Channel images and Brand Images
Marketing channels refers to the way in which goods and services are availed to consumers for use. All goods and services go through channels of distribution; therefore, marketing will depend on the way goods are distributed. The route that is taken to deliver goods to consumers is very important, because marketers must decide which route is best for their products.
A push strategy is considered appropriate and used by most of the manufactures. It uses advertising and promotion strategy to persuade consumers to demand their products from intermediaries. Purchasing products directly from the supplier is considered to be cheap, because there are few intermediaries. The images of the channel through which goods get to be distributed affect the image of the brand being sold. High –quality products which have an upscale image are perceived as high-end.The channel images are particularly important. For instance, if consumers start to see a very important product being sold at higher market, they will think the product is inferior and will not equate the product that is sold in a discount store with top quality image. It is critical for organizations to be careful on what channel they use so as not to dilute the equity of their brand (Conover, 1982),
Successful brand image helps the consumers select the brand that satisfies their needs and also differentiate the brand from the competitors increasing the chances of the consumer to purchase the brand. Company that holds a favorable image to the public will gain good position in the market, increase market performances and achieve sustainable competitive advantages. According to Brucks, (1985), image refers to a set of perception regarding the brand that is reflected on consumer’s memory (Brucks, 1985)
Image can bring value since they help the customer to process information, provide positive feelings, distinguish the brand and generate reasons to buy the product. Maintaining and creating an image of the brand is a crucial part of firm's marketing program and strategy of branding strategy. It is vital to understand that, development of image and its consequences such as loyalty and satisfaction creates value in a variety of ways.
The brand images are developed by marketing communications and the sum of all consumers’ experiences with the brand. When the channel images and brand images are not homogenous, consumers view the organization as not trustworthy and will create negative brand associations. Homogeneity of the two results in loyal customers. If the brand identity is not well defined, consumers will not interact with it. The story that the company is telling must be consistent with the story that is being heard by the consumers (Collin& Loftus, 1975),
References
Brucks, M (1985). The Effects of Product Class Knowledge on Information Search Behavior,
Collin, A. M., & Loftus, E. F(1975). “A Spreading Activation Theory of Semantic Processing,
Psychological Review, 82 (6): 407-428.
Conover, J. N. (1982).Familiarity and the Structure of Consumer Knowledge, Advances In
Consumer Research, 9: 494-498
