Brand Building and Enhancement with Electronic Marketing Tools

• Main Authors: Tadas Limba, Virginija Jurkutė
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mykolas Romeris University 2013-08-01
• Series: Social Technologies
• Subjects: brand; brand components; electronic marketing tools; brand experience
• Online Access: https://www3.mruni.eu/ojs/social-technologies/article/view/485

The changing buying habits of customers and the tendency of the growing number of purchasers on the internet force companies to move their business or part of their processes to the electronic environment, and this causes the need to evolve a marketing strategy and its implementation measures. Electronic marketing has recently forced specialists in this field to look for new ways to satisfy the needs and expectations of customers, which often are associated with intangible attributes, such as brand. However, the lack of e-business managers, focusing on brand meaning to the company, is obvious. Quite often it is limited only to advertisement. But this is only one of the possible electronic marketing tools used in brand building and its enhancement process. Still there is a lack of detailed analysis of electronic marketing tools used in brand building and enhancement in the electronic environment.<br /> So, the goal of this paper was to present brand building and enhancement with the electronic marketing tools process model. It was done via analysis of brand peculiarities in the electronic environment and the strategic brand building and enhancement process. The suggested model helps to understand the electronic marketing tools position, objectives and functions in brand building and enhancement context.<br /> Detailed analysis of brand in the electronic environment showed that its essence and significance remains the same as in the traditional environment, but differs in implementation. Brand idea is developed not only considering consumer perceptions and values, but also organization strategy, culture and values, which matches its employers’ perceptions and values towards brand. Brand essence is implemented via such brand components as 1) brand name, sign of ownership, legal protection; 2) functional capabilities; 3) emotional value; 4) risk reducing; 5) shorthand notation; 6) service components. Brand in the electronic environment is influenced by such factors as 1) interactivity; 2) personalization (customization); 3) relevance of information about the brand; 4) website design and 5) functionality; 6) online service; 7) online brand communities; 8) customer revisits and 9) relationship with brand users.<br /> According to the findings above, the theoretical model was made to implement cyclic brand building and enhancement of the electronic marketing tools process. The process consists of six stages— 1) brand idea sources analysis and brand idea identification, 2) brand components selection, 3) factors influencing brand in electronic environment evaluation, 4) electronic marketing tools selection, 5) brand experience creation, 6) brand review, development and enhancement. This process is endless; at the end of one cycle it has to be revised and adopted to the situation that the brand is in at that moment. This constant brand adoption will create positive brand experience for customers and enhance the value of brand. But it will happen only if the companies do so strategically with a comprehensive approach.