Marketing
The Intangibility Of Perception Building In Corporate Branding
By Kehinde Ruth Onasoga
One ad from the 1990s that I remember fondly is the Pepsi " Generation Next " campaign . It was everywhere - on TV , in magazines , and on billboards . I vividly recall how Pepsi used young celebrities - across its different markets and catchy music to create a vibrant , energetic image that seemed to capture the essence of youth and modernity .
Even though I didn ’ t fully grasp the marketing strategy at the time , the campaign made a strong impression . Evidently , as decades on , it ' s still one I recall .
Pepsi made itself known as the brand for young people by playing to our rebelliousness and sense of style . This was done with a clear , consistent message that we liked and smart use of pop culture .
Years later , it was clear that the promotion wasn ' t just about selling soda ; it was also about making people remember the brand . Pepsi built a strong , long-lasting image that many of us still thought of long after the campaign was over by linking itself to youthful energy and cultural relevance .
This is a great example of how branding can change how we think about and remember things , even if we ' re not aware of it at the time .
The Intangible Nature of Perception
A design , colours , or a well-known name are not the only things that make people think of a brand . These days , the emotional link between a company and its customers is of greater importance . Kantar ’ s 2021 BrandZ Top 30 Most Valuable African Brands list shows that Safaricom Kenya ' s brand strength went up by 18 % after they switched from rigid , impersonal messaging to stories and communitybased marketing .
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Building a brand ' s reputation is a longterm plan that focuses on what the brand does for its customers . Why should they care about your brand over your competitors who offer the same or a similar service ?
Selling is emotional ; it ’ s about mindset .
How then can a corporate brand influence these critical factors toward its success ? It is in connecting with the audience ’ s needs on a basic level and maintaining consistency in that narrative .
Take FrieslandCampina WAMCO ’ s Peak Milk “ It ’ s in You ” campaign , which focused on personal empowerment . This narrative led to a 20 % increase in consumer preference for the brand in Nigeria because it appealed to the emotional and aspirational mindset of its audience .
Challenges in Measuring Perception : Problems with Figuring Out What People See
Although perception is powerful , it is hard to measure as it is relative and hard to pin down . Here are two main problems in measuring perception :
The Subjective Nature of Perception
Perception varies from person to person because it is based on each individual ’ s experiences , culture , and social factors .
What makes one customer feel a connection may not make another person feel the same way .
For example , Pepsi ' s " Generation Next " ad might have hit home with young people in major cities but not so much with those in rural areas . Cultural differences also have a big impact on how words are understood . It ' s possible that a strategy that works in Lagos might not work as well in northern Kano . Because of this , it ' s hard to figure out how to measure opinion across different groups .
Metrics and Indicators
Despite these challenges , brands have come up with a number of ways to find out how consumers feel about them :
Brand Equity polls : In my research , I found that companies such as Safaricom and Peak Milk often do brand equity polls to have a good sense of how consumers perceive their value and importance .
These polls find out how well a brand is connecting with its audience by checking for an emotional link , brand recall , and loyalty . Recall the last YouTube pop-up survey that asked if you had seen a recent ad from a known brand ?
The Net Promoter Score ( NPS ), a great tool deployed by us at PANDORA , we ask customers how likely they are to tell others about our brand . NPS is a good gauge to figure out how people feel about a brand , as it shows how much trust and positive emotion people associate with the brand , especially if it ' s a product or service they use .
Social Listening Tools : Zoho Social , Hootsuite , and Brandwatch are some examples of tools that analyze digital conversations to understand how consumers talk about a brand . By tracking keywords , sentiment , and engagement , organisations can monitor real-time feedback on their perception in the market and the minds of their consumers .
There are limits to even these measurements .
Surveys on brand equity can only offer