A brand is that specialized identity that has been either crafted or accidentally created that the public uses to identify and differentiate.  For example, when you hear the word “Cadillac” do you picture an old clunker ready for some yet to be determined scrap heap?  The odds are you don’t and quite likely you conjure up a vision of a ritzy looking, and expensive car.

Not to belabor the point but if you know anything about professional basketball the name Dennis Rodman probably brings a bell.  Likely the image you retained is that one picture of the “Worm” that shocked you the most over all other images you saw both during and after his career in the NBA.

This supports the notion that people generally make a distinction between the psychological aspects of a brand from the experiential aspect.   If you are among the more discerning of individuals, one image may not be sufficient to forge a viewpoint of Dennis and your perception of him derives out of a variety of his images and this is referred to as the brand experience.

Whereas, the psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a representative concept created within the minds of people and is made up of all the information and expectations associated with any person, product or service.  For example, based on your perception, Dennis Rodman could be your choice as the poster child for unorthodox sports figures.

Marketers or anyone involved with branding attempt to cultivate or bring into line the expectations behind the brand experience.  They artfully craft the notion that a brand associated with a product or service has distinctive traits or features that identify the product or service as special or unique.   Quite likely, the products used in the logo above are familiar to you to the point of you imagining the taste associated with that product that you either liked or not.

Thus creating the brand is one of the most valuable aspects of any advertising theme and demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace. Brand management is the art of creating and maintaining a brand.

Thorough brand management, buttressed by a well defined advertising campaign, can be very profitable if consumers can be convinced to pay remarkably high prices for products with a low production cost.   This process is known as creating value and it is accomplished by embellishing the image projected with its best qualities.  If the customer can be convinced that the appeal is more logically important than the true value a profitable circumstance results.

Two products may be similar to each other, but if one of the products has no associated branding (i.e., a generic, over the counter medication), may be selected less often than a more expensive branded product on the simply on the brand quality or owner’s reputation.

The marketing specialists of Net-werkZ© Media Group are ready to help you create your brand.  Why not give us a call today so that together we can explore the methods necessary to get you “Open for Business!
 
 

This topical term derives from demography, which is the study of human population, its structure and change.  The theme of this section of our site is the noun most often used in error.  However, it has established itself within the marketer’s parlance and we will not deviate from what is the widely accepted usage.

According to Encarta, demography is”the study of human populations, including their size, growth, density, and distribution, and statistics regarding birth, marriage, disease, and death.”   Encarta then defines demographics as “part of a population identified as a group, especially as a target for sales or advertising.”

Demography focuses on understanding population structure, its processes and the dynamics of changes within a population.  However, demographics is most often used in the fields of media studies, advertising, marketing, and polling.  While both look at similar conditions, demography is solely about understanding population dynamics or the forces influencing changes in the group. 

On the other hand demographics is a narrower study dedicated to segmenting the population into various strata that can be influenced by common heritage, prejudice, experiences or preferences of certain age groups.  The terms are definitely not interchangeable.

A demographic profile or “demographic" creates a general picture of a typical member of a group in order to define a composite image of a theoretical grouping of individuals.  For example, a marketer might speak of the single, Caucasian, male, middle-class, age 25 to 35, college educated demographic.  This would be more definitive a target than attempting to craft a message directed at all the males in a population.

Marketing specialists usually have two objectives.  First determining the segments or subgroups existing in an overall population; and secondly to develop a concise picture of a typical member in each segment.  When the contours are defined, a precise marketing strategy and plan can be developed.

Here at Net-werkZ© Media Group we utilize the four categories of marketing demographics of age, gender, race, and income level.  Why not allow us to discuss your product or project with us and let us help you define your message…to insure that you will be “Open for Business”.
 
 

Referring to a market segment to which a particular good or service is marketed is market specialization, and it is characterized by age, gender, geography, socio-economic grouping, technical abilities, or a host of other combinations of demographics. 

Mass marketing can easily be compared to a shotgun blast whereas market targeting is more about focusing on a narrow point such as would be the case with the use of a rifle.  Aiming a rifle is a corollary to defining a target market with market segmentation.  The pulling apart of an entire market as a whole and separating it into convenient, single and separate divisions based on its characteristics is a necessity to a well defined media message. 

A people group sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product and/or service needs is true market segmentation which involves:

1. Defining the group characteristics.
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2. Measuring market segment size to determine if standing alone the segment is of sufficient size to support the specific product.   If not, then it is back to step one to perhaps broaden the segment to make the product viable. 

3. Once a target market is selected then a strategy to reach this market segment can be created.

The Net-werkZ© Media Group marketing specialists can help you define your market and tailor your message to fit that market.  However, that requires you to call us so that we can discuss an effective strategy to allow you to be “Open for Business”.
 
 
 
 

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