Page 308 - Marketing Management

CRAFTING THE BRAND POSITIONING | CHAPTER 10 285

Nike’s brand mantra of “authentic
athletic performance” guides the
types of products it makes and the
athletes it hires as endorsers.

Brand mantras are powerful devices. They can provide guidance about what products to in-
troduce under the brand, what ad campaigns to run, and where and how to sell the brand. Their
influence, however, can extend beyond these tactical concerns. Brand mantras may even guide
the most seemingly unrelated or mundane decisions, such as the look of a reception area and
the way phones are answered. In effect, they create a mental filter to screen out brand-inappro-
priate marketing activities or actions of any type that may have a negative bearing on cus-
tomers’ impressions of a brand.
Brand mantras must economically communicate what the brand is and what it is not.What
makes for a good brand mantra? McDonald’s brand philosophy of “Food, Folks, and Fun” captures
its brand essence and core brand promise. Two high-profile and successful examples—Nike and
Disney—show the power and utility of a well-designed brand mantra.

Nike Nike has a rich set of associations with consumers, based on its innovative prod-
uct designs, its sponsorships of top athletes, its award-winning advertising, its competitive
drive, and its irreverent attitude. Internally, Nike marketers adopted the three-word brand
mantra, “authentic athletic performance,” to guide their marketing efforts. Thus, in Nike’s
eyes, its entire marketing program—its products and how they are sold—must reflect those Disney’s brand mantra of “fun
key brand values. Over the years, Nike has expanded its brand meaning from “running shoes” to “athletic family entertainment” provides
shoes” to “athletic shoes and apparel” to “all things associated with athletics (including equipment).” guardrails so its marketing stays
Each step of the way, however, it has been guided by its “authentic ath- on track.
letic performance” brand mantra. For example, as Nike rolled out its
successful apparel line, one important hurdle for the products was that
they could be made innovative enough through material, cut, or design
to truly benefit top athletes. At the same time, the company has been
careful to avoid using the Nike name to brand products that do not fit
with the brand mantra (like casual “brown” shoes).

Disney Disney developed its brand mantra in re-
Disney sponse to its incredible growth through licensing and prod-
uct development during the mid-1980s. In the late 1980s,
Disney became concerned that some of its characters, such
as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, were being used inap-
propriately and becoming overexposed. The characters were on so many
products and marketed in so many ways that in some cases it was