Brand Reputation

Term "Brand Reputation" first appeared in the collection of works of Harvard Business School. In their works, Burleigh Gardner and Sidney Levy wrote that the brand, developed by marketing specialists is not of much importance itself, but perception of brand by the customer, i.e. brand Reputation. Therefore, brand reputation is an inseparable part of branding that means brand creation, development and management.

Brand reputation Research Standard was introduced in Georgia in 2002 through adapting the Euro-Asian Marketing Association conference materials to Georgian market needs.

The idea, according to which brand reputation is one of the most important capitals, has become the basis for the research conception. The aim of the research approach was to analyze particular brand capacity for moving to a higher price segment according to its reputation position. Complex research approach has been developed in order to solve the problem. This approach became the winner of Euro Asian Marketing Association in 2001 as the most technologic research product. Adaptation of this technology gave basis to the practice of Brand and Company Reputation Research.

Aim of the Research

Reputation is a complex concept. The aim of brand reputation research is studying the rational and emotional characteristics of brand reputation in customer's consciousness and evaluating the quality and effectiveness of brand communication.

Methodology

The reputation research is being carried out through two-stage analytic techniques and is aimed at revealing and testing the rational and emotional attributes of brand at the first stage and quantitative evaluation at the second one that, in the result, provides the reputation maps. According to these maps, company can plan its strategy of entering or moving to a new competitive reputation space.

Reputation Research gives answers to the following questions:

- What are the basic attributes/characteristics of brand reputation?

- What are the ties of brand reputation attributes with the consumer practice? (Influence of reputation on the customer's behavior)

- What are the chances of improving the position in reputation segment or moving to a new reputation segment?

- How safe are these attributes (are they based on rational knowledge and/or practice)?

- How effective are the reputation delivering techniques?

- Do the brand attributes correspond to the consumer practice?

- What are the techniques for optimizing the brand communications?

- What is the optimal conceptual line maintaining or changing the reputation segment?

- What is the basic line for a new reputation strategy?

- What is the dynamics of reputation development through a certain period of time?

Fields for applying research results

The results of the research are used to solve the following branding problems:

1. Brand Positioning

2. Brand Communication

3. Brand Identity

Individuality

Value

Quality Perception

Brand Related Associations

Brand Essence

4. Brand Attributes (name, package, label, logo, etc.)

5. Brand Loyalty