BRAND ANALYSIS
Abstract
Brand analysis has become an important factor for organizations marketing strategies. Many of the organization in the global market use brand analysis as a marketing strategy for their products. The importance of product branding to firms is that it enables organizations to differentiate their products from those of the rival firms. Apart from product differentiation, brand analysis also helps to attract and maintain customers trust and loyalty. A successful product branding has the ability to address the needs of a particular group of targeted customers. This enables the targeted group of customers to be identified by the products hence promotes the sales and profitability of the company. The essay discuses techniques used by Levi’s company in its brand analysis. It also describes the targeted customers of Levis products and its positioning strategy. The essays also identified the needs of Levi’s targeted customers and how the company satisfies the needs of its targeted customers.
Table of Contents
Levis Brand Values and Identity. 3
Brand Objectives and Values. 6
The Targeted Market for Levi 8
The Needs of the Targeted Customers. 10
Introduction
The Levis fashion brand is an American classic fashion style of cloths founded by Levi Strauss in 1873. Levi designs clothing that are unique and fashionable for different people around the world. Levi’s jean is a brand that is widely recognized and imitated by people in different countries around the world. Levis clothing design capture imagination and loayalty of customers from various countries. The company is innovative and this makes it to be competitive in the apparel industry as it is able to come up with new brands and designs that satisfy different customers taste and preferences. The company operates in more than 110 countries around the world hence enables people from different countries to express their personal lifestyle.
Levis Brand Values and Identity
Levis brand values and identity can be analyzed using various brand concepts such as brand vision, brand essence, brand personality, brand objectives and values and brand relationship (Herrmann et al 2010).
Brand Vision
Brand vision is used to determine the direction that an organization should take in accomplishing its objectives (Jekanowski et al 2000). It shows the main areas of focus that can enable a company to meet its core objectives. Brand vision is therefore instrumental for the formulation of an organization’s strategies and plans. Levi’s main vision it to be the leader in manufacturing of jeans designs for the youths. The company marketing strategies and plans are geared towards the satisfaction of the youth and urban lifestyle through the provision of stylish clothing design. The company is continuously engaged in market research so as to ensure that its products are able to meet the current demand. This is achieved through research and development programs that ensure that Levis brands are manufactured using the current level of technology and also that the brands corresponds to the current fashion in the market. Levis vision relies on building of its foundation, observing the company’s tradition, and bridging the gaps that may exist between the company’s practices and principles. The company vision also ensures that they regularly update their values so as to reflect on the current trends (Lukas & Ferrell 2000).
Brand Essence
Brand essence is an element of a product that enables it to be differentiated from the products of other rival companies. The brand essence is occasioned by the perception of consumer regarding a specific brand in the market. The most appropriate brand essence is based on the consumers needs. This implies that brand essence should be able to satisfy and fulfill consumers need. The brand essence also serves as measuring stick that can be used to evaluate and determine marketing strategies and materials. A successful product should be able to identify itself with a unique brand essence (Wright & Frazer 2007). This can be made possible through various techniques such as packaging, logos, corporate culture, expertise, production technique and training of employees.
Levis fashion designs is characterized with a number of brand essences. Levis products are designed to satisfy consumers’ need of comfort, fit, Stylish and trendy. The company brand essence therefore includes comfort, fit, trendy and stylish. The company accomplishes this through the production of products that are innovative, authentic and reliable to customers. This makes the brand to be unique and relevant to the customers. The company’s brands are also durable and consistent. The durability and consistency of the Levi’s fashion designs ensures that the targeted customers are loyal to the brand. This enhances the sales of the company’s products by making customers trust the products of the company.
Brand Personality
Brand personality can be defined as a set of human behaviors that are attributed to a specific brand name (Hankinson 2001). Brand personality enables consumers to be able to relate to a particular product or brand. An effective brand will make a product to enjoy customer loyalty and trust as it enables them to identify themselves with the brand. Some of the common types of brand personality include sincerity, excitement, competence, ruggedness and sophistication among others. Consumers are likely to purchase a product if it has a brand personality that is similar to their own personality.
Levi’s brand considers five major brand personalities that include excitement, sincerity, ruggedness, competence and sophistication. The brand personality of excitement in Levi’s products is illustrated through the products that are associated with youth. Hence youthful is one of brand personality that is encompassed in the Levis fashion designs. The company also has other brand personality such as ruggedness which is illustrated by the toughness of its products. The products are also sophisticated since most of jeans wear are perceived by customers as elegant and prestigious.
Brand Objectives and Values
Levi’s main objective is to be able to satisfy customers’ needs by offering products that are innovative. The company strives to ensure that the needs of the youth aged between 13 to 30 years are met by manufacturing clothing that matches their taste and preference. To help the company realize its objectives, the company has a set of values that guides its business. The values of the company are observed by the employees and all other relevant stakeholders so as to ensure that it concentrates in meeting its fundamental objectives (Watkins & Gonzenbach 2013). The company’s set of values enables it to have competitive advantage over other rival firms. The core values of the company are composed of empathy, originality, integrity and courage.
Levi ensures empathy by making its customers needs a priority. The company pays close attention to all its customers. Levi also engages various stakeholders in its decision making process by listening and responding to the needs of customers, employees and other relevant stakeholders. The originality of Levi’s brand is made possible through manufacturing of innovative and authentic products. The company also observes integrity in its operations by ensuring that all their operations are conducted in appropriate manner. The company’s brands, employees and the community as a whole is mandated with responsibility of doing the right thing at all time. The company observes ethical conducts and participates in social corporate responsibility initiatives in all its business activities. The company maintains courage so as to remain great in the world market. The courage that the company possesses enables it to face various challenges as well as provides intense competition to its rival firms. Courage also enables the company to take research and development initiatives that can be risky but profitable. This leads to innovation of new products that are matching the current customers’ tastes and preferences hence satisfy their needs (Hamiln & Wilson 2004).
The corporate values of empathy, originality, integrity and courage are the main foundation of the organization and define what they are. These four corporate values determine how the company competes in the global market and their behaviors in the market place.
Brand Relationship
Levi’s strength relies on its ability to connect with its customers in the global market. Levi has a close relationship with targeted customers aged between 13 to 30 years old. This group of customers accounts for more than fifty percent of the companies sales and are also important in providing stimulus for individuals in other demographic category.
The key positioning strategy of the company is envisioned in the statement highlighting that it manufacturers original American blue jeans. The customers of Levi’s product have a perception that Levi’s brand stands for youthfulness, rebellion, originality, excitement, quality and fun. In order to maintain close relationship with the targeted customers, Levi’s brand has to be relevant to the cultural, social and consumer trends (Lin 2012). The company should also be able to maintain its positioning strategy in the minds of its targeted customers.
Levi’s current brand identity is in alignment with its brand image (Rhim & Cooper 2005). The company still maintains its original brand image of being a producer of quality jeans in the global market. The company is identified with the design and manufacturing of America jeans that are stylish and considered youthful. This implies that the brand image is maintained hence customer’s loyalty and trust ensured. The brand image of the company is also an important differentiation strategy that can be used by the company in its marketing plans. It brand image enables its products to be differentiated from the products of rival firms hence ensures that it has competitive advantage over the rival firms in the market.
The Targeted Market for Levi
Targeted market is an important factor that should be considered by companies so as to be able to realize their objectives (Palumbo & Herbig 2000). The targeted market of a product is an essential factor that determines sales of the products. Most organization values their target market and design product that suits the targeted market. Product of organizations should be manufactured with an idea of the targeted market so as to ensure that the demands and needs of the targeted market are realized. Levi’s brand targets various customers that consist of both the upper and middle class. The company manufactures clothing that is affordable for the middle class as well as the upper class. To achieve the objective of reaching both the middle and upper class, the company used various materials and offers its products at different prices for the upper and middle class customers. This allows the targeted customers to be able to enjoy the products of the company.
Levi put a lot of emphasis on customers that are aged between 13 to 30 years. Most of its products are designed to suit the needs of the targeted age group (Mehta 2000). One of the fundamental objectives of the company is to maintain close relationship with its customers by designing and manufacturing jeans that correspond to the needs of the customers. The jeans are designed using appropriate color, shape and materials so as to make them match the current style of fashion. The company also provides products that are suitable to different classes of individuals hence enable it to satisfy the needs of all its targeted customers (Kalafatis et al 2000). The various branches that the company maintains in the global market enable it to reach a wide number of its customers. The company ensures that its products are accessible to all of its targeted customers by making them available in several retail shops and clothing companies. This makes the products to be accessible and convenient to all its targeted customers.
The company offers competitive prices that cater for all the groups of its targeted customers. The prices are flexible, affordable and based on the financial ability of the targeted customers (Low & Lamb 2000). The products that are meant for middle class are less expensive as opposed to products that are aimed for upper class customers. This provides an opportunity for all its customers to be able to enjoy the benefit associated with its clothing. The needs of targeted customers of Levis products are satisfied through making of the products to be accessible, have high quality, be convenience and consist of variety.
The Needs of the Targeted Customers
Individual needs can be illustrated using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Kaynak & Kara 2002). According to Maslow, human beings have five basic needs that include psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self actualization needs. Customer needs can therefore be explained with the use of Maslow hierarchy of needs. The targeted customers of Levis products are mainly composed of the youth. Youths as the targeted customers can exhibit a number of needs such as social, safety and psychological.
Jeans manufactured by Levi satisfy Youths social and safety needs. Safety needs are satisfied since the products are able to protect individuals from danger and also to feel safe. Clothing is important in protecting individuals from bad whether conditions. Clothing also ensures that individual’s safety is guaranteed hence they are not exposed to health hazards. Another need that is satisfied by the Levi’s brand is the social need. Since jeans are associated with a specific age group of customers, individuals in that age group will have a sense of belonging when they purchase such clothing. Wearing of jeans by these individuals will help satisfy their social needs by making them feel that they belong to the youth group in the society.
Positioning Strategy
Positioning strategy helps organizations to establish the identity of their products in the minds of consumers (Ambler et al 2002). Positioning strategy is important in establishing a product brand and image. The positioning strategy of a product is influenced by a number of factors that are related to the motivations and requirement of customers (Tyagi 2000). It can also be influenced by the behaviors of competitors and other stakeholders of organization such as suppliers and employees. The main positioning strategy of Levi’s products is displayed in it’s the targeted group of customers. The company targeted customers who are aged between 13 and 30 years. Targeting customers of specific age groups is a type of positioning strategy that considers demographic nature of customers. Targeting customers according to their demographic characteristics is essential in establishing a brand image of the company. It promotes self branding of individuals by making a particular age group to be attached to a product. Youths are therefore attached to Levis products since they are designed to meet their needs.
The company also identifies itself as the leading manufacturer and inventor of blue jeans. This positing strategy makes customers to feel that Levis blue jeans are original and superior to jeans from other companies. They also identifies themselves with jeans that are classy, modern, trendy, comfortable, dynamic, high quality and innovative. Consumer perception regarding the company’s product identifications will enable them to trust the company hence purchases its products.
Conclusions
Levi has remained competitive in the market due to its unique and innovative production techniques. The company’s brand has remained competitive in the market due to various innovative ideas. This has enabled the company to maintain its brand image and identity.
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