Page 234 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

Brand Development and Brand Strategy 203

customers subconsciously decide if they want to be associated with this
brand, just like they decide if they want to be associated with other people.
If a brand persona is unpopular and unattractive, then it will affect the sale.
The brand persona here is very similar to the brand personality in Aaker’s
brand identity model.

Example 8.2: Brand Personas for Mail Services
This example is from Davis (2000). Table 8.3 lists the brand personas of three
major mail carriers: Federal Express, U.S. Post Office, and UPS.

8.2.3 Brand Equity
Brand equity is the set of assets (and liabilities) that is linked to a brand
name and symbol. The brand equity adds (or subtracts) the value provided
by a product or service to a firm and/or that firm’s customers (Aaker 1996).

During the 1980s, a lot of research was done to define and estimate the true
value of brands to the competitive position of enterprises (Keller 1993,
Aaker 1991, Farquhar 1989, Tauber 1988). There were two reasons for this

Table 8.3 Brand Personas for Three Mail Carriers

FedEx U.S. Post Office UPS

Male or Female Male Male
Young Old Middle-aged
Athletic Grumpy Evolving

Friendly Not reliable Inconsistent
Prompt Low technology Friendly
Dependable Unsophisticated Brown uniforms

Energetic Overweight Unionized
High technology Complacent Okay service
Problem solvers Slow Professional

Motivated Rigid International
Professional Problem makers Problem solvers