The Brand Name Controversy

1. The Brand Name Controversy Keerthana Vishwanath

2. Basic Question • How does a specific brand name or logo define a product?

3. Main Claim • The brand name or logo is very important in defining a product because the consumer will see this sign as the company’s mark in stores and advertisements. The brand name or logo can be deceiving in that the consumers can perceive a product to be better in quality than it actually is. Consequently, they are willing to pay more and are being cheated out of their money. Companies should be more aware and pay more attention to the quality of their products rather than its aesthetics, logo, or outward appearances in order to ensure that the consumers are able to get their money’s worth.

4. Summary of Arguments • The brand name is one of the most important parts of the image of a package. It defines the outward image of the company producing the product. The history of the package can also be told through the brand name. For example, “prior to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries”, most products were “marked by hand” and packaged by hand, ensuring the consumer that the producer was credible (Moor, 17-18). From the time of the Industrial Revolution, the packaging that ensured the safety of the product was produced and the advent of the railroad and steamship allowed this type of packaging to be more widely used (Moor, 18). Also, the use of the brand name in terms of developing a company’s image is very important (Marketing). There was a case in which the “W” in the Wegmans and Walgreens companies were being disputed (Tice, CBS News Article, Walgreens’ Ridiculous Branding Lawsuit Against Wegmans). This shows how important brand name is to a company’s image.

5. Objections • Companies need to pay attention to their brand names and logos in order to increase profits. They are, after all, a business. • A company can increase their profits by increasing their product quality. This helps with credibility and overall status among their competitors. • A brand name or logo allows the company to become well known and individualized amongst competitors. Paying attention to aesthetics is important for this cause. • Having a brand name or logo that is well known detracts from a smaller company’s ability to make a profit, resulting in a monopoly over the business of that product.

6. The company could lose profits on focusing on better quality—costly materials for less income. Companies should be more aware and pay more attention to the quality of their products rather than its aesthetics, logo, or outward appearances in order to ensure that the consumers are able to get their money’s worth. Graphic Making a product more aesthetically appealing allows profits to increase. The company should focus on quality . Companies should pay more attention to product quality in order to make a better profit. The history of branding shows ownership and craftsmanship over the product. Brand Name is not as important when consumer satisfaction is on the line. Brand Name is very important—allows company to be more well known amongst competitors.

7. References • Tice, C. (2010). Walgreens’ Ridiculous Branding Lawsuit Against Wegmans. CBS News Articles <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/walgreens-ridiculous-branding-lawsuit-against-wegmans/> • Moor, L. (2007). The Rise of Brands. Oxford, UK: Berg • Jankowski, J. (1998). Shelf Space: Modern Package Design- 1945-1968. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. • Hine, T. What’s in a Package, FI Reader • Meyers, H.M., & Lubliner, M.J. (1998). The marketer’s guide to successful package design. Lincolnwood (Chicago), IL: NTC Business Books. • Mueller, S., Szolnoki, G. (2010). The relative influence of packaging, labelling, branding and sensory attributes on liking and purchase intent: Consumers differ in their responsiveness.Food Quality and Preference.