Brands and Symbolism

As we all know that brands succeed because they represent more than just utilitarian benefits. The physical constituents of the product or service are augmented through creative marketing to give added values that satisfy social and psychological needs. Surrounding the intrinsic physical product with an aura, or personality gives us far greater confidence in using well-known brands. Evidence of this can be seen in one study which investigated the role that branding played in drugs sold in retail stores. People suffering from headaches were given an analgesic. Some were given the drug in its generic form, lacking any branding. The branded analgesic was more effective than the generic analgesic and it was calculated that just over a quarter of the pain relief was attributed to branding. What had happened was that branding had added an image of serenity around the pharmacological ingredients and in the consumers’ minds, had made the medication more effective than the unbranded tablets.

Brands are part of the culture of a society and as the culture changes so they need to be updated. For example, the Surf brand has been portrayed in television advertisements by the personality ‘Lalitaji’. She epitomized the home-centered house- wife devoted solely to the well being of her family along with intelligence of buying the right thing in the right budget. With the changing role of women in society, the brand has1 had to move with the times. Today the mother in Surf ads is an independent, busy woman with a fulltime job as well as a growing family to take care of. In both if these roles she is shown as a successful person who conveys a no-nonsense, warm, modern personality. Surf’s brand image has been updated to match the lifestyle of the modern consumer and its continuing success is partly due to this.

In the marketing circuit, a criticism is often voiced that many models of consumer behavior have not paid sufficient attention to the social meanings people perceive in different products. A lot of emphasis has historically been placed on the functional utility of products, and less consideration has been given to the way some people buy products for good feelings, fun and incase of art and entertainment, even for fantasies.

Today, however, consumer research and marketing activity is changing to reflect the fact that consumers are increasingly evaluating products not just in terms of what they can do, but also in terms of what they mean. The subject of symbolic interactions has evolved to explain the type of behavior whereby consumers show more interest in brands for what they say about them rather than what they do for them. As we as consumers interact with other members of society, we learn through the responses of other people the symbolic meanings of products and brands. Their buying, giving and consuming of brands facilitates communication between people. For example, blue jeans symbolize informality and youth. Advertising and other types of marketing communication help give symbolic meanings to brands, the classic example of this being the advertising behind Levi jeans.

The symbolic meaning of brands is strongly influenced by the people with whom the consumer interacts. A new member of a social group may have formed ideas about the symbolic meaning of a brand from advertisements, but if such a person hears contrary views from their friends about the brand, they will be notably influenced by their views. To be part of a social group, the person doesn’t just need to adhere to the group’s attitudes and beliefs, but also to reflect these attitudes and beliefs through displaying the right sorts of brands.

We see that some brands have capitalized on the added value of symbolism, i.e. meanings and values over and above the functional element of the product or service. Symbolism is sought by people in all walks of life to help them better understand their environment. Different marquees of cars succeed because they enable drivers to say something about who they are. We may buy different brands of ties, such as Satya Paul as opposed to Marks & Spencer, not just for their aesthetic design, but to enhance self esteem.

To cope with the numerous social roles we play in life, brands are invaluable in helping set the scene for the people we are with. As such, they help individuals join new groups more easily. New members at a golf club interpret the social information inherent in the brands owned by others and then select the right brand to communicate symbolically the right sort of message about themselves. When playing golf, smart trousers may be seen to be necessary to communicate the social role, but to play with a particular group of people it may be important to have the right brand as well. The symbolic meaning of the brand is defined by the group of people using it and varies according to the different social settings

Brands are also used by people as ritual devices to help celebrate a particular occasion. For example, Moet etc Chandon champagne is often served to celebrate a wedding, a birthday, or some other special event, even though there are many less expensive champagnes available.

We as consumers also strive to understand our environment better through decoding the symbolic messages surrounding us. A client working with an architect sees things like certificates on the architect’s wall, the tastefully designed office, the quality of the paper on which a report is word-processed, the binding of the report and the list of clients the architect has worked for. All of these are decoded as messages implying a successful practice.

Symbols acquire their meaning in a cultural context, so the culture of the society consuming the brands needs to be appreciated to understand the encoding and decoding process. People learn the – inherent meaning of different symbols and through regular contact with each other there is a consistent interpretation of them. To take a brand into a new culture may require subtle changes to ensure that the symbol acquires the right meaning in its new cultural context. For example, Red Cross becomes Red Crescent in the Middle East.

If a brand is to be used as a communication device, it must meet certain criteria. It must be highly visible when being bought or being used. It must be bought by a group of people who have clearly distinguishable characteristics, which in turn facilitates recognition of a particular stereotype. For example, The Guardian newspaper reader has been stereotyped as a well- educated person, possibly working in education or local government. In the newspaper market some reader’s select different brands as value-expressive devices. They provide a statement about who they are, where they are in life and what sort of person they are, since brands can act as self-expressive devices, users prefer brands, which come closest to meeting their own self-image.