Spirit of the brand: How relevant target marketing builds the brand

Author: (USA) Pinger / (USA) Thompson / Yu Lijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: This book provides an in-depth observation of the significant and growing field of marketing, demonstrating the necessity of aligning the good causes and objectives pursued by commercial companies. Both sides must understand the minds and thoughts of consumers within a social context. This pioneering work explains the reasons and techniques, and is highly commendable in readability. — Nick Phillips, Chairman of the London Association of Advertising Practitioners
World-renowned companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Intel, 3M, Sony, and HP, not only consider their own interests but also take into account the interests of consumers and society as a whole. These companies are famous not only because of their high-quality products and excellent services but also because of their widely praised corporate social responsibility and charitable activities. A company's reputation and credibility can indeed make their wallets fuller. Because consumers are always seeking new values that go far beyond the functional performance of products or rational benefits like practical issues, and even beyond emotional and psychological aspects such as brand personality and image. Consumers are looking for spiritual needs like belonging, self-respect, and self-fulfillment. This book is a masterpiece in the field of brand building.
From a definition standpoint, cause-related marketing can be seen as a strategic positioning tool that links a company or brand with relevant charitable or public welfare initiatives, forming partnerships for mutual benefits. Cause-related marketing can enhance a company's reputation, increase brand awareness, boost customer loyalty, expand sales, and even trigger news coverage. In a fiercely competitive environment, customers' demands for companies and their products have gone beyond practical issues like product performance and even more emotional aspects like brand personality and image. People are raising questions about the role of business organizations in society and are seeking symbols of companies as good citizens. These developments hold profound significance for how we think about brands and brand building. To maintain competitiveness, marketers will have to find ways to add new types of values to their brands, meeting customers' emerging needs for higher-level image attributes. Some companies and brands have strong belief systems that fulfill this need, while many others fail to do so. For the vast majority of companies, cause-related marketing programs provide the fastest and most cost-effective way to elevate brand status and gain the necessary beliefs, as long as they are conducted with integrity and fulfill their promises. This book explains the concept of cause-related marketing, illustrating its role in the broader context of current brand-building thinking. Drawing on extensive experience in advertising and philanthropy, the authors use relevant case studies to elaborate on the concept. The Soul of Brand demonstrates the power of cause-related marketing in guiding marketers to leverage products, services, or corporate brands.