Page 233 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

202 Chapter Eight

survival is mostly dependent upon having a low price. If a brand fills or
somewhat fills the middle layer, it becomes a surviving brand. It is better
than the commodity. The most powerful brands fill all the layers in the brand
value pyramid.

Figure 8.5 shows Ralph Lauren’s brand value pyramid. Ralph Lauren has
achieved the strongest brand status in its product class. Many brands can
deliver the features and attributes illustrated in Fig. 8.5, that is, offering high
quality, durable, and classic-looking clothes. But few of them can say their
clothes allow their customers to make a statement. Wearing Ralph Lauren
clothes is like driving a Mercedes Benz in its appeal to social status. The
psychological benefits of this kind of brand name usually take years to
evolve; they are difficult to explain and even more difficult to duplicate.

Brand Persona
According to Davis (2000), brand persona is the set of human characteristics
that consumers associate with the brand, such as personality, appearance,
values, likes and dislikes, gender, size, shape, ethnicity, intelligence, socioe-
conomic class, and education. Brand persona brings the brand to life, and

Beliefs and
values Proud
Self-esteem
Confident
Happiness
Fulfilled

Associated with most
Benefits
respected designer
High status
Customers feel like they are in style

Wide variety of clothes and accessories
Highest quality and durability
Features
and attributes Classic looking
Competitively priced
Serves multiple types of customers

Figure 8.5 Ralph Lauren’s Brand Value Pyramid (Davis, 2000)