Unit I Marketing Cisco Brand

Columbia Southern University

Unit I Marketing Cisco Brand

Two questions are asked about Cisco, first how is building a brand in a business-to-business context different from doing so in the consumer market, and is Cisco’s plan to reach out to consumers a viable one? Why or Why not? In order to answer these questions about the company let’s start off with a little about the company. The company was founded in 1984 by a married couple who at Stanford University in the computer operations department. In 1990 when the couple sold the company and went public the married couple left the company. Shortly after the company went public the couple left the company due to conflicting interest with the new CEO and president.
When evaluating if Cisco’s plan to reach out to consumers a viable by building a brand in a business-to-business context different from doing so in the consumer market clearly shows in its plan how viable the plan is. The backbone of the company was the internet, which made the company one of the fastest growing companies in history by earning over one billion to $300 billion between 1991 and 1999. However, years after the company made millions it soon found its brand awareness was at an all-time low. Cisco quickly realized in-order for the company to strive as it once did the company would need to start getting its brand out to other businesses.
After developing partnerships with Matsushita, Sony, and US West to co-brand the company’s modems Cisco’s understood the importance of business-to-business context appose to direct consumer market. The company understood constructing business-to-business brand also requires awareness or educational building activities. At the end of the 20th century the company launched its first television spots “Are You Ready” as part of a campaign. Facts about the Internet,