Why is a Good Brand Image Important? The Benefits of a Strong Brand Image

Let's face it.

We've all bought a product or service for which a cheaper alternative was available. In fact: most of us are guilty of that on a regular basis.

Perhaps you recently purchased a new iPhone or bought that Patagonia sweater you've been wanting for a while.

Chances are you made that purchase decision, at least partially, because of the brand's reputation and image.

 

This demonstrates exactly why brand image is so important. It affects shopper behavior and brand loyalty in various ways.

It’s about time to dive into that. In this blog, we'll discuss the five most important benefits of having a strong brand image.

Benefit #1. A strong brand image increases the mindshare of the brand

Let's start by looking at what a brand is in the mind of the (potential) customer. 

A brand is nothing more than an associative network in the brain. We discussed this in more detail in a previous blog.

The main mechanism behind the market success of brands appears to be 'mental availability.' This is described by marketing scientist Byron Sharp in his book How Brands Grow. Strong brands differentiate themselves by possessing a high degree of ‘mindshare’ in the brain.

You can gain brain territory as a brand by having a strong portfolio of brand assets, but your brand image also increases this mindshare. The more associations the customer has with your brand, the more likely he or she is to think of you in purchasing situations and the more spontaneously your product stands out. In this way, a strong image stimulates sales and thus growth.

Benefit #2. A strong brand image increases the sales impact of your campaigns

If you know how customers think about your brand and with which characteristics they associate your brand, you can use this to design advertisements (and other materials like packaging) so they fit your brand.

In this way, your marketing efforts will become more effective because the positive emotions that advertisements evoke can be more easily linked to your brand in the shopper's brain. With that you also reduce the chances that your advertisements unintentionally will be beneficial for your competition.

If you have a weak brand image - and thus have few distinctive associations compared to your competition - it is likely that your advertisements will not only advertise for yourself, but for the entire product category. This is of course something you want to avoid.

Benefit #3. It helps you differentiate from the competition

A strong brand image thus ensures that you do not unintentionally advertise for your competition. 

But there is a second advantage to this, because brands must compete largely on the same channels. If your product or service is very similar to that of your competitors, image can be a decisive factor in choosing you over the competition.

Benefit #4. A strong image boosts sales through identification

Shoppers themselves like to think that they prefer a brand for objective reasons, such as the quality or price of a product. However, from psychology and neuroscience, we know that our feelings and identity have a greater influence on our buying behavior than we might suspect. Take the following example.

In the 1970s, a new product was introduced on the market. Those packages for baking cakes, with everything in them. Where shoppers used to buy everything separately, it was now all together in one package. Fantastic, you would think. But after extensive market research among women who baked a lot, it turned out that the product did not quite appeal to them. 

According to these women, there was a chemical taste to the product. The makers were disappointed. However, there was a smart marketer who came up with the idea of doing a taste test just before they were about to change everything.

Surprisingly, in the blind taste test, the product turned out to taste even better than when made without such a package. What was the problem?

To find out, they conducted a neuromarketing study using a projective interview method (a different way to measure associations, the IAT did not exist at that time) to see what associations were attached to the different products. What they found was that the new product was not associated with a value that was very important to those women, namely caring. Therefore, the product did not contribute to expressing their identity, something that is very important to us.

As a brand, you can influence the shopping behavior of the consumer by finding ways to align with their self-image.

According to a Harvard Business Review study, 64% of consumers say shared values are the most important reason they have a relationship with a brand. That was the biggest driver overall and only 13% mentioned frequent interactions as the main reason for a relationship.

Take Nike, for example. Nike's marketing strategy is not just about selling shoes or sportswear. No, Nike sells a lifestyle. They position their brand in such a way that shoppers feel that when they buy a Nike product, they are investing in a lifestyle and an idea that anyone, regardless of where they come from or what they do, can be an athlete.

Thus, the video below starts with "What I want to be, what I want to become, being on the track, being free, being what I love." In this way, Nike attracts customers who have the same needs, as choosing Nike reinforces their self-image.

A strong brand image that aligns with the needs of shoppers is key.

Benefit #5. It increases brand value

The fifth reason why having a strong brand image is important, is because it increases brand value. This is achieved on the one hand by contributing to shoppers' self-image (benefit #4), and on the other hand by developing a concrete image in the consumer's mind of the quality of the brand.

For example, Apple is often associated with user-friendliness and speed, which also contributes to the ability to command a premium price. Simply put: the more positive the associations with your brand are, the more likely people are to buy your product and the more brand value you have. 

By strengthening such associations through for example advertising and commercials, it can even lead to being able to charge a higher price for your product.

Insight into your brand image?

To find out how your brand is currently perceived and to what extent your brand image contributes to your brand growth, solid market research in the form of image research is important. This does not only give you insight into the associations that shoppers or customers have with your brand, but also provides you with practical tools to strengthen your brand. You can read more about measuring brand image in this blog.

Interested in how we can track your brand image? Take a look at Unravel's Brand Image Research.