Chapter 17 Marketing Views Nine Misunderstandings of Chinese Brands

It is a common misunderstanding for most companies to regard famous brands as brands. The crux of the problem is that brand awareness is narrowly understood as the whole of the brand.Under the guidance of this erroneous thinking, they believe that as long as they go all out to do a good job in advertising or hype, they can become a strong brand.Therefore, being the king of bids, advertising bombing, and media hype have become the main content of their brand management.They ignore that the fundamental premise of brand recognition is that the brand has a good reputation. Without reputation as the cornerstone to support it, no matter how great the momentary fame is, it can only be a brand "bubble". Such a brand has no vitality.

Many companies can't distinguish the relationship between trademarks and brands, and think that as long as a name or pattern is registered with the industrial and commercial department, it becomes a brand.In fact, the two are not the same concept.As a legal concept, a trademark is a tool for a brand to obtain legal protection from the industrial and commercial sector.The brand is a concept of management and competition, and it is a tool for enterprises to satisfy customers' needs and thus seize the market.Of course, a brand must first become a trademark in order to obtain the protection of fair competition, so the connotation of a brand is greater than that of a trademark.The view that the brand is regarded as a trademark will cause the enterprise to fail to give full play to the role of the brand, and will not take the establishment of brand equity as the center of marketing work.

CIS is conducive to the shaping of brand image, but it is only a way of brand building.In essence, CIS serves the corporate image, and the corporate image is not the same as the brand image, but only one aspect of the brand image.Therefore, it is not enough to simply enhance the corporate image. Brand building is a strategic act and a long-term systematic project that requires planning and long-term persistence.Only seeing immediate benefits, only caring about short-term sales, does not necessarily follow the road of branding.The pursuit of the number one sales volume often damages brand equity.

There is a common view in the business world: To become a strong brand, the packaging must be exquisite and the price must be high.This is completely wrong.The root of a strong brand lies in being able to provide higher value to the target market and better meet its physical or psychological needs.The success of some high-end brands is precisely because they cater to the high-consumption psychology of some people, but this does not mean that all brands must be high-end.As long as it can better meet the certain needs of the general public, the affordable "Min" brand can also become a strong brand.

Some companies enjoy industry comparisons.They believe that consumers will regard winning such and such awards as the standard for a powerful brand.This notion is backward and harmful.With the gradual rationalization and maturity of consumers' concepts, awards have become a secondary factor affecting their purchasing decisions.It is self-deception to become a strong brand only by awards.Because the votes are not in the hands of the judges, but in the hands of consumers. Some domestic brands were once brilliant, and then disappeared.One of the reasons is to sit back and enjoy the benefits, thinking that once the brand is famous, it can be done once and for all.In fact, the establishment of brand equity is a process of long-term accumulation. Brand fame is only the first step to success. To truly become a strong brand requires continuous and lasting investment.Otherwise, even the best brands will go downhill.

The brand management of many companies lacks long-term, systematic, and strategic planning, and lacks a long-term brand core value, which has led to some brands drifting with the tide, changing day by day, and blurring their images.In the long run, such brand communication is difficult to build a strong brand, because it cannot take root in the hearts of consumers.This is not to say that the brand should stand still and make adjustments in response to changes in demand, but these adjustments should be carried out around the core value of the brand. Only by "everything remains true" can a strong brand be established.

In order to become bigger and stronger, many companies have launched brand extensions.Appropriate and rational brand extension can indeed maximize the benefits for enterprises, and there are many successful examples.The problem is that some companies extend their brands arbitrarily without mastering the law of brand extension, which not only does not help the launch of new products, but also damages the assets of the original brand.