Page 241 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

210 Chapter Eight

very inhomogeneous, so the brand image that the company tries to communicate
to customers will be perceived differently. For example, a particular brand
image might be very attractive to one age group, but unattractive to all other age
groups.

Culture is also an important uncontrollable factor. People from different
cultural backgrounds and business clients from different corporate cultures
will see things in different ways, so cultural factors may affect how
customers perceive the brand image.

Competitive activity is clearly a very important, uncontrollable factor. The
number of competitors and the relative strength of competitors will make a
tremendous impact on brand image. Therefore, it is critical to conduct a
competitive analysis in the early stages of the brand development process.
The customer is another uncontrollable factor. Clearly, the company that owns
the brand cannot control customers. Customers are at the receiving end of the
brand and its associated products. The products and service must meet the
needs and wants of customers. The company cannot control the customers,
but it can try to understand the customers’needs. The ability of the product or
service to meet the needs of its customers is a critical factor in creating the
brand loyalty that will determine the success or failure of the brand.

8.3.2 Overview of the Brand Development Process

There have been different processes proposed for brand development. These
processes are fundamentally based on two paradigms. The first paradigm
views the brand development process as being closely associated with the
development and marketing of new products (Watkins 1986). In this
paradigm, the brand development process is called the classical brand man-
agement process (Aaker 2000) , and it consists of the following steps:
1. Market exploration
2. Preliminary financial analysis and screening
3. Formal business analysis and planning
4. Product and brand development
5. Product testing
6. Product launch

Recent trends in brand development have elevated brand management to a
more strategic position within the organization, as defined by the brand
leadership model (Aaker 2000) and brand asset management process