CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Prior independence, Nigerian citizens depended much on imported goods especially household products which were made available by the colonial masters and Western Merchants. Then there were not much local substitute and where there is, they were no match to the imported goods in quality, hence the preference for the foreign products by many.
The third and fourth National development plan was for self sufficiency. The country had to minimize importation so as to become economically self sufficient. A lot of efforts had been made towards the promotion of made in Nigeria goods. To produce goods with local raw materials which was backed by the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) which embark on local sourcing of raw materials, food self-sufficiency and encouraging investment in growth.
Marking programmes such as trade fair are often organized to encourage and give exposure to local manufacturers. It creates more awareness to the products. It I been organized by the chamber of commerce and industries.
The product industries included Unilever Nigeria Plc, Patherson and Zochoms (PZ), UAC and International Equitable Association (IEA). They produce close products substitutes but they differentiate their products and secure stronger markets position by use of brand name.
Branding is essential for advertising effectiveness. This is because it is branding that distinguishes similar products of different manufacturers. It helps consumers to establish the brand identity of various producers. Branding can be defined as the use of a name, a term, symbol or design or a combination of these to identify a product.
It identifies the product for the consumer and relates it to brand and product design.
Brand promotion has advantages for branders as well as customers. A good brand speeds up shopping for the customer and thus reduces the marketers selling time and effort. And when customers repeatedly purchase by brand, the brand is protected against competition from other firms. This can increase sales volume and reduce promotion costs. Goods brands can improve the company’s image speeding acceptance of new products marketed under the same name.
Over decades branding was identified as the elements that differentiated the goods and services from the competition.
Branding is not only about getting your target market to select you over the completion, but about getting your prospects to see you as the sole provider of a solution to their problem or needs.
To succeed in branding, understanding the needs and wants of the customers and prospects, because the brand is a foundation piece in the marketing communication which carries a great deal of importance within business or organization as well creating a perfect brand logo will be a great tools of advertising and selling the company out to the customer, because the logo is the uniqueness in the company’s branding, which will be stock in the heart of the customers whenever they see the brand logo anywhere.
In recent time, irrespective of geographical territory people now embrace entrepreneurship development through which individual or group of individuals in the same or diverse field now strive immensely to own a manufacturing establishment which consequently result at a relatively incessant with the real or original idea owner is completely oblivious.
It is not overstatement to say that the need to be self-employed extends to the extent that manufacturers imitate highly demanded products by producing a carbon copy of such, even to the level of giving product(s), name that tallies with the existing the product particularly in pronunciation just for the sole reason of getting the consumer’s patronage.
As a result of this, professionals in the field of marketing consequently came up with a communication mix which serves as a veritable in product differentiation which is “Branding”
Branding which come in form of names, symbol, design or combination of all these, is regarded as the most unique form of differentiating products.