【体验商务英语综合教程第三册】品牌(1/1)

What is branding and why do we need brands? A brand can be a name, a term or a symbol. It is used to differentiate a product from competitors' products. The brands guarantee a certain quality level. Brands should add value to products. It's a synergy effect whereby one plus one equals three. But customers must believe they get extra value for money. There are different types of brands. There are what we refer to as the stand alone brands or individual brands, for example Ariel, Haagen Daaz ice-cream, Direct line insurance, or Marlboro cigarettes. They require separate marketing support. There's also the corporate branding, or family brands such as Heinz or Virgin, Marks and Spencer, Levis. We need new brands because, well, customers want new brands. They want choice. They want a selection of different products. They like to rely on the quality levels guaranteed by the company. They like to trust products. It makes shopping so much easier for them. And also, they like to identify with brands.