Brand Identity Crisis

Brand Identity Crisis

During a time of increasing item commoditization and decision, branding is a simple route for individuals to get through the clutter. Brands are progressively satisfying individuals' requirements for connection and identification – needs that customary organizations are attempting to meet. As branding can form the deciding factor for purchasing of an item, the marketer should deal with it in the same manner followed by the artisans in their craft. Each brand conveys a picture and has an identity, which ought to be imparted viably to the target group.

A brand is a guarantee that the organization can keep. A brand that buyers trust will likewise serve to diminish perceived risk and post-buy cognitive dissonance. It is because of the formation of brand identity and image in the customer's brain. An association, in this way, through advancement looks to pass on certain identity and image for a brand.

Brand identity is the novel arrangement of brand affiliations that the brand strategist tries to make or keep up. These affiliations speak of what the brand stands for and imply an implicit guarantee to the customers. The communication between the company and the consumer regarding brand identity and brand image has often been used interchangeably. Brand identity begins from the organization as an organization is in charge of making a differentiated offering. With unique elements the organization tries to distinguish itself by differentiation. Accordingly, the brand strategist has a tendency to make the brand position its identity and image through the communication process.

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Brand strategists endeavor to guarantee that the brand image of their item is the same as the brand identity. In a sense, the consumers' discernment about the brand image is exactly what the strategists need the brand to be seen as. Marketing mix strategy assumes an imperative part in building up a brand identity. Through brand identity, an organization tries to pass on its uniqueness and peculiarity to all. Brand identity is made of brand vision, brand culture, positioning, personality, relationship, and introduction. But, brand image is the aggregate of the impression that consumer sees from many sources all of which consolidate to shape brand identity. It is the aggregate impression of an item in consumer's brain. Brand image is an arrangement of affiliation typically sorted out somehow to like it. Brand identity and brand image are fundamental for a solid brand. Brand identity is the creation of managerial activity and brand image is a manifestation of the view of the consumer. In any case, not many brands prevail to strike that balance. The others fall in what they call the "Brand Identity Trap."

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There are common traps that frequently happen within a brand's identity as it develops or changes after some time. These traps can frame a kind of identity crisis and if not recognized and tended to can start to have a detrimental affect on how a brand is seen. Many brands and especially youthful brands attempting to set up themselves in their market may at first have a decent or infectious name, or story behind their brand. In any case, for the most part, they have a genuinely little or specific offering. As they do well and develop, they hope to extend or stretch out their products or services, and this is the point at which the inconvenience can begin.

The warning signs of brand identity crisis is when people are confused about what a particular brand stands for.  Marketers can’t see how their brand is different from the competition – or, worse still, they feel their only option is to copy it. When a brand isn’t sure for whom or what it stands, it’s likely its customers won’t either.

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The factor that pushes brands towards identity crisis include:

Inconsistency: Brand identity crisis arises from not being consistent at every touch point, which confuses consumers and they don’t know what to expect and where to expect from. Not ensuring that the brand has a single "personality" across all the channels used is one of the major force towards brand identity crisis.

Doing a BlackBerry: Brand Identity crisis also arises from playing catch-up game in competing markets. BlackBerry played this game in the tablet and mobile market and hired singer Alicia Keys as a creative figurehead, then parted ways with her after just one year, which had done little to make BlackBerry’s brand identity stand out.

Not considering the impact of each change:  Without looking at what matters the most to the brand and its customers, one cannot decide what needs to be done first, which complicates matters unnecessarily, and loyal consumers will not know what to expect.

Not getting the timing right: Consumers want to know when brands are ready, so marketers not getting the timing right when launching anything new or different results in falling into the trap of over-delivering.

Companies that faced Brand Identity crisis

Cinthol

Cinthol is a contemporary brand and was launched by positioning itself as a masculine soap with USP of protection from body odor. But soon it realized that it had to experiment by trying out new things and coming out with different variants to be in tune with the changing consumer trends. With the fast changing times and the growing power of today’s women, Cinthol was repositioned to appeal to the women. Cinthol has flip-flopped between the macho male, the bubbly fresh family, and the confident “woman-about-town,” resulting in a confused brand identity of the soap