University Marketing Module: Reflective Analysis Report on Branding

This report provides a reflective analysis of a student's learning journey through a marketing module, focusing on key branding concepts. The analysis explores the importance of targeting, emphasizing its role in minimizing wasted resources and maximizing operational effectiveness by communicating with specific customer groups. It delves into the significance of technology in branding, recognizing the shift towards digital platforms and their cost-effectiveness in communicating brand value. The report also examines the concept of brand communities, highlighting their role in generating word-of-mouth marketing and fostering brand loyalty. Furthermore, the analysis covers brand positioning, discussing how companies strategically position themselves in consumers' minds to communicate their value proposition effectively. The student reflects on how these concepts relate to their future career aspirations in marketing, emphasizing the practical application of these principles in strategic decision-making and brand development.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
Reflective Analysis
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Notes:

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
1. “Targeting is one of the most important marketing functions”
Reporting
Throughout the module I have been successful in gaining considerable amount of knowledge
about the importance of a brand. Along with that I have been able to gain an understanding of the
importance of targeting from the perspective of a brand. I can remember that targeting is one of
the most important factors that a brand has to carry out if they aim to gain productivity in the
market that they are operating in. A brand acts as an entity as a result of which the consumers see
one brand an individual body through which they make decisions regarding a brand. I have been
able to understand that a targeting is one of the most crucial activities that is carried out by a
brand as it helps in minimising the waste of efforts and resources. This gives companies the
ability to ensure that they gain effectiveness in operations while operating in an industry by
ensuring that they communicate to a particular group of customer.
Relating
Targeting would involve some of the most important concepts that I need to incorporate while
catering to the regular activities that are carried out in an organisation. In future I would be part
of a marketing department of an organisation. I would like to see myself in a position being
responsible for taking decisions regarding the strategic functions and branding. Hence, it would
be my role in the organisation to incorporate the concept of targeting that in have learnt in the
module. The module has helped me to gain understanding regarding the importance of concepts
related management of a brand through targeting. I feel that targeting is an effective way of
breaking down the potential groups of customers. It would help me in devising strategies through
which the aim of the company that I would be working for would get fulfilled. I would need to

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
carry out intensive marketing research in order to gain effectiveness of the solution or the
strategy that the company would need to carry out in order to cope evaluate and select the groups
of the most suitable customers.
Reasoning
The topic that was discussed in the following week was revolving the marketing of targeting. In
marketing targeting is one of the most important concepts that determines the future of a brand.
The man activities that needs to be catered to by a company in order to sustain themselves in the
long run is proper segmentation and positioning. Targeting is one of the most important concepts
that is characterised by the selection of the most suitable group of prospective customers who
can help the company in gaining favourable nature of returns in the marker or industry that they
are operating in (Wedel & Kannan, 2016).
Reconstructing
In future I aim to climb up to higher positions in the organisation that I would be a part of.
Hence, working effectively with effective targeting would help me in achieving the same. In
other activities revolving around branding, I would need to carry gain detailed knowledge
regarding the scope of branding which would help in the development of the issues associated
with the sub-functions of branding. Thus, I need to keep on developing my knowledge associated
with branding.
2. “Upgrading the technology is crucial for branding sustainability”
From the module I have been able to identify the importance of the use of technology in
branding. It is important to communicate the motives of the company to the existing and the
potential customers. I have realised that the effective use of technology is one of the most

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
effective ways to do the same by contributing to the engagement of the consumer community. I
have witness that the behaviour of people have been changing. There has been rise of mass usage
of technology, in the form of smartphones, computers and tablets that people are hooked to. I
have even witnesses my self being somewhat dependent on smartphones for information and it is
a technology that I use to get informed by about various offers. Furthermore, I use it to surf the
web from where I get information regarding various products and brands that I have limited
knowledge about. Thus, I have been able to understand the importance of technology usage of
companies in order to communicate the motives of a brand in order to communicate the value
proposition to the consumer community.
Relating
In the future I see myself working in the marketing department of a reputed organisation. I wish
to be involved in a position, in which I would be responsible for the development of the brands
of the company. Thus, I would need to incorporate the use of considerable amount of technology
in while operating in such organisations. Use of technology would help in boosting up the
operation of the company in terms of communicating the motives to the consumers (Risselada,
Verhoef & Bijmolt, 2014).
Reasoning
Digital platforms have been recognised to be the most cost effective method of marketing. It is a
platform that is used by companies to communicate to the consumers while minimising the costs.
It can be used by large as well as small scale organisations in order to communicate the value
proposition of their brand. I used to get annoyed when I used to receive promotional mail from
the various companies. I did not realise the true motive behind the same then. However, I now

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
understand why companies carry out the activity and I aim to incorporate the same into my work
regime in my future workplace.
Reconstructing
The use of management information system and database management systems would help in
categorising groups of information and would help in identifying the potential consumers.
Furthermore, the usage of digital marketing techniques would help in effectively communicating
information to the consumer community. The company would also be able to minimise the costs
that are associated with the communication of the brand’s value proposition which would help in
generating revenue and satiating both the short and long term motives of the company.
3. “Brand Communities from the basis of generation of Word of Mouth”
Reporting
Brand communities refer to the assimilation of individuals who share the same appreciation and
affiliation towards a particular brand. I have been able to understand people form groups in order
to vouch for one brand and prove that it is better than other brands. This increases the brand
loyalty as a result of which one time customer become returning customers. I have been part of
various brand communities in the past. I remember that used to be in a brand community for the
smartphone brand that I owned. I have also discovered various companies identifying the
opportunity that brand communities give the companies and hence on many occasions it can be
found that there are community forums that are developed for the same purpose.
Relating

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
The company that I would be employed in the future would my decision making for gaining
affiliation with the consumer community. Furthermore, I would need to develop understanding
regarding brand communities. The latter would help in me in understanding the existent brand
communities that exists utilise on the same in order to effectively contribute to the viability of
the brand in the long run. Furthermore, it would be my aim to instate mechanisms in the
operations of the organisation that help and initiate the development of brand communities. For
me, it would be crucial to contribute to the community to the idea of brand communities as ait
will ensure that the consumers of the company become loyal customers. The latter would be
achieved with the help of community forums and would help in increasing the return on
investment that the company would be subject to.
Reasoning
Brand Loyalty is one of the most impactful considerations that come into the consideration of an
organisation who aim to sustain themselves in the long run (Laroche, Habibi and Richard, 2013).
Brand loyalty is an aspect of an organisation that ensures that customers return to the
organisation which results in the increase of ROI that is enjoyed by the company. I feel that the
concept of community branding started as a result of the affiliation of people with certain
products or brand. Hence, people started forming groups as a result of which the sense of
community was is crucial for the development of sense of affiliation that the people am to
develop while they are a part of an organisation.
Reconstructing
I used to believe that community forums are useless. However, now I have the understanding
regarding the fact that communities are important as they help in generating word of mouth.

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
Word of mouth is a marketing tools that is one of the most effective tool which requires no
investment from the part of the company (Lovett, Peres & Shachar, 2013). It is one of the topics
that I found very interesting and I hence I remember the concepts that are associated with brand
communities. I feel that I would be highly benefitted from the knowledge that I gained during the
module, which discussed about brand communities.
4. “Brand positioning comes next to Targeting”
Reporting
I have been able to understand the importance of brand positioning with the help of the module. I
have been able to identify the methods that companies apply the positioning strategy. It is the
aim of companies to get effectively positioned in the minds of customer community as it forms
the basis of acceptance of the company in the eye of the consumer community. I have been able
to understand that there are various techniques that the companies use in order to effectively
position their brand in the market or industry that they are operating in. A products or brand can
be positioned in the mind of the consumers for various factors. A products can be positioned in
the mind of the customers on the basis of the various factors such as price of product, the niche
factor associated with the product, the convenience or the niche value associated with the brand
and many other considerations.
Relating
As mentioned before, branding will be crucial for the sustainability of my motives with the brand
I am a part of in the future. Thus, I would need to abide by the motives of the organisation in the
positioning that will be carried out by me while I am in a position of making branding and
marketing related decisions the company. I would need to identify the most effective ways and

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
grounds on which the positioning related decisions would be taken in the organisations. From the
consumer’s point of view, good positioning helps the consumers in identifying the perfect
products for their needs. Furthermore, the consumers will be able to relate the brand to a product
or service as a result of which will help the company in ensuring that they are able to gain
effectiveness from the consumers of the community.
Reasoning
Positioning is the strategy that is taken by companies carry out in order to effectively position
themselves in the minds of the consumers (Urde & Koch, 2014). It is strategy that is necessary
for the companies in order to effectively communicate the aims of the company to the consumer
community. I have developed an understanding regarding the fact that managers of organisation
need to cater to in order to effectively ensure the production and return on investment that the
company are subject.
Reconstructing
In future I would be able to incorporate the same into my activities while working for the
marketing department of an organisation in the future. It would help in terms of catering to the
needs of the stakeholders of the company by satiating their needs. I have been able to understand
the actual motive behind the positioning that goes into the communicating the brand value. I used
to think that positioning is the physical position of the company, however, now I am aware of the
actual meaning of the same as a result of which I feel, that I will receive considerable amount of
help in in terms of formulating positioning related strategies.

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS
REFERENCES
Laroche, M., Habibi, M.R. and Richard, M.O., 2013. To be or not to be in social media: How
brand loyalty is affected by social media?. International Journal of Information
Management, 33(1), pp.76-82.
Lovett, M. J., Peres, R., & Shachar, R. (2013). On brands and word of mouth. Journal of
marketing research, 50(4), 427-444.
Risselada, H., Verhoef, P. C., & Bijmolt, T. H. (2014). Dynamic effects of social influence and
direct marketing on the adoption of high-technology products. Journal of
Marketing, 78(2), 52-68.
Urde, M., & Koch, C. (2014). Market and brand-oriented schools of positioning. Journal of
Product & Brand Management, 23(7), 478-490.
Wedel, M., & Kannan, P. K. (2016). Marketing analytics for data-rich environments. Journal of
Marketing, 80(6), 97-121.