200 words each to each questions
Q1.
This week we are exploring brand images and marketing channels and if they should be consistent with each other. A marketing channel is the means, company, people, and activates it takes to get a product from the producer to the consumer. For example, a logging company fells trees and sells them to a sawmill. That sawmill then refines the lumber into common sized materials for sale to a lumber yard and then to retailers or directly to consumers. All these entities and their individual functions are part of a simplified market channel.
The next part to expand upon is brand image and the importance of supporting the outlined brand image appropriately. Toyota has a brand image of being a highly reliable vehicle that is easily accessible to many people due to the lower price point. However, if Toyota wanted to attempt a brand extension into the luxury car market, then it would most likely be poorly accepted as expensive luxury cars are in direct confliction with affordable and reliable vehicles. To circumvent this branding conflict Toyota created Lexus to enter the luxury car market and has thrived as a uniquely luxury brand.
Finally, how important is market channels in relation to branding image? Clothing and fine jewelry have readily available brands and they have luxury brands which are only provided by high end retailers. Many of these brands have target audiences with a significantly higher price points than an average consumer. If high-end luxury brands are misrepresented by being offered at a lower quality store such as Walmart, then the designer brand would fail as they would either have to provide a lower price point or would never sell any products because they target a lower income demographic. If those same brands are moved to a name brand store such as Nordstrom, Tiffany, or Bloomingdales then the expectation for high quality products with a higher price point is immediately part of the consumers expectation as soon as they enter the door which will help these high-end products and companies to thrive. In summary aligning brand image and market channels is imperative to success.
References
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2014). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall
Q2.
From what we have learned throughout this course, marketing plays an important role in a company which also includes channel images and brand images. The short and simple answer to whether or not channel images should be consistent with brand images is yes. The channel images have the ability to affect the brand image of the company or the product. This is why consistency is important especially when using multiple channels to avoid any dilution with the brand image (MCM Staff, 2000). For example, lets take a high quality product or brand image such as Coach or Louis Vuitton and what impact it would have to see the product sold at a store like Wal Mart. While there is nothing wrong with shopping at or for either product or company, there is a different mindset of channel images and consistent brand images at the respective place. In this instance, for most, the channel images would have a negative impact on the product and brand since people would see that as less valuable or more of an inferior product if Coach or Louis Vuitton was marketed and sold at Wal Mart. This is just one example of why and how a channel can impact the brand image. Because when a consumer buys a product or service, it is not just the product and service they are buying, but also the brand and image, which is why it is important to ensure the image is up to par and consistent (Thimothy, 2016). Thus, bringing us to the conclusion that it is important for channel image to be consistent with a brand image.
Thanks,
Chelsea
References:
MCM Staff. (2000). Multichannel marketing: Keeping the brand consistent. Retrieved from
Thimothy, S. (2016, October 31). Council Post: Why Brand Image Matters More Than You Think. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2016/10/31/why-brand-image-matters-more-than-you-think/?sh=61f1db9010b8
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