Marketing Communication Equity and Advertising

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Communication for Equity and Advertising. Answer: Introduction Brand is any symbol or feature that distinguishes a product from its competitors(Keller Parameswaran, 2011). Brand power of firms differs because of their marketing activities, image, size and positioning. Dominos Pizza is an international chain of fast food restaurants headquartered in USA. Dominos was founded by Tom Monaghan in 1960. In 2004 it was listed on New York stock exchange(Domino's, 2016). Dominos has a franchise system of operations and operates in 81 countries making it the second largest international pizza chain. Dominos Australia is the Australian based franchise of Dominos. Dominos has a 25% market share in fast food industry in Australia (Domino's, 2016) Therefore it is a very well established brand. Pizza Capers is an Australian fast food chain based in Queensland and has expanded to Singapore but is still small in comparison to Dominos. The firm has 110 stores across Australia and is owned by Retail food Group. The firm has 4% market share(Pizzacapers, 2016). Both Dominos and Pizza Capers exist in the same industry that is fast food. However, they cater to slightly different market segments. While Dominos tries to position itself as a brand which offers Pizza for youth and family entertainment(Domino's, 2016). Pizza Capers focus more on in-house ambiance of the restaurant. Pizza Capers is similar to Dominos as both are now focusing on online ordering and delivery however the brands have different appeal for customers. Brand positioning strategy Positioning is the image that the brand occupies in the mind of the consumer(Gabam, 2015). Firms use various strategies to create a favorable impression on the customers regarding the brand. Creating awareness about product features or using price as an impact creating tool are some of positioning strategies. Delivery process and product experience can also be used as positioning strategies(Temporal, 2011). Dominos Pizza focuses on product quality, variety in flavors and product experience as the major positioning strategies. Family and youth enjoyment is also a major ploy through which the firm tries to create a favorable impression in the customer mind(Domino's, 2016). Dominos through its marketing activities has been successful in associating family entertainment with its Pizza. Convenience of takeaways and delivery is also a positioning strategy which has endeared Dominos pizza as a top brand worldwide. On the other hand, Pizza Capers is a smaller brand in comparison. However, they have also used positioning strategy to acquire a part of the market share. Delivery and product quality is used as the main positioning strategy. Pizza Capers tries to ensure product quality. Therefore, their promotional strategy focuses on on-time delivery. Pricing is also a main positioning strategy. They have kept the prices lower than the top brands to attract customers. Therefore, Dominos and Pizza Capers are similar in positioning strategy in terms of delivery however, different in terms of pricing. Brand Identity Brand identity is the perception of the customers about the brand or the way the brand wants itself to be identified(Wheeler, 2010). Elements of brand identity are Logo, name, tagline etc. Companies create brand identity to convey the value association that the brand is trying to create for the customer(Dahlen, 2014). Brand identity displays the impression that the firm generates in the customer mind through various cues like its logo. Dominos is an international brand. The red and blue logo of Dominos used worldwide is very recognisable. Fast delivery and hot pizza are associated with its tagline.(Domino's, 2016) The firm uses marketing communication and advertising to convey its message. Dominos also uses cartoon characters to create an identity of family enjoyment (Domino's, 2016). Additionally, the colour red and blue are attractive to children. Therefore, Dominos has a clear and strong brand identity Pizza Capers is a smaller brand. However, it also has a very strong and identifiable logo with its name written in bold letter. The colour is white and brown which may not be as attractive to youth and children as red and blue of Dominos. Pizza Capers focuses on home delivery as a tagline(Pizzacapers, 2016). Though people associate the brand with quality product delivery the firms brand identity has not yet become as deep rooted in the customer mind as Dominos. The firm has successfully achieved brand recognition with in clusters but it has to use more highlighted identification cues to become more recognisable. Leveraging of the Brand Equity Brand equity is a term used for the value of a brand(Aaker, 2013). It can also be understood as the value which customer associates with a product. If customers associate quality with the name of a product then that product is said to have high brand equity(Aaker, 2013). Additionally, people also tend to trust a well-known brand as compared to a lesser known brand because of its equity. Dominos is an international brand of long standing(Domino's, 2016). The fact that its the second largest Pizza chain in the world gives it huge brand equity. People trust the brand. Dominos has been able to leverage its brand name to a very great extent. The firm has been able to price its product higher(Domino's, 2016). It has been able to convince the customer about quality, enjoyment and health quotient of the pizza. Therefore, Dominos due to its international status has been able to enjoy greater revenues because of its brand name. Pizza Caper is relatively a very small brand(Pizzacapers, 2016). However, it has been able to create a niche for itself. People do associate it as an alternative to major brand names. Firm has not been as successful, as Dominos to leverage its brand name as it will not be able to sell the products at a higher price. However, slowly the brand is being recognised internationally as well which is leading to more trust of customers which may help to enhance brand equity in future. Brand Touch points The points of interaction of customer with the brand are known as brand touch points(Yohn, 2013). Touch point can be customer service, website, social media or marketing communication tools like word of mouth or advertising(Kautish, 2013).These touch points are important because they help the customer in comparing their existing knowledge of the brand with their previous knowledge. Dominos has various touch points for customer interaction(Domino's, 2016). The most important is its highly supportive customer service and website for online delivery. Dominos has managed to give proper training to customer service staff so that they give impression of care, support and quality product delivery to the customer(Domino's, 2016). Additionally, the delivery process is managed to create customer convenience. The website is another touch pony where customer can select menu and order. This is manged by expert employees and IT management teams. The touch points help in supporting the brand image of quality product and timely product delivery. Pizza Capers also has website as the most important touch point(Pizzacapers, 2016). The focus of the firm is on online ordering. Therefore, the website supplies knowledge about the menu and prices. The firm manages it through expert employees trained to handle customer queries and manage IT systems. As Dominos is a bigger firm it is able to give better training to its staff therefore, it is able to handle the touch points in a better way. Website management of Dominos is better as it is more attractive and creates greater customer convenience. Customer Buying Pathways and Involvement Buyer decision making process is based on attitude, feeling and belief. If the consumer exhibits a positive attitude for a brand he may make the decision to purchase it(Keller Parameswaran, 2011). Attitude and consumer buyer pathway can be created through affective component which is governed by emotions or cognitive component where the consumer evaluates the brand rationally(Gabam, 2015). Sequence and path of purchase decision varies based on whether the attitude is motivated by emotions or by cognition(Gabam, 2015). If the attitude towards the brand is cognitive the consumer will first think about it, develop feelings and act accordingly. However, if it is emotional then they will develop feelings, act upon the feelings and then think about it. Dominos is a brand with a very long standing reputation. If it comes out with a new product, due to its brand equity the customers may take the emotional path. The may feel good about the new product, act to purchase and then think whether it was the right decision. On the other hand, Pizza Capers is a smaller brand in comparison; hence if they come out with a new product, customers may take cognitive path. They may think about it then develop feelings and then act to purchase it. Therefore, path taken for both brands may differ. Fast food and pizza offered by both brands are low involvement products as they are frequently purchases products(Gabam, 2015). However, comparatively as Dominos is a more reputed brand the involvement of the whole family in choice of flavour might be more. Conclusion Branding helps in distinguishing a company from its competitors. Dominos has long standing brand name due to which it is ahead among its competitors, However, Pizza Capers is also making a name for itself and adequate image building can enhance its brand value. References Aaker, D. A., 2012. Building Strong Brands. New York: Simon and Schuste. Aaker, D. A., 2013. Brand Equity Advertising: Advertising's Role in Building Strong Brands. sussex: Psychology Press. Brown, S., 2016. Brands and Branding. London: SAGE Publications. Dahlen, M., 2014. Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach. Melbourne: John Wiley Sons. Domino's, 2016. Home. [Online] Avail able at: https://www.dominos.com .au/[Accessed 10 Dec 2016]. Gabam, J., 2015. Brand Psychology: Consumer Perceptions, Corporate Reputations. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Kautish, P., 2013. An Analytical Study on Perspectives of Brand Awareness and Its Impact Upon Consumer Buying Behavior with a View to Facilitate Managerial Decision Making in Organization. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Keller, K. 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