Branded Forever! Brands Cannot Be

Branded Forever!

Brands cannot be expected to last forever" or "There is no reason for a brand to ever become obsolete"

Although nothing may last forever, there is no reason for a marketing manager, despite the conventional wisdom of the product life cycle, to assume that every brand is doomed to die and that it cannot keep 'going and going' like the Duracell bubby. The manager must strive to ensure that the images and associations connected with the brand alter enough to shift with changing tastes, while still remaining true to the brand's core values and customer base.

Consider the following scenario: "I'll have a Coke." Say this phrase in the Southern United States, if you want any kind of fizzy soft drink. In other words, the branding of Coca-Cola is so pervasive in this region of the country, that there is no pop, no soda, no soft drinks -- people just affirm their loyalty to Coke, and even on the rare occasion that they do want some 7-Up or Dr. Pepper. All of these varieties (some of which are actually produced by Pepsi-Co., Coca-Cola's chief rival) are seen as types of the original, premier beverage of 'Coke.' Think this sounds silly? Well, do you want a Band-Aid or some Scotch Tape? To say a bandage or cellophane tape seems fussy, because customers are so used to using the brand name as a synonym for the generic product.

All of these stand as examples of the durability of branding -- even if these companies have merge with other entities, even if the products themselves have change slightly, the brands have entered our language and culture. The above-mentioned brands also have several common features that have made them cultural fixtures. All companies were the first companies to produce their respective products on a mass scale. However, that alone is not enough to ensure that the brand will be a success. After all, Peter Pan was the first brand of commercially produced peanut butter, and it lags behind Skippy and Jiff in sales. What these companies share is that they were able to market themselves as necessities in a way that still suits consumer needs, changing their image slightly (like Coke's 'Santa' campaign to make its warm weather beverage a cold season staple) yet still remaining true to the brand value consumers associate with the name. Of course, sometimes companies introduce brand extensions like Band-Aid's bandages decorated with children's cartoons or Diet Coke. These can bring in new audiences, retain old audiences (like dieters who might be alienated from Coke because of concerns about calories) or can encourage greater consumption (as children with the smallest of scrapes might want a Sponge Bob Band-Aid for fashion's sake). But all of these examples of product extensions do not alter the fundamental associations of the brand as synonymous with America, or with gentle and loving care (Kotler & Keller, 2003).

Brands can endure a great deal -- even Aunt Jemina, Barbie, and Betty Crocker remain, although the Civil Rights and feminist movements may shudder at their images -- the product remains popular, so people continue to buy. Of course, the downside to such ubiquitous associations between a brand and a product is that if the product, such as fast food, becomes unpopular for cultural reasons beyond the marketer's control, like the current war against obesity, the product (like McDonald's) may suffer. However, by changing its brand positioning, and stressing value with its Dollar Menu, rather than food, folks, and fun and a more homespun image, the brand is still solvent.