Saturday, October 6, 2012

Expecting Something?



Building expectations is essential when it comes to building the reputation of a brand or product. In a time when information can travel more quickly and reach more people than ever before (thank you Mr.Internet) even people who have never tried a product or service can have a general idea of what to expect from the experience. One of marketing's main functions is to provide information that will heighten someones anticipated real pleasure.

What customers think and feel about a brand is a key aspect in the success of any business. A good brand image can portray a certain quality that may be unmatched by a knock off brand. A good brand image is an intangible aspect that is a crucial in successful operations of any business. Take Coca Cola for instance...the red can is recognized world wide, even in the poorest corners of the world. You cannot beat that kind of recognition and you cannot place a monetary value on the benefit Coca Cola receives by its brand image.

The question is do expectations created by marketing really change the experience the customer has with the product? I believe in most cases it does (not including extremes...ie..a really bad experience or a really good experience). If someone is expecting a product to be good they are more likely to view the product as being good. After all who would purchase a product or a service that they have poor expectations for. If the customer has poor expectations of a product they are likely to forgo buying that product (who buys a product that they are expecting to be bad?)

We are all trapped within our own perspectives, which can partially blind us to the truth. These perspectives cause us to expect certain outcomes based on past experience. This is one reason that building a good brand image is so important.

By building a good brand image marketers build consumer expectations that change the way customers perceive their experiences. Getting customers to perceive their experience or future experience as a positive one is a recipe for success in any business.

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