Scenario
Learning Objective
After completing this activity, you should be able to
define brand equity;
apply a brand building process; and
explain the reasoning for the branding decision.
Scenario Summary
Our Town Photography Studio/Gallery is a photography company that provides photographic services to high profile customers. The owner of this company is Catherin Irvin, a nationally recognized photographer/portrait artist, who can use the latest tools in digital technology to produce archival quality canvas and watercolor portraits as original works of art. She is even beginning to get some international fame for the artistry and originality her work presents. She has been working hard to develop new techniques in portrait and photograph creation and she is very proud of her works.Mark Bucas is the marketing manager for the Our Town Photography Studio/Gallery. He has helped Catherin and the company to open up many new markets throughout the country and to maintain customer satisfaction throughout the years.Catherin had recently asked Mark to create a brand-building program for the photography service titled Premier Portraits. Premier Portraits will further employ state-of-the-art digital technological tools to produce high quality portraits for the customers. The target customers for Premier Portraits are corporate executives, high profile sports figures, politicians, actors and actresses, and other such near famous people.
Your Assignment
You, as the new product manager, have been asked to join Mark as he considers the branding decision for Premier Portrait service. You have just completed your masters degree in marketing with an emphasis on small business marketing and e-commerce. Mark would like your fresh input regarding his decision.You are eager to get started on this project so that you can put what you learned into practice. Below are some of the key conversations between you and Mark, as well as supplemental materials you will need for your proposal. Review them carefully before completing your report.
KEY PLAYERSMark Bucas, Marketing Manager (Conversation #1)
Thank you for joining me this morning. Catherin wants us to design a brand-building program for our new Premier Portrait service. Our client base has grown over the years to include quite a few prosperous professionals whose children are getting married and having children. Historically, these clients have appreciated our high quality photographic portraits. However, competition is increasing and Catherin has moved into a higher value-add market with the Premier Portrait service. I have been considering the branding for this service and I would like your help in making the decision. I know you are new, but your recent education and past experience with small business e-commerce could help me bring in a new perspective on this project.Before we begin, I would like to show you a portrait that Catherin recently developed.Sample Portraits for Premier Portraits
The photo here is a family portrait that Catherin developed recently. A 4060-inch portrait printed on high quality canvas resembling a Rembrandt painting is on view. Catherin used Corel Painter to create the portrait, employing her unique brush style; she also has done some embellishments using real oil paint on the portrait and has signed it using a pure gold paint. The portrait is framed in a hand-carved, gold leafcoated picture frame and covered with museum quality archival acrylic. The matting for the picture is the best that is available in the industry. Catherin is very proud of her latest creation. This is the area in which the prints are displayed to the customer using highest quality museum display methods. The customers of the Premier Portrait service do not get to see proofs or intermediate stages of the print. The portrait is a work of art meant to be passed on from generation to generation.
Mark Bucas, Marketing Manager (Conversation #2)
Now you have seen one example of our Premier Portraits product that we are going to establish the brand for. The product is truly a work of art and Catherin has worked very hard to develop her technique. Our traditional market has included professionals wanting a high quality family portrait to put on display in their offices and homes. We believe the brand can be developed to appeal to corporate executives, high-profile sports figures, politicians, actors and actresses, and other such near famous people. We would like you to help us decide our online branding choices.
YOU DECIDE
Activity
You Decide
Based on all of the information above, write an online branding proposal for Premier Portraits. Your proposal should address at least the following points:
1 Who specifically should Premier Portraits target with the new branding message?
2 What product should Premier Portraits really offer to this market?
3 What value should the companys online presence deliver?
4 What should the brand equity building focus on?
5 What are the possible communications methods to use in order to achieve the brand equity the company desires?
You are free to pursue any additional research you may need. Just be sure to include an estimate of the cost in your recommendations.
Submit your final proposal to the Dropbox.
Grading RubricCategory Points Description
Understanding 10 Demonstrate a strong grasp of the problem at hand.
Demonstrate understanding of how the course concepts
apply to the problem.
Analysis 10 Apply original thought to solving the business problem.
Apply concepts from the course material correctly toward
solving the business problem.
Execution 20 Write your answer clearly and succinctly, using strong
organization and proper grammar. Use citations correctly.
Total 40 A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above
requirements.