Marketers develop living or non-living characters and add personality and meaning to it in the context of brand development. These characters are called Brand Symbols. Marketers present their brand character in a static manner. Captain Cook does not walk and Mc Donald’s sits. However to create likeability among consumers, their interactivity (i.e. not static) could be exploited.
It has been observed that 80% of consumers’ learning happens through their eyes. It is easier to link in memory visual elements (e.g. Brand Character) rather than words (e.g. Brand Names). Hence it is for the marketer to decide/plan to exploit the opportunity provided by the Brand Character in the process of creating learning about the brand. The overall research process to decide on a brand character involves both qualitative and quantitative research.
Qualitative Research
You would require understanding the following –
- Personality (projective techniques to determine whether the brand and the customer are ‘made for each other’ or not
- Fitness with name of each option, along with rationale
- Fitness with slogan of each option, along with rationale
- Fitness with brand associations (current for existing brand and proposed for a new brand) of each option, along with rationale
- Fitness on Pack
- Fitness with proposed role in advertising (appropriate stimuli to be used) of each option, along with rationale
- Comparison among character options, along with rationale
- Fitness with specific brand extension options, and reasons for the same
Quantitative Research
This would focus on ascertaining the following –
- Thoughts evoked on seeing each option, and grouping of thoughts as positive and negative.
- Likeability of each option
- Specific likes and dislikes of each option, reasons for the same.
- Uniqueness of each option
- Comparison of each option with symbols of competition
- Rating of each option’s fitness with pack
- Rating of each option’s fitness across a battery of general and specific traits, e.g. cute, stylish, friendly, matured and loveable Specific brand associations and brand slogan (desired or current) should also be included (A ten point numeric scale could be used).
- Preference among symbol options (though a preference scale)
- Preference among name options (through a preference scale)
