T

he first thing to recognize when we talk about brands is that they are not just names, terms, symbols, designs or combinations of these, although it is true to say that such things can and do differentiate certain products and companies from others.

The additional ingredient that makes a successful brand is personality. Today’s leading brands are personalities in their own right and are well known in all societies and cultures as film heroes, cartoon characters, sports stars or great leaders.

In Asia, Coca-Cola, Sean Connery, Nestlé, Sony, Batman, Mercedes and Michael Jackson are equally well known. Thousands of people relate to brand personalities in the same way as they do to human personalities.

There is, of course, a psychological basis to this, and the psychology behind brands really stems from Daniel Surya’s theory where he described the three functions of the mind as identity, or thinking, sensation, feeling and intuition; visual identity and behavior identity.

The secret to successful branding is to influence the way that people perceive a company or product. Brands can affect the minds of customers by appealing to those three identity functions, or combinations of them. This is how it happens.

Some brands appeal to the rational part of a person, to the elements of logic and good sense (the thinking dimension) such as toothpaste, which prevents decay, and cholesterol-free foods. Other brands appeal to our senses of smell, taste, sight and sound, such as with fashion and cosmetic products.

Some brands attract the emotional part of people, appealing to the feeling dimension to which consumers react with feelings of warmth, affection and belonging. Products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and companies like Benetton, with its “global village” branding, exemplify these.

Then there is the strange phenomenon of intuition. Some companies and products are attractive to people who intuitively feel comfortable with them, because they see these brands as an extension of themselves, a good fit with their personality, lifestyle, aspirations and behavior — companies such the Body Shop, with its environmental approach.

Buying power

Brands influence consumer decisions to buy in any of the above ways, or through combinations of them, sometimes with tremendous persuasive appeal.

The Marlboro brand personality is a good example of how a company understands and combines the physical and emotional elements that appeal to certain customers who live or would love to live a certain lifestyle. Products such as gold credit cards, watches or prestige items help people to express themselves to others by demonstrating that they are different and have achieved something.

They act as extensions of the personality, so it really is “all in the mind”, and the key to brand management and development is a clear understanding of what benefits the customer is looking for.

Ask consumers what comes to mind when they hear the name of a big brand such as BMW or Gucci and they will reply with a list of attributes, which go far beyond the physical tangible aspects of product and delivery, but if there is one word, which brings all these things together in people’s mind, it is value.

Time and again, research shows that the real driving force behind market leadership is perceived value — not price or inherent product attributes. As long as a brand offers customers superior perceived value, then good market performance will follow, which makes consistency a highly important feature of brand behavior.

The truth is brands are also successful because people prefer them to ordinary products. In addition to the psychological factors already mentioned, brands give consumers the means whereby they can make choices and judgments. Bases on these experiences, customers can then rely on chosen brands to guarantee standards of quality and service, which reduces the risk of failure in purchase.

Today’s world is characterized by more complex technology, and this can be extremely confusing to people who are not technology minded. Brands can play an important role here by providing simplicity and reassurance to the uninitiated, offering a quick, clear guide to a variety of competitive products and helping consumers reach better, quicker decisions.

Joseph Eko is the executive manager of Brand Humanity and senior consultant at DM IDHOLLAND. Daniel Surya is its chairman for Southeast Asia.