Brand Identity: A Case Study of Coca-Cola

According to Coca Cola (2016), to create a comprehensive brand identity, Coca-Cola had to first establish a brand salience.  As Marin, Ruiz, and Rubio (2009) assert, brand salience majorly relates to various aspects of brand consumer awareness in the market.  Consumer brand awareness refers to the inherent ability of a consumer to remember and ascertain a particular brand.  Research by Marin, Ruiz, and Rubio (2009) also links brand awareness to brand symbol, name and logo among other aspects.  Thus, to build a strong brand identity, a company must ensure that its consumers explicitly comprehend its brands and product categories.  There must be a clear demarcation between products and services that are marketed under the company’s brand name.  

Salience or awareness has significantly influenced the formation and power Coca-Cola brand.  This has increased the probability that the brand will be considered by the consumers when making purchase decisions. If the consumers can easily recognise a brand, they are more likely to make purchase choices that favours the company.  Specifically, Coca Cola’s red colour is a unique brand salience that the company relies on for increased brand awareness (Coca Cola, 2016).  The colour is a representation of vigour (energy), enthusiasm and youthfulness making it hard for consumers to forget.  According to Coca Cola (2016), Coca Cola beverage products are the most recognised brand in the non-alcoholic beverage industry.  

This can further be attributed to the unique flavour of Coca Cola’s products. The company has used the red colour to control the brain of consumers who have become used to the unique identity.  Therefore, psychologically, Coca Cola’s products have generated strong salience among consumers who have increase drive to purchase the company’s brands (Coca Cola, 2016).  Coca Cola’s adverts also portrays the company’s products as sources of happiness and capable of creating a distinctive sense community.  In general, most people are aware of Coke as a refreshment product especially when they are thirsty.   

Coca Cola’s products are available in various parts of the world with a global market share (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001).   This can be attributed to good market segmentation of Coca-Cola’ target markets into companies, habitations, and vacationers (Sun, 2010).  The company’s market segmentation further entail aggregating the company’s consumers based on their product preferences.  Notably, Coca-Cola treats every person as a possible client without considering age or socio-economic dynamics.  For instance, the company produces energizers such as caffeine and juices and healthy products such as water that are stylish, refreshing and with unique flavours.  

Brand Salience

Most of the company’s products can be consumed by everybody irrespective of age, and are relatively cheaper compared to those produced by competing firms such as Pepsi.  The company’s perfect market segmentation is one of the reasons behind Coca-Cola’ impressive market performance.  To reach its expanded consumer bases, Coca-Cola has adopted very innovative communications processes.  For example, the company use the online social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate its brands.  Coupled with a strong band equity and global recognition, the company has been able to sustain its performances in the beverage industry (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001).  

Coca-Cola has a global brand image that is predominantly based on various physical aspects such as the company’s unique logo and colour (Syed Alwi et al., 2016).  The company’s brand image of quality and innovative products has hugely influenced sales in the global markets.  Notably, Coca-Cola’ brand image is built around a distinctive brand value that provokes emotions such as happiness, fun and family experience.  

Coke’s products also evokes the spirit of family or community sharing, a sense of belonging coupled with exceptional experiences of refreshment (Sun, 2010).  Specifically, Coke’s unique taste and the perceived pleasure derived from consuming the company’s brand have helped establish a global brand image.  Also, Coke’s bottle icon remains the primary brand image of Coca-Cola.  Currently, Coca-Cola remains one of the most valuable brand globally due to its enhanced global visibility and availability of Coca-Cola’ products in most parts of the world (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001).  

Coca-Cola remains to be one of the most recognised brand due to its innovative brand image and impressive market performance.  For instance, most consumers judge Coca-Cola’ products based on unique flavours of its top brands (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001).  Coca-Cola’ strong brand identity has resulted into customer loyalty and increased presence in various parts of the world.  The company has deservedly gained brand superiority ahead of rival brands.  According to Ranaweera and Jayawardhena (2014), customer acceptance and positive reactions can be attributed to strong brand image of quality products.  

Coca-Cola’ core value remain establishing sustainable consumer value based on distinctive preferences.  Notably, the company’s products also elicit exclusive feeling of joy, sharing, celebratory mood, harmony, intimacy and friendship. Most consumers who are loyal to Coca-Cola’ products resonate well with these unique feelings (Ranaweera and Jayawardhena, 2014).  In general, Coca-Cola’ blueprint for ensuring positive reactions or responses from the consumers include stressing on product obtainability, affordability, suitability and assertiveness.  

Consumer brand resonance primarily focuses on the definitive relationship and level of empathy that the consumer has developed towards the brand.  As Coca Cola (2016b) affirm, brand resonance also refers to the characteristic psychological bond or relationship that a consumer develop towards certain products.  Brand resonance can either be behavioural or attitudinal attachment, a unique sense of community and active engagement by customers (Chang and Chieng, 2006).  For example, most Cola Cola’s consumers may choose to engage in a particular activity that is associated with the company’s brands.  Consumer brand resonance can significantly be influenced by Coca-Cola’ brand image and awareness. 

Brand image stimulates a feeling of belonging when relating to Coca-Cola’ products resulting into active loyalty.  According to Coca Cola (2016b) consumers are perceived to be resonating well with certain Coca Cola’s brands if such products can provoke particular emotions or physical connections.  In general, a bottle of can of Coca Cola gives the consumers joyful feeling, sense of belonging and strong attitudinal or behavioural attachment to the brand (Chang and Chieng, 2006).  The consumers’ positive customer responses and reactions towards Coca Cola’s brand have created an intense and active loyalty in the market.  

References  

Chang, P.L. and Chieng, M.H. (2006) ‘Building consumer–brand relationship: A cross?cultural experiential view,’ Psychology & Marketing, 23(11), pp.927-959. Chaudhuri, A. and Holbrook, M.B. (2001) .

‘The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: the role of brand loyalty,’ Journal of marketing, 65(2), pp.81-93. Coca Cola (2016) Coca Cola emotional branding strategy (salience). Retrieved from: https://cocacolabranding.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/brand-identity-salience/ (Accessed on 31st March 2017). 

Coca Cola (2016b) Coca Cola emotional branding strategy (resonance). Retrieved from: https://cocacolabranding.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/brand-relationships-resonance/ (Accessed on 31st March 2017). 

Marin, L., Ruiz, S. and Rubio, A. (2009) ‘The role of identity salience in the effects of corporate social responsibility on consumer behaviour,’ Journal of business ethics, 84(1), pp.65-78. Ranaweera, C. and Jayawardhena, C. (2014) .

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Explicating industrial brand equity: Integrating brand trust, brand performance and industrial brand image,’ Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116(5), pp.858-882.