'FUNCTIONAL' AND 'SYMBOLIC' BRAND ATTRIBUTES MERGE 'Functional' and 'symbolic' brand attributes

'Functional' and 'symbolic' brand attributes

Abstract

Some emblem strategists have differentiated between symbolic and purposeful emblems, i.e. emblems that fundamentally persuade consumers' purposeful or product-related desires and emblems acquired to enhance self- or communal esteem. It has been proposed that emblems should be positioned as either purposeful or symbolic but not both. However, empirical study on the dimensionality of emblem symbolism/functionality has been lacking. In this study, levels were evolved to consider a brand's symbolic or purposeful association with consumers. Subsequent facts and numbers investigation proposes that emblem symbolism and functionality are distinct phenomena and, farther, that symbolism comprises two proportions, termed prestige and character expression. Thus, opposing to present considering, it appears that emblems can be effectively positioned as both symbolic and purposeful and, if a symbolic emblem notion is yearned, prestige or upscaleness is just one of the likely positioning choices available.



Introduction

Positioning a emblem through a clear and reliable image-building crusade has been a foundation of emblem trading practice. Marketers spend millions of dollars each year to conceive and support emblem images. Their efforts appear to have paid off, as evidenced by the enduring, well-defined, and powerful pictures of some of the world's well liked emblems (e.g. Marlboro, Ivory, Pepsi). In line with this clues, theorists and practitioners (cf. Gardner and Levy, 1955; Park et al., 1986; Ries and Trout, 1986) have suggested that evolving, broadcasting, and sustaining a brand's likeness is vital to its long-run success.

The significance of a brand's likeness in its long-run achievement necessitates having a structure for strategically organising the likeness over the long period (Park et al., 1986). Brand managers have had very little main heading for setting up such a conceptual framework. One prominent exclusion is emblem notion administration (BCM) suggested by Park et al. (1986). BCM suggests that every emblem likeness should be founded on a emblem notion or a brand-specific abstract meaning. In its general pattern, a emblem notion can be either symbolic or purposeful, and therefore comprises one facet of a brand's image. Functional emblems persuade direct and functional needs. Symbolic emblems persuade symbolic desires for example those for self-expression and prestige, and their functional usage is only incidental. For demonstration, in the class of wrist watches, the emblem Casio would be advised a purposeful emblem since its utility lies mainly in its proficiency to notify the time correctly. The emblem Movado, on the other hand, would be advised a symbolic emblem since it is utilized mainly for its rank apply, and its proficiency to notify the time is only an minor cause for its usage. Once a notion is chosen for a emblem, Park et al. (1986) suggest that it should be sustained over the brand's life for sake of consistency.



While the idea of emblem notion administration is intuitively appealing, the proposition that emblems can be either symbolic or purposeful in their apply to buyers raises several intriguing issues. The first topic is if symbolism and functionality are ...