Technology branding: A study of ICT firms

Abstract

A “brand” is what comes to mind as soon as one hears a brand name . It includes all the aspects that one can associate with the firm under consideration. “Branding” includes all the activities that will lead to the generation of the mental image, these activities define how a firm is viewed by all stakeholders2 . Branding gained importance as firms tried to project their offerings as unique when compared to others . Brand building had earlier never been given prime importance in technology firms quite unlike other companies . But there has been significant change in the mindset among the technology companies primarily due to reasons like threat of new entrants in the field that is really high in today’s time. Reaching out to a larger audience will only be possible with effective branding strategies and not just with a marvelous technological product . Today, firms are moving from a product branding approach to a more holistic corporate branding approach. Firms have recognized the important role that stakeholders both within and outside the firm play in the brand image, and try to involve all parties in the process of developing and maintaining their brand image. Through our study, we have attempted to look into the branding strategy followed by some of the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) firms of today. ICT firms are those that deal with any form of communication or devices – including phones, television, computers and also hardware and/or software etc.