Highlands & Islands Enterprise in association with UHI HI Links hosted the fourth in a series of eight high profile business lectures given by Dr Sean Ennis (University of Strathclyde) titled 'Right Brand, New Markets - The relevance of branding for small firms trying to develop new markets'. Dr. Sean Ennis is Director of the MSc Marketing programme (UAE Campus) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. His main research and teaching interests are in the areas of entrepreneurial marketing, supply chain management, retail marketing and more recently, sports marketing. He has published extensively in a number of international scholarly journals and is currently working on a retail marketing text. He is a Visiting Professor to the University Ca Foscari in Venice and has contributed to the development of their Masters in Sport and Communication Programme. He has a special interest in the area of brand development - particularly within the context of SME's.

1. Dr. Sean Ennis
Department of Marketing
University of Strathclyde in Glasgow

2. The concept of branding
Importance of branding for SME’s
How are SME’s using branding?
Some tips for developing brands in SME’s
Questions / discussion

3. “A brand can be described as an
identifiable product, service,
person or place, augmented in
such a way that the buyer or user
perceives relevant, unique,
sustainable added values which
closely.”
match their needs most closely.”
(de Chernatony et al, 2001)

4. Has been around since time began
Identity. Differentiation. Branding cattle in the
Wild West!
Traditionally the preserve of large-scale
companies; particularly in the FMCG sectors
Comparatively little research done in the area
of branding for SME’s – although this is
changing

5. Helps consumers to differentiate between
products
Helps to build confidence and trust in a
product
Makes it easier for the seller to communicate
the values of the brand to customers
Helps to command a premium price for the
seller
Essential for all companies and organisations in
a market where consumers “enjoy a tyranny of
choice”
choice”

6. Attributes Values Personality
Benefits
Well built Safe I want to be Wealthy
safe
Durable Reliable Successful
I want to be
High Social status Secure
respected
prestige

7. A combination of functional and symbolic
values that the consumer perceives in the
brand
Functional? Relates to the tangible, rationally
assessed product performance benefits that
customer’
satisfy customer’s practical needs
Symbolic? Relates to the intangible feelings
and symbolic benefits that satisfy the
customer’ self-
customer’s self-expression needs (emotional)

8. It is generally accepted that both functional
and symbolic benefits influence the
customer’
customer’s purchase decision.
Brand equity: a measure of the customer’s
attachment to a brand: a measure of loyalty,
perceived quality and differentiation.
Provides an opportunity to build and sustain
a premium price

9. Brand management is not given the priority it
needs for a strong brand image to be
constructed
Responsibility lies in all cases at the highest
level of management
Co-
Co-branding receives little attention
Selling is important
Views on branding are limited often to
advertising

10. The need to focus on one or two (at most)
key brands
In the marketing approach, focus on one or
two key brand associations
Essentially a limited view of what constitutes
brand building and development.

11. The wine business (Mowle and Merrilees,
2005)
Case studies of eight wineries in Australia
Common factors in branding?
Producing a premium product
Conveying an image of quality
Using a name and symbol
Forming business relationships and networks

12. Participating in regional events, festivals and
shows
Providing friendly service at the cellar door
Three of the wineries were found to
implement product-driven branding
The remaining five were found to implement
marketing-driven branding

13. Product-
Product-driven Marketing-
Marketing-driven
Focus on the cellar Focus on the cellar
door being on the door on an
wine experience
Personal approach – A greater emphasis
where visitors can on marketing and
meet the promotion
winemaker Extending the
A limited amount of product range to
marketing and merchandise
promotion

14. It would be wrong to suggest that one
approach is better than the other
There is an inter-dependency between the
functional and the symbolic properties of
branding
Much will depend on how you wish to
position your brand vis-à-vis the competitive
brands in the sector

15. Avoid adopting too prescriptive an approach
to branding: the role of branding will vary
considerably
Set the building and management of your
brand as being high on your list of priorities –
critical role her for the owner-manager
In many cases, the owner is the brand!
Examine the possibility if linking your brand
to another stronger brand – co-branding

16. Is your brand more important and better
known than your company name? If yes, then
consider changing the name to that of the
brand
Focus on one brand to maximise your spend
(certainly when working with limited
resources)
Focus on one or two central features that
reinforce what your values are all about and
that address customer needs and
requirements

17. Work closely on achieving consistency and
originality across logos, packaging, labels
and so on
Aim to achieve consistency across your
marketing communications
Encourage passion for the brand
Focus – particularly for service-oriented
products on the customer experience.

18. Linkages
Marketing works projects
Consultancy
Dissertations