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A major part of audience analysis is assesing the current image of the company, its products, and its competitors. Image is the set of beliefs, ideas, and impresssions a person holds regarding an object. People's attitudes and actions toward an object are highly conditioned by the obbjects of the image. Images are "sticky"; they persist the long after the organization has changed. Explain why this is so and how marketers can change a person's image about an object

Public Comments

1. marketers can change the image of a product/service/org through a combination of all these, rebranding, IMC - use of integrated marketing communications, strengthening and improving the service experience, improving service quality, etc etc which all can assure some positive word of mouth
2. Weather a customer has an active or passive sustained image of a company, it is up to the company to demonstrate the change to both. The best way to do this is thru a special marketing technique called Integrity. Being honest and truthful is always the best way to go, but you have to understand who your target market is and address your target market. I mean don't have a Bentley ad and depict a 21 year old driving it, that is not realistic. Icon is a term that I use to describe an interactive relationship between companies and consumers. Icons define the person and place them in a certain category. i.e. I own a BMW, I wear Eddie Bauer, etc. When you take a look at the individuals larger icon picture you get certain relational data. Association - See, I am BMW because I own one, but BMW is also what I own. If I own a BMW and go thru the Burger King drive-thru all the time than BMW is fast food burgers. At least in the minds of people that see these things. There is a two way street that happens but predominately what happens is that because I own a BMW I buy leather goods and dine at fine restaurants, or at least try to give the impression that I do. Kind of silly and pretentious but what do you expect in a material world? I don't believe I really answered your question but just ask yourself what are your Products/Objects/Icons related to, and what will I seek to become when I own them.
3. For our discussion we will assume that a company, its products and services are alike a brand. Image of brand/company or its products and services in the eyes of its consumers are a function of 3 things viz. communication and experience of the brand with the consumers, communication of its competitors with the consumers, and noise (general communication which these consumers are exposed to across categories). Image therefore is a function of all these 3 and is hence not controllable totally by the brand owners. Images are sticky yes, but not sustainable for a long time without the efforts of brand owners. The real responsibility of the brand owner is therefore not only to position his brand but understand where this positioning arises from. Positioning again is a temporary aspect and has to evolve with time. Brand owners have to understand the brand identity more than anything else to manage the "image" or "positioning" of the brand. Brand identity is a concept presented first time by Aaker and then taken forward by Kaferer in his book "Brand Management". Brand identity has 6 aspects to it: Brand Physique: What does the brand or products or services under it do to its consumers Brand Personality: What would the brand be if it were a human? What aspect of human personality would the brand exemplify? Brand Relationship: What relationship does the brand share with its consumers? Is it a friend? is it a assistant? is it a guardian angel? Is it a relationship of love and care? This has to be understood and defined by the brand owner Brand Culture: Where does the brand has its roots? it could be geogrpahic, psychographic, cultural, national, continental, ethnic, of a particular group of individuals, again this has to be understood and defined by brand owner after studying the brand history and evolution Brand Reflection: What do the consumers of the brand want the world to perceive them as having used the brand? Brand self image: What are consumer are really from inside? These faces of the brand identity prism are again divided into external and internal faces. Physique, relationship and relfection are external faces which are facing the outside world and interacting with it. All the communication of the brand are a result of these 3 aspects. But these 3 are linked very strongly with the internal aspects of Personality, culture and self image. A brand cannot deviate from its internal values and hence there are certain things which it can do and certain things which it cant. The positioning, imagery and other communication of the brand has to arise from the external aspects of the brand and these can be adjusted and adapted according to the needs of times and environmental changes,but the the internal aspects are like DNA of the brand and cannot be tampered with and have to be dealt with utmost care. The Brand or company exist because of a vision, this brand vision shapes its values which in turn take the form of internal values of the brand and the brands constant interaction with the environment result in the brands external values which continuosly communicate the brand values to the consumers. For example Audi a german brand of automobiles is all about perfection, the vision of the company is to provide perfection in automobiles engg. Therefore it speaks about it through its products and services to the consumer. With changing times Audis image in the eye of its consumer might change, its positioning might change but at core the value of perfection is the DNA of the brand. A marketer thus by understanding the brand deeper can alter it marketing mix, products and services. What marketing mix to be used or wat integrated marketing activities to intiate is just a fall out of what the brand is and what it is trying to do. The organization might change but the core value of the brand and the brand identity remain constant. The external factors keep evolving with changing times but are always in sync with the the internal values and vision.