A brand promise

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The management of brands has become increasingly important during the second part of the XXs century due to economic development, the spread of digital technology, and the increasing involvement of the customers in making changes to a brand. When we think about a brand, the first word coming to mind of general consumers is its image. Indeed, an image of the brand will be created in the mind of the customers through different means of communication. This image reflects the reputation of the brand and the values it incorporates. At this point, people will choose if they want to be associated with this brand and if the values embedded in it correspond to their lifestyle. Because it only exists in the mind of consumers, the brand is an intangible asset of the company, therefore the perception of the brand is a key purchase criterion. The brand exists to be desired; people want this brand not for its products but for what it represents to them; this is related to emotional and social benefits. As we have seen above, the brand communicates through different means. The main one is the products it sells. The product is something created to fulfill a need; it has a functional benefit which is more linked with reason than emotion. Nevertheless, a product cannot deceive its consumer, this will hurt the brand’s image and break the “promised experience”^[1]. Nowadays, customers have a lot of options regarding a product, this is why they don’t buy solely the product, but rather the brand representing the product. If it deceives them, they will go to another brand, which will impact the brand image. In the pages that follow, it will be argued that a well-established relationship between a brand and its customers creates value for both sides; it is why a product cannot be limited to something manufactured in a factory since it is the embodiment of the promise of the brand.

A relationship is an interaction between several parties, in this context, it is the brand and its consumers. The success of this relationship depends on the consumers' opinions of the brand and their resulting buying pattern. Thus, brand behavior regarding consumers is very important. A brand that prioritizes its relationship between itself and its customers is Coca-Cola, one of the most valuable and identifiable brands in the world. They developed a distribution system to be accessible even in remote areas, such as in small shops in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is important for them to reach all of their consumers, even though it’s not a simple task. The brand is known worldwide, so the actions of the corporate brand are consciously examined by its consumers such as engagement with social causes like being sustainable or supporting communities after the coronavirus outbreak. However, being a notorious brand doesn’t mean having the best product. Even though Coca-Cola may not have the best tasting soft-drink on the market, they have used their marketing capabilities to create an instantly recognizable brand that is not only delicious, but cost-effective. People continue to drink and recommend to their friends products that are high quality and worth the money. For this reason, the reputation of a global brand is tightly linked to quality. The global awareness of the brand gives credibility to the brand and quality to the products; people trust Coca Cola Company. This leads to loyalty, and people will continue to drink Coca-Cola even if some products are not widely successful, as was the case in 1992 when they launched a product called Tab Clear, which was meant to rival Pepsi’s ‘Crystal Pepsi’. Tab Clear lasted less than a year. However, even though it was not a successful product, people have continued to support Coca-Cola three decades later.

The impact of the global brand has increased due to globalization and the creation of a global identity. However, other trends have arisen, favoring local brands.

Local brands have a deeper interaction with their customers. Local brands understand their customers because they have the same local identity and culture. They differentiate themselves from global brands with Local Consumer Culture in opposition to the Global Consumer Culture. An example is Breizh Cola, which is only available in the Western part of France, Brittany. Created in 2002, it is the first local coke in France. By 2004, 1 million bottles were sold. In 2017, Breizh Cola had 25% of the market share in Brittany and is well-known by people living there. The local culture is very strong in this part of France, and people are proud to be a part of it. The consumer is ethnocentric and would rather buy local products than global ones. However, other trends, such as being more sustainable increased this want of local consumption. People acknowledge that Breizh Cola doesn’t have the best taste and that it is not the best product on the shelves, however, they prefer to consume local and trust this local brand. They will not consume Breizh Cola for the product itself but because of the brand and the culture it shares. The identity developed by this brand gives a well-perceived image to its consumers, a unique image, which is a great competitive advantage for Breizh Cola.

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