Brands Laid Bare: Using Market Research for Evidence–Based Brand Management

Which matters more, the marketing or the customer?

Fifty years ago the emphasis was firmly on the marketing. Campaigns were flung out at vast groups of indistinct consumers with the aim of directly influencing their behaviour.

Half a century later things could not be more different. Marketers now closely examine the needs and passions of individuals as a basis for delivering a brand experience in tune with their lives. This shift has created an urgent need to comprehend the consumer . And the only way to achieve this is to draw on insights delivered through market research.

Based on a unique spectrum of needs for understanding how people interact with brands what they want from them, how they judge them and ultimately what makes them buy them Brands Laid Bare uncovers the truth beneath the marketing rhetoric.

Kevin Ford provides a practical checklist for accurately assessing your brand s health and a template for comparison of brands across categories, delivering an unprecedented level of understanding for market researchers and advertisers alike.

Acknowledgements.

1. What do People Want from a Brand?

Introduction.

Brand Associations.

Consumer Needs.

The Universal Needs Map.

2. Further Insight into Needs from Other Perspectives.

Different Dimensions.

The Relationship Between Consumers and Brands.

Other Psychological Systems.

Conclusions and Implications for Brands.

3. Brand Equity: How do People Assess your Brand Overall?

The Concept of Summary Evaluations.

Work on Attitudes, not Behaviour.

Identifying Candidates for Brand Equity Building Blocks.

Main Attitudinal Building Blocks.

Combinations of the Main Building Blocks.

4. Touchpoints and Brand Physique.

A Framework for Physique, Perceptions, Needs and Touchpoints.

The Influence of each Touchpoint.

Customer Satisfaction.

Communications.

Branding Devices.

5. Segmentation and Targeting: Where should you Aim?

Why Aim for Target Segments?

A General Approach to Segmentation.

Types of Segmentation.

Getting the Best out of Segmentation.

6. Turning Brand Equity into Sales.

Brand Pull.

Brand Push.

The Outcomes or Benefits of a Strong Brand.

Behavioural Brand Loyalty.

7. Ups and Downs: Today is Fine, How About Tomorrow?

Forces that Drive Brands Up or Down.

The Market Context.

The Brand s Marketing and Consumer Response.

Social Trends.

The Future for Brands.

Index.