Brand Responses
Brand responses refer to how customers respond to the brand, its marketing activi-
ty, and other sources of information, that is, what customers think or feel about
the brand. Brand responses can be distinguished according to brand judgments
and brand feelings, that is, in terms of whether they arise more from the “head” or
from the “heart.”
Brand Judgments. Brand judgments focus upon customers’ personal opinions and
evaluations with regard to the brand. Brand judgments involve how customers put
together all the different performance and imagery associations for the brand to
form different kinds of opinions. Customers may make all types of judgments with
respect to a brand, but in terms of creating a strong brand, four types of summary
brand judgments are particularly important (and are cited in ascending order of
importance):
1. Brand quality. There are a host of attitudes that customers may hold toward
brands, but the most important relate in various ways to the perceived quality of
the brand. Other notable attitudes related to quality pertain to perceptions of value
and satisfaction.
2. Brand credibility. Customers may form judgments that transcend specific brand
quality concerns to consider broader issues related to the company or organization
making the product or providing the service associated with the brand. In other
words, customers may form judgments with respect to the company or organiza-
tion behind the brand. Brand credibility refers to the extent to which the brand as a
whole is seen as credible in terms of three dimensions—perceived expertise, trust-
worthiness, and likability. In other words, to what extent is the brand seen as: (1)
competent, innovative, and a market leader (brand expertise); (2) dependable and
sensitive to the interests of customers (brand trustworthiness); and (3) fun, inter-
esting, and worth spending time with (brand likability).
3. Brand consideration. Eliciting favorable brand attitudes and perceptions of credi-
bility is important but may be insufficient if customers do not actually seriously
consider the brand for possible purchase or usage. Consideration is more than
mere awareness of a brand; it suggests the likelihood that customers will actually
include the brand in the set of brands they might buy or use. Consideration
depends in part on how personally relevant customers find the brand, that is, the
extent to which they view the brand as being appropriate and meaningful for
themselves. Thus, customers often make an overall appraisal as to whether they
have any personal interest in a brand and whether they would or should ever buy
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that brand. Brand consideration is a crucial filter in terms of building brand equi-
ty. No matter how highly regarded or credible a brand may be, unless the brand
also receives serious consideration and is deemed relevant, customers will always
keep a brand at a distance and never closely embrace it. Brand consideration will
depend in large part on the extent to which strong and favorable brand associa-
tions can be created as part of the brand image.
4. Brand superiority. Finally, superiority relates to the extent to which customers
view the brand as unique and better than other brands. In other words, do cus-
tomers believe that the brand offers advantages that other brands do not?
Superiority is absolutely critical in terms of building intense and active relation-
ships with customers and will depend to a great degree on the number and nature
of unique brand associations that make up the brand image.
Brand Feelings. Brand feelings are customers’ emotional responses and reactions
with respect to the brand. Brand feelings also relate to the social currency evoked
by the brand. What feelings are evoked by the marketing program for the brand or
by other means? How does the brand affect customers’ feelings about themselves
and their relationship with others? These feelings can be mild or intense, positive
or negative, in nature. There are six important types of brand-building feelings:2
1. Warmth. Warmth refers to soothing types of feelings—the extent to which the
brand makes consumers feel a sense of calm or peacefulness. Consumers may feel
sentimental, warmhearted, or affectionate about the brand.
2. Fun. Feelings of fun are also upbeat types of feelings. Consumers may feel
amused, lighthearted, joyous, playful, cheerful, and so on.
3. Excitement. Excitement relates to the extent to which the brand makes con-
sumers feel that they are energized, and are experiencing something special. Brands
that evoke feelings of excitement may result in a sense of elation or “being alive”;
the customer may feel cool, sexy, and so forth.
4. Security. Security feelings occur when the brand produces a feeling of safety,
comfort, and self-assurance in the customer, who associates the brand with the
elimination of worries or concerns they might otherwise have felt.
5. Social approval. Social approval occurs when the brand results in consumers’
feeling positively about the reactions of others to them; that is, when consumers
feel that others look favorably on their appearance, behavior, and so forth. This
approval may result from others’ direct acknowledgement of the consumer using
the brand or, less overtly, from attributing the product itself to consumers.
6. Self-respect. Self-respect occurs when the brand makes consumers feel better
about themselves, for example, when consumers feel a sense of pride, accomplish-
ment, or fulfillment.
The first three are experiential and immediate, increasing in level of intensity. The
latter three are more private and enduring, increasing in level of gravity.