I took some time-off to pour thoughts-out on how best can brand association could reflect through the historical tie-up between the emotional brand ‘Peugeot’ and the professional sport ‘Tennis’ being my personal favorites.
Branding is a concept that extends far beyond marketing. It may be sports or either an automobilebrand which represents their market identity – who they are, what they do, what kind of quality they provide, their reputation for trust-worthiness and more. Below is the story of Peugeot, how well it has related branding to its communication process and valuably using it towards extending itself to a worthwhile association in the sporting arena.
True use of brand name and symbol of Peugeot
The name of a brand is the fundamental indicator of the brand. The name of the brand is the basis for raising awareness of the brand and communication efforts. Often even more important is the fact that it can generate association which serves to describe the brand. The brand name is very significant choice because some time it captures the central theme or key association of a product in a very condensed and reasonable fashion. Symbols with all that represent a brand, a tagline, a character, a visual metaphor, a logo, a colour, a gesture, a musical note, a package, or a program. The symbol is a part of brand equity and functions as a tool for maintenance.
There are different types of logos, which are unique from corporate names or trademarks. Logos and symbol are easy way to recognize a product. Customers may perhaps identify definite symbols but be unable to link them any particular brand or product. Logos helps companies to develop the brand equity through raised brand identification and brand loyalty. Moreover, logos can also be used to make the potential consumers aware of the origin and ownership of the brand.
Peugeot as a roaring ‘Lion’
Peugeot having over 200 years of history, started off as a Coffee Mill company and then became a bicycle manufacturer 20 years later. This was preceded by becoming a car manufacturer half a decade later. Founder Armond Peugeot from Sochaux, France built the company’s first car and created the ‘Lion’ as the trademark for the brand. Peugeot is known as a very reliable brand and its’ reputation has traditionally been for making well-built cars with excellent ride comfort and handling.Each Peugeot stimulates and rewards driving, a sleek design and uncompromising quality to its customers and contribute to the emotion which is the brand’s commitment. The current model line-up is aiming towards a more luxurious market, with cost cuts no longer being made to sacrifice the overall look and feel of the car.
Now Peugeot has developed several new model ranges, outside the classic 200, 300, 400 and 600 series. The 100 and 900 are the exact opposite, with the 100 eyeing the super compact range while 900 is not for the budget shoppers. The French automaker has even a hybrid vehicle in the make, a version of the 307.
New brand identity
As a creative and fundamental part of the branding process, visual identity should create a strong impression and communicate the brand vision, meaning, and differentiation, among other elements. A distinctive visual identity helps the brand stand out in the competitive marketplace, enforces the effectiveness of its message, and improves brand loyalty.Peugeot released its new slogan “Motion &Emotion”, to replace its previous one, “Engineered to be Enjoyed”. The new slogan intends to strengthen emotion as a key component of the driving experience.
Having an existence of two centuries, Peugeot’s new logo is its’ 10th logo during its history and appears more dynamic and modern compared with the previous. A new brand identity is a turning point and can represent a brand repositioning. The ‘Peugeot’ Brand has strived to maintain consistency so they do not dilute their existing strong brand equity, but at the same time rejuvenate the brand in an attractive and exciting way to stimulate future growth.
As Kevin Lane Keller outlines the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model to assist building a strong brand which involves six brand-building blocks – brand salience, brand performance, brand imagery, brand judgements, brand feelings and brand resonance.
Brand equity provides a great value for customers; brand equity assets help the customers to capture and process the brand and store large number of information about it. Brand equity can help to develop marketing programs and attract the new and maintain the loyalty and faith of old customers. The customer based brand equity arises when customer is well acquainted with the brand name and keeps some favorable, strong and unique about brand association in memory.The brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand association are the core assets for the brand equity. These are important assets for building strong brand equity helps in increasing the brand awareness in the market.
Perfect brand association of an emotional brand and professional sport
Peugeot, while cementing all blocks in the CBBE, it has built in its’ core assets primarily through brand association.
“Keller pointed out that the favorability, strength, and uniqueness of brand associations are the dimensions distinguishing brand knowledge that play an important role in determining thedifferential response that makes up brand equity, especially in high involvement decisionsettings”
There are values of a brand that are not as visible as other brands. These values can be based on the association of the brand with certain factors or personalities that provides confidenceand credibility among the customers. This is the perfect marriage of Peugeot with the sport Tennis.
Sport is entirely part of Peugeot’s DNA. First in motor sports, with quite some famous victories in endurance racing and rallies; then golf, with our International Peugeot Golf Tour, and undoubtedly tennis.Peugeot and Tennis share a deep relationshipof 46 years and partnered for many international tournaments such as the French Open, the Rio Open and the Barcelona Open. Tennis is one of the areas in which Peugeot has invested over many years, this year it celebrates 32th year of partnership with Roland Garros and becoming the Platinum Partner of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour where it features top eight singles players and doubles teams in ATP Ranking.
The world tennis icon and the World No. 1 Tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has signed a three year partnership agreement with Peugeot, becoming its’ International Ambassador. The partnership agreement allows the use of Novak’s image in all of the brand’s activities, on all media and in all territories. The PEUGEOT brand will appear on Novak’s left sleeve of his Uniqlo sportswear in all of the tournaments he enters.
This partnership, Peugeot confirms and strengthens its strategy in the Tennis World. Novak Djokovic perfectly personifies and embodies Peugeot’s brand values which are; Excellence, Allure and Emotion. Moreover, his international fame promotes the car manufacturers brand image worldwide. With Djokovic there are sub-ambassadors’ who’ve joined the pool of international ambassadors. They are, French Alizé Cornet, JérémyChardy, Gilles Simon and BenoîtPaire, the Belgian David Goffin, the British Jamie Murray, the Spaniards David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Almagro, the Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and the Swiss Belinda Bencic. The goal is to highlight the strong relationship between Peugeot and Tennis, while bringing tennis fans and the brand’s clients closer.This has taken the brand to emotional steps whenever the game has its’ motions and emotions. As a result, the social gaming tool ‘Tennis by Peugeot’ has been created.
Its goal is to highlight the strong relationship between Peugeot and Tennis, by offering games and apps, predictions, quiz, puzzle and games of skill. Many kinds of enthralling games and prizes to win are offered to the players to attract and retain them.
Motion and emotion
All of these efforts have built the ‘Peugeot’ brand to have built relationships with consumers by attractively engaging them in a personal communication that responds to their needs. It has created a strong emotional bond with customers so they emotionally live in the brand.
Motion is about addressing the rational issues. Emotion is what makes Peugeot unique. A Peugeot will never be solely functional – it will have flair and make you feel good about yourself. It is about evoking that emotion that makes you ‘just want one’.
Peugeots of the future will be purchased for emotional as well as rational reasons.
(The writer is MCIM, Higher Dip. In Brand Management and reading for MBA -Wales)
