BRAND MEANING

 

Second step: firmly establish the brand meaning in the minds of customers by strategically linking a host of tangible and intangible brand associations.

 

While brand salience is an important first step in building Intel’s brand equity, it is usually not sufficient in and of itself. For customers of Intel, whether it is the casual or office users, artists and gamers, considerations such as the meaning or image of the brand, also come into play. Creating brand meaning involves establishing a brand image – what the brand is characterized by and should stand for in the minds of customers. Although a myriad of different types of brand associations are possible, brand meaning can broadly be distinguished in terms of functional, performance-related considerations versus abstract, imagery-related considerations. Thus, brand meaning is made up of two major categories of brand associations that exist in customer’s minds – related to performance and imagery – with a set of specific subcategories within each.

 

We next describe the two main types of brand meaning and the subcategories within each.

 

Brand Performance

 

Intel’s product itself is at the heart of brand equity, as it is the primary influence of what consumers experience with a brand, what they hear about a brand from others, and what the firm can tell customers about the brand in their communications. Designing and delivering a product that fully satisfies consumer needs and wants is a prerequisite for successful marketing, regardless of whether the product is a tangible good, service or organization.

 

The specific performance attribute and benefits that constitute functionality will vary widely by category. Nevertheless, there are five important types of attributes and benefits that often underlie brand performance:

 

• Primary characteristics and secondary features. Intel customers often hold belief about the high level at which the primary characteristics of Intel microprocessor chips operate. They usually hold beliefs that the secondary element of Intel microprocessor chips, which are its affiliation to the product itself (laptops, PCs) completely complement the Intel microprocessor chips inside.

 

• Product reliability, durability and serviceability. As noted, customers can view the performance of Intel products or services in a broad manner. Essentially, Intel microprocessor chips offer reliability by being consistent in its performance over time and from purchase to purchase; durability by having a long expected economic life of its products; and serviceability by providing ease of servicing the product if it needs repair, or simply replacing it if needed.

 

• Service effectiveness, efficiency, and empathy. Customers often have performance-related associations with the service interactions they have with brands. Ultimately, Intel is able to satisfy the laptop and PC manufacturers service requirements, which in turn satisfies the users. Intel, even though it is a technology semiconductor company, as service providers are seen as trusting, caring, and having the customer’s interests in mind.

 

• Style and design. Consumers may have associations with Intel’s products that go beyond its functional aspects to more aesthetic considerations. Clearly, Intel was able to transform a commodity – generic microprocessor chip – into a brand that communicates reliability, style and design that affects the sensory aspects of its consumers – dependability.

 

• Price. Finally, the pricing policy for the brand has created associations in consumers’ minds to the relevant price tier or level for the brand in the category. Generally, premium priced laptops and PCs with Intel microprocessors are priced higher. Users are willing to pay a premium for the reliability and peace of mind that having an Intel component brings. The pricing strategy therefore, adopted by Intel and its partners dictate how consumers categorize the price of the brand and how firm that price is perceived to be (at this case both high).

 

Brand performance thus transcends the “ingredients” that make up the product or service to encompass aspects of the brand that augment these ingredients.

 

Often, the strongest brand positioning involves performance advantages of some kind, which clearly Intel has been able to gain a foothold against its competitors. It has excellent computing capabilities and reliable performance that can be seen as consumers use the electronic devices that have Intel.

 

Points of Parity

 

These are associations that are not necessarily unique to Intel and may be shared by its competitors. Though Intel is the current market leader, it always keeps its products’ performance levels up to par standards. Furthermore, it keeps its price at a competitive level even though it is priced slightly higher than its competitors. By maintaining its focus on its core competencies that bring about functional and reliable products, Intel is able to nullify the competition by matching them on the points of parity.

 

 

Brand Imagery

 

The other main type of brand meaning involves brand imagery. This deals with extrinsic properties of Intel products, including the ways in which Intel attempts to meet customers’ psychological or social needs. This can be clearly conveyed in its user profiles such as brand ambassadors; purchase & usage situations in real life and electronic device users; personality & values that are clearly portrayed in its advertisements as it comes out as sincere (cheerful), exciting (up-to-date), competent (reliable), sophisticated (premium) and rugged (tough); and history, heritage and experiences through engaging people in consumer electronics shows.

 

Points of Difference

 

Intel far exceeds its product performance against its competitors. This is where Intel is able to differentiate itself well from its competitors. Intel’s main products, its microprocessors, can be divided into three categories: (1) High-end (Intel Core i3, i5 and i7), (2) Mid-range (Intel Pentium Dual Core and Intel Core 2 Duo), and (3) Basic (Intel Centrino/Centrino Duo and Intel Atom) processors. In all these categories, Intel is able differentiate itself through advancing its technologies and that is its unique selling proposition. An example is its microprocessors have technology called Hyper Threading, in which it boosts the performance of one’s computer system. There is also the Turbo Boost Technology which increases the overall performance and takes into consideration the number of active cores, power consumption, processor temperature, etc.

 

 

BRAND RESPONSES

 

Third step: elicit the proper customer responses to this brand identity and brand meaning. It refer to how customer respond to Intel, its marketing activity, and other sources of information, that is, what customers think or feel about the it.

 

Brand responses can be distinguished according to brand judgments and brand feelings, that is, in terms of whether they arise more from the “head” or from the “heart”.

 

Brand Judgment

 

Brand judgment focus upon customers’ personal opinions and evaluations with regard to Intel and it involves how customers put together all the different performance and imagery associations for the brand to form different kinds of opinions. In terms of brand judgment, the brand quality, credibility, consideration and superiority are important.

 

Quality, Credibility, Consideration & Superiority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brand Feelings

 

Brand feelings are customers’ emotional responses and reactions with respect to Intel. It also relate to the social currency evoked by the brand. Intel’s marketing program recently are able to evoke its customer’s feelings through video ads that are passive in nature, instead of advertising the brand directly, it evokes brand-building feelings such as warmth, fun, excitement, security, social approval, and self-respect.

 

Warmth, Fun, Excitement