand,fore xample),c onsiderati on(aboutthepossibilitythatthecustomerwouldrecommendthebrandtoothers),andsuperiority(theopinionofacustomerabouttheuniquenessofthebrand).Thefifthstepisbrandfeeling.Itisaboutconsumer'semotionalreactiontothebrand.Therearesixtypesofbrand-buildingfeelings.Theyarewarmth(whenthebrandmakesconsumersfeelcalm,sentimentalaboutthebrand),fun(forexample,Disneybrandisassociatedwithfun,theconsumerfeelsamusedandplayful),excitement(whenconsumerfeelsenergized,''beingalive''andcool.TheexamplecouldbeMTVforadults),security(feelingofsafety),socialap proval(fe elingthatacertainappearancecanbefavorableforother),andself-respect(consumersfeelpride).(Keller2008,68.)Thefinalstepofthemodelisbrandresonance.Itisaboutthelevelofidentificationandpsychologicalbondthatacustomerhaswiththebrand.ExamplesforthiscouldbeAppleorHarley-Davidson.Therearefourcategoriesofbrandresonance. Thefirs toneisbehavio ralloyalty.Itshowshowoftenandhowmuchcustomerspurchaseabrand.Thesecondisattitudinalattachment.Inthiscasethebrandmeanssomethingspecialtoacus tome r,itismorethanaproduct.T hethir disthe senseofcommunity.Whenacustomeridentifieshimselfwithotherpeoplewho 13alsousethisbrand,hefeelsthathebelongstoacertainclubwithotherusersofthisbrand.Andthelastcategoryisactiveengagement.Herecustomersbecomebrandambassadors,theyreallyliketotalkaboutthebrandandlearnmoreaboutit.(Keller2008,74.)Customerevangelistsarethezealotsofthebrand,theyspreadwordofmouthabouttheproductandpersonallyinvestinthebrand(Malhotra2015,180).ThismetaphorwasinventedbyGuyKawasaki.HeworkedatAppleinasalesinthe1980s.Heisknownasthefatherofcustomerevangelism.Onhisbusinesscardontheplaceofhisjobtitleitwaswritten''evangelist.''Heintroducedtheideaofcustomerevangelisminhiswork''Selli ngaDream.''Kawasakiusedreligiouslanguageasametaphor.(Malho tra2015,177.)AccordingtoMartinLindstrom(2010,5,6,116,117,123,128,132),themostmemorablebrandsofthefuturewillbethosethatadoptreligiouscharacteristics.Evokingofsomethingsimilartoreligiouszealisoneoftheobjectivesofthenextgenerationofproductsandadvertising.HebringsChinaasanexample,wherethepowerof''brandreligion''seemstobestrongerthanitsthousand-year-oldbasedcounterparts.Lindstromsays that''atfirstgl ance, religion andbrandsmight seemalmostinsultinglyfarapart,''butbrandscanhavesuchreligiousfactorsasfaith,belief,belonging,community,andsharingofcorevalues.HetellsthestoryaboutateenagerwiththenameWillAndriesPetrusBooye,whotattooedabarcodewiththeletterGuccionhisneck.ApproximatelyforfiveyearsWillwasobsessedwiththeGuccibrandthat,accordingtohisownwords,becamehisoneandonlyreligion.Gucciforhimwasaperson,whomheadmiredandwhosupportedhim.Willcouldexplainindetailaboutthecompany'sdesigns,colors,textures,aswellasthesmelloftheperfumedGuccienvironment.InaGuccistorehefelthewasinheaven,thestoremadehimfeelathome,andatease.Theatmosphereofluxury,thestoredesignandthemusicplayingoverheadtookalargepartincreationofthisfeeling. Afterhegothistattoo,hewas constantlyapproachedbothbyfriendsandbystrangers,whoweremakinghimfeellikethecenteroftheuniverse.DavidLevine,alecturerinpsychologyattheUniversityofIllinoisisanotherexampleofacustomerevangelistorthezealot.DavidbelievesthatMacusershaveacommonandatypicalwayofthinkingandofdoingthings.HehasasuedeApplejacketadornedwiththeMacintoshicons,forwhichhepaid400dollars.HealsohasApple-logoT-shirt,nametagsofhissuitcasesareadornedwiththeApplebrand.Hishousehold isitso wnMacworld,heownstenmachines ,recentlyheboughtadual-processorG4for4,000dollarsandalargeflat-panelcinemadisplayfor2,000dollars.Andaccordingtohiswords,hedoesnotneedit,heboughtittosupporttheMac.DaviddoesnotdenyhisbelongingtoaMaccommunityandreligiousconnotationsofhisAppleaffiliation.Ashesays,''SomepeoplesaytheyareaBuddhistoraCatholic...Wesaywe'reMacusers,whichmeanswehavesimilarvalues.'' 142.1.6 BrandIdentificationandBrandAttachmentTheconnectio nsthatconsumersfeelwithbrandsar ebased onidentificationandattachment.Inconsumer-brandrelationshipsthesetwoco-occurandcomplementeachother.(Malhotra2015,153,156.)AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,152-155),BergamiandB agozzi(2000),BhattacharyaandSen(2003) ,Stokburg er-Sauer(2012)ide ntifyconsumer-brandidentification,oridentity-basedrelationshipsbetweenaconsumerandabrand,asconsumers'senseofaccordancebetweenconsumers'identityandbrand'sidentity.Consumer-brandidentificationwasbasedintheoriesofsocialidentity.Thetwotheories,socialidentitytheoryandattachmenttheoryappearedinthesameera.SocialidentitytheoryappearedafterWo rldWarIIand explainedtheincide ntofdiscriminationandgenocideanddescribedintergroupprocessessuchasin-groupfavoritismandprejudiceagainstout-groups.Theinitialobjectiveofattachment theorywasthepromo tionofhealthyandl ovingrelationshipsinresponsetothedisruptionsoftherelationshipsduringWorldWarII.Withtime,thosetheorieshavedeveloped.Attachmentisabondbasedonsecurityandpersonalhistorywiththebrand.Attachmentism orepersonallymotivated ,thanidentification.(Malhotra2015,151.)AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,170),Smith(1999)considersthatattachmenttheoryreferstointerpersonalrelationshipsandbonding,andsocialidentitytheorydealswithrelationshipswithgroupsandtheirinterac tionwithself-definition.Identification,incomparisonwithattachment,servesamoresocialpurposeanditismorecontrollablebymarketers.Ontheothe rhand,attach mentismorepersonal,stronglylinkedtoconsumers'securitymotivesandtheirmoreprivaterelationtothebrand.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,237),Thomas(2005)notesthatthefactthatconsumersformalinkandfeelattachmenttoabrandisimportant,becauseitpredictscommittedandloyalcustomers,andFournier(1998)suggeststhatfeelingsofattachmentareth ebasemen tofallstrongrelationships.Acomplicatedphenomenon,th econs umer-brandrelationship,resemblesinterpersonalrelationships.Inshort,brandshelpconsumersfulfilltheirsocialandpersonal,security-relatedneeds(Malhotra2015,156).2.1.7 BrandAuthenticityBrandnarrativesd ifferentiatebrands.Compel lingbrandstoriesareimportantasthenarratives helpd rivesales ,positionthebrandsandpersuadeconsumerstoselectaparticularbrand.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,4), Twitchell(2 004)definesabrandasa''sto ryattachedtoa 15manufacturedobject.''Compellingstoriesarethebasementofthegoodbrands. Consumersrewardauthenticbrands. Tobeconsidered asauthentic,brandnarrativesdonothavetobeliterallytrue,historicallyaccurateandentirelyfactual.Thetypicalconsumerknowsandacceptsthatallbrandstoriesareconstructedandfictional.Inshort,inthenormalcourseofinteractionwithabrand,consum ersperceive br and'snarrativeasauthentic,ignoringitsinventedandcommercialaspectsunlesstheygetaconvincingreasonnottodoso.(Malhotra2015,1-8.)Consumersevaluatebrand'sauthentic ityonthebaseofb rand'snarratives.Forsomereasonsconsumersconsidersomebrandstoriesasauthenticandothersno.Consumersbegintodoubtintheauthenticityofthebrandnarrativewhenthereareoneormoreauthenticitydisruptors.Disruptioncanoccurwhenconsumersseethatthebrandiscopyingacompetitor,orwhenthereisamismatchbetweenthebrandnarrativeandthereality.Whenthesedisruptorsappear,consumersbegintoseethebrandaslessauthentic,theiridentificationwiththebrandbecomelower,theirassessmentofthebrandqualityandsocialresponsibilitydiminishes,andtheyarelesse agertojointhe brand'scommunity .(Malhotra2015,1-4.)(SeeFigure3).Figure3. TheoreticalModel(Malhotra2015,3).SomeconsumerssharedanopinionthatAmericanEaglesclotheswere''justcheaperversionofAbercrombie,''FHMcopiedMaxim,fashionbrandEspritimitatedothers.ThefirstdisruptionisImitation,itoccurswhenonebrandcopiesano therbrandorcompany's actions,suchasdes ign,advertisingorpackaging.TheseconddisruptionisMismatch,itoccurswhenthereisacontradictionbetweenthebrandstoryorprojectimageandtherealbehaviororsituationofthebrand.Ithappenswhenabrandtryingtoseemprestigious,butactualconsumerusersdidnotexperiencethatquali ty.OrwhenMcDonald's isprojec tingahealthyimag e,butconsumersknowthat''thereisnowaythateatingMcDonald'swillmakeyouahealthierperson.''MismatchandImitationcanraisedoubtsaboutthebrand,encourageskepticism,andmakeconsumersfinishbelievinginthenarrativeandperceiveitasauthentic.BothImitationandMismatcharedisruptersofthebrandnarrative.(Malhotra2015,10,11.) 16Thequestion ishowanyonecaneverqualifybran dnarrativesasauthenticiftheyarebynaturefictional.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,11),Worth(2004)considersthat''onemustnotbelievethateventsarereallyhappening,butoneshouldbelievethatitispossibletheycouldhappen.''Thus,authenticityisnotbasedontruthfulness(tobe,actuallytrue)buton''truthiness''(thatcouldbetrue),consumersdonotperceivebrandnarrativesasliesbutasstories.Aslongasconsumersmaintainthebeliefinanarrative,thebrandauthenticityrests.Onehastoalsokeepinmindthatusuallypeoplearewillinglytoreadabookorattendamovie,butifremovethischoice,bypushingthebrandstoryontosomeonewhoisactivelytryingtoavoidit,encourageslowerauthenticity.(Malhotra2015,11,20-21.) 2.1.8 BrandMeaningThewayhowconsumersperceiveandinterpretpositioningofabrandformsthebrandmeaning(Malhotra2015,235).AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,84),Ke ller(1993,2007)claimsthatcre atingdistinctiveandfavorablebrandmeaningsisessentialinbuildingbrandequity.Consumersvaluebrandsfordifferentreasons.Oneofthereasonsisaproduct'sinstrumentalfeaturesorattribu tes,theyprovidetangib lebenefits.Exampleofthiscanbecars,theyprovidetransportation,orsalt,itaddsflavortofood.Butsometimesconsumersformaspecial,self-brandconnectionwithbrands,asaresult,suchbrandssignifymorethanjustthesumoffeaturesorinstrumentalbenefits.Consumersaddtothesebrandsaspecialmeaning.(Malhotra2015,32-33.)AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,33),Levy(1959)assertsthatbrandstakeonmeaningwhentheyjoin with,andrein forcewhatcon sumersthi nkaboutthemselves.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,33), Aaker( 1991)claimsthat brandsgeneratevaluebyprovidingfunctional,emotional,andself-expressivebenefits.Accordingtothesameauthor,Park,Jaworski,andMacInnis(1986)suggestthatbrandshavefunctional,symbolic,andexperientialmeanings.Brandswithafunctionalmeaningsolveconsumption-relatedproblems,theyarerelated toprodu ctperformanceandthe yare preferredbyconsumerswhoneedtosatisfyf unctionalneeds.Brandswi thexperientialmeaningsprovidesensorypleasure,variety,andcognitivestimulation.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,236),Solomon,Zaichkowski,andPolegato(2008)saythatbrandswi thsymboli cmeani ngsfulfillaninte rnallygeneratedneed,forexample,self-enhancement,suchbrandsreducethegapbetweenconsumers'actualanddesiredselves.Accordingtothesameauthor,Aaker(1997),EscalasandBettman(2005),Fournier(1998), 17Klein,Klein,andAllen(1995),Klein,Klein,andKernan(1993),WalkerandOlson(1997)confirmthatsomeconsumerschoosebrandwithsymbolicmeaningsthateithersuittheirself-conceptsorhelpthemsignaltheselftheywanttorevealandifunderstandingofthebrandmeaningissharedwithothers,abrandcanbeusedtocommunicatesomespecificmessagesaboutaconsumer'sself-concepttoothers.Malhotra(2015,236)alsomentionsthatGriskevicius(2007)addsthatthesebrandshelpconsumerscommunicatetheirself-conceptstoothersthrough brands' symbolicmeanings,andBelk(1988)assuresthatthesebrandsbecomepartofconsumers'extendedselves.Consumersappreciateabrandmeaningonlyifitsatisfiessomespecificandpersonalneedsofconsumersandthatarecommonlyaccepted.Peopleuseproductsandbrandstocreateandshowself-images.Therelationshipbetweenconsumers'self-conceptsandbrandiscalledasself-brandconnection s(SBC)asthesebrandsareconnected withconsumers'mentalrepresentationsof self.Themore closelybrandassociationsarelinkedtotheselfthemoremeaningfultheycanbe.Brandmeaningis mostoftendependentup onthese tofbrandassociations.(Malhotra2015,33.)Malhotra(2015,236)mentionsthatShockerandSrinivasan(1979)thinkthatestablishedbrandmeaninghelpstodifferentiateabrandfromotherbrandsofthesamecategory,protectthebrandfromcompetition.Themeaningofabrandaffectsrelationshipconsumersbuildwiththatbrand.2.1.9 AlternativeBrandBuildingItisalreadyathingofapasttousemassmediacampaigns.ManyEuropeancompaniesusealternativebrand-buildingapproach.Theuseoftraditionalmass-medialiketelevisionbecameoutdatedinEuropeandintheUnitedStatestoo,becau seitisine ffectiveandcostly.Pe opleu senewcommunicationschannelstoshop ,for entertainmentortoob taininformation.Becauseofthatmanage rsofbrandsstartedtoc ommunicate withcustomersthroughalternativecommunicationchannels.Forexample,thefounderandCEOoftheBodyShop,AnitaRoddick,believesthatadvertisingisawasteofmoney,shecameupwiththealternativebrand-buildingmethods,whichbecamethebasisofhercompany'sstrategy.TheBodyShopobtainedloyaltybysupportingofsocialandenvironmentalcauses.AnotherexampleisHugoBossandSwatch,theysupportedathleticandculturaleventsandbecameassociatedwiththoseevents.Theuseofthealternativebrand-buildingapproachhelpstobuildastrongbrand,itisveryimportantasthebrandisthedriverofthefuturegrowthopportunities.(HarvardBusinessReviewonBrandManagement1999,1-5.) 182.2 ConsumerBehaviorWhydoconsumersbuy,preferonebrandbutdonotexcepttheother?Isitamysteryimpossibletoreveal,oraretheretoolsthatcanexplain,predictandmanipulateconsumerbehavior?Thispartofthechapterisgoingtoexploreit.2.2.1 ConsumerMotivesInestablishingrelationshipswithbrands,consumershavedifferentneeds,motives,andgoalsintheirminds.Someconsumerswanttoportraytheirself-concepts,someuserelationshipswithbrands assymbolso fexclusivity,andsomeusethesebrandsastheytrusttheirexpertnature.Thereareseverald ifferentc onsumerneeds,such asneedforself-enhancement,needforuniqueness,needforriskavoidance,andneedforjustice.(Malhotra2015,246.)AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,247),CrockerandWolfe(2001)assurethatwhenpeopleseekself-enhancement,theyareguidedbythoughtsaboutwhattheyneedtodoinordertohavevalueasaperson.Accordingtothesameauthor,C rocker,Karpinski,Quinn,andChase(200 3),Crocker,Sommers,andLuhtanen(2002)saythatpeopledifferintheirbeliefsaboutthespheresonwhichtheirself-worthdepends,assomepeoplebelievethattheirself-worthdependsontheirappearances,othersmaythinkthatitdependsontheirmorality,orprofessionalsuccess.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,248),FromkinandSnyder(1980),Snyder(1992)believethatneedforuniquenessisaninstinctdesireofindividualstobeperceivedasspecialanddifferentfromothers,andKron(1983)notesthatconsume rswithhighnee dforuniquene ssreflecttheir personalstylethroughpurchaseoforiginalanduniquegoods.Individualswithhighneedforuniquenessformstrongrelationshipswithandfeelattachedtoexclusivebrands.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,249),Snyder(1992)explainsthatthepossessionofarareresourcesuchasalimited-editionbrandgivesdifferentiationfromotherpeopleandasenseofself-uniqueness,andCheema&Kaikati(2010)pointoutthattheseconsumersarenotwillingtopromoteabrand,asifotherpeopleusethesamebrand,itwilldecreaseexclusivityofthebrand.Thus,ifsuchabrandchangesitsmarketingstrategyandstartstopositionitselftomoreanddifferentconsumergroups,itwillloseitsexclusivityandwillnolongersatisfytheconsumers'needforuniqueness.Asaresult,highlyattachedconsumersofanexclusivebrandwillreactnegativelytowardthebrand.AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,249),RaoandBergen(1992),ShimpandBearden(1982)mentionthatconsumers'needforriskavoidanceaffectstheirdecision making.Ambiguousoruncertai ninformationaboutaproductwillthreatensuchconsumers.Theyaremotivatedtolookforatrustworthybrandinordertoav oidanyrisksintheir purchases. 19AccordingtoMalhotra(2015,249),ChaudhuriandHolbrook(2001)notethatsuchconsumerstrustbrandsthatareexpertsintheirfieldandrelyontheirabilitytodeliverpromisestheystated.Individualswithhighneedforjusticearemoreanxiousaboutwhatishappeningtothemandothers.Thatiswhytheyaremoreattentivetobrand'sactivitiesandsensitivetoinformationwhenabrandbehavesinanuneth icalmanner.Iftheygetinf ormationaboutirrespons iblebehaviorofthebrand,theywillbeirritatedandreactnegativelytowardthebrand.(Malhotra2015,250.)2.2.2 PerceptionPeoplehavefivesenses,theyareseeing,hearing,smelling,tastingandtouching(Solomon,Bamossy,Askegaard&Hogg2006,35-58).Throughthesesenseswegetpracticallyourentireunderstandingoftheworld(Lindstrom2010,13).Wenoticesomethingbythehelpofthosesenses,byreceivingexternalstimuli,orsensoryinputsonthesefivechannels.Wereceiveitwiththehelpofoursensoryreceptors,suchaseyes,ears,nose,mouth,fingers.Thebasicstimuli,orphysicalsensations,suchaslight,sounds,smells,sightsorcolormakeusnoticesomething.Ifwenoticedsomething,itmeansthatthestimulationhasoccurred.Afterphysicalsensationcametoourattention,weselect,organizeandinterpretthem.Thisistheprocessofperception,whichhasthreestages,theyareselection,organizationandinterpretation.Onthefirststagepeoplenoticethestimulus.Itcanbeasound,smellorfeeling.Peopledonotnoticeeverythingwhatisgoingaroundthem,theirbrainsselecttowhat theyshallpayattention andfo cus,itcan besomethingfamiliarornew.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Ourbrainsarefilteringoutirrelevantinformation(Lindstrom2010,4).Thesecond stageistheorganization. Afterpeople havenotic edsomething,theirsensoryreceptorsstarttobeactive.Theneuralprocess,orneuralactivity,hasstarted.Thebrainsstarttoorganizethelargeamountofinformationbyconnectingfamiliarcomponentswithpeople'spastexperience.Thishelpstounderstandwhatishappeningaround.Inshort,onthesecondstagebrainsreceiveandorganizeinformation.Thethirdstageisinterpretation.Peopleinterpretinformation,evaluateit,applytheirbias estoit,andcateg orizeit.Thishelp stobe tterunderstandandreacttowhatisgoingaround.Peopleusetheirbeliefs,valuesandpastexperienceinordertointerpretinformation.Thestageofinterpretationistheunconsciousprocessandithappensthousandsof 20timesduringthe day.Theinterpretationp rocessh elpspeople tounderstandthemeaningoftheevent.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.) 2.2.3 SensoryBrandingMartinLindstrom(2010,1-4)believesthat''brandhastotransformitselfintoasensoryexperiencethatgoesfarbeyondwhatwesee,''andthat''brandsthatcreateanemotion alcon nectiontoconsum ersar emuchstronger.''Sensorybrandingistheuseoffragrances,soundsandtexturestoenhancetheappealofproducts.Themarketersareabletomanipulaterealsensoryinputsthroughvision,smell,sound,tasteandtouch(Solomonetal.2006,35-58).Oursensesarelinkedtoourmemoryandemotionsandmarketersuseouremotionalconnection.Forexample,peoplecanthinkthatabrightspringdayhasaparticularfreshsmell,and marketersuseitsassociationtoselltheirshampoos,soaps,orwindowcleaners.Theytrytomanipulateoursensesbecause,inrealityoursensoryreactionsaretheonlyoneswerelyonwhenwearemakingupourdecisionwhethertobuyornottobuy.(Lindstrom2010,13,26.)Brandingisaboutestablishingemotionaltiesbetweenthebrandandtheconsumer.Emotionsarebasedondatawegatherfromourfivesenses.Abrandedstimulusconne ctsemotionstothebrand.Italsomoti vate simpulsiveshoppingbehavior,butsensorystimulationnotonlymakesusbehaveinirrationalway,butitalsohelpsusdifferentiateoneproductfromtherest.Sensorystimuligetintegratedinourlong-termmemories,theybecomepartofourdecision-makingprocess.Thepurposeofsensorybrandingistoensuretheintegrationofourfivesensesinourpurchasingdecisions.Sensorybrandingallowsconsumerstosee differentdi mensionsofabrandanditstim ulatescustomerrelationshipwiththebrand.Thefinalgoalofasensorybrandingistocreateastrong,positiveandlong-lastingbondbetweenaconsumerandabrandsothatthecustomerwillreturnfrequentlytothebrandandwillbarelynoticecompetingproducts.AccordingtoLindstrom(2010,111),''Inordertoestablishthisbond,thesensoryappealmusthavetwoessentialingredients:ithastobeuniquetothebrand,aswellashabitual.''Sensorybrandingistheb estwaytoprotectabrand'si dentityfro mcompetitors.Lindstrom(2010,112)assuresthat''almosteveryaspectofabr and'ssensoryappealcan betrademarked.''Trademark -ablecomponentsareknownas''tradedress,''itisthewayhowaproductsmells,sounds,feels,tastes,andisshaped.Thesecomponentshavetobedistinc t.Thecreationofasensor ybrandisa complexprocess.(Lindstrom2010,13,18,26,38,107-108,110,112.) 21Vision/SightThefirstisvision.Marketerscanusevisualelementsinadvertising,design,packaging.Theexampleofvisualelementscanbeacolor.Marketersknowthatcolorsareabletoevokecertainfeelings.Forexample,bluecolorsarerelaxing.Redcolorsareexciting.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)SuchfamousbrandsasPradaorCoca-Colaknowthatcolorshavepower,sothattheyusethemactively.Pradaopenedcafeteriawiththegreen-coloreddesign,knowingthatgreenisassociatedwithsomethingecologicalandhealthy.Coca-Colareleasedagreen-coloredbottle,whichcontainslesssugar.Colorscancreateassociationsinourminds,andtheseassociationscanbringbenefitstothebrand.Consumersassociatecertaincolorswithcertaintaste:redandorangearesweet,greenandyellowaresour,whilewhitetendstobesalty.Visionisaverypowerfulsense.AccordingtoLindstrom(2010,85),GeoffCrook,theheadofthe sensoryd esignrese archlabatCentralSaintMartinsCollegeofArtandDesigninLondon,foundoutthat83percentoftheinformationpeopleretainisreceivedvisually.Aninstantlyrecognizablevisualaspectofanybrandisashape.TheodorToblerunderstoodthesignificanceofashapeofaproductwhenhedesignedatriangleshapeforhischocolatebar,anditevenhappenedsothatitsshapestoodoutmorenoticeablythanitstaste.HewasafraidthatacompetitorwouldduplicatehisconceptthatishowTobleronebecamethefirstchocolateproductintheworldtobepatented.Lindstrom(2010,89)givesanotherexampleofCocoChanel.Shelovedperfumebottlesverymuch,sheevencollectedthemanddisplayedonhervanitytable.Sheassociatedthosebottleswithhermemories.Chanelstatedthat''The bottle isthephysicalmanif estationofthesc entitcontains...''Lindstrom(2010,90)alsoprovidesstatisticaldataaccordingtowhich40percentofallperfumepurchasedecisionsarebasedonthedesignofthebottle.Today''theshapeofthebottleistheshapeofthebrand.''Particularshapeshavebecomesynonymouswithcertainbrands,thebottleofChanelNo.5isoneoftheexamplesofit.Intheautoindustrytheshapeisalsoplayingavitalrole.ThedoorsofaLamborghiniareuniqueastheyopenupwardinsteadofoutward.Thisuniquefeatureistrademarked.Inthefoodandbeverageindustrytheshapeisalsoimportant.ThebottleshapesofCokeorGoldenArchesofMcDonald'sareeasilyrecognizableandassociatedwiththebrands.Intheentertainmentspheretheexamplecanbetwoblackearsofawell-knownmousethatisinstantlyrecognizableasDisney. 22''Thequestionisnotwhatyoulookat,butwhatyousee,''asMartinLindstrom(2010,85)citesHenryDavidThoreau.Visionislinkedwithlightverymuch.Inthe fifthcenturyBC, theGre eksreco gnizedthelinkbetweentheeyeandwhattheywereseeing.InthefourthcenturyBC,Aristotledisagreedwiththeideaofa''visualfire''outgoingfromthehumaneye,heexplainedthatthevisioncouldnotbeproducedbythefireintheeye,otherwisepeoplewouldbeabletoseeinthedark.InFranceoftheninete enthcentur ytookpl aceoneofthemostrevolutionaryartmovementsinhistory.AgroupofartistswhocametobeknownastheImpressionistsbeganseriouslytostudytheeffectsoflight.Theystudiedimpressionsthatthechanginglightgivestoobjects.Withintherangeofthevisiblelight,variouswavelengthsseemtousasdifferentcolors.''Thedifferencebetweenourdayandnighttimevisionisthatournightvisioniscolor-blind.''Allofusseedifferently.''Half-fullorhalf-empty.Yousayorange,Isayvermilion.''Sightistrulyintheeyeofthebeholder.ThatiswhysuchcompaniesasPantonearedevelopingtoolstohelpdesignerstocommunicatecolors.Coca-Colaistheexampleofoneofthosecompaniesthattookitscolorsextremelyseriously.FewpeopleknowthatSantaClaustraditionallyworegreenuntilCoca-Colabegantop romotehimheavi lyin the1950s.Nowadays,ineveryshoppingmallacrosstheworld,SantawearsthecolorsofCoke.(Lindstrom2010,26-28,39,52,88,90,101.)SoundMarketersknowthatmusicisabletoaffectpeople'smood.Dependingonapurpose,musiccanrelaxorstimulateconsumers.Tomakeadesiredcustomers'mood,mar ketersusemusicincafes, restaurants,bars,shoppingmalls,hairdressersandotherplaces.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)AccordingtoLindstrom(2010,74),RonaldE.MillmandemonstratedinastudypublishedintheJournalofConsumerResearch''thatthepaceofmusicplayinginth ebackgroundofstores andrestaur antsaffected service,spending,andeventrafficflow.Theslowerthemusic,themorepeopleshop.Thefasterthemusic,thelesstheyspend.''AndJudyAlpertandMarkAlbertundertookastudytoexplorehowmuchthemusicaffectedthemood.Theyconcludedthatahappymusicproducedhappymoods,andsadmusicstimulatedgreaterlevelsofpurchaseintentandlendingcredibility,itfollowedtheage-old-saying''Whenthegoinggetstough,thetoughgoshopping.''Lindstrom(2010,76)makesanexampleofVictoria'sSecret.Theyplayclassicalmusicintheirstores,itcreatesanexclusiveatmosphere,andgivesanatmosphereofprestigetotheirmerchandise.Soundisfundamentalincreatingthemoodandtheatmosphereandisa 23powerfultool.''Soundputsusintothepicture,ormakesthepicturemorethananimage...,''asMartinLindstrom(2010,73)citesDavidRothenberg.Soundcancreatemood,feelingsandemotions.Sothat,brandscanbebuiltbyusingasound,asitisabletocontributetobrandingandtotheoverallvisualdesign.Hearingispassive,andlisteningisactive.Thesoundofabrandshouldfocusonboththehearerandthelistener.Hearinginvolvesreceivingauditoryinformationthroughtheears.Listeningisbasedontheabilitytofilter,selectivelyfoc us,remember,andrespondtoasou nd.Sothatpeopleusetheirearstohearandbrainstolisten.Lindstrom(2010,73)emphasizesthatthewayabrandsoundshouldnotbeunderestimated,andnosoundshouldbeignored.Heencouragesthattheproductsthathavenothingrelatedtoasoundcanusemusicasanadditiontotheirproducts.ThebestexampleofthiscanbetheIntelInsidetunethathasbeenaroundsince1998.IntelstandsoutasthecompanywiththemostdistinctandmemorableuseofsoundinalloftheIntel'sadvertisingcampaigns.CNNandtheBBCWorldhavebothusedsoundastheirbrandfeature,andaccordingtotheirfeedback,itworks.(Lindstrom2010,28-29,59-60.)SmellManybigbrandsalsoknowthatodorscanaffectpeople'semotions,theycanevokeorcalmdown.Perfumemarketishugeandsuccessful,thatiswhythebrandCalvinKleinproducesnotonlyclothes,butalsoperfumes,fragranceproducts,roomspraysandscentedcandles.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Smellcanalterourmood.AccordingtosensorybrandingresearchcarriedoutbyMartinLindstromin2005,a40percentimprovementinourmoodhappenswhenweareexposedtoapleasantfragrance.Thereareabout100,000odorsintheworld,andourolfactorysystemisabletoidentifyanendlesslistofsmellsthatsurroundusdaily.Scentsareabletoevokeimages,sensations,memories,andassociations,andtheyaffectussignificantlymorethanweareawareof.Buteveryoneperceivesodordifferentl y,because alotoffactorsneedbetakeni ntoconsideration,includingage,race,andgender.ThepowerofscentsisverywellknowntothefragrancebrandDemeterFragranceLibrary.Theybelievethatourstrongestemotionalresponsesaretoscen ts.Th eirFragranceLibraryco nsistsofover300 differentfragrances.Itseemsthattheyhavescentsofalmosteverythingintheirassortments.Amongthemostpopularandunusualoptionsyoucanfind 24fragranceswithsuchnamesas' 'Rain,''''Sun shine,''''Gras s,''''Dirt,'' ''MountainAir,''''Snow,''''PistachioIceCream,''''Moonbeam,''''SaltAir,''''CleanSkin,''''Chri stmasinNewYork,''andm anyothers.(DemeterFragranceLibraryn.d.)Smellcanaffectourconsumerbehavior.AccordingtoLindstrom(2010,102),psychologistsPieterAartsandJ.StephanJellinekhavestudiedhowpeople'sfeelings,judgments,andbehavioraresubconsciouslyshapedbyodor.Theysupportassumptionthatfragranceisadecisivefactorwhenaconsumerbuys,collects,orusesaproduct.LindstrommakesanexampleofVictoria'sSecret,theyhavetheirownblendofpotpourri,givingtheirlingerieaninstantlyrecognizablescent.Someotherchainstoreshavealsostartedtointroducebrandedsmells.Forexample,ThomasPink,alsoknownasPink,aBritishstorethatproducesfineshirts,hasintroducedsensorsintheirstoresthatemitasmelloffreshlylaunderedcotton.Andtheysaythatitm akesanextr emely positi veeffect.One kitchen equipmentchainpumpedoutthefragranceofajust-bakedapplepieandsaleshaveraisedupto33percent.Ado-it-yourselfstoreinGermanyspreadthearomaoffreshcutgrassandthecustomers'impressionoftheplaceandpositiveresponseincreasedbyaround50percent.Dr.GemmaCalvet,aneuroscienceexpertfromOxford,UK,carriedoutaresearchstudyoncinnam on.She scannedthebrainsofagroup ofvolunteersbyusingafMRIandfoundoutthatthefragranceofcinnamonwasthenumberonearomainevokingajoyfulChristmasmood.''Smellisapotentwizardthattransportsusacrossthousandsofmilesandalltheyearswehavelived,''asLindstrom(2010,96)quotesHellenKeller.Amothb allcanevokeawarmand cuddlyfe elingsforgrandpar ents .BygoneassociationsarenamedastheProustphenomenonafterMarcelProust,thegreatFrenchnovelistoftheendofthenineteenthearlytwentiethcentury,whoisfamousforhismemoirs.Smellisextraordinarypowerfulinevokingmemory.Lindstrom(2010,102)concludesinhisresearchthatodorplaysaveryimportantroleinconsum ers'acceptanceofabrandandarom aisincreasinglybecomingahighlyeffectivebrand''plus.''(Lindstrom2010,18,31,64,96,101-102,103-104.)TasteToinfluencecustomers'opinionaboutfoodproducts,thefoodcompaniesspendalotofmoneytobesurethattheirproductstasteastheyshould.Foodcompaniesareeagertodiscoverconsumers'preferencesandhowconsumersratetheirproduct.Sothattheyconductspecialstudiesinordertogetthatinformation.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.) 25''Tasteisdetectedbyspecialstructurescalledtastebuds.''Humanbeingshaveabouttenth ousandtastebu ds.Every oneperceivestastedifferently,butitisgenerallybelievedthatgirlsaremoresensitivetotastethanboysare.Thatistrue,becauseinfact,girlsdohavemoretastebudsthanboysdo.''Smellandtasteareinfact butasingl ecompos itesense, whoselaboratoryisthemouthanditschimneythenose...,''asLindstrom(2010,36)citesJean-AnthelemeBrillat-Savarin.Tastegoeshand-in-handwithsmell,theyarecloselyrelated.Whenthenosefails,forexamplefromastrongcold,tastesuffersan80percentloss.''Lossoftastewithoutlossofsmellisprettyuncommon.Smellisestimatedtobetenthousandtimesmoresensitiveth antaste-renderingtastetheweakestofour fivesenses.''OneofthosefewcompaniesthatapplyadistincttastetotheirproductisColgate.Bydoingthat,Colgatecreatedapotentthirddimensiontotheirproduct.Colgate,asoneofthefewexceptions,haspatenteditsdistincttoothpastetaste.(Lindstrom2010,35-36.)TouchMarketerscanalsoaffectconsumerbehaviorthroughtactilestimulation.Whenconsumerstouchtheproduct,theygetassociationandconnectionsbetweenthetextureoffabrics,howdoesitfeelwithqualityofit.Forexample,smoothfabricsuchassilkcanbelinkedwithluxury,denimwithsomethingpractical.Womenvaluedelicateandlighttextures,whilemenoftenpreferroughones.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Thesortofqualityweattributetotheproductisstronglylinkedtothewayhowabrandfeels.''Joyhasatexture,''asLindstrom(2010,90)citesOprahWinfrey.Theskinisthelargestorganofthebody.''Expertsestimatethattherearefiftyreceptorsper100squaremillimeterseachcontaining640,000microreceptorsinourbrainsdedicatedtothesenses.''(Lindstrom2010,33,90-91.)StimulusAdaptationItcanhappenthatconsumerswillstoppayingattentiontoastimulus.Thisprocessiscalledstimulusadaptation,orneuraladaptation.Ithappenswhenconsumersgetusedtoastimulusoveratime,becomehabituated.Severalfactorscanleadtothisprocess.Oneofthemisexposure.Whenstimulusisconstant,exposedconstantly,people'ssensorysystemdiminishessensitivitytothatstimulus,butitdoesnotmeanthatpeoplewilltotallyignorethestimulus.Therearealotofstimuliinoureverydaylife,suchassounds,imagesorsmellsthat 26wegraduallyignoreorevenforget.Forexample,afterwegetdressedwedonotfee lourclo thesanymore.Aftersom etime,weusually stopnoticingthesoundofpassingcarsorthatsomebodyiscuttingthegrass.Smokingpeopledonotnoticetheodorofcigarettesmoke.Anotherfactorisintensity.Softsounds,dimcolorsarelessintensestimuliandpeopleeasilybecomehabituatedtothem.Whentheycometoarestaurant,theynoticethemusic,butaftersometimetheytalktoeachotherwithoutnoticingthemusiconthebackground.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)RepetitionMarketersalsoknowhowtoincreasethelikelihoodthatconsumerswilllearnabouttheirbrand.Forthispurpose,theyuserepetition.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Advertisersusethistechniquetoensurethatconsumersunderstandandrememberagivenmessage(Lindstrom2010,22).Theywantconsum erstoseetheiradatleastthreetim es.A fterthefirst exposureofanad,consumersgetawarenessoftheproduct.Thesecondexposureshowsthattheproduc tisrelevanttocons umer. Thethird exposureremindsoftheproduct'sbenefits.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Incidentally,itdoesnotmatterwhere,inabedroom,akitchen,orairportaconsumerwillseeorhearaTVcampaign,onaverage,threetimes.Marketersbelievethatthemoreoftenamessageisrepeated,thebetterconsumersrememberit.(Lindstrom 2010,22 .)Butconsum erscandemonstratenegativereactionsifanadwasdemonstratedtoomuch.Sothatanexcessiveexposurecancauseadvertisingwear-out.ConclusionWhencustomersmakeadecisiontopurchase,theyarerespondingnotonlytoinfluences,butalsototheirinterpretationsofthem.Thatiswhyforthemarketersitisimportanttoappealtocustomer'sperceptionsandemotions.Thewayhowthemarketer spresentamarketingstimul us,dependswhetherconsumer swillmakesen seofitorevenno ticeit.(Solomonetal.2006,35-58.)Allthecommunicationtechniquesthatareinusenowadayshaveonethingincommon,astheyareallbasedontwosenses-sightandsound,ignoringthethreeadditionalsensesthatcanbeaddressed(Lindstrom2010,22).AccordingtoLindstrom(2010,17),''Brandsthatappealtoasmanysensesaspossiblemake,well,sense.''2.3 OnlineBrandingThispartisgoingtoanswerthequestionwhyaclothingbrandneedsawebsite,whatago odwebsiteis,ifthereisadi fferencebetweenacustomerandonlinecustomer,andhowtopromoteonline. 272.3.1 OnlineBrandingAccordingtoSteffanoandEllis( 2001, 42),onlinebranding iswholl yinteractive.Everyelementofawebsite - itslook,content,services - contributestoitsbrandingonline.Theaimofgoodonlinebrandingisthatthecustomerwillhaveapositiveanduniqu eexperienceonthes ite.Itisveryimportantbecausedisappointedvisitorsandcustomersw illnotcomplain,theywil ljustleave.Someformsofmarketingandbrandingmaybelessexpensivethansellinginthetraditionalretailmarketplace.Therearethreestepsinestablishingastrongbrand.Thefirstistoknowyourcustomers. Marketersshouldnotapplythesame brandingtechniquestoboththetraditionalandonlineaspectsofthebusiness.Itisimportanttorememberthatthebestcustomersmaynotbethebestonlinecustomers.The secondstepistokeepthebrand convenientthroughasimpledesignedsitethatallowstonavigateeasily.Andthethirdistousetechnology,addfunctionalitysuchascustomerservice,personalizedwebsiteandsoon.Itisimportanttomakethesiteaconvenienttoolthatcanaddvalue.Thesuccessofe-commercedependsonefficiency.Thegoalhereistogetasmanypeopleaspossibletothesiteatleastonce.Aftertheyarrive,thegoodimpressionofthesite,itscontentanddesignwillhelptoconvincethemtomakeapurchase.Aftertheinitialpurchase,itisbettertofocusonthecustomerservicechannelsthatwillhelptomakethemreturnandbuyagain.Whenthegoalofcreati ngapopul arsiteisachieved,the wo rd-of-mouthwillincreasesalesandtherevenuecanbeincreasedbysellingothersites'ads.(Steffano,Ellis2001,63-64,68.)2.3.2 InternetandWebsiteQualityAccordingtoWood,Solomon& Solomo n(2009,64),Bran dStrategyreported(''ConsumerTrust''2007)that78percentofglobalconsumerstrustmoreinotherpeople'srecommendationsforproductsandserviceshigherthaninanyothermedium,suchasnewspapersconventional,andonlineadvertising.Becauseofthistheword-of-mouth(WOM)andweb-basedword-of-mouth(eWOM)communicationarethemosttrustworthysourcesofinformationforconsumers.AstudybyKomiak,Wang,andBenbasat(2004)investigatedthat,onaverage,customerstrustavirtualsalespersonmorethanahumansalesperson.(Wood,Solomon&Solomon2009,65.) 28Manyconsum ersusetheInternetasasearchtool beforemaki ngapurchase.AccordingtoWoodetal.(2009,93),Hallerman(2006)statesthatmorethan93percentofconsumerswillseekinformationontheInternetbeforebuyingelectronicequipment,andCEFRIO(2006)notesthat39percentofconsumersconfirmthattheInternetinfluencedtheirpurchasingdecisions.AccordingtoWoodetal.(2009,95),BressollesandNantel(2007)identifyfivedimensionsrelatedtoperceivewebsitequality,theyareloyalty,information,easytouse,security/privacy,andreliability.Accordingtothesameauthors(2009,95),Norman(2004)asserts,becauseattractivethingsarebelievedtoworkbetter,aestheticsshouldcommandahigherpriorityindesign.Thquotesdbs_dbs6.pdfusesText_12
[PDF] PERCEPTUAL MAP OF ONLINE FASHION STORE - CORE