Executive summary of “Comparisons of media types and congruence in positioning of service brands”

Citation

(2014), "Executive summary of “Comparisons of media types and congruence in positioning of service brands”", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-04-2014-0565

Executive summary of “Comparisons of media types and congruence in positioning of service brands”

Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume 23, Issue 3

This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of this article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefits of the material present.

A unique brand position can help secure a competitive edge and boost profits for an organization while making it hard for rivals to succeed with imitation brands. Uniqueness also reduces the appeal of alternatives to the consumer. Conversely, extensive damage to a firm is a likely outcome when a brand is positioned inappropriately. These contrasting effects illustrate why establishing and sustaining market positions for offerings is regarded as being a key strategic marketing activity.

Synchronization is critically important in a positioning context. Managers must situate their brands so that they align with the needs and expectations of the target market. Any enhancement in performance positively correlates with the degree of fit achieved. The task essentially first involves identifying perceptions of an intended market segment and then placing “competitive offerings” within that specific “perceptual space”. Firms must also have the necessary strategic guidance so that any adjustments can be made to ensure that the offering continues to be congruent with audience requirements.

It takes a long time and extensive financial and other resources to successfully determine a brand’s position in the market. Marketing activities have a major role to play in ensuring that the correct position is established, reinforced and, if necessary, modified. How communications and advertising are utilized will be dictated to some extent by how the firm positions its products or brands. It is proposed that positioning involves four separate, yet interrelated, levels:

• Management creates the desired or intended positioning strategies by selecting relevant attributes.

• Decisions made at the first level are used to develop messages and actual positioning strategies.

• The target market perceives the brand’s position through their interpretation of the marketing messages conveyed to them by the firm.

• Results from the third level provide a feedback loop which then enables any necessary modifications to be made at level one.

Human socialization drives the positioning strategy which is described as a “forward integration process” whereby outcomes at one level serve as inputs at the next. The feedback loop helps ensure that safeguards are in place.

Communicating the brand to potential users might prove the difference between success and failure. A proven method is to furnish brands with human characteristics so that they resonate better with the targeted audience. Personifying brands in this ways encourages consumers to elevate them to celebrity status. However, personification heightens the challenge of ensuring that intended and actual brand positions are congruent.

To achieve this goal, managers need to effectively utilize the various communication media at their disposal and exploit the different capabilities and strengths that each offers. The literature cites Lucozade to illustrate this point. Through advertisement and promotional activities using various media, the drink once perceived as revitalizing the pregnant and ill is now perceived as providing energy and excitement to a wider range of consumers.

In the present study, Blankson et al. investigate the role of different media types in the execution of brand positioning strategies and whether they help align managerial intentions with target market perceptions of the brand.

Face-to-face interviews, survey and content analysis were the methods selected for the study which considered the plastic cards services industry in the United Kingdom. Lengthy interviews were conducted with marketing directors and brand managers with the card brands examined in this work. The executives were asked about marketing communications, examples of which were collected over a three-year period from various sources. Along with TV and newspaper advertisements, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets and photographs of outdoor advertisements were used. The longitudinal nature of data collection was deemed a relevant means of capturing the “dynamic nature” of advertisements relating to plastic cards.

The survey sample involved members of the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) to ensure a high level of intelligence and knowledge and experience of using the credit, debit and charge card types. Participants answered questions pertaining to two randomly chosen brands, and 357 usable responses were obtained.

With regard to executives’ views and communications, data indicated that:

• fit between executive views and content analysis of the communications was evident 70 times. Adopted and communicated (AC) positions accounted for 29 of these occurrences, while the remaining 41 were classed as neither adopted or communicated (NAC);

• marked differences were evident in the eight positioning strategies used. For instance, “brand name” and “service” were used frequently across the three media types. The strategy “value for money” was by comparison not present in any; and

• highest levels of AC were found in “other” media, followed by TV and newspapers in that order. However, degree of congruence was low in all these media forms.

Analysis of communications and perceptions of the target audience revealed:

• of the 77 examples of fit identified, 54 were neither perceived nor communicated (NPC) and 23 perceived and communicated (PC);

• fit was highest for “brand name” and “top of the range” but no evidence of alignment was found for “value for money”; and

• levels of fit between the message communicated and target audience perception were low, but comparable, across the three media.

The authors note that the percentage of fit for the combination of AC and PC was just 19 per cent. In their view, this figure is surprisingly low and raises significant doubts about the overall congruence between managerial decisions, the messages communicated and how they are perceived by the intended audience. Previous research has pointed out that poor alignment can hinder an organization’s attempts to better serve its customers.

Another issue raised was that a number of respondents reported difficulty in identifying which positioning strategy was being conveyed through the communication messages. The conclusion from this is that managers should ensure that marketing communications should be more extensively integrated. Evident “lack of clarity” in the strategies used also resulted in communication messages ending up reflecting brand positions that were not intended. This was evident with the positions “attractiveness” and “selectivity” which respondents did not associate with any of the studied brands. It has been claimed that inadvertent positioning is a sign that managers are focusing on ensuring “operational effectiveness” rather than on the longer-term position of their offerings.

The low fit evident for “value for money” prompts Blankson et al. to acknowledge the difficulty of promoting the complex concept of value within one positioning message. Consequently, the use of multiple messages and additional methods including promotions are recommended. Executives’ indication of the importance of “service” as a position was not echoed among most respondents. One conclusion from this is the challenge involved in positioning service brands to certain consumer segments.

Based on this evidence, firms are advised that positioning is a “multifaceted” phenomenon and needs to be considered as part of more integrated marketing communications. They are likewise reminded about the importance of using brand name as part of positioning strategies and list various retailers who exploit their names successfully in the marketplace.

Future research could use larger datasets and consider a more longitudinal approach. Using the wider public as study population is also suggested, along with examination of firm size and organizational culture, among other factors. Further study might determine whether these findings are more generalizable.

To read the full article, enter 10.1108/JPBM-12-2013-0466 into your search engine.

(A précis of the article “Comparisons of media types and congruence in positioning of service brands”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)