Online Peer Discussion

Assessment 1

7603GBS - Brand Strategy and Management

Karley Beadman

Wednesday 20 July 2016

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 Part 1
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ORIGINAL POST
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The Sensory Brand Experience

Almost our entire state of understanding the world is experienced through our senses
and our senses are our link to memory - Lindstrom, 2005

I need a hand cream and I need it now. I look down at my hands and then I look up. I see the
familiar yellow and wood. I smell something sweet, something intoxicating. I hear the sounds
of cicadas. I walk in and suddenly I feel like I’m in a field in the summertime. It’s so soothing
and pleasant in here. I feel like my ideal-self. “Yes please,” I say to the pretty lady as she
passes me a cup of fruit and almond tea. I pick up an eco-designed box and I feel braille. What
a thoughtful attribute and benefit. The lady takes my hand and softly caresses in the softest
moisturizer I have ever felt. I feel like I am the only customer in the store. As she packages my
hand cream, and many other organic lotions I had no intention of buying, she sprays lilac tissue
paper with a scent I have never smelt before. She places the tissue paper and free samples in
the shopping bag. I’ll remember that smell. I’ll remember how caring the lady was. Welcome to
the emotional sensory branding experience of L’Occitane en Provence.

L’Occitane’s points-of-difference, and “necessary, competitive and correlated” (Keller, 2013,

p.85) points-of-parity positioning in its category, creates brand resonance through evoking
positive emotions in its consumers. As marketers, it is our objective to create brand resonance
and for consumers to hold favourable, strong and unique brand associations in their memory
(Keller, 2013). Implementing an emotional relationship through a sensory brand experience will
achieve this.

Brands that communicate a sensory brand experience have the greatest likelihood of forming
emotional connections with consumers (Lindstrom, 2005). This is most notably for search and
experience goods, which is not to say that credence goods cannot offer a sensory experience.
In the sensory branding experience, the goal is to include as many sensory touchpoints as
possible, as well as using traditional media and the internet (Lindstrom, 2005) to create
emotional relationships with consumers to build brand awareness. Then, ultimately, brand co-
creation behaviour will occur which will lead to increased brand value (France, Merrilees &
Miller, 2015).

It is undeniable we live in an emotional economy and consumers today are craving emotional
relationships (Gobe, 2010; Travls, 2000). As in all relationships, emotions are based on
information gathered from our senses (Lindstrom, 2005). The sensory brand experience
therefore expresses a brand identity through sensorial strategies that reach right into a
consumer’s mind to deep emotional levels (Hultén, 2011). And emotions enhance recall

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(Bagozzi, 1991). Further, sensory stimuli are novel salient affect-laden executional cues that
evoke curiosity (Hastie, 1980; Lynch and Srull, 1982 cited in Maclnnis et al, 1991) and enhance
consumers’ MOA because “consumers … attend to stimuli that make them feel good” (Isen et
al. 1982 cited in Maclnnis et al, 1991). And don’t we all want to feel good? Don’t we all desire to
nurture our hedonic well-being?

If creating emotional relationships through strategic sensory branding experiences make

consumers feel good, just imagine what a total sensory brand experience would do. It would at
least double, if not triple, the consumer’s ability to memorize the brand (Lindstrom, 2005)
resulting in the brand being not just in the consideration set during the decision-making process,
but be the beloved brand of choice.

References:
France, C., Merrilees, B., & Miller, D. (2015). Customer brand co-creation: A conceptual
model. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 33(6), 848-864. doi:10.1108/MIP-06-2014-0105

Gobé, M. (2001). Emotional Branding: the new paradigm for connecting brands to people. New
York: Allworth Press.

Hultén, B., Ekonomihögskolan, E., Linnéuniversitetet, & Fakultetsnämnden för ekonomi och
design. (2011). Sensory marketing: The multi-sensory brand-experience concept. 23(3), 256-
273. doi:10.1108/09555341111130245

Kashdan, T. B., & Steger, M. F. (2007). Curiosity and pathways to well-being and meaning in
life: Traits, states, and everyday behaviors. Motivation and Emotion, 31(3), 159-173.
doi:10.1007/s11031-007-9068-7

Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity.

Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1-22.

Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand
Equity (4th ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited.

Krishna, A. (2011). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect
perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology,
doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.003

Lindstrom, M. (2005). Brand Sense. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Lindstrom, M. (2005). Broad sensory branding. The Journal of Product and Brand Management,
14(2), 84-87.

Maclnnis, D. J., Moorman, C., & Jaworski, B. J. (1991). Enhancing and Measuring Consumers'
Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability to Process Brand Information from Ads. Journal Of
Marketing, 55(4), 32-53.

Travis, D. (2000). Emotional Branding: How Successful Brands Gain the Irrational Edge (1st
ed.). USA: Random House.

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#1 REBUTTAL - YASH DILLON’S

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I believe whilst sensory brand experience is necessary in building relationships between

consumers and brands to encourage loyalty, it is not the most important role of branding in the
contemporary business environment.

The purpose of my disagreement is because sensory branding as a concept requires

techniques to amalgamate the sensory stimuli (Peter Dixon), and is then based predominantly
on emotional factors involved from consumers towards brands, as we can see in Karley’s
example through her customer journey with L’Occitane as a brand, her brand decision/loyalty
was based on feelings as various senses were engaged in her decision making process
during her interaction with the brand, senses that included Visual (Sight), Tactile (Touch),
Auditory (Sound) and Olfactory (Smell) (Cobos, 2012). While sensory branding clearly plays a
vital role in branding and leaving a lasting brand impression on consumers, I believe in order
to get to the stage of emotionally connecting with a consumer, it is firstly important to build a
strong brand image and brand awareness rationally so consumers can understand and relate
to the brand in choosing it over its competitors. It is important to build a brand image that
focuses on rational points of the brand, as the rational side of people is far more powerful than
purely the emotional side (Trout, 2008) and the rational side of branding focuses on the
consumers practical, functional or utilitarian need for a product or service, whilst also focusing
on features and benefits for using a particular brand or product. These components help a
consumer make an informed and confident decision in choosing the brand over its primary
competitors.

References:

Cobos, H. U. (2012, April 13). SENSORY MARKETING AND BRANDING: THE POWER OF
THE SENSES. Retrieved July 12, 2016, from More than branding:
http://morethanbranding.com/2012/04/13/sensory-marketing-and-branding-the-power-of-the-
senses/

Peter Dixon, R. S. (n.d.). Engaging Customers through sensory branding, Sesnory Branding
Defined. LIPPINCOTT. LIPPINCOTT. Retrieved from Lippincott.

Trout, J. (2008, January 10). Advertising: Emotional Vs. Rational. Retrieved July 12, 2016, from
Branding Strategy Insider: http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2008/01/slowly-ive-
watc.html#.V4NiWpN95hE

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#1 DEFENCE POSTING to YASH DILLON

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Where in theory does it prove the rational side of people is far more powerful than purely the
emotional side? Discovery beyond blog posts has failed to uncover evidence.

What is discovered in theory, however, is that psychologists posit that it is our emotions that
make the fast and accurate evaluations for more complex decisions and, based on empirical
evidence, higher levels of consistency comes from feeling-based judgments (Pham et al., 2001
and Pham, 2004 cited in Lee, Amir, & Ariely, 2009). What is also confirmed, in theory, for the
creation of brand awareness consumers must be exposed to the brand initially then repeatedly by
experiencing the brand (Keller, 2013) and sensory branding offers consumers this (Norton, 2003
cited in Krishna, 2001), in such a personalized way. Furthermore, if the goal of a marketer is to
create salience all the way up the steps to the pinnacle of resonance (Keller, 2013), then it is
proposed that sensory branding creates the meaning and imagery associations to enable
judgments and to evoke feelings, every step of the way.

The main purpose, however, of the disagreement to sensory branding in the rebuttal is that it
requires techniques to amalgamate the sensory stimuli. This is the cue to provide an example of
an outstanding technique – the technique of encasing chocolate in foil:

Hershey's chocolate could be presented as a slab or as a kiss - the two

are identical in formula. The kiss is unwrapped using its “flag” akin to a
present. It feels like a teardrop melting in the mouth. The name makes
one feel like one is being kissed. It’s a very indulgent experience. The
slab is simple basic chocolate made by a reputable company.

Sensory emotional branding is the most important role in the contemporary business environment
because theory has proved it and so has a Hershey’s kiss.

REFERENCES:

Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand
Equity (4th ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited.

Krishna, A. (2011). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect
perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, doi:
10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.003

Lee, L., Amir, O., & Ariely, D. (2009). In search of homo economicus: Cognitive noise and the role
of emotion in preference consistency. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(2), 173-187.
doi:10.1086/597160

Travis, D. (2000). Emotional Branding: How Successful Brands Gain the Irrational Edge (1st ed.).
USA: Random House.

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#2 REBUTTAL - TANYA CARLYLE FORD

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The sensory experience that Karley describes is one of many branding techniques that is being
employed by L’Occitane to add value to its product in the minds of consumers.

L’Occitane is also using symbolism and functionality to increase the perception of worth of its
product. It is not uncommon for brands to use a mixture of these benefits to enhance brand image
(Park, Jaworski, MacInnis, 1986).

The hand cream is solving a problem (dry hands) as well as fulfilling the symbolic needs of self-
image (Park, Jaworski, MacInnis, 1986). The reference to ‘feeling like my ideal-self’ also indicates
that self-concept theory is also in play (Sirgy, 1982).

The need for smooth hands could easily be met by a low cost hand cream from a supermarket
but would this have provided the same cognitive response that Karley had to the L’Occitane
product? I think not.

The value of the L’Occitane hand cream is not just how it meets needs but also the emotional
associations it elicits (Lindstrom, 2005).

Customers perceive and seek value in product acquisition (Basu & Wang, 2009). By creating
such a memorable experience for Karley, L’Occitane has shaped strong, positive and even
unique mental associations of additional value, which has in turn has improved its customer-
based brand equity (Noor, Styles & Cowley, 2011; Keller, 1993).

L’Occitane has used a combination of branding elements to accentuate and augment the
perceived benefit of its products (Park, Jaworski, MacInnis, 1986). Thus I assert that this is the
most important role of branding.

References
Basu, A. & Wang, J. (2009). The role of branding in public health campaigns. Journal of
Communication Management, 13, (1) 77-91. doi:10.1108/13632540910931409

Keller, K. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity.

Journal of Marketing, Vol 57, No. 1. 1-22. doi: 10.2307/1252054

Lindstrom, M. (2005). Broad sensory branding. The Journal of Product and Brand Management,
14(2), 84-87.

Noor, S., Styls, C., & Cowley, E. (2011). Brand equity: linking financial and customer
perspectives. In M.D. Uncles (Ed.), Perspectives of brand management (pp. 23-39). Tilde
University Press.

Park, C.W., Jaworski, B. J., & Maclnnis. D.J (1986). Strategic Brand Concept-Image
Management. Journal of Marketing 50, (4) 135-45 doi: 10.2307/1251291

Sirgy, J.M. (1982) Self-concept in consumer behaviour: a critical review. Journal of Consumer
Research, Vol 9 (3), 287-300
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#2 DEFENCE POSTING to TANYA CARLYLE FORD

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The sensorial experience of shopping at L’Occitane does help close the gap between
actual and ideal self-image and a high price was paid for the added value of the
emotional sensory experience. Interestingly, Lindstrom (2005) states that stronger bonds
between consumers and the brand directly relates to higher prices that consumers are
prepared to pay.

The extraordinary success of Singapore Airlines (SAI) is another excellent example of

this. In the 90s SAI introduced Stefan Floridian Waters. This is the aroma that the
exquisite, under age twenty-six and size six, Singapore Girl wears. The aroma also
scents the hot towels served before take-off and permeates the aircrafts. For nearly
thirty years the raison d’être to fly SIA is that it evokes smooth comfortable memories.
Interestingly, findings have shown that sensory branding strategies should be
implemented as long term strategies, rather than a short term business tactic (Hultén et
al, 2011). And more interestingly, “in our world of heavy communication, product
attributes and benefits, brand names and brand associations are no longer sufficient …
Businesses that engage consumers are those that afford them a memorable sensory
experience that ties in with the positioning of the [brand]. For all these reasons, the
branding phase is losing its vitality and is being replaced by the marketing of sensory
experiences" (Holt, 2003 cited in Rica, 2103, p.55).

From the sensory branding examples explored and from evidence supplied in theory, it
is confirmed – emotional sensory branding is the most important and the most relevant
role of branding in the contemporary business environment.

REFERENCES:
Chan, D. (2000). The story of singapore airlines and the singapore girl. Journal of Management
Development, 19(6), 456-472. doi:10.1108/02621710010372873

Hultén, B., Ekonomihögskolan, E., Linnéuniversitetet, & Fakultetsnämnden för ekonomi och
design. (2011). Sensory marketing: The multi-sensory brand-experience concept. 23(3), 256-273.
doi:10.1108/09555341111130245

Lindstrom, M. (2005). Broad sensory branding. The Journal of Product and Brand Management,
14(2), 84-87.

Nica, R. (2013). The impact of sensory branding on consumer behavior. Journal of Media
Research, 6(3), 50.

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 Part 2
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SHANE JONES - ORIGINAL POST

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Differentiation is the most important role of branding

According to the American Marketing Association (2016) a brand identifies one seller's
goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers. Wheeler (2006) in their works
Designing Brand Identity states that a brand is the expectations that reside in each
consumer’s mind about a product, service or company. Branding is about making an
emotional connection. Furthermore, a brand must be “differentiated” and help build
customer loyalty. Roper and Fill (2012) support Wheeler’s statement by claiming that a
brand gives its product or service an “individuality” that sets it apart from the rest. And it
is the “individuality or differentiation” that is the most important role of branding. Keller
(2013) mentions that whenever and wherever consumers are deciding between
alternatives, brands can play an important decision making role and, given the myriad of
choices that consumers make it isn’t surprising how persuasive differentiation in
branding has become. Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines is a key example where
differentiation has allowed the airline’s brand to hold a unique position in the minds of
consumers. The two fold strategy of pricing and service has helped to create a brand as
Branson describes of “innovation, quality and a sense of fun” (Martin, 2014).

Not only is differentiation important in positioning the brand in the minds of all
stakeholders, it also has a direct impact on company profitability. Mizik and Jacobson
(2005) as published in the Harvard Business Review provide research results that
overwhelmingly showed that firms whose brands had become more differentiated
outperformed those whose brands had become less differentiated. Specifically, the
average next-year risk-adjusted stock return for firms with increased differentiation was
4.8%, while the average for those with decreased differentiation was -4.3%.

Commodities are an example where differentiation in branding has made a huge impact
with a direct effect on profitability. Take bottled water for example. Last year alone
Australian’s spent more than $500 million dollars on bottled water (University of
Wollongong, 2016). Interestingly anti-bottled water campaigner Cool Australia claim that
most bottled water comes from bore water pumped from the ground at almost zero cost
and not the clean, peaceful rivers and bubbling mountain brooks as depicted on the
bottles (coolaustralia.org, N.D.) Michael (2008) mentions that the leading bottled water
companies are Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestlé, and PepsiCo. Together they control one

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third of the bottled water market. All are top-shelf marketers. All are experts in branding
as a result brands such as Evian, Perrier, Voss and Fiji Water are household names and
hold a unique position in the minds of consumers. If the mentioned brands weren’t able
to differentiate themselves from every other brand of bottled water they wouldn’t hold
anywhere near the market share that they do.

Based on the above information it is obvious that differentiation plays the most important
role in branding. The unique selling proposition is the golden egg of success for any
product or service (Hogeg, 2015) as to is differentiation of the brand.

References:

Brand Definition. (2016). Retrieved from

https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/Dictionary.aspx?

Bottled Water. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.coolaustralia.org/bottled-water-

secondary.

Hogg, M. (2015). How to Hatch Your Golden Egg: The Keys To Product Development.
Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249458

Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing

brand equity (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Martin. (2014). Business, Strategy Stand Out from the Crowd - Examples of
Differentiation. Retrieved from https://www.cleverism.com/stand-crowd-examples-
differentiation.

Michael, M. (2008). Commodity Branding A Brick is Not a Brick When It’s a Brand.
Retrieved from https://www.serviceroundtable.com/temp/commoditybranding.pdf

Miletsky, J. I. & Smith, G. (2014). Perspectives on branding (1st ed.). Boston, Mass:
Course Learning.

Mizik, N. & Jacobsen, R. (2005) Talk About Brand Strategy. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2005/10/talk-about-brand-strategy.

Roper, S. & Fill, C. (2012). Corporate reputation: Brand and communication (1st ed.).
New York;Harlow, England;: Pearson.

Water Bottle Refill. (2016). Retrieved from

http://www.uow.edu.au/about/environment/waterbottlerefill/index.html

Wheeler, A. (2006). Designing brand identity: A complete guide to creating, building and
maintaining strong brands (2nd ed.). Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.

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MY REBUTTAL TO SHANE JONES

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“We live in a time when we are bombarded with brands” (Wheeler, 2003, p.22) and you
have bombarded us with your examples of bottled water brands to assist in your
justification that differentiation is the most important role of branding in the contemporary
business environment. All the examples of the bottled water brands listed in your
posting hold the market share within their category because of points-of-parity and
not because of points-of-difference. You failed to choose one bottled water company in
your example to validate that differentiation is the key to branding success. What
differentiates these brands of bottled water is their brandmark. Perhaps bottled water
was a poor real world example for you to use. You could have argued that McDonalds
differentiated themselves in the fast food category by adding salads to their menu. This
differentiation didn’t work. When deciding on a salad for lunch McDonalds doesn’t come
to “top of mind”. McDonalds is redoing their menu. My point is - it’s the other point you
failed to mention in your posting - points-of-parity. Points-of-parity, as well as points-of-
difference, are an important role of branding. Not the most important role, but important
nonetheless.

A brand must identify and create points-of-difference and points-of-parity when

establishing brand positions and arriving at the proper positioning requires establishing
the correct points-of-difference as well as the correct “necessary, competitive and
correlated” (Keller, 2013, p.85) points-of-parity. In summary, it is the points-of-difference
which can offer a brand a competitive advantage but it’s the points-of-parity that gives a
brand a competitive positioning within a category.

REFERENCES:

Culp-Ressler, T. (2013, 29 May). McDonald’s Can’t Convince Customers To Buy Its Salads, So
It’s Going Back To Advertising Burgers. [Weblog]. Retrieved 13 July 2016, from
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/29/2074561/mcdonalds-salads-advertising-fails/

Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand
Equity (4th ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited.

Wheeler, A. (2003). Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building and
Maintaining Strong Brands (1st ed.). Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.

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