Assignment 2: The Brand Effect

In this assignment, you will examine how target market selection and positioning relates to brand congruency and brand equity.

Background:

Brands create immense value for a company. Developing and maintaining a brand for a product/service is a major initiative handled by the marketing manager. One of the most distinctive skill sets for this kind of professional is the ability to understand what key consumers are actually paying for when they buy a certain product.

Directions:

Research at least three peer-reviewed academic articles related to brand personalities, brand congruency, and brand equity.
Analyze how congruency relates to positioning and brand equity.
Identify and describe three major brands with high levels of congruency and three brands with low levels of congruency.
Explain your reasons for placing each brand in one of those two categories.
Critically examine the key elements of creating brand value for customers. Make specific recommendations for the marketing managers of the brands you selected.

Write a 4–6-page report in Word format. Utilize at least 3 scholarly sources in your research. Make sure you write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M4_A2.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document will be named SmithJ_M4_A2.doc.

Grading Criteria and Rubric

Grading Criteria	Proficient	Maximum Points
Research at least three peer-reviewed academic articles related to brand personalities, brand congruency, and brand equity. Analyze how congruency relates to positioning and brand equity.	Analysis of the relationship between congruency, positioning, and brand equity is complete, concise, and accurate. Analysis is supported by research.	16
Identify and describe three major brands with high levels of congruency and three brands with low levels of congruency. Analyze the reasons for placing each brand in one of those two categories.	Brands described are appropriate, accurate, and specific. Brands identified are clear examples of high- and low-level congruent brands.	12
Critically examine the key elements of creating brand value for customers. Make specific recommendations for the marketing managers of the brands you selected.	Examination clearly and accurately describes all key elements of creating brand value. Recommendations for each brand are appropriate and supported by the literature.	24
Writing Standards
Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources (i.e., APA); and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.	Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.	8
Total:		60