Question

Long Answer Type Question.
How does branding help in creating product differentiation? Does it help in marketing of goods and services? Discuss.

Answer 1

One of the most important decisions that a marketer has to take in the area of ‘product’ is in respect of branding. He has to decide whether the firm’s products will be marketed under a brand name or a generic name. Generic name refers to the name of the whole class of the product. For example, a book, a wristwatch, tyre, camera, toilet soap, etc. We know that a camera is a lens surrounded by plastic or steel from all sides and having certain other features such as a flash gun and so on. Similarly book is a bunch of papers, which are in a bound form, on which some useful information about a subject is printed. Thus, all products having these characteristics would be called by the generic name such as camera or book. If products were sold by generic names, it would be very difficult for the marketers to distinguish their products from that of their competitors. Thus, most marketers give a name to their product, which helps in identifying and distinguishing their products from the competitors’ products. This process of giving a name or a sign or a symbol etc., to a product is called branding.

Though branding adds to the cost e.g., to the cost of packaging, labelling, legal protection, and promotion, it provides several advantages to the sellers as well as the consumers.

• Advantages to the Marketers

(i) Enables Marking Product Differentiation: Branding helps a firm in distinguishing its product from that of its competitors. This enables the firm to secure and control the market for its products.

(ii) Helps in Advertising and Display Programmes: A brand aids a firm in its advertising and display programmes. Without a brand name, the advertiser can only create awareness for the generic product and can never be sure of the sale for his product.

(iii) Differential Pricing: Branding enables a firm to charge different price for its products than that charged by its competitors. This is possible because if customers like a brand and become habitual of it, they do not mind paying a little higher for it.

(iv) Ease in Introduction of New Product: If a new product is introduced under a known brand, it enjoys the reflected glory of the brand and is likely to get off to an excellent start. Thus, many companies with established brand names decide to introduce new products in the same name. For example, Food Specialties Ltd. had a successful brand Maggie (Noodles), it extended this name to many of its new products introduced such as Tomato Ketchup, Soups, etc. Similarly Samsung extended the brand name of its Television to Washing Machines and other durable products, like Microwave oven.

• Advantages to Customers

(i) Helps in Product Identification: Branding helps the customers in identifying the products. For example, if a person is satisfied with a particular brand of a product, say tea leaves or detergent soap, he need not make a close inspection every time, he has to buy that product. Thus, branding greatly facilitates repeat purchase of the products.

(ii) Ensures Quality: Branding ensures a particular level of quality of the product. Thus, whenever there is any deviation in the quality, the customers can have recourse to the manufacturer or the marketer. This builds up confidence of the customers and helps in increasing his level of satisfaction. (iii) Status Symbol: Some brands become status symbols because of their quality. The consumers of those brands of products feel proud of using them and adds to the level of satisfaction of the customers.