Unit 4: Brand management
Survey of Apparel Marketing and Merchandising notes · PTU syllabus (BSTD 302-20)
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Unit summary
Brands turn clothes into identities customers trust and pay more for. This unit covers brand definitions and layers, product and service brands, branding options and process, brand identity and positioning, Kapferer's brand identity prism, and brand equity.
After this unit you can
- Define a brand and its layers
- Explain branding options and the branding process
- Apply Kapferer's brand identity prism
- Explain brand equity and how it is built and measured
PTU syllabus topics
- Brand definition and layers
- product and service brands
- branding options and process
- brand identity and positioning
- identity six-facets prism
- brand equity concept and value
Physique
Physical features and symbols
Personality
Character of the brand
Culture
Values it stands for
Relationship
Bond with customers
Reflection
Image of the typical buyer
Self-image
How buyers see themselves
Topic 1
Brand definition
Brand: a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller and differentiate them from competitors (AMA).
- For consumers: identification, quality assurance, reduced search cost and risk, self-expression.
- For firms: differentiation, loyalty, price premium, legal protection, easier extensions, asset value.
- Potential product
Future innovations and experiences
- Augmented product
Services — alterations, easy returns, loyalty points
- Expected (actual) product
Brand name, design, quality, packaging
- Core benefit
What the customer really buys — style, confidence, comfort
- Product brands (Levi's 501, Peter England) vs service brands (Myntra, a tailoring service) — service brands rely on people, processes and experience.
Topic 2
Branding options
Family (umbrella) brand
One name for many products — Tata, Godrej
Individual brand
Separate name for each product — HUL's Lux, Dove, Surf Excel
Private (store) brand
Owned by retailers — Reliance's Good Life, DMart's Premia
Co-brand
Two brands combined — HDFC Bank–Swiggy credit card, Tata–Starbucks
Ingredient brand
Component branded — Intel Inside, Dolby
Topic 3
The branding process and decisions
- Positioning: the place a product occupies in consumers' minds relative to competitors (Volvo = safety; Patanjali = natural/Ayurvedic).
- Branding: a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design identifying a seller's goods. Decisions: brand name, brand sponsor (manufacturer or private label), and brand strategy (line extension, brand extension, multibrands, new brands). Brand equity is the added value a brand gives a product.
- Packaging: protects the product, provides convenience, promotes and differentiates it.
- Labelling: identifies the product and gives information — in India the Legal Metrology rules require details such as MRP, net quantity, manufacturer, date of manufacture and expiry where applicable.
Topic 4
Brand identity and positioning
- Brand identity: how the company wants the brand to be perceived (name, logo, colours, tone, values); brand image: how customers actually perceive it. Positioning places the identity against competitors — e.g., Fabindia: authentic Indian crafts; Zara: fast, affordable runway trends.
Topic 5
Kapferer's brand identity prism
Physique
Physical features — products, logo, colours
Handloom fabrics, earthy colours
Personality
Character if the brand were a person
Warm, rooted, artistic
Culture
Values and origin
Indian craft heritage, community
Relationship
Bond with customers
Trusted, ethical partner
Reflection
Image of the typical buyer
Educated, culturally aware urban Indian
Self-image
How customers see themselves using it
Conscious, authentic and stylish
- Externalisation (physique, relationship, reflection) and internalisation (personality, culture, self-image) halves; sender (brand) and receiver (customer) sides.
Topic 6
Brand equity concept and value
Keller's CBBE model: brand equity is the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of the brand.
- Resonance
Loyalty, attachment, community, engagement
- Judgements and feelings
Quality, credibility, consideration, superiority; warmth, fun, excitement, security, social approval, self-respect
- Performance and imagery
Functional benefits; user profiles, personality, history
- Salience
Breadth and depth of awareness
- Aaker's model: brand awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, brand loyalty, other proprietary assets.
Key terms
- Brand
- Name, symbol or design identifying a seller's goods and setting them apart
- Brand identity
- Desired perception set by the company
- Brand image
- Actual perception held by customers
- Brand identity prism
- Kapferer's six-facet model of identity
- Brand equity
- Added value a brand gives to a product
Quick revision
- Brand definitions; layers from core to potential product; product vs service brands.
- Branding options: individual, family, private label, co-branding.
- Branding process; identity vs image; positioning.
- Prism: physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection, self-image.
- Brand equity: awareness, associations, perceived quality, loyalty; value to firm and customer.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define a brand.
- Q2.Distinguish brand identity and brand image.
- Q3.What is a private label?
- Q4.Name the six facets of the brand identity prism.
- Q5.What is brand equity?
- Q6.Give one example of a service brand in fashion.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the layers of a brand and branding options.
- Q2.Explain Kapferer's brand identity prism with an example.
- Q3.Explain brand equity and how fashion brands build it.
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