What is Branding?
Consumers differentiate one brand from another based on the information they receive from a branding strategy. They look at the company’s products, services, and reviews. The brand represents what a consumer can expect from the company regarding quality and performance of the products or services rendered. A company’s brand involves much more than a creative name or unique logo. It’s all about reputation. Building a brand that signifies a business as a leader in their field takes strategy, integrity, consistency, and a reputation for providing excellent customer service. It also includes knowing what their customers want, and a willingness to put the customer first. Brand management involves analysis and planning a campaign to control how the consumer perceives the brand. It is essentially a form of marketing.
Elements of Strategic Brand Management
The elements of strategic brand management include both tangible and intangible aspects. For instance, price, packaging, colors, lettering, and logo are tangible properties. Intangible properties include such things as personality, positioning, emotion, and the promise associated with the brand. The consumer’s perception of the company or brand translates into increased sales or losses, depending on the success or failure of the branding campaign.
As an example of successful branding, we will take a look at one of the most popular sunscreen producers, Coppertone. Of course, we will need to look long and hard to find someone who isn’t familiar with this brand. So, how did Coppertone succeed in becoming and remaining the leader in the sunscreen industry? Clearly, they have been doing things right since 1959. That’s when they first introduced the ad campaign for “the Coppertone Girl” and their famous tagline “Tan, Don’t Burn.” Since then, the product’s popularity has soared.
The Value of Knowing Your Customer’s Concerns and Preferences
Through the years, Coppertone has kept abreast of changing trends and adapted their products and ad campaigns to follow suit. As more people became concerned about sun-damage and skin cancer, Coppertone reciprocated by developing products that would block the dangerous ultraviolet rays. They also created a research center which developed a method for measuring sun protection. This system is part of the FDA’s Sun Protection Factor (SPF) we see on sunscreen lotions and many other skin products today. Also, Coppertone was the first to create a sunscreen lotion for infants and children. They developed the first water-resistant lotion, and the first continuous spray sunscreen. Copperton also developed an app (MyUV) that tells a person when to apply another coat of sunscreen. These are a few examples of how the company reaches out to meet their customers needs.
Coppertone’s Commitment to Excellence is Priority One
Coppertone’s commitment to excellence positions them as a leader in the field with an 18 percent share of a $9 billion industry. Their success is due to a team of brand managers that understand the market, the competition, and how the consumer shops for products today. For instance, the company allocates a significant portion of their advertising budget on making sure their brand appears in all online searches for sunscreen products. They also engage with customers on Facebook, Instagram, and other websites.
Coppertone.com helps customers find the best sunscreen for their needs. They provide a vast amount of information on the website. Their products are available for purchase online, or they can be found in thousands of retail establishments nationwide. On Google SERPs, Coppertone.com shows seller ratings range from 4.3 to 5.0, and the majority of customer reviews are favorable.
Responding to the changing trends and keeping ahead of the smart, savvy consumers of today is priority one for Coppertone. According to their brand manager, they will continue evaluating trends, talking to customers, and providing products that are relevant to their lives.