Brand Communication
Intel uses the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model to “create awareness, linking points-of-parity and points-of-difference associations, elicit positive judgments or feelings and facilitate a stronger customer-brand connection and brand resonance”. The key to its brand-building success is consistency, by staying consistent with the use of brand elements and programs, which ultimately creates unique brand identities.
Brand Building
Advertising
Intel uses a traditional approach to brand building, utilizing TV and print media and supported by place advertising to create exposure and attention for its brand. The underlying intent in these advertorials is to change consumer perceptions and behaviors about Intel being an impersonal technology company. The company has found that such advertorials, coupled with other brand building mechanisms have led to increased sale volumes.
Promotion
Intel is an ingredient brand which necessitates that the company gain strong support from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to create a pull strategy with consumers. Co-op advertising agreements have been developed with manufacturers to facilitate the sale of Intel's products. Such agreements provide manufacturers with funding to include the Intel logo in their TV and print ads. These advertorials have elicited positive feelings about the Intel brand. They also feature the well-known Intel jingle to create a customer - brand connection whenever consumers see an advertorial on television.
Brand Associations
As an ingredient brand, Intel’s key challenge is to convince end-users that the ingredient is just as important as the end product. Consumer brand associations are related to the company's corporate identity. They include key notions of confidence, innovation, trust and reliability, leadership, precision, focus and high quality. These associations are also built on the OEMs that Intel partners with and with whom Intel has developed a category point of parity. Hence the prudent selection of Intel's partners is crucial. Most ideally, if sufficient awareness and preference for the ingredient brand can be created, consumers will then not buy a product that does not feature this ingredient brand.
Intel Criteria
Intel has successfully created an effective and efficient communications program using relevant criteria as suggested by Keller to assess the collective impact of its communications efforts.
As Keller states in his text, marketers should use “mix and match” communication options to build brand equity, choosing a variety of different tactics. Even though Intel’s focused efforts have proved to be successful, it could have also potentially limited itself by not using a broad brand-building approach. Focus was placed on two to three marketing options to build its brand, thereby potentially limiting brand recall and recognition. However, by focusing its efforts on these limited options, it was able to successfully become an expert in its marketing programs.
Reference: Keller, Kevin. 2008. Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity
Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am named Intel's Director of Creative Innovation in 2011