EMERGING MARKET BRANDS

Emerging Market Brands



Emerging Market Brands

Introduction

Brands play a central role in marketing and have attracted the attention of academics and practitioners over many years. Accordingly, several perspectives on brands have been found in the literature. Traditionally, a brand is defined as “a name, term, design, symbol, or any feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers”. According to this approach, the brand is viewed as part of a product, and the main function of the brand is to distinguish a firm's product from competing products, i.e., it is an identifier (Wright, Frazer, 2007, 61). A more holistic approach defines a brand as “the promise of the bundles of attributes that someone buys and that provides satisfaction.

The attributes that made up the brand may be real or illusory; rational or emotional; tangible or invisible. In this approach, the product is regarded as a component of the brand. The product simply provides consumers with functional benefits, whereas the brand provides consumers with not only functional benefits but also with emotional benefits, and thus, satisfaction. Consequently, marketing activities of firms have gradually focused more on the brand instead of the product; thereby, leading academics to discover factors that constitute strong brands (Wright, Frazer, 2007, 56). However, such attention has occurred mainly in the developed world. Little research has been devoted to the issue in emerging markets. In addition, replication research plays an important role in science. It is a necessary part of knowledge development; nevertheless, it is rarely undertaken in the social sciences, especially in business research (Wright, Frazer, 2007, 68).

Discussion and Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to discuss different brand that successfully entered into an emerging market and were able to grasp a sustainable market share. The brands discussed in this paper correspond to different countries as long as their origin in concerned; but, as the time passed these brand broke the national boundaries and successfully grasped the potential target markets that were emerging.

Nokia

Nokia has made ??a major change that implies a 14% growth this year and this brand is located at the 6th position with the benefit of being ranked as the # 1 in the category cellular and telecommunication market. Based on some of its competitors, Nokia has actually focused on design and creative shapes as a key differentiator for this brand. The strategic brand architecture of Nokia made ??clear focus on the company's products being absolutely best in functions. The products offered by this brand have been awarded in four divisions: mobile phones (voice wireless data devices for personal use and for businesses), multimedia (Residential satellite system and gaming devices in cell phones), networks (switching wireless transmission equipment used in carrying Network) and business solutions (wireless systems for businesses) (Luczak, Pfoertsch, Beuk, Chandler, 2007, 89). Nokia does not appear fearful to make co-branding; but, this brand needs to ensure the quality and benefits of the range of products it offers in order to build a long lasting relationship with ...