In every company, the name itself has different meanings. This serves as a point of reference and sometimes a basis for customers on what to expect within the company. Since personality influences product image (Langmeyer & Shank, 1994), brand presence helps in realizing this concept. Traditionally, branding is a symbolic manifestation of all information connected to a company, product or service (Nilson, 2003; Olin, 2003). A brand is typically composed of a name, a logo, and other visual elements such as images, colors, and icons (Gillooley & Varley, 2001; Laforet & Saunders, 1994)). A brand is believed to give an impression to the consumer about what to expect from the product or service offered (Mere, 1995). In other applications, the mark may be referred to as a trademark, which is a legally appropriate term. The brand is the most powerful weapon on the market (LePla & Parker, 1999). Brands have a personality that people associate their experience with. They are often linked to the core values that the company puts into practice. In relation to this case, Target Corporation describes the brand personality in its target audience. Target Corp. is considered the retailer that caters to younger, more educated and more affluent customers than its rival. In a survey conducted, Target Corp. shoppers have an average age of 46, most are women, have children at home, and have attended or completed college (Target Corporate Facts, 2006). Therefore, the target market is perceived as sophisticated. However, with the corporate values enforced by the company, the brand's personality serves as one of its defining advantages. Below are the concrete personalities of the Target brand. These are defined by the company, preconceived in the thoughts of customers and validated by the shopping experience they will have in the company premises or even in online marketing.1. The discount department store. Target prefers to be called the latter rather than simply a department store. Expect more, pay less. With this slogan, customers expect to buy more items and pay as little as possible. Unlike other retail industries such as its competitors Kmart and Wal-Mart, Target maintains the value of retail in terms of product offerings. They are known for their designer items in apparel, exclusive beauty products, categorized and functional goods, and seasonal offerings. It also sells the most gift cards among its rival businesses.
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