Past Year Question for marketing communication.

1. APRIL 2010 / QUESTION 4 (a)
Positioning with respect to brand benefits can be accomplished by appealing to any of
three categories of basic consumer needs. Name and describe these needs, and for each
type of need, describe an example of a brand for which you think is basing its brands
concept on that need.
A brand positioning represent the key features, benefits or image that it stands for in
the targets audience’s collective mind. It also tells how product is being differentiated from
others. In positioning statement it represent how marketers would want the customer to think
and feel about the brand. There are three types of need which are functional needs, symbolic
needs and experiential needs.
A brand positioned in the term of functional need is occurring when we buy
something, it must have certain purpose why we buy product. And because of function of the
product, is main idea why we buy that product. Functional need provide solution for current
consumption problem or potential problem by communicating that the brands possesses
specific benefits that can solve problem. It important for product brands to create in customer
mind. Good product will possess appeal to consumer needs for convenience, safety, good
health and so on. The example for the product that communicates their product by using the
functional needs is Colgate and Sensodyne. The Colgate toothpaste possesses solutions to
consumers’ for the current or potential problem. They provide teeth protection and give a
healthy and clean teeth and gum. While Sensodyne, provide solutions for the people who have
sensitive teeth.
Positioning in terms of symbolic needs attempt to associate brand ownership with a
desired group, role or self image. Appeals to symbolic needs include those directed at
consumer desire for self enhancement, group membership, affiliation and other abstract need
states that involve aspect of consumption not solve by practical product benefit. For example
product that using symbolic needs is like Jimmy Choo and ECCO handbag. Jimmy Choo
handbag positioned their product to satisfy their customer needs. This product directed to the
high income people to fulfill their self enhancement and altruism. For the low income, they
will just buy from the ECCO handbag which is more affordable for the low income people.

2. Consumer experiential needs represent their desires for products that provide sensory
pleasure, variety and a few product circumstances, cognitive stimulation. Brand positioned
toward experiential needs are promoted as being out of the ordinary and high in sensory value
for example looking elegant, feeling wonderful, tasting or smelling great or rich on potential
for cognitive stimulation for example, feel of exciting, challenging and etc. Example product
that using the experiential needs is Perfume Playboy and Lux body washes. This brand
positioned themselves towards experiential needs by being out of high in sensory value. They
will look elegant, feeling wonderful, smelling great and attractive. The Lux body wash also
provide these sensory value and they will feel like an artist