Brand Equity, Brand Awareness, and Brand Image
COM 302

Brand Equity, Brand Awareness, and Brand Image
As consumers in the United States of America, Americans encounter a number of advertisements daily. Too many to possibly remember them all, then why do we choose Nike shoes, Colgate toothpaste, McDonalds food, or Toyota cars? Choices made by consumers are often affected by the brand image of the product purchased. A brand exists when a marketing entity receives its own name, term, sign, symbol, design, or any particular combination of these elements as a form of identification (Shimp, 2010). Without a recognizable brand, a product is but a mere commodity. Brands do not only furnish the environment in which we live, but also define who we are. Consumers like brands because they package meaning. They form a kind of shorthand that makes choices easier and in a world where time is an ever-diminishing commodity; brands make it easier to store evaluations (Aaker & Biel, 1993). The distinction between brand image and brand equity is that brand equity deals with the value, usually defined in economic terms, of a brand beyond the physical assets associated with its manufacture or provision (Aaker & Biel, 1993). Brand awareness comes from the brand image. Awareness includes strong, favorable, unique associations with a product. The highest awareness comes from consumers when they can recall from memory a specific brand when a product is mentioned. For example, if someone sneezes and needs a tissue most people will ask for a Kleenex. Whether the product that is handed to them is actually the Kleenex brand is not guaranteed. However, Kleenex has such a strong brand that most consumers call all tissues a Kleenex.
The Kleenex brand was established in the early 1920’s by Kimberly Clark, a paper manufacturer that was expanding her business. She had developed a creped wadding for her first ever consumer product, Kotex. The feminine hygiene product was not welcomed in the marketplace so the company needed to find other ways to use its large supply of creped wadding. By changing the ingredient blends and using different pulps, scientists were able to make a softer crepe and from this the idea of Kleenex facial tissue was developed for women’s needs (Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc, 2014). There was an increase in cosmetic use and the makers hoped that the tissues could be a convenient replacement for the unsightly ‘cold cream towel’ that was regularly used by most women. The first Kleenex tissue ad was printed in the Ladies Home Journal in 1925 and expanded to McCall’s, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Redbook, all women’s magazines. In 1927, the ads also began featuring screen and stage stars to endorse this latest beauty secret. Using celebrities to endorse a product is common in the 21st century and is a marketing tool that can be very successful and build brand image and equity. It was also around this time that a head researcher for Kleenex started using the tissues in place of a handkerchief. This head researcher was male and brought up the brilliant idea to market Kleenex brand tissues for sneezing and other nose needs, instead of cold cream to the head of advertising. The concept struck and in 1930, the idea of Kleenex tissue as a handkerchief substitute was launched. Sales of Kleenex tissues doubled the first year of this new marketing plan (Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc, 2014). Instead of being a product just for women, it now served men, women and children too.
The Kleenex brand has remained strong and viable for many years because of the company’s awareness to its consumers. They have built a brand image and name that most all consumers can recognize. Over the years they have become innovative, such as in World War II when paper restrictions limited their production. However, the same material used for Kleenex tissue was used for sterile dressings by filed doctors and nurses. Through popular promotions and advertising the Kleenex brand became a hallmark in the facial tissue industry. In the 1950’s, Kleenex used Little LuLu who appeared in popular paint books and as dolls and masks. Her 1954 book of magic tricks featured slight-of-hand tricks using Kleenex tissues. In the 1960’s, American habits, images, and icons were changing rapidly. Kleenex moved most of its advertising from evening to daytime programming anticipating emerging daytime television programming, and reaching the target audience that did most of the household shopping. In the 1970’s the Kleenex brand brought new styles and designs to reflect trends. The Kleenex boutique line had stylish design boxes that could accent your home décor. The 1980’s and 90’s brought the first scented Kleenex line and they increased the popular design boxes by beginning the holiday collection. In the 2000’s the Kleenex brand is continuing to comfort people in over 150 countries. They have also made branding alliances with designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, and have met consumer demands making more quality products developed to comfort those consumers with colds, allergies, or special needs such as the Anti-Viral Kleenex that kills 99.9% of cold and flu virus in the tissue. Throughout the years Kleenex has built a loyal clientele that recognizes the company’s effort to values and consistently puts out a product that appeal to consumers. Buyers know when they buy the Kleenex brand what to expect. This marketing communication plays an essential role in creating positive brand equity and building strong brand loyalty (Shimp, 2010).
There are other tissue brands that are similar to the Kleenex brand, such as Puffs. Puffs is the only other competitor that ranks in the top two of consumer reports 'Kleenex & Puffs Blow Away the Competition in Consumer Reports’ Tests of Facial Tissues’ (2013). However, Puffs image is not as withstanding as Kleenex. Puffs began in 1960 and even though they were the first to put lotion in their tissues, Kleenex soon followed suit. A New York Times article states that, Internal Kleenex research indicates that softness is the most important quality for 84 percent of facial tissue purchasers, but the company and its competitors still pursue other innovations to stand out on the shelf (Newman, 2011). Furthermore, in 2010 Kleenex spent $51.9 million on advertising while Puff spent $29.5 million (Newman, 2010). During the cold and flu months advertising plays an important role for both companies. Kleenex brand has added certain aspects to their company that outshines the Puffs brand such as, interactive website where a consumer can send a travel-size package of tissues to a friend or family member. This was called the ‘Softness Worth Sharing’ program and over one million samples were delivered. When consumers make a gift of the product to friends or family members it could well foster a stronger relationship between the consumer and the brand simply because of the feel-good nature of the promotion. This image is important to gain customer loyalty and trust, and the company receives a higher market share.
As everyday consumers of products in the United States we each make associations, which are particular thoughts and feelings that we have linked in memory with a particular brand. Companies understand that building a brand takes time and effort. However, sustaining that brand image throughout many years, as Kleenex has, is difficult to do. Companies that succeed are innovative, listen to what their consumers want, and make changes necessary to keep the brand image positive.
References
Aaker, D. A., & Biel, A. L. (1993). Brand equity and advertising:Advertising’s role in building strong brands (Rev ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Consumer Reports. (July 3, 2013). Kleenex and Puffs blow away the competition in consumer reports tests of facial tissues. Retrieved from http://consumerreports.org
Kimberly Clark Worldwide, Inc. (2014). Kleenex Brand Through the Decades. Retrieved from http://www.kleenex.com
Newman, A. A. (2011, September 28). Researching the sneeze and how to handle it. New York Times, B3. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/media/researching-the-sneeze-and-how-to-handle-it.html?_r=0
Shimp, T. A. (2010). Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated marketing communications (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.