Sakti Makki, Contributor, Jakarta

Sakti Makki, Contributor, Jakarta

If someone were to ask you what was the first thing that came
to mind when posed the question, "what is the best cola beverage
in the world?" more often than not the answer would be Coca-Cola.

Why Coca-Cola? How can a simple product or brand evoke such
high brand recall? Many cola-based beverage producers in the
world have tried their best, but failed, to replicate Coca-Cola's
success.

It goes to show how powerfully a brand can be registered in
the mind of its consumers. It also proves, once too often, that
brands penetrate the mind in ways that are as abstract as they
are memorable. With clear brand direction and a strategic set of
actions, Coca-Cola has successfully carried out its strategic
branding program, a program that is designed to achieve the
highest mind-share among cola beverage consumers.

Mind-share, arguably more important than market share, can be
achieved through a consistently singular, holistic and continuous
brand communications approach that is specifically aimed at
consumers. The attempt to achieve this position for any brand is
intricately and undeniably complex, as well as time-consuming.

The brand in question must first become a relevant living
brand that emotionally transcends its central idea and all of its
added values through a focused and strategic branding program and
communications. Essentially, it is the result of a specific
approach for arousing consumer anticipation in and providing
fulfillment of brand benefits or promises.

The communications must continuously and persistently
highlight that one singular brand message and its value
positioning is emotionally the most relevant and appealing to its
consumers. From the onset of brand creation, brand owners must
clearly understand and adhere to human psychology and dynamics,
particularly in how a brand idea registers, grows and lives in
the mind, while at the same time one should never forget that
brands and branding are very much about delivering promises
consistently, without fail. From needs to wants to loyalty,
brands must accomplish this status by living up to all of their
promises. To ignore this important aspect is extremely
unfortunate and potentially fatal.

As with any long-term investment, returns take a whole lot
longer to realize. Through a well-tracked and phase-by-phase
brand communication campaign, the progress of mind-penetration by
a brand can be measured and proper future action can be taken
accordingly. The achievement of mind-share is not an overnight
process. It takes patience and well thought out strategic brand
planning and communications.

Consumer decision-making processes are very much influenced by
a brand's perceived functional and emotional benefits. Perhaps
the latter becomes even more important, as competing at product
level is increasingly difficult, if not impossible. Through
branding, Marlboro has made its successful, emotional brand
relationship through its "cowboy masculinity" appeal, just as
Nike has achieved success with its emotional "spirit of
champions" brand positioning. Marlboro smokers perceive
themselves as being the American cowboy that, directly or
indirectly, personifies self-dependent, self-assured macho men
facing the challenges in life, as the cowboys in the prairies
would have done.

Equally important to Nike's core brand positioning of being a
champion -- or at least the idea of becoming one -- just like
Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, is intimately real and apparent in
the minds and hearts of Nike's consumers. Successfully delivering
these distinct and central messages, both have harvested and
enjoyed brand success at a global scale. Despite the complexity
of human psychology, both Marlboro's and Nike's core brand
messages have deeply penetrated many consumers' minds and, more
likely than not, will remain there for quite some time. These
brands have planned their branding programs well and communicated
them successfully. Without a doubt, mind-share is important and
may well be that one key ingredient in sustaining the longevity
of a brand.

The next question is what about the products? Aren't brands
about products too? In a basic sense, they are. However, brands
are about paradigms and belief systems that are inherent to the
brand, whereas products are about vehicles that transmit these
philosophical ideas, directly or indirectly, to consumers.

The ultimate purpose in branding is about transcending central
ideas and values. Brands are beyond what products are capable of.
Take a theme park as an example. Many people go to Disneyland
because of what the Disney brand represents. It is about
acknowledging that there is still a child in all of us and the
sense of freedom of being one is what appeals to people --
children and adults alike -- to visit the place. Disney theme
park is the brand and all the souvenirs and merchandise are a
product of the brand. We go to Disneyland because of the brand
and what it represents, not because of the products. Why bother
going to Disneyland because of how great their puppets or key
chains are, with Disney characters on them? We go there because
the park symbolically represents having fun and spending quality
time with our families. -- The writer is managing director of
MakkiMakki Branding Consultant