Creating Loyalty To Your Product Or Service

Branding In America

The Creation of Product Loyalty

What is branding?

Branding is the process by which a company or individual promotes a product or service in such a way that it creates an image in the mind of it's target audience. This impression has one main motive to make you associate their product or service with an image and a feeling. Feelings and images that create a bond of loyalty or in other cases can shatter a bond of loyalty.

The main assumption when it comes to branding is that the more someone is exposed to that brand, the more likely they are to consume, purchase or invest in it. Which makes branding a very interesting phenomenon because although we are mostly unaware that it occurs routinely each day, and might deny that any product, person or business has had such an effect as to ellicit control over our decisions, if we have assoicated any thoughs at all which influence our actions of purchase that prouduct has been branded in our minds. Branding does becomes a part of our lives in a very personal way. If we feel good about a product we are likely to buy it when the need arises. And this is why companies and individuals spend hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars in advertising to achieve...your loyalty to their product for a lifetime.

Imagine Harvard University. What is the first thoughts that come to mind? For those of you who are familiar with Harvard you might have had images of a very prestigious university. You might have envisioned students walking down long corridors and maybe you remember feelings of longing for association with such a fine education. For those of you who do not know about Harvard University (although I am sure that would be extremely rare) if I told you that Harvard University has a long prestigious history and that it's an envy of many schools every high school students dream of attending as a student because it is one of the finest Universities in America and offers a very unique education and opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. Now what sort of images do you envision? How does it make you potentially feel about Harvard University? Those images you might have had upon the mere suggestions I made have created assioications with words, images and feelings. I have just branded an image in your mind as you associate each word with a image of what that word personally means to you. You might have been flooded with feelings of grandeur. Maybe images of money, elitism, honor, or a successful lifestyle because of an elite education came to mind. Or if you've had a negative branding about Harvard because something negative happend for example one of your good friends wasn't accepted into Harvard, you might feel the very opposite. And that is how branding can affect your loyalty. It can even turn you against a company, a product, a service, or a person if you've had a negative experience with it.

Branding will either lure you to or push you away

from a business, product, service or person.

Here is a classic example of two individuals who are branded. Two of America's famous women, Martha Stewart and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Each woman has spent decades building her image in the public arena. They have taken great care to get that image just right in order to gain America's loyalty. Each knows how important public opinion is. And that this will drive their success. We see this evidence of loyalty gone awry to such a good name in business. Setbacks to Martha's image affected her career and brand because of the rumor of scandal that surrounded a decision she made about bailing out on her stocks after being tipped off to cash them in so she could minimize her loses. Her brand was compromised. Her image tarnished. No one dare to trust Martha Stewart again, even though she was the woman we had once loved who we envisioned as the woman next door who baked cookies and made faboulous mouse and who's products sold in stores worldwide. America was not forgiving of America's Miss and sweetheart because her life and deed were laid to an open shame in the media and she reinforced the branding images of scandal, dishonor, distate, and outright deception. And there's Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton became well-known because she was First Lady. She went on to become Senator and is running for the Presidency. Her history has branded images in our minds that will affect the way we vote in 2008. And based upon what she does from this moment her actions, her promises, her role will form either good or bad assoication and gain loyalty or lose it.

It is important to remember that it is very rare that a name can bounce back after it has been defamed or discredited. Once the majority has associated that name in a negative light, the brand is set. We see this also evidenced in the scandal that happend involving Enron and O.J. Simpson. What images did you just imagine with the mention of those two names? Do you remember what happened with Texaco after racist remarks in private that were made became public? Each company's image suffered great losses and loyalty as a result and branded them for decades to come. And that is why branding is important, it can make or break a company.

Branding involves loyalty which is created by impressions, beliefs and values about a product, service, person, or company; If success is to happen there must be good images abounding for it is this necessary ingreidient that calls for longevity and is dependent on good branding if it is to survive. As we all know America doesn't forget folly easily. [

Successful branding means that America will remember that name and associate it with feelings that will increase their likeliness of loyalty for generations to come. When we remember companies, products and people we associate them with images of value. Ford Motors, Paramount Pictures & Hollywood, Nike, Coca-cola Pepsi, The White House, Nat King Cole & Fred Astaire, these have all been assoicated with branding They all have offered real value, solved problems, and earned our loyalty for a lifetime.

Now go brand your product, service or company image with success and keeping these examples in mind. Good luck!