Hi Asha

Your question should be in the students section but I will try and be helpful where relevant.

The Brand Identity is a set of unique attributes/associations that the company creates. These associations represent what the brand should stand for and imply a potential promise to customers. The brand identity is helped by actively managing every brand contact point with customers ensuring everything is aligned consistently.

The brand identity should refer to the strategic goal for a brand while the Brand Image is what customers actually perceive in their minds.

1 & 2) Talking to both company employees and customers will help you find the gaps between what the company thinks it's brand identity is and what their customers actually perceive in reality. You can do this both through survey and questionnaire.

You ideally need to talk to all stakeholders - i.e most companies will have shareholders, customers or buyers, consumers, users, employees and suppliers. Each stakeholder will have a different perspective because their needs will be different. Identifying the channels the company uses to communicate with all stakeholders to promote their brand should also be considered.

3) Start with identifying attributes/associations. Collate first and secondary data for the identity. A brand positioning statement (BPS - i.e. Why should customers buy our brand over competitors?) will help you get to facts and get started. Your BPS is a one page summary of key elements which make up your brand propsition and brand personality. The BPS should be updated every year so check for last years if they have one, it could be helpful.

4) Y&R's & Dr Aaker's tool s will both help. Use the tools you feel are relevant in achieving your objective. You could also delve into conducting a Customer Brand Loyalty check for more meat.

I think you can go from here on your own. Hope this helps.

Zahid Adil

Asha

I will try to focus on the stats portion of your question. The primary problem or confusion I see is that your hypothesis test lacks focus and definition.

For instance, the very fact you have to ask whether you will question employees and customers gives me that perception. In addition, the term ‘significant difference’ without a mathematical expression gives me the same perception.

I would also spend some time clearly defining what aspects of brand identity and brand image will be focused on so you can create a set of questions to help with the survey and the mathematical results from the answers.

I believe, in general, your null and alternative will work but you need to think of this as comparing P0 and P1 rather then against a parameter since you are testing two different objects and then trying to figure our if there are ‘significant difference’ in the perceptions of these two objects.

Given you stated you only have two months, the more you define now the better off you will be.

Hope that helps.

In a nutshell…

Brand image is perception, The perception of How you communicate, the environments in which you trade, the responsibilities both social and economic, your ethics, your products and services and behaviour… and so it goes on

Brand identity is the visual means by which the above is communicated. At the core of this is your logo, letterhead, printed literature, livery, annual reports, products, packaging, and so it goes on.

A logo alone does not make a brand, in the same way a suite does not make a businessman, his character and personality is his brand (personality).

Hope this helps a little to wade through all the waffle that is out there.

Russell

Brand Identity is aspirational, it's where you want your brand to be in the minds of your customers. Brand image is how the brand is perceived by your customers at a particular moment. A great reference is David Aacker's "Brand Leadership". He says that "Brand image is tactical--an element that drives short-term results and can be comfortably left to advertising and promotion specialists."

What you should be looking at is IDBIL's current brand equity which is the combination of brand awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, and brand loyalty and its brand identity which is an internal statement of where you want the brand to be which should be linked to their overall business strategy (something you may be able to gleam from talking to senior people within the organization and from the mission and vision statements).

An example from Aaker's book. Volvo's brand equity is its "strong reputation for safety, quality, and care for the environment" while it's identity summary is "style, driving pleasure and superior ownership experience while celebrating human values and respecting the environment". See how one is where the brand is while the other is where you want the brand to be.

Aaker's web site is www.prophet.com but I do suggest you get the book, it's really helpful and surprisingly agood read.