What is Mixed Branding? A Detailed Guide

Mixed Branding (1)

There are two main differentiators between different types of mixed branding. The first is the difference between consumer products (retail products) and commercial or business-to-business (trade) products. The second main differentiator is between physical goods and services. The products are often completely intangible. Within each of these categories, there are many variations and subcategories, but what is the mixed branding upon which principles of applying the product in the marketing mix are consistent? 

What is a Mixed Branding? 

 

Mixed branding is a kind of marketing strategy where a brand advertises products. There is a single brand in the background so it markets its own brand name as well as under other brand names for the same product. This practice can involve an amalgam of national brands with private labels, and co-branded products. 

What’s the Evolution of Mixed Branding? 

 

 

  1. New Brand Development (NBD)

This hosts identifying market wants, needs, and consumer demands (both current and future). The process includes developing a brand name through research and development with prototyping alongside testing to trial before, manufacturing. Then you bring it to market. 

  1. Design Ethics

This caters to the product’s design with detailing of appearance, and user experience. Industrial and commercial design is a crucial aspect of the product element in the marketing mix. 

  1. Brand Management

 While some argue that brand management starts with NBD, it certainly continues by bringing the product to market and coordinating the marketing mix. It manages the brand campaigns for sales with support (pre-sales and after-sales), and processes for upgrades with enhancements. A brand manager’s mission is to treat the product like a business and optimize its value. 

  1. Brand Support

 Brand support is a part of brand management. It is often a separate part of the business. It relies on pre-sales support (especially in B2B sectors) and after-sales support customer support or the complaints process. This support reflects on customers’ perceptions of your product and is a fundamental part of your marketing effort. 

  1. Marketing and Selling

 Marketing and selling are the paradigms of branding with quantities and sizes for different versions (sizes, colors. You can consider versions for different demographics), and associated items like instructions, websites, guarantees, and warranties. 

Why Mixed Branding is Necessary? 

 

 Four Important Roles in Mixed Branding. 

  1. Identify Customer Needs

  • To determine the problems customers want to solve or the solutions they seek and embed these in the product and its marketing components (price, place, promotion). 

  1. Market Segmentation

  • To identify which market segment to promote the product to, focusing on those most likely to buy it and optimizing the product for them. 

  1. Create Customer Personas

  • To develop detailed descriptions of ideal customers (buyer personas) to inform decisions on functionality, packaging, and messaging. 

  1. Competitive Analysis

  • To conduct a competitive analysis to understand where the product stands in the market. This helps optimize promotions, pricing, and placement. 

What are the Criteria for Choosing Brand Mix Strategies  

 

By memorable, we mean that it should be easily recognized and recalled, and by that, we can have a high level of brand awareness. By meaningful, it means the brand element should convey the meaning of the brand and the general information. It should also give out information about the nature and the product category of the brand.  

Turn Your Brand Appeal  

Brand entrepreneurs must create likability to turn their brand appeal mesmerizing. The element should also be appealing to the consumers. Then transferability: the meaning of the brand mix element should be transferred properly in the line and category extensions, and the meaning should also be transferred properly in different market segments. Then we have adaptability, which means the brand mix element should be easier to update. Lastly, protectability: we are talking about legal protection like trademarks of your brand. 

What are the Elements of Mixed Branding? 

 

Now let’s talk about the elements themselves.  

 

 Brand Names 

First of all, you need to have the names of the brands. The name should be simple and easy to pronounce. The spelling should also be simple, and obviously, while naming, we have to keep the six criteria in mind. The brand naming procedure has some specific steps in it.  

 

 Brand Naming Procedure 

The first step is defining objectives: you have to find out what type of meaning you want the brand to convey and also the role of the brand. The next step is generating names: in this step, you are going to come up with probable names you are going to give to the brand; you might come up with hundreds of names for the brand. Then you have to screen the initial candidates: in this stage, most of the names are going to get removed because of their meanings and other factors.  

 Logos and Symbols 

You need to create unique logos and symbols for your secondary brand. The logos can have only word marks like Coca-Cola, and you can use only symbols; this was the symbol for Rolex, by the way.  

 Characters 

Next, characters: in most cases, animated or cartoon characters. Let’s see if we can name this character pretty quickly. This character is named AZgard9 and is a mixed-brand element for the textile industry.  

 Spokesperson 

Then you have a spokesperson: they are the celebrities that represent the brand.  

 Slogans 

Then slogan: complete the sentence, “It’s not a TV channel, it’s _____.” If you said HBO, then you are absolutely correct.  

 Jingles 

You can have jingles: the music that goes along with your brand.  

 Packaging 

Next, packaging: packaging can be a very important part of the brand mix element. Packaging can properly differentiate your brand. Look at this one, for example, the packaging is everything in this case. Sometimes the packaging can also increase the value of the brand, and packaging can also influence the consumption of the product. Large boxes of snacks actually influence more consumption.  

 

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