Consumer psychology brand audit

Assessment 1: Brand audit

 

Weighting: 25%

 

Word length: 2500wmaximum, including tables, images (references are excluded).

Summary analysis word count = 1,800 – 2,000 words, with an additional 500 words for tables/maps.

Group assessment: 2-3 individuals maximum!

 

Report paper:

 

Submit your brand choice to your tutor no later than Week 2 workshop! Any assignments submitted without having the brand choice approved by your tutor are in jeopardy of not meeting the ‘brand choice requirement’, and as a consequence the group may fail this assessment.

 

 

Brand Audit task:

You are required to audit a brand’s positioning strategy relative to its competitors. The purpose behind a brand audit is to analyse the influence of brand’s marketing strategy on consumption. For this assessment task you will analyse a brand’s strategy and evaluate how the strategy influencesconsumption and consumer perception. You are NOT evaluating performance. You are NOT developing a strategy.

 

Choosing a brand:

1. Choose asingle brand within a product category which you can find and collect brand-related information (e.g. advertisements, news/business articles, websites).

 

2. Ensure your chosen brand engages sustainability/CSR activities. You may need to investigate the parent company for insight into sustainability/CSR activities. EG: The brand (eg Cadbury Marvellous Creations) sustainability actions directly links to the parent company Cadbury fairtrade sourcing of sustainable cocoa. For example: Cadbury has instigated ‘Cocoa Life’ which aims to engage ethical cocoa production across the supply chain and help to secure the next generation of cocoa farmers.

 

3. The sustainability/CSR dimension will link to Assessment 3 – see Assess 3 guidelines.

 

4. The brand (good, service) is to be currently offered for sale in the Australian market today by a specific company (it need not be manufactured in Australia).

 

Some tips for choosing a brand:

• Choose a brand/product all group members purchase regularly – this will assist in creating the means-chain analysis!
• With multi-national organisations that comprise of many brand entities under a parent brand you are required to choose a brand entity, not the organisation, for example Nudie Juice as opposed to Nudie Yogurt or Nudie soup; Cadbury Marvellous Creations as opposed to Cadbury Dairy Milk or Cadbury Coco; VW Golfor VW Polo or VW Amarok not VW as an organization.
• However, a fashion brand such as Carla Zampatti, Collette Dinnegan or Kookai represents a single fashion brand as well as an organizational entity. If the fashion brand has a sports and classical line may possibly further refine the consumption category.
• If you are confused – the brand chosen at the point of purchase will be your point of analysis!

 

 

 

Brand Audit Report structure:

To complete this task you will draw on your knowledge from Introduction to Marketing and 2004MKT content (lectures and workshops) discussed up to and including week 5. Specifically, your report will comprisethe following sections: USE THE FOLLOWING SECTION HEADINGS!

 

• Brand overview:
• (10%; summary analysisapprox. 200w)

2) Brand target psychographic profile:

• (20%, summary analysis approx. 400w)

3) Brand strategyand CSR/Sustainability analysis

• (25%, summary analysis approx. 600w)

4) Brand associative network analysis (BANA)

• (20%, summary analysis approx 600w)

5) Strategy recommendations

–     (20%; approx. 400w)

6) Referencing (5%)

 

Note: word limits for each section are estimations only and evidence weighting of analysis effort as per marking rubric.

 

 

Report guidelines

 

Ensure you target your analysis to the brand entity/product, not the organization!

 

Section 1: Brand overview

Task: Identify the industry or category your brand is in and succinctly overview the brand/product entity (e.g: fashion retail, fast moving consumable, technological, niche brand, new market entrant, established brand with historical leverage (or not), established brand circa 1980 etc)

 

Example: Kookai overview

Kookai is an established niche brand operating in the fast-fashion retail sector.Kookai, an Australian textile and clothing manufacturer, encapsulates the vibrant Australian culture with French style. Originally founded as a French fashion label the brand has transitioned to a bespoke fashion label which uniquely 1) creates in-house prints and fabrics and 2) vertically integrates production processes ensuring exclusiveness of design and manufacturing. The first brick and mortar store opened in 1992 with over 30 stores currently throughout Australia and New Zealand, and a web presence since 2002. The KOOKAÏ vision is centred around a designer collection accessible to all.

 

Section 2: Psychographic profile of the brand’s target audience

Task: Succinctly describe the brand’s target audience with emphasis on attitudinal and behavioural influences impacting decision-making.

 

Example: Psychographic profile of Kookai target audience

KOOKAÏ attracts a customer who is looking for a “charming” style – whether she’s student, professional or young mother. The KOOKAÏ young woman is feminine, chic, discerning yet edgy. Kookai’s key demographic is a 22-year-old female: “She is the most fickle, she is the most challenging, she tends to be the most interesting in terms of her social life and her spending habits; and they continuously want to push the boundaries in their personal goals and boundaries, and dress accordingly, yet with feminine flair.

 

 

Section 3: Brand strategy analysis

Task:You are to evaluate your brand’s strategy including key elements of the marketing strategy and brand ‘image’ positioning elements. An effective brand strategy maximises consumer relevancy and competitive distinctiveness.

 

This section will include:

3.1: Marketing Strategy Analysis: 

Identify and analyse your chosen brand’s 4p marketing and positioning strategy and possibly compare against a key competitor

• Some points to commence analysis – of course not limited to only these points:
• product entity: functional vs utilitarian; high vs low involvement product category; repetitive or special purchase
• price positioning strategy
• communications – discuss the brand’s positioning strategy, territory the brand ‘owns’, what is the brand promise
• distribution strategy – availability, dominance,

 

3.1a: Marketing Strategy Analysis

	Product/service	Location/ distribution	Packaging shape, size, colour etc	Promotion (identify key primary comms strategy)
Your brand	–        Sustainable cocoa development –        Source of Cocoa –        Sizing	–   Major food retailers – Coles/Woolworths/ IGA –   Smaller food retail outlets e.g. newsagents for smaller sizes –   Large in-store shelf space	Discuss aspects of packaging influencing consumption	–        Online – ‘Joy Ville’ interaction engaging consumers –        Traditional – TV –        In store – competitions
Competitor brand	–	–		–

 

3.1b: Brand Positioning Analysis

	Brand logo/symbol	Tagline (promise)	Brand colours	Brand personality
Your brand	Glass & ½ full cream milk logo – historical reference maintained	Free the Joy – happiness, delight, pleasure and intrigue	Distinctive Cadbury purple	Carnivalesque : Energetic and happy
Competitor brand

• Identify and synthesise brand elements of the most recent marketing/advertising campaign

 

NOTES for tables:

• Content within tables summarises data or dense/complex information in a more readable way – as such they are an effective means to summarise summary information. DO NOT provide a full explanation and/or full sentences.
• The information provided in tables should be succinct and comprehensive, but not verbose.
• Alter / add headings to reflect strategy elements of your brand.

3.2 Analyse the brand’s CSR/sustainability actions

– does the brand engage CSR activities that consumers are aware of – discuss

– does the brand strategically position themselves on a sustainability issue – discuss

– what doesn’t the brand do well relative to key competitor

 

 

 

3.2: Brand CSR initiatives and resultant sustainable outcomes

Your brand CSR initiative	Social value	Environmental value	Economic value
Recycled package	Consumer feels good about choice	Package can be recycled	–
Supports homeless foundation	Assists homeless community	–	Employment, training

 

 

3.3: Summarise key findings about your brand’s CSR

Evidencing the influence of brand’s marketing strategy and CSR/sustainability  strategy on consumption. This summary is to emanate from your analysis!  Analysis may focus on the following:

• Does your chosen brand own a distinctive place in TA minds? What is the brand’s point of difference?
• Does the brand strategy match consumers’ perceptions? Is the brand easy to understand, difficult to copy? Discuss
• What is the brand’s promise?Is the brand promise believable and credible relative to the 2 competitors? Has the promise been consistent over history, or does it change? Discuss.
• Identify key outcomes of the perceptual mapping analysis linking to strategy

 

Section 4: Brand associative network map

Task:The objective of this section is to harness in-depth understanding of the value consumer’s associate with brands and which ultimately influence consumption behaviour. We can do this by mapping consumer decision-making via associative network mapping (a more complex mapping interlinking underlying personal values, emotions and consequences driving consumption).

 

This section will include the following:

4.1:Associative network map (see exemplar below)

4.2:Summarise key findings

 

Source: Zambrero Associative Network (Student assignment)

Section 5: Strategy recommendations

From your analysis identify and justify 2 marketing strategy recommendations for your chosen brand which aim to enhance consumption or consumer perception of the brand. Use marketing strategy terminology with recommendations stemming from your analysis.

 

Your brand strategy recommendations will be derived from your analysis. You are required to reflect on the consumption analysis to make marketing strategy recommendations.

1. You will identify at least 2 key marketing recommendations and justify
2. The recommendations MUST evolve from the previous analysis

3. Use sub-headings in this section denoting key marketing strategy recommendations. It is critical that you use marketing terminology demonstrating that you can apply marketing strategy knowledge (e.g. new product development, pricing strategy, reposition the brand, distribution strategy). For example:

 

Strategy Recommendation 1: Consistent brand activation

Drawing inspiration from Taco Bell’s engagement with the local community, Zambrero could similarly place more emphasis on consistent brand activation at a local level. Although successfully demonstrating their activism through international relations with Rise Against Hunger, this would add value to the augmented product in a way that consumers can physically experience.  Whether this take the form of a recurring in-restaurant event each week or a mobile presence at community events, such as music festivals, a more vivid contribution to the local community, in more than just a charitable way, could foster a greater sense of belonging and more ‘die-hard’ community (Maslow, 1945).

 

 

 

Strategy Recommendation 2: Re-energizing brand imagery

Recognising GYG’s evident popularity amongst a youthful, outgoing target market, Zambrero could also benefit from positioning itself as a more exciting, innovative brand. Particularly through focusing on pushing content out on their social platforms that act capitalise on trending, humourous movements, consumers will develop a greater connection with the brand. By identifying their die-hard, loyal customers and providing ways to publicly recognise their commitment to Zambrero, whether through gestures similar to the #BringCalHome campaign or through merchandise, Zambrero can elevate its position to more than just altruistic.

 

 

6.0 Referencing

It is expected you will reference using the APA or Harvard styles (See Assessment tab on course L@G site).

Marks will be allocated for correct referencing only! See the Assessment 3 marking rubric.

 

DO NOT REFERENCE TEXT BOOKS – go directly to the source of knowledge.

DO NOT reference lecture slides/recordings!

 

 

Brand Audit Report paper (Overall):

This assignment requires you to use your words wisely, to think critically about the application of strategy to consumption behaviour, to integrate theory and models to analyse how a brand’s strategy encourages consumption. Importantly, the assignment requires you to engage in a process of editing to ensure you articulate yourself clearly and concisely.

 

You are also require to:

• Present the report format using the required headings.

• Keep to the word limit. References are excluded.
• Referencing style to be used is APA – guidelines are at Resource Bank on Navigation Menu at Learning@Griffith. See also the Assessment tab on course L@G site.
• Include a cover page detailing chosen brand, student name & ID information
• Include a cover page detailing chosen brand, student names & ID information.
• Writing quality is important, so please edit and revise your writing for careless spelling, formatting and poor grammar as these give the reader the impression of carelessness and a lack of regard for the assignment.  Also, good sentence and paragraph construction helps with the presentation and flow of your ideas and arguments.
• Prior to submission your report must meet these requirements: 1.5 spacing; 2.5cm margins; single sided; 12 font.
• Submit your document with .doc or .docx file extension.
  • Do not PDF your submission
  • Submit only .dox or .docx file extensions. Any assignments that cannot be opened will receive a mark of ‘0’.
• Name your assignment as per the following requirement:

Lastname_Firstname_snumber_AssignmentName (eg Smith_Jane_s123456_Assign1)

• Submission via Learning@Griffith by due date.

• Please consult your marking rubric as a guide.

 

• It is not necessary to identify definitions – you are expected to apply theory to practice.

 

 

Refs:

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/people-human-resources/leadership/26886-kookai-fashion-empire-sticks-to-its-niche-market-strategy-amid-retail-shakeout/

http://thefootnotes.com.au/danielle-vagner-kookai/